Today we went to the National Portrait Gallery of Scotland. It definitely was an interesting adventure since I was given invalid directions, (Editor's Note: Fine, I said right when I should have said left, but, come on, my first mistaken directions in two weeks!) but we made it to the museum just to find out the exhibit was moved to another gallery. I think lady luck must have fallen asleep. So we trekked it to the other place and ended up with free entrance into their rotating exhibition. The exhibit was of drawings and was purely awe inspiring. It consisted of sketches of some of the most famous painters and printers, including masters such as Renoir, Raphael, Van Gogh and Monet. When looking at a piece of art it is always nice to see where it started and the process by which it came to be and that is what these rough sketches showed. Sketches? They were masterpieces in their own right.
The tour itself gave a great deal of understanding in how to look at art especially for those whom are not art enthusiast. The tour guide did a great job of keeping us involved in talking about very influential artwork such as a piece by Titian. I enjoyed every minute of the gallery tour and stayed beyond the tour to see the rest of the exhibit. I had to revel in the presence of Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Degas. It seemed surreal to be able to see firsthand the greatest influences in art; the masters to which I gain inspiration for my own work. I wished others would have stayed longer to see the rest of the museum. The most interesting part of the gallery was the Scottish artist collection; a demonstration of art that seems to be overlooked in the classroom unfortunately.
Arguably, I think the National Gallery of Scotland is more enjoyable to see than the Louvre. Their collection is not as extensive, but with the old furniture and tables, it was if you stepped into someone’s home to see the work of art removing the barrier that a traditional gallery poses. This was my favorite thing we have done so far. We got to get up close and personal with the works of art that came out of the Renaissance and Enlightenment of Scotland. It wasn’t just about writers and philosophers or doctors and politicians. Art was a step out of political and religious control. The Scottish art that we saw was more about the people and it tapped more into the Nationalistic views of Wallace. It gave the common people something to relate to unlike the Italian artist who only painted complexed Greek mythology for the learned. The art of Scotland I think was more advanced for its time, drawing from the past to create a better future. It was art for the people and I think that is what I loved.
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Monday, 29 June 2009
June 26-29: Jennifer Lemons
Paris and St. Andrews
I went to Paris this weekend with three other people. Paris will forever be a memorable trip because of its wonders and disappointments. My ending impression of the city is that it is dirty, tagged everywhere, very expensive (5 dollars for a little bottle of water) and there are some very rude French people; a lot actually. Cierra even got cussed out in French by some dude on the metro that ran into her. The touristic view was breathtaking with all its wondrous monuments, but we saw the real Paris. I think that behind the Hollywood glamour, a city is just a city. My painted view of what I hoped Paris to be was destroyed by a beautiful reality. The mix of cultures and people seemed to be the most beautiful thing of all; it is true when they say the city is colorblind. Yet, politics spend more time romanticizing the city center and leave the rest in ruins and dirty. When traveling, go with no presumptions so that you can truly enjoy the cultural experience with no disappointments.
Saturday was worst day and a waste of time and energy, we picked a friend from the airport and went to enjoy a relaxing cruise on the Seine river, but we got played and when the cruise was over it was discovered that our friend had her wallet stolen. The rest of the day was spent trying to get home and canceling cards. I never thought I would say this, but McDonalds saved our life two days in a row. Hungry and hating Paris, I got me a Big Mac with fries and a coke. Comfort food!! It is amazing how when you are outside your comfort zone and scared the first thing you do is find something that brings you back to home. Even though I never eat there, it was refreshing to get it. That’s what McDonalds did for me (twice) even though ordering sucked because I couldn’t speak a lick of French. All I wanted to do was go home, back to familiar ground. I couldn’t wait to have some fish and chips and a pint of Strongbow. At least Paris believes in ice.
Today my friend Janis took a few of us to Saint Andrews which about a 45 minute drive from Edinburgh. Saint Andrews is the birthplace of a world renowned golf course and the first university in Scotland. The University of St. Andrews was built in 1411 and is the third university in the English speaking world. We walked the grounds of the old basilica surrounded by thousands of graves. The oldest one I saw was from the early 15th century and even found a couple headstones with crossbones and skull, maybe they were pirates. I discovered how Scotland got the Saltire as their national flag which was first hoisted in 1512. St. Andrew was crucified on a cross that was turned on its side resembling the white X on the royal blue flag.
Even though we got lost (like a blind cat trying to find his kitty litter), misguided, and money was stolen, Paris was the best learning experience of my life. Personally, it amazes me how God will turn things around for good, what seemed to be a disastrous weekend ended up as a great adventure.
I went to Paris this weekend with three other people. Paris will forever be a memorable trip because of its wonders and disappointments. My ending impression of the city is that it is dirty, tagged everywhere, very expensive (5 dollars for a little bottle of water) and there are some very rude French people; a lot actually. Cierra even got cussed out in French by some dude on the metro that ran into her. The touristic view was breathtaking with all its wondrous monuments, but we saw the real Paris. I think that behind the Hollywood glamour, a city is just a city. My painted view of what I hoped Paris to be was destroyed by a beautiful reality. The mix of cultures and people seemed to be the most beautiful thing of all; it is true when they say the city is colorblind. Yet, politics spend more time romanticizing the city center and leave the rest in ruins and dirty. When traveling, go with no presumptions so that you can truly enjoy the cultural experience with no disappointments.
Saturday was worst day and a waste of time and energy, we picked a friend from the airport and went to enjoy a relaxing cruise on the Seine river, but we got played and when the cruise was over it was discovered that our friend had her wallet stolen. The rest of the day was spent trying to get home and canceling cards. I never thought I would say this, but McDonalds saved our life two days in a row. Hungry and hating Paris, I got me a Big Mac with fries and a coke. Comfort food!! It is amazing how when you are outside your comfort zone and scared the first thing you do is find something that brings you back to home. Even though I never eat there, it was refreshing to get it. That’s what McDonalds did for me (twice) even though ordering sucked because I couldn’t speak a lick of French. All I wanted to do was go home, back to familiar ground. I couldn’t wait to have some fish and chips and a pint of Strongbow. At least Paris believes in ice.
Today my friend Janis took a few of us to Saint Andrews which about a 45 minute drive from Edinburgh. Saint Andrews is the birthplace of a world renowned golf course and the first university in Scotland. The University of St. Andrews was built in 1411 and is the third university in the English speaking world. We walked the grounds of the old basilica surrounded by thousands of graves. The oldest one I saw was from the early 15th century and even found a couple headstones with crossbones and skull, maybe they were pirates. I discovered how Scotland got the Saltire as their national flag which was first hoisted in 1512. St. Andrew was crucified on a cross that was turned on its side resembling the white X on the royal blue flag.
Even though we got lost (like a blind cat trying to find his kitty litter), misguided, and money was stolen, Paris was the best learning experience of my life. Personally, it amazes me how God will turn things around for good, what seemed to be a disastrous weekend ended up as a great adventure.
Friday, 26 June 2009
Dr. Long, Checking In...
Hi All. This weekend marks the first of two opportunities for our students to travel independently--many left today, on to Paris, or Alnwick Castle for a Harry Potter party, or sticking around Edinburgh to soak up more of what it has to offer.
We'll have a new post on Tuesday morning, no doubt filled with adventure.
We'll have a new post on Tuesday morning, no doubt filled with adventure.
June 25-Kat DeWeese
I began the day wondering what the specifics were from the night before; a group of six of us went out and truly experienced the culture here, drinking. We went to many different pubs last night and actually got a lot of drinks bought for us, even our one guy did! Class came way to early this morning and lasted for three hours today. After class we all took long naps in our beds with fresh linens, amazing! This evening Dr. Long treated the winning scavenger hunt to dinner at a place right in our neighborhood called the Orchard. Everything was fresh and local and very good.
After dinner we made our way to the Grass Market bar district for the Pub Tour. This happened to be where we were last night so we were hoping we did not run into to anyone who remembered us! Once there we went up stairs, because everything here is up 4 flights of stairs or a mile up hill to meet with our tour guides. They were both actors and quite charming. As we sat in this room and drank our half pints they gave us some background of the bar’s name and filled us in with who they would be talking about. We walked from pub to pub in both old town and new town hearing these great stories being told by some even better entertainers. They really made the stories come to life about Robert Burns, Walter Scott, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and many other famous Scottish writers and philosophers.
Walter Scott has a huge monument in the middle of the center of down town because he gave Scotland a lot of pride through his many poems and novels. When he started writing his novels he did not use his name because he did not care about the fame. This goes along with the Scottish culture because they are known to be very humble people. He also apparently loved to drink and be out at night just like all the other writers. It is said that the pubs were major inspiration for them. Another main part of the tour was describing the good and bad sides of Edinburgh that have always caused some turmoil for the city. It seems like almost every story we have heard or read about has involved the person having 2 very clear sides. This also goes along with the personality part of this course that we are learning about.
Since being here we have already done and tried so many things. Dr. Long luckily wants us to be independent and venture out on our own. That makes it so much more of a learning experience. So far my favorite thing here ha been the chips (fries) with brown sauce on them that you can get in a little cone to walk around with. The food is so great and fresh here that anytime you order and you are not sure what you just ordered you still know it has to be good. They love their cider beers here too which are amazing! What is better than spiked apple juice?! Today Alicia and I are making our way to Paris; we have no plans and no maps, just backpacks. I can not believe I’m getting this opportunity and hope to take full advantage of it. Who knows what awaits us around the next corner in this trip.
After dinner we made our way to the Grass Market bar district for the Pub Tour. This happened to be where we were last night so we were hoping we did not run into to anyone who remembered us! Once there we went up stairs, because everything here is up 4 flights of stairs or a mile up hill to meet with our tour guides. They were both actors and quite charming. As we sat in this room and drank our half pints they gave us some background of the bar’s name and filled us in with who they would be talking about. We walked from pub to pub in both old town and new town hearing these great stories being told by some even better entertainers. They really made the stories come to life about Robert Burns, Walter Scott, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and many other famous Scottish writers and philosophers.
Walter Scott has a huge monument in the middle of the center of down town because he gave Scotland a lot of pride through his many poems and novels. When he started writing his novels he did not use his name because he did not care about the fame. This goes along with the Scottish culture because they are known to be very humble people. He also apparently loved to drink and be out at night just like all the other writers. It is said that the pubs were major inspiration for them. Another main part of the tour was describing the good and bad sides of Edinburgh that have always caused some turmoil for the city. It seems like almost every story we have heard or read about has involved the person having 2 very clear sides. This also goes along with the personality part of this course that we are learning about.
Since being here we have already done and tried so many things. Dr. Long luckily wants us to be independent and venture out on our own. That makes it so much more of a learning experience. So far my favorite thing here ha been the chips (fries) with brown sauce on them that you can get in a little cone to walk around with. The food is so great and fresh here that anytime you order and you are not sure what you just ordered you still know it has to be good. They love their cider beers here too which are amazing! What is better than spiked apple juice?! Today Alicia and I are making our way to Paris; we have no plans and no maps, just backpacks. I can not believe I’m getting this opportunity and hope to take full advantage of it. Who knows what awaits us around the next corner in this trip.
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
June 23-Raquel Rodriguez
I woke up with the sound of my alarm clock at 6:00 am but I was so tired that I decided to sleep for five more minutes and they turned into 2.5 hours! I jumped out of bed and hurried to my nine o’clock class. This is our 6th day in Scotland and I can tell that everyone in the group is so tired but still excited for being here.
We reviewed our time line and had a little exam review, which by the way the story of the royalty of Scotland would make a good Jerry Springer show. We talked about the differences of the Episcopal and Presbyterian Churches. The Episcopal is comparable with the Catholic Church however is not in line with the Pope. The monarchy elected the ministers, whereas the Presbyterian Church was elected by the people and for the people.
We also talked about Henry, James I son whom died young, just because he wanted to take a swim in the Thames River. Sad he lost the chance to be King L Instead his brother Charles I whom was not raised to be a King was crowned, becoming King of Scotland and England, like his father. Ironically, he only visited Scotland one time, since he lived in England.
On our visit to St. Giles church we learned about Geddes, the lady whom throw a chair protesting because Charles I wanted the Scots to once again read the Bible in Latin. The reformation kicked in, Oliver Cronwell became Lord Protector aka wanna be king, and got in 1651 Charles I beheaded. Charles II was then secretly crowned secretly by Scotland (they regretted turning Charles I to England to be killed, to late to take it back).
In class we also got to apply personality theory for some of the people we have read about like William Wallace, that matches the Adler perspective, and the one I got with Kat, David Hume, that is a mix between Adler’s and Jung theories.
After class my girls and I decided to hit the road and do some shopping, if there is one thing I love in this world other then God and my son/family it is shoes. We entered this store and automatically I felt in shoe heaven, but of course brought right down when I saw the prices. Anyway we needed to hurry the class trip of the day was going to be in the second most visited place in Scotland, the Edinburgh Castle.
When I entered this castle my mouth dropped, the view and just the grandeur of the place was breathtaking. I decided to take the audio tour rather than the group tour with our group. I have been reading about Scottish history for the past 5 days but the audio tour gave me a different insight, of course there was all I have read but I want to share with you guys some of the info that was not on the text books like:
Castle Rock was formed by volcanic explosions
The castle has the only pet cemetery (for only police dogs) in Scotland
People believe that there was people in that castle since the late Bronze Age (900 BC)
Of course Romance, that love story that we imagine when we think about castles with the exception that in real life they actually die. This was the home of Malcolm III known as Big Head. He married Princess Margaret whom was hiding in Scotland with her brother. She falls in love so much with her husband that when he was killed she died three days later in so much pain for the lost of the loved one.
There were so many more cool things to learn like about the stone of destiny (Scotland’s coronation stone) and that here is where MQOS (Dr. Long lets us abbreviate Mary, Queen of Scots for our exams) gave birth to James VI. (In the royal palace within the castle) that I can’t write all (even when I am dying to ;) it is an interesting place to visit.
We reviewed our time line and had a little exam review, which by the way the story of the royalty of Scotland would make a good Jerry Springer show. We talked about the differences of the Episcopal and Presbyterian Churches. The Episcopal is comparable with the Catholic Church however is not in line with the Pope. The monarchy elected the ministers, whereas the Presbyterian Church was elected by the people and for the people.
We also talked about Henry, James I son whom died young, just because he wanted to take a swim in the Thames River. Sad he lost the chance to be King L Instead his brother Charles I whom was not raised to be a King was crowned, becoming King of Scotland and England, like his father. Ironically, he only visited Scotland one time, since he lived in England.
On our visit to St. Giles church we learned about Geddes, the lady whom throw a chair protesting because Charles I wanted the Scots to once again read the Bible in Latin. The reformation kicked in, Oliver Cronwell became Lord Protector aka wanna be king, and got in 1651 Charles I beheaded. Charles II was then secretly crowned secretly by Scotland (they regretted turning Charles I to England to be killed, to late to take it back).
In class we also got to apply personality theory for some of the people we have read about like William Wallace, that matches the Adler perspective, and the one I got with Kat, David Hume, that is a mix between Adler’s and Jung theories.
After class my girls and I decided to hit the road and do some shopping, if there is one thing I love in this world other then God and my son/family it is shoes. We entered this store and automatically I felt in shoe heaven, but of course brought right down when I saw the prices. Anyway we needed to hurry the class trip of the day was going to be in the second most visited place in Scotland, the Edinburgh Castle.
When I entered this castle my mouth dropped, the view and just the grandeur of the place was breathtaking. I decided to take the audio tour rather than the group tour with our group. I have been reading about Scottish history for the past 5 days but the audio tour gave me a different insight, of course there was all I have read but I want to share with you guys some of the info that was not on the text books like:
Castle Rock was formed by volcanic explosions
The castle has the only pet cemetery (for only police dogs) in Scotland
People believe that there was people in that castle since the late Bronze Age (900 BC)
Of course Romance, that love story that we imagine when we think about castles with the exception that in real life they actually die. This was the home of Malcolm III known as Big Head. He married Princess Margaret whom was hiding in Scotland with her brother. She falls in love so much with her husband that when he was killed she died three days later in so much pain for the lost of the loved one.
There were so many more cool things to learn like about the stone of destiny (Scotland’s coronation stone) and that here is where MQOS (Dr. Long lets us abbreviate Mary, Queen of Scots for our exams) gave birth to James VI. (In the royal palace within the castle) that I can’t write all (even when I am dying to ;) it is an interesting place to visit.
Monday, 22 June 2009
June 22-Colin Davis
Today we went to the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. This morning we had lecture and one of the things I learned was that King Henry VIII was “crazier than a s*$@- house rat.” This came up because we were discussing the fact that basically two generations of the royal Stewart family in Scotland were angry and did not want to be on nice terms with Henry VIII. James IV of the Stewart’s died in the battle of Flodden Field and for some odd reason James’ body was given to Henry and no one knows what happened to the body. After that event everything with the royal family just hit the fan.
After lecture we had three hours or so to eat lunch and do whatever, unfortunately I was the boring one and just took a nap but lucky for me it was the most delicious mid-summers nap in Scotland that I have ever had. We had to get on the bus to go to Parliament by two o’clock and my alarm ended the nap.
Once we got to the bus stop we needed to get off at, we then hiked through town to parliament and we have been walking soooooo much that by the time we were at the Parliament building my tendons felt like steel cables. After this trip my legs will be more powerful than a work mule. When Dr. Long went in to buy our tickets she told us that our reservations had been moved back to four o’clock instead of the planned two-forty. So we all got to cruz around on the Royal Mile, which is called that because the Edinburgh castle is at one end and the Holyrood palace is at the other end, which is right across the street from the new parliament building. However, since our tour started at four and we all got to cruz around Dr. Long suggested tea. So I went with her and a few other students to have scones and tea. This tea was the BEST cup of tea that I have EVER had, and I am a tea drinker I really do love tea. After the tasty tea we trucked it back to the parliament building.
Once inside the Parliament building we promptly started the tour. Our tour guide was this little old Scottish lady that had an all purple outfit with earrings that were purple thistles and I really wanted to touch them because they looked extremely soft. We started off looking at the model of the architects design and the tour guide told us that he wanted it to look like a harbor with boats anchored in the bay. And the different boats were the offices for the ministers that vote for the laws. This new Parliament building was opened October 9th 2004. This building was a competition of the architects to see who had the best design, kind of like the competition for the design of the new ground zero area in New York. The winner of this competition was a Spanish architect named Enrich Miracles. Unfortunately a few days after the final plans for the building were approved Enrich Miracles passed away. His design was finished and has many different hidden meanings inside of every part of the building. The main lobby on the personal only side had vents that were designed in shapes and some say that the shapes look like the main land of Scotland and some say that the shape is the Queens flag that is flown only when she is in Edinburgh. I personally thought that it looked like binary code, that would be awesome if it was and typed in and it was the answer to life. Also in the same lobby the roof was raised and warped to look like leaves to symbolize how the Scottish people have grown and blossomed from the ground up. We walked around more and into the voting room and what I noticed that the fronts of the podiums for each were curved and swayed into the same design that you can find everywhere throughout the building. There was a mace, as they called it, and it was more of a saber and it was sold silver with a golden ring and carvings at one side of it. The nice old lady ended the tour in a room where the ministers of parliament propose laws and discuss them.
After the tour I walked to the bus station and took the bus up the hill because my tendons still felt like steel cables. After I got off the bus I walked down a hill with a whole bunch of shops on it and then I came to them! IT was the Edinburgh version of the Exorcist stairs. Long, dark and a single standing street at the bottom. Those stairs are so scary. I hope that I never have to walk down them but if I do I am so totally going to have been drinking so I won’t be so scared. Hopefully the adventures in Scotland won’t bring me along those stairs.
After lecture we had three hours or so to eat lunch and do whatever, unfortunately I was the boring one and just took a nap but lucky for me it was the most delicious mid-summers nap in Scotland that I have ever had. We had to get on the bus to go to Parliament by two o’clock and my alarm ended the nap.
Once we got to the bus stop we needed to get off at, we then hiked through town to parliament and we have been walking soooooo much that by the time we were at the Parliament building my tendons felt like steel cables. After this trip my legs will be more powerful than a work mule. When Dr. Long went in to buy our tickets she told us that our reservations had been moved back to four o’clock instead of the planned two-forty. So we all got to cruz around on the Royal Mile, which is called that because the Edinburgh castle is at one end and the Holyrood palace is at the other end, which is right across the street from the new parliament building. However, since our tour started at four and we all got to cruz around Dr. Long suggested tea. So I went with her and a few other students to have scones and tea. This tea was the BEST cup of tea that I have EVER had, and I am a tea drinker I really do love tea. After the tasty tea we trucked it back to the parliament building.
Once inside the Parliament building we promptly started the tour. Our tour guide was this little old Scottish lady that had an all purple outfit with earrings that were purple thistles and I really wanted to touch them because they looked extremely soft. We started off looking at the model of the architects design and the tour guide told us that he wanted it to look like a harbor with boats anchored in the bay. And the different boats were the offices for the ministers that vote for the laws. This new Parliament building was opened October 9th 2004. This building was a competition of the architects to see who had the best design, kind of like the competition for the design of the new ground zero area in New York. The winner of this competition was a Spanish architect named Enrich Miracles. Unfortunately a few days after the final plans for the building were approved Enrich Miracles passed away. His design was finished and has many different hidden meanings inside of every part of the building. The main lobby on the personal only side had vents that were designed in shapes and some say that the shapes look like the main land of Scotland and some say that the shape is the Queens flag that is flown only when she is in Edinburgh. I personally thought that it looked like binary code, that would be awesome if it was and typed in and it was the answer to life. Also in the same lobby the roof was raised and warped to look like leaves to symbolize how the Scottish people have grown and blossomed from the ground up. We walked around more and into the voting room and what I noticed that the fronts of the podiums for each were curved and swayed into the same design that you can find everywhere throughout the building. There was a mace, as they called it, and it was more of a saber and it was sold silver with a golden ring and carvings at one side of it. The nice old lady ended the tour in a room where the ministers of parliament propose laws and discuss them.
After the tour I walked to the bus station and took the bus up the hill because my tendons still felt like steel cables. After I got off the bus I walked down a hill with a whole bunch of shops on it and then I came to them! IT was the Edinburgh version of the Exorcist stairs. Long, dark and a single standing street at the bottom. Those stairs are so scary. I hope that I never have to walk down them but if I do I am so totally going to have been drinking so I won’t be so scared. Hopefully the adventures in Scotland won’t bring me along those stairs.
Sunday, June 21-Michelle Cunningham
Today we went to Stirling. At noon we hopped a train which took us to our destination. On the train I met two women, one from London and the other, her friend from Atlanta. The woman from Atlanta graduated with a business degree four years ago and was traveling with her job. She just finished her work and came to London to visit her friend. The two of them were also going to Stirling to visit the castle. Miss Atlanta shares a love, bordering fanatic, of Harry Potter with me and I was able to direct her to the birthplace of the books. Hopefully, she will visit during her stay in Scotland. As we were talking she asked if we were here for school. (She had overheard us talking about our reading assignments.) When we confirmed that her suspicions were correct, she told us that not doing a study abroad trip was the one thing she regretted in her life. She said that although she travels for her career, she wanted the opportunity to go somewhere without the pressures of everyday work on her back. Having studied abroad more than once I believe it is an opportunity that should not be missed as well.
Once we arrived in Stirling, we walked to a café where we read a little about William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, two very influential Scots who fought for freedom from English rule. Wallace was a commoner who lived in the Highlands of Scotland and was tired of the tyranny of the English. He and his group of men tried to remove the English soldiers who were in his land. They fought against them so hard that eventually his wife was killed and that set Wallace on his movement. Wallace banded together his men and fought against the English and won Stirling for Scotland. Although Wallace’s other endeavors against the English were not as successful, he remained (and still remains) a hero for the Scottish people.
Robert the Bruce, who came to be king of Scotland through less than reputable measures, enjoyed Wallace’s work. Bruce killed off the threat to his crown and had himself crowned as King of the Scots. Eventually he was recognized by the Pope and England as the King but not before the people of Scotland endorsed him, saying that if he were not still working toward a common goal for the people then he would be removed by the people.
After our reading, we walked up the hill to Stirling Castle. The view was amazing. The skyline looked like a painting with rolling hills and green fields, off in the distance to the left were some wind turbines, Stirling was spread in front of us and behind us was a the Castle that was a strategic point for control of Scotland. Stirling is a much smaller town than Edinburgh and is more of what I expected Scotland to be like, quaint, green and spread out. From the Castle, we could see the William Wallace National Monument, from the distance it looked small, it was much bigger up close. We took a guided tour of the castle that was very interesting. The buildings have been used for many things besides housing the king and queen. The military have used it as a base and now the great hall is used as a venue for different things like weddings and parties; tonight the Scotland Fashion Awards were held there.
After the tour, two of us, Xuan and myself, went over to see the Wallace Monument which is located on the opposite side of the town. We had to hike up a crazy steep hill to get there but the view from the top was breathtaking. We had full view of the town and the castle was easier to see from there. A Polish man was at the top he didn’t speak English but he understood when we asked him to take a picture of the two of us. He began to speak to us excitedly even though we could not understand him until he said, “Richard,” pointed to himself, and looked at each of us and waited. Xuan offered her name and he repeated it back, when I told him my name was Michelle he exclaimed “Michelle Obama?!” and guffawed as he gave me a thumbs up and walked over to a man I think was his son. I have been in Scotland for three days and I love the diversity here. I have met people from all over Europe and the United States and I am excited to continue to do more of the same. The history here is extremely interesting, and I learned that my family name is Scottish. What will I uncover next? =)
Once we arrived in Stirling, we walked to a café where we read a little about William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, two very influential Scots who fought for freedom from English rule. Wallace was a commoner who lived in the Highlands of Scotland and was tired of the tyranny of the English. He and his group of men tried to remove the English soldiers who were in his land. They fought against them so hard that eventually his wife was killed and that set Wallace on his movement. Wallace banded together his men and fought against the English and won Stirling for Scotland. Although Wallace’s other endeavors against the English were not as successful, he remained (and still remains) a hero for the Scottish people.
Robert the Bruce, who came to be king of Scotland through less than reputable measures, enjoyed Wallace’s work. Bruce killed off the threat to his crown and had himself crowned as King of the Scots. Eventually he was recognized by the Pope and England as the King but not before the people of Scotland endorsed him, saying that if he were not still working toward a common goal for the people then he would be removed by the people.
After our reading, we walked up the hill to Stirling Castle. The view was amazing. The skyline looked like a painting with rolling hills and green fields, off in the distance to the left were some wind turbines, Stirling was spread in front of us and behind us was a the Castle that was a strategic point for control of Scotland. Stirling is a much smaller town than Edinburgh and is more of what I expected Scotland to be like, quaint, green and spread out. From the Castle, we could see the William Wallace National Monument, from the distance it looked small, it was much bigger up close. We took a guided tour of the castle that was very interesting. The buildings have been used for many things besides housing the king and queen. The military have used it as a base and now the great hall is used as a venue for different things like weddings and parties; tonight the Scotland Fashion Awards were held there.
After the tour, two of us, Xuan and myself, went over to see the Wallace Monument which is located on the opposite side of the town. We had to hike up a crazy steep hill to get there but the view from the top was breathtaking. We had full view of the town and the castle was easier to see from there. A Polish man was at the top he didn’t speak English but he understood when we asked him to take a picture of the two of us. He began to speak to us excitedly even though we could not understand him until he said, “Richard,” pointed to himself, and looked at each of us and waited. Xuan offered her name and he repeated it back, when I told him my name was Michelle he exclaimed “Michelle Obama?!” and guffawed as he gave me a thumbs up and walked over to a man I think was his son. I have been in Scotland for three days and I love the diversity here. I have met people from all over Europe and the United States and I am excited to continue to do more of the same. The history here is extremely interesting, and I learned that my family name is Scottish. What will I uncover next? =)
Sunday, 21 June 2009
Saturday, June 20-Sarah McConnell
St. Giles
This morning we got a tour of the St. Giles cathedral and it was AMAZING! Built in 1120 as a Catholic church, St. Giles cathedral survived the turbulent period of the reformation and, although most of what is there was not original, it still stands. Currently, St. Giles is a Protestant church and one of the biggest names in Scottish history, John Knox, preached in St. Giles for a long time. John Knox was largely influenced by Martin Luther and helped take Scotland away from Catholicism and toward Protestantism. In St. Giles stands a statue of Knox and it is gorgeous. The stained glass windows are all new—some built as late as 1992. One of the windows was put in in 1985, which I personally was excited about because it is the year of my birth.
The cathedral is free (or donation-only) to tour and wander around and everyone who worked there was incredibly nice. There were a few tombs inside the cathedral which was a little weird to me. Interestingly, these men had, at one point, been sentenced to death for being on the “wrong” side of the leadership. However, with Scotland’s history being as chaotic as it was, sometime after their deaths they were literally pieced together (their bodies had been cut apart and buried around the city) and placed in tombs to rest. One of the men is a beloved Scottish figure and poet/writer and to this day people bring flowers/herbs/cards to lie on his tomb. Today there were a few bouquets of flowers and a card resting on his tomb. We saw the room in which people in Scotland are knighted and each person has a commemorative plaque at a designated seat. Their plaque has an animal and that animal has a corresponding helmet. When each knight dies, their family gets the helmet. Both men and women can currently be knighted and one of their duties is to act as a “body guard” to the Queen. Our guide pointed out that this is a little silly as most people are in their seventies or eighties by the time they are knighted.
St. Giles was the patron saint of animals and around the church there are animal symbols. The pelican, for example, is often seen feeding her babies. This is to symbolize love as the pelican is apparently the best mother a creature can have.
One of the most fascinating stories to me was that of Jenny Geddes. Rumor has it that she, along with many other women, was a passionate support of John Knox (even though we’ve read that John Knox hated women) and the Protestant reformation. A new minister was reading from the Book of Common Prayer and telling the church members that they needed to read from it. Jenny got so angry about this—because she wanted to keep progressing Protestantism—that she yelled at the minister and threw her stool at him.
I asked the tour guide what happened to Jenny Geddes and she replied that she disappeared into time. Furthermore, she stated, it is unlikely that the stool on display in St. Giles is the one she threw as it is too heavy to throw, especially for a woman. Also, some people say it was not Jenny Geddes at all but gave her credit because she has a good Scottish name. The guide explained that so many of the stories are often just stories with small bits of the truth. I loved this answer because it was so realistic and true. Although it is fun to believe that some woman got so furious she chucked a stool at the minister, it is also realistically unlikely that it was that dramatic.
I’m planning on attending services at St. Giles tomorrow morning before we head to Stirling which I hope will be incredible.
Overall, St. Giles was amazing and I loved it!
This morning we got a tour of the St. Giles cathedral and it was AMAZING! Built in 1120 as a Catholic church, St. Giles cathedral survived the turbulent period of the reformation and, although most of what is there was not original, it still stands. Currently, St. Giles is a Protestant church and one of the biggest names in Scottish history, John Knox, preached in St. Giles for a long time. John Knox was largely influenced by Martin Luther and helped take Scotland away from Catholicism and toward Protestantism. In St. Giles stands a statue of Knox and it is gorgeous. The stained glass windows are all new—some built as late as 1992. One of the windows was put in in 1985, which I personally was excited about because it is the year of my birth.
The cathedral is free (or donation-only) to tour and wander around and everyone who worked there was incredibly nice. There were a few tombs inside the cathedral which was a little weird to me. Interestingly, these men had, at one point, been sentenced to death for being on the “wrong” side of the leadership. However, with Scotland’s history being as chaotic as it was, sometime after their deaths they were literally pieced together (their bodies had been cut apart and buried around the city) and placed in tombs to rest. One of the men is a beloved Scottish figure and poet/writer and to this day people bring flowers/herbs/cards to lie on his tomb. Today there were a few bouquets of flowers and a card resting on his tomb. We saw the room in which people in Scotland are knighted and each person has a commemorative plaque at a designated seat. Their plaque has an animal and that animal has a corresponding helmet. When each knight dies, their family gets the helmet. Both men and women can currently be knighted and one of their duties is to act as a “body guard” to the Queen. Our guide pointed out that this is a little silly as most people are in their seventies or eighties by the time they are knighted.
St. Giles was the patron saint of animals and around the church there are animal symbols. The pelican, for example, is often seen feeding her babies. This is to symbolize love as the pelican is apparently the best mother a creature can have.
One of the most fascinating stories to me was that of Jenny Geddes. Rumor has it that she, along with many other women, was a passionate support of John Knox (even though we’ve read that John Knox hated women) and the Protestant reformation. A new minister was reading from the Book of Common Prayer and telling the church members that they needed to read from it. Jenny got so angry about this—because she wanted to keep progressing Protestantism—that she yelled at the minister and threw her stool at him.
I asked the tour guide what happened to Jenny Geddes and she replied that she disappeared into time. Furthermore, she stated, it is unlikely that the stool on display in St. Giles is the one she threw as it is too heavy to throw, especially for a woman. Also, some people say it was not Jenny Geddes at all but gave her credit because she has a good Scottish name. The guide explained that so many of the stories are often just stories with small bits of the truth. I loved this answer because it was so realistic and true. Although it is fun to believe that some woman got so furious she chucked a stool at the minister, it is also realistically unlikely that it was that dramatic.
I’m planning on attending services at St. Giles tomorrow morning before we head to Stirling which I hope will be incredible.
Overall, St. Giles was amazing and I loved it!
Friday, June 19-Tamara Stimatze
We arrived in Edinburgh yesterday, exhausted. Today is the first day we can mildly function, so Dr. Long planned a photo scavenger hunt. For the record, I’d just like to mention that I hate scavenger hunts.
After dividing into three teams we split up and headed to three different areas of Edinburgh. My group began in “New Town” which is also the area in which we are staying as a group. We began searching for our locations. First was the Royal Botanical Gardens. They were around the corner from our house, easy to find, and beautiful! Unfortunately, we had no time to stay, so we began seeking our other two locations out. The other two were harder to find, so we hopped a bus and headed to “Old Town.” Here we found Edinburgh castle, which I cannot wait to tour, and a famous pub dedicated to a woman who survived being hung. My group then found two historical monuments, visited the Princes Street Gardens, then caught another bus and headed back to the housing, hoping we hadn’t missed the deadline. We arrived on time, but, unfortunately, did not win. As stated before, I don’t particularly like scavenger hunts, so I was only mildly disappointed.
Editor’s Note: This group found five of the required sites and subsequently learned the value of not waiting for the bus and just walking; the other groups found 13 and 16 sites, I’m just saying….
The scavenger hunt was good because it was an activity that I never would have done on my own and it helped us to get to know the city we’ll be staying in for two weeks. The scavenger hunt also provided support for our class as I spent time with students I didn’t know very well and visited a few places I’d read about only a few hours earlier in textbooks for the class! The castle and royalty were discussed in the reading and also executions were discussed in the reading. What’s really amazing is that I’d read a not-so-exciting history book about a man being hung in Edinburgh in 1697 and hours later was standing in the same place he was executed in.
In our wander around New Town with my scavenger hunt mates we found some great places. First we found a store with everything we still needed. We stumbled into this tiny amazing pub afterwards. Great place! I ordered an Irn Bru and vodka while others had beer. It was an amazing experience. Afterwards, we chatted with some locals in the pub and in an Italian restaurant which we’d dined at before returning home for the night. This town is great! The stores are great. The people are great.
After dividing into three teams we split up and headed to three different areas of Edinburgh. My group began in “New Town” which is also the area in which we are staying as a group. We began searching for our locations. First was the Royal Botanical Gardens. They were around the corner from our house, easy to find, and beautiful! Unfortunately, we had no time to stay, so we began seeking our other two locations out. The other two were harder to find, so we hopped a bus and headed to “Old Town.” Here we found Edinburgh castle, which I cannot wait to tour, and a famous pub dedicated to a woman who survived being hung. My group then found two historical monuments, visited the Princes Street Gardens, then caught another bus and headed back to the housing, hoping we hadn’t missed the deadline. We arrived on time, but, unfortunately, did not win. As stated before, I don’t particularly like scavenger hunts, so I was only mildly disappointed.
Editor’s Note: This group found five of the required sites and subsequently learned the value of not waiting for the bus and just walking; the other groups found 13 and 16 sites, I’m just saying….
The scavenger hunt was good because it was an activity that I never would have done on my own and it helped us to get to know the city we’ll be staying in for two weeks. The scavenger hunt also provided support for our class as I spent time with students I didn’t know very well and visited a few places I’d read about only a few hours earlier in textbooks for the class! The castle and royalty were discussed in the reading and also executions were discussed in the reading. What’s really amazing is that I’d read a not-so-exciting history book about a man being hung in Edinburgh in 1697 and hours later was standing in the same place he was executed in.
In our wander around New Town with my scavenger hunt mates we found some great places. First we found a store with everything we still needed. We stumbled into this tiny amazing pub afterwards. Great place! I ordered an Irn Bru and vodka while others had beer. It was an amazing experience. Afterwards, we chatted with some locals in the pub and in an Italian restaurant which we’d dined at before returning home for the night. This town is great! The stores are great. The people are great.
Friday, 19 June 2009
Day One and Two
We arrived in Edinburgh yesterday morning to sunshine. In fact, most of the students have remarked on what it is like to have sunshine about 18 hours a day. Very nice, they say.
We spent our first morning getting our bus passes and checking into our beautiful accommodation, adjacent to the Royal Botanical Gardens. From there, we had our first group lunch at "The Elephant House," a cafe on George IVth bridge just off The Royal Mile. This is where J.K. Rowling wrote much of the early Harry Potter books.
Several students tried their first can of Irn Bru or their first serve of Shepherd's Pie. There is still much delight and novely to the Scottish accent. Two have decided to move here someday, and most have discovered a local Italian eatery with "the best Italian food I've ever had." They've eaten there twice already:)
Today, we had class in the morning, (an introduction to the study of personality and the idea of mental mapping) and are spending our afternoon on a team photo scavenger hunt to learn the layout of the city.
Below is the hunt. The students have three hours. Think they can do it?
Edinburgh Scavenger Hunt
“Want a monument to the Scots? Look around you.” Arthur Herman, author of How the Scots Invented the Modern World
Rules: You can use your feet or a bus, but not a taxi. Photos must be taken of the entire group, so you will likely have to ask someone to take your group photo. You can utilize people along the way to get directions, but not technology.
I’ve divided the clues into the New Town, In-Between and Old Town areas. Each team will go to all three areas, but will start your hunt in the section corresponding to your team name. You have until 5:15 p.m. to get all the pictures taken and questions answered. You’ll likely need to be on the bus to return home by 4:50 p.m. (16:50 on the 24-hour clock system utilized in Edinburgh.)
New Town
1. Take a picture of your group INSIDE the Botanical Gardens
2. Take a picture of your group in front of the Old Entrance to Stockbridge Market; what does it say below “Stockbridge Market” on this entrance?
3. Take a picture of your group on the entrance to the Dean Bridge on Queensferry Road
In Between
4. There is a monument to Lord Nelson on Calton Hill. Take a group photo in front of this monument and record what is written on the plaque on the monument here:
5. Take a picture of your group in front of the monument to David Hume
6. There is a floral clock in the Prince’s Street gardens; take a picture of the clock, but not your group in front of the clock
7. There are six monuments in the Princes Street gardens: Take a photograph of three and name the person to whom the monument was erected:
Old Town
8. There are two castles/palaces and at least two separate museums on the Royal Mile—take a group photo in front of each and name the two museums you find
9. Find Maggie Dicksons in the Grassmarket and take a picture of the sign; no group needed in this shot
10. Take a picture of your group’s feet standing on the Heart of Midlothian. There is a book by the same name, and a monument to its author in New Town. Take a photo of your group in front of this monument on your way home.
11. Find the University of Edinburgh and wander around just a bit. Take a picture of Teviot Row House once you’re there; this is the first student union in existence.
Finished! Head back to find Dr. Long in the Moinet Room or Room 11. Winners determined by EITHER the first to return with the hunt completed OR with the most sites discovered at 5:15 p.m. If you are later than 5:15 in arriving back, your work will be appreciated but not eligible for the prize.
Tomorrow we're in class and then touring St. Giles!
We spent our first morning getting our bus passes and checking into our beautiful accommodation, adjacent to the Royal Botanical Gardens. From there, we had our first group lunch at "The Elephant House," a cafe on George IVth bridge just off The Royal Mile. This is where J.K. Rowling wrote much of the early Harry Potter books.
Several students tried their first can of Irn Bru or their first serve of Shepherd's Pie. There is still much delight and novely to the Scottish accent. Two have decided to move here someday, and most have discovered a local Italian eatery with "the best Italian food I've ever had." They've eaten there twice already:)
Today, we had class in the morning, (an introduction to the study of personality and the idea of mental mapping) and are spending our afternoon on a team photo scavenger hunt to learn the layout of the city.
Below is the hunt. The students have three hours. Think they can do it?
Edinburgh Scavenger Hunt
“Want a monument to the Scots? Look around you.” Arthur Herman, author of How the Scots Invented the Modern World
Rules: You can use your feet or a bus, but not a taxi. Photos must be taken of the entire group, so you will likely have to ask someone to take your group photo. You can utilize people along the way to get directions, but not technology.
I’ve divided the clues into the New Town, In-Between and Old Town areas. Each team will go to all three areas, but will start your hunt in the section corresponding to your team name. You have until 5:15 p.m. to get all the pictures taken and questions answered. You’ll likely need to be on the bus to return home by 4:50 p.m. (16:50 on the 24-hour clock system utilized in Edinburgh.)
New Town
1. Take a picture of your group INSIDE the Botanical Gardens
2. Take a picture of your group in front of the Old Entrance to Stockbridge Market; what does it say below “Stockbridge Market” on this entrance?
3. Take a picture of your group on the entrance to the Dean Bridge on Queensferry Road
In Between
4. There is a monument to Lord Nelson on Calton Hill. Take a group photo in front of this monument and record what is written on the plaque on the monument here:
5. Take a picture of your group in front of the monument to David Hume
6. There is a floral clock in the Prince’s Street gardens; take a picture of the clock, but not your group in front of the clock
7. There are six monuments in the Princes Street gardens: Take a photograph of three and name the person to whom the monument was erected:
Old Town
8. There are two castles/palaces and at least two separate museums on the Royal Mile—take a group photo in front of each and name the two museums you find
9. Find Maggie Dicksons in the Grassmarket and take a picture of the sign; no group needed in this shot
10. Take a picture of your group’s feet standing on the Heart of Midlothian. There is a book by the same name, and a monument to its author in New Town. Take a photo of your group in front of this monument on your way home.
11. Find the University of Edinburgh and wander around just a bit. Take a picture of Teviot Row House once you’re there; this is the first student union in existence.
Finished! Head back to find Dr. Long in the Moinet Room or Room 11. Winners determined by EITHER the first to return with the hunt completed OR with the most sites discovered at 5:15 p.m. If you are later than 5:15 in arriving back, your work will be appreciated but not eligible for the prize.
Tomorrow we're in class and then touring St. Giles!
ESU in Edinburgh!
Our group of thirteen arrived in Edinburgh just 24 hours ago! We will be blogging, as a group, about our adventures inside and outside of the classroom through July 16, 2009. Please be sure to check in and to encourage your ESU friends to do the same!
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