Well we have successfully arrived in Glasgow after a 3-day excursion through the Highlands of Scotland and I have never been so happy to be off a bus and in a dorm! The Highlands were absolutely breath taking but I must say I was ready to be in a stationary place. I feel as if we are now going to get the true city experience and today’s excursion did a great job illustrating how the city has changed. Today’s excursion was at the People’s Palace and it was a needed break from the cold rainy weather outside. Unlike many museums or palaces, the Peoples Palace is set up to be very kid friendly and boasts a wonderful greenhouse on the back of the building called the Winter Garden. The building was erected in 1898 in the Glasgow Green district. The People’s Palace was set up to illustrate how people lived during the mid 1700’s until 20th century. I found this place to be very interesting because of how they set up their exhibits. Each exhibit had main items, such as having quotes from people who lived in that time, but the themes of each one was different. The themes of the exhibits surrounded such social issues as marriage practices, contraception and growing up in tenement housing. I believe that the tenement house portion will be a great precursor to yet another excursion we will be going on this week.
Most times when I go to museums, I find my mind wandering other places but I found that this museum kept my attention. It is very hard to visualize how a person in the mid 1700s actually lived but because of the interactive computer displays, I was able to gain a greater understanding of the lives of the people in Glasgow. I feel as if this is a great illustration of the cultural changes that occurred in Glasgow during the different periods. I found that I was able to tie this museum experience closely to the Ellis Island Museum in New York City. Both museums offered a highly insightful look into the people who once inhabited that area. Both areas seemed to show awareness for the health of their people and had exhibits devoted to its history. I know it is nearly impossible to fully grasp what was like to be in Glasgow in the 1800’s, but I feel as if the People’s Palace does a magnificent job doing so. One of the exhibits that I found to be particularly interesting was actually one of the most simplest tasks; washing laundry. I know that I have been truly spoiled because I have taken for granted the fact that I grew up with a washing machine and a dryer. The people in Glasgow once visited ‘Steamies’ or wash houses every week where they would have to wash their laundry by hand. From what the museum said, this was extremely hard work that took a very long time. The influence of the old Steamie can be still be seen in its modified form in every college town in the United States. The local laundry mat, this is where every college student, who is not within a short drive of their parents house, goes to do laundry. As a college student I have become more than familiar with laundry mats. It has become a place where I can study, catch up with friends and eat dinner. Steamies provided much of the same atmosphere as our modern day laundry mats do for us. They were almost considered a social site for women. It allowed them to catch up with their friends while also still being productive.
Personally, I found the Winter Gardens exceptionally appealing. I am sure that the weather outside played a big role in it. The garden is essentially a huge greenhouse that is filled with exotic plants and flowers from all over the world. I felt as if I had been whisked away from the cold Scottish climate to a tropical jungle. It was so tranquil and quiet in the gardens early in the morning but as the lunch hour neared, the hustle and bustle of people started to pick up in the café. I ended up having a wonderful lunch there with Laura. Overall, I am pleasantly surprised that I was able to enjoy the museum and also learn something pertinent to our class at the same time.
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
Highland Tour-Jill Peters
I am writing today from the city of Glasgow. We arrived here yesterday about 5:00 pm. We have not had much of a chance to explore and get to know the city, but we have taken a city bus tour and visited a museum, which someone else will be telling you about. So far, I like Glasgow. It has a very different feeling then Edinburgh and I am excited to spend the next ten days here getting to know the city and all it has to offer. One cool thing that is very near our rooms is a huge movie theatre. It has around ten stories and I am excited to go see Eclipse there this weekend. Anyway, today I am going to tell you about our tour through the Highlands of Scotland.
We left Edinburgh Friday morning to head out on a three-day tour through the Highlands. A very nice young man, named Liam, picked us up at St. Colms and we were off. The Highland tour is my favorite thing we have done on this trip so far. The Highlands have some of the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen. As we were leaving Edinburgh, we saw two very famous bridges in Scotland. The names escape me at the moment, but I have seen them all over post-cards in the shops around town. We then headed up into the countryside.
We stopped in a small village, saw a beautiful old church by a picturesque lake, and took beautiful pictures under a tree filled with pink flowers. We also stopped at a great cheese shop where some of the girls got wonderful slices of cheese, and Dr. Long got an amazing sandwich. I also took a picture of a great shop called Going Pottie and then laughed hysterically because sometimes I act like I am 12. The store did have some very nice pottery though and I can always appreciate a clever name.
We then took a walk through a nice forest and ended up at a river with a great view. There was a pretty waterfall and great nature scenes all around us. I do not appreciate the beauty in nature enough sometimes, and it is nice to be reminded that there is beauty all around us. We were even able to see a few salmon try to jump over some rocks to continue their swim up river. They were not successful in their attempts, but it was still fun to watch.
One of my favorite stops along the tour was the beach. We stopped at the coast and got out of the bus to a beautiful white sandy beach. The view was breathtaking and it was so amazing to go from the awesome mountains to a beach in only about 30 minutes. It was a bit cold, but that did not stop us from enjoying our time there. We picked up seashells, wrote messages in the sand, took some great pictures, and Dr. Long was even brave enough to put her feet in the cold water.
Another breathtaking view we were lucky to experience was the three sisters, which are three mountains that are right next to each other in an area called Glencoe. We have talked a lot about the importance of this area in class and it was nice to see it in person. Anyways, back to the amazing view. There was a cloud of mist and fog around the top of the mountains, and since it was raining, there were numerous waterfalls cascading down the mountains. It might have been the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It was so pretty it could bring a person to tears. I got a couple great shots of the three sisters.
There is also a lot of important history that took place in the highlands. There was a massacre at Glencoe, where the MacDonald clan was slaughtered, and the battle at Culloden where the Jacobite armies were defeated by the English. These are the historical events we discussed in class, and as I mentioned above, it was nice to be able to see where they took place. It makes history come alive for me when I get to see the actual ground the soldiers and other highlanders walked on.
I have loved almost every minute of our trip here in Scotland, but I have to say the Highlands have been my favorite. There was so much beauty all around us that it was hard not to fall in love with Scotland all over again. I am excited to see what Glasgow has to offer and the adventures we will go on while we are here.
We left Edinburgh Friday morning to head out on a three-day tour through the Highlands. A very nice young man, named Liam, picked us up at St. Colms and we were off. The Highland tour is my favorite thing we have done on this trip so far. The Highlands have some of the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen. As we were leaving Edinburgh, we saw two very famous bridges in Scotland. The names escape me at the moment, but I have seen them all over post-cards in the shops around town. We then headed up into the countryside.
We stopped in a small village, saw a beautiful old church by a picturesque lake, and took beautiful pictures under a tree filled with pink flowers. We also stopped at a great cheese shop where some of the girls got wonderful slices of cheese, and Dr. Long got an amazing sandwich. I also took a picture of a great shop called Going Pottie and then laughed hysterically because sometimes I act like I am 12. The store did have some very nice pottery though and I can always appreciate a clever name.
We then took a walk through a nice forest and ended up at a river with a great view. There was a pretty waterfall and great nature scenes all around us. I do not appreciate the beauty in nature enough sometimes, and it is nice to be reminded that there is beauty all around us. We were even able to see a few salmon try to jump over some rocks to continue their swim up river. They were not successful in their attempts, but it was still fun to watch.
One of my favorite stops along the tour was the beach. We stopped at the coast and got out of the bus to a beautiful white sandy beach. The view was breathtaking and it was so amazing to go from the awesome mountains to a beach in only about 30 minutes. It was a bit cold, but that did not stop us from enjoying our time there. We picked up seashells, wrote messages in the sand, took some great pictures, and Dr. Long was even brave enough to put her feet in the cold water.
Another breathtaking view we were lucky to experience was the three sisters, which are three mountains that are right next to each other in an area called Glencoe. We have talked a lot about the importance of this area in class and it was nice to see it in person. Anyways, back to the amazing view. There was a cloud of mist and fog around the top of the mountains, and since it was raining, there were numerous waterfalls cascading down the mountains. It might have been the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It was so pretty it could bring a person to tears. I got a couple great shots of the three sisters.
There is also a lot of important history that took place in the highlands. There was a massacre at Glencoe, where the MacDonald clan was slaughtered, and the battle at Culloden where the Jacobite armies were defeated by the English. These are the historical events we discussed in class, and as I mentioned above, it was nice to be able to see where they took place. It makes history come alive for me when I get to see the actual ground the soldiers and other highlanders walked on.
I have loved almost every minute of our trip here in Scotland, but I have to say the Highlands have been my favorite. There was so much beauty all around us that it was hard not to fall in love with Scotland all over again. I am excited to see what Glasgow has to offer and the adventures we will go on while we are here.
Katie Zogelman-Kelvingrove Gallery
For our first full day in Glasgow our group first went on a bus tour of Glasgow and then stopped off at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. This museum was very visitor friendly and had a large amount of unique art. Having three main levels there would have been something for all ages to enjoy. We were able to spend time learning more about Scottish history, prominent architectural people from history, along with other exhibitions. I enjoyed this excursion because I felt we were able to explore and enjoy the art but also learned more about Scotland and its culture.
After being opened back up around 2006, the gallery and museum is different than a lot of others that I have been to in the past. The admittance was free, children were able to explore, and we were able to discuss and have a more hands on experience in the gallery. For me, this was beneficial and more enjoyable because we could converse with each other about what we enjoyed and could point out interesting pieces of art. I also noticed that there was even a section in the gallery that held artwork that children had created. This helps to portray the diverse amount of art that was present there.
One section that was important to our coursework was of the section concerning Scottish individuals and events from the past. There was artwork about Robert the Bruce, the Clans, William Wallace, and many other individuals and groups important to Scotland. A very moving piece of art was one that displayed a clan saying goodbye. The caption to the side of the painting explained that it was attempting to capture what it was like for the Highlands. Many of the highland clans moved away but some were left behind in Scotland. After learning about this time period in class, it was definitely a different experience to see the reactions and feelings that would have been present for those of the clan that may have stayed behind.
A second section in the gallery that was interesting showed and explained artwork about architecture. Charles Mackintosh was a very influential architect and designer that is remembered in Glasgow and has been very influential in terms of style and design. He created many buildings but also worked and produced interior pieces as well. A few of the buildings that he created were the Glasgow School of Art, the Hill House in Helensburgh, and Scotland Street School in Glasgow. Mackintosh was definitely an innovator and strayed from the norm to create things that changed the city and traditional ways of architecture. I do remember reading that his death went largely unnoticed in Glasgow for a period of time shortly after his death. This seems to be sort of common among people that become famous and well known many years after their death. However, it is good that his work was finally recognized because it is such an influence in today’s society.
In the same section of craft, art and industry, there were many pieces that I enjoyed reading about the story behind the art itself. This was definitely a bonus of Kelvingrove. For instance, learning about the history behind a tearoom was fascinating to me. Tearooms were unique spaces, had quality food, and served alcohol-free drinks. These places also introduced the remarkable new interior designs that were being created to the public. If individuals did not have enough money to entertain in their own homes, the tearooms would have been a place where they could meet up with friends to visit.
Only having been in Scotland for about three weeks, there have been numerous times that we have been associated with the Wizard of Oz because we are from Kansas. Stereotypes are unavoidable to any culture and society. I enjoyed a specific piece of art in the museum that dealt with stereotypes associated with Scotland. In this piece, there were many things that I do pair with Scotland probably in a stereotypical manner. I am sure that kilts, shortbread, plaid and paisley designs, and bagpipes are not the only things that Scotland may want to be remembered for. It is these items among many others that were depicted in this particular picture.
I did not come close to seeing all of the artwork in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery, but enjoyed what I did view. The collection was phenomenal with something that could intrigue everyone who visited. Again, I liked that the experience was more hands on and open to everyone.
After being opened back up around 2006, the gallery and museum is different than a lot of others that I have been to in the past. The admittance was free, children were able to explore, and we were able to discuss and have a more hands on experience in the gallery. For me, this was beneficial and more enjoyable because we could converse with each other about what we enjoyed and could point out interesting pieces of art. I also noticed that there was even a section in the gallery that held artwork that children had created. This helps to portray the diverse amount of art that was present there.
One section that was important to our coursework was of the section concerning Scottish individuals and events from the past. There was artwork about Robert the Bruce, the Clans, William Wallace, and many other individuals and groups important to Scotland. A very moving piece of art was one that displayed a clan saying goodbye. The caption to the side of the painting explained that it was attempting to capture what it was like for the Highlands. Many of the highland clans moved away but some were left behind in Scotland. After learning about this time period in class, it was definitely a different experience to see the reactions and feelings that would have been present for those of the clan that may have stayed behind.
A second section in the gallery that was interesting showed and explained artwork about architecture. Charles Mackintosh was a very influential architect and designer that is remembered in Glasgow and has been very influential in terms of style and design. He created many buildings but also worked and produced interior pieces as well. A few of the buildings that he created were the Glasgow School of Art, the Hill House in Helensburgh, and Scotland Street School in Glasgow. Mackintosh was definitely an innovator and strayed from the norm to create things that changed the city and traditional ways of architecture. I do remember reading that his death went largely unnoticed in Glasgow for a period of time shortly after his death. This seems to be sort of common among people that become famous and well known many years after their death. However, it is good that his work was finally recognized because it is such an influence in today’s society.
In the same section of craft, art and industry, there were many pieces that I enjoyed reading about the story behind the art itself. This was definitely a bonus of Kelvingrove. For instance, learning about the history behind a tearoom was fascinating to me. Tearooms were unique spaces, had quality food, and served alcohol-free drinks. These places also introduced the remarkable new interior designs that were being created to the public. If individuals did not have enough money to entertain in their own homes, the tearooms would have been a place where they could meet up with friends to visit.
Only having been in Scotland for about three weeks, there have been numerous times that we have been associated with the Wizard of Oz because we are from Kansas. Stereotypes are unavoidable to any culture and society. I enjoyed a specific piece of art in the museum that dealt with stereotypes associated with Scotland. In this piece, there were many things that I do pair with Scotland probably in a stereotypical manner. I am sure that kilts, shortbread, plaid and paisley designs, and bagpipes are not the only things that Scotland may want to be remembered for. It is these items among many others that were depicted in this particular picture.
I did not come close to seeing all of the artwork in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery, but enjoyed what I did view. The collection was phenomenal with something that could intrigue everyone who visited. Again, I liked that the experience was more hands on and open to everyone.
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Surgeon's Hall Museum-Laura Mersman
Today we decided to get lost one more time Edinburgh, and after a bit of misdirection from strangers we made our way to the Surgeons’ Hall Museum: History of Surgery. We walked through it at our own pace, observing worldwide and national accomplishments that had been made in the area of medicine through the years. The history of medicine in Scotland began with information on James IV, who apparently had an interest in remedies and minor procedures and experimented with blood-letting. History went on to describe the early surgeons as doubling as barbers and specializing mainly in blood letting. They also spoke of the apothecaries and their role in prescribing and dosing the medicine and how often they messed up.
I found the experimentation that lead up to the discovery of chloroform anesthesia interesting, James Simpson, the man who discovered it, perfected the dosage and strength by testing it on himself and his friends after he invited them over for dinner parties. The display talked about how dangerous this was for him and his friends, but lucky for them it all worked out okay!
They had a large display on Sir Arthur Conon Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, and how his character was modeled after Dr. Joseph Bell, a professor of clinical surgery at Edinburgh University. There were actual letters in the display that showed the exchange between Doyle and Bell describing how closely Doyle thought the character resembled Dr. Bell. Conon Doyle had worked with Dr. Bell when he was a young medical student, so this is where he was able to model Dr. Bell. I thought this was kind of neat and an interesting tie to Scotland.
They showed many displays of the older tools used such as the trepanation drill, amputation knives, and the tools used for an old Chinese technique of cupping. Those were pretty unpleasant looking and definitely lead me to have a greater appreciation for modern medicine. There were many displays depicting earlier research on preserved body parts, models of the veins, and military wounds found in bones. One not so pleasant, but famous one, was of John Barclay’s anatomy specimens that he once used for teaching of a baby- it showed only the bones and veins—eek!!
I think everyone found something of interest in this museum, the upper level covered sports injuries as well as modern sports and health concerns in Scotland. It was also the level of modern medicine, and there was an engaging display on keyhole surgery which happened to have been developed in Scotland. It also contained an interactive part that was set up to mock keyhole surgery with the camera screen and probes, and some of the girls raced to see who could remove the blockage first- there is always fun to be found, even in a museum full of preserved body parts!
We read about the Scottish Hunter Brothers and their accomplishments in the areas of medicine prior to coming to the museum and were surprised to see no mention of them. William Hunter is attributed to having been one of the first to delve into the studies of ob/gyn and make midwifery a division of medicine. His brother John Hunter was also well known for his studies on anatomy, and he did very well in the areas of surgery, later being appointed surgeon to King George III. Dr. Long said maybe they predated the museum, or according to what I just looked up on the very reliable Wikipedia they may have been murderers or body-snatchers, so maybe they just didn’t make the cut J
Tomorrow will be our final exam and our last day in Edinburgh. It seems crazy that we have already been here 15 days! I will miss this city very much as it has quickly become home, and such a place of excitement and adventures! I have really enjoyed learning the history of this city (not something I ever pictured myself saying), and I think understanding the significance behind everything from the street names to the country’s flower has made staying here even more significant for me. However, there’s really no time to dwell because soon we will be off to the beautiful Highlands and the busy hub of Glasgow, and I’m sure many adventures will await us there!!!
I found the experimentation that lead up to the discovery of chloroform anesthesia interesting, James Simpson, the man who discovered it, perfected the dosage and strength by testing it on himself and his friends after he invited them over for dinner parties. The display talked about how dangerous this was for him and his friends, but lucky for them it all worked out okay!
They had a large display on Sir Arthur Conon Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, and how his character was modeled after Dr. Joseph Bell, a professor of clinical surgery at Edinburgh University. There were actual letters in the display that showed the exchange between Doyle and Bell describing how closely Doyle thought the character resembled Dr. Bell. Conon Doyle had worked with Dr. Bell when he was a young medical student, so this is where he was able to model Dr. Bell. I thought this was kind of neat and an interesting tie to Scotland.
They showed many displays of the older tools used such as the trepanation drill, amputation knives, and the tools used for an old Chinese technique of cupping. Those were pretty unpleasant looking and definitely lead me to have a greater appreciation for modern medicine. There were many displays depicting earlier research on preserved body parts, models of the veins, and military wounds found in bones. One not so pleasant, but famous one, was of John Barclay’s anatomy specimens that he once used for teaching of a baby- it showed only the bones and veins—eek!!
I think everyone found something of interest in this museum, the upper level covered sports injuries as well as modern sports and health concerns in Scotland. It was also the level of modern medicine, and there was an engaging display on keyhole surgery which happened to have been developed in Scotland. It also contained an interactive part that was set up to mock keyhole surgery with the camera screen and probes, and some of the girls raced to see who could remove the blockage first- there is always fun to be found, even in a museum full of preserved body parts!
We read about the Scottish Hunter Brothers and their accomplishments in the areas of medicine prior to coming to the museum and were surprised to see no mention of them. William Hunter is attributed to having been one of the first to delve into the studies of ob/gyn and make midwifery a division of medicine. His brother John Hunter was also well known for his studies on anatomy, and he did very well in the areas of surgery, later being appointed surgeon to King George III. Dr. Long said maybe they predated the museum, or according to what I just looked up on the very reliable Wikipedia they may have been murderers or body-snatchers, so maybe they just didn’t make the cut J
Tomorrow will be our final exam and our last day in Edinburgh. It seems crazy that we have already been here 15 days! I will miss this city very much as it has quickly become home, and such a place of excitement and adventures! I have really enjoyed learning the history of this city (not something I ever pictured myself saying), and I think understanding the significance behind everything from the street names to the country’s flower has made staying here even more significant for me. However, there’s really no time to dwell because soon we will be off to the beautiful Highlands and the busy hub of Glasgow, and I’m sure many adventures will await us there!!!
St. Andrews-Whitney Cockrell
On Saturday, I took the train to St. Andrew’s, home of the famous golf course and the world’s oldest university. The town’s people were busy making preparations for the upcoming graduation from University and the Open.
Golf has been played and refined at St. Andrew’s for over 600 years. The course is open to the public, but visitors are only allowed to tour the course on Sundays without playing golf. People began golfing at St. Andrew’s as early as 14oo AD and St. Andrew’s is often referred to as the home of golf. In fact, in the early 1500’s, King James the II, banned young men from playing golf for a brief time, because it was distracting them from archery practice.
Originally designed with 22 holes, (11 out, 11 in), golfers finally decided to refine the course. They combined the first four holes, and the last four, making them into two long shots. This made the game a bit more challenging and shortened the playing time. 18 holes, continues to be the standard round of golf to this day.
In 1754 the Royal and Ancient Golf Club was founded and was comprised of 22 members, all of whom were either royal, or nobleman and landowners. This society is still in existence today, and governs all the rules of golf worldwide, except for the USA.
Sadly, I was in town on a Saturday, so I was unable to tour the golf course myself, but I did see the many preparations being made for the upcoming championship. I was told that the town would make 124 million pounds during the four day tournament, just from the television rights alone.
Tiger Woods, was among one of the many famous golfers expected to play in the open this year. The town is hoping that Jack Nichols will be coming. They love Jack Nichols because he is loyal and so kind. They told us that during Nichols first open at St. Andrew’s, he wasn’t allowed to stay at the country club with the other golfers because he wasn’t as well known, and no one expected him to win. So Nichols went in to town looking for a place to stay, but everything was full. Finally, he walked a few miles out of town and found a small bed and breakfast. He won the Open that year, and to this day, whenever he is in St. Andrew’s he will only stay at that small bed and breakfast. This has endeared him to the people of St. Andrew’s.
The people of St. Andrew’s were charming and engaging. The town was quite nice, and easy to navigate. I stopped by the Abbey, where my son was delighted to play soccer (football) with some of the local children for awhile in the courtyard.
St. Andrew’s was a lovely place. It sits along the coast and it was a beautiful, scenic train ride. If you are an avid golfer, you should come and play a round at St. Andrew’s at least once before you die. It is an exquisite course, in a lovely town. It does not disappoint.
So grab a jacket, your clubs, and umbrella and stay a bit in St. Andrew’s.
Golf has been played and refined at St. Andrew’s for over 600 years. The course is open to the public, but visitors are only allowed to tour the course on Sundays without playing golf. People began golfing at St. Andrew’s as early as 14oo AD and St. Andrew’s is often referred to as the home of golf. In fact, in the early 1500’s, King James the II, banned young men from playing golf for a brief time, because it was distracting them from archery practice.
Originally designed with 22 holes, (11 out, 11 in), golfers finally decided to refine the course. They combined the first four holes, and the last four, making them into two long shots. This made the game a bit more challenging and shortened the playing time. 18 holes, continues to be the standard round of golf to this day.
In 1754 the Royal and Ancient Golf Club was founded and was comprised of 22 members, all of whom were either royal, or nobleman and landowners. This society is still in existence today, and governs all the rules of golf worldwide, except for the USA.
Sadly, I was in town on a Saturday, so I was unable to tour the golf course myself, but I did see the many preparations being made for the upcoming championship. I was told that the town would make 124 million pounds during the four day tournament, just from the television rights alone.
Tiger Woods, was among one of the many famous golfers expected to play in the open this year. The town is hoping that Jack Nichols will be coming. They love Jack Nichols because he is loyal and so kind. They told us that during Nichols first open at St. Andrew’s, he wasn’t allowed to stay at the country club with the other golfers because he wasn’t as well known, and no one expected him to win. So Nichols went in to town looking for a place to stay, but everything was full. Finally, he walked a few miles out of town and found a small bed and breakfast. He won the Open that year, and to this day, whenever he is in St. Andrew’s he will only stay at that small bed and breakfast. This has endeared him to the people of St. Andrew’s.
The people of St. Andrew’s were charming and engaging. The town was quite nice, and easy to navigate. I stopped by the Abbey, where my son was delighted to play soccer (football) with some of the local children for awhile in the courtyard.
St. Andrew’s was a lovely place. It sits along the coast and it was a beautiful, scenic train ride. If you are an avid golfer, you should come and play a round at St. Andrew’s at least once before you die. It is an exquisite course, in a lovely town. It does not disappoint.
So grab a jacket, your clubs, and umbrella and stay a bit in St. Andrew’s.
Literary Pub Tour-Jill Peters
Greetings from Scotland, the weather has been great here so far which I am told is not the norm so we have been pretty lucky. Of course I have been lugging my rain coat around with me everyday in case it decides to rain, and well today it did during our dinner at the restaurant formerly known as Monster Mash, which name was stolen by another restaurant but that is a story for another time. So, of course the one time it rains I have left my coat back at St. Colms sitting comfortably on my bed. I was a little disappointed in my planning skills, but I do not want to dwell on the negative so I must inform all of you that we are having a great time here in Edinburgh. We only have a few more days here and I am a little sad, but also excited for our adventures to come in the Highlands and in Glasgow.
Today after our very good and very filling dinner, we went to our excursion, which was a literary pub tour of Edinburgh. I chose to blog about this for two reasons, first I love literature and would love to spend my days reading the classics like Pride and Prejudice in the beautiful Princess Street Gardens. My second reason is I always love a good pub, and I am really enjoying the pub culture here. The tour was not what I expected. I was not aware that it was given by actors. I was worried when an older woman entered the room and seemed to be very stuffy and proper. All I could think was how much she was going to dislike our group of fun loving, joke cracking girls. Well the joke was on me because she was part of the tour. It was a new experience to learn about literary history through comedic acting. I liked the lighthearted tour through Edinburgh’s history.
The tour took us to four different pubs located throughout Edinburgh’s new and old town. We walked through a lot of the city, which before I came to Scotland would have seemed horrible, but now walking long distances seems normal. Let us see if I can keep up the walking when I get home. One pub in particular was very charming it was called the Jolly Judge. It is the smallest bar in Edinburgh and has a beautiful hammer beam roof made out of wood from old ships. It was very small though so it was hard for the whole tour to fit inside, we had to take turns, but it was a quant little place I would not have encountered without this tour.
The tour not only focused on the history of literature, but on the contrast of good and evil, the dark and the light side of writers and the city itself. They told us, in their own theatrical way, of how these literary artists were pioneers of the time, but also had their vice and crosses to bear. The dualistic personality of the city is very apparent while walking through the streets. From certain points in the city, you can view the new town full of shops, restaurants, and bars built in a more modern fashion, and then look across the street and see the beautiful old buildings, churches, and Edinburgh Castle staring down at you. I really enjoy walking through old town on the Royal Mile, which connects the Castle with Holyrood Palace. The architecture and charm of the streets is amazing.
The tour not only made me think about the duality of the city itself, but the dualistic personality that resides in all of us. Most of us have more then one side to our personality and we all certainly have our vices, whether we like to admit it or not. It was comforting to know that even the great writers and visionaries of Scotland’s past struggled with some of the same issues facing many people today. They wrote many of their great works in pubs and taverns, enjoyed a drink now and again, and wrote about the common people they saw inhabiting Edinburgh. Great inspiration can come from the most humble of places, the everyday things in life are what make life worth living.
I have learned a lot so far on my trip to Scotland and I can only imagine the things I will see and learn in the weeks to come. I am looking forward to growing and changing throughout my experiences here, and to become more aware of the different aspects of my own dualistic personality.
Today after our very good and very filling dinner, we went to our excursion, which was a literary pub tour of Edinburgh. I chose to blog about this for two reasons, first I love literature and would love to spend my days reading the classics like Pride and Prejudice in the beautiful Princess Street Gardens. My second reason is I always love a good pub, and I am really enjoying the pub culture here. The tour was not what I expected. I was not aware that it was given by actors. I was worried when an older woman entered the room and seemed to be very stuffy and proper. All I could think was how much she was going to dislike our group of fun loving, joke cracking girls. Well the joke was on me because she was part of the tour. It was a new experience to learn about literary history through comedic acting. I liked the lighthearted tour through Edinburgh’s history.
The tour took us to four different pubs located throughout Edinburgh’s new and old town. We walked through a lot of the city, which before I came to Scotland would have seemed horrible, but now walking long distances seems normal. Let us see if I can keep up the walking when I get home. One pub in particular was very charming it was called the Jolly Judge. It is the smallest bar in Edinburgh and has a beautiful hammer beam roof made out of wood from old ships. It was very small though so it was hard for the whole tour to fit inside, we had to take turns, but it was a quant little place I would not have encountered without this tour.
The tour not only focused on the history of literature, but on the contrast of good and evil, the dark and the light side of writers and the city itself. They told us, in their own theatrical way, of how these literary artists were pioneers of the time, but also had their vice and crosses to bear. The dualistic personality of the city is very apparent while walking through the streets. From certain points in the city, you can view the new town full of shops, restaurants, and bars built in a more modern fashion, and then look across the street and see the beautiful old buildings, churches, and Edinburgh Castle staring down at you. I really enjoy walking through old town on the Royal Mile, which connects the Castle with Holyrood Palace. The architecture and charm of the streets is amazing.
The tour not only made me think about the duality of the city itself, but the dualistic personality that resides in all of us. Most of us have more then one side to our personality and we all certainly have our vices, whether we like to admit it or not. It was comforting to know that even the great writers and visionaries of Scotland’s past struggled with some of the same issues facing many people today. They wrote many of their great works in pubs and taverns, enjoyed a drink now and again, and wrote about the common people they saw inhabiting Edinburgh. Great inspiration can come from the most humble of places, the everyday things in life are what make life worth living.
I have learned a lot so far on my trip to Scotland and I can only imagine the things I will see and learn in the weeks to come. I am looking forward to growing and changing throughout my experiences here, and to become more aware of the different aspects of my own dualistic personality.
National Gallery of Scotland-Casey Van Houtan
Today we had the opportunity to visit the National gallery of Scotland. I am very excited to write this blog for I am an art appreciator for I have absolutely no artistic ability but to be able to view different eras of art and how each was different was quite the experience. The gallery itself has a very specific place in Edinburgh which is on top of The Mound. The Mound is literally a hill of earth and can be found in the perfect spot right in between the Princes St. Gardens. Before the building was put here, a man had put up this panorama (which this man is said to invent this word and it is a Scottish invention) to view. You could come pay a pound to come into this tent like structure and get this picturesque view of the city of Edinburgh. The gallery not stands in its place and was created by William Henry. It was finally to be opened to the public in 1859, though it would not get its purchase grant until 1903 which is quite surprising. The gallery holds a printing and drawing collection of 30,000 works, which is considered small, but I considered quite huge. Every year they welcome over a million visitors from Scotland and the rest of the world just to view the building of art.
They hold not only portraits but also sculptures, which are strewn randomly over the building. They have certain rooms dedicated to each period of art. We started in the medieval times, moved on through Italian, Spanish, Dutch, and Scottish of course, and we then ended in the impressionist period which is my absolute favorite. They are more modernesque pictures in old flashy frames which is where you would find Romantic and Reneissance period types of art. My favorite piece from the impressionist period was a Van Gogh. He drew this from his window while he was kept in an asylum which I also find to relate to this course. He uses the impressionist form of art which uses less strict detail than any other time of art even found now. He did commit suicide only weeks after he painted this picture though which is quite ironic. Another art appreciator beside me was talking about the impressionistic period of art and said “What is so ironic about this time is they had the most use of colors and everything is so bright and not dark, but they almost all, committed suicide.” Which I find to be quite ironic as well and sad how can you draw these paintings and be so sad on the inside.
Another ironic piece of art that turns out to be one of my favorites is a photograph taken by Annie Leibovitz. It is of course of one of my main men John Lennon and his lover Yoko Ono. The caption that was by it is “In this comparatively simple portrait, Leibovitz relies on intimacy for effect. Her aim was to immortalise John and Yoko's deep love for one another. But within hours of taking this photograph John Lennon was shot dead. Distributed around the world as a 'Rolling Stone' magazine cover, the photograph was instantly transformed. It became a memorial to Lennon and a symbol of the vulnerability of human passion.” The great thing about art that it is ultimately up to the viewer to decide how to interpret it, sure the artist probably had their own idea but everyone is unique so who is to say who is right and who is wrong. One person may not understand what they see in front of them while another is totally drawn into the piece. For instance during the same period the Italians and Spanisher were more into drawing and trying to relieve the religion era. They were all Catholic so they had a different view on what art should look like, while at the same time the Dutch were drawing hunting scenes. Which only the rich could do in those times so it gave people hope to look at these painting and to have them in their houses as too think hey that could be me someday. I quite liked the Dutch painting, though the dead animals put a morbid touch on it. The thing I found interesting was that it looked like the man was on a windowsill and this vsat majority of land was behind him including on the side a sprig of Sunflowers which they thought to be magic. Who would of thought that today our state flower was magic because it followed the sun and was quite large.
I very much enjoyed the gallery and it opened my eyes to a lot of great art and older art I would have never got the chance to see in the states. I hope to go to many other places to view their collections.
They hold not only portraits but also sculptures, which are strewn randomly over the building. They have certain rooms dedicated to each period of art. We started in the medieval times, moved on through Italian, Spanish, Dutch, and Scottish of course, and we then ended in the impressionist period which is my absolute favorite. They are more modernesque pictures in old flashy frames which is where you would find Romantic and Reneissance period types of art. My favorite piece from the impressionist period was a Van Gogh. He drew this from his window while he was kept in an asylum which I also find to relate to this course. He uses the impressionist form of art which uses less strict detail than any other time of art even found now. He did commit suicide only weeks after he painted this picture though which is quite ironic. Another art appreciator beside me was talking about the impressionistic period of art and said “What is so ironic about this time is they had the most use of colors and everything is so bright and not dark, but they almost all, committed suicide.” Which I find to be quite ironic as well and sad how can you draw these paintings and be so sad on the inside.
Another ironic piece of art that turns out to be one of my favorites is a photograph taken by Annie Leibovitz. It is of course of one of my main men John Lennon and his lover Yoko Ono. The caption that was by it is “In this comparatively simple portrait, Leibovitz relies on intimacy for effect. Her aim was to immortalise John and Yoko's deep love for one another. But within hours of taking this photograph John Lennon was shot dead. Distributed around the world as a 'Rolling Stone' magazine cover, the photograph was instantly transformed. It became a memorial to Lennon and a symbol of the vulnerability of human passion.” The great thing about art that it is ultimately up to the viewer to decide how to interpret it, sure the artist probably had their own idea but everyone is unique so who is to say who is right and who is wrong. One person may not understand what they see in front of them while another is totally drawn into the piece. For instance during the same period the Italians and Spanisher were more into drawing and trying to relieve the religion era. They were all Catholic so they had a different view on what art should look like, while at the same time the Dutch were drawing hunting scenes. Which only the rich could do in those times so it gave people hope to look at these painting and to have them in their houses as too think hey that could be me someday. I quite liked the Dutch painting, though the dead animals put a morbid touch on it. The thing I found interesting was that it looked like the man was on a windowsill and this vsat majority of land was behind him including on the side a sprig of Sunflowers which they thought to be magic. Who would of thought that today our state flower was magic because it followed the sun and was quite large.
I very much enjoyed the gallery and it opened my eyes to a lot of great art and older art I would have never got the chance to see in the states. I hope to go to many other places to view their collections.
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