Merry Christmas and Happy Hogmanay!
Well there goes another year!
I know some of you will be glad to see the end of 2009 and so will I, but for reasons other than the usual ones. From my perspective, 2009 seems to have been a year of great changes both in my life and those I know and love. Change is always difficult, whether wished for or not, and I suspect that many of you have had the unwished for kind. In fact, I know some of you who have had the strangest change of all – the-thrust-upon-you-with-no-clear-choice-but-the-necessary-change-ahead kind. To make that less winded, it’s a choice that seems to be out of your hands because you feel compelled to make an alteration in your life even though that very alteration demands sacrifice and compromise. Without getting too philosophical, I’ve found that fighting this kind of destiny or fate always seems to end badly whereas just going with the flow lands you in the most undreamed of circumstances bursting with new experiences, people, and sometimes a new life! Well, to bring it back to me (because lets be honest, a blog is really all about “me” and as some of you may know I have in the past been accused of narcissism…), the reason I am glad to see the back of 2009 is I hope the arduous and mundane portions of this move are over and I can now focus on the new and exciting times ahead full of even more fantastic friends, experiences, and travel.
Some of you may know that I did find a temporary job that ended just before New Year. I was one of two Box Office Supervisors at the Edinburgh Hogmanay Box Office. The first week was so quiet I thought I might shoot myself in the foot just to keep it interesting but of course the closer we got to New Year, the busier and more manic it became. I thoroughly enjoyed working with everyone there and just wish it had been a bit longer. I can’t explain how easy it is for me to make quick friends or even just acquaintances here. For the most part everyone here is open and honest without any walls and the “getting to know people” stage just doesn’t seem to exist, you just jump right in and crack some jokes and you’re off. Now, this might just be my viewing this through my doe-eyed, new-comers glasses but I really have found even the most innocuous interactions to be friendly and full of chat. It also might be down to my willingness to be more open myself and therefore people are apt be more open with me. That sounds like some sort of new age psychology to me but either way, I’m enjoying it and hope that I’ve found a new secret place within me that wasn’t there before.
Anyway, my time at the box was way too short but at least I can look forward to a few drinks with the folks as we all plan to meet up for a couple when we get paid at the end of January.
The only downside to having worked in the box office was of course that I missed out on all the lead up to Hogmanay, New Years Eve in Scotland. The box office was open right up until 11pm on the 31st so I was just able to make midnight. Many Scots suggest that they “invented” New Years Eve or at least the idea of celebrating the New Year with lots of alcohol and dancing and partying. That may very well be true as there is much to see and do here in Edinburgh in the lead up to Hogmanay.
Hogmanay in Edinburgh is a world famous event lasting three days with many little events culminating with the street party and something like a ten minute fireworks display set off from the castle above you and Calton Hill behind you. Quite a sight to see and I was giddy as a schoolboy for it.
As I wanted to just enjoy this years celebrations without looking through a lens (or in my caes at an LCD screen), I’ve stolen some photos of this years crowds and fire works from the net…
We were just about near that stage at the end of the street.
Did I mention I love fireworks?
Last I was here for Hogmanay the street party was cancelled at the last minute. High winds, or gales rather, reached 80 mph and all the stages and electrical equipment were deemed unsafe. People were arriving into the city for a party that was not going to be. But with true Scottish determination we all crammed ourselves onto North Bridge and along the Royal Mile - this being the place where historically the New Year was brought in - and forced the traffic to stop and had our own New Year with an impromptu Auld Lang Syne - even the council managed to spew a few fireworks from the Castle to make us all feel a bit better! But it was nice to get an impression of what it used to be like before the massive 80, 000 strong street party was officially created.
This year, Derek met me at the Hub – a converted church where the box office was located – and we raced to the gates to get into the street party. Not sure how many of you have been amongst 80,000 people at one time but it really was more than I had expected, more in every single way imaginable! Had we been able to get there earlier we would have been at one of the three stages – the west end one preferably, where we could enjoy a DJ set from Mylo – but the crowds got tighter and tighter and at one point (chest to back, chest to back, chest to back) it was just all you could do to keep upright as you swayed with the crowd like a sea anemone on a coral reef. Knowing that fighting for space is really only fun when your younger, we found a spot right in front of the castle and waited for midnight and the fireworks. Dancing, hugging and singing with strangers and wishing them a Happy New Year, the count down started and as usual I got so wrapped up in the moment that I don’t have the most lucid memories of the count down, probably the most integral part of the night as it anticipates the beginning and end. I do however remember looking up at the massive fireworks display above me and behind me. My eyes lighting up with glorious short-lived bursts of coloured fire, I had an overwhelming sense of happiness, welcoming, and arrival. I think it must be the awesome greatness of controlled, beautiful explosions accompanied by 80,000 or so people all singing Auld Lang Syne that can make you feel humbled and at the same time emboldened and introspective. Is there a word in English that encompasses those three feelings?
We were invited to a couple of house parties which was great because once the fireworks are over every pub, bar, club, or cubby hole instantly gets packed to bursting with everyone seeking a drink and some warmth. We had a bit of a long and icy walk (more on the record breaking cold later) down to Leith and once inside with some friends had a bit of a dance and a chat and somehow ended up getting home at 5:30am… not too bad! My photos of the night consist of a few blurry shots of people I know and don’t know whom I promised to email the pics to! I wouldn’t dream of boring you with those so I’ll tell you a bit more about the Hogmanay and winter celebrations and share some of the photos I managed to take while also working 12 hour days…
As I mentioned there are a number of events that the city holds over the three day period leading up to the 31st. My favourite is the Torchlight Procession. The following are some pics of mine from 2007. Not the best I’m afraid so again I’ll fill with some stolen images from the internet.
Starting at 6:30 pm on the 29th and considered to be the kick-start to the New Year celebrations, the Torchlight Procession is a magical march of 12,000+ people holding fire lit torches high above their heads as they march through the city centre following a Viking longboat carried by Viking warriors from the Shetland Islands.
The march culminates with a hike up to the top of Calton Hill overlooking the city.
The longboat and other pagan-like effigies such as 30 foot high wicker men are set alight with the torches carried by the marchers as the longboat carriers yell guttural cries to the sky.
Topped off with a dazzling set of fireworks it really is a brilliant start to the celebrations and if that doesn’t get you in the mood I think you must be dead inside! The real beauty of it is watching this shimmering river of fire snaking through the city.
Last time we were near the front and fortunate enough to be able to look back from the top of Calton Hill at the rest of our fellow torch bearers and see them bringing up the rear through the city. The great thing about this event is you can buy a torch for £5 which is donated to charity or you can just walk along side everyone else and join in on the parade. This is the only parade I’ve ever attended that I have enjoyed and I hate parades! Sadly, this year I was working during the procession so I’ll have to wait until next year to have another go.
After the night of the Torchlight Procession, there is the Night Afore. Each year a different theme is incorporated into what can only be described as a mixture of street theatre and various art installations around the city. This years seemed to be quite scaled back and not as free (free as in not costing anything) as it was in the past. This year’s theme was fire and was demonstrated with an installation leading up the Royal Mile of various sculptures of wire with fire set in and on them.
The first night of this went rather badly as Edinburgh’s famous winds kicked up and blew embers from the fire onto the milling masses setting their coats alight and singeing the surrounding buildings.
Having lost many buildings to fire, the 400 year-old tenements of the High Street are coveted stronger than a junky’s last hit. They had to put the fire out on some of the installations and scaled back others.
Fortunately, this night was remounted on the 1st and I was able to get some pics and a better sense of what was trying to be accomplished.
A giant chandelier of fire suspended above the street dominated the scene with various sculptures of fire and a very strange kind of music (almost like a didgeridoo, but not) created a very unfamiliar landscape out of the very familiar.
The Night Afore also consisted of other ticketed events around the city that I couldn’t and probably wouldn’t have attended.
One aspect of the city during this time is that they light up some of the more prominent buildings in different colours. The Castle, St. Giles Cathedral and other historically significant sites are brightly coloured and lend a festive feel to the city.
As well, from mid-November onwards until the 2nd or 3rd of January there is the Winter Wonderland in Princes Street Gardens. Consisting of many kiddie rides, an ice-skating rink and a giant wheel all along side a German and Highland market there is much to see, eat, and do.
The following are some shots I got during this period…
Buses along Princes Street rushing away to make room for the masses when the street party begins.
Edinburgh’s Wheel and the Scott Monument.
The ice rink that I will have to save going on until Cathy gets here!
A full moon and the Balmoral Hotel in the background.
Our friend Jon from Toronto was in London visiting his family over Christmas and New Years and was able to come up to Edinburgh for the most whirlwind of whirlwind tours. Arriving at 2:30pm on the 2nd and leaving on the 3rd at 6:00pm I think I dragged him almost all over the city. With a marathon tour on the first afternoon followed by an unbelievable 10 establishment nighttime crawl through the city’s bars, pubs and clubs, I think he was thoroughly turned around and struck with the magic of this city. Ending the night in the best way possible – chips and curry sauce (a taste Jon describes as “interesting”) and lamb pizza – we awoke the next day a little groggy-eyed for another walking tour of the city and a chance for him to get some fantastic photos – so jealous of his new camera! It was such a great pleasure to share this little corner of the world with someone for the first time. I think I might have enjoyed showing him around as much as he enjoyed being shown around. I only hope that some of you take us up on our offer to stay with us and allow us to share our new home with you.
Like a true Canadian, I guess I have to talk about the weather! It has been unbelievably cold and snowy here. Not since 1983 has there been this much snow in Edinburgh and with temperatures reaching -11 on some nights it almost feels like I’m in Canada. I guess this is what I get for constantly boasting before we left about how I was going to be enjoying a +6 and +7 degree winter with no sticking snow. Nothing could be further from what we’ve experienced so far. It’s meant to last another two weeks and I think it’ll feel like we’re coming into spring when this cold snap finally lifts.
So it’s back to reality and the joys of searching for a job or jobs!
I contacted a House Manager at one of the theatres here and she agreed to meet with me to discuss what the theatre scene is like here. I can’t believe how candid and willing she was during our little one hour meeting. She gave me some good advice on where to apply and where to steer well clear from. Giving me contacts to look into with the reassurance that I can use her name has given me the confidence to pursue a “cold-call” with a bit of a third party introduction. Now it’s a matter of getting out there and making sure people know my face. Something that I have to be honest fills me with absolute dread. I have been told by many here though, in this current climate you have to stand out from the crowd. Maybe I’ll use an old trick that apparently Barbra Streisand used to use when going for auditions. She would keep a piece of gum in her left hand and when she took a seat make a face and utter an exclamation of disgust as she pulled her hand away from the underside of the seat. You instantly make yourself memorable as the poor person who had to have that happen to them and be recognised for your winning attitude to the whole situation. At the same time, you also automatically suggest that those in the hot seat before you were the ones responsible for the gum being there in the first place! I think I would absolutely bottle it and wouldn’t have the nerve to do it but its fun to entertain the idea nonetheless.
Well friends, that’s all for now. Please let me know how you are all doing as well, Facebook is a click away!
To the year ahead!
XOXO
K
Edinburgh’s Cemeteries
As this is also meant to be an update blog on our new home I feel I should devote some of this space to that very subject rather than simply display for you my most favourite aspects and places in this city. So, in a nut shell…
I’ve been looking for a job and it doesn’t look good for Front of House Managers here at the moment so that might have to go on the back burner and I might have to take something part-time or whore myself out to a temp agency. For now though, I’m going to try to keep at it and be as pushy as possible, which for me is not really what I do best!
We went down to London for the weekend to see our friend Sam and had a great time. London is one of those cities that immediately stir my insides. As soon as I alight from a train and step outside, I’m instantly back in my twelve year-old self and get that giddy feeling that most of us adults don’t get any more. Anyway, since this blog is about Edinburgh and not London, I’ll stop myself there! It’s just fantastic to be living somewhere a person can pop down to London for the weekend!
We’ve been to a number of gigs here and they’ve been great. Cabaret Voltaire -http://www.thecabaretvoltaire.com/ - might be my new club home. Set in the arches of the old town south bridge it’s one of many spaces in what is termed here as “the Vaults”. I promise to get more information out to you all about what real-life is like in Edinburgh. But, so far I’m in an in between of real-life and tourist land with no money so I’ll continue with my more sedate pursuits and let you know why this entry is entitled Edinburgh’s Cemeteries.
Some of you may know of my rather morbid fascination for cemeteries, burial grounds and funerary – you could call it an obsession! I’m not sure when or how it started but I’ve always found them to be quite peaceful and relaxing places to wander around and take pictures – particularly the funerary or grave statues and headstones.
Of course, an ancient city like Edinburgh has a wealth of these old burial grounds to creep about in and I’ve been doing just that!
St. Cuthbert’s is probably the city’s oldest, there having been a burial site here for over a 1000 years. The earliest surviving grave dates to 1606 and as you wander around St. Cuthbert’s it’s possible to see the difference in art between the mid 1600s, the mid 1700s and the mid-Victorian tastes. The earlier stone work is very crude – cherubs and the like out of proportion with very little detail. Later on, burial grounds all over Europe embraced the skull and crossbones, not as a symbol of warning but as one to remind all of their mortality. Naturally, the Victorians were quite sentimental and the romanticising of their funerary became quite popular. Angels, Cherubs, figures posed in sleep or deep reflection, and sleeping animals were all loved by the Victorians and for me are particularly interesting to photograph. Despite their surroundings, they often project a feeling of calm and quietude and would seem equally at home in somebody’s back yard… I think… If you liked that sort of thing…
The following are some shots I’m particularly proud and I would appreciate it if you would indulge me, because you already are considering you are reading this!!!
The above is taken at Dean Cemetery on an overcast day (perfect weather for cemetery photos!), and below at The Grange Cemetery. Both, I think, convey that peace and tranquility that I was trying to relate to you without sounding like a creepy graveyard creeper.
Another cemetery of note is Greyfriars Kirkyard, another city centre cemetery with quite a macabre past. Without going into too much detail… Greyfriars – Franciscan order of Monks who wore grey, amazing! Kirkyard – Kirk is Scots for Church, now we speak the same language! Greyfriars convent was founded in 1436 and the Kirkyard turned over for use as a graveyard in 1562. Hundreds of Covenanters were imprisoned in the southwest corner of the yard which is walled and gated. Again, Covenanters - people in Scotland who signed the National Covenant in 1638. They signed this Covenant to confirm their opposition to the interference by the English kings in the affairs of the Church of Scotland. A bit complicated but basically the English believed in the divine right of the Monarch and that they were the Spiritual Head of the Church of Scotland. The Scots, naturally felt quite different and this difference of opinion resulted in their repression and subsequent imprisonment for treason. As I mentioned above, hundreds of these Covenanters were jailed, exposed to the elements, with very little food or water for months on end. Most died here in the Kirkyard and with this in mind, walking around this particular site can give you the “creeps” if you have an overactive imagination such as mine.
In this shot of Greyfriars you can make out the skull and crossbones motif popular at the time. Just imagine being walled up in this place for half a year with hundreds of other people - no facilities, no shelter, and little food and water, and you can see why there are ghost tours of this sight that operate daily (and nightly). I have never been on one and never intend to!
One more morbid association with Greyfriars is its popularity as a “body shop”. With Edinburgh being at the forefront of science and medicine the need for bodies was at an all time high. Dead bodies became a hot commodity and for those willing to supply the schools and scientists with fresh cadavers they became a great source of income. This led to individually walled graves being constructed as well as iron cages being driven four feet into the ground around a freshly buried casket in order to deter any would be body snatchers. Legends abound of the many bodies taken and those involved in their removal, the most famous being Burke and Hare. Relying on a steady income from dead corpses was perhaps too inconsistent for these two who later preferred to just murder their deliveries to a Dr. Knox with no questions asked. They murdered 16 people in a year before being caught. Perhaps this pitchfork is a remainder of somebody’s more recent pursuit? I really don’t know why it was there – probably as innocuous a reason as the groundskeeper was on break – but it nonetheless was slightly suggestive.
The saddest and scariest of all to me is that many of these burial grounds are in great disrepair and neglect. The iron bars of many tombs have long since been pilfered for quick cash and the rampant vandalism have destroyed much of what is left. In the following shots of the Warriston, Dean, and Cannongate Cemeteries you can see the destruction, some due to vandalism and much due to neglect.
Cannongate Cemetery - Tombs missing iron railings and most of the funerary destroyed.
Clearly not an act of nature, these “pieces” at Dean Cemetery are all that’s left of a mostly intact walled and tiered area.
In Warriston Cemetery, many stones are laid flat. If the council deem some stones to be unsafe, they will lay them flat on purpose as the money for repair would normally come from those loved ones of the deceased’s grave. Until the city decides what to do with these aging pieces of art they will remain on the ground.
Most of Warriston Cemetery has been left in Mother Nature’s hands. Mini forests have sprouted up and grasses and weeds and vines lend this place a much forgotten feel. Walking through it, you sometimes are unsure what came first – the dead or the dead trees.
I hope you enjoyed my sharing this rather strange fascination of mine and with this last photo, hope to portray a more uplifting and happier feel that the earlier pictures demonstrated. Enjoy!
The Many Hills In and Around Edinburgh
The early morning brain beckons with ideas and plans for the day and I just can’t sleep anymore so, idea number one…
Allow me to acquaint you with two of the many hills in and around the Edinburgh city centre. Since I seem to want to be going up high to show you around I may as well continue the trend.
First, there is a small hill south of the city called Blackford Hill. There is an old Victorian observatory on top which acts as a bit of a museum as well as a working observatory used today as the headquarters of Edinburgh University’s Astronomy Department. The original observatory for the city was atop Calton Hill (yes, another hill!) and this was moved to it’s current location to avoid light pollution in 1896 - though, it would seem now that light pollution would be just as much if not more of a problem. Blackford Hill is unique in that you can actually photograph both the Castle and Arthur’s Seat (the next hill I’ll be introducing you to) in the same frame which is quite hard to do being situated at opposite areas of the city. Mine, or rather Derek’s shot below, has the Castle off to the left and most of Arthur’s Seat and the Crags over to the far right.
Please forgive my expression as Derek seemed to have never held a camera before and took ages to snap the photo with the sun beaming directly into my eyes. Blackford Hill is also home to radio and transmission towers that mar the natural surroundings slightly but it is still a fantastic area to walk a dog or play with the many that are being walked if you don’t have one! In addition to day activities, the park is also known as a great vantage point to view the lights of the city at night and has it’s fair share of young drunks but is not that unsafe due to it’s proximity to the affluent neighbourhoods surrounding it.
Another shot with a dramatic sky…
Arthur’s Seat, not fully visible above and pictured below, is actually an extinct volcano sitting right in the middle of the city. Most of Edinburgh’s terrain, like castle rock on which Edinburgh Castle sits, was shaped by volcanic activity and Arthur’s Seat is the highest of these bursts of lava from 350 million years ago. Set in Hollyrood Park, Arthur’s Seat and the Crags (the cliff like rocks that face the city) dominate the cityscape rising to a summit of 820 feet. Pretty much wherever you go in Edinburgh, you can see Arthur’s Seat staring at you. As my friend Cathy would say, “it’s everywhere!”. Climbing is relatively easy, though there is a “girls” (gentle ascending slope) and a “boys” way (a pretty much shear cliff).
The photo above is not recent and was taken from the Scott Monument on one of my many past trips to where I actually live now… still wrapping my head around that once and a while!
There are remains of ancient hill forts dating from 600 AD and more recently, in the 1300’s, the ruins of St. Anthony’s Chapel. Very little is know about the chapel and why it was built in such a difficult place to get to. It fell into disrepair around 1560 and what’s left stands overlooking a landscape very different from the one it was “born” into.
As ruins go it really isn’t that impressive but there is a certain magic when you are all alone standing in the doorway, looking out at the city and thinking of all the many souls who have and will pass through it. You really can’t help having a “what does it all mean?” moment.
Facing away from the chapel and making my way towards the summit (and wondering if today is really a good day to climb it), the sun shines blindingly into my eyes as I navigate the narrow and stony paths. The next photo shows the crags from above and the following, the summit of Arthur’s Seat. People die each year from falling off the summit. Be it their own carelessness, stupidity or high winds. Edinburgh is perfectly situated close to the North Sea to experience gale force winds reaching 70-80 miles an hour sometimes. The famous “horizontal rain” is thanks to these gales! On one of my first trips up, the weather was mild and sunny and not too windy but the closer you got to the top, the winds intensified and finally at the summit, you could literally lean into the wind and not fall over!
That being said, I wouldn’t advise anyone to do this sort of thing in bad weather. Occasionally, the summit can become covered in fog and people have also been known to simply walk off without knowing where they’re walking to.
The area is steeped in lore and myth and witchcraft, and I guess, fact. People through the ages have been unable to suspend their superstitious natures and as such many stories of ghosts and wicked elves and faeries abound. One of the more famous stories involves a collection of miniature coffins discovered in a cave by some children playing in the area in the 1860’s. These coffins where fitted with miniature figures all dressed in different clothing and were placed there at different times - the ones on the bottom of the pile being more decayed than the ones on top. They were held by a private collector until 1901 when they were transferred to the Museum of Scotland. Apparently, there was a lady who lived in the area at the time and whose father had a shop. One day, a man who could not or would not speak, came into the shop clutching a drawing of coffins with specific dates on them and was visibly upset. As a child at the time, this lady remembers vividly the excitement this man created with his little drawings of coffins. He was never seen or heard of again.
Now, whether you believe in all that or not, Arthur’s Seat and specifically, the forming of the crags or cliffs, were a source of scientific fact as well. James Hutton, born in Edinburgh in 1726, was a geologist as well as a physician and chemist and believed that the world was far older than the bible taught and in essence suggested evolution 100 years or so before Darwin. Edinburgh was once the seat of science and learning for Europe and beyond, and much of basic knowledge we have today (specifically medicine) was gleaned by the students and scholars of the day.
A final view of the summit. Silhouettes of climbers stand out as a jet passes above them.
Arthur’s seat will always be for me…
A place of spectacle, with it’s 360 degree view of the surrounding countryside. A place of quiet, with so many dips and glens, it’s possible to find a secluded place to read and get away form the noise of the city. A place for reflection, when things seem to be getting too much and you feel over-burdened, climb on top of them and see how small they actually are!
All for now, before I get too meditative!
This is the first in a series of Edinburgh Updates, I hope you enjoy. I meant to mention at the beginning of the video that I was out of breath from having climbed the 170 steps of the Nelson Monument. This tower sits atop Calton Hill and I think is a good vantage point to view the city and therefore give you all a birds-eye view of my new home. Please comment so I know that there are people out there watching and that Im not embarrassing myself for nothing! Let me know how you are all doing!
Good Morning Stockbridge
Couldn’t sleep anymore… Awake at 5am, it’s now 7am and I peeped outside our flat window to see the sunrise. Ah, a beautiful clear, sunny and warm (+9) day ahead (not the norm as I’m sure you all know) here in Edinburgh. We’re staying in an area called Stockbridge, about 15 minutes walk from the city centre. Stockbridge is quite a wealthy neighbourhood so we don’t fit in at all! It’s home to author Alexander McCaul Smith, and part-time home to what’s her name, that lady who wrote those Harry Potter books (you might have heard of them, something to do with magic and wizards), J.K. Rowling. Oddly enough, I was walking behind her when I was here last year and she is one of the most frightening looking women I’ve ever seen. Her face looked all dreamy as I passed her and she smiled, but in a way that someone in a trance might absentmindedly smile.
Anyway, I snapped this scene of the sun coming up over the chimney pots. It’s not as quiet as it looks as there is a major thoroughfare just outside the window, but I’m used to noise. Just to the left and below the picture runs the Water of Leith, a river that courses right through the city centre. There’s a brilliant walkway along it’s shores that takes you all the way around the city as it snakes through areas both good and not so good. As well, Inverleith Park is nearby with acres of open space and trees which are, unfortunately, not always a part of the streetscape as they are in Toronto. Don’t ever take your trees for granted! Inverleith Park also hosts many rugby and football matches which I will be taking in for reasons other than sport (insert dirty-old-man remark here). We’re only here temporarily for six months and hopefully by then we’ll find something more permanent and not in this area of town.
Just thought I’d share a piece of my (early) morning with you all!
