a little learning is a dangerous thing ...

Monday, November 19, 2007

Lesson for Today: William Wallace Did Not Look Like Mel Gibson

Rain, kilts, ale, and history…I can come close to summarizing Edinburgh but, of course, I’m always going to fall short. The Scottish capital’s a complete change from the Mediterranean blue of Barcelona, but there’s something in the gray skies and Gothic buildings that’s entirely attractive; we only got to spend a weekend there, but I’d go back in a heartbeat.


About 120 Leeds Uni students came on the trip, which was part of the Give-It-A-Go program at the student union. We squeezed into two coach buses for the 6-hour drive, which despite its longness, was rather interesting: we got to see our fill of the pretty, craggy northern countryside we still haven’t gotten used to.


Edinburgh sneaks up on you. It’s a jarring mix of the old and the new, with Edinburgh Castle looking over shops and hotels, and Arthur’s Seat (a stunning “rolling cliff”, you could call it) watching over the Royal Mile. The city’s seen 1500 years of bloody history, and the monuments scattered around the cobbled streets and winding alleys don’t let you, or anyone,
forget its victories, tragedies, or oddities.


We arrived at our well-located hostel early Friday night and all somehow got checked into our rooms in an hour. As it happens, myself and my group actually slept in a room with 38 beds-- and I thought 12 was a lot! It really wasn’t that bad, though…with that many people, you kind of just blend into the background and get used to the cell phones going off, the lights turning on, and the lockers being clanged.


That night we went out to find a traditional Scottish pub and definitely found one (one that was in Let’s Go, incidentally). However, it was one of those classic situations where a group of foreigners walk into a bar and the locals all stop and stare at you-- this pub was literally the size of a living room. So we hemmed for a bit and walked out, a bit sheepishly…but perhaps unsurprisingly, a big, burly Scotsman standing outside was very gracious and friendly to us. Sincerely happy that we wanted to find a “real Scots pub”, he encouraged us to stay and listen to the traditional music that would start in a bit. The Scottish were, like this guy, unfailingly friendly throughout our trip. After a bit more searching, we found a good place with good food, and got to actually try haggis and whisky. You couldn't feel any more Scottish than that.


Saturday morning we were up and ready to take one of my beloved NewEurope tours, and happily, we got Per as our tour guide, the same one Bryan and I had in Berlin! He took us (a huge group, about 75 people) on a characteristically awesome 3 hour tour of the city that included seeing Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, St. Giles’ Cathedral (the only place you’ll ever see statues of angels playing the bagpipes), various writers’ houses, Greyfriars graveyard, and more. I believe I initiated 7 or 8 people to the tour, who all liked it… so I think, as Marcie
suggested, that NewEurope should be paying me a commission!! ;)


We also visited the Scottish National Museum for a bit to get some more in depth history and in so doing, discovered that Dolly the cloned sheep was stuffed and on display there. She continually revolves on a pedestal in the kids’ Discovery section. It makes for a strange sight.


That night we decided to find another pub and have a traditional good time, even though every venue was packed for the Scotland vs. Italy qualifying match for Eurocup. The first pub we found without a TV was almost as tiny as last night’s (and full of the same, slightly greyer-haired crowd), but we managed to fit in and stay for a little while before heading out in search of a place with more people closer to our age.


Annnnd, we found it. The Black Bull, blaring Britpop and full of post-football match revelers (I say revelers even though Scotland lost, because it didn’t really seem to affect the blue-and-white diehards. They kept on celebrating to uphold their country’s honourable effort and tough defeat ;)), was perfect-- I can now say that my life is complete, because I got to stamp-dance (a la Lynch family wedding) to the song “500 Miles” with a group of kilted Scotsmen! And there was no irony involved! Just pure national pride on their part, and gleeful excitement on ours.


Sunday morning, despite the rain, we got up early and toured the Queen’s home, the Palace of Holyroodhouse. It too is ancient, and has a gorgeous setting right next to Arthur’s Seat. It’s amazing the history that place has seen, and that the Queen still lives there every summer.


Sadly, we couldn’t stay any longer and had to leave Sunday afternoon. But I guess when you
stay such a short time, it leaves you wanting more- I can’t wait to come back and explore more the city, as well as more of the country. Hopefully at some point we can visit Glasgow as well as cities like Dublin, Galway, and Cardiff, which have all been recommended to me already. Here’s hoping we can next spring!


For some reason, Blogger still isn't letting me post pictures, grrr... So here's the link to the Edinburgh Facebook album. And also, in case you're interested, here's the link to my second Gazette article from a couple weeks ago. My next article should be published sometime this week!


Also-- Congratulations, Richard and Ashley! We couldn't be happier for you! I'm so looking forward to being able to say that in person :).


But for now, I’m focused on wrapping up first semester’s school work, ASM’ing the Stage Musical Society’s production of Honk!, and confirming the final plans for our France-Italy tour in December. Hope everything’s going great back home, and talk to you all soon!


<3

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Red Ships of Sppppaaaaaiiiin...

Ahh, Barcelona. Home to Picasso, paella, Antoni Gaudi, sangria, palm trees, and the Mediterranean. And, this past weekend, a temporary home to an excited 11-pack of North American girls, all prepared to have the best weekend trip a backpacker can have...


We flew from Newcastle on our incredibly cheap Ryanair flight in the afternoon and arrived at the Barcelona Girona airport around 5 pm. We then had to take a bus to get to the actual city, but it allowed us to see what the Spanish countryside (sort of) looked like-- I think I was expecting something desert-like, but the landscape is actually very hilly and green.


Our hostel was fantastic, a homey place that was surprisingly well-located, with marble floors, a central staircase, and a rowdy common room. We were right on a major shopping street that was rather ritzy, squished between an H & M and a Cartier across the way. No complaints from us though- we managed to fit in some shopping time during our short time there as well… :)


Our first night we went out and explored the city. We ended up visiting a couple of bars and eating at an Italian restaurant, which had some of the best pizza I’ve ever had… it’s strange, but you tend to eat a lot of Italian while travelling, because it’s literally everywhere. Bryan and I had amazing pasta in Berlin, too.


Saturday found us taking a day-long bus tour, where we paid for the day and got to get on and off whenever we liked. It’s an ideal system for getting the lay of the land, as they say, and seeing some gorgeous parts of Barcelona with a bird’s-eye-view. We made it from our hostel in the city centre to the coast, where we got to see the world-famous marina and docks right on the Mediterranean.


We also explored La Rambla, a kilometre-long strip of street performers, vendors, and strolling people, which, while confusing to find, was definitely worth going back to again and again throughout the trip. Gelato, cheap trinkets, and the proximity to the beach made it perfect.


Saturday night we decided that an essential part of a trip to Barcelona included going out to its biggest and most famous club, Razzmatazz… let me just say that Spaniards are incredibly fun and laid-back, but also incredibly CRAZY for not even getting to a club until 2 AM and then only leaving at 6! Razzmatazz has a fantastic atmosphere and we all had one of the best nights out we’ve ever had…even getting up the next morning at 8 am wasn’t that difficult once you remember that you’re in Barcelona and there’s tons you still haven’t seen … :)


On Sunday morning Marcie and I split from the rest of the group and toured La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona’s most famous landmark. The church has been under construction since 1883, and its strange and amazing architecture continues to surprise visitors. Everyone thought that Antoni Gaudi, the architect, was insane for designing a Catholic church so oddly, but he really is a genius: the inside of the church is meant to look like a forest, with the pillars as trees and the massive windows in the walls providing a speckled light. Against all odds, it really does look like one. And the two entrances, one depicting Jesus’ birth and the other his death, are starkly opposite to one another, albeit both ornately decorated.


Seeing La Sagrada was definitely a highlight. The rest of the day was spent wandering the beach, eating REAL paella (so good) and visiting the Picasso Museum, which is full of the artist’s many, many pieces of work. I had no idea that Picasso was a) Spanish (why did I always think he was Italian?) and b) not always a Cubist painter. He started off traditionally enough and years later developed a more avant-garde style. He loved Barcelona too, and always came back after living in places like Paris and Madrid.


Is it too much to hope though, that I might be able to always come back too??


So after a busy, awesome weekend, Marcie and I packed up and left early Monday morning and, after taking a cab, two buses, a plane, and two trains, we made it home to Leeds around 5 pm, exhausted but elated.


I had to go straight to followspot training for Backstage after that, and only made it to Bodington around midnight, unfortunately, but I’m glad I went. I’m doing the spotlights for the Musical Theatre Society’s production of Sweet Charity this week and needed the practice! The first couple of nights have gone well, and I have one more performance until we leave for Edinburgh this weekend … I’m incredibly excited for this trip, too. It’s about a 180 switch from Barcelona, but no doubt just as fascinating.


Annnd for some reason, the pictures won't post on here again. However, I've posted my pictures on Facebook already, so click here if you fancy seeing all of my Spain photos in one place, and I’ll be in touch right after I get back from Scotland!

Friday, November 2, 2007

A week in snapshots

So it's been a busy week here as most of the students have had to buckle down for Leeds' equivalent of midterms. I know I've been staring at a computer screen even more than usual, so taking a break to check out a production of The History Boys at the Grand Theatre on Saturday was more than welcome. Here's the playbill:


My friend Crystal from DC, another English Lit major, and I had a great time, although we were so high up in the rafters that we had to squint at a nearby TV screen to watch the many video interludes of the play. Alan Bennett, the playwright, actually went to grammar school in Leeds, and the play has a lot to do with his educational upbringing here in the North. The story's all about a class of Yorkshire boys trying to get into Oxford, which went over well with the crowd here ;).



Halloween on Wednesday was a quieter affair than I expected. It's not as a big a deal here as at home, but they do tend to dress more "scary" than we do-- it's all about the fake blood, monsters, and the boo! factor in general. However, as at most universities, much time was spent at the pub celebrating... not by me, of course! By everyone else, though :).



Here are the pictures of the Rugby World Cup night that wouldn't work last time. That's Marcie on the left, my Barcelona buddy for next week, and Megan from Seattle, and myself, showing our red & white loyalty ... to England this time ;) :



Annnd here's a picture of the Bodington fields that I took, just because it was a beautiful day. It's so determined to rain here, it often rains even when the sun is shining, like here:


Although today has been gorgeous so far- warm and sunny. Feels like global warming though... which is scary in itself!
Tonight, myself, Johanna and our friend Marie-Eve (from Quebec, incidentally) are going out to Fruity Disco at the Student Union. Fruity's quickly becoming a must-go night of the week... it's a good-natured night out. We're rewarding ourselves for a week spent in the library and steeling ourselves for the next! :) It's been great getting to know Marie-Eve, too; we all made dinner at her (really tiny and cute!) flat on Friday and spoke a little French... I haven't had a conversation in French in a long time, and I'd forgotten how comforting it can be! I'm a bit rusty, but I can understand it just fine, thankfully!
So I've heard that Canada's hasn't changed its clocks back an hour yet-- we have here, and I must say, I'm taking comfort in the fact that, for a week, we were all an hour closer together :D.
I'll talk to you all soon!