Whew! Crazy few days, here. By all accounts, classes were intended to start on 11 January, but the internship courses don't actually begin until the 18th. Thus, we interns have been enjoying each other's company and exploring the city!
A monument to Scottish American Soldiers, presumably in the Civil War, given the statue of Lincoln on top.
I drooled properly. On the rear of the black display there's a short film on his amazing career. Inspiring fellow.
This is a Tartan index from back in the day (recording the various clans and their respective plaids)! The scale in the picture doesn't do justice to just how massive this book is; to have a collection of FABRIC in it basically means that the thing isn't less than six inches thick.
Finally, we stopped by The Elephant House, which is a great coffeeshop where JK Rowling is supposed to have written the Harry Potter books. There's some controversy surrounding the claim, and Paddy mentioned another location which seems to have a more water-tight story, but either way: individual coffee presses, elephant decor, and an incredible view of Greyfriar's Kirk (the churchyard at the bottom) and Edinburgh Castle.
This picture is from a day or two ago; the snow has since melted off, leaving only a few patches of ice and more slush than anyone knows what to do with. Drivers are spinning their wheels constantly, apparently not accustomed to snowy driving, and I'm so very glad I don't have to drive here (also, manual transmissions on some of the city's sloped streets would be so frustrating). Ooh also, I must send out a huge thank you to my dear sister, Carol, for lending me her camera. The blog would be relatively lifeless without it.
Yesterday, Paddy (our internship director with a prodigious beard) took us around Edinburgh and showed us the most pressing sites:
A monument to Scottish American Soldiers, presumably in the Civil War, given the statue of Lincoln on top. View from the top of... the hill! I can't for the life of me recall what it's called, but this is the view looking north towards Leith (neighboring port city) and the sea. I am also in the picture, per Mom's request. :D
After our freezing history lesson, it was time to go to the pub. Cultural experience, you know. We bonded over karaoke and some student-discount pints:
Our dear BZ, my only fellow male intern so far, singing a seductive rendition of "Use Me," if I remember correctly.
Catherine and Alicia repped the US with "Empire State of Mind."
... and here's me, with Avril Lavigne's "Complicated." It was a crowd favorite, 'cause everybody loves that song. Always.
And then today, we headed off to the National Museum! First, for my dear pal Blau, we have Sir Jackie Stewart's 1971 Champion Formula One car:
I drooled properly. On the rear of the black display there's a short film on his amazing career. Inspiring fellow.Guillotine! This little wonder was built in the mid-16th century, and was the end of about 120 folks.
This is a Tartan index from back in the day (recording the various clans and their respective plaids)! The scale in the picture doesn't do justice to just how massive this book is; to have a collection of FABRIC in it basically means that the thing isn't less than six inches thick. 
Finally, we stopped by The Elephant House, which is a great coffeeshop where JK Rowling is supposed to have written the Harry Potter books. There's some controversy surrounding the claim, and Paddy mentioned another location which seems to have a more water-tight story, but either way: individual coffee presses, elephant decor, and an incredible view of Greyfriar's Kirk (the churchyard at the bottom) and Edinburgh Castle. 
And of course, a rousing "FIGHT ON!" from all of us at Tartan Trojans!
Raves: the pic with you in it, the tartan book, and the FIGHT ON!
ReplyDeleteCould "the hill" be Arthur's Seat? :)
Nope, that's a far more pronounced hill, actually. Arthur's Seat looks like a sheet of volcanic rock pushed up on one side, while this hill is just a normal little rolly one (and is probably 1/3 of the elevation of Arthur's)
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