Happy Hogmanay!

For our friends and family back home, Hogmanay is the biggest holiday celebration (to my knowledge) in Scotland.  The celebration lasts several days and businesses are known to shut down anywhere from 3 days to a week to celebrate properly.  Trent & I wanted to take part, but in our own cautious and reserved fashion.  Rather than fighting the crowds to watch fireworks (from not 1 but 2 locations simultaneously) we went out earlier in the day to see what was going on.

Holyrood Park is snow-covered and frozen (had an unusual amount of snow this year!), but the ducks and swans don’t seem to mind, and folks still come out to feed them!

We passed by the Resolution Wall. We proceeded on to Princes Street which had been cleared of all traffic to make room for several (we counted 3 but there could have been more) stages for concerts and performances. There were plenty of rides up for adults and kids including, an American-themed ride. Not sure what was American about the ride other than the iconic American images painted across it (American Football, American flag, etc.). We warmed up with a delicious chai and cappucino from Wellington Coffee in New Town.

After that we went home and ate some delicious nibbles and drank champaigne, while watching the celebration on our tv. No ball to drop though, that was odd! We could see some of the fireworks from our window too!

New Years Day we ventured out as well. We went to see the Fire display on the Royal Mile but on our way there we went through some closes and alleys and ventured up to the castle. Here is the view we saw:

We didn’t know much about the fire displays other than they were wrought iron installations but we have yet to discover their significance for Hogmanay.


As we watched the crane lift the huge fire chandelier into the air, I realized how calm and somber the crowd was. Maybe it had something to do with the reason behind the fire display (is it an homage to something?), or maybe it was the relaxing live music playing, or perhaps just the calming effect of fire was having its way with the crowd. But it was a nice quiet moment. We left so that we could see the last site on our list of Hogmanay events, Big Man Walking. This was Scotland’s giant puppet coming to life and walking from Holyrood Park to the Royal Mile. It was cold, so we braved as much as we could, and it was fascinating.

So, my feet probably looking as blue as the blue man, we headed home after that and warmed up with hot cocoa!

Happy New Year’s everyone. I had a great 2009. I can’t wait to see what 2010 will bring!

Our Christmas in Scotland

Edinburgh this past week, has been graced with a beautiful snowfall.  Although it doesn’t snow very often here, and it hardly ever sticks to the ground (we’ve been told), this Christmas really has been white.

We went out to Princes Street for some last minute shopping and winter fun (more Christmas Fair and German food!), and the castle looked amazing!

Yesterday (Christmas Eve) I worked at the shop where I knitted, drank tea, and watched the snow and shoppers. I came home and Trent had the place all ready for Christmas festivities. The night proceeded with the following goodies:

…mulled wine, popcorn balls, and mince pies.

Today, we had a wonderful Christmas.  Yes, it was our first Christmas on our own with no family (whom we miss very much!), but it was quite nice and relaxing with no major plans.  We woke up and proceeded immediately to our stockings, had a quick break for breakfast and coffee, then on to presents!

TEO got from Santa a pack of playing cards based on an actual set from the 1600’s with the maps of the counties of England and Wales on them, along with a framed (replica) map of Edinburgh from the 1820’s. We love it because you can see where on the map we live, along with where I work and where TEO goes to school. We also had a package from the moms back home: Popcorn, Emergen-C (can’t find it here!), and PJ pants! Thanks, moms!

After presents, (and a lovely chat with my mom and brothers via Skype) Trent proceeded to cook our Christmas feast.

We had yummy filet, roast veg, wine, rolls with herbed butter, and roast potatoes …and of course, Christmas crackers!

We also got to chat with Trent’s parents and my dad, and had some more mulled wine and a Yule log for dessert!  I am now about to partake in some more popcorn balls and candy from my stocking while I sit on the couch next to Trent and watch Elf while I knit.  And I still get 2 more days off work!

Merry Christmas to everyone.  We miss you all, and hope your holidays are as wonderful and relaxing as ours have been.

Our furry friends…

Meet Milos & Alyosha.

 

They have been living with my mom while their rabies quarantine period was going on.  Our plan was to come back in January when they were cleared to come to the UK and we would bring them back with us, and thus reunite our family. Unfortunately, T & I have learned that the cost to bring our little ones over here now that their quarantine period is over is far more than we anticipated.  As a result, their semipermanent home with my mother will become indefinitely permanent, until we move back to the states.  My mom has been having fun with them and fostered quite a loving relationship with our Alyosha (aka, Pusha, or Pushabear) in particular.  She has been so wonderful as to agree to keep them while we over here, as part of her family now.  We are very blessed to have such a generous mother, without her we don’t know what we would have done.   

Also she has been taking wonderful pictures of them to update us to their antics – sleeping in the sink, lounging under the Christmas tree, chasing lizards about the house, stealing the other cats’ favorite sleeping spots, and splashing about in the kiddie pool (the water bowl).  If you would like to see more of the pictures of our kitties in their new home, you can find them here.  When I find myself feeling the kitty angst particularly strongly, I tune in to see what Maru (web-famous kitty) is up to, and he eases my kitty woes!

We miss our kitties very much and can’t wait to see them for our brief visit in January.

Holiday Season!

Well happy belated Thanksgiving to everyone!  I’m quite late in posting this I know, but things are crazy busy at the moment, I feel like I have 3 jobs now:  Schoenhut (which is blowing up in sales at the moment with the Christmas rush), K1 Yarns, and KristenMakes.  Things are stressful but great!

So we had a wonderful wee-Thanksgiving.  I had to work that evening so we had a Thanksgiving lunch.  Trent made a delicious dinner of roasted veg medley, stuffing, mash, and turkey – all we could find on short notice for turkey was pre-sliced turkey breast – but it was all yummy still!

For dessert we had coffee and some delicious (albeit store-bought) eclairs. I couldn’t find pumpkin pie at the bakery but the eclairs were great.

Of course, upon arriving to the shop after our meal, my boss Katharine, presented me with a superb treat: her homemade pumpkin pie!  And I’m pretty certain it had real, not canned, pumpkinny goodness! I took it home and entreated Trent to make some cinnamon whipped cream. A few days later I was able to enjoy all these things together for a restful break:

—–

Also, the Edinburgh Christmas Fair is going on now too in Princes Street Garden. We’d walked through it casually a few times, but today T & I had the chance to actually go, eat, and enjoy the day.

  

Pictured above are me in my new snood (pattern being written now) with some warm blackberry wine, TEO with his frankfurter, and German Potato noodles. The fair has a German-themed Christmas market so of course the food was delicious!

We purchased some tiny ornaments from the fair, and went home for some Christmas decoration & merriment. Results (tiny they may be, but tiny too, is our flat!):

And, yes that is a fake tree, for shame! It was the best option for this tiny home, and I don’t regret it! And yes, the angel tree topper is far too big for this wee tree.  But we had a wonderful time decorating and our now relaxing and enjoying the fruits of our labor.  Having said that, I’m going to join TEO on the couch for some well-deserved knitting, while he plays XBOX.

Just in time for Thanksgiving!

T & I have now signed up for a veg box delivery!   We just started out with one as a tester and it came today, chock-full of goodies!

 Trent ordered from Damhead – an organic, family-run farm…  you can tell our veg just came straight from the farm, dirt and all!  Plus you can add things to the order too, like organic fairtrade coffee!  Trent has a wee Thanksgiving lunch planned (since I’ve got to work tomorrow evening) using some of the items in the box.  The box came with:  parsnips, kale, cabbage, beetroot, carrots, bananas, oranges, bell pepper, brussel sprouts, and coffee all for under £14.  It was a random assortment that we didn’t pick and choose (except the coffee), which is fun!

We’re getting really settled here.  Work is going great for me – I’ve got 5 patterns for sale and more coming.  Trent has had 3 meetings with his advisors so far and they have all gone very well – they are very pleased with his work so far.  On the home-front, we just got a microwave and last night we enjoyed our first bag of microwave popcorn in months.  I’ve also got a free sewing machine from a lovely woman I met through the shop; its getting fixed right now (which is why it was free), but I’m so excited to get it back and start on some sewing patterns.

And now, I’ll close with a picture of our teatime!

B & A go to Scotland!

Well finally, I’ve had a chance to update everyone on the fun times we have recently had. We had our first visitors! Trent’s sister Amanda and her husband Brad came to visit for about ten days! It was a great chance to show them where we live and what we do, and also to throw a bit of touristing in there as well. Now a lot happened in those days that flew by and I only just now got around to blogging it so I’m pretty sure I have a couple days or sites mixed up. And it must be said that B & A were very gracious to let us steal a lot of their pictures. If you want to see more pictures, we’ve got them loaded into Flickr.

The first day of their visit basically involved a very long bus ride to and from the airport, after which B & A took a nice long nap (seeing as how their Seattle selves were still 8 hours behind our time).

Day 2, it was decided, would be spent walking around the city and getting an idea of how to spend the remainder of their time here. We walked through Holyrood Park and peeked into St. Margaret’s Well…

Then we passed by Holyrood Palace and Scottish Parliament…

Made our way down the Royal Mile and to Grassmarket…

And ended up at the yarn shop where I work!

Then we enjoyed some amazing pork sandwiches at Oink, and finished up with tea and coffee and The Elephant House.

On their third and fourth days I had to work so Brad, Amanda, and Trent enjoyed a bit of strolling and sightseeing.

 

After work on the fourth day we met up and walked to the Sheep Heid for the best Scottish meal we’ve had yet: olives; bread; Bangers and Mash; Haggis, Neeps and Tatties; Steak pastry; and for dessert, cheesecake, chocolate cake, and a cheese plate. The Sheep Heid is known as Scotland’s oldest pub (possibly since 1360), and has been frequented by King James IV and his mother, Mary Queen of Scots.

Day 5 was a trip to Stirling. We took a 45-minute train ride to the city of Stirling, which was very well would have been the highlight of the day, but the cemetery and castle were pretty awesome too!

 

As you can see it was stunning.

 

Day 6 saw us climbing through Holyrood Park. We started first with the walk up to the remains of what used to be St. Anthony’s Chapel.

 
 

Then we started to the very highest peak of the city, Arthur’s Seat. Trent to be the most skilled climber of the group, and his long legs carried him miles ahead of us. We got up to the very top finally, where you can see it is just breathtaking!

Next we went to the Salisbury Crags (46-meter cliffs) which were formed by the now dormant volcano that is Arthur’s Seat.

And we finished off the day with a little Turkish treat: Turkish Coffee (for brave Brad), Turkish Apple Tea (for me!), cappuccinos for the boring siblings, and chocolate treats for all!

Day 7 was a trip to the mall at Ocean Terminal for some shopping and then to New Town for delicious burgers from Gourmet Burger Kitchen.

On the 8^th day I had to work again and Trent had school work, but Brad and Amanda went to the Sir Walter Scott Monument on Princes Street (a 287 step climb to the top) along with some other sightseeing.

 

I was working the 9^th day too, so B, A, & T went around town and then to the National Museum of Scotland where they were only able to get as far as the bottom floor, the museum was so vast. They also visited a few fun more spots.

They met up with me after work and we walked by Princes Street gardens and admired a model of the city.

After that we walked to Calton Hill and looked at all the monuments and took in some great views of the city at night.

On the way home, Brad got one last uniquely UK photo op in:

We took it easy after that and picked up some takeaway from Mr. Hot Potato, and spent the evening relaxing at home. Their visit was so much fun, and it was so great being with family again. Ok, who’s next?!?

Update on the UK-Ormes

Well, yes, we know it’s been awhile since our last post. Sorry for our silence! We’ve been quite busy actually, but not with touristing activities. Things are not too bad for us UK-Ormes!

The biggest news of the post is that I got a job! For once, the stars aligned and everything that could go right for the old KO did. I had spent some time looking around on gumtree.com (which is like the UK’s version of craigslist) for part-time jobs and they all looked a bit shoddy. Frustrated, I updated my resume, put gumtree on hold, and set out for the shops. One of them, a yarn shop, actually happened to be hiring and what’s more, the position had only opened up that very day! So I emailed my resume to the shop owner and we set up an interview over coffee. A week later I was training. The great part of the job is that we at the shop are fully encouraged to design and pattern, using the wool that is featured in the shop. This way shoppers can see our wool selection and also see some of the unique patterns that they can purchase to use with the wool. The shop offers one-of-a-kind Scottish wools, as well as other wools that are unique and hard to find, along with fabric that has been hand printed by local students/artists, so very soon I will be designing sewing patterns to sell in the shop as well! So not only do I get paid to knit and play with yarn, but I can design and sell my patterns in the shop, as well as on my own. I have already made three patterns and have many more floating around my head. Needless to say, KO is very happy, and immensely blessed.

Trent has been super busy with school. He has been doing loads of reading, and developed a new system of note-taking on the computer as he reads. He has had two meetings with his primary and secondary advisors so far and both have gone very well. They quite like where his notes are taking him, and are pleased with his progress. He is quite happy with the program and so pleased to be working with the advisors that he has. Trent has seminars once a week that he is attending, and he has been making frequent trips to the library, so much so that the coffee stand outside knows him by sight.

As far as getting settled is concerned, we are just about there. We’ve found an excellent church that is not even five minutes away. After we attended our first service, we were invited to tea and coffee with everyone in the main hall where the pastor made a point to welcome us personally. We were introduced to several American couples that have come to Scotland on similar purposes and also found themselves gravitating to that church. It is so kind and welcoming, and the message is always challenging.

Our flat is feeling more and more like our home, and now the only thing missing is our kitties! Mom has been taking great care of them to the point where those cats will be disappointed to leave their Grandma’s home I’m sure. Our flat now has phone, internet, and cable, and we have already found a few UK shows that we have been enjoying. We watch a lot of Doctor Who, Jamie Oliver, and a comedy show called “How Not to Live Your Life.” We are all set now with a UK bank account, which makes things like shopping for groceries and ordering Domino’s Pizza online much easier! We both have established UK cell phone plans and now we BOTH have iPhones. Now we can actually communicate to each other if one of us is out and not fear for extreme international fees. I just got a bus pass which gets me to work a lot faster than walking and also affords me time to knit while on the bus. I don’t spend much time waiting for the bus, as my phone has an App called “EdinBus” which gives you real time bus schedules. I have my local stops plugged in and know to leave the flat when my phone says the number 34 bus is seven minutes away. It’s quite brilliant!

We had intentions to go out today for some more site-seeing (the first in weeks) but unfortunately I’ve come down with a brutal cold, no doubt contracted from my frequent bus-travel. Hopefully it will be gone soon because we are expecting our first visitors! Trent’s sister and her husband will be coming to stay with us and we are so excited to show them around this lovely city!

The Climb to Arthur’s Seat

This past weekend we thought we’d be adventurous… and climb the crags in Holyrood Park.  Now I posted small pictures only because there were so many and you would be forever scrolling.  If you want to see ALL our pictures in their larger size you can, as usual, go to our Flickr account. 

Anyhow, the park is about a 5-minute walk from our house and absolutely breathtaking every time we pass by.  Soon as we got there, we looked at the map and realized we will have to make many visits here to actually get in all the exploring that this park deserves. Just look at the map - even though there are a few actual marked paths, you literally can go anywhere and make your own path. We started by walking up the back way, which lead to little tastes of the view along the way.

 

We got to a level part and saw lots of parked cars. Apparently most people just drive up most of the way and then climb the last bit. Oh, not us! …we don’t exactly have a car, but weprefer the walk nonetheless. Anyway, up at the clearing, there was a beautiful lake, with swans and ducks!

  

It’s really hard to believe, as a flat-minded Floridian, that there are such a thing as lakes situated high up. It’s just not something I’ve really seen before.

  

 See, that’s me, not believing!

 
Still not believing!

Above is the view from the very top.  It was so windy here that you could barely stand straight up.

Notice Trent - he’s plotting to steal that couple’s picnic lunch!

We decided to navigate our own route down, somewhat off the beaten path. The pictures don’t really do it a justice, because it was really steep, and quite exhilarating!

 

 Of course, it didn’t prove difficult for this mountain climber and his plucky pup! They scaled past us practically prancing their way up. We felt a bit embarrassed for our slow pace.

     

 But I found a little cave to console my slow self in, and Trent found some thistle to happy himself with. Thistle is the national flower of Scotland, and it is all over the place.

  

 Just to give you an idea of our path down, it turned out that it paralleled an actual path down. Looking at the picture above, to the right of the fence you see people traipsing their way up and down with ease. We chose the way on the left hand side, but of course the picture doesn’t really capture just how steep and thrilling our chosen path was.  To give you an idea, by the time we got to the bottom, we realized the path we had taken down was fenced off so that people wouldn’t take it up.

  

 Even with people all around, you still felt at times, completely isolated. It was an amazing feeling.

 We made our way down to The Royal Mile for a well earned lunch.

The Royal Yacht Britannia

 Trent & I have gotten into the habit of saving the fun touristy things for the weekend. Last weekend we decided to bus down to Ocean Terminal to go explore the mall, see a movie, and investigate the Queen’s Royal Yacht Britannia. We started off with a lunch at and Italian restaurant in the mall, where we had great view, some nice wine, and delicious pasta and pizza.

Immediately after, we headed to the second floor of the mall which has the entrance to the royal yacht. The yacht is permanently moored in the Leith harbor area in Edinburgh since her decommissioning (er, retirement) in 1997 after 43 years of faithful service to Her Majesty and the royal family. Prince Charles and Princess Diana honeymooned on the yacht, and it has also been enjoyed by Nelson Mandela, as well as President and Mrs. Clinton. Now it serves full-time as a tourist attraction, for which we are very grateful. Photography was allowed, for which we were also very grateful!  We toured through or past many rooms, and even got to view private rooms such as the Queen’s bedroom, which was across from the room of her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. Here are some random pictures from the deck and the bridge.

We toured through the Sun Room, where the Queen took tea,

 

…as well as rooms where the crew got to relax and drink in their off-time.

  

We viewed the dining room for the upper crew…

…and likewise the dining room for the royal family and guests. This table takes three hours to set, due largely in part to the fact that even each utensil must be meticulously set and measured to be exactly in its place.

We saw the room where the royal family entertained, enjoyed card games, relaxed, and played piano.

Here is the boat that the Queen and her husband took to travel to land, and it is absolutely stunning in person.

And of course the gleaming engine room.

   

The whole yacht was amazing and the history and information provided by the audio guide were fascinating. For example, the Rolls Royce pictured here in the garage on the Yacht had to have its bumpers removed and reattached just so that it could be brought into the garage; the fit was that tight.

We finished up in the gift shop and also purchased some fudge that was made right on the ship (the smells of which were very noticeable and intoxicating throughout portions of the tour. Next we enjoyed some tea before the movie.

We saw Inglourious Basterds by Quentin Tarantino, and for about its two hour duration, I completely forgot we were in Scotland. Movies can be so intoxicating; especially Tarantino films that draw you right in from the beginning.

More images are, as always, available here on my Flickr account. Next installment in The Daily Scotch – yesterday we climbed up Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park! Post coming soon…

The Scotchichron

 

We left our story last with the tale of how a chunk of Laurentian rock became grafted onto a stray bit of Avalonian soil. Carved and pockmarked by glaciers, this land would have been foreboding to all but the most rugged of early societies. Nevertheless, hunting and gathering groups found their way north to the crags and lochs of present-day Scotland.

The earliest record we have of these nomadic tribes comes from the Isle of Rum in the Inner Hebrides [heb-ri-deez]. Between 7000-3000 BC these Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) people made their way north from present-day England and the European continent (a much easier task since at that time Great Britain had not yet decided to become and island and was still attached to the continent).

Slowly, nomadic living gave way to settled communities and the Mesolithic era surrendered to the Neolithic (New Stone Age). The isles of Orkney are home to the most stunning display of these early settlements. Dating from 3100-2600 BC, the village at Skara Brae presents us with a remarkably well-preserved image of a Neolithic village.

The people of Skara Brae appeared to live quite well (by Neolithic standards). Evidence of sanitary drains beneath the floor has been found, as well as jewelry and shelves carved into the wall for personal belongings.

However, life in the Neolithic was not all bracelets and farming; a key feature of any early settlement is defense. As time progressed, the settled communities began to construct highly defensible dwellings. Crannogs, built between 3000-500 BC, are a prime example of this. Sitting atop stilts that had been driven into the water, a Crannog took advantage of the natural defenses of a loch. These dwellings were usually round structures built over the water with a timber or stone path leading to the shore.

Brochs, too, were easily defended structures that were constructed by these early inhabitants. Tall, round stone towers, these were often referred to as “Pictish Towers”. However, as they were usually built around 200 BC, they predate the mention of a Pictish people by several hundred years.

 

 

These defensive structures proved to be quite valuable too, as within a few hundred years the Romans began to make their assaults on the northern section of the British island.

 

By AD 79 all of England and Wales had been subjugated. A rough northern border had been established with three primary tribes holding back the Romans – to the east, the Votadini, with their capital at Traipain Law (which was later moved to Din Eidyn [or Edinburgh]); to the southwest, the Novantae, near present day Dumfries and Galloway; and sandwiched in between the two, the Selgovae. To the north were the Damnonii around the Firth of Clyde and the several Highland tribes that were collectively referred to as the Caledonii (Caledonians).

 

In the years following AD 78, Agricola – the newly appointed governor of Britannia – began a series of successful of campaigns against these tribes. However, he was soon called back to Rome and the subjugation of the north was never fully realized. In Agricola’s absence, the border was pushed south once again by the tribes. In AD 122 the Emperor Hadrian decided to shore up the border by creating his famous wall. Hadrian’s Wall stretched from the Solway to the Tyne. From this stronghold, efforts were made to re-secure the gains that Agricola had made, and in 144 the most successful of these resulted in the Antonine Wall which crossed the narrowest section of present-day Scotland: it ran from the Firth of Forth to the Firth of Clyde. Lasting only 20 years, this wall was as much to regulate the commerce that had sprouted between the two peoples as it was to act as a defense. As the Romans were pushed back to Hadrian’s Wall it was beginning to become clear that their hold on the island was slipping and soon a frightening new face – a face painted blue – would appear to help force them from the island completely.

Hadrian’s Wall (Above) Antonine Wall (Below)