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)

Beach, Park & Tea

On a rainy-ish, glum day, Trent & I, with no specific plans, set out in the general direction of water. This isn’t hard to do, as the Firth of Forth is able to be spotted from most areas of the city. We set out for Portobello Road. We generally walked through neighborhoods, which I love, because then I get to spy on homes and try to peep through windows. Nonchalantly, and inconspicuously, of course! Eventually we made it to the beach. Now the pictures are not magnificent, because the day was, as I had mentioned, pretty glum, but still, it is a beach!

We commented to each other on the things that you can do one the beaches here that are prohibited on the Florida beaches that we are familiar with:

1. Have an open bonfire.
2. Have an open alcoholic container
3. This one is two-fold: (a) Have a dog on the beach, & (B) Let it run loose without its leash.

I had a great time watching those happy dogs jump in and out of the water, and then sprint to meet back up with their owner. They had such fun and freedom!

When we’d had enough beaching, we veered down a road and found a park that had been a recent development brought about by the neighborhood when the soon-to-be-park area was actually under threat of becoming a landfill. Now it is a nature reserve with lots of wild, freely growing flowers and plants, with nice paths for you to explore them.

     

On the way home from that Trent spotted a flower that looked not of this earth, so naturally, we took a picture. Can anyone name this plant, and please don’t tell me its called “Audrey2.”

On a day shortly thereafter, Trent had initial student registration and I tagged along for a very specific reason. I knew of a place that was near his registration where a certain author set down to write a certain, wildly famous, set of books. These books are about love, friendship, courage, and MAGIC! I hope you have guessed by now that I am speaking of none other than J.K. Rowling and her Harry Potter books! If you know anything about us, then you know we are big Harry Potter fans. T & I have read the set through twice (well, T is about finished with his second run-through) and we own all the movies that have been release to DVD to date. Anyway, The Elephant House is not only voted Edinburgh’s top spot for tea and coffee, but it is the “birthplace” of Harry Potter.  This is where J.K. Rowling set down to do a lot of the writing for her books.  She choste a spot in the back room with a great view of the castle.  I chose to site where I could people watch on the street.

Pictured above is my tea and snack, caramel shortbread, yum! Pictured below, you can see the Trenty crossing the street to meet up with me!

To a favorite of mine…

In case you can’t read it, “Happy Birthday, Mom. We love you! K & T”
Have a great time at Hollywood Studios! Kisses from across the pond!

Creating a To Do List

Upon arriving home after our Holyrood day, we went through the many pamphlets and brochures we’d acquired throughout the day and derived a list of places we have to see.  I linked them up to their respective websites if you want to learn more about them.  If you are planning a visit to us sometime, you may want to bookmark the ones that look particularly interesting to you.

• Holyrood Palace – DONE! I just had to add it to the list for kicks!
• Holyrood Park – I fully intend to climb to the top of the crag on a sunny day and take a picture (or two) of this beautiful city.
• The Royal Mile – we’ve already walked it, but apparently there are plenty of things to do there, other than shopping and eating.
• Royal Yacht Britannia – the Queen’s ship, parked right outside Ocean Terminal, which is also a nice-looking mall (this came also recommended by Suzanne and her friends, as did a few other things on this list).
• Dynamic Earth – a beetle-looking building right outside Scottish Parliament near Holyrood. This is an environmental exhibition.
• Mary King’s Close – We actually saw this tour on the Travel Channel (Passport to Europe with Samantha Brown) and it’s a scary tour of the underground closes of Edinburgh (a network of underground streets, rooms, and townhouses where those who were stricken with the plague were kept in quarantine.
• Gillmerton Cove – There is a cave located here that seems pretty interesting, and also came recommended by Suzanne’s friends. It is really a series of hand carved passageways that, to this day they don’t really know who made them and why.
• Edinburgh Castle – we have plans to do this on a weekday, as it is probably the top thing to do in the city; we’d like to avoid the crowds.
• Royal Botanical Gardens – located in New Town, this is a huge collection of gardens, sanctuaries, trails and even a fish camp. Even though you have to pay to get in and do the trails, they don’t actually make any revenue because the cost of maintenance is so high.
• Edinburgh Zoo – because you always have to go to the zoo!
• The Queen’s Gallery – this is part of Holyrood Palace but we opted not to do it just yet. We plan to do it soon.
• National Portrait Gallery – Although this segment of the National Galleries of Scotland will be closed until 2011for a project until 2011, it will be worth the wait; it is home to the national collection of portraits as well as the National Photography Collection.
• City Bus Tour – Yes, I always have to do those bus tours! Sitting on the top, open level of a bus as it whirls around town, narrated by a guide is my kind of thing!
• Camera Obscura – Located off the Royal Mile, it has three galleries of optical illusions, as well as some great views of the city.
• Museum on the Mound – This museum focuses on money and how it affects other aspect of life (e.g. art & design, technology, crime, trade, etc.)
• The Georgian House – a house that was built in Georgian style and is still maintained thusly. You can get a taste of what elegant 18^th century life was like in Edinburgh.
• Gladstone’s Land – A fully restored 17^th century tenement that house diverse social classes simultaneously, located off the Royal Mile.
• Scottish Seabird Centre – This center is located overlooking the sea and beaches, where you can spot, not only birds, but sometimes dolphins and otters, too. I’d like to pet a puffin perhaps.
• The Edinburgh Dungeon – another scary and thrilling tour with some seedy historical tales.

We’ll do our best to update you with these “To Do’s” as we cross them off our list!

Adventures in Holyrood

We had a beautiful Saturday here, this past weekend. The weather was in the crisp high-sixties, and not a cloud in that bright blue sky. Trent thought he’d like to walk through Holyrood Park in a roundabout way to get to Holyrood Palace, and well, I’m always along for the ride!

Holyrood Park is not far from our flat, and the center of the park is what we Floridians would swear to be a mountain, but really it is a crag (“A steep rugged mass of rock projecting upward or outward, especially a cliff or vertical rock exposure in the north of England or in Scotland” – thank you, Wikipedia). You can see the crags from most points of the city, and they are beautiful. My favorite part about these crags is seeing the tiny moving dots that are the brave souls who have climbed up. Someday soon, I hope to be one of those brave souls! We walked around the park and of course paused for some pictures:

Eventually we made it up to the palace purchased our tickets, and stumble dinto the blazing bright courtyard.

Admission comes with an audio guide so you may see some pictures that look like we are rudely on our cell phones in a museum but really we are listening to the history of things such as Mary Queen of Scot’s financial advisor being brutally stabbed by her husband 56 times.

This was taken inside the courtyard. Straight ahead, you can see each type of column (doric, ionic, and corinthian) from Roman architecture, one on each level. The palace that is Holyrood is actually where Queen Elizabeth, herself, comes to stay when she visits Edinburgh which is for about a week or two every summer, sometime in July. We were able to go through rooms that currently are used for dining and entertaining, as well as rooms that at one point, served as ancient Kings’ and Queens’ bedrooms and antechambers.

Holyrood is not just a palace but also the remains of an abbey whose construction began as far back as the 1100’s. Holyrood the term, comes from the meaning “Holy Cross.” The legend goes that in 1127, King David I was hunting in the woods and, having gotten into trouble was saved by a stag. He saw between the stag’s horns an illuminated cross, and from that encounter, he vowed to build a church right there. The abbey is now in ruins due to age but mainly also anti-Catholic mobs.

  

Above were pictures from the Abbey ruins. Below are pictures from the garden.

 

 

We had lunch in the Holyrood café, and then ambled through the giftshop, before making our way out to Canongate Road. Canongate Road serves as a portion of the “Royal Mile” which seems to be Edinburgh’s main touristy street. Plenty of kilt shops, gift shops, and cafes are located there, as well as plenty of people. Navigation amongst the throngs is a bit difficult, especially on a beautiful Saturday. But we made it through the crowd and even snapped a few pictures the street, as well as of a church with a statue out front.

   

Eventually we found ourselves near Edinburgh Castle, which in that area, is pretty hard to miss. Rather than going in (we are saving that for a less busy weekday), we walked around and down into Princes Street Garden, which is at the base of the hill that the castle is situated on. There was a wedding party taking photos in the park and I snuck a few pictures of them to prove show that people still wear kilts on special occasion!

We then walked through the park, and eventually found our way to New Town. New Town is actually quite old, but being Newer than the majority of the rest of the city, it holds some very nice buildings and expensive flats. We wandered into another park (pictured here, with the Trenty on a bench), and then, pooped and sleepy, we plodded home.