I don't know if its the "Firth of Fourth" or the "Third of Fifth", but I would rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.
- August 15, 2008 Foolzio
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Day 4 Evening - Edinburgh Military Tatoo
You would have thought it was a concert for the Rolling Stones or The Beatles. Over 10,000 people jammed The Royal Mile, only to be "queued" by the Scottish police, in front of the Festival Hub, like a huge python, writhing up to the front of Edinburgh Castle -- and it was 10:00 PM!
It was well worth the wait. Both the performers and the castle were dressed in full regalia. The Scottish Pipes, The Scottish Marine Band, The King of Norway Guard, The Southeast Missouri State University (USA) Marching Band, Dress Field dancers from New Zealand, Honor Guard from India and Singapore -- all presented a convivial, fantastic performance that brought everyone to its feet for many songs including "Auld Ang Syne".
After 2 hours of music, dancing and high-quality performances, the sky and castle lit up with fireworks, accompanied by music. The most spectacular fireworks, in my humble opinion, was a cascading waterfall of fireworks that flowed over the castle gun turrets to the foot of the castle wall.
Eyeweenie did an excellent job!
It was well worth the wait. Both the performers and the castle were dressed in full regalia. The Scottish Pipes, The Scottish Marine Band, The King of Norway Guard, The Southeast Missouri State University (USA) Marching Band, Dress Field dancers from New Zealand, Honor Guard from India and Singapore -- all presented a convivial, fantastic performance that brought everyone to its feet for many songs including "Auld Ang Syne".
After 2 hours of music, dancing and high-quality performances, the sky and castle lit up with fireworks, accompanied by music. The most spectacular fireworks, in my humble opinion, was a cascading waterfall of fireworks that flowed over the castle gun turrets to the foot of the castle wall.
Eyeweenie did an excellent job!
Day 4 Afternoon - Visit to Roslin (Rosslyn) Chapel
We took bus 15 from Princes Street to Rosslyn Chapel. Here is a bit o' history.
Rosslyn Chapel, properly named the Collegiate Church of St Matthew, was founded on a small hill above Roslin Glen as a Roman Catholic collegiate church (with between 4 and 6 ordained canons and two boy choristers) in the mid-15th century. Rosslyn Chapel and the nearby Rosslyn Castle are located at the village of Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland.
The chapel was founded by William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness (also spelled "Sainteclaire/Saintclair/Sinclair/St. Clair") of the Sinclair family, a noble family descended from Norman knights, using the standard designs the medieval architects made available to him. Rosslyn Chapel is the third Sinclair place of worship at Roslin - the first being in Rosslyn Castle and the second (whose crumbling buttresses can still be seen today) in what is now Roslin Cemetery.
The purpose of the college was to celebrate the Divine Office throughout the day and night and also to celebrate Holy Mass for all the faithful departed, including the deceased members of the Sinclair family. During this period the rich heritage of plainsong (a single melodic line) or polyphony (vocal harmony) would be used to enrich the singing of the liturgy. An endowment was made that would pay for the upkeep of the priests and choristers in perpetuity and they also had parochial responsibilities.
After the Scottish Reformation (1560) Roman Catholic worship in the Chapel was brought to an end, although the Sinclair family continued to be Roman Catholics until the early 18th century. From that time the Chapel was closed to public worship until 1861 when it was opened again as a place of worship according to the rites of the Scottish Episcopal Church.
Crypt
The Chapel has also acted as a burial place for several generations of the Sinclairs — a crypt was once reachable from a descending stair at the rear of the chapel. This crypt has for many years been sealed shut, which may explain the recurrent legends that it is merely a front to a more extensive subterranean vault containing (variously) the mummified head of Jesus Christ,[7] the Holy Grail,[8] the treasure of the Templars,[9] or the original crown jewels of Scotland.[10] In 1837 when the 2nd Earl of Rosslyn died, his wish was to be buried in the original vault, exhaustive searches over the period of a week were made, but no entrance to the original vault was found and he was buried beside his wife in the Lady Chapel.[11]
Alternative histories
Alternative histories involving Rosslyn Chapel and the Sinclairs have recently been published by Andrew Sinclair and Timothy Wallace-Murphy arguing links with the Knights Templar and the supposed descendants of Jesus Christ. The books in particular by Timothy Wallace-Murphy Rex Deus: The True Mystery of Rennes-le-Château And The Dynasty of Jesus (2000) and Custodians Of Truth: The Continuance Of Rex Deus (2005) have focused on the hypothetical Jesus bloodline with the Sinclairs and Rosslyn Chapel. On the ABC documentary Jesus, Mary and Da Vinci aired on 3 November 2003 Niven Sinclair hinted that the descendants of Jesus Christ existed within the Sinclair families. These alternative histories are relatively modern - not dating back before the early 1990s. The precursor to these Rosslyn theories is the 1982 book The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh and Henry Lincoln that introduced the theory of the Jesus Christ bloodline in relation to the Priory of Sion - the main protagonist of which was Pierre Plantard, who for a time adopted the name Pierre Plantard de Saint-Clair.
Other Myths
According to the guide, these are the things that could be buried below the Chapel's floor.
Rosslyn Chapel, properly named the Collegiate Church of St Matthew, was founded on a small hill above Roslin Glen as a Roman Catholic collegiate church (with between 4 and 6 ordained canons and two boy choristers) in the mid-15th century. Rosslyn Chapel and the nearby Rosslyn Castle are located at the village of Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland.
The chapel was founded by William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness (also spelled "Sainteclaire/Saintclair/Sinclair/St. Clair") of the Sinclair family, a noble family descended from Norman knights, using the standard designs the medieval architects made available to him. Rosslyn Chapel is the third Sinclair place of worship at Roslin - the first being in Rosslyn Castle and the second (whose crumbling buttresses can still be seen today) in what is now Roslin Cemetery.
The purpose of the college was to celebrate the Divine Office throughout the day and night and also to celebrate Holy Mass for all the faithful departed, including the deceased members of the Sinclair family. During this period the rich heritage of plainsong (a single melodic line) or polyphony (vocal harmony) would be used to enrich the singing of the liturgy. An endowment was made that would pay for the upkeep of the priests and choristers in perpetuity and they also had parochial responsibilities.
After the Scottish Reformation (1560) Roman Catholic worship in the Chapel was brought to an end, although the Sinclair family continued to be Roman Catholics until the early 18th century. From that time the Chapel was closed to public worship until 1861 when it was opened again as a place of worship according to the rites of the Scottish Episcopal Church.
Crypt
The Chapel has also acted as a burial place for several generations of the Sinclairs — a crypt was once reachable from a descending stair at the rear of the chapel. This crypt has for many years been sealed shut, which may explain the recurrent legends that it is merely a front to a more extensive subterranean vault containing (variously) the mummified head of Jesus Christ,[7] the Holy Grail,[8] the treasure of the Templars,[9] or the original crown jewels of Scotland.[10] In 1837 when the 2nd Earl of Rosslyn died, his wish was to be buried in the original vault, exhaustive searches over the period of a week were made, but no entrance to the original vault was found and he was buried beside his wife in the Lady Chapel.[11]
Alternative histories
Alternative histories involving Rosslyn Chapel and the Sinclairs have recently been published by Andrew Sinclair and Timothy Wallace-Murphy arguing links with the Knights Templar and the supposed descendants of Jesus Christ. The books in particular by Timothy Wallace-Murphy Rex Deus: The True Mystery of Rennes-le-Château And The Dynasty of Jesus (2000) and Custodians Of Truth: The Continuance Of Rex Deus (2005) have focused on the hypothetical Jesus bloodline with the Sinclairs and Rosslyn Chapel. On the ABC documentary Jesus, Mary and Da Vinci aired on 3 November 2003 Niven Sinclair hinted that the descendants of Jesus Christ existed within the Sinclair families. These alternative histories are relatively modern - not dating back before the early 1990s. The precursor to these Rosslyn theories is the 1982 book The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh and Henry Lincoln that introduced the theory of the Jesus Christ bloodline in relation to the Priory of Sion - the main protagonist of which was Pierre Plantard, who for a time adopted the name Pierre Plantard de Saint-Clair.
Other Myths
According to the guide, these are the things that could be buried below the Chapel's floor.
- The Head of Jesus Christ
- A Piece of Jesus Crucifix
- The Holy Grail
- 12 Knights of Templar
- The remains of Mary Magdalene
- Elvis
Day 4 Morning - Royal Botanic Garden
This morning. we took a stroll down the hill toward StockBridge, across the "stock bridge" to the northern gate of the Royal Botanic Garden -- seventy (70) acres of gardens and hot houses. Once inside we enjoyed a leisurely walk amidst the flora and the fauna, 30 ft hedges, a rock garden, a peat garden and an abundance of flowers. Check out the photos.
Back to 19B, a simple lunch and we are off the Roslyn Chapel -- final scene of the DaVinci Code.
Tonight, the Scottish Military Tatoo.
Tomorrow St Andrews.
Onward the journey continues.....
Back to 19B, a simple lunch and we are off the Roslyn Chapel -- final scene of the DaVinci Code.
Tonight, the Scottish Military Tatoo.
Tomorrow St Andrews.
Onward the journey continues.....
Day 3 - A Palatial Day
Once again, Edinburgh fooled us -- GREAT WEATHER!
We continued the Open Bus tour (from the prior day) through the rest of the city, by Princes Gardens (which we visited later in the day by walking), and St. Cuthbert's, round the base of the Edinburgh Castle back down the Royal Mile to HolyRood Palace.
We toured HolyRood seeing the "Queen's home" in Scotland, and as castles go, it was interesting, but the best part was the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her lifelong trials and tribulations.
As the story goes, "Under the ordinary laws of succession, Mary was next in line to the English throne after her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, who was childless. In the eyes of many Catholics, Elizabeth was illegitimate, thus making Mary the true heir as Mary II of England. However the Third Succession Act of 1543 provided that Elizabeth would succeed Mary I of England on the throne. Through a series of unfortunate events, Mary, pregnant with child, was being served by David Rizzio, her secretary, at HolyRood, when her husband, Lord Darnley, accused Rizzio of a secret conspiracy. Rizzio was murdered in Mary's chambers at HolyRood by 56 stab wounds and left to die. Subsequently, Mary moved to England where she was imprisoned by her cousin Queen Elizabeth I for 19 years and then tried for treason and put to death at the age of 45." Tough times in the life of a "would be" monarch.
After Holyrood, we visited Scotland's Dynamic Earth exhibit, which covers the evolution of the Earth up to today and where we are headed. They use a clever interactive audience participation activity at the end of the show to allow "us" to determine the ultimate future of the Earth.
We then stopped in to Jenny Ha's and had "pub fare" -- fish & chips, Guiness and tales from the past and future of the monarchy.
We then strolled back up the Mile, visiting the Museum of Edinburgh and Stac Polly -- a restaurant owned by Roger Coulthard, our landlord.
Onward, we pushed our way up the hill, then down the hill and then up 100 stairs to visit Mary Kings Close -- which was "sold out" for the day. We then headed back to New Town, strolling through Princes Garden, seeing an array of flowers, a photo exhibit on "Black Rain".
Back to 19B, we then chatted amongst ourselves and decided "pizza" was in order, so back to Cento Tre -- again excellent Italian fare.
Onward, the journey continues.....
We continued the Open Bus tour (from the prior day) through the rest of the city, by Princes Gardens (which we visited later in the day by walking), and St. Cuthbert's, round the base of the Edinburgh Castle back down the Royal Mile to HolyRood Palace.
We toured HolyRood seeing the "Queen's home" in Scotland, and as castles go, it was interesting, but the best part was the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her lifelong trials and tribulations.
As the story goes, "Under the ordinary laws of succession, Mary was next in line to the English throne after her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, who was childless. In the eyes of many Catholics, Elizabeth was illegitimate, thus making Mary the true heir as Mary II of England. However the Third Succession Act of 1543 provided that Elizabeth would succeed Mary I of England on the throne. Through a series of unfortunate events, Mary, pregnant with child, was being served by David Rizzio, her secretary, at HolyRood, when her husband, Lord Darnley, accused Rizzio of a secret conspiracy. Rizzio was murdered in Mary's chambers at HolyRood by 56 stab wounds and left to die. Subsequently, Mary moved to England where she was imprisoned by her cousin Queen Elizabeth I for 19 years and then tried for treason and put to death at the age of 45." Tough times in the life of a "would be" monarch.
After Holyrood, we visited Scotland's Dynamic Earth exhibit, which covers the evolution of the Earth up to today and where we are headed. They use a clever interactive audience participation activity at the end of the show to allow "us" to determine the ultimate future of the Earth.
We then stopped in to Jenny Ha's and had "pub fare" -- fish & chips, Guiness and tales from the past and future of the monarchy.
We then strolled back up the Mile, visiting the Museum of Edinburgh and Stac Polly -- a restaurant owned by Roger Coulthard, our landlord.
Onward, we pushed our way up the hill, then down the hill and then up 100 stairs to visit Mary Kings Close -- which was "sold out" for the day. We then headed back to New Town, strolling through Princes Garden, seeing an array of flowers, a photo exhibit on "Black Rain".
Back to 19B, we then chatted amongst ourselves and decided "pizza" was in order, so back to Cento Tre -- again excellent Italian fare.
Onward, the journey continues.....
Friday, August 15, 2008
Day 2 - The Royal "10" Miler
Our first full day in Edinburgh was a complete "walk-about" (see "Royal 10 Mile" slide show above) -- We started from 19 Royal Circus and found our way to Princes Street up the Mound -- to the Royal Mile. Once on the Mile, we meandered through the centuries old streets up to "Camera Obscura", which gave us a unique insight into optical illusions and a panoramic "vue" of Edinburgh, through a camera that was built in 1850.
After the Obscura, we briefly visited the Scottish Distilleries tour, to only decide it was too early for a "wee bit", so we headed to lunch at a Cathedral that had been made over into a Festival Cafe. We supped on local Scottish fare - Tweed Kettle, Guinness (an Irish Obsession) and beautiful sunshine. We then decided to go see Tara's dorm at the University, so we hailed a taxi and off we went.
At Pollock Hall at the University of Edinburgh, we met up with Tara and her friends from around the globe (Australia, India, Gettysburg, PA and Ireland). She gave us a tour of the campus, including the "BAR" -- which was very different from what I remembered in College -- of course that was in the "Dark Ages".
After we left Tara, we went back to the "Mile" and flowed through the festival crowds, seeing an array of performers tempting us to come "see" their acts. We visited Giles Cathedral, built over 800 years ago, that was still very much operational.
We then boarded a "open air" double decker bus to see Old Town and New Town. We saw the several restaurants that claimed to be the "place JK Rowling started her writings", the place where Sean Connery worked as a "live model" for aspiring painters then down to HolyRood Palace (the Queen's residence when she visits Scotland), the "Mother Earth" exhibition and finally through the financial district -- Royal Bank of Scoland, Barclays, etc. At 5:00 PM we decided to "take a break" and go back to No 19.
At 9:00 PM we headed out for a "wee bit" of Thailand at the Ruan Siam -- a quaint Thai bistro "round the corner" near No. 19. Food was good. Service was slow.
Onward, the journey continues....
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Day 1 Entre: Cento Tre -- absolutely fantastic
Over the pond and through the woods, through Brussels and airport delays, we arrived in Edinburgh under azure blue skies and brilliant sunshine with delightfully warm weather.Tired, we were gleefully greeted by Roger and Lucinda Coulthard, the owners of 19B Royal Circus -- a wonderful 3 bedroom apartment, near everything and newly re-decorated, including a cat walking across the skylight in the kitchen, overlooking a quaint Scottish garden.
We bedded down for a few hours respite to regain our energy so we could later search for sustenance.
At 7:00 PM Edinburgh time, we strolled through New Town and found an elegant, new age Italian restaurant -- Cento Tre -- located at 103 George Street, that features orginal fresh Italian food combined with high-touch, courteous Scottish service.
When we stopped to check out the fare on the menu, a recent gatronome imbiber told us, " You would be pleased to try it out, the food is good and service exceptional." A few moments later, he retorted, "I should know, I am the owner."We enjoyed a mixture of bruschetta, prosciutto, melon, cozze, a
parma pizza with arugula, accompanied by a nice Barbera d'Asti wine from Lombardia. Topped off by wonderful cappucino, gelato and other fine desserts we began the end to a "well travelled" first day in Scotland. What a delight.Onward, the journey continues....
See you tomorrow at the festival!
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