Blogs from Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe

I've heard vicious rumors to the effect some of you dear readers are under the impression that we've had horrible weather and suffered incredible trials and that our trip has been one obstacle after another. Not true. We are having a great time. We are feeling stronger every day and we do smile and we do laugh often. Really. Of course, we know that nobody really wants to hear about the good times - how boring! What we (meaning you and I) really hunger for are those miserable times, those times when surly reigns supreme, when mother nature laughs at our expense and we doubt our capabilities and wonder why the heck we decided to do this adventure anyway. So, in order to satisfy your lust for those kind of adventures I present an account of ... read more

These miles of dry stone walls That hold in ploughed fields and kingly halls The dead of centuries in hills of sand The stones that bind them Are proud of what lies behind them And varied as the counties in this curious land. Pedaling into the wind and driving ran over the top of the Morfoot Hills towards Edinburgh yesterday, I finally understood that the "dry" in this lyric does not refer to the usual weather in the British Isles or to the usual condition of the walls. Although old, sturdy walls constructed without mortar are prevalent throughout Britain, this Gordon Bok song has always evoked Scotland for me. I had not expected to experience the iconic barren heather covered hills, miles of walls and sheep, and the feeling of ancient loneliness until we were several ... read more

Boar, die Zeit rast immer noch! Hab ich schon mal erwähnt, dass mir alles zu schnell geht gerade? Nun bin ich schon wieder über eine Woche in Edinburgh und habe gefühlte 1000 Dinge erlebt. Aber mal von vorne. Letzte Woche Freitag hat mich Ryanair gut nach Schottland gebracht, bin pünktlich halb 11 morgens gelandet. Habe mit Isa (meine Freundin vom Studium in Bremen, mit der ich jetzt zusammen das Praktikum mache) ausgemacht, dass ich mein Gepäck auf Arbeit abstellen kann bis sie Feierabend hat und mich mit zu sich nach Hause nehmen kann. Das hat auch wunderbar geklappt, nebenbei hab ich schon mal einen ersten Blick auf das Büro und meine zukünftigen Kollegen werfen können. Dann habe ich gleich angefangen Wohnungen zu besichtigen. Die Termine hatte ich am Mittwoch und Donnerstag über eine Internetseite ausgemacht, die ... read more

Our first full day in in the capital of Scotland was cool and drizzly with a sharp cold wind off the North Sea. We met our guide Gail in the lobby and headed out across the bridge from the New Town to the Royal Mile. The buildings here are about eight stories high and narrow, mostly made of dark stone. There have been tenements here since the town was developed and though the buildings here are more recent, they retain the ancient look. Little passageways or driveways called a close, separate blocks of tenements. I had read about closes in books, now I can picture them. We visit St. Giles which is not as ornate as many I have seen but it has a unique feature, The Chapel of the Order of the Thistle, the oldest ... read more

Monday the fifteenth of April. I haven't even set foot in a new place yet and I've already had an existential crisis and got a hole in my trousers. I'm supposed to check out of Castle Rock hostel at 10.30 am, and as I'm traveling without an alarm clock I wake up at exactly ten thirty, pack up the shit strewn across the floor, grab some breakfast, make a hitchiking sign and eventually check out at about 11.30. I've been staying in the hostel I usually go to when descending upon Edinburgh, for just over a week, with the intention of working two hours each morning for free accommodation and going out busking at night, to boost my dwindling bank account. I've had to pay for three nights after sleeping through cleaning hours, and I've certainly ... read more