Farewell Edinburgh (and Europe)

I was hoping to post this on our way home yesterday but didn't have any extra time. Our connections were just long enough to get us through security checkpoints and customs which is how it should be. Mr. Snootypurse figures we were on the road about 21 hours from rising in Edinburgh to reaching our home in Portland last night. Our checked baggage however, decided to spend some extra time in Chicago without us. Hopefully it will decide to come home today.

Overall this was an amazing trip with an array of memorable sites and people. I had thought it would feel like we were gone forever but the time went quickly. It was definitely worth the time, money, and effort and we thank those who looked out for the homefront and helped us out along the way.

The Open at St. Andrews

It seems I lied about the pictures yesterday. Photography was forbidden in the Scottish Parliament building with the exception of the Assembly Room. Mr. Snootypurse got a nice shot and it gives a good idea of the look and feel of the building.

We took the train to St. Andrews and attended the first practice day of The Open. It's not called the British Open over here, of course, because it is the original open. We were glad it wasn't raining but it was one of the windiest days we've ever experienced. The winds were clocked at up to 50 MPH! We camped out in the grandstand by the 13th to get some shelter where we met a couple of the course marshals enjoying the day on a break. They are members of Carnoustie golf club and were very nice.

We watched Tiger Woods (second picture) try to sink his putt 4 times before giving up. The ball got close to the hole but then the wind blew it back a couple of feet. It made us feel better about our putting. The wind also blew several of the portable toilets over requiring the golfers and their caddies to find alternate accomodation.

Glasgow

Unfortunately we don't have any photos from the last couple of days. This is in no way an editorial statement on the beauty of Glasgow. We didn't have as much time as planned in Glasgow due to a traffic jam but enjoyed our student-led tour of the Glasgow School of Art. This is a first-rate working art school designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Much of the design reminded us of Frank Lloyd Wright but Mackintosh preceded Wright by many years.

We then walked the streets of Glasgow which are in many ways prettier than those in Edinburgh. They are set in a grid pattern which makes it easier to get around. And the upper exteriors are beautifully designed and decorated in many cases.

We spent the following day in Edinburgh. Again our sightseeing plans were cut short, this time by spending too much time returning our rental car. We started with a tour of the Scottish parliament building. The new Scottish parliament met for the first time in 1999. The building was gorgeous with a well-coordinated use of wood, stone, concrete, and glass. It was also interesting to learn how another democracy works. We wrapped things up with a whirlwind 1-hour visit to the Scottish History Museum (Scotland's version of the Smithsonian).

Glamis Castle

We took a bit of a drive to Glamis Castle. Glamis is about 90 minutes north of Edinburgh. It was worth the trip. There are many Scottish castles open to visitors but this was an outstanding specimen. The castle has been held by the same family since the 1600's resulting in the interior and furnishings being intact. Because the castle was a private residence, it has never been under siege so the exterior is also in great shape. And the castle was the childhood residence of the Queen Mum so there photos of and references to the royals.

After touring the castle we strolled around the manicured grounds and visited the Scottish Highland cattle. We got to comb/pet some of the cows on our last trip and enjoyed the chance to see them again.

We made a quick stop in Dundee to see the RRS Discovery. This ship was built in Dundee and used by Scott and Shackleton for their successful voyage to Anarctica. We didn't actually visit the museum because it was late but snuck a peek over the back fence.

The World Cup and the octopus

We have enjoyed following the World Cup during our sojourn through Europe. Many nights, it was the only programming on the TV that we could follow. I will also always remember hearing cheers rise-up from the shores of Lake Bled during the final Slovenia match. We were high above the town touring the castle but could hear the fans in the pubs and restaurants down below.

I have been a supporter of Spain for less than scientific reasons from the first round and am pleased to learn that Paul the psychic octopus has chosen them as the winner. Paul's predictions have been headline news here in the U.K. We are curious. Has Paul received much coverage in the U.S.?

Loch Katerine

We ventured into Trossachs National Park. This area is also known as Rob Roy Country and is the beginning of the Scottish Highlands. Due to the lighting, our pictures aren't all that great but you can see the unusual vegetation on the top of this hill. There are few trees and lots of heather.
Our destination was Loch Katerine which provides water to Glasgow. We took a cruise on the Sir Walter Scott which is the only screw driven steamship still in service in Scotland. It runs on biodiesel! We were hoping to walk along the lake afterwards but a squall dropped in and ruined our plans. To our friends and family enjoying the heat wave at home, our thoughts are with you. I believe it might hit 65F here in Edinburgh today.

Stirling Castle and Inchmahome Priory

We had a busy travel day leaving from Italy for Scotland. The drive to Bologna from LTM was longer than expected and complicated by construction and traffic. We changed planes in Brussels before arriving in Edinburgh. Hertz was swamped so Mr. Snootypurse had to choose between a minivan with an automatic transmission or a small manual car. If you’ve ever driven in the UK, you know this is an impossible choice but we are plugging right along with the small car.

We spent a good part of yesterday at Stirling Castle. The castle is located in a strategic area of Scotland so it is steeped in history. He who controls Stirling, controls Scotland. We then drove further out in the country to visit Inchmahome Priory. This is an Augustine Abbey from the 13th century. It’s not in as good condition as others we’ve seen but it is located alone on a small island. It’s about a seven-minute boat ride on a small launch to the island. We didn’t spend much time there as the wind and rain started to kick-up and drove us back to the car.

La Tavola Marche

We've had the pleasure of spending the preceding four nights at La Tavola Marche (LTM). LTM is a agriturismo/cooking school run by two very hospitable American ex-pats. The accomodations are in a big farmhouse and meals are served outside on the patio when weather allows. The pool is refreshing if a little cool. There are several areas around the grounds to linger and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

We've included a picture of the LTM laundry facilities. About 4 hours after this photo was taken, we got the first rain we'd seen since leaving Ljubljana. So it goes. The final photo is from our visit to Fano Gorge.

Mr. Snootypurse and I shared an amazing private cooking class on our final afternoon here. We learned how to make three pasta sauces and two types of antipasti. Our focus was on vegetables (zucchini in particular) as we were looking for creative ways to use our farmer's market veggies. We were in a pasta coma following the class and look forward to practicing the lessons at home.

First day in Le Marche

Who can resist a cute kitten picture? The agriturismo where we're staying had six kittens in two litters about five weeks ago, and the kittens are a riot to watch.
Today we drove to the walled hill-town of Urbino and visited the Duke’s palace. The area adjacent to the walls was crazy busy and it took us a few tries to find the parking garage. We almost gave up but were glad we didn’t.

The palace is huge but it felt empty and cleaned out. The picture is of the courtyard. The highlight of the visit was the Duke’s study which is covered with inlaid wood. We tried to take pictures but unfortunately it was too dark [see here, here, and here for some pictures of the paneling]. There are also several sets of doors with wood inlay. I’m a fan of Rafael and enjoyed a painting of his on display. Rafael is from Urbino but did most of his work in Rome.

Mother's magic hour

We dragged ourselves out of bed early on our last morning in Venice to see St. Mark’s Square in the soft morning light without swarms of people. It worked!

Reluctantly leaving Venice we drove to our next stop in Italy’s Le Marche region via Ravenna. Ravenna is well-known for its mosaics and we visited two fine examples at Basilica di San Vitale and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia. The colors were brighter than I expected and had a Byzantine feel.

Our posting may be sporadic for the next few days as we are off the grid at an agritourismo/cooking school. We’re talking gravel roads and about 20 minutes to the nearest village where no-one speaks inglese. The peace, quiet, and breezes are a welcome respite from Venice. And there are two mama cats with several kittens here so we are getting our gatto fix.

More Venice and Murano

As we headed out for our third morning in Venice, we watched a pigeon family take their morning ablutions in a fountain outside our front door.

We visited two churches: the Frari Church and the church of San Rocco. The Frari church was our favorite. Titian’s tomb is inside this church. It’s a large marble monument and the backdrop is a marble relief of his painting behind the altar in the same church. If you stand in the right spot, you can see them both at the same time.

That afternoon, we ferried out to the island of Murano. We watched a “free” glass-blowing demonstration and were able to extract ourselves from their high-pressure sales pitch. The street was lined with shops selling glass and we popped into a few.

We found a neighborhood hosteria for dinner and enjoyed a lively scene on the street. The adults enjoyed an apertif while their kids and dogs played on the street. It was a warm, congenial atmosphere that I’d like to see more of at home.