We slept late. The time changed overnight and we set our clocks back an hour. Except Anna. Apparently, she really enjoys time travel because hers got set back two hours. After she did not show up for breakfast we got very concerned, and went to check - oops! We grabbed a cab - and why does it seem that every cabbie we talk to has a very definite opinion about current American politics. He left us at Waverly Station, and we left him with a campaign sticker.After storing our luggage at the train station - 6 !@#$% pounds a bag!!!! (so about $20 each) -we set out for Royal Mile once again. At this point in our trip, we felt a real need for retail therapy and besides - we have made so many friends here we felt the need to contribute to the local economy. Which we did. In spad
es. Husbands - disregard this section.
es. Husbands - disregard this section.Oh my, I got the most incredible tweed jacket. Anna got the "coolest hat ever", Tracy is going to be stylin' in a beautiful Buchanan plaid shawl, and Audrey cleaned out the stores of various Scottish things for her friends and relatives.
Our museum experience for the day was the underground tour of Mary King's Close. A close is an alleyway, and closes regularly branch off of the High Street (Royal Mile) and descend from the ridge to the streets below. It was a fun tour underground, with a costumed interpreter describing what the Close had been like before it had been sealed over for the building of the Merchants Exchange building and giving us the stories of the people who had inhabited the area. 
It was interesting for us, and we kept inspecting the lighting effects, traffic patterns, risk management for touring a group in dark spaces on uneven flooring, how they stage-managed the "effects" - in other words, being thorough museum geeks. The Plague was a big part of the interpretation. 
We did also try to get into the Edinburgh Castle, open once again. The sun was out - then rain - then sun - then rain - then sun and rain. The lines once we got into the castle, however, were Disneyesque and we had only a couple of hours before we needed to head back to the train station. Discretion being the better part of valor, we opted to hit the castle shop and move on.
Just a block down the street from the Castle was a restaurant recommended in my "10
Best of Everything in Scotland." The Wtchery was down a narrow close, and then you stepped down below street level into a thoroughly bewitching dining room filled with lilies and roses, linen tablecloths and silver cutlery. There was dark paneling on the walls and a large demon head in one of the window bays (we could see the feet of people walking by on the street above).
It was obvious that we were in a NICE restaurant (read pricey), but we decided we deserved it. We have tried to be frugal in our choice of eating establishments, and this would be our splurge. So I ordered a bottle of champagne and we toasted VAM, our colleagues, and our friends both new and old in the UK.
Just a block down the street from the Castle was a restaurant recommended in my "10
Best of Everything in Scotland." The Wtchery was down a narrow close, and then you stepped down below street level into a thoroughly bewitching dining room filled with lilies and roses, linen tablecloths and silver cutlery. There was dark paneling on the walls and a large demon head in one of the window bays (we could see the feet of people walking by on the street above).
It was obvious that we were in a NICE restaurant (read pricey), but we decided we deserved it. We have tried to be frugal in our choice of eating establishments, and this would be our splurge. So I ordered a bottle of champagne and we toasted VAM, our colleagues, and our friends both new and old in the UK.After eating a delicious meal we made our way to the train station. The train to Glasgow was modern, clean and comfortable - and the journey quick. Our hotel, the Millennium Hotel, is just next to the station. Our good friend Peter Trowles from the Glasgow School of Art (you all may remember him from the past two VAM conferences) met us at the hotel. His brother
Tony (from Westminster Abbey) had told us of his award from the French government in arts and culture, giving him the title of Chevalier. As you can imagine, we bowed and scraped as he entered the hotel lobby and generally made a fuss. Peter is every bit as dashing and handsome as his brother!
He took us on a nightime tour of Glasgow city center. We ate dinner at the Babbty & Bowser, reputedly the 0ldest pub. The brave ones in our group had haggis (that would be Tracy and Anna). The weinies (Audrey and I) had stovies - a dish of minced meat and potatoes. We met two elderly reknowned archtects who happened to be in the pub. Andy McMillan and Isi Metzein (they are very well respectd) were charming and Andy tried to get us to go bar hopping. They had recently given their entire architectural practice archives to the Glasgow School of Art.
Peter did take us on a lightening tour of pubs, and we stuck our noses into half a dozen before returning to the hotel for a good night's sleep.
By the way, is anyone reading this? We haven't seen any comments. Let us know what you think!
4 comments:
Looking forward to seeing the coolest hat ever. Does it have Loch Ness Monster ears on top?
It does seem like pubs were high on the list of things you did, obviously an important part of the cultural exchange.
Yes someone is reading this with great interest! But you know I had to print it out and take it home for bedtime reading. I am glad I did as Carol picked it up and is enjoying your trip too!
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