Blippity bloggity blow, I managed two in a row. Blippity bloppity
blee, way to go me! Yes, I've actually managed to pull off writing
two blogs off in a row! Yay for me! Okay, so it's not exactly a
massive achievement but the ocean is made up of tiny water droplets
etc, so this one counts, yeh? Good, I'm pleased we agree on this.
Moving on from my earth-shattering achievement (This guy just keeps on getting worse, doesn't he? - Ed), and before I start on my main feature, did anyone else see the guy who was carrying around an entire tablet, which blocked out his view of the Commonwealth gGames?? I mean, I understand if you want to record a memento of your walk but this just takes the biscuit.
Ok, mini-rant over. Last weekend, I spent a rather enjoyable afternoon in Edinburgh on Saturday, despite the somewhat unpleasant weather that was souring the city. After getting the park and ride into the city, Alison and I went for a wander around the National Art Galleries to begin with. Now, the gallery is actually split into two sections, connected by a rather ominous and incredibly long underground tunnel that you have to wander through for an eternity to get between the two.
The first section was the modern art section, and yes, I know that lots of people love this kind of thing, but I still don't get it! One exhibit was a series of what were ceramic boots and another was a large white sheet hanging down from the roof. That's just hanging up your washing. If you like it (and understand it - Ed), fair enough and this section is well worth a look for you. It isn't massive but it does has a fairly wide ranging collection. I also have to admit, there were some really nice minimalist art done on black canvases on the walls and some abstract pencil (?) drawings of nature combined with man that did catch my attention. All in all, the modern art section wasn't bad but just not my scene.
The next section was more up my alley, with more traditional art such as landscapes and portraits decorating the halls (including some rather...unique...looking children). Not only this, but it's housed in a stunning traditional building with ornate windows, massive halls with traditional furniture and beautiful staircases which just added to the scene. The art also contains a large amount of religious imagery as well, though I suspect that this was just due to the time that the majority of the paintings were painted. Altogether, I found this section much better than the modern art section but that's solely down to my own tastes and it certainly is worth checking out: it doesn't exactly take long nor does it cost a thing.
Afterwards, we headed for lunch to get out of the rain and headed to the St James Food court. Word of advice: don't eat in the food court. That's just a tip from me! Afterwards, we walked towards Grass Market via a lovely curving street which had a lot of small restaurants and interesting shops to wander around. It just reminds me that it really is worthwhile wandering around Edinburgh and it's side streets. You never know what you'll find.
Finally, we reached were we were actually looking for: the Jazz Market Festival (or Mardi Gras as it is also known). Thankfully it had actually stopped raining by this point, and what was left was a rather atmospheric fog that fitted the jazz festival surprisingly well. We had a bit of a wander around, enjoying the horde of people having a good time before stopping to enjoy the final tent which had a large crowd and people dancing in the front (Sorry, I don't know enough about jazz to tell you which style). It was a really nice way to spend a short while, just listening to music in the street with people dancing around and it was a fitting end to a great day and a nice overview of why it can be some much fun to explore where you live!
Pick of the Week
Edinburgh Farmer's Market – One thing that I enjoyed doing in Nepal was visiting the farmers market every Saturday and I'm pleased that I discovered this one in Edinburgh. Nestled in the shadow of the castle, various stalls selling meat, vegetables and baking all mingle beside beer stalls and buskers. A nice way to spend a Saturday morning and pick up some of your weekly shop (at a decent price as well!). You can even get a decent breakfast nearby as well!
Music of the Week
This week, it's the turn of In Flames - Crawl Through Knives. Enjoy!
See you all next week!
Moving on from my earth-shattering achievement (This guy just keeps on getting worse, doesn't he? - Ed), and before I start on my main feature, did anyone else see the guy who was carrying around an entire tablet, which blocked out his view of the Commonwealth gGames?? I mean, I understand if you want to record a memento of your walk but this just takes the biscuit.
Ok, mini-rant over. Last weekend, I spent a rather enjoyable afternoon in Edinburgh on Saturday, despite the somewhat unpleasant weather that was souring the city. After getting the park and ride into the city, Alison and I went for a wander around the National Art Galleries to begin with. Now, the gallery is actually split into two sections, connected by a rather ominous and incredibly long underground tunnel that you have to wander through for an eternity to get between the two.
The first section was the modern art section, and yes, I know that lots of people love this kind of thing, but I still don't get it! One exhibit was a series of what were ceramic boots and another was a large white sheet hanging down from the roof. That's just hanging up your washing. If you like it (and understand it - Ed), fair enough and this section is well worth a look for you. It isn't massive but it does has a fairly wide ranging collection. I also have to admit, there were some really nice minimalist art done on black canvases on the walls and some abstract pencil (?) drawings of nature combined with man that did catch my attention. All in all, the modern art section wasn't bad but just not my scene.
The next section was more up my alley, with more traditional art such as landscapes and portraits decorating the halls (including some rather...unique...looking children). Not only this, but it's housed in a stunning traditional building with ornate windows, massive halls with traditional furniture and beautiful staircases which just added to the scene. The art also contains a large amount of religious imagery as well, though I suspect that this was just due to the time that the majority of the paintings were painted. Altogether, I found this section much better than the modern art section but that's solely down to my own tastes and it certainly is worth checking out: it doesn't exactly take long nor does it cost a thing.
Afterwards, we headed for lunch to get out of the rain and headed to the St James Food court. Word of advice: don't eat in the food court. That's just a tip from me! Afterwards, we walked towards Grass Market via a lovely curving street which had a lot of small restaurants and interesting shops to wander around. It just reminds me that it really is worthwhile wandering around Edinburgh and it's side streets. You never know what you'll find.
Finally, we reached were we were actually looking for: the Jazz Market Festival (or Mardi Gras as it is also known). Thankfully it had actually stopped raining by this point, and what was left was a rather atmospheric fog that fitted the jazz festival surprisingly well. We had a bit of a wander around, enjoying the horde of people having a good time before stopping to enjoy the final tent which had a large crowd and people dancing in the front (Sorry, I don't know enough about jazz to tell you which style). It was a really nice way to spend a short while, just listening to music in the street with people dancing around and it was a fitting end to a great day and a nice overview of why it can be some much fun to explore where you live!
Pick of the Week
Edinburgh Farmer's Market – One thing that I enjoyed doing in Nepal was visiting the farmers market every Saturday and I'm pleased that I discovered this one in Edinburgh. Nestled in the shadow of the castle, various stalls selling meat, vegetables and baking all mingle beside beer stalls and buskers. A nice way to spend a Saturday morning and pick up some of your weekly shop (at a decent price as well!). You can even get a decent breakfast nearby as well!
Music of the Week
This week, it's the turn of In Flames - Crawl Through Knives. Enjoy!
See you all next week!
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