Saturday, August 2, 2014

Sometime in the middle of the day...

...I remembered what day it is.  Happy Anniversary Cathy.  17 years.

It was a wet and windy day.  Apparently  nothing unusual for Edinburgh for August.  Or September.  Or any other month.  So we started they day with indoor activities.  First the totally awesome Scottish National Museum.  Pictures below.

Then we went to Sandy Bell's pub across the street and had some beers and a single malt to boot.  There was a small group of musicians playing some pleasant music, folk and pop, but all in a traditional style.  First man to engage us in conversation at the bar was the man that makes the pies for the pub.  I had already had a chicken and mushroom pie, it was so good I  liked the man immediately upon learning he was the cook.  He had a beer, chatted pleasantly with us, until the pub manager agreed to buy six more pies from him.  So he left to wherever he makes his pies ... I imagine his flat.

His stool was still warm when one Mr. Gunn stopped by.  Gave us some history of the pub and its regulars, introduced us to Fred, the fiddle play who took a break to grab some milk for his coffee, and chatted us up about Edinburgh and Orkney after he learned that's where we were headed next...Orkney and Caithness in the north was his old stomping grounds, so I had to ask since he's from Gunn country is he a Gunn.  Thus I learned his named and was offered a hand shake when I told him our Jimerson family comes from the Clan Gunn.  He recommended a novel by Neal Gunn called The Silver Darlings.  Probably his brother or cousin.  I ordered on Amazon.

The day wound up with the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.  A heck of a spectacle including bag pipes, drums, Scottish dancing, Maori warriors,  Zulu Warriors, an assortment of marching bands and dancers from around the British Commonwealth, a Royal Air Force fly over and fire works.  Pictures below, but they don't tell the story.  The rain lifted just in time for the show.  Yay.

 
On our way to the museum.


I mentioned the Scottish National Museum in an earlier post, where we went in to find the Arthur's Seat coffins.  Today we spent a fair amount more time and were duly rewarded.  Most of our time was in the first floor of the art and design wing and all three floors of what I'll call the critters wing.  They had a far different name for it.  The exhibits were interesting as were the interactive opportunities.  We were very impressed with the themes of the various displays.  Not burdensome to walk through like far too many museums.  Kept us engaged, that's fer sure.  Sorry I don't have too may pictures, you'll have to trust my judgment on the  quality of the museum.  Did I mention it is free to get in?
 
Dolly, the sheep of cloning fame. 



From a display on how different animals defend themselves.

 
Walking with the crowds..  In the rain.  Towards the Tattoo.


 
Grim weather inside the Tattoo Grounds.



 
But things cleared up nicely.  I have far more pics taken from my big camera, but they too time consuming to prep for posting, so here's a couple from my pocket camera (all the pics in this blog are from the pocket camera).





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