Paris

Well, here are a ton of pictures from Paris.

Videos:






We had a great time, and we'll add a narrative account here in a little bit, but for now, just the pictures:

Picture of the Day (I've missed a few days here...)

Sunset View from Our Bedroom Window

Picture of the Day

Leaving the Isle of Mull

Festival Cavalcade

It's hard to explain how crazy it is here at Festival time. There are approximately a gazillion street performers and theater troupes passing out flyers in costume. Sunday was the day they all parade down the main drag here; we watched for about 30 minutes before seeing a show that afternoon. Here's some highlights:

David Bann: Vegetarian Deliciousness & a Birthday Surprise

We are penny-pinchers. Even though the scholarship that got us here was quite generous, the combined pressure of the weak dollar (2:1 against the pound) and the high prices of Edinburgh festival season mean we have been trying to save money when possible. Sometimes it doesn't work out so well-- as was evidenced by the free comedy show that I reviewed in my last post. Sometimes it does work out well. We've been happy making sandwiches to bring into the National Library everyday, and the eating the vacuum-packed Indian meals we brought with us and the Gladcorn and powerbars that my dad so kindly sent us-- and have been saving a lot of money in the process.

However, long before we traveled to Edinburgh, Damien and I had our eye on a vegetarian restaurant called David Bann. Partially motivated by our awe-inspiring culinary experience at Prinz Myshkin last summer in Munich, we decided that we would go to David Bann in Edinburgh in hope of another fantastic vegetarian meal (even though both German & Scottish cuisine is typically meat-heavy).

We went to David Bann last Saturday. The meal began with marinated black and green olives-- the biggest olives we had ever seen-- with homemade bread and herb olive oil. For our main entrees, I had "risotto with artichoke heart, pea and mint. Carnaroli rice cooked to order in our own broth with shallots, white wine, broad beans and parmesan, topped with thyme marinated artichoke heart filled with pea and mint" as it is described on the menu, and it was absolutely scrumptious. Damien asked the server what she recommended and she told us that her favorite-- and k.d. lang's apparently-- was tart of mushroom, spinach and Criffell cheese: wild and cultivated mushrooms cooked with wine, garlic and tarragon blended with fresh spinach and Criffel, a semi soft cheese from Dumfries, baked on homemade puff pastry. Served with baby potatoes, carrots and onion gravy. It did not disappoint.

Last month, DP told me he had a surprise for the other part of my birthday present (the first part being American Idol for the Wii) but that I wouldn't get it until August. Each week he has allowed me to ask a few questions about the surprise, but I honestly didn't get anywhere close to guessing what it was. Over a dessert of fresh strawberry pannacotta with chocolate whisky liqueur, the secret was revealed-- we are going to travel to Paris for the weekend! I have always wanted to go and am very, very excited.

Fringe Festival Review #1

As you may know, we are in Edinburgh during "festival season"-- a time in which the population of the city more than doubles and there are simultaneous theater, comedy, music, book, and film festivals going on. This means that the streets are crowded with performers and visitors from all over the world, hoping to make it to a good show.

Damien and I tried to take in some festival shows this weekend, making good use of the preview week's 2-for-1 deals and student discounts on tickets. Here is a quick run-down of what we saw:

1) Copenhagen (Poinmandres Productions)
We were excited to see this well-reviewed play about the German scientist Werner Heisenberg's mysterious visit to Copenhagen to see Niels Bohr in 1941. The script was amazing, and the play was well-acted but the dialogue was slightly rough around the edges, with some line flubs here and there. The actors were all younger than their characters were meant to be, and they carried out their respective roles admirably. Overall, a nice way to kick off our festival viewing experience.

2) Anonymous Comedy Show
This comedian was so bad that I am not going to put his name down to save him the shame of coming across this post when he googles himself. We had been warned that because there are so many acts going on simultaneously during the festival, there are some really good ones and some really bad ones, but nothing could have prepared us for the sheer awkwardness of this standup routine. The poor guy was obviously very nervous from the moment he got on stage, and couldn't master a segway to save his life. He also kept trying to sip beer but missing his mouth because of his nervousness. It didn't help that the theme of the show was about hopelessness, which meant that he told us a bunch of stories about his sad life (but nothing resembling humor). He also wanted to interact with the crowd but was completely thrown off whenever an audience member said something. Example: he asked us what we do for a living, and when I told him we were students, he had no material. He kept repeating "well, this isn't going very well, is it?".As public speaking instructors, our hearts went out to the poor fellow, but it was rooo-ugh. Luckily for him, the audience didn't heckle, but they did look at the ground for most of the act. There were a few jokes that got laughs, like: "Paul McCartney says he's against music piracy, but then he goes and marries someone with a peg leg." Also had some material that was downright sexist and homophobic. Painfully awkward.

3) Just Out of Reach (Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble)
We actually didn't realize that this theater group was from Pittsburgh when we booked the tickets, but it ended up being a great choice. Did any of you Pittsburghers see the world premiere of this play at the City Theater on the Southside in July? If not, it is a must-see. The story of the play is: "Narcissus, Tantalus, and Sisyphus angered the gods. As punishment, they were sent to the underworld and bound to endless torments-- each devised to fit the particular crime. After a long internment, they are visited by the gods who have come with an offer: continue their eternal struggles, or choose to end then by committing suicide. The offer is refused and bewildered, the gods question them, suspecting that the long tortures may have driven them insane. What is revealed is both shocking and beautiful."-- And the play was shocking and beautiful. They managed to combine music, dance, and drama all in one. The play was also surprisingly funny, a highlight being when Sisyphus appears on the jeopardy-style game show "Melodius Diagnosius." The crowd loved it. Overall, the PNME did Pittsburgh very proud.

Pub Review: The Malt Shovel

Hot: backpacker chic, cheap drinks and eats, nice location at the bottom of a hill, spacious interior, beers I've never heard of and thus must try, good name

Not: 'free wifi' not free

Pub Review: The World's End

Sorry the blogging has been light lately. Even the picture of the day feature has turned into the picture of the week. But, you know, that's how it goes sometimes.

New feature today: the pub review.

First up: The World's End.

Near the Scottish Parliament on the Royal Mile, the World's End is a classy little joint with a nice selection of cask conditioned ales. Why's it called the World's End?


So I guess there was a gate at the wall, and if you didn't close the gate on the way out of town, you had to pay a fine:


Hot: Very atmospheric, stone walls, have to access the basement through a trapdoor behind the bar, tasty cask conditioned ales that are 'cellar cool,' lots of portrai

Not: Actually, this pub might be perfect. What a great way to start off a new feature on the blog.

Yeah, but can you make a squid, a giraffe, or a really big funny hat?

Picture of the Day, July 29th 2008

Edinburgh Castle, Does This Fog Ever Go Away? Version

A Day in the Life of Damien

Wake at 8 am.
Make breakfast and sandwiches for lunch.
Bathe (some traditions die hard, even when I'm in Europe).
Walk into city center with Carly.
Experience springtime in Edinburgh.
Work at Elephant House, where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter.
Go to Edinburgh Public Library in hopes of finding an electrical outlet and a seat.
Be annoyed at small-minded administrative type who makes me register for things.
Eat lunch with Carly at the National Archive of Scotland.
Go to cafe and work.
Exit cafe and experience summertime in Edinburgh.
Walk to a pub called World's End.
Drink beer.
Work.
Drink beer.
Meet Carly to walk home.
Experience fall in Edinburgh.
Shop for dinner.
Make dinner.
Drink wine.
Post about day.
Think about drinking scotch.
Work.
/drinks scotch
/passes out.

Repeat until August is over. This I could get used to!

Picture of the Day

Today was incredibly foggy...I mean, stereotypically London/Edinburgh wafting clouds of fog drifting through the city obscuring views of Mr. Hyde coming at you. Some video tomorrow, but for now, a new feature: the picture of the day.

Fog on the Meadows at Midnight

Isle of Mull Super Mega-Post

Well, we're settled in to our Edinburgh palace now, and have regular wifi access. For those of you we've been neglecting on email, be assured we'll take care of you soon!

But first: here's a recap of our trip to the Isle of Mull.

We drove from Glasgow to Oban in a rental car, then took the ferry across to the town of Craignure. Mull is in red on this map.

From there, we drove up to Tobermory. Super scenic, but on a 'one track' road that had passing places every so often. It wasn't too bad driving, but some of the locals tried their best to run us off the road. We got to Tobermory, and settled into our bed and breakfast, the Ivybank. The pictures below show the view of the Ivybank's garden, which overlooks the harbor of Tobermory. Needless to say, it was more breathtaking in person. After settling in, we went to Glengorm Castle, which has been converted to a b&b. Along the way, we saw these incredibly hairy Highland Cows, some of which were practicing for next year's mating season. Here's pics of this leg:



The next day were the Mull Highland Games, the annual competition that we just happened to be in town for. It was a pleasant surprise, and probably the most traditionally Scottish thing we'll be doing (outside of drinking whisky?) The games began with the Clan McLean elders marching through the streets of Tobermory, with a full band behind them. It was awesome, and as you can see, all the townspeople follow the procession up to the field where the games were to be played:



The games themselves had dancing, races, and a series of events starring the 'heavies'--the big guys shot putting, throwing the hammer, and tossing cabers. Here's dancing:



This is the world record holder Bruce Aitken tossing the light hammer. This guy was one of the most impressive people I've ever seen. He tossed the hammer probably 15 feet longer then anyone else. It was awesome.



Caber tossing: a traditional Scottish event wherein big people throw a telephone pole.



After the Highland Games, we took a long drive around the southern part of the island. While most of the days we've been here have been fairly gloomy (as you might have been able to tell from the pics), this day was incredible. Some people we met later at the pub said it was probably the only time in recent memory that it had been this nice for the games. The following pictures are some of the best we've gotten. Again, though, it doesn't really do justice to just how scenic this place is. Driving through the southern part of Mull was like driving through a calender.


That was Duart castle, home of the McLeans.

There are a lot of sheep in Scotland.



Sorry for the sideways video here:

End of Radio Silence; Tantalizing Tidbits from Mull

We've landed in Edinburgh, and plan on having a more extensive post soon about our trip to Mull. But for now, after waking at 7 am and driving through exquisite countryside, the following pictures will have to suffice to tantalize you:


(look closely--these are highland cows 'hugging' in front of our car)

Glasgow, Day 3

Here's the Glasgow Museum of Modern Art, the Glasgow Cathedral, and the Glasgow Necropolis.

Organ Recital at the Kelvingrove

The Kelvingrove art museum was amazing; something like a 100 million pound renovation and six years has turned it into a great place with a lot of interesting stuff from around the world. Every day at 1 pm, they have an organ recital:



And something for the kids:

Glasgow, Day 2

Veggie Haggis

This is (was) veggie haggis, and it was delicious (complements of Bar Budda). You may commence making fun of us in the comments...

Glasgow, Day 1

We're in Glasgow now, and settling in. Here's some pics from the train ride and from around town (including seagulls pooping on Robert Burns' head).

The Whale Joke, UK Style

I had a dream...a dream that involved telling my semi-famous whale joke to the Buckingham Palace guards. Alas, they're behind the gates now, and apparently you can't get close enough to them to interact at all (protecting the Queen from terror, or from V?)

So, I did the next best thing...I told it in their general direction:

For Michael V

Things I Learned From the Tate Modern

The moustache embodied the bourgeois stupidity that precipitated World War I.

The Surrealists often used forests as a metaphor for imagination. Contrast that with the Scottish philosopher Adam Smith's celebration of commercialism as having "turned the rude forests of nature into agreeable and fertile plains."

The British Vorticists took the vortex as the dominant metaphor for the energy of modern life.

Fred Williams’ landscapes are really impressive when they take up a whole wall.

London, Part 1

I’m writing this on a train to Glasgow, using the National Express train line’s free wifi and experiencing the amazing English countryside. It’s the 21st century, eh?

London was amazing. Highlights:

Indian Food Tour

One of our goals (and by our, I mostly mean my; but C is all to willing to support my habit) was to eat as much Indian food as possible while in England. Our method for finding Indian food was delightfully unscientific–we just went where our noses took us.

*Sagar. SImple and elegant inside, with good saag paneer and aloo zeela (potatos and cumin seeds). Good, but didn’t knock my socks off. 7/10 samosas.

*Rasa. Housed in a ridiculously pink building, and known for seafood, it had an interesting mango/banana yogurt curry we tried and an extraordinary eggplant dish. We got tricksied into paying about 15 dollars for papadam and assorted pickles, which were delicious but suboptimal considering the relationship between the dollar and the pound. 8/10 samosas.

*Vegetarian Paradise. With a name like this, it was difficult for us to pass it up. Stumbled upon this one while we were looking for our train station before we left. A dosa masala, saag paneer, dal, chana masala, and garlic naan later we left incredibly satisfied. 9/10 samosas.

Pub Stumble

We didn’t just eat. We frequented a pub or two…like the Rising Sun in central London:

Sightseeing

Hyde Park (where we saw a fire and brimstone preacher at Speaker’s Corner), the British Museum, Big Ben, Parliament, the London Eye, Millenium Bridge, Tate Modern, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and a few other bits and pieces of London.

Airplane Travails

Our plane was re-routed through Philadelphia–we had to switch planes instead of just going directly from Charlotte to London, which meant a 2+ hour delay getting here. When we were at the gate, we were told that a mechanical problem necessitated swapping planes, so we were going to fly to Philly before making the transatlantic jump. Um, *gulp*? The pilot came on as we boarded and said that our de-icing whatevers were broken and it would be a bigger deal over the ocean.

A few years ago, I was on a plane and it dropped precipitously for about 3 seconds during our ascent before righting itself…about 15 minutes later, the pilot came on and said “sorry about the little bump back there, the autopilot wouldn’t give us back control and we had to turn it off, which caused us to fall. Everything’s ok now, though.”

Airplane travails are at least somewhat ameliorated by images like this one:

What Five Weeks of Luggage Looks Like...

…when you realize it’ll be on your back a good bit. Yes, that black duffel bag is full of food: quick heat indian pouches, snacks, and approximately a gazillion and a half powerbars.

I don't think we'll be seeing many of these signs in Europe: