Back to Edinburgh

On our last weekend in Scotland a few of us decided to go back to Edinburgh to explore the city a little more. Honestly, we could have spent a week there and still not gone to all the places I wanted to visit. There is SO much to do in Edinburgh. On this trip we focused mostly on museums and historical sights.

I love the way all the buildings in Edinburgh look like they are layered on top of one another. 

Scott Monument (as in Sir Walter Scott)

David Livingstone Monument

Carolyn, Me, Kylan

I believe this is some sort of parliament building.

Some of the museums in Edinburgh offer shuttles that go from one museum to the next. We museum hopped to three museums using the shuttle system. The white car is the shuttle. First we went to the Scottish National Gallery. They had famous paintings and sculptures by artists such as Titian, Monet, Velasquez, Vermeer, Van Gogh, Raphael, and Raeburn. They also had an exhibit of just Scottish artists. 

I can't remember who this painting is by, but I loved how he captured the way the light comes through the clouds in patches and then lights up sections of the mountains. This is one of my favorite parts about the highlands and the country in Ireland.

Next we went to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Kylan is really really into modern art and poetry. I'm not even kidding when I say he is going to be famous one day. He already produces a talk show, is the editor of a poetry journal, has a full ride to a MFA program, and has presented his work at national conferences. It's lucky we had him there to explain everything because a lot of modern art goes straight over my head.

In this museum I saw the famous urinal sculpture, "Fountain," by Duchamp.

Other events of the day...

We went to Grassmarket and had scones at a little tea shop. I bought a terrible smoothie that was basically just orange juice. Not really sure if it's just a Scottish thing or just a crappy restaurant. Grassmarket was not as cute as I had expected. It was just another street with a few shops and booths with skirts, purses, and the usual tourist stuff.

On the train ride to Edinburgh I sat at a table with three Scottish people. They heard my accent and started asking us what we were doing in Scotland. We told them we were studying Scottish and Irish literature and they got so excited. Immediately they started asking us what we were reading (they were particularly happy that we had studied Burns) and suggesting more authors to look into. When we told them we were leaving to go to Ireland in a few days they were very disappointed. After chatting for a good half hour or so we asked them how they knew each other. They were all strangers! The way they were talking, you would have thought they were best friends. I love how friendly Scottish people are. For the most part, everyone was so hospitable and welcoming to us. Of course, they nearly always made some jokes at our expense (mostly about our hideous accents) but it was all friendly. The four things I miss most about Scotland are the people, the scenery, the history, and the chocolate.