Hogmanay is coming to a close. It was a nice couple of days for us. We started out with a bang, literally. We were roused from bed by the sounds of fireworks going off on all of the seven hills of Edinburgh. Luckily for us, one of the seven hills, Arthur's Seat, is viewable from our living room. So, we just sat there and enjoyed the light show from the comfort and warmth of our own place. Thank goodness the boy didn't wake up, so we could just relax and take it all in.
Yesterday it was pretty much raining all day, but we ventured out to see Dogmanay. This is where a bunch of Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian Huskies pull sleds on the grass. We were expecting a bit more competitive of a race, like the Iditarod. But then again, it is just a dog race in Scotland.... I guess one has to have competitions like this before making the leap to the major leagues. Anyhow, it was fun to watch for a while.
Today we drove out to Stirling Castle for a fun filled historic day. They had lots of people dressed up and reinacting things at the castle. We heard all about tapasteries from the tapestry dude for the king. Aparantly there was a lot of work involved what with transporting, hanging, cleaning, and repairing these things that often traveled around the island with the king. We saw some court jesters on stilts making fools of themselves for the king. Then we saw the king and queen being presented with lots of sweets and seranated by a lovely trio of musicians.
It certainly has been a lovely Hogmanay for us. I hope you enjoy seeing a bit of our holiday.
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2 comments:
Where are the men in kilts flashing their family jewels? During our New Year's Chinese food feast with friends, I sat next to a guy who did a study abroad in Edinburgh. He said that Hogmanay is to men in kilts what Marti Gras is to women in tee shirts. Any truth to that?
If we had gone down to Old Town for the real festivities, I'm sure we would have seen some drunken kilten men showing their family jewels while taking a wee in the street. Heck, one can see that any Friday night down there anyhow. But at the museum, I only saw two men in kilts, and one of them was carrying his infant daughter around the dance floor... So, it wasn't really the place for that type of display. Next year we'll try to find a babysitter and go out to see the less tame Hogmanay.
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