Bring on Derek Acora
A grey day in Edinburgh. We met Nikki at Waverly Station and came back to the flat before heading out to the Scottish National Gallery. There was the usual collection of 400-year-old religious stuff and dour portraits. The best bit was the Scottish collection downstairs, where there was some interesting pieces spanning the ages.
The gallery had very informative signs up next to the works, which also boasted a few Van Goghs, Monets, Gaugains and Degas in its impressionist room. My favourite picture in the whole place was a renaissance Madonna/baby Jesus painting which was a beautiful red and gold theme with William Morris-esque foliage and flowers painted all around them. I didn't take a note of who painted it or what it was called as I assumed there would be a postcard of it for sale in the shop. Ha - never assume, asses, you and me. There wasn't one. I will have to go back if there is time.
We then braved the continuous rain to join a ghost tour of the town. It was fun, especially when we descended into some catacombs under South Bridge.
Afterwards, on the way to find a restaurant (actually quite difficult as everywhere in town was rammed) we came across a street festival with people on stilts and strange motorised creatures. There was also a band calling dances.
The Edinburghers are to be congratulated; while we were huddling under umbrellas they just wore waterproof coats and danced in the rain, spinning each other round and dosey-doeing.
In the restaurant, TOH managed to pull off a Little Britain joke perfectly. He ordered gnocchi per il primo piatto e il risotto pescatore per il secondo in near perfect Italian, and an Irn Bru. What would have been unthinkable in London didn't so much as raise an eyebrow here.
Over dinner, Nikki asked me if I had been to the areas affected by the tsunami - TOH shot back that we'd come straight here to Edinburgh after Boxing Day but are planning an aid visit in the new year. He thought this was the funniest thing he said all week and made me include it here in my blog.
The news has moved on to disparaging reports about local efforts to help those who survived the wave. I find it quite distasteful that the BBC can send well-fed reporters over there to criticise what developing world nations can do in this kind of situation and imply the UN is the only organisation which can help. Sure, aid is on its way and it is much needed, but there is no need to send patronising and skewed reports back here.
117,000 people confirmed dead. The British Government shamed into increasing it's aid donation to £50million from £15million after the British public donated £20million and counting. Typical New Labour self-congratulatory spin doctoring in the face of such a terrible disaster - Hilary Benn was on the news boasting about how the UK is now the biggest single donator to the disaster fund. They make me puke.
The gallery had very informative signs up next to the works, which also boasted a few Van Goghs, Monets, Gaugains and Degas in its impressionist room. My favourite picture in the whole place was a renaissance Madonna/baby Jesus painting which was a beautiful red and gold theme with William Morris-esque foliage and flowers painted all around them. I didn't take a note of who painted it or what it was called as I assumed there would be a postcard of it for sale in the shop. Ha - never assume, asses, you and me. There wasn't one. I will have to go back if there is time.
We then braved the continuous rain to join a ghost tour of the town. It was fun, especially when we descended into some catacombs under South Bridge.
Afterwards, on the way to find a restaurant (actually quite difficult as everywhere in town was rammed) we came across a street festival with people on stilts and strange motorised creatures. There was also a band calling dances.
The Edinburghers are to be congratulated; while we were huddling under umbrellas they just wore waterproof coats and danced in the rain, spinning each other round and dosey-doeing.
In the restaurant, TOH managed to pull off a Little Britain joke perfectly. He ordered gnocchi per il primo piatto e il risotto pescatore per il secondo in near perfect Italian, and an Irn Bru. What would have been unthinkable in London didn't so much as raise an eyebrow here.
Over dinner, Nikki asked me if I had been to the areas affected by the tsunami - TOH shot back that we'd come straight here to Edinburgh after Boxing Day but are planning an aid visit in the new year. He thought this was the funniest thing he said all week and made me include it here in my blog.
The news has moved on to disparaging reports about local efforts to help those who survived the wave. I find it quite distasteful that the BBC can send well-fed reporters over there to criticise what developing world nations can do in this kind of situation and imply the UN is the only organisation which can help. Sure, aid is on its way and it is much needed, but there is no need to send patronising and skewed reports back here.
117,000 people confirmed dead. The British Government shamed into increasing it's aid donation to £50million from £15million after the British public donated £20million and counting. Typical New Labour self-congratulatory spin doctoring in the face of such a terrible disaster - Hilary Benn was on the news boasting about how the UK is now the biggest single donator to the disaster fund. They make me puke.
posted by The WyeBird @ 8:41 pm
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