Edinburgh International Festival

If I could return to Edinburgh, I would most certainly go to the internationally renowned festival in Edinburgh's city center. All of the locals told me that it was a must see next time I come. Basically the whole city shuts down for 3 weeks and has loads of comedy, culture, art, music, theater, dance, opera, and talks and workshops. Before I left Edinburgh I saw the festival transforming the city. A big stadium was assembled next to the Edinburgh Castle, and the University was under construction for implementing art exhibits into its buildings. The festival this year, 2011, explores the vibrant and diverse cultures of Asia focusing on regions like, China, India, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. I can't wait to go back to Edinburgh in the future and explore the city that I fell in love with. 

Peckham's, Nyam Nyam, The Standing Order, & Rudi's

My favorite small convenience store, called Peckham's, was located just a few blocks away from Pollock Halls, and had a great selection of inexpensive gourmet food that a lot of us enjoyed. Their selection included: a lot of nice inexpensive beer and wine, cheese, bakery items, and my favorite homemade soup!

Nyam Nyam, near Peckam's was a small Italian restaurant that many of us in the group loved. They had authentic italian food and I loved their homemade lasagna and margarita pizza's. Not to mention you could BYOB. 

The Standing Order was a great place to go to get good meal deals, cheap drinks, and a nice atmosphere. It was located in New Town in a grand ballroom. Kelly and I went there one Monday night and shared the best Hummus and pita bread appetizer. 

Rudi's was a mutual favorite of the whole class. They were this tiny whole in the wall italian sandwich shop that has a large selection and good vegetarian variety. Not to mention sandwiches were only £2-3. We would stop here for lunch because it was very close to our class building. 

Portobello Beach

I was extra interested in visiting Portobello Beach because of my personal history there. My Great-grandmother on my dad's side grew up around the Firth of Fourth in Portobello Beach. I didn't have a specific address of where she lived but it was a really cool feeling to see where she grew up. 

Other attractions in Portobello are the promenade along the beach, similar to a boardwalk. The houses along this area are really cute and most are bed and breakfasts. However, the attraction to this area of town has declined over the years, and the once booming arcade and attractions aren't used as much as they used to. 

One of the three remaining Turkish Bath houses lies in Portobello. I didn't get the opportunity to go to the bath house but I heard from fellow students that it was a must see and very relaxing. There are three healing pools that you jump into, and sounds like a lot of fun!

Arthur's Seat

Arthur's Seat, located in Holyrood park, is the main peak of this highlighted landscape. Our dorms, Pollock Halls, were bordered right next to this land formation. I learned that volcanoes approximately 350 million years ago, formed Arthur's Seat. I climbed Arthur's seat and it is not that technical of a journey. It had the most beautiful views of Edinburgh, including the Castle which is about a mile away situated on a mound. On the other end lies the Firth of Fourth body of water which boarders the city of Edinburgh. The seat is adjoined by Salsbury Crag and can be climbed from any direction. This is a popular tourist destination, but I also enjoyed the exercise I got out of the climb! I learned a lot about the history of this beautiful and green land formation from the History of Scotland Museum on the first floor. This floor talks about the geology and mythology of Aurthur's seat which I found most interesting. I also learned more about the formation from our park ranger in Holyrood Park. 

Get-togethers @ Dr. Buckley's Place

Almost every thursday our class would get together at Dr. Buckley's house, near Tollcross. His family ordered this amazing pizza from a local shop and we all indulged! The class looked forward to these gatherings every week because of the food and the good times we shared. The house Dr. Buckley rented for the duration of our stay was very cute and had a nice back garden that we all loved to sit in. I think that Dr. Buckley's kids enjoyed us coming over as well because they liked to talk and play soccer which was entertaining to them. Personally, I enjoyed these gatherings because they helped us get acclimated with fellow students and teachers. A few weeks we had special guests come to our gatherings, like Natalie's parents, our guest lecture Bob Morris and his wife, as well as our Professor Dr. Roger and his wife. This was a great idea for class bonding time and should be carried through next year!

Getting Around Edinburgh and Abroad: Trains, Planes, Boats, Buses, & Pedicabs

Maneuvering around Edinburgh and abroad was much different than in the states. To travel long distances I took trains and used a Britrail pass. If you are going to be doing any traveling within the UK and Ireland I would recommend purchasing this pass before you get to Scotland (you are unable to purchase the Britrail pass in the UK). They are a lot cheaper than buying individual tickets and you have the flexibility to jump on and off the train whenever you want. I also flew inter-continentally to Amsterdam one weekend. It was great seeing how locals fly and I improved my independence by flying to a foreign country that speaks a different language. Boats were a popular use of transportation while I was traveling though the highlands of Scotland. Kevin, Kelly, & I took a ferry over to the Isle of Mull and it was a gorgeous ride. We saw lots of lighthouses, castle ruins, and lush views of the coast. We used buses everyday traveling in the city of Edinburgh. Local city transit was made very easy and I enjoyed taking the bus around the city. I got to know certain routes and was pretty proud of myself by the end of the trip. Dr. Buckley purchased a bus pass for every student so we could take any bus throughout Edinburgh, which was very nice. Last but not least, the most fun mode of transportation was the pedicab. Laura, Kelly, and I had one wild ride one night on a pedicab that I won't ever forget =]. Overall, these modes of transportation are very different from a typical day in athens and our most familiar way if getting around is an automobile.  

My Favorite Field Trip: Colinton Community Compost Facility

Throughout the 5 weeks our class went on many field trips. However, I would have to say my favorite one was the Colinton Community Compost Facility. Kylie Johnson one of the graduate students studying, set up the field trip destination because that is her area of study. We learned that this was not only one of the areas greatest compost sites, but it also offered care for special needs adults in the Edinburgh area. The “guys” helped out with daily activities like chopping wood and bagging compost, which are quite physical. I was amazed at this unlikely combination and was truly inspired by the humility that the caretakers have for the adults. After meeting some of the employees, volunteers, and “guys” we started our tour. To set the scene, our guide looked like he just leaped out of the vaults of an archaic Disney film: with his soporific voice, pony-tail, and not to mention a flute in pocket. The group toured the compost piles which to my surprise had no unpleasant odor at all. We learned that a compost pile with no odor is considered a good one because there is a perfect mixture of green and brown components. Then the group was met by “Captain Red Beard” which was a burly mountain man type who talked to us next. We walked up to some metal bins that contained cardboard which were broken down by worms. I got some good up close and personal snap shots of these bins which contained a few interesting critters. The location of the compost site was just beyond the city limits and was absolutely beautiful, with a view of the city in the background and some mountainous land formations with a bordering bog. The bog used to contain an old automobile junk yard, but was regenerated back to its natural form. We saw some wild life, including a falcon! This field trip was pretty cool and I am definitely thinking about starting my own small compost pile in the backyard when I return home. Its a great way to build up soil for a garden and can help reduce waste in the household.