As proof that I have not just been haunting galleries and bookshops, I did watch the FA Cup final this afternoon and I know Arsenal won. Was pretty tempting though to still be outside as weather has been glorious. Decided that their blue sky is not washed out - it is just a gentler blue than I am used to. It's a Bank holiday weekend so place is full of both overseas and Scottish tourists.
Found out why our bus has a destination of "restalrig" on it (aside from the obvious that this is an actual place). The Restalrigs were a family that had some hefty political connections at one stage. They were the lairds who controlled South Leith back in the 12th century and are called the Logans of restalrig - Logan being some sort of clan. However they fell out of favour in Leith when one of them sold his feudal rights to the borough of Edinburgh (Leith being a separate town) and noone liked the Restalrigs (in Leith at least) for some centuries. Then read somewhere else that the restalrigs owned Calton - large area in Edinburgh and one was tried for treason for trying to abduct James VI - their lands were forfeited as a result. History can be very confusing. In any event their end was ignominous it seems - a local sign tells me that the last logan of Restalrig was óne godless, drunkin and deboshit man'. He died a pauper in 1606. Enough of local history.
I seemed to have been tying bits of historical threads together the last couple of days. Visited Calton Hill which is unsurprisingly a hill overlooking Edinburgh that provides great views of Edinburgh. Could clearly see how Arthurs Seat and Castle Rock (on which now sits Edinburgh Castle) were once volcanoes and how the gullys below them were carved out a long long time ago by glaciers and the Ice Ages, which is what I read about in the Scottish Museum a few days ago. North Bridge, which straddles the Old Town and New Town now makes sense. It goes over a deep gully. Also found out that The Mound which also joins the Old Town and New Town was man made by dumping a bunch of rumble into a gully. And Princes Garden which is now a lovely garden in the centre of town between the old and new part (old being medieval and new being Georgian so old and very old as far as Sydney is concerned) was once a swampy bog where the old town dumped its sewerage. Think I am getting the topography down pat.
Dropped in on the Old Calton Burial Ground - there are graveyards everywhere in Edinburgh -on the way down from the Carlton hill. Took pictures of suitably grim skull and cross bones. They do impressive graveyards here. Made me think about how some people become famous or renown for no apparent reason while others who were highly regarded (or infamous) in their time become lost in the mists of time. The graveyard has a huge obelisk for the memory of some Scottish political reformers -its called the site of the "Political Martyrs" monument. They pushed for universal suffrage - voting rights for all - not just landowners and for their troubles were transported to Australia for 15 years. Now pretty much unknown. Another grave was for some Scottish actor who was friends with Robert Burns and his friends put up this impressive tombstone quoting Shakespeare and setting out in some detail how renown he was. Never heard of him but heard of Robbie Burns. There is a famous painting in the National Gallery called the Skating Minister. It is purportedly of a minister called the Rev Robert Walker. There are all sorts of books on him and his connection to the painter (although the painter is not certain), Henry Raeburn. But a book I skim read in a bookshop described the Rev as "part of the atmosphere rather than the substance"". Loved that description - he contributed little himself but has become a symbol of his time. Anyway not a new concept that history is very subjective and selective.
Was also a few days of connections and Ah Hah moments. Was sitting on old artillery mound in Leith Links enjoying reading a book in the sunshine and listening in to the lovely Scottish voices - such a lilt - when an ice cream van turned up playing the Hokey Pokey. I momentarily thought ''why the hokey pokey'' and then dismissed it until I visited another old old part called the GrassMarket where a sign told me this used to be Little Italy in the early 1900's and the Italians were known for selling ice cream from barrows where they would yell out ''Gelati, ecco un poco'' and became known as the Hokey Pokey men. There you go.
The Grassmarket is a funny area - old market area below the castle and adjourning the Cowgate and Candlemaker Row. Such evocative names. Also used to be where executions occurred. So has a grisly past too. There are a few signs dotted around where various people were murdered, where supposed witches were executed etc. Went into a shop there which had an oldish looking sign that said "'In 1673 nothing happened here."" I laughed.
Found myself in both the Central Library and Scottish National Library. Unsurprisingly I love libraries and they are often off the main tourist track with interesting exhibits. This proved to be the case. One had these journals written by some Brits travelling abroad - in the 1700's. Remindered me why you should check out what pages are left open to read in these types of exhibits. What was left open to read was a bit Pythonesque I think. ''Travels to Asia - Minor. Chap 1. We embarked at Gravesend on the 9th of June 1764.... our ship carrying 16 guns..... we had a fair wind; but our pilot, being in liquor, did not sail that evening."' You think you are reading this serious report of a boat sailing to Asia Minor and you are, but there is this deadpan comment about the pilot in there (and some others equally damning which I didn't record). I giggled when I read it. Someone in the library must have thought this was funny.
There was also a small exhibition on a journal called Blackwoods - a literary journal published between 1817-1980. It published also sorts of writings including John Buchanan's 39 Steps and works by Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Conan Doyle etc. There was a letter on display about RL Stevenson regarding some of his earlier writings: ""take a look at the enclosed... by young Stevenson, the engineer's son. It strikes me as rather nice."" The Stevensons were quite a talented family - engineers, builders of lighthouses and well known in Edinburgh. Didn't know - just heard of the author. Also an extract of some writings on what looked to be a skating society. Yes there was an official figure skating society in Edinburgh dating from the 1740's. The extract was again very funny recording people's poor skating skills but written in a deadpan serious style. Someone in that library surely thought it was pretty funny. And this then linked to the figure of the Skating Minister in the National Gallery who is known as the club's most famous member. Not exciting I know but was funny to me when things started to link up.
Did get back to the National Gallery for a Highlights Tour. Was worthwhile. The guide focused primarily on 3 different landscapes to show us how this type of painting developed. I know a very small taste of what is in the gallery but was interesting especially as 2 of the main paintings on display at present are a giant landscape by McTaggert and Constable. She started with a landscape by a French painter (The Scots and French seem to have a bit of a connection - think is a mixture of the Mary Queen of Scots Catholic Queen thing and the republic/freedom from monarchy thing - could be completely wrong but that's my take) called Claude from the 1600's. Quite a static landscape with nymphs and Greek temples in a woodland setting. She then moved to a Constable - also a woodland type setting but so much more alive (1700's) and finally to the McTaggert (1800's) which was almost if not impressionist in style. Apparently Constable admired Claude and McTaggert admired Constable so you could see the link in the paintings. And did not know, but landscapes were way down the pecking order when Claude painted them unless you included some noteworthy figures - like Biblical/mythological figures. By the time Constable came along, the figures could have been of every day people. Become a fan of Constable and McTaggert. Love this type of thing, as missed this entirely when I visited a few days ago. She also showed us a huge painting called the Monarch of the Glen - gorgeous stag staring you down, a sculpture of 2 Campbell sisters (of the Campbell clan) - again stunning and the famous skating Minister which we all agreed was quite comical. A formal looking Minister dressed head to toe in black skating on a Loch. Also got to see their impressionist collection after tour - small but good selection of Monets, Van Goghs, Sisley etc.
And the Edinburgh Marathon was on this weekend. Failed to enter. Not a surprise. It is apparently a 'flat and fast' course which I took to mean we do not run around the Old Town which is most definitely not flat. Saw some of the runners running around the base of Arthurs Seat near Holyrood Palace. Pretty scenic. Lots of people in running gear with large numbers on them staggering around afterwards - reminded me of Will.
The fisherman is back today. Suspect his week has been somewhat different to mine. Will not attempt to record all of the fishing tales in this blog.
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