Dundee & The RRS Discovery

Do you remember this photo from yesterday?

My friend, Jennifer, admitted to me that she just couldn't resist the challenge of identifying this plaque after reading yesterday's blog.  And, what she discovered made me chuckle at just how off track I was with my crazy Nordic explanation. 

It appears that this is an image of St. Michael the archangel, patron saint of Dumfries, and he is standing on a serpent who represents evil (apparently with a staff instead of a sword.) 

Suddenly the prayer comes to mind:

"St. Michael the archangel, defend me in battle....be my protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. "  Got the idea?

Thanks, Jennifer, for setting me straight on this.  It all comes together when you have the explanation, doesn't it?  

Now, today's adventures found me out in the rain, sleet, snow, sleet and rain.  In fact, on the way back from the train station, when the ice was pelting me in the face, I actually told myself that I must be  crazy.  

But once back in the comfort of my B&B, I realized that the day was actually well spent, and I had yet one more adventure that I can share with you.

We are staying in Cupar, right next to the train station, and I was able to make the trip to Dundee fairly easily this morning.  Once there, I headed to the Information center, and the woman gave me a lovely historical trail map of the town.  She highlighted a few things that I would find particularly interesting, and I decided to brave the elements and take a look.  Although, I will admit, that a few times I thought about turning around.

I headed to the HM Frigate Unicorn which is permanently docked in Victoria Dock.  I had to walk along the Firth of Tay to get to there.

Unfortunately, you can't see much, but you can be assured that it was raining and very cold.

A short turn to the left and then to the right, and I came to the Victoria Dock.  I had no problem finding the Unicorn, as you can see.

The ship was built for the Royal Navy and launched in 1824.  It is the World's last intact warship from the days of one sail.  It was built shortly after the Napoleonic wars, but  was never used in battle.

The ship has been preserved and is permanently docked in Dundee, and is open for touring....except not on Mondays or Tuesdays. But that suited me just fine. 

So, I made my way back along the historical tour, which was a bit complicated by Dundee's revitalization efforts that has resulted in torn up roads, missing pedestrian walkways, and hidden buildings.   But there was still plenty to see.

Just a short way from the harbor, I came across this:

Do I know what it is?  .......Sorry...no clue.  But it sure looked impressive.

Then, I headed up the street in search of the McManus Museum and Art Gallery.  I had been told that it offered free admission, so that was certainly worth checking out.

I was NOT disappointed.  Not only was this place filled with loads of interesting artifacts, it gave me the opportunity to dry off and warm up a bit.

The first room that I entered displayed a humpback whale skeleton from 1883.

The whale had been harpooned in the Firth of Tay, right outside of Dundee.  I soon learned that whaling was an important industry in Dundee due to the town's textile production.  At one time, Dundee had the largest Jute factory in the world, and the whale oil was needed in large quantities to soften the jute fibers for processing.  

This place was filled with all kinds of interesting items, going back as far as the Picts.

There were original Pictish stones on display that had been found in the area near Dundee, each one with an explanation as to what was carved on the front.  This one represents a Pictish beast.

The museum was built to display more than just art.  There were many stained glass windows on display, which enhanced not only the inside of the room

but the outside of the building as well.  Here you can see that same window behind the statue of Queen Victoria.

A few of the displays I found to be entertaining, like this one with some old games:  ABC Nursery Rhymes blocks

And Snakes and Ladders

Don't know about you, but I prefer the Chutes and Ladders version.

This poster sponsored by the Temperance League of Dundee gave me quite a chuckle.  It was difficult capturing the image with the light reflection.

But what it shows is how the life of a child will be determined by whether or not he chooses to drink alcohol.  Don't know if you can see it, but by the time he is old, he's a bum on the bottom, but a comfortable gentleman reading the paper on the top. The end result is determined by the choices he made.

There were stained glass windows from 1859 on display.  Here you see Mary, Queen of Scots.

and William Wallace.

There was a fish caught by an eskimo

And a replica of a fish made from old household water heater parts.

I really enjoyed the one room that followed the adventures of two women journalists who decided to tour the world and report their adventures in the paper.

Reading some of their stories was quite amusing.   They had a real admiration for American women:

"American girls are entertaining.  They are brimful of originality and ever to the hunt for something new.....They go at it as hard as men, whether it be pleasure, philanthropy, vindication of their rights, or the promulgation of a new religion, and to their credit success invariably follows."

They go onto say, "Where are women most to be envied?  For my part, if I could not be Scotch, then I would cry 'Make, oh! Make me an American woman!'"

The room featured every country that they had visited, along with artifacts from that place. 

Before I left the museum, I ran into this guy.

Little did I know that buy the time I returned to the B&B, I'd be resembling him.  (Not with the muscles...with the snow white exterior.)

I bundled up and continued on the historical tour with the Discovery Center being my final destination.

Right outside the museum there is a giant statue of Robert Burns.

Down the street was the town tower, connected to a church, with the Mercat Cross in front.

I'll admit that I was confused by the penguins who were obviously leaving church, being right outside the entrance.

But, seeing the penguins reminded me that it was time to head down to the Discovery Center for a tour.

This center features the original RRS Discovery, a boat built for the sole purpose of exploring Antarctica in 1901. 

As you can see, penguins greet you as you near the building.

And the boat is docked right off of the Firth of Tay, next to the Discovery Center.

The story was fascinating, as I was taken through the commentary of the idea for exploring Antarctica, through the building of the boat, (which was made of wood because wood flexes when wet unlike iron which would buckle), to the choosing of the crew, and the exploration details themselves.

There was a map showing the route that the Discovery took on its long journey.

The story was explained in detail and I learned about how a man a named Bernacchi worked to understand the magnetic fields there.  A special observatory was designed and built on the main deck to enable a magnetic survey to be carried out.  This part of the ship had an area with a radius of 30 ft around the magnetic observatory in which there could be no iron or steel because they would have upset the delicate scientific instruments.   

Even the angle brackets that secured the crossbeams were made of bronze instead of the usual iron.

This man's valuable  work would later help scientists to measure the drift of the Magnetic Pole.

The main aim of the expedition was to collect valuable scientific data.  These explorers were the first to spot an Emperor Penguin rookery and obtain an egg sample.  Many hundreds of miles were mapped for the first time.  I had learned of this exploration in high school, but only briefly.  I found it fascinating to follow in the footsteps of the amazing crew.

After walking through one exhibition after another, there came the opportunity to actually board the original ship.

I walked through the boiler room

the dining area

peeked in  bedroom

and spotted some guys relaxing in the back

In fact, I probably could have tried my hand at sailing

But the weather convinced me otherwise.  Actually, touring this exhibition on this day made me appreciate just what these men must have endured on the two years that they spent in the subzero temperatures of Antarctica.  I probably couldn't have picked a more appropriate day.

The chill in the air, along with the pelting ice, convinced me to head to the train station across the street and make my way back to my cozy room.   When I jumped off of the train in Cupar, the rain had turned yet again to sleet and the wind had picked up considerably.

I found myself struggling to walk forward, ice pelting at my face, unable to see clearly due to my glasses being pelted as well.  An umbrella was certainly out of the question, as the winds would have destroyed it.  Luckily, the walk from the train station is a no-brainer.

But, as I was walking down the hill, I actually laughed out loud and said out loud, "I must be crazy!"  I certainly did not have to worry about being overheard.

By the time I opened the door to the B&B, I was covered in snow.  But it didn't take long for me to dry off and warm up with a cup of tea.

And the memory of the walk home didn't stop me from bundling up once again, and heading out to Gino's in town for dinner with Marty.  We preferred walking since the roads looked liked they were getting icy.  

The atmosphere was charming, the staff very friendly, and the food was scrumptious.

It was a great way to end the day, and we didn't even mind walking back in the snow!

Back in the Kingdom of Fife

We began our day in Dumfries and Galloway......and ended in The Kingdom of Fife.  Sounds like quite a transition, don't you think?

Actually, I was told that the term, "Kingdom of Fife" refers to the fact that the area was once rich in many natural resources.  It is the only "Kingdom" by name left in Scotland.

But let me begin by sharing just how awesome my last-minute B&B find was in the little town off of the Irish Sea. 

The "Old Shop" was built in the mid-1840's and once stood as exactly that.....a shop.
There were signs of a pier leading out to the water, and I read that this place was actually a big port of emigration to the United States and even as far as Australia.  That might explain the 10 or 12 houses in a row, and the presence of a pub, which were not to be seen anywhere nearby on our travels to this place. 

Here's a photo of "The Old Shop".  Our room was the one on the left on the top.

 And here is the view from our window.

Imagine just how awesome it would have looked if the day had been clear!

This shows the view down the street, although the mist is hiding a very large mountain in the distance. 

And here's a view from the beach.

There was this really cute "hide" where you could sit and look out at the beach without having to stand in the wind and the rain.   It had a comfy sofa and two chairs inside, with a large window for viewing.  What a terrific idea!

Yep!  I'd say that this was a pretty good find.....that's for sure.  Actually, it's too bad that we couldn't stay a bit longer just to take in the beauty of the sea.

But we never did see the amazing view because we were off early to New Abbey where we attended 9:30 Mass at St. Mary's.

Marty and I really enjoy attending Mass in these small town churches because the parishioners are always eager to invite us to a little social with coffee and cookies after Mass where they enjoy conversing with us and asking us about our adventures.  And today was no different.  

Of course, I was flattered when one woman told me that I looked "stunning"!   Then she went on to tell me that I looked very "American".  Hmmmm......wonder what gave me away? 

After our chat, we headed over to Sweetheart Abbey, just a few blocks away.  It was certainly easy to spot.

This is another Cistercian monastery founded by Lady Devorgilla in 1273.  When Lady Devorgilla's husband died in 1268, she had his heart cut out and embalmed in a box that she carried with her for 20 years.  When she died, she was laid to rest in this abbey, "clutching the box to her bosom".  As a result, the monks named the abbey Sweetheart Abbey to commemorate her true love.  

In the graveyard there stands a very interesting gravestone that I thought  my genealogy friends might find very interesting

The family tree continues on the other side. Imagine coming to find your roots and stumbling upon something like this!  So many questions answered in one spot.  Amazing!

We took a "wee" walk before heading off to our next destination:  Caerlaverock Castle.

Ok, I can hear it now......"Not ANOTHER castle!"  

But, honest, this one is really unique.  Not so much in its history (although it is linked with Robert the Bruce on the trail), but because of its shape.

It's kind of hard to tell from the photo, but the castle is shaped like a triangle, and is surrounded on all three sides by a moat.  It was built in the 13th century and invaded by Edward I during his attempt to lay siege to Scotland's throne.  The castle was renovated in the 16th century, but fell to the hands of the Protestants since the owners, the Maxwell family, were devout Catholics and the castle actually had a church on the grounds.  It has been left as ruins since.  

From here, we drove to Dumfries where we decided to take a short walking tour through the town.  This town also has ties to Robert the Bruce as well as to Robert Burns, the National Poet who died here. 

We began at the Midsteeple, which was built in 1708.

Wish I had some insight into the emblem on the building.

But, alas, I could not find anything to explain what looks like an angelic Norseman, standing on a boat,  holding up his belt while clutching a staff.  I'm certainly up for suggestions if you have any.

Here you see the Devorgilla Bridge, built in 1432, the very first bridge over the River Nith.   

No worries....the bridge is for pedestrians only. 

Here you see Greyfriars Church  with a commemorative statue to Robert Burns.

I was amazed by the reflection in the still water of the River Nith further upstream.

Here stands the Hole I' The Wa' Inn with a photo of Robert Burns.

I'm not sure of the historical significance, but the name sounds pretty cool...don't you think?

Walking along the trail, we spotted the Robert the Bruce Tavern.  

To my knowledge there is no historical significance, except that the people following the trail might want to stop in for some wee refreshment.  

Just around the corner, there is a plaque on one of the buildings that is near the Greyfriars Church.

The Greyfriars Abbey once stood where there is a convenience store now. 

The plaque commemorates the slaying of Red Comyn by Robert the Bruce.  He had invited Comyn to the chapel for a meeting, and they had left their swords outside.   A fight broke out near the main altar, and Robert the Bruce slayed Comyn there.  Although the event was a pivotal one leading to Scottish independence, I found the course of events to be rather disturbing, particularly since it occurred in the abbey church.

At this point, we decided that it was time to head off towards Cupar where we would be staying the night.  It was 180 miles to our destination.  Scotland has a few large roads, but most of our travels would be along the smaller routes.

The sign along the road gave an indication of what we could expect.

I don't know about you, but I find the "snow forecast" sign to be rather amusing.  It really doesn't tell you much, but, then again, I suppose that it does tell you what you need to know.

Not far from Dumfries we discovered that quite a bit of the white stuff had fallen, and the roads were quite icy.  It was some tricky driving for awhile, but once we made it a bit further north, the roads were clear, and easily maneuvered. 

We found our B&B easily enough, and walked to a local restaurant which is located in the building of the town Gaol from past days.  Our entertainment for the evening was watching a young man, about 16 years of age, attempt to eat a 3 1/2 pound hamburger, complete with the trimmings.  The challenge was to consume the entire meal, (complete with cole slaw and chips) in 45 minutes time....then you could get the meal for free.

Ok.....so it's obvious that we are easily entertained.

By the way....he ended up paying for the meal and taking home a "doggy bag".  So much for that challenge.  And, no......neither of us have any intention of going back to try it ourselves.