Haiku and History: A Poetic Adventure

Meet Dave, our friendly waiter who greets us each morning:

There's nothing like seeing the smile on his face and hearing the lull of his Scottish accent when we come down for breakfast.  Today I asked for pancakes, and I could see the worry in his face at my request. But he came out with a beautifully presented plate with what looked  like crepes.

They were fabulous!  When I told him so, he breathed a sigh of relief, and he admitted to me that this was only the second time that he had ever made pancakes.  Believe me, you'd never have guessed that as these were incredibly light and tender.  The perfect way to begin the day!

And speaking of perfect, the weather was quite accommodating once again today, with a brilliant blue sky and lots of sunshine.  Nary a cloud in the sky to be seen.  Thank goodness for that because the temperatures were below freezing and there was an icy coating that lay upon the ground most of the day.

Today's adventure found me in Aberdour.  It is just three stations away from Kirkcaldy and all of the trains to Edinburgh stop here.  But not all stop in Aberdour.  And, it's not that easy to spot the difference.  So, I was certain to ask the ticket man if I was on the right train.  And, when he assured me that I was, I asked him some questions regarding departing from the train.  Well, he was so concerned about me that he actually told me when to get off, and stood near the door to be certain that I made it safely to my location.  You can't beat that, can you?

I think that I was the only passenger who hopped off of the train in Aberdour.  It is a very small, beautiful town, along the coast of the Firth of Forth.  The oldest Scottish Castle continues to stand within feet of the train station.  It doesn't get much easier than that when one is traveling alone!

 The castle ruins looked lovely with the bright blue sky behind and the frosty grass in front.  I headed to the visitor's center to purchase a ticket for admittance to the grounds.  The man behind the desk was so thrilled to see a patron, that he popped a sign in the window, locked up the office, and escorted me to St. Fillian's church, behind the castle, for a personal tour of the place.

It was obvious that this man was proud of his history and he pointed out all kinds of details inside the church.  This was once a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to St. Fillian and there was an Augustinian order associated with it.  Because Aberdour is across the firth from Edinburgh, St. Margaret (whom I spoke of in the Dunfermline post) set up a free ferry from Edinburgh so that pilgrims could travel from that town to Aberdour and then up the coast to St. Andrews, which was a mecca for pilgrims in the past.

I don't know about you, but I certainly found it fascinating to discover just how all of these towns were sort of tied together religiously.  I had never realized that there was so strong a connection before.  Apparently King Robert the Bruce stayed here, as he had in Dunfermline.  Since he wasn't all that popular in his day, he had to be very careful where he traveled.

The church itself dates back to 700.  The hall house, part of the castle, dates back to the 12th century, making it the oldest castle in all of Scotland.  This man was eager to share that information with me as well.  He was delightful and I appreciated him taking the time to show me around.  I would have missed a lot of details that he was eager to point out.

One of the features that I have noticed on several scottish castles is the existence of a structure that resembles a beehive.

This is called a dovecot and there are 600+ nests around the interior walls, in tiers.  I didn't have the nerve to step down into the dark space, so we'll just have to take the visitor guide's word for that.  It housed pigeons or doves, which provided food for the people of the castle.  Apparently we can attribute the word pigeon-hole to the dovecot structure. Just a little piece of trivia to add to your day.

Several days ago, I had picked up a brochure entitled Aberdour Poetry Trail. It had a small map for maneuvering around town, and I found the premise to be interesting.  Several years ago, a group of local townsmen wrote haiku poems about places in the town that had special meaning to them.  Each poem is displayed in a location that the writer was inspired by.

Since brochures of this town are hard to come by, this seemed the perfect way to see the highlights of the town while following a designated map so that I didn't have to worry about getting lost in my travels.

The first poem that I found was outside St. Fillian's chapel.  It was difficult to read inscribed in stone:

Peace of earth and sky

a ships bell calling down the years

a pilgrim's rest

Moving along, I was in the bowling green courtyard which joins the castle to the town:

I then headed down towards the firth which was strikingly beautiful today in the sunshine.

Do you see those houses and pier in the distance?  I would make my way to that spot walking along the trail. But at this point, the poem was inscribed on an oar:

Rather clever, don't you think?  Then, just along the firth: 

On my way out to the old harbor the view to the town was spectacular.  

And, when I got to the old harbor,  I was taken aback by the huge cliffs that seemed to loom up from nowhere.

A hike back up the hill to the town led me to the local bakery where I found this haiku:

The place was bustling with activity and could I resist the tempting aromas that were teasing my senses?  Heck no!  So, I popped inside and picked out two very delectable looking treats for later this evening when I can share them with Marty.   

Then I headed to the Castle tea room where I ordered the cream tea.  The lady told me, quite apologetically, that she didn't have any cream to go with the cream tea.  Although I found that to be amusing, I told the lady not to worry and that I was sure that I'd get by without it.

And, just for the record, I managed just fine without it!  Yummy!

Frigid in Fife

Today we were once again blessed with a beautiful sunny day for traveling.  But, I will admit that the temperature was frigid and my fingertips were freezing despite the gloves that I wore to keep them warm.

We started out early in the morning, headed to St. Andrews, and it's a good thing that we allowed extra time because the GPS lady seemed to think that we wanted to take the scenic route, despite being on auto mode.  We had decided to attend 9:00 Mass at St. James Church in the town of St. Andrews, and we were about half way there in miles, when we realized that it was taking way too much time.  Luckily, I spotted a road sign with a route number on the map, and after redirecting and ignoring the calls to turn around, the device finally decided to relent and reroute us so that we managed to walk into church just as the little bell was ringing for everyone to stand.  Perfect timing!

Apparently this town is noted for Golf, but that would be of little interest to me.  It is rich in history and actually is the site of the very first University of Scotland, St. Andrews University, started in 1413.

 Legend has it that St. Rule brought the relics of St. Andrew to Scotland for safekeeping from the Romans.  They were placed in a special Chapel, later known as St. Andrews Cathedral, and the town became the religious capital of Scotland and thus became known by the Saint's name.

After Mass, Marty and I decided to venture out on foot and explore the castle first, which was nearby.  Marty commented on how we were the only patrons, and I reminded him that it was a Sunday morning, in January, and it was freezing cold outside.  Really, how many other people would be so crazy as to pick today to explore outdoor ruins?  So, we had the place to ourselves, and, luckily, the sun was shining which helped to make us think that we were warm, although my extremities definitely told me otherwise!

The castle ruins which exist today were fortified in the 1400's and they stand upon the rocky cliffs making it easily defended.  This castle also served as a prison, and it continues to hold a "bottle" dungeon, where prisoners were dropped through the neck into the 22 ft. deep hole, never to be seen again.  Pretty gruesome, if you ask me!  The man at the visitor center felt the need to explain the torment with details that made me shudder, but I'll spare you that. 

Another unique feature that the castle continues to have is the remains of a "seize" tunnel.  It was planned as a means of escape by one of the royal prisoners. While he and his cohorts were digging their way out of their confinement, the defenders of the town, who had imprisoned this royalty, managed to foil his plans of escape by digging their own underground tunnel that intercepted the intended means of escape.  The tunnel still exists today, and one could climb down and take a peek at one's own risk.  Luckily, Marty and I thought alike on this experience and decided to forego that adventure.

We headed out from the castle to explore the Cathedral ruins that had once made this town a pilgrimage mecca.  The site of St. Andrews Cathedral and Abbey was breathtaking.  One could hardly even begin to imagine the original size of this structure.  The two ends remain standing, with remnants of the huge pillars that would have stood along the length of the church.  

Behind this Cathedral ruins, closer to the sea, stands the remains of the original St. Rule Church and tower, once run by an Augustinian order.  During the reformation, John Knox preached a sermon that resulted in the local townspeople destroying the Cathedral.  It was never salvaged and all that remains are the ruins to gaze upon.  

By this time, we were really cold, so we jumped in the car and headed to the town of Anstruther on the Firth of Forth.  Marty could hardly contain his enthusiasm as he headed to the Scottish Fisheries Museum.  I was just looking forward to a place that was warm!  Unfortunately, the place was frigid, but I did manage to find a heater or two to rest upon while Marty got his fill of the environment. 

One thing that caught my eye was the role of the Fishwives.  I spotted an old photo with men in boats while the woman were in the water, and was shocked by what I read.  

Can you even imagine carrying your husband upon your back so that he wouldn't get wet?  Who in the world came up with that crazy idea?  On a day like today that idea seemed even more far-fetched.  Sure made me thankful to live in this era, that's for sure.

The town that holds the museum is really lovely.  Despite the cold, we ventured out a bit and took in some of the beauty.  

Once again, we found ourselves sitting in a restaurant, watching the sunset as we had a bite to eat.  Unfortunately the meal this time was a real disappointment.  

But we'll just focus on the beauty of the early evening and be grateful to have once again survived the driving experience that brought us back to our hotel without incident. 

When fate hands us a lemon

let's try and make lemonade.  What a terrific piece of advice!   And it came from none other than Andrew Carnegie, the son of a Scottish weaver who emigrated to the US from the town of Dunfermline.

On this cold and cloudy day, Marty and I found ourselves in this very same town, where the locals consider this man to be quite the hero.  The town boasts The Carnegie Center, Carnegie Clinic and College of Hygiene as well as Carnegie Hall and the very first Carnegie library in the world.

Because it is winter, many of the historic sites are closed, but we were able to see the house where Carnegie was born as well as walk through the donated library in his name.

But this town is steeped in history that goes well back in time before the birth of this famous man. 

In the year 800, Christianity was introduced into Dunfermline.  In the early 1000's, Malcolm III married his wife, Margaret in this church and they welcomed the Benedictines to set up a priory here.  Margaret was paramount to introducing Catholicism in this town.  She was canonized as St. Margaret in 1093 and there is a memorial to her outside the abbey  for easy access to those making a pilgrimage here.  

The monastery ruins still stand, along with the ruins of the Royal Palace. Robert the Bruce was buried in the Dunfermline Abbey, and when renovations were being done in the early 1800's, his remains were found.  In tribute to him, his name adorns the bell tower.

The four sides say:  King Robert The Bruce.

On the same grounds stands The Abbot house which dates from the early 1400's.  Marty and I ate a scrumptious lunch inside while enjoying the view of the gardens from the inside.

There was a lovely park that we walked through, the paths winding through a wooded area that featured glimpses of the ancient abbey and the adjacent ruins. A stream ran through the park, surprising us with occasional small waterfalls as we walked along one of the trails.

After several hours walking around this historic and quaint village, we decided to head to Culross, another village that came highly recommended by the tourist center.  We certainly were not disappointed when we drove into this town and found ourselves being transported back in time with cobblestone streets and restored 16th and 17th century houses.

But first, we couldn't help but admire the view from the car park across the Firth of Forth.

We walked along the coastal path for awhile, and then decided to explore the village.

Most of the historical sites have closed for the winter, but were were able to stroll through the gardens of the 1575 palace that still stands in this town.  The garden was built in grades up the hill behind the palace.

We climbed up one terrace after another.  The view from the top was breathtaking.

 St. Mungo was born in this town in the mid 500's.  An Abbey was built for him in 1135 and it stands at the top of a hill overlooking the town.  Marty and I made the climb up to the top to see the abbey and the ruins of what was once a monastery.  We found it fascinating to realize that Christianity was already a part of life in this area as early as the year 500.

The skies get dark quite early at this time of year, so Marty and I headed down the hill to the Red Lion Inn where we enjoyed a scrumptious dinner among the locals.  The entire atmosphere was quite entertaining.

After strolling to our car while admiring the night view across the firth, we began the trip home.  I'll admit that I was a bit nervous with Marty behind the wheel, but he had set up his phone as a GPS and I felt confident that we would get back to our hotel without issue.

Well, there were a few tense moments on my part when the GPS suggested that we should travel up a dirt road (which we ignored) and it appeared to be taking us a very strange, out of the way back.  We did finally arrive, safe and sound, at the hotel, but driving those roads in the pitch black, on the opposite side of the highway seemed quite harrowing at times.

When we got back to our room,  and were planning tomorrow's adventure, Marty realized that he had his phone GPS set for pedestrian mode.  That explained why it was attempting to lead us onto walking trails.
Believe me, we won't be making that mistake again!

Sunset over Edinburgh

Notice the title?  SUNSET over Edinburgh.  That would imply that there was sun to set.  That's saying alot for Edinburgh, Scotland, where the locals will tell you that they rarely see the sun.

So, we were once again lucky to have a brilliant blue sky today to accompany the sun.  The weather was cold, but not very windy, so it was pretty comfortable walking around the town.

I decided to take advantage of days like these and explore outdoor activities while the weather cooperated.  So, today I took the train into Edinburgh and headed to the Royal Botanical Gardens.  It was quite a hike, but walking through Edinburgh's New Town is a pleasant experience in itself. And there was the added excitement of spotting a memorial to James Maxwell of "Maxwell Equation" fame.

It might seem a bit crazy touring gardens in the middle of winter, but with free admission, what did I have to lose?  I was surprised to see some of the very old trees totally uprooted.  A week or two ago, Edinburgh experienced high winds in excess of 100 miles per hour.  We had noticed damage in other areas, but the wrath of this storm was obvious by the number of old trees laying on their sides with the roots exposed.  There was no rhyme or reason as to which trees suffered from the storm.  It was as if someone went through and picked random trees while others were spared. As a result, quite a few areas of the gardens were blocked off for safety reasons.  But there were plenty of paths to walk along and admire the beauty of this special place.

One item of interest was the Queen Mother's Garden, a memorial to Great Britains's Queen Mother.  There is a stone pavilion at the end of the garden which holds a plaque in memory to her.  The interior is most unusual with the ceiling being constructed out of pine cones and the walls being inlaid with sea shells.

I don't know who came up with such an unusual idea, but someone obviously had a LOT of time on their hands in putting that together!

While walking along the paths, I spotted some more of those unusual trees that my friend Jennifer informs me are called  Monkey Puzzle Trees.  Here you see a little one and one that is obviously much older.

There was quite a lot of activity along the paths in the garden, as the locals come out to enjoy the tranquility.  One man approached me and began to ask me what had happened to a particular plant that usually grew in one of the gardens.  Of course, there'd be no way I would be privy to that information!

Soon, I realized that I needed to move on from the trees and songbirds and make my way back to the Royal Mile where I had set up a meeting point with Marty.  The girl at the desk showed me a much quicker route back to the Old town.  It involved a lot of uphill hiking, but it was worth it when I arrived at my destination much quicker than I had anticipated.

We toured "The Real Mary King's Close" which took us under the streets of Edinburgh and showed us what life would have been in the 16th and 17th centuries in Edinburgh.  The tour was quite enlightening, and the guide was very entertaining.  Marty and I were one of the few English speaking people on the tour, so we could appreciate the obvious humor that was directed at us.

After the tour, we popped into the National Library of Scotland just to take a peek.  Then, we headed to the same restaurant where I had lunched yesterday. The waiter was kind enough to give us the seat next to the window.  Marty and I enjoyed a fabulous meal while watching a beautiful sunset over Edinburgh.  Certainly a memory not soon forgotten.

We've Only Just Begun...

I forgot to mention, that every morning in the hotel restaurant, we find ourselves immersed in music from the early 70's:  Karen Carpenter,  Neil Sedaka, some Johnny Cash. The same music repeated every day.  The experience is so predictable that we can take bets on what's coming next.  Personally, I find it pretty amusing and am amazed that I remember nearly all of the words to every song that we hear.  Marty, on the other hand, doesn't seem to favor the same musical tastes as I do and if it weren't for the scrumptious porridge that he knew awaited his arrival, he'd probably insist that we grab something quick and get away from the music.

So for now, Marty is subjected to watching me bop my head to the music, often singing along, while he enjoys his porridge.  Hey, it could be a LOT worse!

Breakfast was even more exciting today when our waiter  surprised us with a big bowl of fruit, including grapefruits, bananas, grapes and strawberries, along with a scrumptious tray of some Scottish cheese, one resembling a Stilton and the other similar to a Brie.  Yummy!

Today's adventure involved taking the train into Edinburgh.   We picked this hotel because it was within walking distance of the Kirkcaldy Station.  I was surprised to find it was only a block away.  So, I headed out, and with the help of some locals, I managed to get off at Waverly Station in Edinburgh.  I found myself at the opposite point of my intended destination, and so began my day of walking.

The weather was fabulous.  A bit nippy, but not a cloud in the bright blue sky. It was the perfect day for walking around, and I took advantage of that and decided to walk up Calton Hill, something we missed on our August trip.  Before climbing the steps to the top, I popped my  head into the Old Calton Cemetery Grounds and spotted Abraham Lincoln.  I was intrigued by his presence in Edinburgh and soon found out that he stands upon a memorial to the Scottish Soldiers that fought for the Union during the Civil War.

Leaving the cemetery I headed towards the long set of steps that lead to the top of Calton Hill. Looking up, it's hard to miss what appears to be Greek columns at the very top of the hill. This is actually the National Monument and it was erected to honor the men who died during the Napoleonic wars.  It was never completed due to lack of funding.

With the weather being so accommodating, I could really enjoy the sights on the hill and those from the hill as well.  

The monuments look striking with the bright blue background

                                   

 and the sky was clear enough to see for many miles.

                                       

My next item on the agenda was to walk to the Royal Botanical Gardens. Although the day would have been perfect to stroll through that park, I decided to forego that adventure since I  had read that the Greyfriars church was a must see, and in the winter it is only open one day a week, on Thursday,  from 1:30 to 3:30. Since this would be my one opportunity to visit this venue, and since it is on the opposite side of  the town, I decided to head in that direction.  My plan was to visit the church then head to the National Museum and possibly have lunch in the cafe.

Much to my surprise, I made it to my intended destination with over half an hour to spare.  So, I walked up and down the street looking for somewhere that looked good to have a bite to eat, and I actually ended up in a restaurant that had no name on the outside. The host was quite welcoming and I immediately felt comfortable with stopping here for a bite to eat.

The man led me to a table that was next to a party of five, and I wondered why he squeezed me in so close when there were so many other tables open.  He had me sit on a cushy sofa and pushed the table in front of me.  I took a look at my surroundings, and when I looked to the left,  I realized just why he had given me that seat.

Can you believe the view !  There is no way from the street that one could predict that this little restaurant was situated in such a way that one could admire the castle on the hill.  How fabulous!

And, the food was excellent, too!

After enjoying every bite and relaxing for a few minutes, I headed out, around the corner, to the Greyfriar's church only to find it closed. I questioned a workman on the grounds, since the sign distinctly showed the same hours that I had expected, and very soon the proprietor came out to tell me that the church would only be open for services since there were renovations being completed during the winter.  He suggested that I come back next Thursday at 1:00 for the service, and then I could admire the interior.  Forget that idea!

Luckily, the National Museum is literally across the street.  With the admittance being free, one would find it hard to come up with an excuse not to explore this vast expanse of historical items.  In fact, I was a bit overwhelmed by the enormity of it all. The museum takes up a full block in one building.  One could wander around for days, I'm certain of that!

I decided to stay in the Scottish history section, although I did find myself among hanging sea animals at one point.  Must have wandered off the Scottish Trail!  I attempted to make some sort of rationale out of the order of items.  I began to wonder if the displays were set up similar to the driving.  Since Scots drive on the opposite side of the road than we do, does one read library artifacts from right to left instead of vica versa?  I decided that it didn't really make much difference. It just didn't seem to follow a timeline.  One minute I was looking at a replica of Mary Queen of Scot's coffin, and just behind my shoulder was a door frame from Kirkcaldy with the year 1756 emblazed in gold on the top.  If you know your history, it's obvious that the two events are not related.  I only managed to get through three floors of Scottish history, which encompasses less than a quarter of this place.  I may put it on one of my rainy day lists as a possibility.  That will depend on how my feet hold out!

The plan was to meet Marty at the Balmoral Hotel at 6:30 p.m. The museum closed at 5:00 but by 4:45 I felt it was time to head out.  My intent was to stroll slowly and try to bide some time on the way.  The destination was quite a distance from the museum, and I figured that I'd use up a lot of time walking.

Despite stopping along the way to take photos of the Castle at Dusk,

and popping into some stores to do some window shopping, I arrived at the Balmoral at 5:20p.m.
My slow-walking idea was foiled when I soon realized that when one strolls along in this town, one is approached by a variety of people wanting you to have a bite at their restaurant, see their show, buy their garments, etc.  I couldn't be bothered dealing with this harassment and decided that it was best to ask for mercy from the Balmoral and see if there was some place where I could "hang out" until Marty arrived for dinner.

In a nutshell, the Balmoral is a "fancy schmancy" place to visit.  The Maitre d' is dressed in a tuxedo, and had a thick french accent.  Our waiter had one as well, but I honestly think it was fake.

In any event, the staff set me up at the Palm Court tea room where I enjoyed a delightful pot of Earl grey tea, with, much to my surprise, arrived with three of their delectable, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies.  Really, could you ask for more?  

Well, it appears that Marty could: