Melrose Abbey

So in my post about Refreshers' Weekend I mentioned that on Sunday we visited the ruins of a twelfth century abbey.  It was flurrying a bit while we were there an pretty cold, which seemed perfectly gloomy and atmospheric for wandering around the ruins.  The site was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks, and the abbey was built in different sections between its founding and the sixteenth century.  The Cistercian monks who lived there were a silent order, and were very involved in local production and sheep farming.  The town of Melrose grew up around the abbey during the years, and was a target of many attacks during wartime from the 13-1500s.  It ceased to function as a monastery in 1590, and was afterwards used as a community church.

 Due to the many attacks on the place, very little of the original structure still stands.  Most of the site is full of foundations from earlier parts of the buildings that were destroyed.

 Melrose Abbey also holds a graveyard and various memorial plaques on the walls throughout the structure.  I was really excited because a lot of the writing is in Latin-I had an easier time deciphering that than I did the bits in Scots!  One of the most famous supporters of the Abbey was Robert the Bruce, who was king from 1306-1329.  He's a legendary hero in Scottish history, and led the Scots during the War of Scottish Independance.  Before his death, Robert requested that his heart be removed from his body when he was dead and taken on crusade (which he had failed to do during his lifetime) and then buried in Melrose Abbey (his body is buried elsewhere).

 His wished were carried out, and the embalmed heart of Robert the Bruce is now interred at the abbey.  It was excavated during restoration work in the 1990s, and reburied with this commemorative stone.  It says A noble hart may have nane ease  Gif freedom failye.

 The construction of the abbey is really beautiful, and a lot of the intricate work around the windows and inside alcoves is still in pretty good shape.

At the corners of each window arch were faces, and each one was making a different expression:

 Throughout the ruins of the other wings of the complex were little signs about life as a monk and what each part of the building would have been used for.  I listened to an audio guide provided by Historic Scotland, which preserves the abbey, which was really interesting.  This section of foundation was for the abbey kitchen--my favorite room!

 One of the sixteenth century buildings has been converted into a museum about the place, so we explored in there as well.  This sign was on the fence as we went inside:

 I thought it was funny, because it's not often one needs to be warned about medieval culverts.  It was an actual warning though-the culverts weren't roped off or anything.

one of the culverts

In the museum I learned that before the abbey was built, the area had been the site of a Roman military fort from when Britain was part of the Roman Empire.  During excavations many artifacts from the Roman era of the place have been discovered, and we got to see a few of them, like these stones.

 The fort was under the control of Governor Agricola, which I was really excited to find out.  When I took Latin we used the Cambridge Latin Course, which uses a soap-opera-esque series of stories to teach vocabulary and grammar.  In the later textbooks, the main character goes to Britain and Agricola is featured in the story, as is his successful conquering of Scotland.  Naturally, this had to be explained to everyone I was with because otherwise the jumping up and down I was doing looked a little nuts.

a plan of the Roman fort

the workings of a sixteenth century abbey clock

The museum was interesting, and the ruins as a whole were really beautiful.  It was a nice break for my calves from all the dancing, too!  We never did find the gargoyle that's supposed to be shaped like a pig, though...
I'll leave you with an excerpt from The Lay of the Last Minstrel, written by Walter Scott:
f thou would'st view fair Melrose aright, 
Go visit it by the pale moonlight; 
For the gay beams of lightsome day 
Gild, but to flout, the ruins grey. 
Where the broken arches are black in night, 
And each shafted oriel glimmers white; 
When the cold light's uncertain shower 
Streams on the ruin'd central tower; 
When buttress and buttress, alternately, 
Seem fram'd of ebon and ivory; 
When silver edges the imagery, 
And the scrolls that teach thee to live and die;
When distant Tweed is heard to rave 
And the owlet to hoot o'er the dead man's grave 
Then go—but go alone the while—
Then view St. David's ruin'd pile;
And, home returning, soothly swear, 
Was never scene so sad and fair! 

The Sequel

In October I went along on New Scotland's "Fresher's Weekend" retreat and had a blast.  It was so much fun that some of my friends/the committee members decided it would be a good idea to do it again in second semester.  This time we went to Melrose, another historic Scottish town, and again I got very little sleep...but it was such a blast!  We spent Friday night and all day/night Saturday dancing, then went back to the hostel for a jam session with whatever flutes/accordions/guitars were around and singing.  I was really amazed to realize how far I've come as a dancer since October-at the first weekend I could barely get through "Mairi's Wedding" (one of my favorite dances now) and this time I could do the whole thing without it being called and didn't mess up once!  I don't have a ton to say about the weekend, except that it was a great couple of days away with a bunch of other crazy dance kids.  Pictures!

sculpting the fondant

 The theme for the weekend was Harry Potter, and it was also one of the girls' birthday.  I was asked to make a surprise birthday cake for her in the theme for Friday night.  I decided to do a Hogwarts crest, and I was really pleased with the way it turned out!

the Hufflepuff badger

 The cake was red velvet with cream cheese frosting, covered in fondant.  All of the house mascots were also sculpted out of fondant, which was a lot of fun to do!

the Gryffindor lion

the finished cake

Sanne really liked it, and it was a lot of fun to present during the dance.  I was really proud of myself--and I got to eat red velvet cake, which I love and you can't really get in Scotland.

During the day on Saturday were classes, some normal Scottish dance classes and workshops by society members who also do other dance forms.  I took Cuban Salsa and Lindy Hop, and taught a vintage dance class! I was really excited and nervous, but a ton of people came and they seemed to have a great time.  I taught 1860s waltz and used the time to talk about some of the issues that I see on the dance floor a lot, both at home and at ceilidhs here: leading well and steering.  I hope the lesson sticks!  Being crashed into walls is no fun.
On Saturday night there was a "fancy dress" (aka costume) dance, which shamefully I didn't put much effort into.  I went as a Slytherin, and wore a basic schoolgirl-looking thing.  I have a bunch of HP costumes, but they're all in the States. sigh. oh, well.  Some people got really into it, and the costumes were pretty cool even if they weren't very elaborate:

two of my friends as the golden snitch and Fleur Delacour

another friend as Professor Umbridge (he stayed in character all night too, which was hilarious)

 Today (Sunday) we went to Melrose Abbey, the ruins of a twelfth century abbey which was also the site of a Roman fort under governor Agricola.

 It was really cold (it was also snowing a bit), but the abbey and grounds were beautiful.  It was fun to walk around with my friends and explore the site and the museum that's also on the grounds.

 I want to write a post solely on the abbey, so I'll have more to say about it and more pictures of the structure later.  Afterwards, we went to the only place open in town (Melrose is very small-there was one line of shops and that was the whole town center)--a tea shop down the street from the abbey.  We spent the rest of the afternoon having tea and cake and chatting, as usual :)  I'm exhausted, but it was well worth it.  Yay dancing!

My First Ball at Which There is More Than One Accordion in the Band

Last night I went to the New Scotland Annual Dance, which was my first big formal event.  It was really daunting at first, because none of the dances were really taught on the floor the way I'm used to-instead, they would be called through once slowly enough that it could be walked quickly by the top couple, and then recapped.  The figures also weren't called during the dancing.
I made it through just fine, though!  I messed up, but everybody in the set worked together to make it through.  Here's a video of Yan Tan Tethera, one of the dances on the program:



While it was definitely a little stressful to learn dances on the fly that way, it was also really cool to get through them without a caller.  It was especially fun knowing that it would have been similarly done at 19th century balls, even though we do it rarely at vintage dance events.

"Every park has its beauty and its prospects; and Elizabeth saw much to be pleased with" ~Pride and Prejudice

This weekend I went home with my flatmate, and her family took me around Sheffield and the nearby countryside in Derbyshire so I could see some of England.  It rained the entire time I was there (which itself seemed very English), but I had a lot of fun!  It was a nice trip before heading into the really serious business of academics I will be immersed in for the next nine weeks while I have classes.
I loved the area, because it was exactly what I imagine when I read Jane Austen novels-which makes sense, as several key parts of Pride and Prejudice take place in Derbyshire.  The patchwork of fields and stone walls also reminds me of what I think home would have looked like in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries to a certain extent-that plus all of the historical places really felt like stepping back in time.

 The first place we visited was the village of Eyam, which is known as the "Plague Village."  In 1665 the bubonic plague arrived in Eyam via a roll of cloth that had been shipped from London.  The fabric was damp, so it was hung before the fire to dry--which revived the plague-infected fleas inside and released them into the air.
In order to prevent the spread of the disease, the town quarantined itself.  Boundaries were decided on each side of the village, and no one from inside was allowed to go beyond those boundaries, and no one from outside was allowed to enter them.

The plague tore through Eyam for fourteen months and claimed the lives of at least 260 villagers.  Some of the original cottages still survive today, and are still private residences. Many of the other seventeenth century buildings also still exist, including the church.  The Eyam church now has a small exhibit about the plague and other parts of the village's history.  The church itself was originally a Norman church, and some of the original pieces can still be seen from the inside.  There is also an eighth century cross in the churchyard, which is a famous Eyam image.

I thought the village was really interesting, especially because there are a lot of village traditions that still carry on today.  One was the annual sheep roast, the "revolving roasting jack" for which was proudly displayed on a green towards the center of town.  I was visiting off season, so most of the museums were closed, but the buildings themselves were really neat because of the stone work, and the stained glass windows in the church were lovely.

Next we went to the Chatsworth Estate, which is home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and two villages.  We stopped in the farm store to poke around and pick up a few treats, most of which were grown/made locally.  There was a huge assortment of meats-everything from wild board to pheasant and pigeon!  There was also an entire counter for savory pies, which is probably my favorite English food...yum!

The current Chatsworth House was built at the turn of the eighteenth century, after the original structure burned down.  It has recently appeared in The Duchess, a movie about one of the house's most famous residents: Georgiana Cavendish, first wife of the 5th Duke of Devonshire.  (for those not as interested in the history: Princess Diana was one of her descendants.)

The Duchess herself, 1787

Georgiana Cavendish lived a fairly scandalous life: her best friend was also her husband's mistress, and all three lived together.  Georgiana had her own affair as well, and was friends with another controversial figure-Marie Antoinette.  More importantly, Georgiana actively campaigned for the Whig party at a time when women were rarely involved openly in politics and published a novel in 1776 called The Sylph.

Chatsworth is still inhabited by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, but the gardens, grounds, and a few of the rooms are open to public view.  We were there off season, so the house wasn't open and the gardens were dead, but the grounds were neat and the house was beautiful from the outside.

the stable from the outside and the main entrance

The stables have been converted into many little shops, which were fun to poke around in.  We also saw Queen Mary's Bower, a structure on the grounds that was originally surrounded by water and used for fishing and viewing the house.  Mary, Queen of Scots was held in the pre-fire Chatsworth during her imprisonment, and legend said that she used to take walks on the confined upper platform.  While that's probably not true, the name stuck.  There were also lots of sheep :)

at the top of the bower

On the way back, we stopped in one of the little towns on the estate to have lunch at the Devonshire Arms (a local pub).

The sign sported what I think was the Cavendish crest, or at least the crest for the estate.  The banner says "Cavendo Tutus" which means "Safe by being cautious."  (Disclaimer: I just looked that up...it's been three years since I took latin!)

It was a lovely day, despite the rainy weather.  It certainly felt like stepping into a Jane Austen novel, which is about as much as I can ask from my holidays.

A Weekend in the Country

(can you name that musical?)

I'm off to Sheffield, England for the weekend.  I'm staying at my flatmate's house and we're going to see one of the big estates near her.  She lives right in the middle of a bunch of them, and also near where Pride and Prejudice takes place! Wish I had my Regency clothes with me!

This weekend was orientation for the new international students, and I was recruited to work as a tour guide...some things never change!  My friend Sean was also guiding with me, and I got him to take a few pictures of me in my red hoodie/uniform.  We're standing in front of Bedlam, the only completely student-run theatre in the UK (by U of Edinburgh students, obviously).  It's called Bedlam because it's right near the sight of the old Asylum.

I'm pretty sure I was the only one excited about the asylum stuff...oh, well.  Sean and I had fun, and they fed us lunch.  I'm working at the nursery tomorrow, but I'll finish my Hogmanay posts and share pictures from this weekend when I get back.  Happy Friday!

Hogmanay

Edinburgh is known for the city's New Year celebrations, four days of events and parties called Hogmanay.  I wanted to be here to celebrate, so I cam back from my cousins' house in time to join in the festivities.  The first day of Hogmanay was the Torchlight Procession: a parade of mostly tourists carrying giant torches through the city center and up Calton Hill.  At the top was a bonfire of viking ships (I'm not totally sure why), food, music, and fireworks.

Then entire thing took about two hours, and according to the announcements on the PA system throughout the route there were about 20,000 participants.  I haven't heard that many American accents in one place since the airport! I know, way to be a tourist...but yay! FIRE!

gathering outside St Giles Cathedral-these are two of my friends from school at home who are both studying abroad as well (one here in the Scottish Parliament and one at Oxford)

the start of the parade on the Mile

A small child with a furry hat and a big fiery stick.  Good parenting, sir.

the parade wound down a hill to Princes Street-this is from midway down, and we were towards the front of the parade

these awfully smart pipers passed us near the Omni Center.  Their bagpipes are tricked out with Christmas lights.

the fireworks were above some ruins, and choreographed(?)  to "Fire with Fire" by the Scissor Sisters

And not that anyone needs to see more fireworks, but I thought they were cool so watch them anyways:

Exploring Rotterdam

My cousins live about 30 minutes from the city of Rotterdam.  Lynn and I both love art museums, so we were able to take a trip to Rotterdam to poke around.  The collection at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen was incredible-but the art around the city was a great modern addition to the museum!

outside the museum

quick PSA:  I don't have any pictures from inside the museum, because like many museums the Boijmans Van Beuningen requests that no pictures be taken inside the collection.  This is because modern cameras can damage and destroy the artifacts and paintings on display.  Also, pictures taken in museums can be a security risk. You can read more about the specifics here, and general museum etiquette here.
Ok, enough ranting.  I've worked in the museum industry for eight years, and it drives me nuts when I see people blatantly ignoring rules.

The museum had an amazing collection, spanning from renaissance art all the way to modern works.  My favorite sections were the Impressionists--which had works by some artists I already love (including Monet and Degas) and some I was unfamiliar with (like Alfred Sisley)--and the Surrealists.

La maison du pêcheur, Varengeville, 1882 by Claude Monet

Orchard in Spring, by Alfred Sisley

  I discovered I really enjoyed the sculptures by Salvador Dali-I hadn't known he worked in other mediums besides painting!
Here was one I really liked:

Lobster Telephone 1938, by Salvador Dali

There was also a lot to see outside the museum.  Walking to the central shopping area of Rotterdam there was a lot of great street art.  Here are some of my favorites:

on the side of a building.  it says "We're all freaks Be Superman!"

outside the Museum Boijmans

in an alley to a parking lot

There were also a few flower shops, with tulip bulbs even though it was winter!

 In the main shopping area there was a kiosk selling all different type of fries (or chips, as they're called here) with different sauces.  Lynn wanted to introduce me to "pindu sauce," which is a peanut sauce.  It was actually really yummy, and perfect for a cold day!

Ok, time to get back to healthy food.  Good thing art goes with everything!