Studying abroad in Nottingham, England for a year, junior Joseph Schifsky
wires to you LIVE his latest cultural and historical experiences as well as his
deepest thoughts and feelings.

Monday, 21 March 2011

Weekend in Edinburgh

The sun has been out in full force recently... by English standards. That means it must be spring.

What have I been doing as the winter's welcome wears away? In the longest gap between posts in recent memory? Very little. But you can rest assured I have been enjoying myself. I won't bore you with the slothful details, but will instead focus on the more exciting ones, for example, a very recent trip to Edinburgh with my pal Ben Gardner.

I was very fortunate to spend two nights at a flat care of the lovely Lisa Diviney, a fellow Luther student and hospitable host, as well as her five lovely flatmates. Our first day Ben and I had only a cursory look throughout the city. The second day was far more comprehensive.

Our day began with a visit to the local Grassmarket, right at the foot of Edinburgh castle:


I didn't buy anything at the market, except for one fantastic hog roast, but not before a minute-long back-and-forth with the local Scottish merchant:

"Yeah, I'll get one on dark bread."

"Youwantsoomstoofinonthaht?"

"What?"

Regardless, it was incredibly delicious.

It also proved to be invaluable to my energy for that day, as a hike was in the very near future. It's not that much of a climb, as climbs go, but Ben and I hiked up Arthur's Seat, to the highest point in sight and got to see some lovely views of the Scottish city. Here are some pics of the journey up:

Ben resting on a warning sign, with unintentional hilarity.

The Wikipedia page on Arthur's Seat said it is "quite easy" to climb. Thus the first time I edit a Wikipedia page.

Victorious.

Shot from a conveniently-placed monument

The rest of the day was spent visiting a local museum and looking around town. It was a nice, relaxing stroll. The night, however, was something else entirely. One of our hostesses was holding a birthday celebration party, and we, as temporary inhabitants, were a part. It was also Disney-themed.

L to R: Little John and Robin Hood (I couldn't find tights somehow)

There may be no live-action Disney Robin Hoods, but the costumes were a success. The girls of the flat dressed up as dwarves, and the birthday girl as their Snow White. It was a great time. Thanks go out to them.

Now I'm back in Nottingham, doing work and not spending money anymore. I've already been planning my Spring Break, which will involve a ten-day trip throughout Ireland and a few weeks scrambling to finish up three finals. 'til next time!

2 comments:

  1. I like your blog Joseph, AKA Victorious Climber; No Tight Wearing Robin Hood. Enjoy your Spring break and I look forward to reading all about it.
    Mom

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  2. Great post, Joseph, but why did you not include any photos of your hosts?

    Dad

    ReplyDelete