wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

Edinburgh (pronounced "Edinbro"). 

Edinburgh Castle was built on the remains of an extinct volcano. Originally Din Eidyn (the stronghold of Eidyn) became Edinburgh.

A view from the castle walls of Scotland's capital city and there are no skyscrapers to be seen. Edinburgh is a very walkable city, flat and hilly, with so much history on the wall plaques, fountains, monuments, clocks, and statues. Scotland's history is old and ancient compared to the "youthful" United States' history.

A favorite statue in Edinburgh, Greyfriars Bobby. John Gray joined the Edinburgh Police Force as a night watchman in 1850. To keep him company through the winter nights John took a partner, a diminutive Skye Terrier, called Bobby. Together they became a familiar sight on the cobbled streets of the city. The years on the streets appear to have taken their toll on John, as he was treated by the Police Surgeon for tuberculosis. John eventually died of the disease on the 15th February 1858 and was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard. Bobby soon touched the hearts of the local residents when he refused to leave his master’s grave, even in the worst weather conditions. The kind people of Edinburgh took good care of Bobby, but still he remained loyal to his master. For fourteen years the dead man’s faithful dog kept constant watch and guard over the grave until his own death in 1872.

Bobby’s headstone reads “Greyfriars Bobby – died 14th January 1872 – aged 16 years – Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all”.

Tourists believe it is good luck to rub Bobby's nose but the City Council and locals prefer people to avoid touching it as it causes special cleaning and damage to the statue.

Day trip to St. Andrew's. 

Lobster creels looking out to the old pier.

Walking along the old pier to its end and back was a bit unnerving. There are no hand rails to keep people from falling off. If this were in the US, there would be some sort of safety barrier. And to think that there's a tradition where the freshmen at St. Andrew's University wear their red gowns and walk along the pier and harbor walls to mark the beginning of the academic year and foster a sense of community.

The remains of St Andrews Cathedral, which was Scotland’s largest cathedral and most magnificent church, show how impressive it used to be. These ruins are from the 12th century.

The Old Course at St. Andrew's. We were there on Sunday and the course was open for the public to walk on it. It was a humbling experience to step on the turf of one of the golf world's mecca. I don't play golf but this was cool. See the building on the right, the one with the bleachers in front of it? Last year someone bought an apartment there for $10 million with the expectation of having a personal viewing spot of the golfers playing the 18th hole. Welp...that plan didn't work.

Catching the train from St. Andrews to Edinburgh at Leuchars Station. A faint crescent moon was rising over the village. Sunset and moonrise. What a peaceful sight.