beingthebrowns

This past Tuesday Katie and I had the chance to attend the 2008 Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Yes, I know what you are thinking—tattoos are permanent ink that you get on selected parts of one’s body. Indeed, this is the definition with which most of us North Americans associate the word. However, a “tattoo” can also be “an evening drum or bugle signal recalling soldiers to their quarters” or, as in our case last week, “an entertainment consisting of music, marching, and the performance of displays and exercises by military personnel.”

The annual Edinburgh Military Tattoo is one of the main events of the Edinburgh International Festival and takes place adjacent to the Edinburgh castle. Sidenote: each August, the Edinburgh International Festival, which is coincided by the Fringe Festival, brings hundreds of artists, actors, drama troupes, comedians and the like to Edinburgh for a month of intense live art and entertainment. Every year literally hundreds of thousands of people attend the various gigs of the festival. Any attempt to reach a destination in a timely manner during August in Edinburgh is both overly optimistic and futile.

Back to the story. A couple of weeks ago we managed to find a travel agency selling some of their spare tickets (thank you Brandon and Cheryl…and Charlie), and so we decided to jump on the chance to go to the Tattoo since they sell out nine or ten months in advance. We also were privileged to attend with our good friends Dave and Lisa Sarnowski.

The actual event was great. There were several military bands, most of which were excellent and entertaining to watch—even though it absolutely poured on us for about an hour straight! (What else would one expect during the “summer” in the UK?) I think our favourites were any of the bands with bagpipes, which Dave and I decided when played in number in a military battle could instill fear into the heart of anyone. Here is a clip of the opening song:

The Norwegian group was also incredible (vikings on ski/rollerblades with torches!). There was also an American collegiate band there, the Golden Eagles Marching Band from Southeast Missouri State University. Here they are:

Here is another clip:

And some fireworks above the castle:

All in all we had a great time and were quite happy to take in one of the main events of the festival. Should you like to see more, check out the pics in the album below.

I’ve been back in Edinburgh for almost two weeks now, and the month I spent in Paris already seems like a fleeting memory. So before I begin to forget the details of my Parisian stay, here are a few reflective thoughts from my overall experience (and some more pics too).

Highlights from my trip include the following: visiting the Sacré-Cœur; eating baguettes almost every day for lunch (my preferred boulangerie was called, somewhat amusingly, “Snack Time”); visiting the Musée d’Orsay, which I enjoyed more than the Musée du Louvre since the latter is far too gargantuan; falling in love with a painting in the Musée d’Orsay entitled “Les Disciples Pierre et Jean courant au sépulcre le matin de la Résurrection,” which can be seen by clicking here; getting to see an amazing fireworks show at the Eiffel Tower on Bastille Day (see videos here and here); riding the metro to a new part of the city and then exploring it without any real objective; taking in a night at a subterranean jazz club (video here); getting to spend four days with Katie in such a fantastic city; having wine and cheese with Katie and Greg in the late hours of a warm summer night beneath the Eiffel Tower; watching a thunderstorm from atop the Arc de Triomphe; getting to see the final day of the Tour de France (click here and here); frequenting several of the copious amounts of open-air markets throughout Paris; and eating crêpes.

My favorite parts of the city: anywhere along the Seine between Pont de la Concorde and Pont de Sully, the sketching streets of Montmartre, Jardin du Luxembourg, and the Parc du Champs de Mars at the base of the Eiffel Tower.

Least favorite memories: hauling my luggage in the hot, stuffy weather from the airport to my hotel the first night, and then doing it all over again the next day when I moved into my apartment which was conveniently located on the 6th floor of a building without an elevator, and the unfortunate €1500 plumbing fiasco that essentially took away one of the few days Katie and I had together in Paris.

The French: they may be a tad snobby at times but my goodness do they appreciate good food.

The French language: not the easiest on the ears in my opinion. The key to pronouncing French, though, is to speak in a more nasally manner and to not pronounce the last two or three letters of every word.

Best foods: baguettes, plain croissants, crêpes, and the espresso at La Caféthèque de Paris.

Favorite arrondissement (“district”) of Paris: probably the fourth. It is a bit chic and though I am neither Jewish nor gay—the fourth being the main area in Paris for both of these groups—but it’s one of the more modern parts of the city and thus exhibits a unique blend of the old feel of Paris and the more progressive Parisian lifestyle. It also contains Notre Dame and the two islands in the middle of the Seine, the Île de la Cité and the Île Saint-Louis.

Lastly, here are four photo albums of pics of Paris. Some of them I have already posted but others I have not. Enjoy.

Paris week 1

Paris week 2

Paris week 3

Paris week 4

Who knew that a post about haggis would generate so many questions and feelings of repulsion? Apparently an explanation of what exactly haggis is and how it is made is in order. 

Basically, haggis is a traditional Scottish meat dish which is made by stuffing a sheep or cow stomach with offal (the entrails and internal organs of an animal used as food), oatmeal, and an assortment of spices, and then boiling the dish until it is thoroughly cooked. (Nowadays one can even purchase haggis at the grocery store where it is sold in a synthetic “stomach” rather than an actual one from an animal.) It may sound a bit unpalatable or even grotesque, but given that hardly anyone makes haggis from scratch in their own kitchen, one does not have to see or handle the not-so-fun ingredients of the dish. At any rate, the end result is a meat dish not too unlike meatloaf in texture but with a much better taste to it. Typically one either really enjoys it or is too overwhelmed by the process to fully enjoy haggis. Katie and I both love it.

On Burns Night, an annual Scottish holiday celebrating Scotland’s beloved poet, Robert Burns, haggis is served along with “tatties” (mashed potatoes) and “neeps” (turnip or swede) as Burns’ famous ode to haggis is recited. 

Be forewarned: if you ever come to visit us, you will be required to taste and experience haggis for yourself.

Each year at the Centre for Sport and Exercise (my work), the director gives each staff member a ‘Gesture of Thanks’ gift for all the hard work we’ve done throughout the year. We get a choice of a few different gifts, including gift vouchers or alcohol. I didn’t have to think twice about my gift. I went for the EIGHT bottles of wine! It’s fun to now have a wee stock of red wine in our cupboard. Hopefully it will last at least a little while

On a separate note, I am happy to announce that I made haggis for the very first time! It was Derek’s first night back from Paris and I wanted to make him a Scottish meal as a ‘welcome home’ dinner. I decided to make haggis, neeps & tatties! It sure was good and I think I will have to make this more often! We have truly come to love haggis since moving here.

And on a sad note, today officially marks the ONE YEAR anniversary of us leaving Vancouver. Though it has been a year, we still miss it very much. The memories and relationships that were made during our 3 years in Canada will always be a part of us.