A. L. Kaplan

Tag: Edinburgh

  • My Trip to Scotland: Part 10—Edinburgh

    My Trip to Scotland: Part 10—Edinburgh

    We ended our trip back in Edinburgh. (My Trip to Scotland: Part 1)

    Dinner in Edinburgh Castle.

    Then the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. It was a spectacular show.

    The Nelson Monument, on the left below, is a commemorative tower in honor of Vice admiral Horatio Nelson who died in the Napoleonic wars in 1805. The Scott Monument, in the center below, is for Scottish author Sir Walter Scott. This Victorian Gothic creation is the second-largest monument to a writer in the world. On the right below is another view of the castle. If you look closely, you can see the stadium they erected for the Tattoo.

    On our last day, we went to the Edinburgh Art Museum. I majored in art and have enough credits for an art history minor, yet as I walked around the galleries, I didn’t recognize any of the Scottish artists.

    I think I need to have a “chat” with my undergrad and graduate schools.

    Dinner that night was delicious.

    It was a fantastic trip. I hope you enjoyed my posts.

  • My Trip to Scotland: Part 1

    My Trip to Scotland: Part 1

    This past August I had the pleasure of traveling to Scotland. The trip idea emerged when Glasgow won the bid for the 2024 World Science Fiction Convention. Well, the con was great, but only a small part of my trip.

    My husband and I arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland in late morning on August 1st. After an overnight flight, we were exhausted, but didn’t want to waste any time.

    What better way to start the trip than with a hearty lunch. We shared a meat pie that was divine and a bowl of Cullen skink, which is a thick creamy soup made with smoked haddock, potatoes, and onions. Yum!

    This is an old city, full of beautiful stone buildings and history, like the Writers Museum.

    Then we walked our little feet off from New Town to Old Town and up the Royal Mile to Edinburgh castle.

    Castle Rock, where Edinburgh castle sits, is was formed by a volcano several hundred million years ago. The castle itself was originally build in 1103 AD.

    Spotted this narrow pathway and had to take a picture.

    And a sculpture of Sherlock Holmes in honor of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

    The Fringe festival had just started, so we grabbed a pint and headed off to one of the many shows. The problem with a city on steep hills is that a building’s front door and back door aren’t on the same level.  It took a bit of navigating to wind our way to the venue we wanted, but made it on time.

    Stay tuned for more of my adventure in Scotland!

    While your waiting, pick up a book.

    MARK OF THE GODDESS

    Sometimes a blessing can be a curse.

    Young Maya bears the mark of the moon goddess, a sign that would doom her to be sacrificed in her village where the death god is revered. Forced to dye her golden eyes dark, Maya lives in constant fear of discovery. To save her family and the village’s future, she must find the courage to stand up to the high priest before he can bring the death god into this world.