St. Andrew's day - Edinburgh Castle

 In St. Andrew's day, Edinburgh Castle entry is free!

Around Edinburgh

Scottish cows (but not the famous Heeland Coos) 

Nunraw (Sancta Maria Abbey)

Wine reception

Something I really love about Scotland: all academic events hosted by the different study groups in the University finish in a wine reception!

The main reason why I like it is that if there is an academic event, there should also be a moment to discuss ideas in a more informal setting. These ideas may or may not be related to the topic of the event. Sometimes it may merely be a time to relax and get together. All in all, these wine events make the academic community a real community, not just a theory...

Oh yes, and I also like the wine!

Robbed in Edinburgh!

I've just been robbed in broad day light in Edinburgh! In a hairdresser...
So, story goes like this. I wake up in the morning, my hair is way too long so I decide to cut it. I look for a hairdresser in my area in my snap fax. Now, for those who don't know, snap fax is a discount card for a lot of different shops in Edinburgh. So, snap fax tells me that in a hairdresser very close to my place where I'll have a 50% discount, so I call, I book and I go.
Things started to go wrong as soon as I got in because the person cutting my hair was going to be a woman. Now, I'm not sexist, and believe in equal opportunities for all and all that, but I had never had a woman cutting my hair before. That's ok, I thought, it would be a nice morning adventure.
Second trouble, she insists in shampooing my hair. Now, I had had my hair shampooed this morning by the person who does it better: me. I said it but she insisted and I'm not the kind of person to create problems, right? So my hair got the second shampooing of the morning.
The third and real problem, however, came in the end. I went to pay and she told me it was £15.25. I think to myself "dear mother of God! thank God I have the snap fax!" So, I showed her the snap fax, smile and say: "but I have the snap fax with 50% discount, as I said on the phone..."
- Yes, yes... - the woman tells me - £15,25 is already with the discount!
I had heard this price on the phone but the guy I had talked to had a very strong Scottish accent so I assumed that was the price without the discount! Who on earth is the male idiot who pays £30.5 for a haircut!!! The idiotness of paying this price is that hairdressers start assuming that to cut the hair to a man is the same as to cut to a woman. And, once again, I'm all in favour of equal opportunities and all, but a man cuts the hair to have it shorter whereas a woman cuts it to have it pretty. It's the same reasoning of paying more for a painting than for a fixed pipe.
I'm going to be in a bad mood the rest of the day, being robbed like this in the morning!

The Brits and EU

I really admire the British attitude towards the EU! Now, mind you, that what I admire is not exactly the Euro-scepticism, is more that British think about European problems. And, even better, when trying to come up with answers they regard EU with an extremely pragmatic view: they see the EU as a mean to favour UK and not as an end in itself.
Today Nick Clegg is in the Parliament answering questions posed by some more Euro-sceptic members of the governmental coalition parties. It is true that some of the suggestions of the Euro-sceptics of these Islands are quite absurd. To start with they tend to want all the benefits of a single market without its obligations considering that us, the other Europeans, would be more than willing to concede that. Also, they don't realize that a single market needs single market rules, otherwise in matters of environment, labour or tax, there will be a race to the bottom by the member states to make their products and services competitive.
But if some of the suggestions are absurd, others are quite obvious. Why are EU organs increasing their expenditure when many member states are facing budget cuts? This is a specially relevant question for the Euro-zone, given proposals to give Brussels budget supervisory powers over member states. Are the extremely detailed regulations really necessary to achieve a single market? Is the principle of subsidiarity to be forgotten? This question is an obvious one in a country that prides itself of its Democratic institutions and regards the growing interference of Brussels as weakening the power of Westminster.
To sum this up, the British do what few people in the "Continent" do: they discuss the EU, its objectives, policies, strengths, weaknesses, etc.. As in most discussions, there are a few bad ideas... But at least there are ideas.

Union Canal

When I studied History in high-school, I learned that the construction of canals gave a major boost to the early industrialization of the United Kingdom. This allowed an easier movement of coal and industrial products in Britain. This also allowed for raw materials from the colonies and else where to reach the industries. Until the introduction and expansion of railways, canals were the main way to achieve all this.

When I was cycling around Edinburgh this Saturday, I found one of these historical canals, the Union Canal. I obviously decided to explore it. After all, not only big cathedrals and castles played an important part of British history, right?

But the Union Canal is more than just part of History, it's very much part of the life of the city. I could see lots of people cycling like me along the canal, families going for a stroll, rowing teams (all feminine!) practicing in its waters, etc..

I read that this canal runs for 50kms until Falkirk and started wondering how long would that take in my faithful but old bicycle...

Blackford Hill (Thanks mom!)

Two weeks ago, while I was visiting Rosslyn Chapel, my camera stopped working. One minute I was taking a picture the minute later I couldn't turn it on for more than 10 seconds! Sad! Specially considering that Edinburgh, the entire Scotland actually, has so many great places to photograph.

Last week I went home for a few days and, having heard of this, my mother decided to give me a new camera. Today, in Blackford Hill, I realized the camera could take panoramic pictures and was having fun experimenting this. This is the result that I leave here with the proper thanks to the best mother of all, mine!

Lunch Concert

It's not common to have a concert during lunch time. At least it's not common for me, as I had never had such experience before this Tuesday at the Reid Concert Hall of the University of Edinburgh. I went to a very good performance by the Edinburgh String Quartet playing F. J. Haydn and Frank Bridge. The name of the event was, in fact, Lunchtime concert and that's how long it lasted: a lunchtime.
As such, I left the office and one sandwich and one concert later I was back at the same time as I usually had been. Very practical and a very good investment of a lunchtime. Certainly something to be repeated. (And specially in such good company)

I know, the photo is crap! But I wanted to be discreet and do it quickly 

while they were speaking and not during the concert.

Catherine, the Great, of Russia

Did you know that Catherine, the Great, of Russia wasn't baptized or grew up as Catherine? Or that she was not from Russia?
Well, if you didn't know that, I have bad and good news for you. The bad ones is that you're really ignorant! The woman ruled one of the biggest countries of her time (and ours) and you didn't know such simple facts?! The good ones is that until recently I also didn't know these simple facts but now I'm kind of an expert in her life. I enjoyed this great cultural leap forward just because I went to the exhibition about her life in the National Museum of Scotland.
Now, as my Roman ancestors used to say: ad augusta per angusta! I became an expert on the Great Catherine from being a poor wretched ignorant in only one afternoon but it cost me P7,5. And that's with a student discount! But it's worth it!
I was going to write more about the exhibition but now I need to go to Saint Petesburgh to a conference in which I'm going to talk about Catherine the Great. Now that I'm a world renown scholar... And all thanks to the National Museum of Scotland.

Old College

Old College is one of the many buildings of the University of Edinburgh and, as its name indicates, the oldest one. It's a Classical style building designed by Architect Playfair, from whom the beautiful library of the building takes its name. It's a very elegantly styled library but it's not in use anymore. Nowadays is used for ceremonies and events. Now that I think about it, it wouldn't be a bad place for a graduation ball...
It houses the School of Law, an art gallery - the Talbot Rice gallery - and other services of the University. People say that until recently this central patio was a car park, which, useful as it might have been, was a pitty! Apparently when I arrived in Edinburgh they had just finished renovations and that's the way it should be: everything ready to receive me in style!
Located between the National Museum of Scotland and South Street Street, it really is worth a visit.