Month: February 2013

Walking around the city of Edinburgh on Sunday February 24th, the streets were bustling with tension and excitement as Scottish and Irish rugby fans intermingled on the way to the much anticipated 6 Nations Rugby match. Everywhere you looked, fans decked in green or blue waited in line for buses and poured into pubs to get a good seat for the rivalry that was about to take place. Why was there so much excitement and what exactly is a 6 Nations Rugby match, you ask? Continue reading and learn for yourself as we take you along on our journey to Murrayfield Stadium where we watched two nations collide.

When we got off the bus at Murrayfield Stadium, the scene was one that let you know immediately this was going to be an exciting day of rugby watching, people watching, and most importantly, eating great stadium food (the burgers and curly fries were a hit!). Murrayfield Stadium, originally built in 1925 and most recently renovated in 1994, holds 67,130 fans and hosts all international rugby matches as well as football games and concerts. The name Murrayfield Stadium, which it was given due to area in which it stands, is well known to rugby fans and the people of Edinburgh alike. As we climbed the stairs to our seats in the upper deck, we noticed the interesting design of the outer edge of the stadium as well as the fact that the stadium was full to capacity.

While neither of us are huge rugby fans and know little about the sport, we had heard talk around the city that this match between Scotland and Ireland was one that always drew a rowdy crowd of loyal supporters. One of the reasons this match in particular was so popular was the fact that it was a part of the 6 Nations Rugby tournament. What nations make up this 6 Nations Rugby tournament, you say? The nations involved are Scotland, Ireland, England, Wales, Italy, and France. Annually, the countries face off in different match ups with a winner at the end of the tournament. Each country gets the opportunity to play every other country, with the advantage of playing on their home field switching every other year. How lucky we are to have been here for Scotland’s turn at playing at Murrayfield Stadium! Every year, a Championship Trophy is given to the team who successfully beats the most number of teams from the five other countries based on a points system. Currently Wales holds the trophy for winning the 2012 6 Nations tournament. Another interesting point is a different form of victory called the Triple Crown Trophy. Only Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales are allowed to participate in this special competition. A country is awarded the Triple Crown Trophy if they are able to defeat all three of the other countries in the matches they play. Wales also currently holds the Triple Crown Trophy from defeating Scotland, Ireland, and England in 2012 (wow, they must have been eating their Wheaties!).

One other well-known award given is the Centenary Quaich, the trophy given annually to the winner of the Scotland v. Ireland match.  While the blue and green teams have squared off in over 120 matches, this particular trophy has only been awarded since 1989. Good news for us, our temporary home, Scotland, has beat Ireland on more occasions, including this past Sunday in the 6 Nations tournament! Picture this, you are sitting in a stadium that much resembles a globe with its blue and green fans. Scotland has proudly sung their national anthem and Ireland has answered with their nation’s song. A small amount of points have been scored, and when they are, Ireland keeps the lead for some time (this was expected as Ireland was picked to win the match). Much to our surprise and to the surprise of our fellow fans present that day, Scotland made a come back that kept even us rugby amateurs on the edge of our seats.

It is safe to say that winning this match and joining in with fellow Scots as they jumped, cheered, and clapped, has been one of our proudest Scottish moments thus far! While it is always great when the unexpected team comes back for a win, it is even better when the team represents a country that has grown to mean so much to all of us. In true Scottish fashion, we also enjoyed heading out to a crowded pub after the match to celebrate the win. Now that you have been on the journey to victory with us, join in and cheer, Let’s Hear it for Scotland!

Remember to keep up with the blog for more adventures. We can’t wait to take you along on our next journey!

Essence and Arynn

So, here we go! I’m not much of a travel writer (I won’t speak for my co-author, the esteemed Matthew Morris, though), but let me see what I can say! We had quite the adventure through centuries of history this weekend, travelling to the Northern reaches of the Ancient Roman Empire and then to a place that has seen king and queens crowned, and several of their heads put on display (though not quite in the way you might expect!).

On Saturday, the 16th of February, we all boarded a charter bus bright and early, bound for the castle of Stirling! Stirling Castle is one of the most famous and most important castles in Scottish history. A few posts earlier, Allie, Katie, and Morgan wrote about our good friend William Wallace, as portrayed by Mel Gibson. One of his most famous victories came here, at the Battle of Stirling Bridge (I have that link starting right at the inspirational speech part, for your convenience!). The depiction in the film is interestingly devoid of a bridge, but that’s Hollywood! The earliest surviving parts of the castle were constructed under the rule of Robert II and Robert III of the Stewart line. One of the most fascinating parts of the castle was that head collection mentioned earlier. No, no, this isn’t a grisly version of Madame Tussaud’s! A series of wood carvings presenting the heads of royal family members, figures from Greek mythology, and the Worthies, are preserved in a gallery in Stirling Castle.

Stirling switched hands between the English and the Scottish forces multiple times throughout the various Wars of Independence, most notably returning to Scottish control in 1314 after a siege by Edward Bruce, brother of the famous King of Scots, Robert the Bruce. One of the darker moments in the castle’s history came in 1452, when William, the 8th Earl of Douglas, was assassinated! It is believed that King James II and his collaborators defenestrated Sir William because he refused to extricate himself from an unfavorable alliance. Lots more of the castle’s history, such as details of Mary Queen of Scots childhood there, can be found on this timeline!

We all had a blast exploring the castles many buildings, from the great hall to the chapel! There was even a dress up room which, while maybe not tailored to college size people, we took full advantage of to get into the royal spirit! But that wasn’t all we did on our Saturday adventure, as mentioned previously, we traveled back to the time of Ancient Rome.

After visiting the Falkirk Wheel (a massive simplification of the lock system of canals, wherein a boat is literally lifted up in a bathtub full of water to a higher canal in order continue), we set out on a miniature hike towards the Antonine Wall. This was a stretch of wall and accompanying fortifications that ran parallel to Hadrian’s wall, but further north. The majority of these forts were constructed around 140 A.D, and regrettably all that we are left with is the geographic evidence of the settlements: trenches, ditches, and defensive holes. However, the site near Falkirk yielded large amounts of  small archaeological artifacts when it was excavated in the mid-1900’s, and has since been returned to the state it was found in, to remain historical ground upon which we were fortunate to have had the chance to walk.

Unfortunately, the day we visited Stirling and the Roman fort was cloudy and dreary (It seems like that’s always how trips of that nature go). As chance would have it, the day after our Stirling adventure was absolutely gorgeous. A small group of us decided to take advantage of the weather a walk over to visit Holyrood park. Holyrood Park offers one of the best views of the city from the top of Arthur’s peak. The 5 square mile park has been considered a Royal Park since the 11th Century and is right beside the royal residence of Edinburgh, the Palace of Holyroodhouse.  Trent had already visited the park, but because of poor weather and a broken arm, I (Matthew) had yet to visit.

If you ever find yourself in Scotland, I must insist you take time to visit the park. The tall yellow and green grass rolls on for what seems like forever. As your eyes move forward past hill after hill of various shades of green grass you eventually find yourself staring into the sky. While on most days in Edinburgh this would consist of gray and fog, this past Sunday the sky was a wash of ocean blue. White wispy clouds danced low in the skyline as the sun began to fall behind. It was one of the most beautiful and serene spots in the city. Living in the middle of tall buildings and historical architectural masterpieces, it is really easy to forget just how beautiful nature can be.

For our film this week, we watched Trainspotting. One of Danny Boyle’s most culturally relevant films, based on Scotsman Irvine Welsh’s novel of the same name, the film explores urban poverty and drug culture in 1980’s Edinburgh. Revealing a darker side of the cultural wellspring we have been exploring in Edinburgh, Trainspotting still makes great use of the scenery available in the city, notably a chase scene down Victoria and Princes Street during which we all exclaimed “Look! Princes Street!” Interestingly, one of the most challenging questions we’ve wrestled with in our study of Scottish media and culture is that of colonization, union, and independence. The protagonist Mark Renton, as portrayed by Ewan McGregor, has a breaking moment wherein he exclaims how awful it is to be Scottish, and how they “couldn’t even find a decent culture to be colonized by.” This moment contrasts vividly with all other Scottish cinema we’ve viewed so far, which is marked by a distinct sense of pride and honor in Scottish culture. The Happy Lands, a film about the 1926 General Strike of Scottish labor unions, was shown at the Glasgow Film Festival this weekend, which a few of us accompanied some other international students to. It returned strongly to the sense of solidarity and community that dominates images of national Scotland in the media. Glasgow was a whirl in celebration of cinema, with scale models of the infamous Daleks from Doctor Who being rolled down streets amongst the performers out and about!

On February 4 we all left the cultural capital of Scotland, Edinburgh, and arrived in the industrial center of Glasgow. The immediate difference between the two is the lack of topographical landmarks on the scale of Castle Rock and Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh. This would make it quite difficult to navigate the city if we lived here, but luckily we only had to walk 100 yards to the subway station to make our way across the city.

Our first stop in Glasgow was the Sunny Govan Radio Station, in the village of Govan. Govan is a largely working-class district of Glasgow previously known for its shipbuilding industry. However, few ships are actually built there today, and the area has suffered due the reduction of industry and a bad housing market.

After visiting the prison, we very quickly visited a local wood working shop and hoped on the subway back to the city center so we could see St. Mungo’s Cathedral and the Necropolis. We were very unfortunate that we arrived right as the Cathedral was closing, but the guard allowed us a few minutes inside to appreciate the true scale of the building. As you approach the Cathedral, it is not an imposing building, but it is built into a hillside so as you walk around it, it becomes an impressive feat of engineering.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we began the tour of the Necropolis, it began to rain, but we pushed on and learned a great deal about who was buried there and how the Necropolis helps shed light on society in Glasgow during its use. One example of this is how the Jewish community of Glasgow, who had cash in hand, was allowed to purchase a plot on the Necropolis at a time when Jews across Europe were persecuted. This suggests that capitalism may have been the dominant philosophy among Glasgow’s citizens. As we continued up the hill, the rain turned to sleet, and we found ourselves huddled together against a brick wall to escape the conditions. Another tortured hour later we were back in the warmth and after dinner we took a very sleepy train ride back to Edinburgh.

-Michael and Stuart