Edinburgh by foot
Digital Camera? Witchcraft! Owning as I do a 30-year-old decidedly analogue contraption and no scanner, I shall have to attempt to paint a picture with words. No great hardship I know, so stick with me
A long time ago I could knit but never progressed beyond grade two ("Servicable scarf level.") However a few moments of conversation with me will be enough to see my dislike of buses. Perhaps it's that back home, there are no buses, or perhaps it's that Edinburgh's buses are peopled by the strange, infirm and disposessed and rarely go where you actually want to, unless you have a burning desire to visit Princes Street again.
The upshot of this is that I walk everywhere, and because I have always done so I take for granted that the Old Town of Edinburgh is fantastic for ambulation. To start with, my flat is just a narrow staircase away from Holyrood Park, and from up on the Crags which adjoin said grassy area the monstous Parliament building actually looks rather good, and crucially, like it belongs. I shall see what a google image search turns up...
nothing. oh well, trust me. The roof is grassed and it carries on the lines set out in fromt with the earthworks in graceful contrast to the blocky, concrete frontage which all to often gets wet, leaving dark stains all over it.
But to the rest of Edinburgh. For those of you who don't know it, imagine a pack of spaghetti from your local shop. imagine it arranged in a criss-cross fashion and you have the grid layout of the streets in the New Town. Now cook this pasta and throw it across the room. the wiggly wheat-based waste now staining your rug is the layout of the Old Town, with streets twisting and turning and changing their names like Dickensian urchins. As a pedestrian, this is much more fun.
I do go on a bit, so I shall post the remainder of this in a few days, I feel.
A long time ago I could knit but never progressed beyond grade two ("Servicable scarf level.") However a few moments of conversation with me will be enough to see my dislike of buses. Perhaps it's that back home, there are no buses, or perhaps it's that Edinburgh's buses are peopled by the strange, infirm and disposessed and rarely go where you actually want to, unless you have a burning desire to visit Princes Street again.
The upshot of this is that I walk everywhere, and because I have always done so I take for granted that the Old Town of Edinburgh is fantastic for ambulation. To start with, my flat is just a narrow staircase away from Holyrood Park, and from up on the Crags which adjoin said grassy area the monstous Parliament building actually looks rather good, and crucially, like it belongs. I shall see what a google image search turns up...
nothing. oh well, trust me. The roof is grassed and it carries on the lines set out in fromt with the earthworks in graceful contrast to the blocky, concrete frontage which all to often gets wet, leaving dark stains all over it.
But to the rest of Edinburgh. For those of you who don't know it, imagine a pack of spaghetti from your local shop. imagine it arranged in a criss-cross fashion and you have the grid layout of the streets in the New Town. Now cook this pasta and throw it across the room. the wiggly wheat-based waste now staining your rug is the layout of the Old Town, with streets twisting and turning and changing their names like Dickensian urchins. As a pedestrian, this is much more fun.
I do go on a bit, so I shall post the remainder of this in a few days, I feel.
posted by Sagremor the Foolish at 1:45 PM
7 Comments:
If you'd had a digital camera we'd never have enjoyed that lovely pasta image ...
but you might like to check out Edinburgh Daily Photo where Ewan's pal Grant is doing great stuff.
That would have been great fun to create. Throwing pasta all over your kitchen - I might have to do this to keep me from setting alight.
Speaking of buses - I hate them! I never use them. We are fortunate enough to have a subway in Glasgow and even if it does smell of dried urine, there is less chance of meeting any severe nutters. Although, there was this one time a large male decided to prod me with a pen. It was very strange. I think he had problems...
I used to get the 11 and 4 bus when I spent summers in Edinburgh. So the next time you are on one of those, give it a smile on me!
I'm writing a mini novel here - I must stop... ah!
Ah you city-livers! I left all of that behind when I moved down here. Only one straight road - Bullwood road - between me and Dunoon - bliss!
However did hear on the radio one morning that road works were causing problems on the Bullwood Road and that diversions were in place! Wow!
Don - that's nuts!
Mr Finger (don't think that sounds right) - do I have to become bossy again? Or have exams taken over your life so much that blogging has become an effort?! he he
i'll post part two very soon, but two exams, turning twenty and breaking up with my girlfriend are all getting in the way
Incidentally addressing me as 'Sagremor' will do fine, 'Mr Finger' makes me sound a little like a creepy cartoon for children
Best of luck with the exams and the break-up. And... Happy Birthday for whenever it was! :-)
Return soon...
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