Squirrel chasing

To make up for the lack of running about on green grass this morning, we all headed to the botanics this afternoon. In summer they don't close till seven o'clock which is lovely. Jack showed S his skills in the squirrel chasing department. Lucky they are so tame because Jack still needs to work on his stealth instead of squealing and flapping his arms. At one stage the squirrel stood up on its hind legs, fluffed out its tail and gave Jack a bit of a stare. It seemed to do the trick (temporarily) because jack took a step back. then he remembered who was the biggest mammal and the chase started all over again.

More Culture....

Today Jack and I really earned our dose of culture. We walked (well I walked he sat and watched the world go by) to the Scottish National Gallery Of Modern Art and the Dean Gallery which are luckily just across the road from each other. Lucky because it took me over an hour to walk there (on an unusually balmy day) and I wouldn't have fancied another hike (though we did have to get back to our apartment).
I'd read that there were big grounds so I thought that would be splendid for Jack to run around but part was devoted to this big sculpture made out of lawn and water which was very nice but also probably too tempting for Jack(puddles..big puddles). He explored the paths, benches and some sculptures but seemed more interested in the lights and a tractor lawn mower thing (from a safe distance).
I had gone to these galleries in search of some works by the Scottish colourists or more specifically Samuel Peploe. I had read about Peploe in you guessed it, 44 Scotland Street when Pat starts work in a gallery and thinks she has discovered a previously undiscovered Peploe, which is then referred to as a Peploe?. With the help of a guard I manged to find a corridor full of works by Peploe and the other colourists, Fergusson and Cadell. I was pleased to find the Peploe but didn't like them as much as Fergusson's paintings. The guard assured me that the Peploe's grow on you but he would say that standing in that corridor for hours at a time.
I think they looked similar to a Margaret Preston work from the same period (that's hers on the right).
The galleries here are so impressive. As well as very detailed labels next to the works, they have folders with this information in large type and they also have a relevant book hanging around just waiting to be read. And most of the staff are very helpful and friendly in spite of the scratchy tartan pants.
Unfortunately the main rooms downstairs were being rehung so I missed seeing some works (possibly Damien Hurst's sheep and a Hockney) but I did see some prints by an artist called Ian Hamilton Finlay that were very nautically naughty and clever.
Finishing at that gallery we headed across the road to the Dean Gallery, taking care to cross at the crossing as the guard had told us. This is the Dean gallery and I know it looks the same but I promise it is an entirely different place. It has lots of dadaist and surrealist works and Jack found these disturbing and frankly who can blame him. So we had a quick looksee but decided to head off. Duchamp is not really my thing. All those moulded labias made out of dental plastic...ugh.
I headed back in the right direction then made a wrong turn or three and ended up somewhere unexpected. This happened a couple of times until Jack fell asleep and I decided to have some Dim Sum (yum cha). I've never had dim sum alone before. I guess if I was to be really honest I'd say that it would be fantastic because I wouldn't have to share my favourite dumplings (har gau and slippy sloppy noodles which I now know are called Cheung Fun). But I think the good thing about going to yum cha with other people, besides the company because Jack was certainly letting the team down conversationally, is that you have to share so you can try more things. I limited myself to the Har Gau (prawn dumplings), char sieu cheung fun (BBQ pork rice noodles) and the Wor tip or as they are known potsticker dumplings. And a pot of Jasmine tea.
Replete from my dumpling feast, I had the strength to make the trip back and this time I made sure I was heading in the right direction.

portrait gallery

I've made a list of things that I want to do in Edinburgh so I don't leave and then realise I forgot to do something. And I love a list-there's something so satisfying about crossing things off (but then I am a capricorn).
Today we went to the portrait gallery (tick). There were lots of portraits of the Jameses (it's hard to keep track of them all) and Mary, Queen of Scots, of course and other historical figures. The more modern portraits were to be honest, more interesting. I liked the collage of Stephen Hendry (a very, very good snooker player) and also found a painting called 'the oncologists' by Ken Currie, very striking (and unsettling).A big attraction of the portrait gallery is the building itself which has a very interesting hall with murals and one of the smallest lifts I have ever been in.Tomorrow we may go to the Modern Art Gallery which apparently has lots of gardens for Jack to run in. Something for eveyone.

Our little star....

Jack's really been very good and coped with this travelling lark pretty well. Even this week, he's had a runny nose but still soldiered on. Actually it seems most kids here have runny noses. It maybe something to do with the weather.
Today was very summery (about twenty degrees) but it's raining at the moment. I didn't see anyone taking off their shirt (phew). The weather doesn't bother me but S keeps on saying, "this is summer?"
The thing that does take some getting used to is it being light from about four in the morning till about eleven at night. We have to hang a throw over the curtains to block out the light because otherwise Jack wakes up at half past four and is ready to party! Now he waits till half past five.

OINK!!!!

I was telling Dad the other day that when Jack and I went on the bus tour, that in between the squirming and screaming and before the sleeping, that Jack spotted a pig on a mural and let out a huge oink. I think the other people were horrified or puzzled but I had to giggle. I mean the pig was quite hard to spot. Can you spot the pig?

HRH Cabbage again

Darn that woman! I think she's following me. Yesterday we went to the Palace of the Holy Rood to have a look but couldn't because HRH Cabbage is there. Not sure how many of the others were there but did you know that Chaz turns 60 this year?
The Palace is on the other side of a big hill called Calton Hill. I was going to walk towards the Castle then down the Royal Mile but decided at the last minute to walk down Leith street and around Calton Hill meaning that I could also visit Valvona & Crolla. This is the deli that is (of course) mentioned in 44 Scotland Street where Bertie goes with his insufferable mother and is sometimes allowed to eat pan forte. It is a sensational deli. It has that smell, that amazing smell that all good delis have that is a mixture of salamis and bread and coffee and seriously good things to eat. I bought a bombolini (doesn't that sound better than a doughnut?) and also a loaf of caraway seed sourdough which is seriously good, Jack likes gnawing on the crust. It was very nice but the staff had a kind of vibe that indicated that I shouldn't mention 'that book', Bertie or Irene.
After V & C we headed up Royal Terrace which eventually leads to the palace. I saw a path going up over the hill and decided we should take the shortcut. It was steep and there were lots of steps. I did see one person coming the other way but he didn't offer to help and I think he was hoping I wouldn't ask. He looked knackered which made me worry about what lay ahead, but it was fine. The view was spectacular looking back over Edinburgh to the Firth of Forth. There were some monuments on the top but we charged onwards stopping only for a man to address Jack as "Hey Toots!".
I had been told that if the Queen was in the flag would be raised and spotted this on the way down but decided to go ahead anyway. I certainly wasn't going back the way we came. We walked past what is called Mary, Queen of Scots bathhouse, where she apparently went twice a year for her bathing. S thinks that at least she would've smelt better than James 1.
We saw lots of police doing security checks and making sure all the manhole covers were secured and sticking little black pieces of rubber on them so they could see if they'd been tampered with. We still managed to see the palace from the outside and take a few photos. The palace is located on a most unusually named street. The Queen's gallery was still open so we saw an exhibition of Italian Renaissance works by Da Vinci, Titian, Rafael. You get the idea. Beautiful. Some of the works were a funny shape because for awhile there was a fashion for cutting the corners off artworks (sounds like something my Auntie Jenny would do, though as far as I know she only did it too wettexes and cat whiskers). There was also a work that had started as circular and a collector had trimmed bits and added them in other places to make it square. The gallery itself was also very striking with an 'Yves Klein' blue wall at the entrance with an enormous bunch of white lilies. Across the road from the palace is the new Scottish Parliament, a structure that has caused a fair amount of controversy, being expensive and quite 'unusual. Actually I think it looks like a Hyatt. Also close by are the Salisbury Crags, which people were climbing. I guess they hadn't heard the stories about being blown off the side. And alongside this is Arthur's seat. More people were climbing it. They must be mad. I was thinking how awful it would be to see someone fall and just as I was taking a photo of people rock climbing (see? mad) I saw a large dark object falling. It was just a rock slide but for a moment my heart jumped and I may have sworn.
After a run in the park we headed back home via the Royal mile and Scotland street.

Sandy news

In the back of my mind, tucked away in a quiet little corner, was a thought, a thought that if questioned I wouldn't readily admit to and that is the thought that one day as I strolled around Edinburgh that I may well bump into Sandy and say hi (no mum I am not a stalker). And of course I'd probably say something pithy prompting a giggle from the great man.
However upon reading his website http://www.alexandermccallsmith.co.uk I discovered that he is currently in Botswana working on the No. 1Ladies Opera House project so the people of Gaborone have a place to sing and even stage an opera or two.
The other news I found out was that there is a new 44 Scotland Street novel coming out very soon, called The Unbearable Lightness of Scones and . I was surprised because there is nothing in the bookshops here about it and I would've thought that it would be big news. In fact the reaction to Sandy's name is pretty lukewarm. Apparently the problem is that Sandy writes too much and here was I thinking that was a good thing. I know the No 1 Ladies series was only meant to have about six or seven books and that number has now been changed to eleven but I could understand how it would be hard to part company with Precious and Mr JLB MatekoniMma Makutsi. I think there's a bit of this feeling about Ian Rankin too, maybe it's a case of 'tall thistle syndrome' (hahaha).
I think the book may not be out until mid july so I'll just have to wait. It wouldn't fit in my bag anyway.