It's a week of birthdays in the Rivera house and we are so sad to be missing them this year.
Dad, you are one heck of a hard worker and we hope you are taking this day off to enjoy your birthday. Come out and visit as soon as you can. We miss you and wish we could spend the day with you, playing poker and rummy (and letting you win), eating cake, and keeping you up past your bedtime. We love you.
The Botanical Gardens were one of my favorite places in St. Louis, so I was thrilled to discovery the Royal Botanic Garden here in Edinburgh as well. Despite the fact that Joe and I stumbled, quite accidentally, upon the gardens during our first few days in Edinburgh, we did not make it back to have a proper visit until yesterday. The gardens are just a short walk from our flat, so I'm sure we'll make it back again!
The RBG has quite an impressive history: it was originally founded in 1670, moving to it's present location in 1820. With 70 acres of space, the RBG has numerous different gardens and houses. We didn't make it through everything, but did enjoy the parts we saw.
Buds popping out amongst the snow!
A floral scuupture
In addition to the gardens, the main visitor's center houses several exhibitions. Currently, one of the exhibits is the Wych Elm Project, which was really spectacular. Apparently a large Wych Elm tree grew in the gardens until 2003 when it was infected by Dutch Elm disease and subsequently cut down. Rather than chipping and mulching this beloved tree, the RBG invited 25 Scottish artists to create various pieces using the wood, bark, and twigs of this tree. One display now are thepieces they created.
A beautifully carved chair
Beveled bowl
We didn't get pictures of everything, but there were some really cool pieces. One was an awesome yurt There was a bow and arrows, a fishing rod, a bookshelf, a "collector's chair," a mirror, various bowls, and tables. Among my favorites, were several sets of shoes actually made from paper (made from the tree) with twigs and cut wood for the buckles and accents. Another favorite was a harp (see picture below). It is on a pedestal and will soon be placed, outside, in a Wych Elm pavilion, where the wind can play the instrument.
Harp
Sadly, there are not pictures of each item on the web, but you can learn more about the project here. We are definitely looking forward to more visits to the gardens to see it's beauty in the different seasons.
Last week, while the East Coast of the US was slammed with a blizzard and large accumulations of snow, Edinburgh had their own snowy treat. From what we hear, snow in Edinburgh is pretty rare and the little bit of snow that does fall down in this part of the world very rarely sticks. But, this year, things were a little different: Edinburgh woke up to 4 inches of heavy, white snow on Wednesday morning (23 December)--just in time for a real White Christmas!
Edinburgh is a beautiful city, any time of the year. But it was especially picturesque in the snow. Despite the accumulation, I opted to walk to (and from) work on Wednesday to enjoy the fresh blanket of snow. It was gorgeous and the unexpected, and unusual, experience of snow seemed to put people in an especially jovial mood--one man commented how it was like walking on mashed potatoes, another woman (after recognizing my American accent) talked about how the snow must remind me of home, and nearly every person I passed had their camera out.
The Water of Leith Walkway, just before sunrise
Just before sunset
New College
Edinburgh Castle
Just a few meters from our flat
Flower vendor in the middle of the city
Balmoral Hotel
City Centre
We aren't putting much hope in any more snowy days here, but it sure was nice to see Edinburgh covered in snow, at least once!
Today isn't just Christmas....it's also someone special birthday.
Ariana is Joe's niece and she is a great little girl! Smart as a whip and can beat anyone in a game of Mancala! She loves sports, books, the Wii, and (of course) her really hip European Aunt and Uncle. And, we love her too.
Today is the birthday of someone very special: Grandpa Ford.
The first time I heard about Grandpa Ford was just after I had met Joe. We were talking and Joe mentioned his Grandpa and that he is one of Joe's most favorite people. I didn't meet Grandpa for myself until several months later and it didn't take more than a minute to understand why. He's a great man and we enjoy being around him.
One of the things I love most about Christmas is Christmas music. Now, I am not a big fan of those 24/7 Christmas stations that start playing non-stop Christmas music beginning in October. But, as Christmas gets closer, I do appreciate a steady stream of Christmas carols at home and in the shops. Usually, my favorites are the Christmas classics, sung by some of the legendary greats: Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and so on.
So, in this day before Christmas, I thought I would share some of my most favorite Christmas songs with you. My all time favorite song is "O Holy Night." This may have something to do with an old Hallmark Christmas commercial (that I may have had on a VHS tape at one point in my life and that may have brought me to tears every time I saw it), but that's really another story. I also really love the song "I'll be home for Christmas" which is especially pertinent this year and another one that makes me tear up (why do Christmas songs make me cry?). Then of course, there's White Christmas and The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Oh, and then there's Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and The Christmas Song and....oh so many others.
Recently, I discovered this gem:
Diverging a bit from my usual genre, I do have 2 other veryspecial favorite Christmas songs.
This one, which I stumbled upon at work one year and it quickly became an annual tradition in our office. My boss, and mentor, particularly enjoyed it.
BUT, the most special Christmas song ever (to me), is this one, which my sister wrote in honor of Joe's first Christmas with family. It was when we were dating and was going to meet my family for the first time (a week with my family in Colorado for Christmas--he was very brave!). She sent this song along to us (and the rest of the family) to, um, welcome him.
Joe's Song
On the first day of Christmas, my sister said to me, Bringing home the doc of theology.
On the second day of Christmas, my sister said to me, What am I -- flippin' craaaaaaaa-zy?
On the third day of Christmas, my sister said to me, Do you know exactly who makes up the Schmitt family?
On the fourth day of Christmas, my sister said to me, Three engineers, two atheists, and one divorce lawyer-to-be.
On the fifth day of Christmas, my sister said to me, Two giant hounds, and a theatrical actress in training.
On the sixth day of Christmas, my sister said to me, Oh, it's ok. The doc won't mind. He's already dating me.
On the seventh day of Christmas, my sister said to me, By the end of this holiday, do you really think that will any longer be?
On the eighth day of Christmas, my sister said to me, Remember there's mom and dad, Vic and Ron--- you three, oh, and then there's me.
On the ninth day of Christmas, my sister said to me, That's ok, he's forgiving, he's the doc of theology.
On the tenth day of Christmas, my sister said to me, I guess I'll find out if he REALLY loves me.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my sister said to me, If Ron and Mark took you and Vic, then surely Joe can handle this too.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my sister said to me, Oh well, that's it, it's Christmas with the Schmitt family.
Isn't is amazing obvious why, even after this introduction warm welcome, he still wanted to be a part of my family?
And now I'd like to know, what is your favorite Christmas song?
In early December some friends of ours hosted us and some other couples to share one of their special holiday traditions: making Gingerbread Houses. Leah made homemade gingerbread and even had templates for those who aren't as crafty! She had a slew of candy available for decorating the houses and people brought some other candies to add to the mix.
Joe and I decided to forgo the traditional house and make a gingerbread present or gift. Which, in all honesty, really just looks like a flat roofed house. But, take a look and see if you can tell where we were going with it!
The Turchin's house was the sturdiest, by far. Sean used quite the system of interior supports. Nothing would knock this house down! I also really liked the roof on their house.
Leah, Sean, and Aletheia.
The Manor's took the prize for most creative and most complicated: a gingerbread version of New College complete with Christmas tree in front.
Rebecca and Scotty
The Arbo's house was very well decorated and was reminiscent of the gingerbread house in Hansel and Gretel.
Ashli (and Matt)
We brought our house/gift home, but sadly it did not make it long before all the candy "mysteriously" disappeared....
Awhile back, I mentioned that there is a German Market here in Edinburgh. German Markets are apparently a big part of the Christmas season in German speaking sections of the world. It's a pretty ancient tradition, with the earliest markets dating back to the 1300's. One market, the Dresden, was first opened in 1434 and still runs today, attracting 1.5 to 2 million people each Christmas.
A big part of Edinburgh's Christmas is the annual German Market. This has definitely been one of my favorites. Set up right in the middle of the City Centre, amongst the art museums is a great German village. There's delicious German food, yummy German treats, lots of German beer, and beautiful German gifts. It seems quite authentic and we've enjoyed more than one meal and afternoon strolling around taking it in.
An outdoor German pub. Here you can get German beers and lagers. Or, if you want to be a bit more adventurous, you can try the mulled beer.
Home-Baked Treats! Yum.
If you've never had Nutella....you are missing out.
German meats, cheeses, and breads
The first meal we had there were amazing brats, with sauerkraut and mustard and warm, soft pretzels.
The best soft pretzels
The next time, we tried a different vendor and I can't remember what this was called. We didn't like the sandwich as much, but the potatoes and fried pickles were delicious!!
Fried pickles and potatoes. So good.
German chocolates and Christmas loaves
German candy shop! Backerei (Bakery): Strudel, Waffles, and other delectables
Gluhwein: Mulled Wine. The traditional drink of a German Market
There is evidently a drink called Feuerzangenbowle in German. It's a mulled wine finished with flaming rum. It is made by soaking a large lump of sugar in rum, the setting it on fire and letting it melt and caramelize, while dripping into the mulled wine. We didn't try it, but will have to at some point before our time in Edinburgh ends. Well, Joe will have to. I'll just drink a sip of his.
Feurerzangenbowie or Fire Punch
After you've had your fill of such good food, you can make your way around to visit the various craft vendors.
Wood crafter
There was a vendor that had a host of small German village houses and shops. They were so bright and colorful. I really loved them.
Another vendor sold German Candle Pyramids. These may have been my favorite. They reminded me of a Swedish Angel Chime we used to have when I was a kid. It was always one of my favorite Christmas decorations.
There was also someone selling Nesting Dolls. I've always known these as Matryoshka Dolls, which are Russian. There must be some equivalent name for the German variety. I love these too. My grandmother once brought me a Matryoshka Doll from her travels to Russia and seeing these reminded me of her. The German Market has definitely been one of my favorite parts of Edinburgh so far. I just really love it. German markets are evidently happening all over the world and are quite a big part of Christmas in some places. There are even a few happening in the States. Check out this list and if there is one near you, I would definitely suggest making the trip.
A newly-wed couple adjusting to life abroad. He's a theologian-in-training, she's a clinical social worker. He's spontaneous and laid-back, she's planned and organized. He's a thinker, she's a talker. Together, they have a lot of laughs and a lot of adventure. This blog documents it all (well, maybe not all)....
The Botanical Gardens were one of my favorite places in St. Louis, so I was thrilled to discovery the Royal Botanic Garden here in Edinburgh as well. Despite the fact that Joe and I stumbled, quite accidentally, upon the gardens during our first few days in Edinburgh, we did not make it back to have a proper visit until yesterday. The gardens are just a short walk from our flat, so I'm sure we'll make it back again!
In addition to the gardens, the main visitor's center houses several exhibitions. Currently, one of the exhibits is the Wych Elm Project, which was really spectacular. Apparently a large Wych Elm tree grew in the gardens until 2003 when it was infected by Dutch Elm disease and subsequently cut down. Rather than chipping and mulching this beloved tree, the RBG invited 25 Scottish artists to create various pieces using the wood, bark, and twigs of this tree. One display now are thepieces they created.
We didn't get pictures of everything, but there were some really cool pieces. One was an awesome yurt There was a bow and arrows, a fishing rod, a bookshelf, a "collector's chair," a mirror, various bowls, and tables. Among my favorites, were several sets of shoes actually made from paper (made from the tree) with twigs and cut wood for the buckles and accents. Another favorite was a harp (see picture below). It is on a pedestal and will soon be placed, outside, in a Wych Elm pavilion, where the wind can play the instrument.
Last week, while the East Coast of the US was slammed with a blizzard and large accumulations of snow, Edinburgh had their own snowy treat. From what we hear, snow in Edinburgh is pretty rare and the little bit of snow that does fall down in this part of the world very rarely sticks. But, this year, things were a little different: Edinburgh woke up to 4 inches of heavy, white snow on Wednesday morning (23 December)--just in time for a real White Christmas!
Edinburgh is a beautiful city, any time of the year. But it was especially picturesque in the snow. Despite the accumulation, I opted to walk to (and from) work on Wednesday to enjoy the fresh blanket of snow. It was gorgeous and the unexpected, and unusual, experience of snow seemed to put people in an especially jovial mood--one man commented how it was like walking on mashed potatoes, another woman (after recognizing my American accent) talked about how the snow must remind me of home, and nearly every person I passed had their camera out.
We love you and miss you, Grandpa!
Joe and I decided to forgo the traditional house and make a gingerbread present or gift. Which, in all honesty, really just looks like a flat roofed house. But, take a look and see if you can tell where we were going with it!
German meats, cheeses, and breads
