Portobello Beach

Last Sunday, we went down to Portobello Beach. It's about 4 miles from the City Centre and lies on the shore of the Firth of Forth, an estuary that empties into the North Sea. You can see the water from many points in the city, so there's always a reminder about how close you are to the water. It's funny to me that we live so close to the sea but have not been down to see it up close yet. I love the water, so I was excited when Joe suggested an afternoon outing. (As a side note, when I start working, my office is near the docks on another part of the Firth, so I'll have daily sightings!).

Portobello Beach

In any case, it was a pretty day to be outside and after a short bus ride, we arrived. The beach area was pretty big, though very empty. Although it was sunny, it was windy and chilly--not really "beach weather." But, based on some signs there, Portobello was once quite the beach scene. In fact up until WWII, it seems this area was very popular and happening with numerous bath houses, a lively boardwalk, and lots of entertainment. It was quiet this weekend and it's not quite the attraction it used to be, but the boardwalk is now lined with pretty old homes and a few cafes dotted throughout. It was reminiscent of times gone by and I really enjoyed the area.









I did read two interesting facts about Portobello Beach. First, Sean Connery was evidently a lifeguard at a swimming pool here. And, there is a swimming facility here which houses one of only three remaining Turkish Baths in Scotland--they are open to the public, so we'll have to go back and try it out.

Edinburgh Farmer's Market

Here is Edinburgh, there is a Farmer's Market in heart of the city on a path overlooked by the Castle. It's a smaller market than some in the US (Soulard in St. Louis, Pike Place in Seattle) but it is really fun and a great sampling of the foods and products that are produced locally here. As far as I can tell from my two trips, everything at the market is organic and grown and/or produced locally. The sights and smells (and tastes) and fantastic and it is a really lovely way to start a Saturday morning.

At the market, you can find a whole host of fruit and veg, like these really yummy raspberries:

And, products made from them, like this incredible berry jam:

Lots of vendors sell cheese. This one is fresh braided mozarella .

This vendor also does a "veg delivery" in which you pay a certain amount weekly and a box of fresh produce is delivered to your door each week. You don't know what you'll get, but judging by their stand, you won't be disappointed.

These tomatoes smelled great. Really fresh.

You can also pick up something from the most important food group--chocolate.

I think this was wine and maybe some kind of sparkling fruit drink.

Handmade soaps
(just noticed the sign...wonder what the rest of it says)

Several vendors prepare foods there for you to purchase and eat straight-away.

There are also demonstrations some weeks by local chefs. My favorite part is that many of the vendors let you sample items at their stands, so you can look around and taste all sorts of delicious foods while you shop. The tasting is dangerous though, because it tempts you to buy all sorts of things. This week I was lured into purchasing a container of indescribable lemon custard (freshly made the day before) after tasting some. Then, of course, I had to buy some raspberries to go with it....is it Saturday again yet?

5 weeks

We've been in Edinburgh for 5 weeks now. It seems hard to believe that it's already been 5 weeks since we stepped off the plane in a travel-induced daze, weary for sleep, not knowing our way around, where we would live, or what life would hold for us here. We are definitely still discovering life here, but are feeling quite settled and are enjoying this new time in our lives.

Joe and I both laugh when we think about how strangely at home we both feel here. We aren't sure what to attribute that to, but are thankful nonetheless. This is the first time in our entire relationship that we have not been in transition and not had early/late work hours. That's been nice and life has begun to feel less rushed, hectic, and harried. More peaceful and less stressful. I've found some routine here and am enjoying wandering about, trying new places, new routes, and meeting new people. There is a lot to take in here, as there is in any new place you live. I think because it is so foreign, in many ways, I am eager to explore more than when I have moved to places in the US. A bit of a mind trick, I think.

Anyway, in celebration of 5 weeks here, Joe completing his two conference papers, and my getting (though not yet starting) a job, we went out to dinner on Friday night. Joe found a great little Spanish restaurant that had amazing food. Really, really good. I had this delicious hake (white fish) on a bed of artichokes and smashed peas. Mmmm, so good. We shared this amazing almond tart with homemade ice cream for dessert and also enjoyed various complimentary tapa between various courses. It was really good. They have a tapas bar next door, too, which I think we will check out sometime too.

In honor of our 5 weeks, here are some pictures of my favorite places so far:

The Botanic Gardens

View of Dean Village (where we live), from Dean Bridge
Edinburgh Castle, from Princess Street Gardens

The cheesemonger in Stockbridge, near our flat. Cheese heaven!

Path from Dean Village to Stockbridge, along the Water of Leith--a favorite walk

Stirling

I'm catching up on some posts and thought to share some pictures of a little adventure we had during the first week we were here. While we were staying with Joe's advisor, we decided to take a short trip to Stirling, a little city not too far from Edinburgh. We enjoyed a short train ride and were all geared up to spend the afternoon reading in a cafe. Joe had woken up sick and with a big week ahead of us, we figured we would lay low and rest up. Funny how things never work out the way you plan!

A view of Stirling, from the William Wallace Monument

Turns out Stirling is a happening place! Home to Stirling Castle and the William Wallace Monument, there is a host of historical, and touristy, things to do. There were also a number of very pretty buildings and small gardens.

This is the gate to the Stirling Municipal Building (SMB). I really like all these old wrought-iron gates but this one has been my favorite so far.

Honestly, I can't remember what this building was, but I like the way it looks.
A pretty little church on the edge of Stirling.
A bridge on the way to the monument:

Joe, being the Braveheart fan that he is (and me being the ever-supportive wife) decided to head on up (and I do mean up) to the William Wallace Monument. Since you can see if from all over the city, it seemed close enough, an easy jaunt to the base where we would surely catch a shuttle to the top. Funny how things never work out the way you plan!

The William Wallace Monument, from a distance:

A little zoomed in:

The William Wallace Monument is a good ways away. Seriously. We probably walked for about 75 minutes before we got to the "base" (half way up a mountain) where we learned that the "last" shuttle headed out just before we got there (two more shuttles left after that). So, we hiked on up the last bit to the monument.

The tower

The front entrance:

William Wallace, I assume:
Two weary travelers:

There were some pretty amazing views from the top and the outside of the monument was impressive, so it was worth the long trek. Unfortunately, we were too late to climb to the top of the tower but we are looking forward to making the trip again, perhaps when some fellow Braveheart fans comes for a visit!

Arthur's Seat

In one of my first posts, I mentioned a couple who has been really welcoming to us since we arrived in Scotland. Rebecca and Scotty are actually a couple I knew back in St. Louis (they actually lived just a street away from me in DeMun), before they made the long trip out here, 2 years ago, for Scotty's studies. I actually didn't know them very well at all in St. Louis, but they have been so great to us since they found out we were coming.

Rebecca was one of the first people I contacted when Joe and I started thinking about coming to Edinburgh. She was amazing and gave me all sorts of, very candid, information. It was good to have the reality of life abroad, with your husband in school, before me as we considered this big step. She really went out of her way to give us unbelievable assistance in figuring out a place to live and other important things (she actually sent me flat listings and created a google map with her home, the school, and the homes of her friends on it so we could find something in a convenient location near others).

Since getting to Edinburgh, we have really enjoyed getting to know Scotty and Rebecca. They are really great people and we enjoy spending time with them. The first Saturday we were here, the 4 of us took a hike up to Arthur's Seat, which, as the name implies, has a lot of legend and lore about it. I think, if I remember correctly, that it is a sunken volcano. Now, it is a really beautiful, short (though pretty intense) hike up to the top where there are amazing views of the city.

Arthur's Seat, from Nelson Tower

Standing on a ridge at Arthur's Seat

A view of the city

Rebecca and Scotty

Joe and me

Employed!

Several people have emailed, asking for an update on my job situation. I really appreciate all your thoughts and am happy to report that I accepted a position late last Friday. I was really fortunate to have two offers, one as a social worker for the Council of Edinburgh (the local government) and one as a Senior Practitioner with Barnardo's, a charity (i.e., non-profit) organization in the UK. They were both great positions and it was a bit of a difficult decision, but in the end I decided that the Barnardo's position was a bit more in line with my long term career goals.

The bad news in all this, is that I do not yet have a start date. I had hoped that I could start as early as this week, but was then notified that I had to complete a full background check before my employment could be started. This was somewhat discouraging as the check can take up to 6 weeks and I have no yet received the form to complete. So, I've had to alter my expectations a bit and get in a routine of non-employment so I'm not bored out of my mind. Surprisingly, this week has been really enjoyable. So much so that I am beginning to worry that I will not want to go to work, when the time comes!

I do have plans to go, this afternoon, for a tour of the office building and tea with some new coworkers, which I am looking forward to. I will be working in the Lighthouse Project, which provides clinical (mental health therapy) services to youth 10-18. Barnardo's has a long history and is quite respected in the UK. You can learn more about them here.

Joe's Office

Joe's home away from home (away from home), has quickly become New College, the Divinity School at the University of Edinburgh. This is where he goes every day to think, read, study, and write. I am really proud of him and the hard work he is putting in, right from the get go.

The walk from our flat to New College takes about 25 minutes. It's a pretty nice walk, excepting the enormous hill you have to climb at the very end. Along the way, we walk through the west end of Edinburgh, passing all the cafes with yummy smells and the greengrocer. Then, past the Castle and onto the beautiful Princess Street Gardens. This is, so far, one of my favorite paths to walk. The gardens are so pretty and the architechure of the Castle and New College are pretty breath-taking.

This is the fountain at the west end of PSG

New College, from PSG

Once inside New College's court yard, you are greeted by this statue of John Knox

The court yard

One wing, or tower, of New College is dedicated solely to the postgraduates. In this building, Ramsay Lane Tower, I think it is called, the Master's and Ph.D. students have their own computing lab (where I blog from) and several rooms of offices. Joe, on a tip from another student, was able to get his name on the list quickly and was assigned a cubicle right from the beginning. It's pretty sparse now, but I am certain by the end of our time here it will be pretty well rooted in all things Joe Rivera (I'm imagining Cubs paraphernalia, pictures from travels, and LOTS of books).

Joe's study cubicle

Joe has been working really hard, since we got here and I am very proud of him for that. He has two papers to be presented at conferences in the next several weeks (one in Belgium and one in Montreal) and has been digging right in on developing his ideas for his dissertation topic. Unfortunately, I don't think I am the one to intelligibly explain those ideas, so I'll nudge him along to do another post soon updating you on his work!