Independency
Don’t worry, this is not me crying out and claiming for any particular rights. [lucky for me, I’ve been raised in a free and open-mind environment and the only restrictions I might experience today are the ones I’m imposing to myself].
What I’m referring to is people claiming the right to exist as a nation.
Past Saturday thousands of people marched in the streets of Edinburgh to demonstrate their support for the ‘Independence for Scotland’. Since 1707 (Act of Union) Scotland has been under the English sovereignty but has been working on getting back its national identity ever since. Scotland is now entering the final stage to being a fully independent sovereign state. I won’t make any judgment on this as I am a foreigner to this country and also as I consider myself having multiple identities. The only advice I can give is to analyze the situation from an objective point of you and consider all aspects and consequences. Being independent is not just a matter of identity, culture and language. It also implies being effectively organized to deal with an independent economy (industries; banks; educational, social and health systems). But I’m sure Scotland is aware of this and has listed all possible issues in order to be ready for the referendum that will take place in autumn 2014.
The march was peaceful and I could feel the national pride emanating from the participants. It was then a shock for me when I saw the Flemish flag among the crowd!!!
I couldn’t help it. I had to talk to these ‘protestors’. I introduced myself in Dutch (with my strong Flemish Brabant’s accent) and I asked one of the guys what this was all about. He started telling me how happy he was seeing a compatriot. He then explained how strong he believes in a separatist Belgium; how important it is for Flanders to have its independency and to be separated from the other regions (especially Wallonia). He said that he was confident about Flanders and Wallonia to be separated – yet the remaining issue was Brussels!!!
I told him that I respect him for standing up for his ideas. But I didn’t understand why marching in Edinburgh and not in Brussels or somewhere else in Belgium!!!! What effect could this possibly have apart from showing the world once more that such a small country lacks (good) governance. Can’t we just be famous for our beers, chocolate, chips, and other great typical products ( things to really be proud of) instead of our endless politic issues!!!). Anyway, I also told him that I am not I favour of a separatist Belgium. I truly believe that Belgium’s identity and colours (check out the Belgian flag) is defined by its history, its mix of cultures and languages. And as far as independency is concerned, the three federal regions (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels) already have separated parliament and government. I am born as a French speaker (my dad is half Belgian half English and my mother has Italian and American blood but was brought up in Luxembourg -->I’m almost a pure European product ). I spent most of my life in Flemish Brabant. I grew up in a multiple culture environment surrounded by music, creativity; where people spoke French, Dutch, English, Italian, Luxembourgish… I do speak both French and Dutch and for me there’s no way of making a choice. I am Belgian.
Music
I followed the march to Princes Street and headed to the Mound where I met my flatmate to listen to TJ Muller and the Dixie Six. It’s a recent composition (2011) of Edinburgh based musicians playing swinging New Orleans jazzy music. They were joined by a swing dancing community; Edinburgh Lindy Exchange; who danced like crazy on the swinging tunes inspired by the 1920’s. It was really cool to hear and to watch. I’m a real fan of the 1920’s. For sure I enjoy the music (oh so entertaining) but I absolutely love the artistic movements of that period, especially Modern Art. I have a preference for Belgian artists in Art Deco and Surrealism. I love the creations of architect Antoine Courtens (1899-1921) and I love René Magritte (surrealist painter, 1898 – 1967) who was a master in provoking thought by using out of place and out of proportion imagery. I’m also a great partisan of Art Nouveau (period before Art Deco) with great architects and designers as Victor Horta, Paul Hankar and Henry Van de Velde.
Shopping
After the march and the music, I went shopping with friends. It was not the regular girls-out for shopping. It was much more fun: choosing men’s clothes…
It was an enjoyable experience for the eyes:
It's really interesting to see men queuing for the fitting rooms. So much more different that in women's stores: whereas women are packed with clothes (the maximum allowed pieces to try) men have 2 or 3 pieces maximum (t-shirt & jeans).
Not to mention the impressive wall with David Beckham’s range of underwear…
(Belgian) Beers
After all that (hypnotic wall) a few refreshments were needed!
Why not start the evening with some Belgian beers at the Brauhaus (already mentioned in other messages). Let's enjoy some Kwak, Boon Gueuze, Mort Subite, …
Cheers!
I've just got back from a wee holiday in… Scotland.
A dear friend paid me a visit (it’s been five months since I left Belgium) and we decided to spend our time exploring my new “homeland”.
Scotland has so much to offer.
- You can choose for a cultural trip and go to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling with their range of monuments…
- You can explore the isles of Skye, Orkney, Arran, Shetland…
- You can enjoy the beautiful coastlines of Dumfries and Galloways, Fife…
- You can go hillwalking in the Highlands or in the national parks such as the Cairngorms and the Trossachs.
Whether you opt for forest and woodlands, isles, mountains and hills, lakes, national parks… Scotland’s got it all. You can find useful information on www.visitscotland.com
We wanted a mix of culture and nature so we selected a few spots in the central and northern parts. Scotland disposes of good train and buses network (could be expensive though) but we chose to hire a car (so much more convenient and also a great opportunity to drive on the left !). www.enterprise.co.uk offers good quality services and is probably the cheapest rent a car operator in the UK.
So this is our journey:
Day one/Stirling
We started the day with a visit to Stirling Castle. Stirling Castle is probably the largest and most important castle in Scotland. The castle sits on a volcanic outcrop guarding the lowest crossing point of the River Forth. Stirling Castle is a great symbol of Scottish Independence and a source of enduring national pride.
We then went for a walk along the narrow streets of the old town and then drove through the scenic route to our next destination: Pitlochry.
DAY 2 / Pitlochry
The objective of the day was to attend the Highland Games and have a walk in Pitlochry.
Pitlochry is a small village at the door of the Highlands. It’s a lovely place with Victorian houses and the village is surrounded by stunning landscapes (yes, this is the Pitlochry! It’s here I fell in love with Scotland when I was a wee lassie).
And what about the Highland Games then? Well, it’s a celebration of Celtic and Scottish culture through activities like bagpipes, dance and heavy events such as tossing the caber, throwing the hammer, tug o’war…
The origins of the Highland Games date back from the 11th century and have been largely developed after the Highland Clearances. The Highland games go through all summer in various locations in Scotland, starting in May (Cornhill) and ending in September (Invercharron).
And as you probably can guess, we were very much interested in the heavy events ;-).
As the activities were spread throughout the day, we took the opportunity to go for a walk (the Cluny path) and a picnic. We walked through woodlands and heather fields with stunning views on the hills. Being surrounded by so much beauty made me feel great and thankful for having the chance to enjoy it.
DAY 3/ Cairngorms
Bye bye Pitlochry and hello Highlands!
The Cairngorms is a national parks of 4528 sq kilometres in area with a variety of landscapes (woodland, heather moorland, lochs and rivers and a mountainous area … the ideal spot for walking.
We chose to have a walk in the Glenmore forest park; the Ryvoan trek. We started at the end of Loch Morlich, walked and climbed rocky paths through woodland with stunning views.
After an invigorating walk, we took the road up North to Inverness for a decent meal and a good night sleep.
DAY4/Urquart Caste/Glen Finnan/Glen Coe
We started our journey from Inverness and drove to Urquhart Castle. The castle was built in the 13th century on the banks of Loch Ness. It used to be one of Scotland’s largest castles. As a medieval fortress, Urquhart witnessed considerable conflict between the 13th and 17th century; which resulted in the castle being sacked and left to fall into decay.
Urquhart’s remains include a tower house that commands splendid views of the famous loch and Great Glen.
After our visit to the castle, we drove down to Glenfinnan. We wanted to see the famous bridge from Harry Potter’s movie. Well, it is a lovely setting. Yet the access point and the weather were not ideal to bring up the same feeling and impression as the movie. Still it was worth the trip.
We took the road and drove along Loch Ness and then through Glen Coe valley.
It’s a constant sinuous road but the views are stunning.
After 2 hours driving we reached our next destination: the Trossachs. We stayed at the Corrie Glen B&B in Aberfoyle. What a great place to stay! The cottage is located in a beautiful setting and everything was perfect (big bedroom, extended breakfast, lounge & conservatory with stunning views) and great hosts. Pauline and Steve welcomed us with tea/coffee and shortbread. They are really friendly, welcoming and always ready for a chat. So if you go to the Trossachs and need a place to stay, don’t look any further; Corrie Glen is the perfect accommodation.
DAY 5/The Trossachs
The Trossachs is the 2nd national park in Scotland. Sometimes known as “The Scottish Highlands in Miniature”, the Trossachs are situated on the physical boundary between the Highlands and the Lowlands of Scotland. The park offers a range of various landscapes: Lochs, Glens and Mountains.
Pauline recommended us a few walks in the forest park. Unfortunately, we had to face changing weather that day: from sunny to showery. As a result we were soaked (yes me and my clothes were one :-) and it took us all day to get dried. But this was the perfect excuse to treat ourselves with something sweet :-). We had a nice cup of tea and banana loaf at Liz macGregor's Coffee Shop.
The next day we drove back to Edinburgh because my friend had to catch her flight to go back home.
What a great holiday. Thank you Fay.
I hope this post will inspire you to come and explore Scotland.
If you want more information, feel free to contact me.
Cheers!
