Independency, music, shopping and beers

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! 

Five days around Scotland

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!

Fringe_3

With more than 1,8 million tickets issued and 42 thousands performances, the Edinburgh Fringe festival has officially ended on monday 27th August.
A big hurray to all artists who succeeded in bringing fun, joy, colours and sun to Edinburgh despite the poor weather conditions during this summertime.   It's obvious to me that the Fringe has to take place in august... to make us forget and even enjoy the poor weather in the capital...
I only attended one show this week. I enjoyed the free concert of an Edinburgh based band; Onzlo. Or I'd better say I enjoyed the solo performance of  Ray Kenny (lead guitar and vocals) - as the 2 other members (Phil Onslow: bass guitar; Austin Loder: drums) couldn't make it.  Ray gave an excellent performance with nice melodies. Yet I missed the combo of lovely melodies and psychedelic sounds typical from the trio.

Fringe_2

It's not easy to choose among the hundreds of performances every day. 
In 2011 the festival hosted 2,542 different shows staging 41,689 performances in 258 venues by 21,192 performers. Impressive, isn't it!
To reduce the choice considerably (there's no way I can see them all - I'm only human after all), I decided to start with the free shows! This week I attended a few comedy stand-ups and a few concerts.

Comedy

The Jocks and Geordies 
It's a one hour stand-up comedy where 5 Geordie (Northern part of England, i.e. Newcastle) and Scottish comedians host the stage for 10 minutes each. It's amazing to see what a man can do in 10 minutes! Two of the comedians did a really good job. 
The first one's act was about how difficult it is for Edinburgh guys to get  girls (or better said 'to have sex'). The Edinburgh comedian made jokes about sex and described situations using strong language and it was extremely funny. Let's face it "sex" is always a winner. 
The second comedian played the absurd-key. Yet he introduces a very serious topic: depression. Then he told us the story of an egg suffering from depression and how it turned into... an omelet. It was incredibly funny. I laughed during the whole act - and the rest of the audience too.

Thirty Dancing
One woman show dans le genre cabaret avec des contes, de la musique et des chansons.
Sophie aborde le passage de la trentaine et ce qu'elle a accompli (ou plutôt ce qu'elle n'a pas accompli!). Elle nous conte et chante ses rêves de petite fille (devenir ballerine, être mariée, avoir des enfants et habiter une grande maison dans les quartiers huppés...). Chaque étape de sa vie nous est livré sous forme d'anecdote accompagné de musique (ukulele) et de chansons (Sophie revisite des titres connus - avec en final une adaptation de Dirty Dancing très rafraîchissante). Extrêmement hilarant, mélangeant force et sensibilité. Belle interaction avec le public; elle nous a même fait danser!!!

Karma Comedian
Deze show draait over goede en slechte karma. Stella deelt met haar publiek een paar anekdoten uit haar jeugd. En het is aan de toeschouwers om te beslissen of ze naar de hemel of de hel mag gaan.  Dit heeft voor veel interacties met de kijkers gezorgd -  en veel lach-momenten. Het waren super leuk- en gewaagde verhalen maar nooit straf genoeg om Stella naar de hel te sturen... 

Rhod Gilbert
Rhod Gilbert is a well established Welsh comedian.  He is famous for his rants on life's minor irritations. In this new show he shares with the audience how he worked on his "angry" temper and how he has become so laid-back that he even let someone tatto a Battenberg on him!!!
The show took place in the Conference centre in Edinburgh and it was fully booked (this wasn't a free show). Not even one seat left- not bad for a sunny saturday night (as we know that everybody wants to spend the night out on a sunny evening in Edinburgh).  The show was absolutely brilliant. I couldn't stop laughing. I was very impressed by the speed of his speech - I've never seen someone talking so fast, so much, so nervously and being funny at the same time.

Music

Thanks to A Scottish Fantasia's initiative (charity trust), I enjoyed free music in a beautiful surrounding (green space, flowers in bloom, with a view on Edinburgh's castle).  The aim is to promote free performances at the Ross Open Air Theatre in Princes Street Gardens. What a great scenery to enjoy free music.  A Scottish Fantasia offers a large variety of scottish musical experiences:  from traditional (pipes, drums, fiddle bands and dance troups) to folk and rock. 

Performances run everyday during the Fringe from noon till 7pm.  The website gives you an list of what's on every day. I chose for the rock and folk events.

Suspire

Groupe de rock alternatif/indie originaire de Glasgow.  Coktail réussi de sons puissants et de mélodies rythmées, portés par les riffs de Paul Duffin (guitare/chant), la basse frénétique de Mark Duffin (basse/2e voix) et les beats puissants de Claire Kelly (batterie et percussions). Sans oublier quelques intéressants jeux vocaux entre les deux frères.

The Land of Cakes
Land of Cakes is een alternatief indie rock band uit Edinburgh. 
De groep bestaat uit Andy (gitaar/zang), Ian (gitaar), Darren (basgitaar) en Fergus (percussie/zang). 
Sterk geïnspireerd door the Velvet Underground, Pixies, om een paar op te noemen.  De band combineert met succes delicate melodiën en harmoniën met sterke geluiden. Andy gaf ons enkele melodieuze gitaar solos.  Het optreden was super levendig en er was veel interactie met het publiek.  Ze hebben ook een twintigtal CD's gratis gegeven. 

The Winter Tradition
The Winter Tradition is a pop-rock quartet from Edinburgh. With Ewan Simpson (bass/vocals), Mark Morrow (guitar/vocals), Stephen Furbank (guitar/vocals), Callum Mouat(drums).
They deliver a very energetic live performance emphasized by various dynamics involving the audience. They offers a cocktail with equal proportion of noise and soft melodies. 

Chris Yendell
Chris Yendell est un artiste solo qui nous propose des mélodies folk-rock puissantes grâce à un jeu vocal polyvalent accompagné de sons acoustiques riches à la guitare. Un mélange de sonorité qui fait penser à Kelly Jones et Dave Grohl.  Performance de grande qualité, riche en émotions. Impressionnant  ce qu'une seule personne peut accomplir sur scène.

More Fringe reviews in a next post...

Fringe_part1

Here we go! The Fringe has officially started.
What's the Fringe again ? Well, for all TV freaks, this is an american science fiction television serie where FBI agents investigate unexplained occurrences, which are related to mysteries surrounding a parallel universe... Hum,interesting.  But this is NOT what I'm talking about in this post. No, I am referring to the world's largest arts festival with music, theatre, comedy, cabaret, dance and so much more from performers from all over the world.  Performances and shows take place in dedicated venues (pubs, theatre,big tops) and stages in the streets (High Street, The Mound, Princes Garden).  There is something for everyone and for every budget (many shows are free).
The Edinburgh Fringe festival takes place every year in August and attracts more than one million visitors!
Isn't it amazing when you know that Scotland has a total population of 5 million and Edinburgh 450 thousands ?! This shows how big and popular the Fringe festival is!
During this period, tourists can also enjoy craft markets and other local products.

Some random pictures of Edinburgh during the Fringe:
A clean and empty street at 7 am

 A crowded "Mound" at 3pm

Craft market at St John's church:
                                       

A few street performers:

 

In the next posts I will cover the shows I've been to.
Have a nice fringy summer...

Borders

Le soleil est de retour! Youpie...
Balade bucolique dans les borders
Mes parents ont séjourné une semaine en Écosse et j'ai eu le plaisir de passer 2 jours en leur compagnie. Comme ils venaient en voiture, j'en ai profité pour leur demander de me ramener quelques affaires (indispensables à mon bien-être :-) = mon matériel pour fabriquer mes cosmétiques maison, mon imprimante, quelques livres (typographie, grammaire, aromathérapie...) et surtout ma petite Krups adorée (machine à espresso déjà bien rôdée) et mes tasses Snoopy. 

                                          
Lors de leur visite, nous avons passé une délicieuse journée dans les borders (région sud de l'Écosse bordée par la rivière Tweed). Papa a emprunté la route touristique (pas la M6 !) qui offre un spectacle verdoyant pour les yeux (voir photos au bas du poste). Attention aux estomacs fragiles car la route est en zigzag tout au long (1h30 - 2h depuis Airdrie). Un conseil pour les passagers: prendre un bon petit déjeuner avant de partir, dans la voiture mettre les pieds au sol et non s'allonger sur la banquette --> j'ai fait tout le contraire et j'ai eu la nausée pendant tout le trajet. Heureusement Papa a eu la brillante idée de faire une pause lunch. Après une bonne soupe (carottes épicées) et un incontournable fruit scone (fait partie de la liste de mes motifs d'émigration :-) et une infusion à la menthe (idéal pour le mal de transport), nous avons repris la route vers notre destination finale: Hawick (petit village des borders réputé pour son industrie du tricot et son équipe de Rugby (hum hum)). 

Comme vous pouvez le voir sur les photos, la région des borders est magnifique. Cela fait 4 mois que je suis en Écosse et je m'émerveille un peu plus chaque jour de la beauté de cette île.

Pedalo, Carnival & random pictures

Pedalo
When I read the invitation for a walk in Falkirk followed by pedalo on the ornemental lake, I immediately signed in.
The meeting point was at Falkirk High railway station (follow this link for more info on Falkirk and things to do/see in the area: http://www.falkirk.org/)
We walked through the woods to reach Callendar Park. Callendar Park  covers over 170 acres and houses the magnificent Callendar House.  There is also a section of the Antonine Wall (more info here: http://www.antoninewall.org/visiting.php). Yet you really have to look for it as it remains nothing of the wall except from the ditch.
After a nice wee walk we ended our journey with some pedalo on the lake.  There were the five of us in each pedalo. I was lucky enough to sit at the back and rest my legs (ha ha).  I had a lovely day with a nice bunch of people.
I forgot to mention that in order not to frighten the swans, the pedalos do look like swans too :-)

Carnaval
Edinburgh beschikt over zijn eigen Carnaval. Het evenement  wordt georganiseerd door het Edinburgh Jazz & Blues festival in samenwerking met de gemeente.  Op zondag 22.07.2012 droegen Princes Street & Princes Street Gardens de vrolijke kleuren van het carnaval. Ik was een beetje ontgoocheld want ik had een parade verwacht met praalwagen en de toeschouwers die de carnavalisten volgen tot de eindbestemming (ik dacht even aan het Carnaval van Halle). Hoe zag het dan eruit ?  Bepaalde lokaties werden aangeduid waar iedere troep gedurende een vijf-tal minuten presteerde.  Er waren geen char en het is ook geen "nationaal" carnaval;  troepen uit Brazilië, Italië, China, Duitsland waren aanwezig. Ik miste wel de trots en investering van onze carnavalisten die echt defileren om hun char en costuum te vertonen. Maar het was toch tof  om bij te wonen (en zeker op een zonnige dag) met al die kleuren, het sfeer en ik heb er een paar leuke mensen ontmoet.

Quelques photos sur le tas: