My trip began in Edinburgh where the month of August is the Edinburgh Festival. Like I mentioned in a previous post, out of all the cities that I've been to, Edinburgh is my favorite city. It's beautiful, historic, hip, fun, not too big, not too small, and contains my wonderful girlfriend Bekkie. The festival is actually a collection of multiple festivals all happening at the same time. The Edinburgh Military Tattoo which is a military band display that happens every night at the Edinburgh Castle followed by a fireworks show, The Edinburgh International Film Festival, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and a handful of others. The Fringe is the main attraction and is the largest arts festival in the world. It combines theater, comedy, music, and dance, all at various types of venues from clubs to halls to the street. I saw two comedy shows and a bunch of music. This part of the festival seems to take over the city. Scratch that, it does. It's everywhere. My guess is that the city triples in size during the festival. There's over 2000 shows going on during the month, many of which are playing everyday of August. Everything from Myspace: The Musical to Foo Fighters to Ricky Gervais. Here's some photos. I'm actually trying to make them chronological.
Bekkie lives in the heart of Edinburgh in an amazing flat. She lives on the top floor and has a massive window in her room that opens up to her courtyard and the city. Here's the view from her window.
Bekkie!
Our first night out.
Bekkie's boss and friend Chris at the Speigel Tent. Massive festival tent with all kinds of circus-like performances including a band playing inside a giant jukebox.
At Caberet Voltaire in the stairway where we met 8 months ago. Cab Volt is a caverous basement club that hosts shows and dj's.
Bekkie's friend Blair who puts on The Scottish Hobo Society at The Bongo Club
Bekkie's friend Jenna (on the left) with Bekkie's hand reaching for her boob.
Dinner at a lovely restaurant connected with her work. Bekkie doesn't like it when I make her pose.
The food was awesome there. Overall, the food in Edinburgh was excellent everywhere we went. My favorite meal was Veggie Haggis I had at a place called Bad Ass.
This was a show we went to at The Bongo Club. I believe this band was Fake Fang from Glasgow. Adam Ant-like with a female singer. I really dug their set.
Bekkie's a classy girl. Check out the rest of my beer in the bottom of her glass.
Scottish Bill!! This guy was in one of the bands playing Bongo that night and really resembled my roommate Bill. His name was Marty and was super nice.
Bekkie's a notorious skipper. She hold records.
Late night walk home shots.
Some random bike.
We went to see a few comedy shows that were part of the festival. One was Chopper Reid: Harden the F**k Up World. I discovered Chopper on you tube after stumbling on "The Ronnie Johns Half Hour" show from Australia. Chopper's the main attraction on the show. His character is a life coach with a handlebar mustache, fake tattoos drawn with markers on his arms, and a gun. On the show he does his version of instructional videos, but at the live show we went to, he basically told the world how it needed to.. right, you got it.. harden the f**k up. It was really good. I snapped a couple secret photos during the show.
Token shot of a bagpiper. They were everywhere.
Bekkie's shower was a little short for me. My shoulders nearly touched the ceiling.
Went to the Andy Warhol exhibit at the National Gallery of Scotland. The building itself has columns that were all outfitted with giant Campbell's Soup Cans.
Inside I took some secret shots. I didn't use flash so it won't hurt the art, of course.
Grafitti in Edinburgh. My favorite is "Scottish Not British" by far. It was everywhere.
This is a statue of Greyfriars Bobby that Bekkie insisted I get a photo in front of. It's a famous statue and there's a story behind it you can read here if you like. As you can see I'm thrilled.
Some beautiful night shots. The city looks so beautiful at dusk. Though this might have been dawn knowing us.
After almost a week, we left Edinburgh to go to Paris. I have more pictures from Edinburgh that I will get to but remember, I'm being chronological. Off to Paris!
Grafitti on the way from Charles de Gaulle, which is a very scummy airport, to Central Paris. We decided to brave the train leading to what I believe is the largest train station in Europe, the Gare du Nord.
Our hotel was in the red light district of Paris called Pigalle. Sex shops and strip clubs lined the streets, the very same neighborhood housing the Moulin Rouge and the old stomping grounds of Toulouse Lautrec and Van Gogh. It was very lively complete with homeless drinking out of giant wine bottles instead of 40 oz's and frightening prostitutes. It was awesome. The seedy underbelly of Paris, yet incredibly safe and pleasant. Our hotel was magnificent. See for yourself.
The front door. All the wallpaper was a velvet material.
Our room overlooked the main strip of Pigalle and Place de Pigalle, the square.
Yes, that is a hot tub for two.
Even the television was elegant. Flatscreen enclosed by a frilly gold frame.
Our first glass of wine in Paris.
We then climbed the hill to the highest point in Paris, Montmartre, where the Sacre Coeur sits. It was an amazing view.
Gargoyles on the Sacre-Coeur.
The first time I saw the Eiffel Tower with my own eyes.
The tiny streets atop Montmartre are lovely, yet very touristy. This is the area where Lautrec, Picasso, Renoir, & Van Gogh lived and drank. The dome of the Sacre-Coeur is in the background.
After trekking down the hill. We decided to buy a bottle of wine and walk the streets of Paris. We headed back up the hill to the Sacre-Coeur and sat on the lawn overlooking the city at night drinking straight from the bottle. It was wonderful.
Our feet hanging out the window of our room.
I was a little snap-happy with the camera at first until I realized everything was beautiful in Paris and had no idea what to shoot because it was amazing every direction I looked. We were both blown away. This is sitting at a cafe facing the Eglise de la Trinite.
The National Opera House of Paris, otherwise known at the Palais Garnier. Incredibly ornate inside and out.
Inside and out of the Eglise de la Madeleine. It is massive. Absolutely massive.
At the Place de la Concorde where Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were guillotined in front of thousands. The Egyptian Obelisque sits where the guillotine once did. You can also see my pal the Arc de Triomphe at the end of the Champs Elysees.
The Arc du Carrousel. It's ridiculed by Parisians because of its inferior size to the Arc de Triomphe (rightly so) and labeled as gaudy, but we kinda liked it.
The Louvre. We didn't go in. I know some people might think we're crazy, but we wanted to see Paris, not the inside of a museum. Yes, I do appreciate the arts very much so and Bekkie has her masters in the arts but we heard it and the Mona Lisa are supposed to be a waste of time. Instead, Bekkie struck a pose.
Joan of Arc.. I rather like her.
At the Palais Royal, a palace that was symbolically given to the people after removing the monarchy. It's all individual homes and small businesses. Can't imagine the rent.
The next four are at the gardens of the Palais Royal.
Random beautiful fountain
That night we headed to Eastern Paris which is kinda seedy in search of real Paris and some bars & clubs I read were cool. Turns out that many of the them were closed because, and my dad warned me, August is the vacation month for Parisians. I guess they all head to the south of France for the month. The city was really shut down except the touristy stuff. It made it nice after being in Edinburgh for the festival, but many of the bars and clubs we really wanted to see were closed for the month.
A self-cleaning public toilet that hadn't quite done it's job. Maybe I should have left this one off.
De hood.
The next day it rained. In fact, it rained three out of the five days we were there but we made the best of it. This is on the Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris, over the Seine River and at the tip of the Ile de la Citie, the island that houses Notre Dame.
On the island facing the Sainte Chapelle, the former royals-only church, and the Conciergerie, the prison where Marie Antionette was held during her trial along with many others.
We returned to the Islands the next day and tackled the left bank. This is the Sainte Chapelle.
Gargoyles on the side of Sainte Chapelle.
Notre Dame. Probably the most famous church in the world, it's both massive and beautiful.
Strange carving inside the Notre Dame where it appears a man is slaying a baby.
We headed over to the left bank of Paris where the University of Paris and the Eiffel Tower live. This is the Pantheon, a monument that houses the tombs of the revolutionary writers Rousseau, Victor Hugo, and Voltaire. Dubbed the temple of reason.
Bizarre art inside the Pantheon.
Palais de Luxembourg, now home to the French senate, has the most beautiful gardens I've ever seen complete with palm trees.
The best gaspacho I've ever had, and green beans on a sandwich.. amazing.
View of the Grand Palais and the Pont Alexandre III.
From the Pont Alexandre III
This is the Hotel des Invalides, which was a military hospital during Louis XIV's day but now houses Napoleon's Tomb and the Military Museum. We just missed the cutoff time to get in.
All Eiffel Tower from here. We took the stairs up, well halfway. You have to take an elevator the rest of the way up. Bekkie held my hand as we got further up due to my mild vertigo. Funny enough, I was fine at the top and going down, just dizzy going up. Incredibly touristy though we felt it was worth it. Really didn't realize how tall it is. It's massive.
Commerce area outside Central Paris. Didn't really know Paris had skyscrapers. They have a law against skyscrapers inside city limits after the outrage of the ugly Tour Montparnesse, which you can see two photos before this. Did you know that the Eiffel Tower was the tallest building in the world upon it's completion in 1889 until the 1930's when the Empire State Building was built? Tidbit for the day.
The Seine. The arrow is pointing at the Statue of Liberty.
Sunset on the Eiffel Tour. Couldn't have timed it better.
The Arc de Triomphe is awesome. I just really love it, I don't know why. Napoleon built it to honor his triumphs. While the Nazis controlled Paris, a giant swastika flew on it for 4 years and Hilter marched his troops through the arch and up the Champs-Elysees. After kicking some Nazi but, the Allied troops marched through it to celebrate the D-Day victory. We read you can go on top of it, and we did.
View down the 284 steps, all spiral. Dizzying.
Random shot of a van. There were loads of these grafitti vans everywhere.
Bekkie's mom booked us in for dinner and a show at the Moulin Rouge. It was amazing of Mrs. Hopper and was an incredible experience. It was very elegant inside and much bigger than I expected. We sat next to another couple, we guessed were from Austria or Denmark, who didn't talk to us at all, or eachother, even after I said "bonsoir." There was live traditional "chanson" music during dinner which was lovely, as was the meal and the bottle of champagne. After the meal the show began. The circus parts of the show were my favorite: the acrobatic feats of strength, guy on unicycle flipping teacups on his head, woman diving into and swimming in the massive aquatic snake tank that rose out of the floor, and others were very impressive. We looked fantastic in our elegant Moulin Rouge attire but forgot to take photos. We changed our clothes back at the hotel and took these in the lobby of our hotel.
Also, I found this cheesy club called La Scala in the book and tracked it down to take photo in front.
Finally, we leave Paris now but first, on our last night in Paris we went to the most amazing club called Batofar which is a bar & club on a barge (but it looks much more like a giant giant tugboat) floating in the Seine River. We tried to go before but it was closed the whole time we were there. This time it was open. Upstairs in the captains area is a bar and the dj booth where you can can also exit the porthole out onto the deck and enjoy the river views. Downstairs is the club and it was massive. You wouldn't think that you were on a boat. I completely forgot we were. It was fantastic and the music was ace. Au revoir Paris, back to Edinburgh!
Back in Edinburgh after 5 days in Paris.
This is Bekkie's shop, Peckhams. It's a fancy deli and world foods market. Bekkie painted this window display that's absolutely amazing. She won bottles of wine for everyone that works there for her display. Talented lass.
The day after we got back, we went to visit Bekkie's parents in Tillicoutry. This was the first time I met them and they were fantastic. I was really taken with them. They have a lovely home in this small town north of Edinburgh near Sterling, which learned was the former Scottish capital thanks to her dad's wealth of knowledge. Her dad was really great to talk to. Her mother was very welcoming and warm which made me feel very comfortable from the start. They both have a great sense of humor and are from Newcastle, home to the Jordie accent, which is supposed to be tough to understand though I had no trouble at all. To respect their privacy, I won't be posting their picture I took here.
This is Bekkie's car dubbed The Wasp.
Bekkie's awesome floor mats that her dad got her.
The all Irn Bru cooler in a petrol station. Irn Bru is a staple of the Scottish diet (not really) and found everywhere. It's an energy drink that's known as an perfect cure for a hangover, and it's true. It's delicious and I brought some back with me since it's not sold in the states. I believe it's illegal here due to a certain ingredient the FDA deemed unsafe. Silly because the bottle claims that it's the same secret recipe used for over 100 years so it's clearly not killing people. Stupid FDA.
Mr. Porky Pork Crackles. Oops.. Best Ever Mr. Porky Pork Crackles
William Wallace Monument outside Tillicoutry. It has a statue at the bottom of the hill, added after Braveheart, resembling Mel Gibson that says "FREEDOM" at the base. I should have snapped a photo of it.
Really close to her parent's house. Beautiful.
Bekkie's art inside her parent's house. I love her work.
Back in Edinburgh at the shop below Bekkie's flat. Yes, Haggis Pizza. Mmmm..
We went out with Bekkie's flatmates Julie, Laura, and former flatmate Amy, but I didn't start snapping photos until Laura, Bekkie, and I were the last standing.
Blurry, I know, but I love this picture.
Bekkie and Laura. Laura's from Glasgow and is super cool.
Sorry, we went a little camera crazy but there's just too many good ones. After going to Fast at Red bar, we went next door to this two-level massive rock bar called Opium. It was really corny, complete with bad rock music dance floor, upstairs but we had a great time.
Bekkie hitting me in the crotch followed by the what seems to be a "why would you do that?" picture. I just made that up. Not sure what's happening here.
McDonald's with Scottish Flag and all. We actually did go in, but only to use the bathrooms, I promise.
Ricky Gervais, creator and star of BBC's The Office and executive producer of NBC's version, advertising his sold out show at the Edinburgh Castle. What a pointless picture.
The Edinburgh Castle from Princes Street Gardens. My last day in Edinburgh and an incredibly beautiful one.
Our picnic in Princes Street Gardens that included much more food than this. We had a wonderful spread on a picture-perfect day.
The Castle.
The Gardens.
This it for now. A few photos were left on the camera I will get soon including a photo from my last night there where I tied a table cloth around my head at Black Bo's, a delicious all vegetarian restaurant and bar. Bekkie claims it's an amazing picture. Sounds embarassing. We both got smashed our last night together. It was our last night, give us a break. I hope you enjoyed the photos. I know I put up too many but I love them all too much to not have.
Thanks for taking a look.
