Winter in Edinburgh is full of celebrations and festivals, beginning on St. Andrews Day and continuing up through Hogmanay. But for now Edinburgh Castle is still quiet and serene.
Monthly Archives: November 2008
The Misty Isle
My weekend trip to the Isle of Skye was a perfect mini-holiday. I took the train to Kyle of Lochalsh: Then crossed the Skye Bridge and explored the Misty Isle: Naturally, I wanted to stay.
Poetry Fix: Robin Robertson
Since it’s been snowing back home in Wisconsin, here’s a Robin Robertson poem about snow. It comes from “Swithering,” the Scottish poet’s recent collection. The Park Drunk He opens his eyes to a hard frost, the morning’s soft amnesia of snow. The thorned stems of gorse are starred crystal; each bud like a candied fruit, […]
Musselburgh Races
Today I went to the races with my students. Musselburgh Racecourse is just a few miles from Dalkeith, and we were lucky enough to have a perfect sunny day for eating treats, placing little bets, and watching beautiful horses in action. In the race for the Willie Park Trophy, I lost two pounds on the […]
Under the Tuscan Sun
Continuing with my theme of off-season tourism, I went to Italy for fall break and fell in love with Lucca, Florence, and all of Tuscany. Florence in October is dreamy, beautiful, and outrageously scenic. It’s cool and serene in the evenings: And it’s warm and enchanting during the day.