Today’s my last day teaching classes and living in Dalkeith House. I’m going to miss this place: the huge grounds with their 700-year-old oak trees, the 20-foot ceilings, the beautiful paintings, the marble floors and fireplaces. The house is said to be haunted, but the larger-than-life statue of the Duke of Wellington in the Great […]
Edinburgh Christmas Market
After grading my final exams and student papers, I stopped by the festive Christmas Market at Princes Street Gardens. The market has a very German feel, with stands selling Glühwein and stollen. I bought felted Christmas ornaments and German cookie-cutters, admired some overpriced amber jewelry, and picked up a box of Spekulatius cookies to eat […]
Winter in Edinburgh
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.
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.
The Isle of Arran
I made a weekend trip to the Isle of Arran. It was cold, and the tourists had all gone home. So I found myself alone with the Neolithic standing stones at Machrie Moor: And almost alone on the Lochranza golf course.