At some point, I went into Brighton -- a free trip sponsored by classes on romanticism and modernism. It was cold but really cool and there is a pavilion that is "Oriental" in every sense of the word.
Meaning, of course, that it is an utterly ridiculous mishmash of Indian, Chinese, and god-knows-what-else put together by an English ruler. It's beautiful, though. There is a chandelier with a dragon holding it up.
Brighton also has a huge street market, or whatever you call those things where the shops spill out into the alleys for a square mile or two.
That was March 5th, anyway.
Today, I just got back from a weekend in Edinburgh, Scotland. My head is so full of everything I've seen that I don't know where to start.
The bus tour, I suppose. Paula and I took a 12-hour trip around Glencoe, the Highlands, and Loch Ness. Unfortunately, it was very cold and wet out that day, and snowed more often than not. Paula had never seen snow before and was visibly enchanted at first, but then disappointed by the timing of it. The snow made it difficult to see very far, meaning that our tour guide was often reduced to saying things like "And now on the far right is [insert awesome memorial/landmark/Nessie], which. . .you may not be able to see." I opted for the optional "tour" of Urquhart Castle and "cruise" of Loch Ness. The "tour" was self-guided, which I actually liked, since Urquhart is a ruin and fun to explore on your own. The "cruise" was a bit grand of a label, though, considering that the boat was too small to allow all guests to remain in the saloon, where it was warm and dry. They sold tea, though, so I stood out on deck with a cup and watched. Not for anything in particular. Remember how I mentioned the snow? It was still coming down at that point. And it was extremely windy. At one point, I swear I saw snow going upwards.
More on Scotland later -- for now, it's one a.m. and I have class in the morning.
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