EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

Some Edinburgh Highlights 

This city of 500,000 is Scotland’s jewel festive epicenter of Scottish culture, as well as an important financial center of the United Kingdom.    Locals call themselves Edinburghers.

Edinburgh has been Scotland’s capitol since the 12^th century. Framed by rolling hills and the blue of the Firth of Forth, it is one of Europe’s fairest cities. Half medieval and half Georgian it is often referred to as to as the Athens of the North. In 1999 Edinburgh became the seat of the Scottish Parliament. Filled with history, battles, kings, bold ideas and literary association the city is the gateway to central Scotland. It is a city of contrasts where the past meets the present and ancient streets are filled with the hustle and bustle of modern day city life. Scotland aligned itself with France in 1513, and England burned the city but spared the now famous castle.

In the 12^th century Edinburgh was a walled city. The 1707 Act of Union with England moved the power to Westminster. The city is divided into Old Town and New Town. Edinburgh University was founded in 1583.

The seat of centuries of Scotland’s colorful and turbulent history Old Town is best seen on foot. The backbone of Old Town is the famous Royal Mile where kings and queens traversed for centuries. Grassmarket, south of the castle, is where the dreaded gallows hanged convicted criminals and burned witches at the stake.  Many squares, terraces, circuses, wynds and closes crisscross the city interrupting the cobbled streets thus making street numbers very confusing and difficult to find. Numbers are often missing, and follow no logical sequence.

James Craig, only 27 years old, designed New Town with its classical grid design that was the first in Europe. The buildings are Georgian. After New Town was built Old Town became a slum and remained so until a 19^th century restoration. Taxes were based on the number of windows in a house, so it is not unusual to see artificial windows on the top floor that reflect no light. New Town dates to the 18^th century, the golden age of Edinburgh. Three main streets: Queen, George, and Princes run parallel in the Georgian masterpiece. The rectangular symmetrical grid links Charlotte and St. Andrews Squares.  The first building went up in 1767 and by 1846 Edinburgh was a true British city with a direct rail link to London. Rose Street, directly north of Princes Street, has more pubs per square block than anywhere else in Scotland. Shops and restaurants are nestled between the pubs.  New Town covers one square mile and contains 10,000 buildings that are listed for architectural merit. (The equivalent to our historical building.)

St. Giles Cathedral, Scotland’s principal church, has a turbulent religious history. It was Episcopalian twice. John Knox delivered fiery Presbyterian sermons here that drove Mary, Queen of Scots into exile.

Robert Lewis Stevenson lived at 17 Heriot Row from 1857 to 1880. A sickly and lonely child, he spent a lot of  time in a third floor bedroom window looking out onto the street. A local wealthy citizen who turned into a sort of cat robber in the evening was the inspiration for Stevenson’s Jeckle and Hyde. The lamplighter who came by each evening to light the street lamps inspired his famous poem The Lamplighter.

The Walter Scot Memorial looks like a church spire without a church. In the middle of Princes Street by the park it really is a monstrosity looking very much out of place. Built in 1844, it towers 200 feet over the sidewalk. Inside the spire is a marble statue of Scot sitting in a chair, his favorite dog sitting beside him.

Holyroodhouse, also spelled Holyrood House, was originally built as a 12^th century abbey, ruins of which are visible from the courtyard.  A little history: Queen Margaret eventually became Saint Margaret. She was very altruistic, doing kind deeds all the time, but not so her son, King David.  One day he was thrown from his horse and suddenly was confronted by an angry stag. When he put his hand up to protect his face the stag turned and walked away. He took this as a sign to change his ways and built the original fortified house down in the valley. The house was built in two sections. Mary, Queen of Scots, occupied the 16th century tower. In the 17^th century additions were added to join the other buildings and form the inner courtyard. The ceilings inside were absolutely exquisite. Made of egg white and horsehair they were as fine as any plaster ceiling. The detail and design was incredible. This would not be my choice of residence and it is said that the Queen detests Holyroodhouse. 

There you have some highlights of Edinburgh.

GLORIETTA

Finally Made it up the Hill

            On my third visit to the Schönbrunn Palace I finally had the time to hike up to Glorietta. Built in 1775, Maria Theresa decided the Glorietta  be designed to glorify Habsburg's power. The Baroque Schönbrunn  was to be so beautiful it would rival France’s Versailles. Having visited Versailles just a few months before this visit to Schönbrunn, it was easy for me to more or less compare the two palaces. I vote Schönbrunn to be the most exquisite. Since 1918 it has been property of the Austrian republic.

            Schönbrunn was the summer residence of Habsburg rulers. This is also the palace where Mozart performed for the Empress and her guests when only 6 years old. It  is said that after his performance he jumped onto the Empress’s lap. 

            After walking the rose garden and part of the maze admiring the lovely greenery I wanted to head to Glorietta. We walked back to the wide floral mall area and strolled to the huge Neptune  fountain.  My new traveling partner was hot and tired, so I left her sitting in the shade while I took the trek up the steep hill to Glorietta. It was a slow, careful climb up and down because of loose pebbles from frequent gully washes of recent rains. I thought I did not need to turn an ankle at the end of the trip!

            The view from the top was magnificent. Built on the hill behind the palace, it is the last building constructed in the garden. The temple of renown was to serve as both a focal point and a lookout point for the garden. It served as a dining hall and festival hall as well as a breakfast room for Emperor Franz Joseph I.    The Glorietta was destroyed in the World War II, but restored by 1947. Nothing remains behind the façade except a space that serves as a courtyard containing decorative sculptures. It was a beautiful sunny day and I took my sweet time enjoying the view.

            We had discussed having lunch in the gazebo at the zoo, but my cranky friend wasn’t hungry at noon so we headed to the subway and back to Vienna. 

BELGRADE, SERBIA

City Impressions

            Cruising into Belgrade, Serbia early in the morning, we gazed upon the green terraced lawns of the castle facing the water. The city looked more prosperous   than anything we’ve seen, and the apartment buildings looked relatively new---a nice change from the communist buildings of the previous couple of days. 

            Our local guide met us at the pier on the Sava River and while walking us up to the fort she said, “Turks occupied this area for 500 years, and there was no Serbia on the map. You can see old walls here in this part of the fort. The Turks used bricks and the Austros used stone so it is easy to tell who built what. Over here are some old Roman ruins which date back to the 4^th century. Over the years two million Serbs died fighting for freedom, and the Turks were finally defeated in 1867.”

             Located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, Belgrade has always been on the important east--west trade route serving as a gateway from the Balkans to Europe. Belgrade, whose name translates to white city, has a 2500 year history, is Serbia’s capital and the country’s largest city. It also was capital of the old Yugoslavia. . One of Europe’s oldest cities, it is the center of the country’s political and cultural life. After years of repressive communist rule, the country is just emerging into the tourist market.

Conquered and rebuilt by Celts, Romans, Slavs, Turks, and Austro-Hungarians, the Kalemegdan Fortress anchors the city to its strategically important position. Belgrade suffered heavy damage during both WW II and again in the Kosovo war of 1999. The city has been razed to the ground 44 times while involved in 115 conflicts/wars!     The old battleground,  is now a peaceful retreat from a bustling city. From its walls one can see the modern regional economic center and the hi-rise buildings of New Belgrade rising across the river that give one a feel of the importance of this crossroads-city.

The fort has four walls and three gates. The outer moat has been filled in and now houses tennis and ball courts. The inner moat, also filled in, displays military equipment. The huge park is shaded by many old trees. The fort covers a very large part of the city and also houses museums and a zoo on the grounds. There are seven miles of tunnels under the fort, and like many old cities, Belgrade has an upper town and lower town.

One outside wall of the zoo (1936) displayed art work of animals done by school children. They were colorful, all the same size and made a most unique cheerful wall. From the fort grassy area we had a good view of the Victor Monument. Erected in 1928 it represents all Serbian fighters of WW I. Originally the monument was to be in downtown Belgrade, but the warrior is naked and the residents just would have no part of a naked man overlooking the city, so he faces the river. He holds an eagle in his left hand and a downward pointing sword in his right.

It was a Sunday and we spent the afternoon walking the large shopping district/mall. It was a lovely sunny day that had many families out enjoying it. People were very friendly. We stopped to watch various street performers and did a bit of shopping at some of the sidewalk vendors. Most of the numerous upscale stores and boutiques were open. I was impressed with the city and would have liked a bit more time to enjoy it.

THE GROTTO in LUGANO

                      Interesting Restaurant Experience

Lugano is the Italian part of Switzerland. The climate, geography, homes, language all are entirely different from the rest of the country. My travel buddy on that trip wanted to extend out stay and visit Lugano, and that was fine with me. Our guide  insisted that we should visit a certain grotto restaurant. He drew us a map, gave us directions and assured us they spoke English and accepted credit cards.

We were game. We took the city bus to Paradiso and walked the short distance to the gondola station to get to the top of  Mt San Salvador. We had a spectacular view and after walking a footpath to an old church and climbing a flight of stairs to the observation deck we had an even better 360-degree view above the tree line of the city and lake.

Back at street level we found our way to the post bus stop where we had a short wait for the bus. As we boarded the bus I showed the driver a card from the restaurant to make sure we were on the right bus.  Little did we know we were in for a hair-raising ride over a narrow switch-back, hairpin-turn road up, up, up! At one narrow overpass the driver had no more than an inch of space on either side of the bus. He was good!

The driver alerted us at the proper stop and pointed us in the right direction. It was a Saturday and we never thought to ask when the bus returned. We followed the cobblestone alley for quite a distance and I was beginning to wonder if we really were in the right place when around the next curve the grotto restaurant appeared. 

English—forget it. No one, even the other diners, spoke any English. The menu of course was in Italian, which neither of us spoke.  We had been told to sit at a stone table, but for the life of me I can’t remember the significance of why. But we did it anyway. We could figure out pizza and salad on the menu. I opted for the former and my buddy the latter. Both were good, but we were a bit surprised when the tomato salad arrived and  a large bowl of quartered tomatoes was set before us!. The setting was lovely, cool, picturesque with flowers and greenery everywhere.

We paid our bill and made our way back down the alley. The bus schedule was posted on the outside of the post office. It was a bit confusing so I walked next door to another restaurant and found an English-speaking gentleman who informed us the bus was due in five minutes; then the next and last bus would be 3-hours later.  Talk about unexpected good timing!

After an equal hair-raising ride down the mountain we were happy to be back in Paradiso where we decided to walk back along the waterfront to Lugano. It had been a fun day.

MOUNT ROYAL

A Lovely Big Park

The day after an extremely long and strenuous day in Montreal, Canada I suggested, “Let’s walk up St. Catherine, (a major street) hail a cab, and hire him for a good part of the day so we can see Mount Royal.”

My friend was quite skeptical but I explained, “After looking at the map I don’t think we can get there without a car and things seem to be pretty well spread apart. There is no bus or subway that goes up there.”

The first cab that pulled around the corner off the busy street agreed to our plan and on our negotiated price. Mount Royal Park, established in 1876 and covering 500 acres, was designed by the same fellow who designed New York’s Central Park.

Our first stop was the imposing Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Italian Renaissance design. Arriving here definitely pointed out our need for wheels to get here. The carillon of the Oratory holds 56 bells, weighing 24,000 pounds, that were originally destined for the Eiffel Tower. Technical difficulties prevented them from ever getting there. In 1955 the bells were loaned to the Oratory for its Golden Jubilee. Later they were bought and gifted to the church. Church construction started in 1924 and inauguration took place in 1955. The exterior dome is 506 feet above the street and 263 feet above sea level and is the highest point in Montreal. This huge dome is the second highest in the world, behind St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The German organ with its 5811 pipes and five keyboards took two years to build and seven months to install.

As we entered the massive stately structure, we were surprised there was no admission fee. We picked up a booklet/guide in English making the $2 donation. Brother Andre, a humble doorkeeper, was born southeast of Montreal in the mid 1800s, and was orphaned by age twelve. He made his way to New England where he worked in textile mills, but at age 22 returned to Canada. In 1904 he built a small chapel which eventually became a basilica. He died at 91 in 1937.

Progressing through the church, we noted how modern the inside is. The 10,000 lit votive candles in one chapel give a warm glow to the large room. We thought crypt church a strange name until we read in the booklet, “The church is called Crypt Church because a vault is supported by flattened arches and because it is situated at the foot of the basilica.”  People were praying and occupying many of the 1000 seats. After noting the stain glass windows, we quietly walked thru the back of the church to the terrace for a view of the city below.

Escalators took us to upper rooms and another chapel. The church has seating capacity for 2200 and standing room for 10,000. The massive portico showcases 60-foot tall Corinthian columns. The portico offers an excellent view of the 283 steps leading down to street level. Fortunately our driver had left us at the entrance!

Next our driver stopped at the Smith House which is now a restaurant/museum.  From there we walked uphill over a hard-pack path and narrow roadway to the Chalet du Mont Royal where we had a spectacular view from the Belvedere Terrace before continuing on to the cross.

Leaving Mt Royal we rode through the Plateau that lies at the foot of Mount Royal. It is the home to a kaleidoscope of peoples and culture—rich and poor, English and French, young and old, gay and straight. This multi-ethnic area is the trendy spot for locals as well as tourists. Multi-colored houses with winding exterior staircases, ornate balconies, and French monsard roofs seem to be the norm in this area. We were glad we were not walking the hilly streets.

We asked to be dropped off downtown at Victoria Square. The square, named in honor of Queen Victoria in 1860, includes two sections (south and north) and was laid out in different stages beginning in 1811. The fine statue of the Queen adorning the square is the work of sculptor Marshall Wood, and was unveiled in 1872 by Lord Dufferin, the Governor General of Canada. At the time, Victoria Square was surrounded by a prestigious neighborhood.

The historic square changed a lot over the years with the construction of office towers around it. A major redevelopment project began in 2000. The stretch of McGill Street between Saint-Jacques and Viger streets has been shifted back to its original configuration, which in turn restored to the square its former presence. The new layout of the square reflects a contemporary design and now more emphatically links Old Montréal, the historic city center, with the modern downtown district to the north. The new fountain sports some modern sculpture. Flowering pots add bright perky spots of color.

It was a Saturday and most of down town was closed. My primary interest was to find the Paris Metro station entrance that was a gift to Montréal from the French for the 1967 Expo. As we studied the art nouveau cast iron rails, we each remembered our own trips to Paris.

We didn’t spend a lot of time down town and just as we were about to leave our driver suddenly appeared to run us back to the hotel. We had already paid him so it was a surprise to see him. It was above and beyond but it was the nice end to a fun day. He told us he’d enjoyed the day also and was then headed home to his family that included three teenage sons.

GOOMBAY WHAT?

A Good Punch

      I’ve often mentioned that I always look for the different and unusual. The first time I was in the Bahamas I discovered Goombay punch. That was over 30 years ago and being that much younger I thought the fruit punch was good, but I always remembered and was fascinated  by their logo. My second short visit was on a wedding cruise and I was more interested in showing my traveling companion the sites than tracking down some Goombay. Her likes were much different than mine anyway so she’d probably have thought I was a little nutty..

     But when I took my granddaughter to the Bahamas last year for a high school graduation present I had my chance to indulge.

I can best describe the drink as very much like an Hawaiian Punch. Rum added would be good, but I never hinted at that to the young one(18). She liked the drink and often bought a can or bottle of it.

     I wanted to bring home a case to share with friends, but I wouldn’t be able to carry a case on board (new TSA rules) and since I don't check luggage, I wasn’t willing to ship it or pay the airline a baggage fee, so the best I could do was bring home an empty can and share the story while remembering fond memories.

Post Script

A year later that same granddaughter had a chance to make a quick cruise to the Bahamas and when she came home she brought me 16 oz bottles of Goombay punch. A thoughtful surprise!

ST MICHAEL'S MOUNT

On Top of the Island

      One of Cornwall, England’s most famous natural landmarks is St. Michael’s Mount. It sits 200’ above the bay on the highest point of the granite and slate island rising out of the water. St. Michael’s Mount was built by the same French monks who created Normandy’s Mont St. Michel. Built over the site of a Benedictine chapel, it has been a church, fortress, and private residence.  It was one huffing hike over a very rough cobblestone path to the top, but the views were spectacular, the castle was lovely, and it certainly was worth the climb.

            One can walk the causeway, built in 1425, only at very low tide, otherwise it was a pound fare for the ‘ferry’ ride, which was an open row boat with outboard motor that held twelve people. Eight boats run continuously.  At the top of one of the pair of stairs at the island loading pier is a gold footprint marked VC in commemoration of Queen Victoria’s visit in 1846. I wondered if she made the climb to the top.

            The castle was a defense against several skirmishes over the ages, and in 1588 it was on St Michael’s Mount that the first beacon was lit to warn of the arrival of the Spanish Armada. During the Civil War (1642-1646) Royalists held the Mount against the forces of Oliver Cromwell.

            It was a thriving port for the booming tin industry. Around two thousand years ago trading ships sailed into the Mount’s harbor and exported Cornish tin to the rest of Europe. In its heyday as a busy port the island population swelled to three hundred. Today it is small motorboats that come and go, and the seafront cottages are still home to more than thirty islanders, whose jobs range from boatman to gardener, guide to handyman.

            Legend says that a mythical giant, Cormoran, once lived on the Mount, and used to wade ashore and steal cows and sheep from the villagers to feed his gargantuan appetite. One night Jack, a local boy, rowed out to the island and dug a deep pit while the giant slept. As the sun rose, Jack blew a horn to wake the angry giant who staggered down from the summit and blinded by the sunlight fell into the pit and died. 

            For all its remote beauty, living on an idyllic island can be challenging. Weather and tides dictates life.  When the causeway is under water, the mainland with its shops, pubs and medical assistance seems far away. At its best, the location provides peaceful isolation, but at its worst, supplies are cut off during winter storms, the school run is disrupted, and high seas smash against  flood defenses of harbor-side homes.  

            In 1659 Colonel St Aubyn purchased the Mount, which then became a private home. In 1873-1878 the Victorian Wing of the castle was built and is where the family now resides. In 1954 the  Gift of St Michael’s Mount, with a large endowment fund, was made  to the National Trust. James is the twelfth generation of the St Aubyn family who have occupied the castle since the 17th Century. James and Mary play an integral role in the running of the island. 

The organ in the present chapel is circa 1791.  The castle houses period furniture and old maps. Lovely wooden floors are throughout, and the castle is bright inside because of its rather large windows, certainly large for its day.

After viewing the castle and having interesting conversations with a couple of the docents I made my way back to the bottom. Fortunately it did not rain, because if it had that cobblestone walkway would have been very slippery. I walked all through the gardens surrounding the base of the castle and containing many unusual plants. It was an interesting morning.

ANCIENT RUINS

Old Roman Ruins

            After a late breakfast on our last day in Bruges, Belgium we headed out into the cold, windy, overcast day.

            Our first stop was less than a block away at the Crown Hotel. Located on the corner of the Burg, we’d heard there were visible ancient ruins in the hotel. We entered the lobby like we knew what we were doing and headed directly to a glassed wall pretty much opposite the entrance to see what might be behind. We glimpsed a couple of old stone pillars and then I suddenly heard English being spoken.

            With a quick check around the lobby we realized there was an English tour about ready to start. Quietly I said, “Let’s fall in behind those people and listen to what the fellow says and see what we can learn.”

            “It looks like an organized group.”

            “Just be quiet and see what happens. The worse they can do is ask us to leave.”

            We did, and were we lucky! Instead of just standing before the glass wall, the docent took the group down the stairs and after turning on some lights actually took us into the crypt and a large underground room of the old church of St. Donatius. The old foundation was beautifully built and pretty much complete.  The ruins were large and hidden switches bathed the area in light. It looked like meetings actually continue to take place in the basement of the hotel.

            Just before starting up the stairs we turned to the lady bringing up the rear, who at one time had looked at us suspiciously,  and thanked her for allowing us to tag along.

            From the Burg we ventured off with map in hand on a rather long walk to find the

Kempinski Hotel. For some reason this seemed a bit hidden and it took a bit of endurance to find it. We probably unknowingly took a circuitous route.

            Philip the Good built the initial estate in 1429 to celebrate his marriage to Isabelle of Portugal in 1430. Three days after the wedding celebrations Duke Philip founded the Prinsenhof in honor of his wife and to reward his loyal knights.

            When finished the estate was seven times its present size containing several buildings. The hotel now is owned by the Kempinski hotel chain that in 2003 restored this hotel to its previous splendor. The hotel is divided into two sections, the historic castle and the new part.  

            When I had seen the hotel in some travel literature I thought it would be fun to stay here, but it was no way as centrally located as our hotel, which was truly lovely. However, my curiosity had been satisfied and it was fun to speculate on centuries long gone!    

BAY OF FUNDY

Digby and Bay of Fundy

Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada is home to the world’s largest scallop fleet. In 1783 Admiral Robert Digby led a group of loyalists, by sea from the states, and settled here. Fishing is the major industry in this small seaside village of 2300 residents.  Scallops are the symbol of St. James. Scallops live in the ocean, and clams live in tidal basins.

The Acadian coast runs 70 miles up the west coast of Nova Scotia from Yarmouth to Digby.  Homes along the coast are colorful and we were told, “Fishermen are frugal people and they frequently use leftover paint from their boats to paint their homes.”

The area of the Bay of Fundy has extreme tides and at low tide all the fishing boats sit on the bottom of the bay until the tide returns to float them again. The record tide is 52-feet.  More water pours into the bay than empties from all the rivers in the world combined! To the residents of Digby I suspect this fantastic tide becomes routine after awhile, but for the first time visitor it is a pretty fantastic and awesome sight to watch.

The town’s shipbuilding heritage is evident in the Trinity Anglican Church. Built in 1878, it is thought to be the only church in Canada built entirely by shipwrights. Their unique handiwork is shown in the laminated arches, braces and hand-wrought ironwork so common in ships built over a century ago.

Digby is a quaint fishing village which we enjoyed strolling around. Except for the church and a few shops there is not a lot for the tourist to do in  town. We had a delicious lunch at a restaurant located over a store front. It provided a nice view of the harbor. The service was good and the atmosphere rustic. I enjoyed my first caribou  burger which tasted just like a good hamburger. I couldn't resist the rhubarb and strawberry pie--a childhood favorite!

NANOOK

Polar Bears

The indigenous people of Canada, the Inuits, call the polar bear Nanook. The Ursus Maritimus is the world’s largest terrestrial carnivore. The King of the Arctic, is a gentle, ever caring mother with an intense curiosity. Females weigh 500-700 pounds, and males from 1000-1500 pounds.  Standing on its hind legs, some bears can reach a height of 10-12 feet!

Clad in insulating fur and fat, the polar bear is able to sleep through blizzards, or plunge into near freezing arctic waters. The bear’s three layer coat consists of a big layer of fat topped by skin. A thick black under coat of dense fur traps heat. The top layer of fur consists of hollow guard hairs. These hollow hairs act as a solar collector, trapping the warm rays of the direct sun, and passing them onto the heat trapping under coat.

The 4 inch outer coat appears from white to yellow, but in effect, its hollow hairs are actually transparent and reflects light. These hairs, also add buoyancy when swimming, and the matting ability and oily texture allow the animal to shed water and ice from its body.

The animals’ paws are large and rounded.  The bear is capable of flipping a 500 pound seal, from the water, with one swing of its paw! Each paw has five partially webbed claws that assist in swimming. Using the front legs to propel him, and its hind legs to stabilize and steer, the bear is a strong swimmer, able to swim up to 60 miles before needing to rest. The footpads have a heavy fur coat, to protect against frostbite, but are rough enough to add traction on ice. On solid surfaces, the paws spread to distribute weight and act like a snowshoe, making them a master at negotiating over ice.

The head is long and tapered, with small ears and powerful jaws. The 42 teeth include long sharp canines, needed for piercing flesh. Their eyesight is rather poor, except under water, where they can see for 15 feet when looking for food. They tend to be far sighted, which allows them to search large areas of their environment when feeding. Their hearing, through the small fur lined ears, is nearly equal to that of humans. The ears also contain a fine network of blood vessels, which transport thermal energy to the auricles.

The polar bear has a phenomenal sense of smell, and it is said, he can smell a seal buried in a cave, under three feet of snow.  The bear is often seen thrusting its nose in the air to utilize its keen sense of smell. The animal can smell food for a distance of 10 miles. On a clear day, through binoculars, its black nose can be seen from a distance of six miles!

The polar bear liver is so rich in vitamin A that it is toxic to humans. The bears are also susceptible to a parasitic worm, which is apparently contracted from eating infected seals. A grown bear’s stomach will allow him to consume 150 pounds of food at one time! However, on average, a seal every five days adequately sustains a bear. Summer produces slim food pickings, and the bear pretty much subsists on its own fat.

The normal walking gait  is 2 ½ miles an hour, but a bear can run 25 miles an hour!

April–May is mating season for polar bears, with the pair remaining together for a week. Courtship and mating take place on the ice.  Polar bears are induced ovulators, meaning that they do not ovulate regularly, but the mating ritual stimulates ovulation. Gestation is eight months. Mothers normally have twins, but can deliver one or up to four cubs. With the ice cap disappearing it is more common these days to see a bear delivering only one cub. Cubs look like rats at birth weighting, only 1-2 pounds.  They are born hairless, blind, deaf, and helpless. When they emerge from the den at five months, they generally weigh 29 pounds. Mom can double her weight during pregnancy. Cubs are born November – February.  Mom nurses her babies for five months, during which time she does not hunt or feed, but stays in the den with her babies.

A bear den is approximately 6 X 10 X 4 feet, and the temperature is 40 degrees warmer than the outside air.  There are 17 known denning areas across Canada. One, 40 miles south of Churchill, is the largest. Discovered in 1969, it is a birthing den for 150 polar bears. Cubs stay with their mother 2 ½ years. Mother generally gets pregnant about every three years.       Mother’s milk is 40% fat and is thick like condensed milk. At one month, the cubs crawl, at 6 weeks opens their eyes, and by 10 weeks, they can keep their balance. They  mature at 4-5 years. The life span of a polar bear is usually 15-18 years, but can reach 30 years. Mothers with cubs are solitary. Polar bears are very good moms. It is not uncommon for her to run off a male, twice her size, to protect her cubs.

Polar bears are one of the seven species of bears, and is most closely related to the brown bear, with whom they can interbreed, and produce fertile offspring. An adult female polar bear is called a sow, and a male, a boar. Adult males can be aggressive and often may hurt or kill the cubs. Two males can box over females for hours often with bloody results.

A polar bear can eat 10% of its body weight in 30 minutes! The animals have well developed, strong hind leg and neck muscles. In spite of their size, they are agile in the water. Young males indulge in mock fights, called sparring, which is an impressive pastime. They spend hours wrestling on their hind legs, which will serve them well for survival and the fight for mates, territory, and food. They  lick the snow to quench their thirst. The only enemy of an adult polar bear is the human.

Polar bears wander the frozen north and are constantly on the move, roaming hundreds of miles.  They live on ice sheets and ice floes, which provide a base for their diet of mostly ringed seals.  They’ll often wait for a seal to stick its head out of the water to breathe, then slap the seal on the head with its paw, and drag it from the water. This technique is called still hunting.   The aquatic stalk is another hunting technique; the bear quietly swims through the water where a seal is sun bathing on an ice floe. The bear suddenly leaps out of the water grabbing the seal by the neck, and before the seal knows what is happening, he has become dinner. They also eat stranded whales, walruses, carcasses, human refuge, and in the summer, plants and berries.

I was very lucky to see several polar bears each day while in Churchill and I never got tired of watching them--it was a marvelous and fascinating trip well worth a repeat!

In 1960, when the bear population was estimated to be only 10,000, there was worldwide concern that the polar bear may be endangered. In 1973, in Oslo, Norway, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia, and the United States signed an international agreement of conservation to protect the polar bear and its habitat. 

KENYAN TID BITS

Memories of  Kenya

            Aaskari was a new word to me and I quickly learned it meant armed guard. During my visit to Kenya they were all over the tourist district, we understood mostly for pick pockets and minor crimes. In our well known hotel askari patrolled each floor of the hotel 24/7. They were on the streets and in front of stores. One evening one of the hotel askari accompanied several of us to an Indian restaurant two blocks away. I must say that I never felt threatened and was only uncomfortable in the local market because it was so big and such a potential fire hazard.

            Bougainvilleas ,in all colors, grew everywhere. They often formed gorgeous living fences and they grew as big as small trees. They hung over walls and were always a beautiful and a cheery site.

In the early 1900s the English indentured the Kikuyus to work in the sisal fields. Unable to read or write they did not understand that their thumb print on a piece of paper was obligating them to five years of very hard work. Many of them left but were arrested and returned to the plantations or put in jail if they refused to work. Because harvesting sisal is so difficult the crop was eventually replaced with coffee. One delightful evening spent in an Indian restaurant, the owner from India enlightened us some more about what a tough job cutting sisal was.

We arrived at the Aberdare Country Club about noon one day on our way to the Ark. The club veranda looked out over the valley and Mt Kenya beyond. What a view! It was a perfect place for the panoramic camera.  After lunch we wasted no time commandeering a rocking chair on the veranda just to enjoy the incredible view. I’d have been happy to have eaten lunch on a tray there but we dined inside with tux-clad waiters hovering over us fulfilling our every desire.

On the gentle lower slopes of Mt. Kenya we stayed at a quaint little English cottage lodge along the Naro Moru River. The area offered us a good opportunity for some nature walks and bird watching. The river was relatively clear but the water cold. There were several small waterfalls along the river. It was another lovely landscaped lodge. That night we lit the fire that was laid in our cabin fireplace and fell asleep to the crackling logs burning. Great!

            A total surprise of this trip was the totally unexpected beautiful hotels. After traveling over miles of rough dirt dusty roads it was a shock to come upon an oasis in the desert with running streams, swimming pools and lovely lush landscaping.  Our first plush hotel out of Nairobi was Amboseli nestled in the foothills of majestic Mount Kilimanjaro.  Part of the foothills are in Kenya but all of Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania.

After checking in at the hotel, I rounded the corner of the lodge veranda and nearly tripped over a yellow faced monkey! Later I observed him going into the coffee room and stealing a packet of sugar, then scampering off to eat his treat. He was fun to watch and he obviously was used to being around people.

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

A Few City of Edinburgh Highlights

This city of 500,000 is Scotland’s jewel festive epicenter of Scottish culture, as well as an important financial center of the United Kingdom.    Locals call themselves Edinburghers.

Edinburgh has been Scotland’s capitol since the 12^th century. Framed by rolling hills and the blue of the Firth of Forth, it is one of Europe’s fairest cities. Half medieval and half Georgian it is often referred to as to as the Athens of the North. In 1999 Edinburgh became the seat of the Scottish Parliament. Filled with history, battles, kings, bold ideas and literary association the city is the gateway to central Scotland. It is a city of contrasts where the past meets the present and ancient streets are filled with the hustle and bustle of modern day city life. Scotland aligned itself with France in 1513, and England burned the city but spared the now famous castle.

In the 12^th century Edinburgh was a walled city. The 1707 Act of Union with England moved the power to Westminster. The city is divided into Old Town and New Town. Edinburgh University was founded in 1583.

The seat of centuries of Scotland’s colorful and turbulent history Old Town is best seen on foot. The backbone of Old Town is the famous Royal Mile where kings and queens traversed for centuries. Grassmarket, south of the castle, is where the dreaded gallows hanged convicted criminals and burned witches at the stake.  Many squares, terraces, circuses, wynds and closes crisscross the city interrupting the cobbled streets thus making street numbers very confusing and difficult to find. Numbers are often missing, and follow no logical sequence.

James Craig, only 27 years old, designed New Town with its classical grid design that was the first in Europe. The buildings are Georgian. After New Town was built Old Town became a slum and remained so until a 19^th century restoration. Taxes were based on the number of windows in a house, so it is not unusual to see artificial windows on the top floor that reflect no light. New Town dates to the 18^th century, the golden age of Edinburgh. Three main streets: Queen, George, and Princes run parallel in the Georgian masterpiece. The rectangular symmetrical grid links Charlotte and St. Andrews Squares.  The first building went up in 1767 and by 1846 Edinburgh was a true British city with a direct rail link to London. Rose Street, directly north of Princes Street, has more pubs per square block than anywhere else in Scotland. Shops and restaurants are nestled between the pubs.  New Town covers one square mile and contains 10,000 buildings that are listed for architectural merit. (The equivalent to our historical building.)

St. Giles Cathedral, Scotland’s principal church, has a turbulent religious history. It was Episcopalian twice. John Knox delivered fiery Presbyterian sermons here that drove Mary, Queen of Scots into exile.

Robert Lewis Stevenson lived at 17 Heriot Row from 1857 to 1880. A sickly and lonely child, he spent a lot of  time in a third floor bedroom window looking out onto the street. A local wealthy citizen who turned into a sort of cat robber in the evening was the inspiration for Stevenson’s Jeckle and Hyde. The lamplighter who came by each evening to light the street lamps inspired his famous poem The Lamplighter.

The Walter Scot Memorial looks like a church spire without a church. In the middle of Princes Street by the park it really is a monstrosity looking very much out of place. Built in 1844, it towers 200 feet over the sidewalk. Inside the spire is a marble statue of Scot sitting in a chair, his favorite dog sitting beside him.

Holyroodhouse, also spelled Holyrood House, was originally built as a 12^th century abbey, ruins of which are visible from the courtyard.  A little history: Queen Margaret eventually became Saint Margaret. She was very altruistic, doing kind deeds all the time, but not so her son, King David.  One day he was thrown from his horse and suddenly was confronted by an angry stag. When he put his hand up to protect his face the stag turned and walked away. He took this as a sign to change his ways and built the original fortified house down in the valley. The house was built in two sections. Mary, Queen of Scots, occupied the 16th century tower. In the 17^th century additions were added to join the other buildings and form the inner courtyard. The ceilings inside were absolutely exquisite. Made of egg white and horsehair they were as fine as any plaster ceiling. The detail and design was incredible. This would not be my choice of residence and it is said that the Queen detests Holyroodhouse. 

There you have some highlights of Edinburgh.