New Year's Eve and the Pet Shop Boys!

I was so exhausted from the last two days, I needed a long nap before the night's festivities.  I had a ticket for the Street Party and the Pet Shop Boys concert.  It was pretty cold and I didn't want to be outside with a bunch of really drunk people for any longer than was necessary.  I looked online and found that the Pet Shop Boys were set to take the stage at 11:20.  Perfect.  I could see the concert and the fireworks without having to be out too long.

Edinburgh Castle all lit up and ready for the fireworks show.  I got two beers for myself so I wouldn't have to wait in line for 30 minutes again.  My hands were freezing, so I basically had to keep them in a tray and stay in one place.  I found a nice spot on top of the hill away from the main crowd.  The concert sound was great, but I didn't have the best view.

The Pet Shop Boys sounded great!  What fun!

Pet Shop Boys!  "Let's make lots of money!!"

The countdown!

 

 

The tradition of singing "Auld Lang Syne." Written in 1788 by Robert Burns and sung to a traditional Scottish folk melody, the song's title literally means 'old long since', but is the equivalent of such sayings as 'for old time's sake'.  

Perhaps this video clip from one of my all-time favorite movies, "When Harry Met Sally", explains it better.

Pet Shop Boys!  The hill I was standing on got really muddy, and pretty much anyone that tried to traverse it, sober or drunk, was guaranteed to fall on their ass.

The Pet Shop Boys came back on after the countdown for another 45 minutes of fun!

"Go WEST!"

Everyone stumbling back to their hotels with Edinburgh Castle in the distance.

Saint Andrews and the Fife Coast

Today, my friend from work Peter McLaren came to pick me up at my hotel and take me driving to the Fife Coast and St. Andrews.

The weather was absolute crap; cold and rainy.  But we had a good time anyway.

Anstruther fishing village

Anstruther fishing village

St Andrews is a former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, named after Saint Andrew the Apostle, whose bones are supposedly there. The town is home to the University of Saint Andrews which dates back to 1410. It is the third oldest university in the English speaking world, the oldest in Scotland and one of Britain's most prestigious.

Church in St. Andrews

Peter and me trying to get a good shot on the beach in the cold and the rain.
Second time is a charm; even with my pointy head.

Doing the "Chariots of Fire" thing.  Yes, this is the beach where it was filmed.

Little dachshunds on West Sands Beach. The two mile long beach is adjacent to the famous St Andrews Links golf course. Sand dunes on the beach, which have long protected the golf course, are themselves in danger of eroding away, and are the subject of a restoration project.

The lovely St. Andrews Golf Hotel.  Saint Andrews is known worldwide as the "home of golf," and is referenced as far back as 1552.   There are seven courses in total surrounding the western approaches of the town.

Martyrs’ Monument was erected in 1842 in memory of the Protestant reformers who had been executed in St Andrews some 300 years earlier, before and during the Scottish Reformation. Four of those who died have their names inscribed on this obelisk, which stands overlooking the sea on The Scores, just beyond the Old Course.

St Andrews Castle was the official residence of Scotland’s leading bishop (and later archbishop) throughout the Middle Ages. It also served as a prison. The castle's “bottle dungeon” is a dank and airless pit cut out of solid rock below the north-west tower where housed local miscreants. The principal remains are a portion of the south wall enclosing a square tower, the "bottle dungeon," the kitchen tower, and the underground mine and counter-mine The weather was beginning to clear, and I liked how the water appeared to glow.

St. Andrews Cathedral ruined Roman Catholic Cathedral. It was built in 1158 and became the center of the Medieval Catholic Church in Scotland as the seat of the Archdiocese of Saint Andrews and the Bishops and Archbishops of Saint Andrews. It fell into disuse and ruin during the 16th century Scottish Reformation, after which Catholic mass was outlawed. The ruins indicate that the building was approximately 391 feet (over 100 metres) long, and is the largest church to have been built in Scotland.

The sun was finally peeking out from behind the clouds casting a beautiful shadow of the ruins of the cathedral.

The tall square tower, part of the church, was built to hold the relics of St. Andrew and became known as the first cathedral in the town.

A beautiful rainbow forming over the ruins.

A lovely view of Saint Andrews and the castle ruins from on top of the tower.

The castle gate.

The center of the castle with the fire pit.

"She's a maniac, maniac on the floor...and she's dancin' like she's never danced before..."

It was getting dark, so time to head back to Edinburgh.  I still had a long night ahead with the New Year's Eve party.  I was exhausted and was looking forward to my hotel and a nice nap.

Hogmanay's Torchlight Procession

That evening, I was ready to head to the torchlight procession. Last year’s event welcomed over 35,000 people to this world renowned family event. Thousands of torch carriers illuminate the city through the city center to a spectacular Son et Lumière and fireworks finale. Led by Shetland’s Up Helly Aa’ Vikings and the massed pipes and drums.

I had paid for two torches ahead of time just in case someone wanted to join me.  When it was clear I was going to be alone in the procession, I gave my extra ticket to some random girl.  She was very happy.

Waiting in the queue for the torches to be lit.  You can see then starting up in the distance.

If buses could talk, I guess they'd wish us a Happy new Year.

The procession begins as we cross the first intersection.

So many torches, so many selfies.  I have no idea how no one got burned.

The torchlight procession with a little Pet Shop Boys music pumping me up for tomorrow night!

 

Heading up Calton Hill for the fireworks.

The Scottish National Monument on the top of Calton Hill   This monument was intended to be another Parthenon and to commemorate Scottish Soldiers killed in the Napoleonic Wars. Construction started in 1826 but work was stopped in 1829 when the building was only partially built due to lack of money. It has never been completed. For many years this failure to complete led to its being nicknamed "Scotland's Disgrace" but this name has waned given the time elapsed since the Napoleonic Wars and it is now accepted for what it is.

Fireworks to an Adele tune.

The burning of the Viking longboat on Calton Hill.

Samba drum school.

Bagpipers with a little drummer boy.

You've Got Two Empty Halves of Coconuts..

...and you're banging them together!

Today was a crappy, cold rainy day.  I had remembered that Doune Castle was where Monty Python filmed most of the castle scenes for "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."  I couldn't quite work out the bus schedule, but I was determined to make my pilgrimage.

I got up early that morning and went to the concierge, Wayne, to inquire about how to get there.  Wayne was nice enough to oblige me and make some calls inquiring about ballpark taxi fares from the train station to the castle, and off I went.  But first, a nice traditional Scottish breakfast at a small place across the street from the Sheraton called the Red Squirrel at the recommendation of Wayne.

Traditional Scottish breakfast: Toast, beans, ham, sausage, fried egg, grilled tomato and yes....HAGGIS.  The haggis wasn't bad.  A bit spicy, but ok.

A nice Scottish taxi driver picked me up at the train station and gave me his card, so that I could call him when I was ready to go back to the train station.

The weather wasn't great, but I would be inside anyway.  I bought my ticket at the small office at the entrance and was sure to ask for my complimentary coconut halves to borrow.

I had the whole castle to myself.  I took my time walking around listening to the audio guide narrated by none other than Pythoner Terry Jones himself.  It inculded lots of historical facts along with interesting and humorous trivia about which scenes were filmed where.

Doune Castle

The courtyard area of the castle is currently being used for the set of "Outlander".  The castle has also been used for1952's "Ivanhoe" featuring Robert Taylor and Elizabeth Taylor.  Most importantly, it was used as Winterfell inthe pilot episode of my favorite tv series "Game of Thrones."

The set ready for filming "Outlander."

Terry Jones and Michael Palin reuniting at Doune Castle in 2001.

Me, standing in the same spot as my idols, Terry Jones and Michael Palin.

Yes, I DO have two empty halves of coconuts and I AM banging them together!

View of the Highlands from up in the castle.

Filming locations:

• At the start of the film, King Arthur and Patsy approach the east wall of Doune Castle and argue with soldiers of the garrison.
• The song and dance routine "Knights of the Roundtable" at "Camelot" was filmed in the Great Hall.
• The servery and kitchen appear as "Castle Anthrax", where Sir Galahad the Chaste is chased by seductive girls. 
• The wedding disrupted by Sir Lancelot was filmed in the courtyard and Great Hall.
• The Swamp Castle scene with the guards.

• The Trojan Rabbit scene was filmed in the entryway and into the courtyard.

"Knights of the Round Table" at Camelot!

Main hall where "Tale of Sir Gallahad," "Knights of the Round Table," and "Swamp Castle scenes were filmed."

The castle steps were narrow, dark and wet.  I traversed my way to the battlements.  Finally some light so I could do what I have waited so many years to do....

And, here is the original...

My taxi guy slowed down over the bridge and gave me a heads up to get this shot of the castle over the river.

My cab driver came back to pick me up and got me to the train station.  The rains caused heavy flooding and I had to wait an extra hour due to train delays.  I finally made it back to my hotel; ready for the second part of my busy day.