Beautiful Balmerino

On Sunday, after church, we drove to Hazelton Walls, where my great, great, great great grandparents lived in the 1850s, before they came to Australia. He was the town blacksmith (and his father had been to from the start of the century) she was the school teacher. We saw the place where their home once was, but it has been demolished, and was now an open field. Next we drove to Balmerino, where we saw the grave of my great, great, great, great, great grandmother, and the ruins of the old abbey, from the 13th century. Dad read us a poem by William McGonagall, widely considered the worst poet ever. The poem was called "Beautiful Balmerino," and began, "Beautiful Balmerino, on the bonnie banks of Tay, its a very bonnie spot in the months of June and May." 

At Janet Aitken's grave

After this we drove back to St Andrews, where we visited the ruined cathedral. There was a small museum there containing local archaeological finds. My favourite was a macabre gravestone with a picture of a skull, and a cautionary message written on it; "Remember man as you go by, as you are now, so once was I, As I am now so shall you be, prepare yourself to follow me."

At St Andrew's Cathedral

Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle

On Saturday we caught the train down to Edinburgh to visit the castle, Greyfriars Kirk, and other attractions. First we walked from the station to Edinburgh castle, situated grandly on a hill overlooking all of the city and the surrounding countryside. We went on a short tour of the castle that introduced us to many of the buildings, before watching a performance of obscure medieval and renaissance instruments, including the hurdy gurdy, a 1000 year old string instrument that could play melody, harmony and rhythm simultaneously.

Hurdy Gurdy

Next we saw the Crown Jewels of Scotland, the second oldest on Earth. After Charles I's execution, and England's transition into a Republic, the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell ordered the destruction of all Britain's Regalia. However, Scotland's survived, smuggled out from Dunottar castle to a parish church where they were hidden.

Greyfriar's Bobby

After Edinburgh castle we walked down to Greyfriar's Kirk, by request of Lydia, to visit the grave of Greyfriar's Bobby, a Skye Terrier famous for supposedly sitting beside his master's grave for 14 years. However, a more recent theory says that the dog was more likely a random stray who lived at the graveyard because of all the food and attention. Also, the original Bobby probably died 4 years before his "death" being replaced by a younger dog, thus explaining his longevity.
Afterwards I visited a fossil shop and bought a prehistoric whale tooth. On the way back to the station we visited the cafe where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter, and stopped at a carousel for Lydia, arriving at the station just as it began to get dark.

On Thursday we drove to some of Scotland's fishing villages. First we travelled to Anstruther, where we had hot chips out in the cold and visited the fishing museum, which I found quite dull, but Lydia enjoyed. Finally we saw the cave of Saint Fillan, where the saint was said to write his sermons with the light of his magical glow-in-the-dark arm. The story was ridiculous, but the cave was interesting.

St Fillan's cave

The next day we drove to Loch Leven nature reserve. Upon arrival, we were all delighted to see our first ever red squirrel, Britain's only native squirrel. We went on a long walk up to the top of a hill overlooking the loch, with Lydia managing to walk the whole way without needing to be carried, 

Red Squirrel

Walking up the hill

next we visited some of the wetland hides and looked out for waterbirds. We saw a lot, but found them hard to identify in the rain. There was supposed to be a huge eagle on an island in the loch, but he never left the island, and as a result, we never saw him.

St Andrews

I spent the day after our arrival in Scotland lying miserably on the couch. The illness that had swept across our family had finally reached me, turning my day into a nightmare of pain and fever. However, as is often the case with these things, the next day I felt fit as a fiddle, and ready to explore St Andrews. We had morning tea at the cafe where Kate met Prince William, while they were students at St Andrews, before walking down to St Andrews Castle. Although now mostly ruins, the castle had a fascinating history that I loved learning about. The best part was the mine and countermine. During a castle siege, in the 16th century, the besieging forces had decided to dig a tunnel under the castle walls, and mine it with gunpowder. However, the forces under siege started digging countermines, trying to cut off the mine before it reached the castle. After three failed attempts, eventually their plan succeeded, and the mine was intercepted. We got to walked down into the mine through the countermine, and explore the old tunnel. The countermine was very claustrophobic, only 3 and a half feet square, with a steep and uneven floor. The mine itself was more spacious.

Inside the countermine

York

On Monday, after a troubled sleep we awoke and explored nearby York. We walked along the York walls, that once surrounded the old town, and visited the Yorkshire museum. Walking along the walls reminded me of walking through Cambridge in the Winter, and seeing all the familiar birds was also a bonus. There was also dozens of grey squirrels, delighting Lydia with their frantic comings and goings

Lydia and I at the walls of York

The museum was also interesting, with artefacts from a variety of time periods. My favourite was a 5th century Anglian helmet, preserved in almost perfect condition, with elaborate design carved into it. Lydia was transfixed by a video about the origins of some of the skeletons on display.

After a short walk back to the car we began our long drive up to St Andrews in Scotland. 

The day we waited in line for 45 minutes so we could look at a broken manhole cover, followed by the day we left Rome with half the family sick

Saturday the 10th was our last day in Rome, so on that day we decided to visit all the attractions we would like  to see, but hadn't been able to. First we walked through Trastevere to the churches of Santa Maria and Santa Cecilia. Trastevere was beautiful, with no tourists, cobbled streets, fountains, and beautiful houses. A cellist played Bach in the square. We visited an elderly couple's shop where  they made puppets by hand, and bought a couple for Lydia. Everyone there seemed so friendly, and of course the churches were very beautiful.

Santa Cecilia in Trastevere

After visiting the two churches, we walked over the Tiber to visit the Mouth of Truth, a glorified Roman manhole cover, carved to resemble a face, that was supposed to bite you if you lied while holding your hand in its gaping mouth. We only did it because that was the one thing Lydia wanted to see in Rome, and we didn't want to disappoint her, but we had not anticipated how ridiculously long the line was. Hundreds of people had travelled here to lie and discover (surprise, surprise) that the manhole cover was an inanimate object, and could not possibly bite your hand, let alone tell the difference between a lie or the truth. Eventually we reached the object, let Lydia put her hand inside and then hurried away for Lunch. I strongly do not recommend this tourist attraction for anyone.

Lydia at the Mouth of Truth

After lunch, we walked to the Pantheon and the church of San Luigi, not spending much time in each, as Dad and Elsie were both feeling unwell. We had gelato at the Piazza Navona, and quickly walked back to our apartment, just in time for Dad, Elsie, and Lydia to start vomiting. Getting packed up in time was a nightmare, but we managed, and after a stressful sleep, we made it onto the plane.

Arriving in England again after 4 years was surreal, I had missed the country so much, and was ecstatic to be part of it again. I recognised all the birds that flew past as we drove up the highway, and every tree looked familiar, despite my never having been on that particular road before. We arrived at a youth hostel in York at 4:15, and got ready for our first night in Britain in 4 years.

Catacombs

Yesterday Rebecca was feeling unwell, so we stayed at home for much of the morning. Elsie, Dad and I walked up to the Garibaldi Monument on Janiculum hill. Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian freedom fighter, who fought against invading french forces at Rome. He led a team of idealistic soldiers called the Red-shirts. The view from the hill overlooked all of Rome.

Elsie and I at Janiculum hill

There was also a monument to Giuseppe's wife,  Anita Garibaldi who rode away from a besieged town with her newborn baby, brandishing a pistol. Her body was inside the monument

Anita Garibaldi

After lunch, we caught a crowded bus to the catacombs of Saint Domitilla, and San Callisto. The catacombs were used by the early Christians to bury their dead. They went on for miles, deep underground. San Domitilla was my favourite, it was much darker, and narrower than the catacombs of San Callisto, and was genuinely atmospheric. We were not allowed to take pictures, but even if we had, no photograph could properly demonstrate the full situation.

Ostia Antica

Yesterday m
y family and I travelled to the Ancient Roman port town of Ostia Antica. Just outside Rome, the city had been a thriving hub of life during the time of the Roman Republic and Empire, until its abandonment following the collapse of the Roman Empire, and pirate attacks. The city was preserved excellently, with beautiful mosaics, and tantalisingly intact buildings. The theatre was incredible, with the world's oldest orchestra pit, and enough seats to hold hundreds of people.

The theatre at Ostia

The highlight of the trip to Ostia, for me, was the Mithraeum, temple of the cult God Mithras. It was positioned beneath the baths of Mithras, and featured a huge sculpture of Mithras killing the sacred bull, an image shown in every surviving Mithraeum.

The Mithraeum

A Roman Holiday

Yesterday we visited many museums, ruins and tourist attractions across Rome. First we visited a Roman insula, essentially an ancient apartment block. Most of the lower class of Rome would have lived in insulae, just like the one we saw.

A Roman Insula

Afterwards, we visited the Trajan markets and forum, a shopping centre and forum complex from the 2nd century, put in place by the emperor Trajan. There was an interesting museum there about ancient Roman daily life, with many interesting artefacts taken from the Forum. I bought a humorous book at the gift shop about Latin. 

Trajan's forum

Afterwards, we visited an exhibition of art by Artemisia Gentileschi, a famous Italian artist of the baroque period. Her art is frequently gory and shocking, often portraying women from history overpowering and killing men.

Judith and Holofernes

After the exhibition, we walked across Rome to the famous Trevi fountain. However, we all found it rather anticlimactic. The square was packed with tourists to a ridiculous level, and the fountain itself was not so much a fountain as a bizarre marble shrine, gushing water over an overly grand series of marble platforms. It was certainly big, but I did not find particularly attractive.

Trevi Fountain

Next we went to the Ara Pacus, altar of Augustan peace, and the Spanish steps, another popular tourist attraction that I found so-so. Beside the Spanish steps was our final, and my favourite destination, the Keats and Shelley museum, the house where the famous British romantic poet John Keats died. It was fascinating to learn about his life, as well as the lives of other romantic poets he knew, like Percy Shelley and Lord Byron. Even my 5 year old sister Lydia was captivated by the lecture about their lives.

...Do as the tourists do

Yesterday we travelled to the ancient centre of Rome, the Colosseum, the Forum, and the Palatine. First we caught a bus to the Colosseum, arriving at 8:45. That early, there were no queues, and it wasn't until midday, when tour busses vomited up tides of selfie stick wielding tourists that it became busy. It was freezing cold, and sprinkling lightly. It was great seeing the imposing structure , but also slightly underwhelming, after hearing all the hype it was a shock to see just how much was reconstructed, fake, or missing. The audio guide tour was only about 10 minutes long, and not particularly engaging.

As the rain grew heavier we decided to visit the Basilica San Clemente, a 12th century church built over a 4th century church built over a 1st century roman house that served as a church, and earlier as a Mithraeum, a temple for the pagan God Mithras. My favourite part was the creepy Mithraeum, deep below the ground. Mithras was a cult God from the East, followed by much of the Roman legions. We know little about him, all that we do know comes from carvings and reliefs on Mithraeums, like the one we saw. Photographs were not allowed, unfortunately

Finally we saw the Roman Forum. The amount of ruins was slightly overwhelming, but I found it fascinating. My favourite part of the forum was the temple of Saturn, the god of time and plenty. There, I learnt about Saturnalia, the feast of Saturn, celebrated in the midwinter. Over a week slaves were served by their masters, grudges were forgotten, gifts were given, and no-one could be arrested. A slave or criminal was chosen to be a mock king, and they would be served and do what they wanted, but would usually be killed at the end of the week. The feast was meant to be a reminder of the mythical, perfect days when Saturn ruled Italy, but quickly collapsed into a riot of bloodshed, debauchery and crime. Many of the customs of today's Christmas customs were based on Saturnalia, including gift-giving and festive spirit.

Temple of Saturn

when in Rome...

Yesterday we visited the Vatican museum and St Peters Basilica, as well as exploring some more of Rome. We left at 8:30, hearing that the lines for the Vatican museum were incredibly long. A 20 minute queue awaited us at the museum entrance. Con artists tried to take advantage of our ignorance, saying we have to pay to enter the museum, at an "official place across the road." It wasn't hard to work out it was a scam. The museum itself was beautiful, gloriously decorated passageways decorated with tapestries lead towards the famous Sistine chapel.

Tapestry of the resurrection

The chapel itself was astounding, the beautiful and famous frescoes covering the walls and ceiling were overwhelming! We weren't allowed to take photos, but I found one on the internet.

After the Sistine chapel, we saw a selection of historical artefacts, including the signet ring of Pope Leo X. He would have used that ring on the papal bull sent to Martin Luther.
Later, we walked through Rome, to Torre Argentina. This was a series of ancient Roman buildings, including the temple of fortune of the present day, and the site of Julius Caesar's assassination. However, on arrival we discovered it was also a sanctuary for stray cats!

Torre Argentina

Following this, we had gelatos, and walked to St Peter's Basilica. The queue was truly horrendous, hundreds of metres long, it took us 40 minutes to reach the gate. However, the Church itself was well worth the wait. Church tradition says it houses the body of Peter the apostle, but this is unsubstantiated. One of the best things I saw there was a famous statue called the Pieta, of Mary cradling Jesus's dead body.
It was quite a day!

The Pieta

And so we came to Rome

Yesterday we arrived in Rome after 30 hours of travelling. We caught a taxi from the airport to the apartment where we are staying. After dropping off our luggage, we decided to explore the city. Rome comprises of buildings of greatly varying ages pressed tightly together to save space. 1st century BC ruins sit beside 20th century high rise apartments. The air smells of tobacco smoke and dust, and reverberates with the roar of a cars engine. Soldiers stand at random street corners wielding large assault rifles. Pickpockets, con artists and dodgy salesmen are constantly trying to rip you off. Beggars sit on sidewalks, some horrifically deformed or injured. So far, despite enjoying the experience, and loving the history and ruins, I dislike the general feel of the city.

Guards at Rome

5 mins from our house is the Vatican. When we arrived at the border we noticed a huge crowd in St Peter's square, all holding up mobile phones and cameras. A voice rang out in Italian, amplified by microphones and speakers. After a short wait while passing through border control, we discovered it was the pope speaking out to the people of Rome. We could see him speaking out from his window. It was a fantastic experience! We later discovered that the pope always does this every Sunday at noon. Afterwards we had a traditional pizza, and walked back to our house. We were very tired, and so went to bed earlier than usual.

Us at the Vatican, the pope is visible in the top window, second from the right.