The seaside in winter

The sun was out in full force on Friday morning, so I took advantage of it and decided to hike it down to Portobello. It truly is a hike, at a bit over three miles, but it was a pretty straight shot for the most part, and I thought it would be worth it to just see the beach.

And it was, in a way. Portobello is considered part of Edinburgh, but it was, in the not-so-distant past, a separate town, so it still has a High Street that functions as its own downtown even though suburban housing and retail complexes connect it to the city at large now. Portobello is also the 'Edinburgh's seaside,' with a promenade beachside attractions like ice cream shops and an arcade. I arrived just as Friday school was letting out, so there were children everywherrre! After stopping for a brie and cranberry panini at a basic takeaway place, I had lunch and watched a ton of families walk by on their way home. But by that time there were a few more clouds covering the sun and making it feel chillier on the waterfront.

Other than that, and the dogs running around on the beach, it was pretty quiet. It's February after all, but there's always something a little quirky and surreal about seaside towns when it's not even remotely warm enough to do much of anything beachy. It was windy and chilly, so I only spent a little while walking along the promenade before hitching a ride on a bus back to the city center (which incidentally broke down so it took a lot longer, but at least I didn't have to walk three miles back!).

It was really nice to get out of the middle of town for the afternoon and see a different side of this city.

Cheers,
Kate xx

Snap: Clear as day

View from kitchen, 6 February 2014, 2pm.

It's so clear, you can see further hills in the distance, in Fife. Not always the case. ;)

Cheers,

Kate xx

Snap: On the way

Howe Street, Edinburgh, 2 February 2014, around 1pm.

Cheers,

Kate xx

Why it takes forever...

Any hardcore Harry Potter fan who visits Edinburgh surely knows about The Elephant House, where JK Rowling is known to have written a bit of her famous series. A large number of cafes and coffee shops like to boast that JK Rowling wrote some of the books in their shop... only a small number of these are actually legit, The Elephant House being one of them. But aside from some photos on the wall, showing her in the shop after the fact, you don't get a very Potteresque vibe about the place, really. You wouldn't even know it's anything very unique in that sense, aside from the fact that more tourists stand outside to take pictures of the front than any other place along that street. You do, however, have to go into the bathrooms. It's here the real power of the Harry Potter pilgrimaging fandom comes out. And it takes forever, if you actually have to use the toilet, because just about anyone in there has to take the time to write a message, or at the very least read them. Or take photos of them. ;)

I love that they are so varied. Many of them are just quotes from the books. Some of them are professions of love for Ron or Harry. Some of them are humorous, and some of them are heartfelt notes of thanks. Like one that read, 'The boy who lived gave me courage to go on living. Thanks JR!' or 'You are our childhood!' I love these messages. I admit to not being a ginormous HP fan (my sisters sure are) but I have read the books and I really enjoy the tale. The Elephant House is a study spot for me because their cafe is nice, the views out the windows wonderful, and the coffee tasty, but I'll never tire of these magnificent bathroom walls. So be sure, if ever you stop in for a tea or a scone (their bakery is quite good) then you should remember to leave your mark in the loo.

Cheers,
Kate xx

Sunny sun!

A few things: it's February and it feels so springlike, I can hardly believe it. February, historically and from a Wisconsin point of view, has always been my least-loved month. There was always a bunch of old, crusty, dirty snow on the ground, it was cold and dreary, and the whole point is that it has felt that way for the last two or three months! When will it eeeend?? Without a doubt, the shortest month still felt like the longest.

Not so in Edinburgh. Either it's been mild and I've lucked the heck out, or else if I had to deal with winter somewhere, dealing with it here just ain't so shabby.

Also, I have a particular fondness for mornings when the sun is out and the sky is blue, but the ground is wet from a recent rain. Nothing rivals shiny cobblestones when they glisten in optimistic sunshine.

The days are getting noticeably longer, the sun is getting a little higher in the sky. I almost need sunglasses now! There are birds chirping in the trees and some hearty spring blossoms popping. Yesterday as I walked home from class around 4:30, people were sitting outside cafes in sweatshirts, listening to the buskers and sipping coffee. A sure sign of spring if I ever saw one.

I gave a class presentation yesterday which may very well turn out to be my last. I shouldn't hold my breath, but personally, presentations are one of my least favorite things about university. I've just been to the library (en route to which these photos were taken quickly) and apart from spending some time outdoors now that the weather seems promising, some studying is about to go down.

Spring is always the toughest term as the weather begins to turn nice, don't you find? Categorize that under 'things I forgot about being in college.'

Cheers!
Kate xx

Snap: Light and shadows

The White Hart Inn, Grassmarket, 5 February 2014, 10:30am

Cheers,

Kate xx

The art of Karborn

"I'm not a digital artist. I'm not an illustrator. I'm an artist."

I want to share with you Karborn a.k.a. John Leigh, London-based multimedia artist. He's an enigmatic guy with a splendid and large portfolio. His work is very graphic, edging on illustration one moment, seizing the urban environment in another, following a thread through digitalization and college and film and pop culture the next. Some of his work has an almost ethereal quality while at the same time a bit jarring. Depth is uncertain. The collage aspect of a lot of the work defies that there are segments that take the viewer back into space, or deep into, perhaps, nothingness. The enormous void of the digital age? The void of perception? (Who's to say?)

Love it. Check out some of the images here, and be sure to check out his Cargo Collective page where you can see a number of films and additional images.

Praylouder

Royal Nude

Voler de Nuit

Pauses Sunsetter Golden

She Dreams Sisyphus / Le Mythe de Sisyphe

All images via KARBORN @ Cargo Collective

Prints available for purchase

Cheers!

Kate xx