An Oasis

Student Life

Other

There's someone staying in my flat for a couple of days and today, as I wasn't doing anything much, she asked me to give her a day of culture. So we went for coffee. Then walked through Princes Street Gardens to the National Gallery of Scotland. I haven't been there for several years and it is kind of falling apart. Fortunately however there is some major work going on just now in the shape of the Playfair Project which is going to link the National Gallery to the Royal Scottish Academy through some underground Louvre style convolution and which will in the process make everything shiny and spritely. The RSA is closed until late Summer I think but the National Gallery remains open and has some stunning pieces. Particular favourite of mine was El Greco's The Saviour of the World which depicts a gaunt Jesus giving a benediction. Unlikely topic choice for me but hey, it's art. There was one particularly awful painting by Vincent Van Gogh, sadly I forget its name although I shant forget the picture itself.

So then we went for lunch at Café Florentin who do the best bacon roll in Edinburgh by a long way before heading on to the Scottish Parliament to observe a debate on Free School Meals. That was interesting but there was definitely a need for a coffee so we hit the Southern Cross Café on Cockburn Street.

Dondered around the Royal Mile for a bit, up to the Castle esplanade and then down to the Tron Kirk which is a bit odd. It used to be a church but that stopped happening and they excavated inside to expose the 16th century Marlin's Wynd above whose cobbled street, shops and cellars the Church was built. That much is both fine and interesting, the folk that run the place seem to have a thing for crap art tho' and have it strewn around the walls with abandon. Also features a gift shop with an eclectic range of rubbish. Had to go for a pint.

Posted by Paul at June 5, 2003 03:22 AM |