Yesterday we had a very full and busy day exploring Edinburgh. Early in the morning we headed down the Royal Mile to check out Holyrood Palace which was a really interesting place. It's located at the other end of the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle and was designed to be a hunting lodge originally and eventually became the residence for the royal family when they are in Edinburgh. Queen Elizabeth still visits and entertains there once a year. It was neat to see the areas that she would host people at etc and also interesting again to see the table settings and dining room tables that extend to accommodate so many guests.
Next we went and checked out Maria Marions Butterflies Exhibit at the Queens Gallery - she's an artist who paints insects. It was actually quite interesting to hear the entomologists talk about the realism and also the not-so-accurate aspects of some of the artist's work. Maria was both an artist and a scientist so her paintings have been quite revered and studied by many in both the art and scientific communities.
The Scottish Parliament building was our next stop. This building is an incredible architectural statement. As Scotland has one of the youngest parliaments in the world it also has one of the newest buildings - 1999. Very contemporary in design it was very intriguing to see how the architect designed the chambers with so much light and the meaning behind each of the design elements. There are beautiful and simple to understand displays highlighting the politics of Scotland as well.
Sir IF's favourite stop of the day was the Our Dynamic Earth building. This is a very cool and contemporary science museum utilizing lots of digital technology and has been extremely well-designed to appeal to both the child and the adult. Oodles of hands-on, interactive displays including elevator rides with video depictions and live actors who act as hosts to explain what's going on and where you are going next.
On our way back to the hotel Sir IF wanted to check out Calton Hill which has a good view of Edinburgh. We took the 'back road' walking path which was not Meg's favourite point on the trip but we did arrive safe and sound. Some of us felt we ignored pretty much every general travel safety tip but we got there. Needless to say we took the more travelled path on the way down.
It is amazing to see what a cultural mecca of international travellers there are here in Edinburgh. Throughout the city we have seen so many people with red hair - natural redheads with freckles. And everyone is so kind and friendly. Both Sir IF and Meg have been so impressed by how welcoming everyone and everything is here for children and how specific design elements of exhibits and museums are certain to cater to every family's need and whimsy. One also gets the sense here in Edinburgh of how progressive many of their social and cultural policies are and how there is a significant focus on the accomplishments of women.
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