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Walking on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, a distinctive crown steeple is easily discernible in the skyline…St. Giles’ Cathedral.
The cathedral, dedicated to Saint Giles, the patron saint of Edinburgh, cripples and lepers, is the principal place of worship of the Church of Scotland and is easy to find a little more than halfway down the Royal Mile. Known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh, the church dates back to the 14th century, though extensively restored during the 19th century.
Anxious to visit St. Giles, I had planned to stop in during the middle of the day, however, realizing that I had forgotten my SD card for my camera caused me to lose precious time during the daylight hours while running back to my hotel. With it being wintertime and the sun setting so early in the afternoon, it was dark when I finally entered the imposing structure.
Always having been awed by the architecture on the outside, I was equally impressed as I walked through the doors. With soaring ceilings, arches and pulpits, the interior was quite breathtaking.
Paying the £2 photography fee so that I could take pictures during my visit, I was a bit disappointed that it was so dark outside, which lent to the dark feeling throughout. Another disappointment with the lack of exterior light was that the amazing stained glass windows that the church is known for and designed by the likes of Edward Burne-Jones, could not be seen displaying their beautiful colors and depictions.
What could be seen, however, are the four massive central pillars, said to date back to 1124 and the Thistle Chapel, an impressive chapel designed by Robert Lorimar and built to honor the Order of the Thistle, the great order of chivalry. The chapel contains stalls for sixteen knights, the Sovereign’s stall and two Royal stalls. With much to absorb, you will be enthralled for hours inspecting the religious and heraldic details, especially the carvings of the angels with bagpipes.
There are many monuments and memorials located in St. Giles, including those dedicated to Scottish regiments and individuals who perished during wars and campaigns, Scottish Military Nurses during WWI, lawyers, doctors, writers and poets including a bronze memorial to Robert Louis Stevenson. Other memorials include those to James Graham, Marquis of Montrose and his arch enemy, Archibald Campbell, Marquis of Argyll.
Interesting to check out is the statue of John Knox, the preacher of the Scottish Reformation in 1560. Knox was the minister of St. Giles’ until his death in 1572 when he was buried in the churchyard. His grave was paved over and the area became known as Parliament Square. A six foot tall, bronze statue was erected and once stood over the site of his burial in Parliament Square, but was eventually moved back into the church when it was determined that the statue was being damaged by the weather. An engraved stone set in the pavement is now the only marker for his gravesite in the square.
St. Giles is an impressive and historic church located in the heart of Edinburgh. Though I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to St. Giles, I do think that a return visit is in the cards for a future trip to Edinburgh…during the daylight hours!
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St. Giles Cathedral
- http://www.stgilescathedral.org.uk/
- Address: Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH1 1RE
- Sunday Mass Schedule: 0800 (Holy Communion in the Holy Cross Aisle), 1000 (Choir, Sermon, Holy Communion), 1100 (Choir, Sermon), 1800 (Program of Music), 2000 (Holy Communion on last Sunday of the month).
- Weekday Mass Schedule: 0800 (Holy Communion on Wednesday and Friday mornings), 1200 (Daily service, Monday-Saturday)
The most interesting stories were of murder and hauntings. Images of disembodied limbs, child phantoms and gruesome animals have terrified many residing within and touring the close. The most recent and famous story, however, is that of a Japanese medium visiting the close. A little girl tugged on her coat as she left one of the rooms. The medium looked back to see a small girl crying in the corner. The little girl, Annie, claimed that she had died during the sickness of 1645 and told the medium of how lonely she was having lost her family, but mostly her treasured doll. The medium, went up to the Royal Mile, purchased a doll and left it for the child. Ever since, visitors have left dolls and other toys in the corner of the room for the little girl.
The Skye Terrier statue, named Bobby, is a whole other story in itself, standing on the curb in front of Greyfriar’s Bobby bar and created by William Brodie in 1872. The best known story surrounding the dog tells a tale of a canine so devoted to his master that when his owner passed away, the dog spent the next 14 years guarding his grave until his own passing. The statue was initially created as a drinking fountain with the upper part for humans and the lower for dogs, although the water supply was cut off many years ago. In the nearby Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, a red granite stone was erected on Bobby’s grave in 1981 and small dog toys, flowers and sticks (for Bobby to fetch) are frequently left.
Finally, after watching many people rub Bobby’s nose and dress him up for the Christmas holiday, our tour guide, Jodie, arrived…looking very much the part. Passing out “magic” wands (to assist with our spells for stopping traffic), we set out on our way, first entering Greyfriar’s Kirkyard. Our tour guide showed us Greyfriar’s Bobby’s gravestone and then began to give us information on the creation of Harry Potter…in Edinburgh.
Continuing on, we then visited the tunnel, Potterow Port, on the University of Edinburgh’s campus, which inspired the scene where Harry and his cousin, Dudley, were being chased by Dementors. It has been speculated that Potterow, an area which the author sometimes frequented, may have been the inspiration for Harry’s surname.
Lastly, we finished our tour in The Grassmarket. This area, located in a hollow, below the Castle and Royal Mile, is a historic market place and event space in the Old Town area. The long winding street, with colorful storefronts and restaurants, will have you thinking that you are on Diagon Alley searching for your first wand. Hey, you almost expect to see the goblins from Gringots standing on the street corner!
Although the castle’s origins as a residence date back to the 12th century, with the reign of David I, Edinburgh Castle only retained a residential role until the 15th century, later transitioning into military barracks and garrison. It was considered one of the most important strongholds in the Kingdom of Scotland and was involved in many historical conflicts. Recent research identified 26 sieges in the castle’s 1100 year old history.
The castle offers many different buildings, museums and vantage points. We began our exploration by climbing the Lang Stairs to the Argyle Tower. Not much to see within the tower, we moved on to Mon’s Meg, the Dog Cemetery and St. Margaret’s Cathedral.
Adjacent to the cemetery overlook is Mon’s Meg, a medieval bombard and one of the largest cannons in the world (by caliber). This cannon was built in 1449 as a gift to James II, King of Scots from Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. It was used in many sieges until the 16th century and spent some time in the Tower of London until it was returned in 1829.
Moving into St. Margaret’s Chapel, we found it blissfully empty. With a surface area of only 160 square feet, it was nice not having to jockey for position with other tourists to capture nice photos and enjoy the beauty of the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh. The 12th century chapel, was spared the wrath of Robert the Bruce when the castle was captured on March 14, 1314 and all buildings in the castle were destroyed. The chapel, restored and now cared for by the St. Margaret’s Chapel Guild is well worth a short visit, especially for the five stained glass windows of St. Margaret of Scotland, St. Andrew, St. Columbia, St. Ninian and William Wallace, all designed by Douglas Strachan in 1922.
To the Great Hall’s south, is the Scottish National War Memorial, which occupies a converted barrack block and stands on the site of the Medieval St. Mary’s Church. When entering the building, pay note to the gargoyles and sculpture that decorate the exterior. The interior is a long massive space, with a high vaulted ceiling, stained glass windows (designed by Douglas Strachan) and monuments commemorating Scottish soldiers; those who served with the Scottish regiments and those who died in the two world wars and in recent conflicts. On an altar within the Shrine (placed on the highest point of the Castle Rock) rests a sealed casket containing Rolls of Honour which list over 147,000 names of those soldiers killed in the First World War. Another 50,000 names were inscribed on Rolls of Honour and line the walls of the main hall. No pictures are allowed within the building.
The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Regimental Museum features a large offering of weapons, uniforms, medals and paintings which portray the story of the past regiments that formed or were associated with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, including 3rd Dragoons Guards (Prince of Wale’s Own), 6th Dragoon Guards (The Carabiniers), 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wale’s Dragoon Guards), the Royal Scots Greys (2nd Dragoons) and 25th Dragoons.
After leaving these two museums, we walked past the Governor’s House and turned left to the entrance of National War Museum. The story of Scotland at war is told here along with the story of the battles that were lost and won. Many military artifacts and personal treasures are on display. Again, this museum is free with your entrance ticket to the castle and is worth a look around. By this point in the day, however, we were getting a bit tired of the museum setting and hungry, so we made it a quick visit.
Place des Martyr’s or Martyr’s Square is a square in the center of Brussels dedicated to the days of the Belgian Revolution of 1830 and those who lost their lives. A monument and crypt stand in the middles of the square and contain the bodies of 400 heroes from the revolution, many of which lie not far from where they were shot during the battles fought in the streets of Brussels.
You will also notice not-so-historical things on your walk through Brussels. Although you can visit the Musee Magritte or Belgian Comic Strip Center, both located in the heart of Brussels, some pieces of art reside on the sides of buildings, on garage doors and on metro walls. There are some exciting street artists residing in Brussels and their masterpieces will surprise and delight!
Lastly, eat, drink and be merry! Belgium is known for some of the best beer, chocolate and waffles! Visit Delirium Monasterium, considered the temple of Belgian beer, serving countless selections of beers from over 60 countries. Relax at the bar and let the bartender choose a flight of beers for you to try! You won’t be disappointed…but maybe a little tipsy!
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After your visit to St. Catherine’s church is complete make sure to check out the Tour Noire (Black Tower) located on the side of the NH Hotel and diagonal from St. Catherine’s. This 12th century tower, still stands strong and is the lone surviving part of the ancient stone city walls.
With vague instructions from my friend and a little help from Google, I headed out onto the streets of Brussels and found that Het Zinneke, the peeing dog, was located quite near my hotel. Although he is not actually a fountain like Mannekin and Jeanneke, he is still something of a tourist attraction with many people stopping to snap a picture or mimic his pose.
Commissioned in 1985 by Denis-Adrien Debouvrie and erected in 1987, Jeanneke Pis, like Mannekin Pis is constructed of bronze and depicts a little girl with a short pig-tailed hairstyle, squatting and urinating on a blue-grey limestone base. Protected by large, red steel bars, it is hard to get a good picture unless you poke your camera past the metal railings, however, once you’ve made the trek and actually found Jeanneke, you can reward yourself with one of the unique selections of beers at Delirium Bar across the alleyway.
There are many stories behind the statue’s existence with the most famous being one about Duke Godfrey III of Leuven, a two year old lord. In 1142, his troops were battling the troops of the Berthouts and the lords of Grimbergen in Ransbeke. It is said that the troops put the infant lord in a basket, hung in a tree to encourage them. The young lord urinated on the troops of the Berthouts, who eventually lost the battle.
So, if you are in Brussels and wondering what your first port of call should be, head down to the intersection of Rue de l’Étuve/Stoffstraat and Rue du Chêne/Eikstraat, fight the crowds and take a selfie with the iconic figure of Mannekin Pis. Go to one of the many souvenir shops and buy a chocolate Mannekin Pis and if you are lucky, you might see him in costume or be there on a day when he is connected to a keg of Belgian beer! Grab a cup of the brew and go find his sister, Jeanneke and his friend, Het Zenneke.
Arriving at the Ben Dinh tunnels, we were escorted by our tour guide through the hot, dense jungle to the areas where there are many displays of entryways to the tunnels. The first and most popular area is the small square hole in the ground which is uncovered by removing a square top covered in leaves. Here, a guard demonstrated how a person would fit into the hole and then hide himself under the ground. Visitors are invited to try their hand at fitting into the small opening.
After entering the premises and walking down the pathway lined with apricot trees, we encountered a wall. It was interesting to note that this wall was placed here to keep evil spirits away as they can only travel in straight lines. If, by some chance, the spirit was able to navigate around the wall, they would encounter the reflecting pond directly in front of the house. Since spirits do not have a reflection, this was the second line of defense for the house.
The garden house, was designed in the traditional Vietnamese style, in an almost total square with an area of about 135 meters. We were able to take a seat, have tea and enjoy the beautiful woodwork and the family altar which is its centerpiece. There are also many precious relics of the Nguyen dynasty, including four horizontal lacquered boards with the words, “Van Vo Trung Hieu” (literature, military, loyal and pious), gifted by King Bao Dai in 1937, hanging in the middle room. Looking out of the open doors that line the front of the house onto the reflecting pond and the multitude of colorful, fragrant flowers, your feeling is one of peace.
Our next stop, after re-boarding our dragon boat, was one that I was familiar with, Thien Mu Pagoda. One thing different from the day before, however, was that our guide gave us much information on the history of the pagoda and pointed out many items of interest, including the pavilion to the right of the tower which contains a stele (1715) set on the back of a massive marble turtle and the precious antiques in the main hall…bronze gong (cast in 1677) and wooden gilded boards with Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu’s inscriptions (1714). Another unusual item is an Austin car in which, monk Thich Quang Duc was driven to his death in Saigon in 1963.
After our guide’s speech was complete, I decided that I would walk around the property and rephotograph everything since the day was much brighter than the previous one. After revisiting the main hall, I walked around the back of the structure and much to my surprise, realized that there was so much more to see. With the rainfall the day before and my haste to meet my driver in time, I must have not realized that the grounds extended far beyond. So…maybe coming back on the tour was not such a bad thing!
We boarded the boat again and were served a nice lunch while continuing our cruise. Our next destination was a small, old pagoda, although I never caught the name. A rather quaint place, built onto the steep rocky banks of the Perfume, it was an interesting stop and had some very old relics inside of the temple.
The first tomb on our tour was Minh Mang, about 12 kilometers from Hue. Construction on the tomb began in September 1840, however, only four months into the project, Minh Mang became sick and passed away. His successor to the throne, Emperor Thieu Tri, continued construction and Minh Mang’s corpse was buried in Buu Thanh in August of 1841. The tomb was completed in 1843.
Moving along into the temple area, we found the Salutation Court, however, rain decided to hamper our progress as the skies opened up. We ducked in to the Sung An Temple after passing through the Hien Duc Mon gate. This temple is where the Emperor and Queen Ta Thien Nhan are worshiped and is flanked by Ta, Huu Phoi Dien (Left, Right Temples) in the front and Ta, Huu Tung Phong (Left, Right Rooms) in the back.
One thing to notice when visiting Khải Định’s tomb is that it is much smaller than the tombs of his predecessors, however, undeniably more elaborate. The rectangular structure of the tomb leans against Chau Chu Mountain and is flanked by the largest sculptures of dragons in all of Vietnam. The tomb features an imperial audience court and twelve stone statues representing bodyguards. The interior boasts intricately designed glass and porcelain decorations on the walls and the ceiling is decorated with nine complex dragons. The rear room of the palace houses a temple containing the Emperor’s grave, an altar dedicated to him and a statue of his likeness, created in Marseilles.
Our next stop was a roadside village where locals make sandalwood and cinnamon incense and traditional Hue conical hats. Colorful stalks of incense are bunched together, hanging on the walls, displayed in bins and some pieces are lit leaving a pleasant aroma in the air. Local women demonstrate the process for making the incense which is used in temples throughout Vietnam.
After passing through the main gate, you notice to your right, the beautiful landscape and Luu Khiem lake. Located on the lake are Xung Khiem and Du Khiem Pavilions where the Emperor would frequent to admire flowers, compose poems and read books. We could hear music floating across the lake and noticed that a cultural performance was taking place. No time to stop, we continued on to the Hoa Khiem Palace (the Emperor’s working place) which is now the altar devoted to the Emperor and the Queen. Flanking both sides of the Palace are Phap Khiem House and Le Khiem House which were for the military and civil mandarins.
To the rear of Hoa Khiem Palace is Luong Khiem Palace (the Emperor’s resting place), which was later used to worship the Emperor’s mother. The the left of the Palace is the Minh Khiem theater and Chi Khiem, the altar to worship the Emperor’s wives and Tri Khiem and Y Khiem Palaces, which were the accommodations of the Emperor’s concubines.
Hue’s Orchid Hotel’s staff was extremely welcoming and within a few minutes, had me checked into my room and booked on a tour to the Royal Tombs for the next day. Delighted to find not only a beautiful basket of fruit in my room and a desktop computer for my use, I was ecstatic to find an actual window! Don’t laugh! Many hotels in Vietnam are built so close together, only the front and sometimes the back facing rooms boast windows, usually offered at a premium.
Walking along the main road, many xe oms (motorbike taxis) slowed to ask if I needed a ride to the Citadel. Politely declining all, I finally agreed to one who also offered to take me to the Thien Mu Pagoda, wait for me and then deposit me at the front gates of the Citadel. We set off and after a short ride were parking near the souvenir stands lining the road near the pagoda.
Thien Mu Pagoda, sits on Hà Khê hill, about two miles from the Citadel on the Perfume River. Construction began in 1601 and it was later expanded and refurbished. The historic tower facing the river, known as Phước Duyên tower, has seven stories, each dedicated to a different Buddha, is the tallest religious building in Vietnam and sometimes recognized as the unofficial symbol of the city.
A slight drizzle continued, but didn’t deter me from seeing the tower, the temple and gardens behind it and the large marble turtle, a symbol of longevity. Keeping a close eye on the clock, I walked throughout the premises, enjoying the pavilions with the large Buddhist guardians and the colossal bell, that locals claim can be heard from six miles away.
This sprawling complex in Hue was where the Emperors of old would have lived and conducted all their business. There was even a part of the citadel known as “The Forbidden Purple City,” which, much like China’s Forbidden City, was reserved for only the most important people in Vietnam.
Making my way to the Forbidden Purple City in the center of the Imperial Enclosure, I was saddened to see that almost nothing remained. Almost entirely destroyed by the war, a few walls and crumbled remains lay on the site. Once a glorious institution, Vietnam’s Forbidden Purple City rivaled and was designed to resemble China’s Forbidden City. This citadel-within-a-citadel-within-a-citadel was reserved for the personal use of the emperor and only his servants were allowed on the premises with the next outer section reserved for important ceremonies and the outermost for non-royal commoners.
Walking back toward the front of the premises, I soon found myself near the main gate. Deciding to walk to the west, along one of the inner walls, I was surprised to find a whole other part of the citadel. There were many different compounds, each within their own walls with small lanes between them. Once again, I made my way toward the rear of the property, through each of them, enjoying the different pavilions and temples within.
At the rear of the property, there was a lake and a bridge leading to another entrance gate (one of ten). Making my way along the lake I walked to the eastern part of the complex, again making my way forward.
