A New Term, Diversity and Past, Present, Future

Politechnika started its new term this week. As mentioned in previous blogs- most European schools do not start until October 1 (they think August and September are prime holiday months, so why be in school). So the first term (called Winter) goes from Oct to Feb. Then the second term (called Summer) goes from Mid February to Mid-June.

I basically made a deal with Politechnika when I came over. I would do whatever they wanted- as long as I did it on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. That leaves me a four day weekend for family travel, conferences and the occasional research project. Why be in a foreign country if you can’t explore and be stuck in a classroom?

Frankly this schedule is not much different than my gig in the States. Professors usually teach three days a week, and use the other two for research and service. Not a hard life- but someone has to do it (but you have to go to college for about 10-12 years for the privilege). So, we are over-educated and under-worked.

Anyway the Summer term started Monday (even though there is still a foot of snow on the ground). I am teaching five classes, which is actually a heavy load for a meek professor. At Rockhurst, I would teach three classes in a term. Here, you normally teach four classes each term. However, I mentioned that Politechnika has a shortage of professors that are comfortable with lecturing in English- so they asked if I would pick up a fifth class. As I love to teach- (and the class fell on one my three designated days) I was happy to oblige.

I am here as a Strategy Management and International Business Fulbright Professor- but I have ended up teaching some Statistics. I have taught Statistics for about 15 years. I use to enjoy it quite a bit- but it has dragged on me in recent years- so I slowed down. Here is the problem with Statistics. I really enjoy performing stats (professionally) and teaching it. The problem is- students do not share the same view of the subject (big surprise). In a typical class of 30, maybe two like it, and the rest really hate it; no matter how innovative and applied you try to make the class. That takes away from the joy of teaching it- when you just get blank stares, and people playing solitaire on the their computer. In recent years, I have moved to occasionally teaching an advanced Stats class. That is better, as it is an elective and you typically only get students who want to be there.

But all professors typically teach a principles class that most students do not like- BUT this is where you tend to spark a career interest in one or two students and it changes their life- that makes up for it. That is really how I became an Economist. When I did my MBA, we had to take a Managerial Economics class. Out of a class of 18- 17 hated it- but I LOVED it. I was an Economist from that moment. I enrolled in a Masters and PhD program the week after MBA graduation.

Anyway, I have ended up teaching quite a bit of Statistics in Poland- as they really need someone on their faculty that can do it in English (we have lots of Statisticians who are great teachers- but in Polish). Of course, I get the same blank Polish stares, as I get blank US stares when teaching it. It is a universal stare and blank expression that transcends all cultures. (Just think back to the classroom scene in Ferris Buller... those are the looks I get when teaching stats).

So this term- out of five classes, I have two Statistics classes. Both are an unusual blend of students. My first Stats class is 100% female (and Polish). I am the only guy in the room. I don’t think that was done on purpose- just the way it worked out. My second Stats class is 95% Chinese- of which many barely speak any English. So, now I will get to add the blank Chinese “stats stare” to list.

My other three classes are on my “favorites“ list; and why I am really here. I have two sections of Strategic Management and one section of International Management.

These classes are always a much different dynamic, here and in the States. The ratio of love to hate is reversed. Typically a couple hate these classes and the rest enjoy them. That changes the classroom dynamic SO much. It also makes teaching it so much more enjoyable, when the students are engaged.

The Strategy Management classes are pretty typical with mostly Poles and some students from other parts of Europe. In fact, I had several of these students last term for Stats- so they know me and I know them.

The International Management will be also be different. This requires more prep for me. Although I teach a great deal of international type classes- I not taught this specific version before (my colleague at Rockhurst usually does it). So it is using a book I have not used before- so I have to read it too. I also have to create slides and lecture notes. But anyone who knows me- realizes I don’t have to actually know anything about a subject to successfully lecture on it for hours.

Finally, the class make up is different too. No Poles are in the class. About half are Chinese plus several from France, a few from the Czech Republic and a German. That will be an interesting dynamic.

Teaching at Politechnika has been great and what a learning experience. We (Politechnika and I) have both initiated early conversations for me to stay on their faculty permanently. Now before Lisa reads this and has a stroke, thinking I am trying to get us to move to Poland- NO! (Settle down Lisa. Have a drink).

It means I would stay active in their academic community, come over on occasion to deliver short classes, do research, etc. I have no interest in leaving Rockhust (So, settle down Cheryl. Have a drink, too. She is my boss at Rockhurst and reads these). Rockhurst is very, very good to me as well. But if I can become a bi-continent professor- that would really add to my already inflated Fulbright ego, which I desperately need.

On that note- want to see my Politechnika faculty profile page?: http://www.zie.pg.gda.pl/modules.php?name=Encyclopedia&op=content&tid=202

So, off to teaching the next generation of European Capitalists (but Glenn Beck seems to think they are all Socialists- I invite him over here for one week....).

Are We Really a "BIG" family?

I have not mentioned this in any previous blogs- but traveling with a family of six in Europe is surprisingly challenging. Most places are not set up for six.

This was unexpected to me. As in the numerous times I have been to Europe, it has either been by myself or with one other person. So traveling with a wife and four kids was new.

Europe has gone through a dramatic shift in the past few decades. Birth rates are down and so is average family size. The average birth rate in Europe is 1.4 children per female (that is not even enough to sustain the population). Since WWII, Europe has really become a one or two kid family continent. Oddly enough, you even see that in 90% Catholic Poland, Spain and Ireland. In 2006, Europe had more people that died than were born. So small families and a shrinking population are the norm. And the accommodations reflect that trend.

Now, we have four kids. That is certainly above average- but I never thought of that as “huge.” Actually in our little microcosm of Olathe- it is rather normal to have three, four or five kids in a family. So, I was surprised to experience the barriers in Europe to a family of our size. Almost everyone I have met in Poland has one, maybe two kids. You rarely see a family of three or more kids.

I first encountered this challenge before I left KC. Now finding three or four bedroom apartments and rental houses in the Midwest is quite easy. In Europe and specially Poland- it was very difficult. Most apartments I looked at were two or three rooms (that’s total rooms- not bedrooms), designed to fit three or maybe four people. I actually rented one of the largest places I could find (1200 sq ft- yes that is considered big). We really turned out to be lucky with our little house and we love it- but other problems existed as we traveled.

Europe really does not cater to families larger than four or maybe five total people.

When traveling, my one of my biggest challenges is to find a place for us to stay. I really have to search to find decent large (six and above) accommodations.

Let’s start with hotels. In the States we could usually cram ourselves into an Embassy Suites. In the States, you usually have two room choices: having one Queen/King bed in the room OR two double beds. In Europe, a “double” means two single beds (and little floor space). A "single" is one Queen (with little floor space). A "suite" adds you a fridge and microwave (no more beds, couches or floor space). So, for most European hotels I can get two per room and rent two or three rooms.

So, I have resorted to renting flats when traveling. This is even problematic- as most tell you the maximum number allowed in the flat is 4 or 5 people. I usually can find a few special ones that hold six (I spend hours on the internet looking for just that). Secondly, they charge you by person (regardless of age). So they give you a nightly rate times six. In theory- Lisa and I could stay in a flat and pay 80 Euros for the night. However, to add the four kids into the exact same flat (and taking up no more of their space)- the rate goes to 250 Euros a night. It personally irks me to pay the same amount for my seven year old, Trey, to sleep on the floor, as I get charged to stay there (and no, it is very difficult to hide children from the landlord- particularly mine. I got caught in Warsaw doing it).

Many restaurants also do not have seating for six (in contrast, most restaurants in the US have a couple six or eight tops available). In Europe, the physical space of the restaurants is usually quite smaller. So they rarely have a table for six us over here. We usually have to wait for a four top next to a two top to open and push them together. Ironically, the only place I have consistently found seating for six is at McDonald’s and Burger King. In Warsaw, we were turned away from a few restaurants- who would not serve a group of “our size”. Sometimes I feel like I’m traveling with the Von Trapp family- without the singing.

Even food comes in small batches. Cereal comes in 150 or 300 gram bags and milk comes in one liter bottles. Imagine how many multiples we need just for one meal.

Transportation is another issue. If we need to take a cab- we sometimes have to wait for quite a while before a six seater is available. Many cabs are minivans- but they have the back seats removed- so they really only seat four or five.

A couple of airlines I have looked only allow you to purchase five tickets per transaction. The pull down menu even stops at five. It says- “if you have more than five people”- call group sales (when in the hell did having four kids become “group sales”?- back to the Von Trapp's image).

Anyway- I am not really complaining- just observing and sharing. Even given the challenges at times- we are having a wonderful, wonderful time living and traveling. I just found this to be an unexpected challenge of the trip.

Really Budget Airlines

I thought I would blog a little about another unique experience we had, traveling on a really budget airline.

Now what is a really budget airline? It is one that takes Southwest Air’s basic model, and really expands (or contracts) it.

The one we flew on was Ryanair. On Ryanair, their average ticket price is $20 to $40, and that is to fly across Europe. Now $20 is not some special promotion fare, that is the usual fare. It is even much cheaper than trains. But believe it or not, Ryanair is one of the most profitable airlines. It is a very interesting business model.

Now for $20 to $40 (plus tax), all you basically get is safe transportation between point A and point B. Anything else (and I mean anything else, costs you). They are a fully a-la-cart airline.

Here are some of the things you get or don’t get for that $20 flight.

-First and most importantly is baggage. You are allowed one free 18 pound bag to carry on board with you. If you have a purse, laptop bag, newspaper or anything else, it has to be in that single carry-on bag (so you don’t get your bag plus your purse). They are militant about it. They weigh and measure suspicious bags as you age getting on. If you are caught with more than one bag OR exceed the weight/dimension, they check it for you and charge you a very high check in fee.

-If you do need to check a bag, like all airlines anymore, they charge you a hefty fee. But their fee for a checked bag is about twice as high as what is now normal. So you are greatly encouraged to not check a bag. Then Ryanair has to hire less baggage handlers.

-They charge you more to use certain credit cards. You get charged nothing if you pay with their Ryanair Visa.

-If you want to get on the plane in the first boarding group, you pay an additional “priority fee”. Otherwise, you go to the end of the line, regardless of when you checked-in. If you have small children or difficulty getting on the plane, you are encouraged to purchase a propriety ticket.

-They do not have airport check-in at most airports or even kiosks. It has to be done on-line and printed at home (saves on ticket people and buying kiosks). Sometimes they even charge you to check-in electronically.

-The planes do not typically pull up to the terminal or use jetways (as I assume parking a plane at the terminal cost the airline more money). Instead, you walk down the stairs, go outside and walk across the tarmac and up some stairs directly onto the plane. The reverse occurs when you land.

-The plane’s seats do not recline (that way they do not break).

-There is no pouch in the back of the seat (too much to clean).

-As soon as the cabin instructions are given by the flight attendants, they turn into sales people. They walk up and down the aisle the entire trip selling perfume, smokeless electronic cigarettes, lottery tickets (yes, lottery tickets), rental car deals, food, and anything else you can imagine. As we are landing, they leave their sales job and turn back into flight attendants. This is hilarious.

-They only fly and book direct flights. Meaning, you cannot book a connecting flight together (they have no hub system). So, if they do not go directly to a city you want, you have to buy a second ticket, many times on a different airline, and handle your own baggage.

-They tend to fly into the older airports that are not used as much (like Southwest uses Love Field and Midway). However, some with airports (like Frankfurt-Hahn) it takes a two hour bus ride to get into the city. Similar with Paris and London, you are not flying into Heathrow or DeGaulle. It can be quite a trip to get into the main city from the airport.

-They do not fly every route, everyday. In fact, most routes are only flown three or four days a week, one time that day. So, if you want to return on a Sunday- they might only fly on Saturdays and Tuesdays, and a single flight time to chose. When we came back from Dublin- I wanted to come home Sunday. But all they had was a Saturday at 5 p.m. route. This way their planes are full by not having too many routes too often.

-If the airport raises their landing fees- then they stop flying there and start flying somewhere else. They tend to pit small city against small city in the same region.

-Absolutely no food or drink (even water) is given for free. All is available, but at a cost.

-Punctuality is very important. They put you on the plane early, and shut the door 20 minutes before the flight is schedule to leave. They frequently pull away 10 minutes before they are scheduled to assure punctuality. So unless you are early- you are late. No running down the aisle to catch the flight at the last minute.

-The CEO of Ryan was recently interviewed. He is looking at two new cost savings measures. First, he thinks bathrooms take up too much space on an airplane (most airplanes have one in the front and two in the back). He wants to remove the back two bathrooms to allow for more seats. Then charge to use the front one. This charge will minimize people who want to use it.

Secondly, are seats. He likes the bus idea, where there are some seats and some people stand and hold on to rails. He is interested in adding some handles, and charging less for those standing positions (or charging more to get a seat- depending on how you look at it).

-Does all this work- yes! We took 3 Ryanair flights over 10 days. With six people, that is 18 legs. I paid $650 for all 18 tickets, or about $35 a ticket (and we were flying from East/Central Europe to very Western Europe).

-That said, we all packed very lightly, three outfits per person (we wore one of those, so two packed outfits). No purses, or even my coveted red backpack. No food or drinks purchased, and we stood at the end of the lines and never sat next to each other on the plane. We also had to pick the places and dates of our vacation around the airline schedule- not the other way around.

So, if you are a real minimalist- then these budget airlines are a real bargain. Given all the above- Ryanair is the fasting growing airline in Europe. They are also not the only one- many with the same business model are appearing (EasyJet, Wizz).

Now my question is (or one that people will be asking)- you do give up a lot of service for a $35 flight. However, with all the American airline companies starting to charge for everything, too (last week it was announced there will be a charge for blankets)- people will ask why they still pay $400 for the flight.

(PS- I just looked at taking the family back to Germany. The ticket prices from Gdansk to Frankfurt-Hahn are $6.53 a ticket (yes, 6 bucks)- NO additional fees or taxes. So, is that worth a couple hour bus ride......).

Something Else.....

As we have been on holiday for nine days, and combined with traveling all over Europe since September, you start to take the sites for granted. We were at a point of saying “Oh look, another thousand year old building, with tremendous historical significance. Ok, let’s move on.”

So, we really needed something else, a zoo. We traveled outside the city to the 170 year old Dublin zoo (which would still qualify as a very old historical structure in the US). It was a nice day (low 40s), and pretty sunny. The zoo was not crowded and we were able to get around to things quickly. The zoo is newly renovated and done quite well. They have natural habitats for the animals, which gets you very close- I still think back to the KC Zoo as a kid and those horrible cages with rusting sharp curved bars.

They have two nice sections, one on primates and one on African animals. The kids really enjoyed watching the monkeys play (not realizing I see the exact same behavior everyday). One chimp in particular made sure we were well entertained. Then off to the big African animals, tigers, elephants, etc. It was a wide open space and and everyone could express themselves how they wanted without harm. Keep in mind we have been in museums, where a single spin of a coat could destroy a priceless artifact. So we really needed the change of pace. We spent a good three hours at the zoo.

We then arrived back home- I made sure we walked past the Molly Malone statue, and into Temple Bar. Temple Bar is the cultural eating and drinking area of Dublin. We found a “traditional” (read “for tourist”) Irish restaurant and had a very good dinner. Irish stews, Stews made with Guinness, Fish and Chips (with mushy peas) and of course, an order of chicken nuggets. Washed down with a good Irish cream ale: Kilkenny. They played Irish folk music overhead. Expensive meal, but worth the experience.

On Friday, we had planned something else very different. Many of you know that I spent about a year researching the Gartland ancestry. The US branch of the Gartlands started when my Great Grandfather, Lawrence Gartland, moved from County Wicklow, Ireland in 1880. I have his records of journey and naturalization as a US citizen. He settled in St. Louis in the 1880s as a gravedigger and lived until the 1950s. He left Country Wicklow at or around the same time as his sister to find work, but without his parents (he was 20 at the time). It is commonly believed that his father was named Myles Gartland, who lived in and never left County Wicklow. I have not yet found information on that generation. Most Gartland men are either named Lawrence or Myles. My son is at least the fifth Myles Gartland in the family tree. My father is the third Myles and I am the fourth that I have found so far.

Anyway, I just have documented that Lawrence was from County Wicklow, which is the county directly south of Dublin. So we hopped on a train and rode directly down the Irish Sea coast to County Wicklow. I had nothing in particular to look at other than being in County Wicklow, the Gartland’s ancestral lands. It felt nice to be in a homeland.

Of surprise to us was the sea. Dublin is near the sea, but the main source of water you see is the River Liffey. Of course, Ireland is an island and surrounded by sea. On it’s eastern banks is the Irish Sea. It has tall and rocky cliffs with the water breaking along. Truly a lovely scene. The train rode right along the seaside, sometime just feet from the edge of the cliffs.

On our train trip back- I had run out of gas, as had Ben and Natalie. So much in nine days. Lisa and the smaller kids had other ideas. They wanted to see an English speaking movie. So, half of us went back to the flat and half went to see a movie. We all got what we wanted.

Edinburgh Scotland and Dublin Ireland were great. I think however both Lisa and I give the edge to Edinburgh.

So, holiday is over and we are back to Poland, where we hope Spring starts soon!

Beer, Whiskey and the Easter Rising

We have continued to have lots of togetherness over the past eight days. We are still having a great time. But arguments between the kids break out more frequently.  And as all parents know, whatever comes into a kid's head, immediately comes right out of their mouth (no filter). This times four kids brings me to our first topic of the day: booze.

Dubliners (and the Irish) have been known to taste a drop or two. Two of the creators of this magnificent liquid are right here in Dublin: Guinness Beer and Jameson Whiskey only about a mile apart.

We started our day at Guinness. The St. James Gate Brew House is where that dark stout beer got its start over 250 years ago. It is a rather standard tour. Recall that booze is one of my two research areas. I have been on a hundred tours of different breweries and distilleries. This was not only my first trip to Guinness, but the first time my family was able to see what magic occurs when you put water, barley, hops and yeast together.

Guinness was really the first major beer to be exported, as historically most beer was made and consumed locally. Guinness got this chance by the luck of Britain being an empire. Where the troops went around the world to colonize, Guinness followed. Nice to have the world’s most powerful military as your advertising company. At the end of the tour you get a nice sample of the beer in their 360 degree view of the city bar, high up on top of the old brewery. Actually my favorite part of the tour was not the beer, but the floor they had for advertising. In the 19th and 20th century they  used unique and popular advertisements that are still iconic all over many parts the world.

After a few hours of Guinness, we went to the Dublin City Hall and the Dublin Castle, which are next to each other. The Dublin Castle is famous as the English seat of power from 1170 to 1922. It is not one of the English’s most elegant castles, but it certainly protected them over their centuries of Irish rule.

The second buildings was the old City Hall. This had a great exhibit of the City of Dublin from the Viking age to present. It was nicely done. What I found most interesting was the part on the Easter Rising of 1916.

As I mentioned, the English had ruled Ireland for 800 years, and some of the Irish were getting tired of it. In 1916 on Easter Monday, the Irish Republican Army (IRA), basically a guerrilla army, attacked the British at their castle. In the area of City Hall and surrounding streets were the war zones. Actually the British won this battle decisively, and the IRA leaders hung. However, over the next few years, on these same streets, the IRA, under the leadership of Michael Collins, kept after the British until they surrendered. The entire area we were in had been demolished by street fighting over the years. In the surrender, the Irish got lower Ireland back, but not Northern Ireland (that is still under English rule today). The IRA stayed active in that fight though the 1980s. So I found lots of this more modern Irish history fascinating. I also downloaded the movie Michael Collins (Liam Neeson and Julia Roberts) to see how Hollywood depicts it.

After a good guerrilla war, it was back to booze. Ben and I went to the Jameson Whiskey Distillery. Again, more than a few Irishman (and women) have taken a wee drop over the centuries. There is a great old quote, "If it wasn't for whiskey and red headed women, the Irish would rule the world!"

So, Jameson is the best selling Irish Whiskey of them all. This was a very good tour, better than most booze tours I have taken. They really explain well how whiskey is made, but also what is different about Irish Whiskey (distilled three times for one thing, which makes it smoother). The best part of the tour was the end. Again, they are really proud of their Irish Whiskey. They give you a small shot of American Whiskey (Jack Daniels), a small shot of Scotch Whisky (Johnny Walker Black) and then a shot of Jameson Wiskey. Then they take you through each one explaining the differences in tastes and how they were made differently (JD for example is a lot more rough, as it is distilled only once). Poor Ben just got juice.

So after  hours of booze and guerrilla war, I ended the day by seeing Molly Malone again, and meeting back up with the rest of the family.

Great day in Dublin.

Vikings, St. Patrick and Dublin Tarts

After several great days in Edinburgh, we took the 40 minute flight over the Irish Sea into Dublin.

We have been gone for about a week and have had lots of togetherness.

We have a nice two bedroom flat in a south suburb of Dublin. We have to take the bus about 15 minutes to get to the City Centre. The apartment is nice. It is owned by a Irish woman who lives in NY. The apartment is decorated very young and hip, too hip for people from Kansas. I can’t understand how half of the fixtures work.

On our first day we traveled to Dubliniva- the ancient part of the city. We learned (and I did not know) that Dublin was founded by Vikings. Prior to that, it was a small village inhabited by a few Celts, but it was the Vikings that invaded and changed into one of their major port cities. In fact, most of the modern cities on the eastern coast of Ireland were established by the Vikings.

We also saw medieval Dublin. The Vikings stayed about 200 years, then Dublin evolved into an Irish/English city. The English showed up soon after the Vikings left (1150) to take over Dublin (as they had a great tendency to do back in those days). The English stayed until 1922. We saw exhibits on trade and even the plague. Half of the population of Dublin died from the plague.

We also visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral. This is a special 900 year old Cathedral. It sits on the place where St. Patrick baptized the pagans. St. Patrick’s is a great example of 12th Century architecture, very heavy vaults, etc.

As with Edinburgh, Dublin has its share of great literary figures. Buried inside St. Patrick's is Jonathan Swift (Gulliver’s Travels). I was introduced to Swift back in my required English lit class (which I ended up enjoying). Most people think that Gulliver’s Travels as a childrens' story. In fact, it is a satire on what was going on in Irish and English politics of the day, and is rather naughty in some places. Swift was the “Dean” of St. Patrick’s Cathedral for about 30 years, and this is where he wrote most of his major works.

While walking the streets of Dublin near the City Centre- you see a statue of the famed Molly Malone. Molly Malone is a famous folk song and is the anthem of Dublin. It is about a young woman who sells mussels and cockles from her cart and dies of a fever at a young age.

As I said, it is a famous anthem here (look it up on Youtube and see if you heard it). As it is so famous, travelers always thought she was a real woman, and wanted information about where she lived. So in the 1990s, the city commissioned a statue of her to place in the heart of the city. What was funny is the statue itself. Although there is no mention of this in the song, they made the woman very attractive, very, very busty and wearing quite a low cut blouse. The statute’s nickname is “tart with the cart.” I have found myself drawn to the this work of art frequently. In fact, I made it the meeting point for where we meet when we go off and do our own things (I always try to get there a little early).

The weather has been ok here. Dublin is known for its rain. In fact our first day, we had to wait for 15 minutes for it to stop hailing. Dublin never changes temperature more than 10 degrees Celsius between January and July. The hottest day in recorded history for Dublin was 87 degrees F. On the other end, it snowed here (and stuck to the ground) in December. That was the first time that occurred in Dublin since 1982.

Big Game, Royalty and Graves

Well it was the “Big Game”. Of course, I am not speaking of the Superbowl, that is not even mentioned over here. In fact, in the sport’s section of the national newspaper the Superbowl was not even referenced until page 13.

Instead, the big game is France vs Scotland in the Rugby Cup of Six Nations. It has been talked about all week. As we walked the streets on Sunday morning, the streets were packed with both Frenchman and Scots in their national colors, headed to the game, which was being held in Edinburgh. Most of the revelers had been hitting the Scotch since quite early in the morning. All the Scot’s fans were wearing their kilts, and the French had painted their faces (and bodies) with the French flag. We saw a french woman (at least 70) with her face painted. We also found another group of very, very inebriated French dressed as chickens. Lisa asked why they were dressed as chickens. They corrected her, and said they were “cocks,” the French team’s mascot. There were at least 50 cocks walking down the street together. (btw- the French won). Still no mention of the Superbowl.

Over the last couple of days we have seen many other of the sites of this great city.

We started with Holyrood Palace. This is the official residence of the Royal family, and has been for centuries. Not only did Mary, Queen of Scots live here, but this is also the place where Queen Elizabeth II still stays when she visits the capital city. She was here over the summer.

Next to the Holyrood Palace is the new Scottish Parliament. Parliament in Scotland was dissolved in 1707, as the United Kingdom was officially formed. All official UK government business was done in London. Ever since, the Scots wanted their own say in government. It was not until 1999, (over 200 years later) that the Scots were allowed to reopen their own Parliament, with limited powers.

Walking through the Royal mile you pass several old graveyards. Each has at least one person of fame buried there. We saw the grave of Adam Smith and also the grave of philosopher David Hume (basically it was a Western Civ class of graves). Also, I never had any clue how many great thinkers/writers were from or lived in Edinburgh. Walter Scott is the big name here for his writing. He has a gigantic monument at the center of town. Ben became interested when we visited the Writers Museum. He bought a copy of Ivanhoe.

You then have Robert Louis Stevenson (Treasure Island), writer Robert Burns, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes), Adam Smith, David Hume, Alexander Graham Bell, James Watt (stream power engine that started the industrial revolution), Tony Blair, up to JK Rowling. And they have Scotch! Not bad for a capital city of 500,000.

We went to a very cheesy exhibit on the Loch Ness Monster. It was pretty badly done, but the kids seemed to like it. I was hoping it would be a little more fun (where was my Scotch?). The Loch Ness is just north of Edinburgh in the Highlands.

We visited a couple of the National Museums (art and history). The history museum was ok, just very confusing to follow. It however had great artifacts from the history of Scotland. Secondly, we went to the National Art Museum. It was a medium sized gallery full of some famous non-Scottish masters such as Di Vinci, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Boticelli, Cezanne, Monet, etc. First time my kids had ever seen any works from some of the most well known artists in history.  

We attended our first English spoken Mass since we arrived. It was at the Catholic Cathedral of St. Mary’s. St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland (no, he is just not a golf course), so this cathedral had a couple of relics of his (a shoulder bone, etc).

Finally, we visited another old site that had two items of interest. It is a church (Greyfriars Kirk) where a document ( The National Covenant) was issued and basically outlawed Catholicism (at the height of the reformation 1638). Also, there sits a grave with a unique legend. When merchant John Gray died, he had a two year old dog who followed the funeral procession into the cemetery. The dog, Greykirk Bobby, was so distraught that his master died that he laid on the grave for 14 years. Then he died at the age of 16. Bobby is now buried next to his master and a plaque which talks about the importance of loyalty and dedication (fun story and legend).

We all loved our four days in Scotland. It is a place we could really get used to. Lisa loves how everyone says “Cheers” as you depart. The people were very nice and of course it has a great familiarity with the things we are used to at home.

Off to Dublin for the second half of our holiday. As Ben mentioned to us today, we are headed for our seventh non-US country since September (my 8eighth).