Work? What?

So in the midst of all the fun and excitement, I've finished the taught part of my degree!!!  I turned in my last assignment and started reading for my dissertation.  I've wrapped up the exhibition, we took it down yesterday and I finished up the educational programming, too - a kitchen chemistry family day and a lecture series - whew!

Despite all my issues with the course (and there have been MANY), I think it has been worthwhile over all.  We finished up the semester with a trip to a stately house near Edinburgh. In addition to the lovely lawn sculpture that you see below, we had a tour, a few lectures and really excellent cake.

 

For the last class, we were assigned group presentations on a particular theme of what might be the most important function of a museum.  I think our instructors expected a serious debate... but it was an ungraded assignment on the last day of class.  My group won debate and the chocolate prize with our argument of why museums are a "secular cathedral of inspiration."  How anyone was meant to take that seriously, I will never know - we wore pope hats, did a mime routine and even worked in Monty Python's Spanish Inquisition.  

It was a proud day.

Travels and Visitors

It has been so busy around here, in the best possible way!  Two weeks ago, I flew to Florence for a long weekend with Aunt Sue, Toby, Laura, John, Tom and Shawna.  Florence was stunning:  it was warm and sunny and filled with gorgeous narrow streets and beautiful piazzas.  It was so fantastic to get to see family, too!  We stayed in a really lovely apartment, right in the middle of Florence.  We went marketing and window-shopping and walked all over the city.  I saw the Uffizi, which was really amazing and Pitti Palace's gardens and the Duomo, too.  Really just strolling through the city is like being in an art museum.

 

I would never have left Florence if not for Becky's visit.  One day after I got back to Scotland, Becky came to visit for three days.  She booked a layover on the way to Thailand!  We had a fantastic visit, working a bit and hanging around St. Andrew's.  She got to revisit some of her favorites in St. Andrews, like the chip shop, and we went to Eurovision party!!!  It was so much fun to have her here, I don't think I've giggled so much in ages!  I think Becks has all the photos, but here's proof that she was here.

Next it will be my family here and then Erica!!! Can't wait.

May Dip

I saw the sun rise over the North Sea on May 1st.   However, I  was completely distracted from the scenery by the spectacle of hundreds of St. Andrews students huddling around bonfires and then racing into freezing water polar bear style, in a tradition known as May Dip.  It was a new experience of welcoming spring.  I'm glad I went and I am not in any hurry to repeat it.  It took hour for my toes to recover from the icy shock.  Here we are sprinting for the water at low tide, yikes!