If Catherine can't come to Britain...

A few months ago I had every intention of returning to Britain in April 2012.  Then other plans/money/issues/life got in the way, so I had to postpone the trip.  It was a little disappointing, but I've been learning patience in so many avenues of my life, so it's really okay.  Resourceful person that I am, I try to find mini-trips, or at least pockets of time that make me feel that I might be elsewhere.

This happened in a big way last Thursday, when I found out that Doctor Who was filming in NYC.  This almost never happens - usually they're in Wales or London, so it was bizarre to find the actors actually shooting scenes within ten blocks of my place of work!  Sadly, I only found out on the day of and didn't have my camera with me.  My cellphone has a camera, but honestly I can draw better pictures.  And I draw like a blind ape.  Still, standing in Tudor Place with a crowd of Whovians, watching 'The Doctor and Amy Pond' riding a 1930's car and running over and over again is something that won't leave my mental photo album for a long time.  Besides, plenty of people have posted their photos of the day online: I've even seen the back of my head in some of them!

Then there was Friday evening, which was mostly New Yorkish: after work I hiked to the High Line, walked most of its length, and exited by Chelsea Market.  It was a good place to take my camera, which I finally brought with me.  Then I bought some chips at A Salt and Battery and sat outside watching the interesting people of the West Village pass by.  Nearly everyone made a comment about the fish and chip shop, or the next door Tea and Sympathy.  So, close enough.

Now, I'm not a parade person.  Crowds and loud noises are things I usually flee from, and I'd done enough on Thursday evening.  But Saturday was gorgeous out, so I found myself at the tail end of the Tartan Day Parade in Midtown.  This way I got to see all the kilts without the headache.  And I do love the kilts! I did a whole paper on them in college.  Sigh.  Anyway:





Bagpipes!!!!!


I love the outfit of the girl on the right. 


Scotties everywhere!  So well behaved, too.
Correction (thanks, Doug): they're West Highland White Terriers.  Still well behaved.



Since it's been a really long time since I've been to Scotland, it was certainly a pleasure to see this little reminder.  I'd love to go back again, especially now that I'm knowledgeable about its history, culture and of course literature.  On my one and only trip, all I knew about Scotland was haggis (which I still haven't tried,) the Loch Ness monster (which I don't care about anyway,) and that my grandfather had been born there.  I also knew some lyrics from a folk song about Bonnie Prince Charlie, but as a kid I thought it might have been about a mythical figure.  So it's time to return, but in the meantime, we get our little reminders here and there in my hometown.