Hello all! I've been super busy at work and even busier at home. For some stupid reason I took a commission from a local bed & breakfast - who is re doing all their rooms. I've been making pillows by the dozen as well as complicated window bench seats. I've been sewing so much I dislocated my thumb last week! This weekend I got to take a break and visit Victoria and see the highland games.
1890's animatron ladies drinking tea at Murchies. On the right is a blurry shot of the Sting concert. My mum is a huge Sting fan and this was or 25th Sting/Police concert. A million years ago I dated someone who worked at NBC and we got to meet him 3 times at the Tonight Show, so no concert is ever quite as good as that.
Saturday we went to the Royal British Columbia Museum. This is my most favourite museum EVER! I've been there dozens of times since I was little. Once I was old enough to go by myself at around age 8 I was giddy with excitement! To my amazement they had a wonderful exhibit of the
British Antarctic Expedition of 1912 and an IMAX about Shackleton's amazing deeds in the Antarctic. My real love is the Arctic, but the Antarctic will do too. I became obsessed with the Arctic while visiting Victoria in 1986. The remains of Franklin's expedition had just been found and there was a huge to-do about it. The wax museum had recreations of the exhumed bodies, I was so scared and thrilled at the same time!
Ice cave workshop on the left. George Vancouver's ship on the right.
Hair work in the Victorian hotel. Sitting on 19th century barrels.
We took the ferry back on Saturday and went to the Bellingham Highland Games on Sunday. The weather was lovely and there were men in kilts EVERYWHERE! Next time I should go without my boyfriend so I could do some hardcore lusting! To the left is the world champion Simon Fraser Pipe Band and to the left are some lovely girls dancing the Hornpipe. The Hornpipe is the cutest dance that can ever be, if you've never seen it click
here.
There was a display of Scottish military uniforms. On the left is one from WW1, similar to the one my great-grandfather wore! On the right are some braw lads heaving the caber.
You're making dozens of pillows and dislocated your thumb? That's terrible! But how cool that your stuff will be in a B&B!
ReplyDeleteOoooh, I love Murchie's. I used to stock up whenever I came out to Vancouver. I think it might be time for me and the youngest to take another trip out there soon - the last stockpile is long gone.
That looks like an amazing exhibit. Did you ever read Terror by Dan Simmons about the Franklin expedition? I can't remember if we've discussed this before - what a memory... Anyway, it's a really good book if you haven't already read it! :P
I just watched the hornpipe dance with the sound turned down (because it's 3:00 a.m.). Too funny! I'll watch it again tomorrow when I can listen to the music. Braw lads is right! :o)
Hee hee, I'm the one who told you about the book The Terror!
ReplyDeleteI have a few more suggestions for you, although I don't really know your reading style. These are Victorian/horror/ghost/mysteries.
Her Fearful Symmetry - Audrey Niffenegger
The Little Stranger - Sarah Waters
The Gargoyle - Andrew Davidson
The Sherlockian - Graham Moore
Abandon - Blake Crouch
The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber
OMG, I'm so embarrassed. Well, of course you did - we were discussing your Landseer picture, right? My memory is worse than I thought. I'm going to have to quit commenting on people's blogs for fear of repeating myself!
DeleteI LOVED The Little Stranger and The Gargoyle. I did watch The Crimson Petal and the White on TV and liked it, but I'm sure the book was better. They usually are. I'll add all the rest to my Amazon Wish List - I'm going to order about a dozen books so I have something to do in the trailer for the next seven or eight or nine months.
And if I happen to recommend one of these books back to you in ten months - just ignore me, okay? :P
Hope your thumb is feeling better!
ReplyDeleteI have always loved going to museums and galleries, I haven't been in a while, they are all so far away and uni keeps me busy.
We both have Scottish ancestry. We might actually be distantly related then. I suppose both having Scottish ancestry could explain some similarity in facial features as you mentioned so long ago. :)
I love museums! that antarktis exhibition seems very interesting. I have lots of hair saved from different periods in my life and thinking of order hair jewellery of them. Where I live there is an old tradition of making jewellery out of hair.
ReplyDeleteLiving in the Highlands, I see lots of Highland games (and men in kilts <3). I didn't know you got them abroad in places like Canada - that's pretty cool. I know we have competitors come here from abroad, so guess I should have figured.
ReplyDeleteThe Simon Fraser Pipe Band is the #1 pipe band in the world. They compete in Glasgow every year. English & Scottish things are huge in Canada, you'd probably find most products you buy available there. I drink Tetley, eat Hobnobs & Sherbert Fountains and watch Lewis & Midsomer Mysteries.
DeleteYou are so lucky to see men in "lots" of men in kilts. I can't think of a more attractive outfit for a man. Even homely ones look a bit handsome!