Getting to Know You

St. Andrew's Episcopal Kirk

These past few days have been an attempt on my part to get to know the city.  I lace on my tennis shoes and start walking.  Sometimes there is a goal in mind but most of the time it is simply exploration.  I have talked to many of the locals asking them if there are things they recommend me to see, many of them list off general areas, parks, castles and I try my best to remember.

St. Nicholas

One day when it was drizzly out I popped in to St. Nicholas' Cathedral, the Mither Kirk (Mother Church) of Scotland remembering it was a suggested visit.  I was glad to be inside because my faithful tennis shoes were starting to let the rain in around my toes.  It gave me the feeling that my sock was about to do the wiggle and end up all wadded up around the front.  Everybody knows that feeling of wet, folded sock.  Anyway, where was I... Oh, so every church here has a type of committee that sits inside mainly gossiping about family and friends in hushed tones, but the minute you walk in the door they all go quiet and one gets up to welcome you to the church.

Light of the World Candle

In St. Nicholas this older woman walks up to me and welcomes me in from the rain.  After I said hello and complimented the building she asked me if it was an American accent and I said yes.  She was so cute and pleasant it was hard not to like her.  She offered to let me explore on my own or she could walk with me and answer any questions I had.  I said that I would be glad to have a personal tour and she said that it was hardly a tour.  So I thought, okay it's more of those question and answer things.  So I started out easy.
"Well, can you tell me about what I am standing on?"  It was a beautiful peace of black granite that had been carved into a beautiful design on the floor.
"That would be someone's grave dear."
I jumped off startled and she kind of gave me a smile.
After that first question disaster, I told her I would just mozy around at my own speed.  That seemed to suit her since her friends had started gossiping again and she wanted to get back to put her two pence in.  She came up to me at the end to explain the chapel and recommend a few spots in Aberdeen to visit.  She gave me strict orders to "come back in a fortnight, that's two weeks from now" to let her know how I liked all the places she suggested.

Aberdeen is situated between two rivers, The Dee and The Don.  No I did not make that up.  The Dee has a town next to it named "Footdee" because it is at the Foot of the River Dee, but everyone here just calls it "Fittie."  Yesterday, I went on an exploration to find Fittie.  I walked for two hours and then gave up.  I also had to pee so that sped up the giving up process.  Upon finding a public restroom next to the edge of the ocean it read, "Public Restroom's of Footdee." I sighed and realized that I had been walking in Fittie for the past forty minutes.  Well it was picturesque and I thought it was awful cute to just be next to the River Dee.
I think it will take a couple more hours of wearing out my shoes to get to know all about Aberdeen.  This weekend: London!  Get excited!