As it has been the case for twenty-two years now, the Scottish-French festivities are going to take place in Aubigny-sur Nère on the 14th of July. The whole town will again resound cheerfully with music, cries of joy, and the clatter of horses’ hooves as if to awaken from their long sleep the French and Scottish ghosts of our … Continue reading →
Charles Rennie Mackintosh circa 1900 “Let Glasgow Flourish” can we read on the city of Glasgow coat of arms… Charles Rennie Mackintosh is certainly the artist who most contributed to make Glasgow flourish! The Art Nouveau style he gave to a number of buildings in his native town, and which came to be known as ‘The Glasgow Style’, has … Continue reading →
Which of these two Scottish monuments is taller? The Wallace monument ? The National Wallace Monument (generally known as the Wallace Monument) is a tower standing on the summit of Abbey Craig, a hilltop near Stirling in Scotland. It commemorates Sir William Wallace, the 13th century Scottish hero. Source: Wikipedia or The Walter Scott Monument? We delighted watching the cows … Continue reading →
(Keltia n° 23 – juin/août 2012 – Editions du Nemeton) Open on my desk, at the very page of the article I’m going to write about today, lies the new issue of Keltia, one of my favourite French magazines which I’ve already mentioned in Scotiana. Indeed, I wrote an article about the Pictish stones in this magazine a few … Continue reading →
(Edinburgh Forth Bridges © 2006 Scotiana) The Scottish capital is a place of outstanding beauty. It’s a city we’ve fallen in love with when we first discovered it a few years ago and we can’t wait to go back there! There is truly something “very special” about Edinburgh… As soon as you approach the city, you can feel the … Continue reading →
Cheers! What about sharing a dram of whisky on the mythical place of ‘La Croisette’ ? There’s something to celebrate there, something with a very recognizable Scottish flavour ;-). The Angels’ Share (La part des anges), Ken Loach’s new film has just been awarded the Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival and it has something to do with … Continue reading →
The Mackintosh Trail in Roussillon, known in France as ‘Le chemin de Mackintosh’, was inaugurated in Port Vendres in June 2004 in memory of the great Scottish artist. It was created on the initiative of the Mackintosh Association and it is marked all along its way with panels put on the many different Mackintosh’s painting sites. On one side these … Continue reading →
I’m very happy to be back on Scotiana after a short trip to the south of France and very eager to tell you about it. Iain and Margaret had very kindly invited us to meet them in Carcassonne where they were spending a week’s holiday and we first went there to meet them before going on southward up to … Continue reading →
Bonjour Marie-Agnès, Janice et Jean-Claude. Hello again from Scotland! 🙂 Jean-Claude and Marie-Agnès, please let me say how thrilled we were to meet you both again towards the end of April – for just the second time in our warm and cordial friendship! Those two days that we spent together at Carcassonne were wonderful, filled – as you said, … Continue reading →
“When is the best time to plant a tree?” The answer: “Twenty years ago. The second-best time? Today.” Old Proverb World Earth Day is organised by the environmental charity WWF in an attempt to draw greater awareness for climate change and for more action to combat it. To celebrate World Earth Day, hundreds of thousands of people turned off … Continue reading →
Many thanks Janice for giving me the opportunity to focus on Beatrix Potter, one of the most famous British authors of children’s literature and one of my favourites too. The Tale of Peter Rabbit you’ve included in your last post is certainly the best known of the many stories Beatrix Potter has written and illustrated. All of them … Continue reading →
In Christian tradition, Easter Sunday is all about Jesus Christ’s resurrection from death, however many people celebrate this commemorative day by decorating, exchanging, and searching for eggs. Easter eggs and Easter bunnies are a major attraction during Easter’s festival of rejuvenation of life and living. From the earliest times, the egg was a symbol of birth in most cultures. Eggs … Continue reading →
Hi Mairiuna! April 1st being widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness, I was wondering if I would keep my good humor was I to be a victim of a prank? I’d better, because it is said that you’ll attract bad luck if you get mad! In Scotland, they are … Continue reading →
Roads go ever ever on, Over rock and under tree, By caves where never sun has shone, By streams that never find the sea; Over snow by winter sown, And through the merry flowers of June, Over grass and over stone, And under mountains in the moon. Roads go ever ever on Under cloud and under star, Yet feet … Continue reading →
Hi Mairiuna! It was truly a pleasure to read your last post triggered by Google Doodle’s commemoration of the 220th birth anniversary of Gioachino Rossini. The music was such a joy to hear! Thanks for sharing such great insights about Rossini and the nature of his link with Scotland. About your challenging question… 😉 Dear Janice would you, by any … Continue reading →
