Four Score and Seven Years Ago... oh sorry, wrong one.

Somehow I thought that today's big sporting event would be the Super Bowl, everywhere, even Scotland. Although there was some dialogue in the dining hall today at lunch about American football which, as such conversation seem to do, degenerated into commenting on the slowness/lack of toughness of the game, mostly it's been ignored. As far as I can tell.

I can't remark on the popularity of the Superbowl in other years, but I have the feeling that people would care more if not for another sporting event... the Six Nations rugby games, a tournament between Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, France, and Italy that began yesterday (2 Feb.) to March 15, possibly longer. Today was the match between Scotland and France, and was actually hosted in Edinburgh, so of course the students were more interested in that. (Scotland lost to France, 6-27.)

I went out walking today in the early afternoon, the same time that people were going on their way to the stadium. I saw a few people with French flag facepaint and attire, but mostly the sidewalks were dominated by Scots. It's always interesting, most of the Scotsmen go to matches wearing rugby jerseys of their favorite player and a kilt.

However, my mission for the afternoon was to find the memorial to Scottish soldiers in the American Civil War, which I only found out existed a week ago. I decided the third of February is close enough to Lincoln's birthday, on the 12th, so I went. Minimal research was required to discover where it was, the Old Calton Hill Cemetery, which is on the East End of the Princes St area, right by Waverley train station, but getting in proved a little more difficult. Still, I managed all right. The actual cemetery is tiny, with maybe only 100 grave sites, but to be buried in such a prominent location must have been difficult.

The actual statue of Abraham Lincoln was very easy to find; even if I wasn't looking for it, the fact that it was made of much lighter stone than the other markers makes it stand out quite prominently. Apparently it is the only statue of an American president found outside America? Something, anyway. Abraham Lincoln is holding a copy of the Emancipation Proclaimation on a base inscribed with "Education - Emancipation" around it. Seated below is a freed slave, and below him a dedication to the Scottish soldiers who fought inthe Civil War.

I saw it as soon as I entered the cemetery, and pulled out my camera. A woman came in after me, and asked if I wanted her to take my picture. A little surreal!

Some pictures are posted in the photobucket account, see the links to the right.