Burns Night
“And surely ye’ll be your pint stowp!
And surely I’ll be mine!
And we’ll tak a cup o’kindness yet,
For auld lang syne…”
Happy Burns Night everyone! Today (January 25) is the birthday of Scottish poet Robert Burns (January 25, 1759–July 21, 1796). Today is also called Robert Burns Day or Rabbie Burns Day.
It’s hard to overstate the love affair the Scottish people have with Robert Burns. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. Tonight many Scots enjoy a Burns supper—a celebration of the life and poetry of the author (with haggis, of course!).
“Wherever a Scotsman goes, there goes Burns.”
Yesterday was consumed with visiting The Making of Harry Potter, so we dedicated today to relaxing and doing laundry in preparation for our move tomorrow.
Sadly, we didn't have a Burns Supper, but I did walk to the grocery store to buy some ingredients for dinner. On the way home, I walked over the Roman-era defensive wall built c. AD 270-90. Initially, it felt mundane, like walking on any other sidewalk (or “pavement” as they would call it here). But then I was struck by an awareness of just how surreal it was for the soles of my modern shoes to tread where Roman sandals once trod.
Rain on the way, I stood on top of the lovely Simmons memorial mound, just inside the Wincheap Gate to the west of the castle, and took in the magnificent view of Canterbury Cathedral. From this vantage, I couldn't help but wonder what it must have been like when this stunning cathedral was the tallest building east of London and must have been visible for miles around. The cathedral is an enduring reminder of a bygone time.
Will went to the store on his own and got lost momentarily. As soon as he turned himself around in the right direction, he looked down and what did he find? We were wondering if we’d find one in Canterbury. I guess we had to wait until our last day.
