Empty Ibrox

At the end of January, I went to the Hibernian-Rangers game in Glasgow. While the game did not go particularly well from a Hibs point of view, Rangers recent problems mean it might turn out to be the last Hibs-Rangers game ever. And if it is the last one, then I was the very last Hibs supporter to ever be inside Ibrox.

After the game ended, all of the Hibs fans were held back while the home supporters left the stadium.We were held back so long that the rest of the stadium had been emptied, and we got to see the police and the grounds crew do their post-game checks. There seemed to be a race to see who could mow the pitch the quickest. Eventually they let us start to leave. Before I left the stadium I decided to use the bathroom and then blow my nose really well. While I was finishing up blowing my nose, I quickly realised the bathroom had suddenly gone very quiet. A security guard asked me if I was the last one. I said I did not know and started to head towards the nearby exit. As I was walking out, I heard the security guard behind me say into his radio that he "had the last one". I had only just walked through the exit door when I heard it slam shut behind me.

At least for the moment, I can claim to be both the last Hibs fan at a Rangers game and the last Hibs fan in Ibrox. If Rangers' financial problems are as bad as they seem and they enter liquidation, I may get to keep those titles.

Dundee

Two weeks ago I went to Dundee for the day. I had previously heard Dundee being called Scumdee so I wasn't sure want to expect. I was actually pleasantly surprised. While it is definitely not the nicest place I have visited, Dundee was a perfectly nice place to visit for the day. The high street/central part of the city could be mistaken for any mid-sized British city.

On this trip I visited Scott's Discovery which was the ship used on his Antarctic expedition in 1901. The ship's museum was really well done and the ship itself has been well preserved. I would highly recommend visiting the Discovery.

 

I also visited the Verdant Works, which is an old jute mill that has been converted into a museum. Jute is made into a fabric, such as burlap. The museum does a good job explaining the manufacturing process and also the wider implications of the jute trade. 

Lebkuchen

Continuing my series of posts on street foods, today we have Lebkuchen. Lebkuchen is normally described as resembling gingerbread and is a traditional German Christmas treat. They are either rectangular or round, they have a sweet, lightly nutty taste, and their aroma is a bit like nutmeg and allspice. They are soft and baked on top of a thin, sugary "oblaten" wafer. Nuremberg is famous for its Lebkuchen.

Lebkuchen also comes in a harder form with is made into different shapes and decorated with icing. A common sight at Christmas markets is stalls decorated with Lebkuchen.

This Nürnberger Lebkuchen came from the Christkindlesmarkt.

Crêpe

Crêpes are a popular European street food. Although they are most commonly associated with France, you can find them in many other countries. You can get crêpes filled with many different things including fruit, whipped cream, sugar, chocolate sauce, and jam. Crêpes are a pretty versatile food.

This particular crêpe is from the Regensburg Christmas market and is filled with nutella, which is my favourite topping.

Kartoffelpuffer

When I went to Germany last month, I made sure to have some my favourite German food to eat. Potato pancakes, known as Kartoffelpuffer in German, with applesauce have long been one of my favourite foods, and I always have some when I go to a Christmas market, whether in Germany or the one in Edinburgh.

These particular potato pancakes were from the Frankfurter Weihnachtsmarkt and were excellent. Quite possibly the best I have ever had. Later on the trip I had some more from the Nürnberg Christkindlesmarkt.

 

You can find my other articles on street foods here: 

Langos
Käsekrainer
Belgian Waffles
Frites
Socca

Law School Apps

Sorry for the lack of posts but I am frantically trying to tie up some loose strings and submit my law school applications before I fly back to Scotland. I hope everyone had a good Christmas and a great 2012.

Field of Dreams

Tonight Field of Dreams was on ITV4. Field of Dreams is such a great movie. It was really good to come across it on British television.

This scene with James Earl Jones has to be one of the greatest movie monologues of the past 25 years.