When I began my math-related travels back in 2016, I worked hard each day to keep up with my blogging. This sometimes kept me up until 2am. Seven years on, I no longer hold myself to that exhausting regimine, but now I've let 5 months go by without blogging even once about my most recent math travels! And I'm leaving in less than three weeks for my next expedition, so I guess I'd better start posting. This is my Math Sab Plus blog, so it's not all math; in fact it's quite a lot of other stuff, but I try to tie in the math history.
Mentone Hotel, London
I stayed at the Mentone Hotel because it was located between the British Museum and the British Library. The purpose of my travels is always that of study, so the location was excellent. I got in on a Friday night, which is the one night of the week that the British Museum is open "late," so after picking up a few things at the Tesco Express just outside the Russel Street tube station and dropping off my luggage, I ran right over to the British Museum. (I don't like to waste a minute of my travels.
British Museum
British Museum
As usual, the first thing I wanted to see was the Rosetta Stone. As usual, that's what everyone else wanted to see too!
Rosetta Stone
But, with some patience, a clear shot is possible.
Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone
I then headed over to the display of items associated with mathematician and conjurer John Dee. I rarely see anything new at the British Museum -- mostly stop by to visit old friends.
John Dee's Wax Seals
John Dee's Crystal Ball and Obsidian Mirror
Four Castles Gold Disk of John Dee
And then some other favorites -- the Royal Game of Ur, the Lewis Chessmen, the Elgin Marbles, and the Winged Bulls of Nineveh.
The Royal Game of Ur
The Lewis Chessmen
The Elgin Marbles
A Winged Bull of Nineveh
I love the central courtyard, day or night!
British Museum
British Museum
British Museum
British Museum
British Museum
I felt good about how much I was able to take in on that first evening, and then I had the treat of a beautiful walk back to the hotel on a spring evening.
Welcome to my "Mathematical History PLUS" blog. This post is intended to wrap up my 2022 math history travels and to introduce new readers to the blog. I created this blog in 2016 when I first went on a travel sabbatical researching the history of mathematics. The intent was to capture the math history places and items I came across during those 7 weeks of travel. Since that time I have unexpectedly done quite a bit more travel, and always with a focus on the history of mathematics, and so I have kept this blog going. After each lengthy segment of travel I post an introduction/conclusion.
A Door off the Quad of the Old Bodleian ("Geometriae et Arithmeticae")
I have a nearly identical blog for my students, a blog that is entirely focused on the mathematical aspects, and that can be found at http://mathsab.blogspot.com/. That blog does not have the word "PLUS" in its title whereas this one does since I created this one for friends and family. So while this blog contains mathematical information, it also contains details of travel and what I'm feeling and how I'm doing as I carry out these journeys, as well as posts about things I do during my travels that are unrelated to mathematics. This is especially true of the posts for the year 2022. When I started the blog in 2016, the posts were mostly focused on mathematics but had some personal detail included. The posts in 2022 have flipped that on its head and become mostly a travel blog with a bit of mathematical detail added! So, again, if you're looking solely for the history of mathematics, either click the link above, or check out my posts prior to 2022.
Genealogical Roll of the Descent of John Dee [Cotton. Ch. XIV.1.] courtesy of the British Library
So, hopefully this post helps you orient yourself to this blog and/or directs you to a similar one that might be of more specific interest. I do plan to do more travels relating to the history of mathematics -- currently am planning another trip to the UK and am also hoping to get to Italy, mostly to focus on Girolamo Cardano but also Luca Pacioli, Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolo Tartaglia, and Mary Fairfax Somerville. We'll see what the future holds. For now, thanks for stopping by!
I always try to include as many Sundays in my travels as I can so that I can worship as many places as possible, thus a Sunday was my last full day in Edinburgh. Typically while in town I worship at St. Cuthbert's (Sunday mornings) and St. Mary's (evensong). I've also worshipped at St. John's and at Greyfriar's, but I hadn't yet visited Canongate Kirk. It is very near to Holyrood Palace and is where the queen worships when she is in Edinburgh; it's also where her granddaughter Zara married Mike Tindall in 2011. This kirk was built during the reign of King James VII/II. I worshipped in many places in the UK this May, and I'd say this was one of favorites. This will likely be where I worship when/if I am in Edinburgh again, though I am always drawn to St. Cuthbert's, which is where John Napier worshipped and served as elder.
There were two baptisms during this service. I talked to a few people afterward, and I learned that they were catching up on things now that the pandemic is lessening. There was also a funeral the day before, which is what the large bouquet of white flowers was from up front. The service was well-attended, and the congregation seemed vibrant and caring, a genuine community.
I was a little bit naughty and captured a bit of the prelude. I just really wanted to have this memory in a somewhat tangible form. So as to not be completely irreverent I kept my camera in my purse and kept the lens cap on and added the still photos in later. :-)
There is a lovely kirkyard as well, which contains many famous gravesites.
Above is the grave of the founder of the study of economics Adam Smith. On his grave is carved a quote from his famous work The Wealth of Nations:
"The property which every man has in his own labour, as it is the original foundation of all other property, so it is the most sacred and inviolable."
I always stop by and pay homage to poet Robert Fergusson who died tragically at the age of 24, but in his few short years he managed to write poetry that would serve as an inspiration to Robert Burns. Though he died in poverty and under difficult circumstances, other Edinburgh poets over the centuries have ensured he is memorialized. He was initially buried in an unmarked grave, but about a decade after his death Robert Burns paid to have a stone erected for him; the verse on the stone was written by Burns. About 100 years later, Robert Louis Stevenson planned to have the stone renovated at his own expense, but he died before it could be done. There's a plaque at the foot of the grave that speaks to this, and I love the line "the gift of one Edinburgh lad to another."
Yet another tragic death is that of David Riccio. He was private secretary to Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary's husband Darnley became jealous of him and enlisted a group of men to join him in murdering Riccio. One night in 1566 while Mary was having dinner with some of her ladies and with Riccio, Darnley and his men came in; they held Mary at gunpoint while they stabbed Riccio 57 times. Mary was 6 months pregnant at the time with the baby who would grow up to become King James VI of Scotland (King James I of England).
I stayed on the eastern end of town today, starting with Canongate Kirk and checking out the surroundings, including the event of the Edinburgh Marathon that was taking place this day. The path of the marathon went directly past the door of the church, and I found myself glad that I was coming from the north so that I did not have to find a way to cross the path of the race!
This is probably why the town was so crowded the day before, probably people gathering for this event.
Outside Canongate Kirk is another memorial to poet Robert Fergusson.
Just within the gates of the kirk are two cherry trees, one of which was planted by Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the other of which was planted by Elizabeth while she was still princess rather than queen (1947).
The Canongate Tollbooth (above) always catches my eye, but I hadn't noticed until this trip the Canongate Cross (below).
I was making my way toward Holyrood Park and passed the very modern Scottish Parliament building on the way. I love how Edinburgh is so well able to mesh old and new and also the mix of urban and green spaces.
Just past the parliament building you see Holyrood Park, the highest point of which is called Arthur's Seat. I've climbed it twice in the past, but today wasn't a day to do it again - rather just to admire it from a bit of a distance.
The gorse is so pretty!
I always like to take a look at the ruins of 15th-century (or earlier) St. Anthony's Chapel as well.
On the right in the picture below is a wall of St. Anthony's Chapel, and below it is St. Margaret's Loch.
Just as I started getting my camera ready to take a 360-degree video for context, a young woman started playing the bagpipe for a group of friends. From snippets of conversation I overheard I think they talked her into doing it. I was glad, because it makes for a nice Scottish soundtrack for my video!
I love the view across St. Margaret's Loch to St. Anthony's and to Arthur's Seat. This would be a nice place to sit and relax. There's also lots of wildlife to watch here.
Holyrood Park is immense and varied -- so many nice walks to take!
Looking back toward town you can see Holyrood House Palace with the ruin of Holyrood Abbey attached and Calton Hill overlooking it. Something about this abbey ruin connected to a working castle just always captures my imagination, so I've put quite a few pictures below from various angles. Canongate Kirk, where I worshipped earlier today, has taken the place of Holyrood Abbey for worship.
The palace is in the shadow of Salisbury Crags, which you can see above and through the palace gates below.
And, as I made my way back towards "my" end of town, I circled up through New Calton Burial Ground, which was a new find for me last time. The round tower in the pictures below is a watch tower to keep a lookout for the "resurrection men" who used to come through in the 19th century and dig up fresh bodies to sell for dissections and anatomy lectures.
Looking back toward Arthur's Seat from New Calton Burial Ground has become one of my favorite views in Edinburgh. If you look closely, you can see the parliament building and the palace in the pictures above and below.
Continuing up through New Calton brings me to the Robert Burns memorial -
- and then to some nice views back down on the Canongate Kirk -
And then on to Calton Hill with its wonderful view of the city and its many monuments. Edinburgh has been called The Athens of the North, and for good reason!
And here's a look back at one hill from another. Like Rome, Edinburgh is a city built on 7 hills.
Views of Edinburgh from Calton Hill
There is also an observatory on Calton Hill. I think it's been repurposed, but I'm not sure - have never been inside, just seen it from outside.
One monument is to mathematician John Playfair - can't miss that!
One reason Edinburgh is called The Athens of the North is because of the National Monument above. It was never completed but was modeled after the Parthenon. Below is the Nelson monument.
So this brings me right up to the end of my trip. I got back to Toby's place, and he drove me out to the airport . . . AGAIN . . . so I could get my covid test. I had to snap another picture of the roads, which shows but one of many reasons why I do not drive here! I'm beginning to think that you almost have to be raised here in order to be OK driving, at least in town. Watching Toby drive was kind of like watching a dance. He knew instinctively when and where he needed to dip in to let another car past and when it was his turn to proceed and how far and all that. I couldn't believe how smooth it all was. I would have taken one look at this and assumed it was a one-way street, but it's not.
Toby took me past another school that I had not previously been aware of that may have served as part of the inspiration for Hogwarts in the Harry Potter novels and movies.
We stopped for a late lunch (very late lunch!) at Modern 1. It's super convenient, and I don't know that most people other than locals would really think to do this - but what a lovely outdoor eating area!!
No, I didn't eat two brownies for lunch. One tray has the meals and one has the desserts.
Again, just delightful surroundings for my last afternoon in Edinburgh.
This is my last full post for my May 2022 math journeys -- which somehow became more of a travelogue and less of a math blog. I'll probably put up one more post within the next week or so to serve as a conclusion -- mostly so that someone who stumbles across my blog knows what they are looking at! If you've been following along with me, thanks so much, and special thanks for your patience with my long, rambling posts. Detail is important to me, and these serve as a journal for myself as well as anything else they might serve as -- a place for me to keep all my memories fresh, and these are some very special memories.
