1. 1
EDINBURGH
e x p l o r e r
Unknown Past
Discovering Cramond’s Roman History
Occupy Edinburgh
From Wall Street to St. Andrew Square
Sweet Edinburgh
Bibi’s Cupcake Temptation
Edinburgh`s Nightlife
Like a Fortune Cookie: You don`t know what you get!
Ghosts-Hunting
Terrifying Adventures in the Scottish Capital
From no God to God Particle
Edinburgh`s Great Minds

2. 2 3
Editorial
Having spent three weeks in Edinburgh in November I have
learned how useful a transparent umbrella can be. Shielding my-
self from heavy rain and stormy blasts with my non-transparent one,
I hit two street lamps and one bollard.
So maybe get one, solid as well if possible. Gumboots can also be
a helpful item to bring as you might face quite remarkable torrents in
combination with a very wet and soggy ground.
However, real Edinburgh people don`t seem to care about the weath-
er AT ALL. Even when the first snow falls (which actually happened!)
you will always come across some bravehearts in shorts and flip flops.
Especially on Saturday night - it might be as cold as it can possibly get - it
won`t stop the girls from wearing skirts resembling belts.
For various reasons earplugs are another handy thing to have on
you. After a while you might like to escape the ineluctable sound of the
bagpipes all around the city centre. Alarms go off in Edinburgh very
frequently, too – for whatever reasons. In the building I stayed in, there
was this young lady on the first floor who obviously liked to cook and
practised every evening. Unfortunately she often managed to set fire to
her food, so the smoke alarm sounded loud and long. And just to add to
the noise levels, there are plenty of private parties going on in Edinburgh,
which is nice unless you happen to actually want to sleep.
Follow this advice and you will be well prepared for most unpleasant
incidents you might have to face here on occasions. Then you can relax and
happily venture out and explore this pretty, historical and very vibrant city.
And there is so much to like about Edinburgh. We have asked resi-
dents and visitors what it is for them and you will find out in the course of
this magazine. The top answer by far has been: “It`s small and you can walk
everywhere.” But there is so much more. Go for it!
Caroline Wimmer
„... because it is a very compact city and you can
walk from one end to the other.“
Peter, 30, from Ireland,
journalist in Edinburgh since 2004
I like Edinburgh ...
download full book: www.lulu.com/content/ebook/edinburgh-explorer/12293701

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Contents
Edinburgh ABC Christos Kambouris 6
Faces of Edinburgh 11
In the Streets of Edinburgh Sophie Luise Bauer 12
She who Stands in the Cold 14
Go but Don`t Come Back Tomorrow Monika Weiß 16
Bagpipes on the Rocks Jasmin Kriegelstein, Andrea Beres 20
Timeless Tradition 22
From Wallstreet to St. Andrews Square Christos Kambouris 26
German - Most Spoken in Scotland Amongst Tourists Monika Weiß 32
Sugarholic`s Paradise Andrea Beres 38
Fitness Unusual Sophie Luise Bauer 40
From God to No God Particle Christos Kambouris 46
An Old School Motion Sophie Luise Bauer 50
Let`s Entertain You Sophie Luise Bauer 56
Welcome to Edin, Bro! Christos Kambouris 62
Nightfever, Nightfever Sophie Luise Bauer 66
Phantoms and Ghosts Caroline Wimmer 70
Rediscovering Cramond`s Roman Past Jasmin Kriegelstein 78
Wildlife at First Hand Jasmin Kriegelstein, Andrea Beres 82
Pony for Sale Andrea Beres 84
German Christmas Special Jasmin Kriegelstein, Monika Weiß 86
The Authors 88
Imprint90

4. 1312
words by Sophie Luise Bauer
photographs by Caroline Wimmer
In the Streets of Edinburgh
Nearly midnight in Edinburgh. My flatmate
and I are heading home after an evening of
exploring the backyards. As we pass the Grass-
market, we can hear from afar the raw sound of
music. Magically attracted, we stand in front of a
musician with a powerful and hypnotic voice. It
goes right through us. The yellow light of the tunnel
he is standing in creates a mystic atmosphere. His
clothes are those of a veteran performer. His locks
are flying in the wind and his hands are swollen and
blue from the icy cold. Expressive and clear, he per-
forms the last lines of “Hotel California” from The
Eagles. Only when he finishes his song does he reg-
ister us, looking at us with alert and striking eyes.
As if to ask what his new found audience is asking
of him.
His name is Martin Kelly from Killimer, Coun-
ty Clare (Ireland) and he has just arrived in town
after a five year absence. He has been travelling the
world and living the free life of a busker. So I ask
him why he had decided to return to this city af-
ter being gone for so long. He says it was because
of its spirit. “Once you could make a good living on
the streets of Edinburgh”, he explains, adding re-
gretfully that it seems at the present moment that
this is no longer the case. Things have changed
over the years. “There seems to be a lot more of a
seedy side to the streets nowadays.” I ask him why he
has picked this place to perform than on the busy
Grassmarket. He answers with a proud smile on his
face: “My voice has improved over the years since I
left and in turn the power of delivery is not for the
faint hearted people who live on the Grassmarket.”
And that`s the reason he had to move from that
area. When you listen to him it really has the sound
of a man who sings for his life. This is also the
reason why he chooses to perform on the streets
rather than in the bars and clubs any more. The
power that you experience listening to him out-
side may not be captured indoors, as the size of the
room places limitations on how far he can push it.
Then he discloses some incredible stories
of his experiences so far. One of them was about
when he got his first gig in Edinburgh. He had ar-
rived in the city and was looking around for work
in some of the bars. He found work in the bar called
“Opium”. This post was short lived because of a dis-
pute about wages with the manager, for which he
was fired. Having no work and no income he de-
cided to give busking a go and played outside the
bar that he had been fired from. He had decided
during the week to shave his head and because of
this, when the manager heard him sing, he did not
know who he was. He went on to offer him a gig in
the very pub that he had been let go from the previ-
ous week. Martin couldn`t believe his ears but went
along with it. He was offered £50 and free drink.
And only after agreeing to do it, did he reveal who
he was. That was back in 2005. After a long time
touring the world he settled down in Galway but
the quiet life was not ment for him as he missed the
liberty that came with busking. He chose to leave a
very successful career as a manager of a marketing
company and went back to what he loved, his life
as a busker.
I would like to give him a hot drink but all I
can offer is a few coins, which he more than de-
serves, so that he may pay his hostel for the night.
As my flatmate and I disappear into the night, we
hear the sad but beautiful sound of “Hallelujah” by
Leonard Cohen.

5. 14 15
Street, wrapped in many layers – two pair of trou-
sers, five T-shirts and pullovers. The wind is howl-
ing around this lady from Manchester, blows into
her white blouse, balloons her black pants. Helen
barely notices the rest of the passers-by on the
street.
In front of her – next to the rolls - is a cross-
word puzzle. This is her pastime when she is not
serving customers. Helen doesn’t like her job, not
at all! “You can’t expect much of life these days, can
you?“ She is happy not to live on benefits. And her
work is well paid, Helen says. But she likes Edin-
burgh: “It is not overcrowded; it is not hustle and
bustle like in other cities. It is easy walking around.
Manchester is busy all the time.“
“No, I am not married. But I have lived with
my partner for 33 years.“ Helen’s been in Scotland
for 30 years. Yes, she likes it, except for her job. It
was the work that took her away from home – and
landed her on Scotland`s shores. Manchester is not
a beautiful place, it is a very industrial city. How-
ever, she goes back very often. The last time she
visited her hometown was only two weeks ago. Her
relatives and friends are there. She will go back for
Christmas. The longest time she goes without visit-
ing Manchester is two months.
Helen doesn`t talk a lot, doesn`t seem to
like talking much. Only half an hour longer to go
this afternoon. And then: it is closing time! Helen
smiles, as her working hours are coming to an end
for today. She will spend the evening with her part-
ner in front of the new fireplace at their home.
She buries her hands deeply into the pockets
of her white blouse as a gust of wind is blowing be-
hind her. There is no heater to warm up the feet,
the hands. The red umbrella next to the mobile hot-
dog stand remains closed. On rainy days, it offers
little comfort.
Three girls are appoaching the red stand. Hel-
en grabs a roll of white bread. “Onions?“ “Sauce?“
“The chily sauce is good.“ Business as usual and
then, again: “Good-bye.“
Time is creeping slowly away. For 13 years now
Helen has stood and sold Hot-dogs in Edinburgh.
“Oh, I don`t want to think of the time ahead.
I still have to work for too many years!“ Helen drags
her red hoody closer over her red cap. And the
music is fading out around her. Helen is patient.
Helen and stand: Helen`s Hot-dog stand at the corner
Princes Street/Castle Street
It smells good, as the lid is lifted. “Would you like
to have some onions?“ Helen gives the young
man in the green T-shirt a friendly look; her red
wollen hat is pulled down over her forehead. The
sauces, chili, mustard, ketchup are there to add as
required, then - a cold drink, and good-bye. Again,
time, plenty of time. The Englishwoman grabs a
strand of her reddish hair with her hand. And now:
what?
“It is boring, very boring!“ Helen has been
standing here since 10.30 in the morning. It’s now
4 pm. One and a half more hours to go for today.
“Yes, this is my job. I am here almost every day, every
week, seven hours a day“.
The words come quietly from her lips. Today
is the 27th November, the first day of Advent. The
small red train with the white reindeer on top pass-
es in front of Helen’s Hot-dog stand with a warning
bell. “Santa Claus is coming into town“ people are
chanting. Helen stares blankly at nothing. Right in
front of her, on the other side of the Princes Street, is
a statue to commemorate some man. It faces Castle
Street. “I don`t know him“, the 52-year-old shakes
her head. Behind Thomas Guthrie – philantropist
(1803-1873) - unfolds the Edinburgh castle.
“Oh, I don`t like that view!“ she says. Helen
shifts from one foot to the other. “The business is
not going very well this weekend. It is too windy,
too cold.“ And most of the people are strolling over
to the Christmas Market this afternoon. Helen is
standing at the corner of Castle Street and Princes
She who Stands in the Cold
„But all this I yielded up to astonishment. Even the most familiar part of it.“
Bert Brecht
words by
photographs by Caroline Wimmer

6. I like Edinburgh, because ...
90
Imprint
Authors
Andrea Beres
Caroline Wimmer
Christos Kambouris
Jasmin Kriegelstein
Monika Weiss
Sophie Luise Bauer
Layout
Caroline Wimmer
Photograph Cover
Jasmin Kriegelstein
Photographs on „I like Edinburgh...“
Caroline Wimmer
Publisher
Curso eG
Rungestr. 22-24
10179 Berlin
Deutschland
Edinburgh, December 2011
„... because it has a rich history and so many secrets.“
Aimee, 21, student, from Edinburgh
I like Edinburgh ...
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This
publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the
Commission cannot be held responsible
for any use which may be made of theinformation contained therein.

7. 92