UK and Europe Tour 2006

27.05.2006 The days are so long in Scotland, I woke up this morning and thought it was time to start my day but it was only 4:30 AM. Once I got my day started Adam, Matt, Lou and I headed to the Scottish Parliament. The building is amazing. Architecturally speaking it was one of the most breathtaking buildings I have ever encountered. It is crazy that it went 800 million dollars over budget. All the rooms contain daylighting; some better lit than others. Lots of materials were used that can be found within the area. My favorite part about the building was the public garden, this is where I discovered the green roof. One can tell this outside space is designed for the people. The cultural interaction was amazing. The site plan itself seems to have many contextual links to the surroundings, this becomes very apparent when viewed from the neighboring hill. From this hill there was a very good view of Edinburgh. The Scottish are not afraid to mix the new with their old urban fabric creating and great mixed urban fabric. The locals emit an aura of pride for their heritage. It is a surreal experience to be embraced as a temporary part of the demographic of the history melted into tourism. On our way back to the hostel we visited an art exhibition on the human body. I had to be rushed so I Hope to visit it again before I leave. We ended our night with some drinking and discussion about finances this was a great ending to my first day in Scotland.