Day 1: EDINBURGH
More Fabulous Fringe, Uisge Beatha, and Bagpipes at Midnight
Matt and I awoke to our blaring alarm, groggy and disorientated. After hot showers and life-changing soft boiled eggs at the hotel restaurant we started to feel more like real people again. Excited to meet our tour group at 4PM and ready for more of the Fringe with Billy in the early afternoon, we checked out or our hotel and wheeled our bags the mile or so down the road, past beautiful, old buildings and through long, winding streets until we found our second hotel organized by the tour, The Bonham Hotel. Billy was waiting for us in the lobby. We piled into the small lift, dropped off our bags and got ready for Fringe for day two.
First up was a cheeky take on the musical Les Misérables. Called "Less Miserable" it imaged what would happen if Gilbert and Sullivan rewrote the plot to Les Mis in the afterlife using only their music. Afterwards, we grabbed some lunch from some food stalls near our next venue and all agreed Billy's pheasant burger won the day. That was until we saw the next show... |
WOW MOMENT - "In Loyal Company"
"Last call for 'In Loyal Company!'" we heard as we approached the door to the theater. My hands reeked of fish from my salmon lunch and I was despite to wash them. It didn't look like I'd have that opportunity. We walked into a dimly lit black box theater with a smoke machine billowing. It was almost a full house and since we were some of the last ones to arrive it didn't look like we could sit together. Self-conscious of my fish hands and feeling bad that Matt had to sit by himself, I took my seat and the show quickly began. From the first beat to the last dimming of the lights we were transported somewhere that felt both recent and light years away. "In Loyal Company" is a solo show about young British soldier who became a prisoner of war during WWII. About the life of the actor's great uncle, I could feel how personal the story is to him. Gripping, fast-paced, dynamic and deeply moving, the actor seamlessly slipped in and out of each character, all with different dialects, as he told this remarkable story. Throughout our trip, my mind would often slip into scenes from the show and I would be transported once more, to the horror of the Blitz to the oppressive heat of the Thailand to the awe-inspiring strength of human spirit the story depicted. Experiencing this performance was truly extraordinary and one that none of us will not soon forget. |
The Tour Begins!
After the show, it was time for Matt and I to head back to the Bonham and meet our tour group. We crossed the dining area to a private room unsure of what was waiting for us there. The wonderful Anne greeted us with a glass of wine and introduced herself as our guide, immediately putting us at ease. Anne gave us a run down of our trip, encouraging us to share our interests with her so she could point things out to us. We made ourselves known as whisky fans during our introductions while others were excited about Outlander sites and shopping for wool and yarn.
As a newly formed group, went on an orientation walk of new town Edinburgh in our hotel's neighborhood and worked up an appetite. Anne led us to a restaurant called Usquabea and the food did not disappoint! We enjoyed getting to know some of our tourmates as we dined on salad and fish, and for a few brave tourmembers, Matt included, haggis! |
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DO AS WE SAY, NOT AS WE DO
Scottish locals like to say the weather is all four seasons in one day. They are not kidding! In fact, I would say it's more like all four season in one hour! The weather changes so quickly, even in August, it is important to dress in light layers. Don't assume that it will be a warm summer night and leave your jacket in the hotel room like we did. The Tattoo is an open air venue and on the night we were there it rained. Matt and I got absolutely soaked. Luckily for us, the weather soon shifted and once it stopped raining it warmed up a little bit (but we still felt very foolish).
Scottish locals like to say the weather is all four seasons in one day. They are not kidding! In fact, I would say it's more like all four season in one hour! The weather changes so quickly, even in August, it is important to dress in light layers. Don't assume that it will be a warm summer night and leave your jacket in the hotel room like we did. The Tattoo is an open air venue and on the night we were there it rained. Matt and I got absolutely soaked. Luckily for us, the weather soon shifted and once it stopped raining it warmed up a little bit (but we still felt very foolish).