the edinburgh festival

21st Aug
Regulars will know I'm not a huge fan of the festival. This year I limited my festival experience to one show which we went to by accident. In fact I'm only blogging this to demonstrate that it does sometimes rain like buggery. And usually at some point during the festival, because Weather Jesus likes to remind the tourists that all that boozing, partying and mediocre art is in fact a modern day sin. 

I have Mary to thank for getting us out. I'd have looked out the window and gone "nah". Mary prefers to run earlier in the day rather than hang around for the rain to go off. (I don't think it did.) She bundled us out the door and was fairly chipper. I almost certainly wasn't despite smiles for the camera suggesting otherwise.

rattling down

that graffiti mosaic person thing mentioned earlier

how much fun? not much!

It really was torrential. We took the waterproof camera and ran over Calton Hill then down to Regents Road. Mary had something she wanted to show me. Just about the Burns Memorial she stopped and said "listen" (beside a blank black box the other side of the railings.) It was a concealed speaker playing vaguely scottish music; muffled voices, maybe Burns-esque stuff. It was kind of weird and abstract until you realised the Burns Monument was to the back of it and that some people actually like that sort of thing. We noticed the gate was (for once) open. Now that is interesting in itself, as many times I have stood watching the butterflies on the heather bank within this railinged off area and wondered if it was worth the not inconsiderable climb over the high spikes. (Probably not!)

We were ushered through by a very upbeat umbrella-wielding 20-something bloke. As if he was delighted that here were 2 drowned-rat-like runners come to drip inside his venue. The venue was the circular monument, normally closed, open and playing Burns tunes out a dozen speakers. It was nice to step out the rain for a moment. Although we were the only people visiting it on such a grim day. There was a girl (with umbrella) at the entrance who was also very pleased to see us. In fact the reception was better than the actual event which was 'have a look at this small internal space while Burns music plays through speakers and then leave'. (Best bit: admission free.) Slightly better than standing in the rain but not by a significant margin. (And they can put that on next year's posters if they want.) It was the sort of thing that makes you want to do a sarcastic pose for a photo.

2 drowned rats in a small internal space with Scotch music playing
(I think I preferred last year's festival and fringe.)
(yes, the cancelled one)

some watery art near the parliament buildings

It looks like we then did a circuit of Arthur's Seat which I have little to no recollection of, it was that good. And, without having an ice-cream, went home. I'm already looking forward to next year's fringe and festival shows.

While we're here and enjoying the arts I'll just post this photo I took mid-August of some people in Holyrood Park enjoying the freedom of expression that I feel is the personification of the Edinburgh Festival experience.