Day: August 23, 2023

Festival Fever with a Friends

/ brisbanefrannie / 3 Comments

It’s always fun to meet up with friends to share a great experience so we thank Bill and Marie-France for driving up from Sussex to spend a few days in Edinburgh.

We were meeting them at midday for lunch before our Acoustic Blues at the Jazz Club.

So we set out early to go to the Writers Museum and St Giles’ church first.

The Museum dedicated to Scotland’s 3 famous authors : Scott, Stevenson & Robert Burns

We had passed it yesterday on our walk but didn’t have time to call in. Today we did. A very beautiful constrained tribute to these three authors. Back in Australia it is Book Week for Children and our grandson loves Dr Seuss! He dressed as The Cat in the Hat and it fits well with my visit to the Writers Museum.

He may grow up to read Stevenson’s
Treasure Island.

We continued onto St Giles’ Cathedral, founded in 1124 by King David I, has been a working church for almost 900 years.

Just one of the many stained glass windows.

A little more walking brought us to the top of pretty West Bow Street to Howies Restaurant. I had read about it being great food and its special £17.95 lunch and made a booking. It was perfect for a reunion with Bill and M-F. We met Bill a few years ago on a swim trek in Galapagos and then met M-F when last in London.

Lunch was terrific. Haggis for Bill and Steve’ entree!

From lunch we walked to nearby Chambers Street and the Jazz Club. Down the stairs we went into a suitably dark jazz club atmosphere even though it was 2.30 in the afternoon.

An hour of mellow jazz and a G&T followed.

Then off to the Museum of Scotland. What a place! M-F and I went to the special exhibition ‘Beyond the Little Black Dress’

Designers from Dior to Issey Miyake

From design classics to cutting-edge catwalk creations, Beyond the Little Black Dress deconstructs this iconic garment and examines the radical power of the colour black in fashion.

It was lovely to share it with the French M-F as she is very interested in textiles and fashion. We had a lot of fun deconstructing the LBD’s on display.

Bill and Steve checked out some other galleries but truely you need a day to see it all.

Just one of the many galleries

Steve ran off to the Writer’s festival so I had to make my way back to our little apartment. Not too far. About 2km. I hobbled along until in the traffic jam around the Grassmarket I spied a taxi. I jumped in and encouraged the driver to do a 3 point turn to get out of the traffic and into the direction I wanted to go! he says I’m not supposed to but did!

I was home and resting withered in 10 mins. Because after an hour we headed out again to go back across to the Festival Theatre to see the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Founded in 1958 by dancer, choreographer, and visionary Alvin Ailey, to bring African American modern dance to audiences.

We worked out the bus routes and times and caught it to the Festival Theatre.

The modern foyer.

The theatre itself appeared more traditional.

Inside the theatre.

It was described as a mix of dance with ballet and modern technique, it exudes an easy, carefree energy. It was exciting. The recorded music was jazz in the first part then the second dance was a mixtape’ of soul, hip-hop and R&B . I liked it – Steve not so much!

Back on the bus through the streets heaving with Festival goers.

Edinburgh Festival Fever

/ brisbanefrannie / 4 Comments

We may have 10 days here but there is a lot to see and do in this compact city.

We set out at 9.30 after a late night unpacking and settling into our little Edinburgh apartment.

We walked down the street and around the corner and 5minutes later we could see Edinburgh castle.

Our apartment is the little red marking bottom left.

We walked in it’s shadow heading towards Grassmarket in the Old Town before heading up a winding street to Greyfriars Bobby.

Steve posed next to Bobby the faithful dog to show he really does like dogs!

The faithful Bobby.

We had time for a coffee at Bobby’s just opposite the National Museum of Scotland. I’ll be visiting there later this week.

We had booked a fringe event. The Tale of Two Cities. Our leader Peter arrived and is a very personable friendly Scot. It was a small group a couple from Canada and mother & son from Boston and a young uni student from England – Brighton.

We headed straight into Greyfriars Church and Graveyard. Our storyteller started recounting the story of the Old Town. He took us through then down the hill to Grassmarket. He grew up not far from here. One of 10 children. Life was not easy.

We headed up the very pretty West Bow Street

West Bow curves gently up hill towards the Royal Mile

Peter led us up straits through laneways always with an interesting story to tell.

We came to the Writers Museum.

I’ll be visiting the writers Museum.

Peter told a very good tale about the first public loos.

A man took money to extend his rather tent like cloak around a squatting client while he relieved himself.
We arrived at the very busy Royal Mile which leads up to the Castle.

The Royal Mile was busy but we quickly escaped by going down a little lane. We would never have explored this part off the beaten track ! we then popped back out to the end of the Royal Mile and had a great view of the Bank of Scotland.

St Giles’ Church

Then it was down the winding hill toward the New Town. The Prince’s Street Gardens divide the old town / up the town and the new town. The Art Gallery sits overlooking the gardens and the forecourt was awash with noise and people. Festival fever: magicians, jazz bands acrobats. People everywhere sitting soaking up the sun eating cream watching the buskers.

We stopped at the monument to Sir Walter Scott, Scotlands famous author. The monuments here are amazing. The higher the spire the more revered the person. Almost all men of course!

We walked to St Andrew’s square looking along Rose St towards Charlotte Square. Crossing St Andrew’s Square I was impressed with the low fence inside the park. – perfect for stopping and having a sit but no sitting for us. By now my legs were tired and I was longing for a sit down.

One more stop. the beautiful Bank of Scotland which we went into to admire the beautiful domed ceiling.

We finished near Waverley the big station after 3 hrs of walking. After farewells to our group Steve and I headed to the monument for sore feet and dry throats. The Duke of something or other.

We sat for an hour over a beer and soup. Then off to the Portrait Gallery in another beautiful building. Last stop the National Gallery before heading back to West End and our little apartment.

A little rest then a short stroll to meet Cathal my Irish massage therapist. He got me going again and that night we went to hear the Oslo Philharmonic.

What a performance. The orchestra were great and the pianist a dynamic young 36 year old woman , born in Beijing but living in the US.

To start though…..The orchestra tuned up and …..We were left waiting for her and the conductor to arrive on stage. Wait. Wait.

Her entrance made us sit up. Very attractive with a thigh high split dress. I whispered to Steve that she and the conductor must have been having a ‘ moment ’ back stage.

She had remarkable fingers flying over the keys in the Concerto for the left hand by Ravel. Composed for a pianist who had lost an arm in WW1. Fantastic piece. .

At the end of that piece she and the conductor – after many bows, left the stage for another few minutes. Then they made another entrance with her wearing another dress this time a bright yellow & very fitted dress. I have never seen someone leave the stage to change clothes while the orchestra sat waiting. I guess she needed the conductor to zip her dress.

Another wonderful piece.

There was then an interval and then just the orchestra performance of Shostakovich. 5th Symphony in D Minor.

Of course after the concert I had to research the pianist and turns out she just might be dating the 27 year old Finish conductor. ( for readers from Australia he was a young David Wenham look a like. )

The Finnish composer.