Scotland 2001!

Edinburgh - August 2001



Saturday, August 18

Day 1 - A very long day.

Flight at 8:30 Friday nite delayed til 10pm. Off at 10:30.
Here we are in the Manchester England airport sipping our Starbucks coffee. What a confusing airport! We are a little dazed and confused having no sleep. The flight to Edinburgh leaves at noon (about an hour from now). Can't wait to get there.

We all arrived in Edinburgh sans Peter's suitcase. Took a cab to the Cruachan Guest House, then off to find the venue and grab a cuppa joe along with the Festival Programme. Mobs of people crowded the Royal Mile. We got caught in the rain on the way back to the B&B. Hung out in the room, looked over the Festival Programme and ate dinner from the Pieman down the street (Mmmmm, Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pies!). Bed early as we are both exhausted.


Sunday, August 19

Up at 7:30. Full Scottish breakfast Mmmmmm! Then off to the theater for 10am rehearsal.

Rain, Rain, Rain. All day long. We managed to see 3 shows today between looking for a white laundry basket (show prop) and a few stops at a few coffee shops.
One stop was our old haunt, Web 13 Cafe, for lunch, cuppa joe and an hour of computer time to say "Yo" to the folks back home. One of the 3 shows we saw was excellent; Resolution, by the same team that produced Adolf back in 1998. Pip Utton does another fine job with this one man show about a man's struggle with revenging his daughters death. Other shows seen were Hess (the last days of Rudolph Hess at Spandeau prison) and Moscow (three gay men caught in a hell where they are producing a musical version of Checkov's Three Sisters). A nice dinner at Maison Bleue, then home at 11:30pm.


Monday, August 20

Scottish breakfast and then to the opening of Electra Caberet. About a dozen people in the audience. Quick cup of coffee next door and then off to see Shakespeare Shorts, a take-off on Hamlet & Macbeth (so so). Some quick shopping then a trip home to eat lunch (pizza) and brief rest (and welcoming home to Peter's suitcase at last!).


Went to see I Am Star Trek, a humorous look at the real life of Gene Roddenberry, at 6:40pm. Then grabbed dinner on the way home (pasta and burger take-out) by 9:45pm. Bed early tonight.


Tuesday, August 21

Hung around the room after breakfast watching bad British tv. Met Peter at the theater at 12:30.

Took the camera today, so snapped a few on the walk into town. Saw The Dumb Waiter (not a very good production) at 1:30pm, then walked up to Dean Park for Murder in Edinburgh, A Sherlock Holmes Murder Mystery. This was unique as we all followed the cast around outside on a walk through the park and down by the Water of Leith to help "solve" the murder mystery. I even figured it out before the killer was revealed! Early dinner at Web 13 (no lunch and we were starving). Read and sent more email too. Walked around the Royal Mile until the 9:15pm show, A Pot of Gold. A cute, funny, fringy show. Home at 11:30pm.



Wednesday, August 22


After our show, went to see the wonderful views of Edinburgh from the rooftop of the Camera Obscura. A touristy little place just this side of the castle. Lots of old photos and other fun things like holograms and 3-D pics. The "camera" gave a good view around the city with a "guide" pointing out the landmarks.



After that, we ran off to Starbucks for yet more coffee and portable lunch, then on to see Camino Real. Tennessee Williams' oddball play about life on a street in a bizarre Mexican border town. Yet another play about characters being stuck in "hell" only this time the audience was stuck there with them. Peter (and the rest of the audience) seemed to love it. For me, the atmosphere was so overwhelmingly uncomfortable that I could hardly pay attention to the play. The venue was cold, damp, smelly and without seats. The audience would stand and follow the actors around on stage to view the action.


Then a few hours break for some much needed fresh air until Macbeth at 6:30pm. Another outdoor production by "Frantic Redhead Productions", the same group that did the Sherlock Holmes play. Luckily, the weather was the best so far with lots of sunshine and warm temps. Perfect for the walking play, which we both enjoyed very much. A leisurely stroll home by way of some fish & chips on the Royal Mile. Home at 10:15pm.


Thursday, August 23

Another great Scottish breakfast this morning. Took the #10 bus to Leith to see the port. Unfortunately, could not get close enough to really view the water. Had a nice lunch then walked back to Edinburgh via the Waters of Leith Walkway. Very scenic and about 3 Km.



We were both fairly exhausted by the time we returned, but managed to make it just in time to catch Marya's show on the Royal Mile at 6:30pm, then Medea at 8:00pm. A superb production, probably the best of the bunch. Home at 9:45pm.


Friday, August 24

Woke up at 3am after a VERY scary nightmare.
Maybe too much of the "old world charm" from this "old world" city environment...

Today was comedy show day. First and best was It Was Henry Fonda's Fault. Owen O'Neil's account of his dream to go to Hollywood. Very funny! Then stand up comedy by New Yorker, Pat Candaras in Grandmotherfucker. Dinner in New Town, hung around High Street and caught another showing of Marya's performance, then up town to see Star Wars in 30 Minutes, a true Fringe Cult Classic! Home shortly before 2am.


Saturday, August 25

Our last full day here (already!) After watching the last performance of Electra Caberet, we exchanged more American dollars for pounds, then back to the room to pay the bill and catch a quick cup of joe. The 3:00pm show at the Assembly Rooms that we wanted to see was sold out. As an alternative, we hung out at Web13 for a few hours to have coffee and to check mail. At 5pm we left to get tickets for the 7:00 to ensure we would see Mamet's Speed The Plow "Bob Bob Bob". Dinner at the Pieman on South Bridge while we waited. A liesurely stroll back home via the Royal Mile and brief pause at the castle to listen in on the Tattoo. Home at 9:30pm to our "new" little room upstairs. We moved as a favor for Graham who inadvertantly double-booked our "en suite" for that night.


An all too fast night's sleep then up at 6:30am to catch the cab to the airport. Graham happily came in early to make us our last full Scottish breakfast and send us off with a kiss.

Sitting here on the plane with 3 more hours to go before landing in Philadelphia. All in all, a fast, full and fun week!


9/5/01