6th & 7th August

The weather the last couple of days has been pleasant, for Scotland. There have been periods of sunshine, and I’ve managed to de-layer a little. By Scottish standards, I’m still dressed for Winter.

I spent Saturday morning walking down to the markets, where the monthly Vegan Quarter was on. I bumped into Katie and Sam, who I’d met at dinner the night before. We sat down to what was left of the offerings, as most places had sold out. I tried a pulled jackfruit pie, and a rose & pistachio cake. Katie and Sam bought some chocolates, and kindly gave me a bar. We walked along the river walkway, towards the city. Sam and Katie are doing a walking tour of Scotland, and their experiences so far seem incredible. Camping along the West Highland Way, exploring the canals, - I learned a lot from them and can’t wait to follow their adventures.

I took myself back up to the Old Town, where the festival was in full swing. There are several festivals happening simultaneously, and there are events everywhere. Any pub, club or café that can be turned into a venue has been transformed into a centre for

creativity. I hadn’t booked anything in particular, willing to try my luck. As I was deliberately losing myself in the city, I heard a voice coming from a small marquee. I thought it was a recording, but when I poked my head in, it was a young woman with the most angelic, clear voice. She was followed by a showcase of other singers, all rotating performances. She stood out above all the others, and if I don’t see her on Broadway in the next couple of years, then the world won’t know what they’ve missed. It was entrancing.
Immediately after the song showcase, was a stand-up comedian. His name was Ben Clover, and had me in stitches pretty much from the beginning. Look him up if you want a laugh.
At the end of his set, I realised how hungry I was, and set off to find food. I found the Baked Potato Shop again, and took my warm tray up the street, towards the Tattoo. The plan had been to sit down and eat before lining up, but one look at the crowd and I jumped straight into the queue.
I’d been warned to dress warmly, but nothing could prepare me for the wind which picked up. It rained briefly, but it was the wind which cut through five layers of clothing, with no mercy. Once the show began though, it was easy to forget about the weather. The music was big. The performances were big. Edinburgh Castle was transformed into dozens of different images, through lighting and projection. It was entrancing. I didn’t know which way to look first, and it was absolutely worth the splurge.
There were guest performances from

Jordan, New Zealand, America and Norway. It was breathtaking!
Star Wars themes, motorcycle tricks, Scottish dancing, bagpipes, trumpets and fiddles, along with a choir to top it off. The entire cast came together for the final act, and played Life On Mars, by David Bowie.
After the grand finale, a lone piper stood on top of the castle, in front of the War Memorial, and played a remembrance tune for fallen soldiers. It was touching, and the whole audience were silent. All 8,600 of us. The wind was too strong for fireworks, but it didn’t matter. The show felt complete.

As expected, there was a delay getting out of the stadium and back onto the street. I’d bought a return ticket from Linlithgow train station, where the employee told me it was valid until 4am. He failed to mention that the trains stopped running at 1am, which is exactly when I arrived at the Edinburgh Waverley. I was sent to a bus stop, where I waited for half an hour before realising the last bus had been at 11:30pm. I went back to the station, where they were less than helpful, and ended up asking a drunken local man for help. He smiled a lot, but had no idea where I was going, and was probably too intoxicated to be able to help anyway. A few other locals pointed me towards the bus station, where night buses run. I arrived at the bus station at 2am, where I was again told that it was closed. At this stage I was cold, tired, hungry and needed to get back to feed the cats I’m minding. The guard took pity on me, and arranged a taxi. It cost eight times what my train ticket did, but I was taken home safely.
The taxi driver was incredibly helpful, and we ended up in an animated discussion about racism and relationships. Not at the same time. Sometimes the most unlikely people give you an insight you didn’t expect, and for all the hassle of being stranded in Edinburgh, I learned a few things from this man, whose name I’ve already forgotten.

Home safe, cats fed, one happy, hungry, worn out Mem fell into bed, where there is nothing better than a warm doona and a safe place to sleep. It's been raining and blowing a gale all day, so today has been
a rest day. Movies, cleaning, writing and catch ups. It's been nice to stop and reflect, and have a think about what might happen next.