How are things with you? Hope all's going well! Look forward to hearing from you soon! Leave me a message here on the website, and even if you are just passing through, do say hello in the c-box and tell me what you think of my ramblings and pics!
Yesterday I drove up to Edinburgh to meet Janet, and Sarah, who was also at school at the same time as us. Haven't seen Sarah since I was at school which wasn't yesterday, but she was still quite recognisable as the wee schoolgirl I remembered.
We intended just having a wander around Princes Street and the Royal Mile looking at the street performers from the Festival Fringe, but started off with lunch at the Hub, the old church just down the hill a little from the castle where we caught up with Sarah's life and she with ours. However, Sarah left us after lunch for other plans, so it was just the two of us who wandered up to the castle esplanade to take photos. Accents and languages showed that most of the crowd around us were from overseas, or "down south".
Returning down Castlehill we encountered 'William Wallace' giving a bit of a show! "Wha's for Scotland and St. Andrew?" he'd roar, lunging forward with his long broadsword in challenging mode! "Say Aye!!!!!!!" Silence! Obviously he was not being understood! Hardly a Scot to be found apart from us! After a short comedy act he posed for photos with the public, so I have no idea who the young lady was in this pic!
Further down the hill a young woman stood in a doorway, dressed in a beautiful ballet costume with a sort of a medieval Scottish look to it. She had struck a pose and managed to stand so still till someone approached and put a coin into the hat lying on the ground in front of her. Then she began a slow dance performance, a slight shuffle with her feet but mostly with her arms and upper body.
Her hand movements were so beautiful as she bent and twisted in the dance. I was mesmerised! I had to put something into her hat and as I did I told her how excellent I had thought her performance. In response I got another little performance which gesticulated her thanks, her facial expression never changing all the while. It was amazing.
As we came back to the roundabout by the Hub we saw a novel way by which to tour the city! These guys must be fit considering Edinburgh is built like Rome on Seven Hills! Not that they are cycling up and down them all, but the Mound, the Bridges and the Royal Mile are steep enough for pulling two passengers up!
Further down the High Street we went, reaching the High Kirk of St Giles - usually known as St Giles Cathedral - just as the heavens opened and the rain poured down. Neither of us had visited the Cathedral for years so we, along with loads of other rain escapees piled through the doors. Most of the crowd seemed intent on a look around and dispersed to various parts of the building in no time. We made our way into the centre aisle past the modern boxed pews that were once the norm in Scottish churches, each pew having its own gate, so that families could sit by themselves in the pews they had 'paid for' by subscription.
Soon we saw the bronze statue of the famous Presbyterian preacher, John Knox, a man well connected with the Cathedral, then wandered further to see The Thistle Chapel, dedicated to the Knights of the Thistle. Another memorial which I remember from childhood was the one to Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island and Kidnapped, who is pictured in bronze reclining on his day bed in Samoa, with a book.Emerging again into the High Street we continued downhill past the balloon artist -
more complex models being created than the inevitable poodle dog of my youth - and the living statue of a medieval king who knighted everyone who gave him money - what a benevolent smiley looking guy he was and isn't his costume marvellous. Just look how his cape falls in those folds..... They look like proper sculpted gold!
We headed down the Fleshmarket Close steps and cut through the station to arrive in Princes Street where there were more performances to watch.
Outside the art galleries yet another living statue sat looking pensive and shook hands with his benefactors. His performance was more of a robotic style with jerky movements, but he was good!The American juggler was reaching the crescendo of his performance where he was to stand on a tiny platform at the top of a thin pole being held upright by ropes held by members of the public, to juggle with fired torches.
There was a great lead-up to the actual finale which was very funny and very clever but at last he stood up on the platform and juggled three flaming torches, followed by an attempt to extinguish a flaming fire whip, by cracking it around his head! That requires some balance, but he did it and was rewarded with thundrous applause and I should think, quite a bit of money in his "magic hat"!
After a welcome seat and cold drink in the new Art Galleries' tearoom, under the square arches beneath the white tents,Don't laugh!!! Janet's attempt was worse! 
and an attempt at self photography, we began to slowly wend our way back to the station where Janet was catching a train.
The Scott Monument was still open for visitors to climb the 287 steps to the top, but we by-passed
that to watch and listen to an African band performing at the corner of Waverley Bridge with Princes Street. Unfortunately their performance was just about over and the rain began again in earnest.
I just managed to photograph the fellow playing the xylophone before they all rushed for cover carrying the xylophone with them under the trees! What a beautiful sound the instrument made with its gourd sound boxes!By the time we crossed Waverley Bridge the rain had stopped again, and we had one more performance to take in.
These dancers whirled, and twirled their fans in an almost acrobatic dance. It was beautiful and so were the girls who smiled and coyly inclined their heads throughout. 
Then the flag twirling guy finished off the performance, throwing the double flagged pole from hand to hand round his back and under his legs, rolling over onto his shoulders and twirling the flags in and out and round about his waving legs! It was exhausting just watching!However, finally it was time to get Janet onto her train. We hugged each other goodbye and wishing each other a safe journey she headed for the platform and with a final wave I headed for the bus back to the south side of the city where I had left my car, for my return to Peebles.
Talk again soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment