It's been five years since we've been to Edinburgh. I'm not sure if that's a long time or not.
On one hand, between the length of the flight and the price, five years between visits isn't that unreasonable. Many of the places that I go I don't expect to revisit within the next five years. And our penultimate trip to Edinburgh was six years ago, so a bit of a break was to be experted.
On the other hand, five years is a long time. Especially when you're 19 years old. The last time I was in Edinburgh, I didn't have a key to the apartment we were staying in. it didn't matter because I was always with someone. The last time I was in Edinburgh, we would need to ask if certain shows would be appropriate for me.
And now we're finally (or already) going back.
“What's in Scotland?” People would ask whenever I mentioned my plans for the end of the summer. As if Scotland was such a desolate waste of kilts and scotch that I needed relatives or friends there to justify it. And then I would try and explain the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is a large theater and music festival. Groups come from all over the world to put on shows and concerts. Imagine a college in the early few weeks of the semester when everyone is aggressively trying to convince the freshmen (and everyone else) to join their club or organization. That's what the main street in Edinburgh looks like in the month of August.
My first memories of the Fringe is limited to two shows. One of them was a version of Macbeth. The only part I remember is the beginning, which had the entire cast out came outto dance and sing “and a hey and a ho and a hey nonny no and another hey nonny nonny no.” They all went away to change) until there was only one woman left dancing alone.
I don't remember what the other show was about. All I remember is one scene where the adult cast was sitting round in a circle pretending to be kindergarteners. One of them was their teacher, or some similar role.
Teacher: “There's a bear. And what's the bear's name?”
One student: “Bobby!”
Teacher: And what's Bobby doing?”
Another student: “Eating ice cream!”
Teacher: “No because he's dead.” (Strums on guitar.) “Everybody dies. Everybody dies.”
I'm sure it made sense in context. (It probably didn't.)
Going back to Edinburgh promises to be interesting. There are the shows, of course. (Highlights from previous Tony! The Blair Musical [exactly what it sounds like] Plague! The Musical [Featuring the alchemist's evil master plan of beating his nemesis the undertaker by giving everyone the elixir of life) the perennially innovative Breakfast with Shakespeare [includes coffee and a croissant. Past years themes have included a game show with teams of Romeo and Lady Macbeth vs. Macbeth and Juliet. (Romeo: “We're going to murder them!” Lady Macbeth (with a sinister smile: “I like the way you think.) and a staging of A Midsummer Night's Dream with a very energetic Puck (Puck, to a woman in the audience, “Here's my number. Call me.” Wink and dialing motion. [Puck's number, for the curious, was 3.]))=Shakespearean plays told only using scenes the title character appeared in (man was The Tempest boring) and improv shows). And just walking down the street is an adventure. (“There go the Disney princesses. And there's a person walking around hiding behind a desk plant.” “Oh no! You weren't supposed to see me!”)
And besides all that... I'm going to be back in Edinburgh. It might not be the non-US place I've visited the most, but it is the one that I remember most clearly. The Fringe is enough of a factor to keep drawing us back, but even without that it is a beautiful city. It's been five years, and I'm ready to go back.
We (my parents, my sister, and I) will be spending a bit over a week in Edinburgh. Then my parents will be going to Isla and my sister and I will head north to the desolate highlands of kilts and scotch. Way north. As far north as you can go without getting on a boat. Then we make a circle and end with a couple of days in Dundee.
I'm a little not ready to get on another plane, having barely finished my trip to Morocco. But mostly I'm looking forward to it. At least they kind of speak English in Scotland.
