More shows. Yesterday I went to "The Cure." Not the band, but the play going on here. It was a normal one for a change! And by normal, I mean it dealt with two homosexual friends (a male and a female) and the male's hidden passion and confused lust for her. It was well acted with some funny parts to it, and the ending was pretty damn amazing in regards to the rehearsal process they must have gone through. He spoke and she lip-synced to him. Later that night I went to a jazz club. The singer had a good voice, it was good... I don't really need to go into detail with music. You just sorta sit there and enjoy it.
Today I saw "A Dream Play." It was intriguing and quite visual, but came off as a bit trite. Not to say I didn't enjoy it. It was just all over the place and a bit much to comprehend. But that is the point, as dreams are like that. The actors were color coded and had shawl things they used for props.
A lot of performers are staying at the hostel I'm in (which by the way, is a really great place; it has a funky atmosphere and is in a great location right below the castle. It's called the Castle Rock Hostel, and I recommend it). Anyways, while cooking and eating dinner last night, I talked to some actors who've been here longer and got recommendations from them. This morning, I exited my room to discover the woman from "Tokyo Love Song" (Shoto Ita, or something) is living in the room next to me. She came out just as I was and I gave her some "good work" or some encouragement like that. Later on I saw her rehearsing in a common room.
I haven't really talked much about Edinburgh yet. Well, you got this castle in the middle of town all perched up on a cliff. The road leading up to the castle (the Royal Mile) is where a lot of tourism takes place. You'll find more cashmere shops on this road than Starbucks in Seattle. No kidding, there could be like 4 or 5 in a row on one side. I was going to buy one yesterday because they had them marked down half price (only 15 pounds) but I had no quids left on me. I figured to try today, but they marked them back up for the weekend! Hopefully they'll cut them down for the last day. The Royal Mile is also where many of the street performers are and where the box office is (although if you're smart, you simply get a show in mind and just buy the ticket at the venue. That way you don't wait in line like an idiot tourist).
For the most part, the fringe is located in Old Town. Old Town in general feels like a castle on a hill. Notoriously crowded during the 18th century, Old Town has 4 story buildings with no separation between them, rising with the hill. Sometimes you get quaint little alleys that decline to the next parallel street, often with hideaway pubs. To the north of the Castle is New Town, which was planned out in the 18th century to counter the city's crowded problems (I learned this shit in a museum homes!) New Town is certainly more spaced out, business oriented, and less touristy, but is lined up with H&M and other trendy shops I'm sure you can find in other cities.
On the New Town side is the Sir Walter Scott monument - a tall citadel of sorts you can walk up for amazing views of the city. The stair case is a narrow circular shaft where you pray not to meet someone on the way down, which surely will happen. You just hug the wall and they should be able to squeeze past you. At the top you'll find a great view of the castle as well as King Arthur's seat (the craggy mountain to the southeast of Old Town that I hiked up yesterday.
Other than that, I went to a fantastic art museum today that had some impressive art nouveau pieces from Scottish artists I have not heard of (I know of Macintosh and the Glasgow boys, I'm not talking about them). I must have spent at least two hours there. Also, I had my first haggis today, and willikers was it surprisingly good! Just don't ask what it is (Sheep heart, lungs, liver minced up with onions, spices and such, cooked inside the stomach (apparently the stomach technique isn't used that much anymore)). Mix it up with some neeps and tatties and then pour some whisky on top and you're golden!
As for the beer, I am now in love with Belhaven's Best. Why the hell don't they export it to the states? Its creamy and smooth like a Guinness, but its an amber color draft with a great flavor I can't pinpoint. The Deuchar IPA however was dissapointing. It's very weak sauce compared to American IPA's, in hoppiness and flavor in general.
Next time, I'll fill you guys in with the rest of my Fringe experience. Till then, as everyone says here, Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment