6. I kissed a dead girl last night

I know I'm jumping no.5. (Glasgow), but I had such a great time on my last night in Scotland, I had to write. Those who know me know I love the Fringes at Toronto and Ottawa. So before leaving to the Highlands, I had bought tickets to 3 shows for the day I returned to Edinburgh to fly to Milan at 6 AM. 

This is The Roal Mile (which leads up to Edinburgh Castle) around 4 PM. By 11 PM there were fireworks and three times as many people.  Only saw one arrest though. sorry I didn't catch the midnight revelry on camera.

To begin with, The Edinburgh Fringe (slogan: "Get Unbored") is the biggest arts festival in the world.  In 2013 there were 45,464 performances of 2,871 shows within 3 weeks. Edinburgh was terrific when I arrived last week. The festival, with its hundreds of thousands of eager spectators descending on the city, and Edinburgh responding in kind, turned into an incredible experience. The buzz and energy down along The Royal Mile, as well as at pubs and cafes along the many connecting cobble-stoned streets, was fantastic. Pictures don't do it justice.

It's nice because although Edinburgh is a fairly touristy city (compared to Glasgow or Inverness), I believe most of the festival audience are from the UK. I know this by a show of hands during one of the acts at the midnight 'Just the Tonic' comedy show, where Ricky Gervais and others got their start. That comedy show was mostly local comedians where 18+ material was delivered with lots of audience interaction in heavily accented Sco'ish (yes, after wandering among the crowds and visiting several vibrant pubs for a last scotch and/or pint, I went to a 4th show before busing to the airport at 2 AM.)

One I saw that was very powerful was 'The House of Barnarda Alba', which I can best summarize as a dark, feminist Jane Eyre presented by 7 women.  The acting was very powerful, and the dynamic tensions highlighted the jealousies and manipulations that are the undercurrent in many families, expectations versus desires.

'The House of Bernarda Alba': ‘It was perfect’ ★★★★★ (Edinburgh Guide). ’Frankly wonderful’ ★★★★ (Scotsman). Multi award nominated Fourth Monkey reimagine Lorca’s classic for the Fringe. Following her husband's death the domineering matriarch Bernarda Alba imposes an eight year mourning period on her five daughters. Tense, beautiful and full of passion Fourth Monkey bring their renowned visceral style to Lorca’s most famous work.

The show that most stood for me out was 'I'm not pale, I'm dead' by Aussie Lydia Nicholson. Her simple, one-woman show presents us with a young ghost of 2 years (still in classes) who appears to us inexplicably for the length of the show only, and wants to tell us how to prepare for death (don't wear an uncomfortable dress, or a shirt with itchy tags; bring change to cross the river Styx), relate what she can do (listen, be anywhere) and can't do (touch us), implore us what to do before we die (tellhow much we love our loved ones), and convey what she misses most. There is virtually no wall with the audience as she is talking to us the whole time (except during one session with a medium that turns out to be a 'wrong number') - "you can still see me, right??".  The play is funny and moving.  At one point she asks if we could help her out, if someone would offer her a last kiss.  I was chosen out of the audience (well, I'd never kissed a dead girl before) and I gently tried to kiss the ghost. It was strange, and made for enchanting theatre.

'I'm not pale, I'm dead': What's the riskiest thing you've ever done? After dying on a Saturday night in an itchy dress and mountains of regret, Lydia shares her words of warning with the living. From the practical to the deliciously naughty, her advice raises some uncomfortable questions about her death. Bittersweet ghostly storytelling from Australia's Lydia Nicholson. Sold out season at Sydney's 2013 Bondi Feast and winner of the 2013 Adelaide Fringe & Beyond Award. ‘Witty, charming, disarmingly frank’ (RipItUp.com.au). ‘Stunning performance with brilliant material’ (Heckler.com.au).

I'm writing this now in transit from Edinburgh > Brussels > Frantfurt > Milan > Lecco (by car). I'm hoping my checked bag makes it all the way! I'll try and post on Glasgow soon, just in case your concerned about chronology. Thanks so much Scotland, you've been beautiful, friendly, exciting and interesting. I couldn't ask for anything more to open my trip.

Epilogue: nope, bag got lost between Edinburgh and Lecco. :(