Google Fringe

I haven’t blogged for a while, mainly because I knew I’d be off again on another solo adventure. Although, I hasten to add, not to foreign climes as before, Covid proving it’s still very much around.

I have wanted to visit Edinburgh’s Fringe for some time and intended to join in the merry throng last year but the world had other plans.

This is very much a scaled down Fringe, Edinburgh is busy but the arty buzz is very much lacking. There are shows and gigs but many online rather than in person. Back in the West End shows are being cancelled midway left, right and centre as a result of the pandemic. I still do not know if my friend and I will be able to see Joseph next week, as we are on the cusp of it returning after isolation. ‘The Lion King’ is currently the latest victim. All of this has such an impact on the arts and artist’s livelihoods and my heart aches for them.

I have flown to Edinburgh, obviously not me perse, I had help (due to short arms and a distinct lack of feathers) the airport was busier than expected but nothing like it should be in August. Small queues at check ins and again the absence of excitement that usually permeates the air but the biggest thing I noticed was the shortage of families with children. I also sadly recognised the now familiar closed retail shops, yet another casualty of the current crisis.

Masks of course were worn in the airport and on the plane. It’s incredible how we adapt so quickly as humans. The flight being just over an hour meant it wasn’t uncomfortable but I imagine a long haul flight wouldn’t be the the most pleasant of things.

I left Blighty in the rain and arrived to rain in Scotland but refused to let this dampen my spirits (if you’ll pardon the pun).

The directions I was given for the Airbnb at the onset were fine, I caught the tram outside the station which was ready and waiting. It’s the little things that always make me smile (not that anyone could see under my mask) when the conductor came and clipped my ticket.

This is something that doesn’t seem to happen anymore with the introduction of contactless payments and has taken away the romanticism of travel I feel. As a woman who has ‘Brief Encounter’ as her favourite film, this ritual touched my soul, mostly due to the shape of the conductor’s hole punch.

I followed the directions, arrived at the city centre and walked to where I believed I was to catch the bus to my destination, having being told the fare would be £1.80 rather than £25 for a cab, I was on a mission.

The thing is with missions, you need to know in which direction you are travelling and the words ‘towards the hill in a southerly direction’ when I struggle knowing my left from right wasn’t that helpful and here’s the rub, the Lothian Bus Company has no printed timetables at bus stops.

As far as I could see there was also more than one hill!

Google maps seems to be ‘the’ accessory if you have any chance of getting anywhere. Everywhere you look, people are coveting their smartphone like a rare precious jewel for guidance, myself included not that I’m great at following those either.

The directions given and number of said bus had the driver confused “I have heard of it” he said, I guessed it wasn’t that one then.

I eventually Googled the Lothian timetable and found another number bus that seemed to be in the general direction. I crossed my fingers and followed the GPS on Google. The hill was the ‘castle hill’ please in future just say ‘towards the castle’ (I will mention that in the review) we can all see ‘the castle’ it’s huge and would have saved me at least an hour and a half as the skills of Dora the Explorer, I sadly do not possess.

I got off at almost the right stop but more by luck than chance. I then faffed around in the rain going the wrong way until I saw a street sign that was written in the directions but my battery was now on 1% and I was in panic mode. It was like the scene from a horror film when the victim is running out of time. Weather on point, drab and raining as I hurried along Victorian housed streets.

I turned the corner and found the street name where the Airbnb was located and gave a sigh of relief. I broke a nail opening the lockbox for the keys but that was the least of my worries. I was finally in the right place for the ground floor flat I was to be residing although the sign that greeted me, wasn’t really the welcome I expected.

As a side note the flat is lovely, bright, and clean with beautiful high Victorian ceilings and so far there has been no sign of a poor “Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim’rous beastie” in the building and as a fan of Mickey I’m sure we will get along just fine if we do happen to bump into one another.

I have now found my bearings and able to walk into the city which only takes fifteen minutes and is a beautiful stroll through a lovely park full of life, and I now know too, which bus to take back should I wish.

I have been out and about and watched two very different performances of which I will tell more of later, as I want to start my day.
At the end of the street where I am staying is a wonderful little bistro which I do intend to visit, it felt like I was in Paris as I passed in the sunshine.

Rain forecast for today! 🤷🏻‍♀️

Stay Safe,

Joy xxx