Monday 12th August 2024

Woke at 0900. Igor had popped out to the bathroom, so I got dressed, then descended to find Hilary at the kitchen table. Partook of a large mug of tea. Joined by Tim, then Aki and Kath showed up. We breakfasted on cereal and yoghurt. Abluted and packed…had to run back and forth to the car dodging lightening strikes and getting soggy in the obligatory downpour. We waved Tim goodbye, and set off for Edinburgh via the Forth Road bridge. Got to Haymarket at 1230 and popped into the letting office to pick up a parking permit, and keys. Susan met us in the car park, having travelled up from Carlisle this morning. Dropped our bags off in the flat…a three bed third floor unit in a modern 5-storey development backing onto the Haymarket rail station. We walked round the corner for a coffee, and did some planning…then on to M&S on the station concourse to buy provisions. 

We left Hilary on the concourse, as she had arranged to meet Gill off the Dundee train. Had a light lunch in the apartment. The gals headed out for a wander. Aki stayed in to do some washing, and we took turns using the shower. We walked into town, looking for a cheesemonger, but the deli we aimed at in the New Town wasn't a deli, but a cafe. Walked up Prince's Street and bought cheese in M&S before returning to the apartment for a salad dinner. 

We all then ventured out to our first show...a piece by the Grotowski Institute, centred around the experiences of a Ukranian trans actor who was now fighting on the frontline against the Ruskies. It was all a bit conceptual, and felt more like an art installation than a piece of theatre, but it had worthy things to say about the human condition...it ended by the solo actress in the show (the trans actor appeared by pre-recorded video from the frontline), stripping off and laying herself gently down on four or five dozen wine glasses filled with sand. We then had to hightail it across town to Summerhall, tramping across The Meadows. It took us about half-an-hour, at the end of which we rocked up at Summerhall only to be informed that the show we had booked for had been cancelled at short notice! We wandered toward the Old Town, and found ourselves at the Pleasance Dome, hoping to see a comedienne, but she had sold out. We managed to get the last six tickets for Darkfield's production, "Flight", instead...an immersive sound experience set on an aeroplane to nowhere. The production took place in a shipping container, which had been decked out with airplane seats, complete with overhead lockers and small video screens. We had to don the headphones attached to the seat in front, after which we were plunged into darkness for the next 20 minutes while listening to sounds and voices from afar, or close to, whispering intimately in our left ears. There was the very convincing rumble of aircraft engine, and the occassional buffeting as we hit pockets of turbulence...a rather strange, disquieting experience. We stumbled out into the Edinburgh night not knowing quite what to make of it. Kath, Aki and I headed for Captain's Bar around the corner, hoping for some soothing folk music. The bar was very narrow, and packed, with a couple of guys playing guitar and fiddle at the back...they weren't terribly good, and couldn't be enjoyed for the constant chatter of the drinkers. We turned on our heels, and walked back to the apartment.