Requiem

I'm tired, I'm TIRED!

Today I 'did the Fringe' like you're supposed to - 3 shows in 5 hours plus coffee, plus lunch, plus tea, including a show you can't find and a show you can't remember.

L was here from Crieff (she's actually been here a couple of days but this was our day together.)

We started off at the National Gallery cafe while she looked at the Fringe programme and I accessed the app.

Then off to The Stand IV for Sally, Howes? She was funny, but young - well not that young. A walk up the Royal Mile led us to Espionage in Victoria Street home of the Laughing Horse Free Fringe shows. 'Want to go to a 5 star sketch show, starts in 5 minutes, lasts 45 minutes?' 'Yes, that fits with our schedule.' (but why are they all '5 star' - what happened to the 1 star ones?)

Can't remember who they were but 2 young (that word again) men doing a 13 sketches in a room through the bar. Not bad for free.

Over to Pizza Express for a - pizza. L had a huge toffee ice cream dessert which she insisted I help her with - hey we're working against the clock here. Then quickly (well as quickly as you can through the crowds on George IV Bridge, plus L's wheely case) to Nicolson Square via that upside down purple cow. Couldn't find the gig so sat in the sun and then off to Zoo for 'Don't Trust Salmon' another sketch show. After that back to the Waverley via a cup of tea at Hadrian's Brasserie (the N.B.!)

L went back on the train to Dunblane, I walked up to The Hub to collect this week's tickets. Odd coincidence #1. L has a new dog, Grace, a cross lab something. I was telling her about the cross retriever/poodle that 2 women up the road own and that I met on Friday at the wine tasting at 'Peter Green's'. As we talked about similar dogs it became clear that this dog, Hester, had been playing in L's local park in Crieff with her dog, Grace. How weird is that - less than 6 degrees of separation.

Meanwhile, after The Hub I had a look at the booths outside St Giles and blipped this young lad who was enthusiastically playing French and Italian songs on the accordion and attracting the odd passing dancer. It started to rain so I stopped in by the Missoni for a Prosecco (flat) before walking round, in the evening sunshine, to the Usher Hall for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra concert. I'd forgotten the Upper Circle is so high but coincidence #2, I was sitting next to a woman who goes to the same Yakety Yak French group as me.

Great concert and the Scottish Youth Choir gave a magnificent rendering of Durufle's 'Requiem' which I'd sung with Inverurie Choral. I've sung in the Usher Hall too - school choir, 'Fidelis et Fortis' and 'Jerusalem'.

Now I'm trying to organise a blipmeet next week with darsa who'll be in Edinburgh from Finland for his 1000 blip. Looks like Wednesday 24th so if you'r free, let me know.

But right now, I'm tired and I need some requiem, rest, and it's nearly Monday so 'night'.