If ‘All the world’s a stage‘ then Edinburgh must be front and centre as the Fringe takes place in and around the capital city of Scotland.
Earlier this week Mum and Dad travelled north on the train to visit a city famous for entertainment, politics and a little dog called Bobby.
Whilst we were looking after things at home they travelled the 90 minutes or so through the hills and valleys of the Scottish borders towards the west coast, for a simple day out.
Arriving just before noon they headed straight for the Royal Mile and were greeted with monsters, flame jugglers and dance acts performing on the street and on the many small stages.
The Fringe was well underway and what started off with the hope of a quiet day turned out to be one full of spectacle.
Edinburgh Fringe
According to the official website “The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest arts festival in the world”.
It takes place every August for three weeks and this is it’s final weekend.
Thousands of people filled the streets and as the day progressed thousands more appeared.
Mum and dad did right to leave us behind as we would have been squashed underfoot as the humans jostled for vantage points to watch the various entertainers.
Amid the increased background noise of conversations music could be heard.
Bagpipes punctured the air with their unique sound whilst guitars and singers all added to the intoxicating atmosphere.
Posters, leaflets and event advertising covered every lamppost and hoarding. Somehow these became art installations in their own right.
National museum
Seeking some calm Mum and Dad took refuge in the National Museum of Scotland.
Free to enter, but with the request of a small donation, the maze of galleries and extensive exhibit list made for a full day of discovery.
Centred around a multi-storied glass covered auditorium the museum has thousands of items on display. These include large engines used to power the industrial revolution and a metal coffin, designed to hinder the body snatchers intent on selling corpses for medical research.
Given that time was against them, only a few galleries could be fully experienced. This has left many things to be discovered on a future visit.
Emerging after a few hours onto the warm, slightly damp streets of Edinburgh, the next challenge was to find a small dog, the whole reason for the visit.
Greyfriers Bobby
Situated on the corner of Candlemakers Row and the entrance to Greyfriers Kirk the small statue of Bobby was almost missed whilst avoiding other pedestrians and vehicles.
Greyfriars Bobby was a Skye Terrier who belonged to John Gray, a night watchman for the Edinburgh Police during the late 1800′s.
When John Gray died in 1858, it is reported that his faithful companion, Bobby, spent his days sitting by his masters grave until the day he died, fourteen years later.
The statue of Bobby features a shiny brass coloured nose. Testament to the many who now follow the superstition of touching his sniffer for good luck.
Humans often leave toys and sticks at the nearby memorial stone erected to our colleague.
Returning as the sun set, mum and dad recounted their day away and almost forgot to mention about the sticky cake they had for lunch.
Licky custard and crumbly pastry featured in what looks like one of the best vanilla slices ever.
Looking at the picture of the shop window we are most disappointed that they did not bring us any back for our tea or for a good sniff at!
Until next time. Licks and wags.
Charlie and Buster