The Tattoo, the Fringe, fly-fishing, rubgy...and a wee rant

When we mentioned we were planning on visiting Edinburgh for the Tattoo, a number of people thought we were embarking on an L.A. Ink like mid-life crisis.  Our son Justin was concerned we would return with cryptic Chinese symbols.  Friends of Lynn at work harbored similar thoughts.

Not that kind of tattoo.  This was the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, a collection of military piping bands and other entertaiments performed in the massive courtyard of Edinburgh Castle.

What worked:

• The Lone Piper...a huge brute of a guy, a corporal, who first gave an elaborate toast in Gaelic and then drank a ceremonial dram with the guest of honor, the Royal Navy's Second Sea Lord. When he finished the Lone Piper turned over the quaich, a drinking vessel, and kissed the bottom, signifying the whisky had been finished to the last drop.
• The massed piper bands who both finished and ended the show.
• The Top Secret Drum Corps from Switzerland.
• His Majesty The King of Norway's Guards Band and Drill Team...though comprised of soldiers performing their one-year of mandatory service, they were sharp. (Can't hold a candle to the U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Team.
• The sentries posted by The Black Watch. Unlike the toy soldiers from Norway these were hard men, bemedalled, all carrying the latest combat weapons.

What didn't work:

• The United States Naval Forces Europe band playing a selection of comic-book hero theme songs.
• Disney-Pixar invasion with songs from Brave.
• Children dressed as Picts roaming around the courtyard to begin the show.
• An inordinate fawning tribute to Queen Elizabeth and her Diamond Jubilee.

We also attending the Fringe Festival which truly has to be experienced to be believed.  Hundreds of shows, from comedy to cabaret singing to plays.  The plays could be adaptations of Shakespeare or other classics to new productions to one-man or one-women shows.  Every public space in town had been converted to a performing arts venue.

Our favorites...Four Screws Loose and their show, Screw the World.  Four talented guys performing sketch comedy, including an opening with one of the troup wearing a Borat-type swim suit complete with faux pubic hair and a three-minute rendition of Titanic using brief excerpts from a number of songs.  Our next favorite was a one-man play, Big Sean, Mikey and Me.  Rory is still trying to break in to the acting scene, at age 36, and following a number of life's challenges.  Gangs in Edinburgh, an enigmatic friendship with Mikey, and the voice of Sean Connery distributing, on balance, poor advice of life, love, and career.

On Thursday I went fly-fishing with Nigel and Callum.  Due to concerns about the weather the trip to a loch morphed into a pond expedition.  I had one on and Nigel landed a nice three-pounder.  When we finished the day a wag who was sharing the pond with us mused, "A good result, Scotland 1, America 0." Callum shared a bit of philosophy: "The only thing more boring that fishing is watching fishing."

We ended the week by visiting Pollok House and The Burrell Collection and then attending a tribute to the late Gordon Mackay, a rugby player and former owner of Jelly Hill (our home away from home in Glasgow) who died of a heart attack in 2008.  Rugby game, bevvies and food.

The wee rant...quite frustrated with Verizon Wireless.  First Lynn's phone didn't work, and when Verizon entered her SIM card number my phone didn't and then it took hours to sort that out.  No service available in Edinburgh and when we landed in Belgium yesterday my phone had no service requiring another call.