Weekend wandering

Saturday was far too warm and sunny to spend much time indoors, particularly not some of the truly steamy, even drippy venues in the bowels of the old town.

So it was a trip to the most tempting venue in Edinburgh - the book tent at the book festival. Miraculously, I resisted on this occasion, but I'll probably end up going back and buying at least some of the titles I noted. Sitting in the sun outside the book tent, I reflected that if I had to choose only one natural habitat, this would be it. Even the sense of frantic busyness couldn't detract from the sense of rightness I feel in the presence of great numbers of enticing books and fellow book lovers present each year at the book festival.

Once darkness approached we did decide on a show. Sig Other and I wanted to have another go at the free festival, having experienced good and bad earlier in the week.

We saw Yianni Agisilaou in 'The Universe: A User's Guide' at Cabaret Voltaire. This was another dank dungeon, this time filled to capacity with the kind of mixed audience only the free fringe can throw up.

The act was sort of ok but difficult to judge as a loud section of the audience had come into the wrong room and were really wanting to be at the (noisy) Bee Gee's tribute show next door. Physics and the universe was a novelty for them and some settled down and laughed while others were made uncomfortable possibly by a lingering memory of being made to feel thick at school. For that reason I will excuse some of their behaviour because it probably was not their fault they were not encouraged to take up science or to take an interest in things extraterrestrial at an earlier age. And for another reason; I will not condone any form of "Scottish cringe" which would all too frequently cause inappropriate embarrassment by some behaviour of some local folk. This is our city and any inhabitants should be able to go to events and express themselves however they want to. I don't want to feel that the various festivals exclude anyone, as they inevitably do when you look at the ticket prices. But where there are free/low cost shows and exhibitions then everyone should be equally welcome.

Sunday was again a lovely day.  No more indoors suffering heatstroke, instead a brief spot the Gormley walk to Water of Leith.  Here are two of these statues from Powderhall and Bonnington.

 Gormley with a swan at Powderhall.

Scary Gormley at Bonnington!