Winterval

it's all very well having celebrations in winter, but it can be downright perishing standing around outside waiting for things to happen. Last night, for instance...

I had a terrific time; I got off the bus and walked up the Mound till I could get a good view standing on the wall overlooking Princes Street Gardens. Radio Forth were playing musak of a vaguely xmassy flavour and some big(ish) wigs were spouting. The Norwegian bigwig mentioned that the 25th November was International Day of Protest Against VAW, so heaps of blessings on him.

Then a troop of drummers wended their way through the throngs. They were dressed how I imagine French soldiers were around at the time of Napoleon, or perhaps they merely looked like a Carry On version of French soldiers. Most likely I'd missed an announcement of who/what they were.

   

They drummed all the way to the top of the Mound and round the corner to were someone had (I assumed) carelessly left a muckle crane lying around.

Mais Non! They got on what turned out to be a death defying and bonemarrow freezing human mobile. Drumming somewhat relentlessly as they were suspended over the hill and swung about the place. The person at the top appeared to shed her hat and clothes, to reveal a trapeze outfit and then gyrate in the sub zero temperature many feet above the tree, the crowd and the sharp pointy railings.

They finished by sprinkling fairy dust over the tree and voila! It was lit. Winterval officially commenced.

Then came a goodly quantity of fireworks.

My feet were nearly numb with cold, but the rest of me was warm, so I hirpled up to que outside St Giles Cathedral for a while, then got trampled in a peculiarly fast moving glacier of christians(?) mobbing the Royal Norwegian Carol concert therein.

It was warm enough inside to thaw my feet but I was too cold to unlock rigid muscles even during the hour and a bit of Norwegian carolling. The concert was excellent, especially the Edinburgh University Chamber Choir. I happily rose to the challenge of trying to sing unfamiliar carols in Norwegian as well as one or two carols I sort of remembered from long ago.

The Norwegian connection needs an explanation.  In thanks for the help and support given to Norway by Scotland during WW2, the Norwegians have gifted the city of Edinburgh a Christmas tree for the past 25 years, hence the Norwegian presence and their Advent Concert.