A Flying Visit To The Fringe-Part I

So somehow, almost accidentally, I ended up visiting the Edinburgh Fringe festival this week for 40 hours of madness, theatre and sleep deprivation. It was actually pretty awesome because I got to experience a tiny slice of the madness and frivolity and fun that the Fringe generates but from the other side of the curtain this time. If I could have afforded to stay longer I would have done in a heartbeat because it was magic and manic and all kinds of awesome-Edinburgh in Fringe time has this wonderful atmosphere and it's very easy to get captivated and swept along in that (Although it's a pain and a half if you're trying to get somewhere quickly-like from one venue to another-because no-one is in a hurry at the Fringe, and you always end up stuck on a narrow street behind a group of dawdlers.).

I thought I'd let you know what I got up to whilst I was up there over the next couple of posts-and if you're around the Fringe you should definitely check out some of these fabulous shows if you can too!

Show 1-Piracy! Comedy on the High C's! 

[Source-Ed Fringe Site]

Piracy! was thoroughly silly and I really enjoyed myself as I was watching the nautical (and naughty!) adventures. From the moment the house opened to the audience, the chorus members were on stage singing sea shanties and piratical ballads, which really helped set the scene of being on a creaky old ship out at sea, far from home.
The story was a familiar one-the British Navy vs the tyrannical piratical buccaneers but told with a song in its heart and the odd twist or three you wouldn't normally expect. Plus there was an abundance of lady pirates showing that what they lack in facial hair they make up for in sword fighting ability and ruthless cut-throatedness.
There were plenty of swashes being buckled and main braces being spliced (whatever that means) and a good deal of, ahem, inter-faction diplomatic "relations" taking place and the whole thing was very funny. I think this is one of those shows that would get described by reviewers as "a romp"-and I can understand why-it was light hearted, very fun and thoroughly enjoyable. The songs were funny and well performed and the cast were clearly loving being there as much as the audience, which always goes to make an excellent time for all.
I wanted to come up with a witty Piratical pun to end this but all my attempts have been pretty feeble, so I shall spare you the agony. You'll have to invent your own, I'm afraid!

Show 2-The Mechanisms-Ulysses Dies At Dawn

[Source-Ed Fringe Site]

This was, co-incidentally, another show featuring a band of pirates, only these were of the Immortal Space
variety-and there was certainly no swashbuckling to be seen here. The Mechanisms had been recommended to me many times by friends of mine (who happen to know the guys in the band) and I'd never gotten around to seeing them before now-but boy am I a convert! They're a 7(ish) piece band of awesome steampunk wonderfulness, who describe their act as 'storytelling musical cabaret' which probably says it better than I could. The members are all in character as crew of the spaceship Aurora who as immortal space pirates have 'seen many strange things'. This show is just one of their epic tales-a magical weaving of dark narration and lyrically wonderful songs to which I wouldn't dare to try and assign a genre to. It's the tale of Ulysses, a broken war hero who can't escape the torture of their memories and the tale of their final hour (we don't discover the gender of our hero-only that they were 'black, beautiful and had a pair of cold blue eyes that couldn't hide the things they'd seen'.).
The songs are all brilliant-mostly fairly gritty and dark but they're all as different as the voices that sing them-some of which blew me away because they're amazing. This whilst playing several instruments, and each playing a role in the story they're telling-they're a pretty talented bunch.
It was the story, though, that really captured me-tangled me up in the excellent narration and descriptions that took my imagination to a world I'd never seen before. Although my eyes knew I was sat in a low lit basement bar watching a gig, my mind was in another place entirely-I could just perfectly imagine what was being described as if I was there, as if it were me. It was just magical. The story is dark and the songs tied in perfectly to introduce us to all the characters and the reasons they had ended up there and why they were doing the things they were doing. I couldn't help but get caught up in the whole thing as it reached its dramatic conclusion-which even though it's predicted in the title of the show, I wasn't entirely anticipating, and the ending was beautiful.
Ulysses Dies At Dawn is a tale of folklore from a time and place a long way from our own, sprinkled with a smattering of Greek mythology (but not enough to confuse) set to the backing of a grimy, bluesy, jazzy, folky score which repeatedly sent shivers down my spine. In short? It was MAGNIFICENT and I look forward to seeing The Mechanisms again and again.

That's all for today, but I have another 7 shows to write up so be sure to come back soon!

-Jenni-

Piracy! is on at 15:15 at The Space @Venue 45 until the 24th. Tickets are £9.50/£7.50 conc. More details here.
The Mechanisms are performing at Whynot (Venue 327) at 17:30 until the 24th. Free entry. More details here.
The guys I went up with are also performing in Titus, a dark comedy version of Titus Andronicus and you should check them out too. They're on at 17:00 at Paradise in the Kirkhouse (Venue 155) until the 26th. Tickets are £8/£7 conc. More details here.

"It's All About Popular"

[From the Discover Ireland FB page]

I recently got through to the final stages of a competition to win a trip to Ireland, which I was pretty excited about-until I discovered that the winner was going to be chosen by Facebook vote and then I was a lot less so. I knew pretty much right away that I wasn't going to win it simply because by making it open to Facebook, it becomes a popularity contest-and I have never been what you would call popular. There was a time that I did want to fit in, wanted to be cool and wanted all the popular kids to like me, accept me as one of them, but eventually I realised that this was never going to happen. I started embracing my uniqueness, trying to make a point of standing out, actively seeking to be different and not one of the crowd, to be anything but popular. I mean if it's going to happen anyway you might as well make it your own, right?

Also, I use Facebook as a convenient place to keep all my friends together for when I need to tell them something important, but most people seem to use it as a way of collecting as many "friends" as they possibly can-almost as a way of proving how popular they are. I know everyone on my friend list and regularly have culls to delete those people I no longer really speak to any more. Against someone who has 3x more virtual buddies than me, I was never going to be able to hold my own.

I also noticed that the "competition" was really bringing out the nasty side in people-right from the start there was a couple-let's call them Couple 1-that I had a particular dislike for just because they came across as pushy and unpleasant, like they knew they were going to win anyway so it didn't matter if the rest of us tried or not. Before the ballot had even been opened they put out a plea for votes from the site's fans in a manner that just got my back up-but also in a way that had I replied to it I would have either seemed unoriginal or catty. Suddenly I minded losing to them, would rather any other pair won just so they didn't.

About half way through another pair-let's call them Couple 2-got a sudden upsurge in votes, overtaking Couple 1 (who had been leading right from day 1) by a considerable amount. Couple 1 started accusing them of cheating-of buying votes and clamouring for the votes to be investigated by the site. It just reeked of being a sore loser and that they didn't think anyone else should win but them. It almost felt like if you weren't playing dirty in some way then you couldn't win-Couple 1 had amassed over 120 votes in the first day alone while the rest of us were somewhere around the 20-70 mark and I think we basically all knew we didn't stand a chance against them. Whatever tactics they were using obviously worked because (of course) they won with 571 votes-the next nearest couple had 415. We were third and had 154 votes so it's not even like we had a shot any way. Couple 1 seemed really ungracious and I just really didn't want them to win because they don't come across as very nice people. (Although I am judging this solely on the comments I saw on the poll from them, so what do I know?)

The whole "competition" caused a lot of nastiness and bitterness, and for what? 48 hours in Dublin. Yes, it would have been an amazing prize to win but I don't think it's worth crapping all over other people just because you can. To be honest, I sort of wish I wasn't involved with the whole thing because it left a decidedly nasty taste in my mouth. Some people will do anything to prove that they're more popular, more loved, better than someone else. And yes, there was a prize at the end of it, but it didn't really feel like it was the end goal at points, it felt more like a high school competition-'I've got more friends than you so I'm better than you and you're nothing'. I didn't want to participate in those whilst I was at school, let alone now, when I should have (happily) left it all behind me.

So I hope Couple 1 enjoy their holiday, but I'm kinda glad that I know nearly everyone who contributed to those 154 votes. I might not be popular enough to win Facebook contests but I have a good bunch of excellent friends. If you took the time to vote for me then THANKYOU. I'm so grateful to you all for that. And while this means that I won't be able to write excellent Irish blog posts for you, I'm sure I can find something to fill the time instead.

See you there!

-Jenni-

Title of Post taken from 'Popular'-Wicked The Musical

Rome Adventures II

Day 3 dawned bright and early. We had already decided that we were going to get breakfast from a little café/bar we had found the previous evening, which was definitely a good choice. For only €1.60, we both got a couple of croissants which had melty chocolatey goo in the middle of them and were absolutely delicious! Far superior to the disappointing €10 hotel breakfast we had had the day before.
We then headed on another €1.50 bus trip to get us to the Colosseum which is just magnificent.

 

I've always loved coming face to face with history, even as a small child so to get to walk around something  and run my fingers along the stones that have stood in the same place for so long was a pretty incredible experience. It's almost impossible to imagine what it would have been like full of 50,000 people cheering on their favourite gladiator: loud and smelly and chaotic and wonderful. 

After the Colosseum, we took a dawdle up to the National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II because we had been past it a couple of times and wanted to see it close up. It stands out rather well because it's MASSIVE and also made of white marble, against the bricks/stones of most of the other buildings around Rome. 

Pretty impressive, no?

We didn't go in and look at the Italian Military museum but we did climb up inside to the viewing terrace (on the back of the building) because it gave us a particularly good view over Rome and the Vatican City and it was nice to stop and just look for a while.

Italians love a good dome!

After lunch in the park (at the bottom of the photo there) we carried on our foot-tour of the city with thanks to the handy map we'd picked up at our hotel on the first day. Our next stop was the Trevi Fountain which is the famous fountain in Rome that according to legend guarantees your return to Rome if you throw a coin into it. The nice thing is that nowadays the money generated from this old tradition is collected and donated to the Red Cross and other local charities, rather than it just sitting in the bottom of the fountain forever or getting stolen. 

Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the whole thing
so this is the best I can do.

After the Trevi Fountain, we trekked onwards (with a gelato, of course) to find the Spanish Steps which are a popular meeting point for locals, and a rather impressive way of traversing between two of Rome's Piazzas. 

We didn't walk up all 138 of them as by this point we were flagging from the heat and the walking around all day, but I did take a moment to dangle my feet in the deliciously cold Fontana della Barcaccia at the base of the steps-wonderfully refreshing after a long day's walk. 

After another long walk back to the hotel, the evening progressed much as before. I had to have a McDonalds for dinner, due to the fact that I was running out of money unfortunately, but Rara had another lovely pizza from the place we went to on the first night. After a few games of cards back at the hotel, we settled down for our last night in Italy.

Day 4  

After a late morning morning start and checking out of our lovely hotel, we ate lunch sat on the wall by the Termini station. Then we went to find the Pantheon-the last of the touristy bits we had wanted to see. It's a big old church with an oculus (big hole!) in the roof to let in the light. (and, I would imagine, the rain!) Of course, this being a church in Italy, it was really beautiful inside, decorated in marble with lots of gold detailing and was definitely worth seeing for ourselves.

One section of the inside-lit rather nicely by the sun through the roof

After the Pantheon, we went on to do some souvenir shopping from a lovely little shop selling bits and pieces, as well as some Italian foodstuffs which Rara indulged in. I, sadly, had too little money and no space in my bag to put them otherwise I would have got some too.
Back to Termini Station then, for an iced coffee for Rara and a NUTELLA McFLURRY for myself. It was terribly exciting.

Then it was a bus, a plane and a car journey back to home. I really had enjoyed Rome (in spite of the Relentless heat/having to shower twice a day!) and do hope to go back someday and catch up on all the bits I had missed, but no matter where I go I always love coming back home again. I don't think anywhere could steal Britain's place in my heart, I just adore this rainy little isle. 

So that was my holiday this year...already planning where to go next!

-Jenni-

Rome Adventures I

Day 1
At 8.30 AM we left rainy England behind for the cloudless skies of Rome. We landed sometime around midday, but by the time we had travelled from Fiumicino Airport to the city itself, wandered a long way the wrong way down the street looking for our hotel, wandered back, finally found it and checked in and unpacked it was already close to half 3. Our hotel was the lovely little Hotel Termini, which is about a minute away from the main Termini train station in Rome and wonderfully close to lots of good eateries and gelato parlours-always important when in Italy. It was in an old apartment building and there was about 8 rooms in our section of it-it was subdivided into many many small hotels. The rooms were fairly small but very comfortable and a steal at only  €30 each per night-plenty of storage space, en suite bathroom, a safe for valuables and air conditioning*. Lovely.

Lovely little room!

By the time we had both showered and regrouped, it was pushing 5pm so we headed out for a quick bus tour of the city to highlight all the things we wanted to see. It was a little expensive at €21 but it was a 24 hour ticket allowing us to hop on and off whenever we wanted and it was really nice to just sit and enjoy the sunshine and listen to the audio commentary without having to do anything except taking photos. Plus Rome is a really gorgeous city, and there is so much to see that a bus tour makes sense so that you can start to drink it all in. An hour and a half later we arrived back at Termini station and sought out some food, and we even found a pizza parlour that would make me a pizza without any cheese, then followed it up with our first gelato of the week as we headed back to the hotel to sleep away our exhaustions.

Day 2

We'd already booked tickets to go around the Vatican museums for this day, so after a really disappointing breakfast (the only bad thing about our hotel, I think) we caught a bus for the bargain price of  €1.50 to just outside the walls to the Vatican City. A 5 minute walk from the bus stop brought us to the entrance of the museums, and because we already had tickets we got in rather quickly, side stepping the lines inside too.

The entranceway, which was taken as we came out
and was a lot more queuey when we went in, honest.

We spent a long time in the museums because there is so much to see, and it's all really really beautiful. It gets to the point where by the end of the day you're almost becoming immune to the amazing things around you because you've seen so many of them. It's definitely worth the money though, because it's such a collection of brilliant art work/sculptures/frescos that you will never see in one place any where else. And of course, the tour ends in the Sistine Chapel which is stunning-the ceiling tells so many stories and has the famous painting "The Creation of Adam" right in the centre. Even as a non-religious person it's a pretty awe inspiring sight.

The Creation of Adam (from here)-you're not allowed to take pictures

After we left the museums at around 4.30, we made our way back around to St Peter's Square where St Peter's Basilica sits, dreading the sight of the queue still curling around the courtyard like it had been earlier. To our surprise, there were much fewer people there than had been when we'd originally arrived and we didn't queue for more than 15 minutes. Inside (and out!) is another stunning piece of Italian architecture and they really do make some truly spectacular churches so it's well worth a visit, even if you don't go to the museums-it's free! 

Probably the best photo I got of the interior with my dodgy camera

After leaving St Peter's (with a large expensive gelato in our hands) we headed back to the hotel for a shower and change before dinner, where we were entertained by an exuberant Italian waiter trying to persuade us to have the lobster because it was romantic. Another gelato and a few games of cards (Rome designed, of course) later and we were ready for another good night's sleep. 

I'll leave this here as it's already quite a long post, and will do the rest in another one tomorrow.
Until then, then
-Jenni-

*Believe me, it's a wonderful wonderful thing when you've been out sweating all day. 

Rome-A Survival Guide

For the last few days I have been a guest of Italy's lovely capital city and it has been very wonderful to me. (Blog post to follow soon!) However, there are some things that I wish I had known before I left and some things that I'm glad I prepared for, so I thought I would share them all with you in case you are intrepid wanderers looking to visit Rome too someday.

Pack Well. Rome in the summer is HOT. Like 2 showers a day hot, because it is impossible not to get incredibly sticky and sweaty unless you stay in hugging the air conditioning unit, so pack accordingly. If you have the space, bring double the amount of clothes than days you're going. If this isn't possible, at least bring extra undies and T-shirts! You won't need jumpers or jeans either-pack light!* (Did I mention it was HOT?) Suncream and good shoes for walking in are also essential, plus plasters for when your shoes rub in the heat. (even the most reliable of sandals become blister-makers, believe me!) Antibac hand gel and a couple of packs of tissues are also a must have for when the loos aren't quite up to scratch.

Water. It goes without saying that you will need to drink lots of it, but the street vendors will sting you for anything from €2-€4 for a 500ml bottle. My personal solution was to buy a large 1L bottle from the airport (after passing through security, obviously) and then an even bigger bottle from the (wonderful) DeSpar supermarket once we got to Italy (I got a 2L bottle for only €0.24!) and then decant from one into the other. Lots of the bigger attractions have drinking fountains so you can fill up with deliciously cold water throughout the day, so only buy from street vendors when you have to (or when your water is just too unpleasantly warm!) and you'll save a fortune.

Do Your Research. You'll save a lot of time standing in a queue if you buy your attraction tickets beforehand. We got Vatican tickets online before we went and bought Colosseum tickets at an information desk near the main Termini train station. It might cost you a little more but it's worth it to be able to walk straight past the massive lines. We also saved money by getting the bus from the airport to Rome, rather than the train which was our original choice. (€8 for a return vs €14 each way to save about 20 minutes!).
The times that you visit places can make a lot of difference to your experience as well. When we arrived in the Vatican City at about 11am, the queue for St. Peter's Basilica was rather long-I estimate we would have been standing there in the midday sun for at least an hour if not longer. When we returned after our visit to the Vatican Museums at about 4.30, we queued for no more than 15 minutes.
Have a read around on the internet before you go, there's plenty of good advice out there.

Buy a sunshade/hat!

Modelled beautifully by Rara, I think you'll agree

If, like me, you don't like being in the direct sunlight, one of these sun-umbrellas is an ideal purchase just to fend off the worst of the rays. You can get them everywhere-look for guys selling them around all the attractions for about  €5 and they're well worth the investment!

Take Enough Money! Rome has a reputation for being expensive but it probably isn't any more so than any other capital city for the basics. I didn't spend more than  €13 on a meal (not including the gelato which ranged from  €2- €5) and the food was really gooood for that price. Where the expense comes in is the attractions-you have to pay to get into most of the larger ones and each is about  €20. If you're planning on being a proper tourist and doing everything then make sure you budget accordingly. On the other hand, you could definitely do Rome on a shoestring-it's not too big to walk around as long as you don't mind the trek. Also, some of the attractions are free and definitely well worth a visit (eg St. Peter's and the Pantheon-Italy knows how to do spectacular churches!). Also, always make sure that you ask the price of things first before  you do something-there's many a hidden cost! We had some pictures taken outside the Colosseum with some Romans which cost us  €10 each for 2 photos and we didn't know until afterwards when they charged us! There is often a small ( €1) charge to sit at a table at a restaurant, so if you aren't getting a full meal it might be cheaper to take it away and eat as you wander. 

Traffic! 

I think they make the red lights bigger to make sure people take notice of them.
No, really!

You know all those stereotypes about Italian driving you've heard? Well they exist for a reason, because they are true! Crossing the road in Italy means taking your life into your hands and it's pretty terrifying. Be very aware of traffic and be prepared to move quickly because they won't slow down for you unless they absolutely have to! Also, here's a heads up: just because there is a green man doesn't mean that all the traffic lights will be on red. Quite often, the turn into the road you are on will also be on green so traffic might still be coming at you even when you have the right to cross.

Be Assertive. Italians may come across as rather pushy to us un-confrontational British fok, and will try to sweep you into every restaurant you pass or sell you their goods when you walk past/(in most cases) around them. Don't be afraid to assert yourself a little and firmly say no before carrying on your merry way. They won't mind, and if they do then you're never going to see them again, so don't feel too guilty!

Finally, have lots of fun! Rome really is a beautiful city and there's lots to see and do there so just explore and see for yourself. Eat lots of gelato and throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain to guarantee your return. Say hello for me, too!

-Jenni-

P.S Sorry Brits. No-one in Italy seems to understand how to queue or the definition of 'personal space'. You're just going to have to grit your teeth, stiffen that upper lip and tut your way through it I'm afraid!

*NB Some of the churches, esp St. Peter's have a strict dress code and will turn you away if you are dressed inappropriately. Make sure you can cover your shoulders and knees (men and ladies alike!) either with what you wear or with scarves etc. Also ladies, make sure you're not too revealing cleavage-wise!

In Which Stratford Steals My Heart.

As some of you may know I work for Give It A Go, at my University's student union. This means I get to do cool stuff and get paid for it essentially. Last Saturday was my first proper proper day trip, to Stratford-upon-Avon. I wasn't originally looking forward to it, because I had no-one to go with, and so was planning to spend the day holed up in a coffee shop learning my lines for my upcoming shows*. However, when I got to Stratford I decided that I might as well see some of the sights before I did so, and I'm glad that I did.

First thing I found was an antiques shop that was selling all sorts of nick nacks and bits, and spent a good half an hour perusing their shelves. 

I eventually treated myself to some beautiful early 20th century leather bound books, which smell amazing, and a little pottery bottle just because it was particularly pretty.

I sort of love them a bit.

After dragging myself out of there (eventually), I headed for lunch at a pub that had originally attracted me because of its cheap prices** but actually had really good food (beautifully cooked fish and chips, yum yum) and very friendly staff. It was a really enjoyable meal for me, just because I felt very looked after and the food was GOOD. Can't want for much more.

With my stomach full and my spirits light I made my way back up Henley Street to The Museum of Wizardology which is just like Harry Potter world in Orlando. Only without the rides, and confined to the top floors of an old Tudor house. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and I walked around giggling the whole time. Oh and just so you know...

I'm officially a Wizard now. So you'd better just watch out.

My next destination was Shakespeare's grave, located in the Holy Trinity Church, some 20 minutes dawdle away. It was a very pretty walk though, lined with black and white Tudor houses and trees and generally lots of beautiful buildings. The church itself is also pretty spectacular, and I say that as someone who doesn't really like churches!*** Inside and out, it's a lovely place to cast your eye over.

Unnecessarily Arty-Farty photo, I know. But you get the gist.

I walked back towards the centre of town along the riverside, which was very peaceful and relaxing. The path takes you past two of the town's theatres (and who doesn't love a good theatre?) and ends up at the Swan Statue, where I found a man playing the violin to the afternoon gatherings. I sat here for a while and read my book, just because it was really relaxing. When it got a bit chilly to sit outside,  I found a little cafe in a Tudor building and treated myself to a hot chocolate with marshmallows, because sometimes it just has to be done.

Despite my earlier misgivings, I actually had a fantastic day out. It was nice to just be able to decide what I wanted to do and do it, without having to consult or convince anyone else, and it was a good thing to spend some quality time with myself-something I don't do much of any more. Most of all though, I fell a little bit in love with Stratford itself. It is so calm and serene and didn't feel like a big town at all. It's also beautiful-everywhere you go is some new sight to enjoy and appreciate. I made a resolution to myself-one day I am going to live there in a higgledy piggledy little Tudor cottage full of old nick nacks from that antique shop. I might even go as far as saying it's my favourite ever place. More even than Sheffield, and that's saying something. I can't wait to go back again, who wants to come?

So, from me, and from Shakespeare, Goodbye for now.

And what a goodbye sight this is.

*Have a quick plug-come and see our Xmas Panto! It's all for charity and it's fabulously funny!

**What I didn't realise at the time was that they were only Monday-Friday cheap prices, and so it cost me a little more than I thought it would. Ah well.

***I have an inability to speak in the required hushed tones, and generally feel a bit awkward in them. I have never understood that anyway-why can't churches be loud places?

Lovely, rainy, crazy Edinburgh II

To start with let me apologise for these posts taking SOOOO long, I started them the day I got home but have slowly managed to forget about them due to the 5 resits I have just had to complete. Boo. However, they are now behind me (Woo!) so it is time to party on and get down to doing all the things on my to do list. Including finishing these somewhat delayed blog posts...so here I am!

We awoke on the morning of the 3rd August to see the sun shining brightly for the first time that week. We donned our summery clothes, and dug out our sunglasses from the bottom of our bags, and set off to climb this:

What that is is the Scott Monument which is a towering 200ft tall monument dedicated to the writer Walter Scott. It has 287 steps, the top set of which are decidedly narrow. So narrow in fact that I had to squeeze through almost sideways, and bring my right arm through afterwards...eech! However, it was VERY worth the uncomfortable climb because you could see for MILES due to the gorgeous weather. There were some absolutely beautiful views! We also found some graffiti from 1884 scratched into the walls, which we both thought was rather cool as vandalism goes.

Just look at this gorgeous city!

After climbing back down all those steps (and collecting a certificate for being awesome) we decided we had earned an ice cream, and went to sit outside the Scottish National Gallery to eat them. Rara promptly fell in love with a "Sexy Bagpipe Man" and sat there squeaking as he smiled at her, it was rather cute!
We spent much of the rest of the day awandering, sitting in the sunshine, and watching people rehearse in silly make-up for the Edinburgh Fringe. Oh and eventually we found this rather disappointing dog:

It was NOT worth it. Not at all.

That evening, we set about the near-impossible task of finding an Indian takeaway for our dinner. In the end we gave in, and resorting to getting the very lovely Elita to Google one for us. We ate our £25 tea at half past 10 that evening, with aching feet and hungry tummies. (Note to self: Next time just settle for the stuff you can find in restaurants, K?).

And so our final morning rolled around, with pendulous black clouds and heavy rain. We packed our bags and said our goodbyes to the lovely Travelodge, and set out to buy the last of our souvenirs and make the most of the short time we had left. We decided, as it was the day before the Fringe proper began, to indulge ourselves with some free comedy shows, just to say that we had. The first of these were the excellent Office Girls Gone Crazy, who made us laugh rather a lot with their naughty poems! Not sure Rara enjoyed being sat next to my over-loud laugh in the pub with only 5 other people in, but I can't help being loud and embarrassing, can I?! They even challenged us to a Limerick competition, and once I saw the first line, (There were some comedians at the Edinburgh Fringe...) I knew what had to be done. This was my effort:

There were some comedians at the Edinburgh Fringe,
With jokes that would make people cringe,
The blokes spoke of their poo

And the language turned blue, 

And the ladies all talked about Minge!

It was received rather well I thought, it's always fun making people snort because you used a naughty word ;)

After a very nice pub lunch for me, and lots of souvenirs for Rara, we found a nice man in the street with an umbrella, so we took a flyer from him and decided to go and watch him (and his friends) be funny too. They were the absolutely fabulous Three Blokes Tell Jokes , and they were so very good. We laughed until our sides hurt, I twitched and knocked a bottle of water over and got heckled by one of them, and it was a very amusing and enjoyable hour. Look out for them, because they are rising stars!

Then it was time for our very last few rainy hours in the beautiful Edinburgh, before boarding a train and heading homeward. I was very sad to leave, and I will be definitely be going back again! Who knows, I might even be performing there some day-watch this space!

So for now, from Edinburgh, from me, Goodbye. I will be seeing you soon, I don't doubt.

J x x 

Lovely, rainy, crazy Edinburgh I

My trip to Edinburgh a few weeks ago with my best friend Rara was my original summer holiday before Slovenia was even a twinkle in an eye. We wanted to go somewhere cheapish* that we hadn't been before, but that had plenty to do-and Edinburgh did not disappoint!
It all began on Monday the 1st August at stupid o clock in the morning. That's no exaggeration-our train was at 5.30am! After a horrifically cold shower, and a lot of grumbling we were ready for the off. Thankfully my new Sheffield house is only a twenty minute walk from the train station, so it wasn't too much hassle getting there. After changing trains at Doncaster we slept for most of the journey, thankfully! I did wake up in time to see the Angel of the North, and work out where we were crossing the Scottish border though, and our holiday had finally begun!
The minute we emerged blinking from the train station, (once we had actually found an exit that wasn't closed and was actually an exit!) we saw a traditional style topless bus pull up opposite us. As my mum had given us some money specifically to spend on "Going topless in Edinburgh**" we decided that's what we would do for the morning-see the city and decide where we wanted to visit. So we toured, we took photos, and we absorbed the beauty of the place we were to call home for the next few days. We ate our lunch in front of the Royal Yacht Britannia, just because we could.

That's it there. Yes, it appears to be in a cage.

By the time we had gotten the bus back into the town centre, we were definitely starting to flag due to lack of sleep, so we headed to our Travelodge, checked in, and HAD A NAP! We are so very rock and roll! We woke up a good two hours later, and with rumbly tumblies went foraging for food. We found it in the form of an all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurant near the station and boy did we take them up on that offer! Stuffed and happy, we headed back to the hotel for crap tele and sleeps.

The next day dawned bright and...chucking it down with rain. After all-we were in Scotland! This did little to dampen our spirits though (just for you, Mr. Matt), and we spent the morning perusing all the shops along the Royal Mileandabit, which were in turns very tacky and very expensive-but it was a nice relaxed way to pass the time.

Rara bought an AWESOME hat!

That afternoon, after soggy sandwiches in a shop doorway, we went to the Camera Obscura , which was pretty awesome as far as I am concerned! The Camera Obscura itself is a 160-year old lens which looks down at the people of Edinburgh walking past and used to freak Victorian ladies out, which is still pretty damn cool. The rest of the 'museum' is full of optical illusions and magic tricks and general fun stuff/stuff that makes you look generally unattractive.

A me and Rara hybrid. Voldemort nose anyone?

After the Camera Obscura, we headed up to the castle, decided not to pay the £15 entry fee, and went to that most important of places-the gift shop***!
On our way back to the hotel that evening, we bought ourselves a Scottish delicacy from the seediest chip shop in the world-a deep fried Mars Bar. If you didn't let yourself think about what you were eating, it wasn't entirely all that unpleasant. I don't think I will be buying one again in a hurry though, put it that way.
That evening, we ate at an awesome pub called The Jekyll and Hyde, which was decorated with all manner of interesting bottles and diagrams and pictures. Plus the toilets were hidden away in a sufficiently mad scientist-horror movie sort of way, so it was quite a fun eating experience all told. And for 2 meals for £8, it was pretty tasty food too!

So that was our first two days in the lovely Edinburgh...the rest to follow shortly.

Hope you have all had fun holidays!





*It was cheap to book at under £100 for 4 days, 3 nights. But NOT cheap to holiday there. I am not sure I even mind.
**Yes, that is exactly how she phrased it. She's filth my mother.
***Can't visit a museum and not the gift shop. It's the rules (Graham).

A Little Jolly To Europe.

So. A few weeks ago one of my favourite people rang me up to invite me on a random holiday across Europe. I rang my mum to check it was OK and then started planning.
17ish days later, on Sunday 12th June 2011, it all began with a bus journey. The bus took me to the train station, where I met with three of my favourite people; Amycakes, Gman and Mr. Matt,and boarded a train from Sheffield to Birmingham New Street. Another train and a weird tram-monorail thing and we were finally at the airport and ready to board the plane! But the public transport was not over yet, even as we arrived in Italy and were hit instantly by a wave of heat. The original plan was to take another two buses and end up in Slovenia, but the best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry and all. We ended up at Trieste bus station peering at the time table, only to discover that the bus we had intended to be on left over an hour earlier. After some walking and grumbling, and frantic texts and phone calls, we finally had a place to stay for the evening* - a lovely apartment near the city centre.

Mine and Mr. Matt's room-heaven after all that public transport!

With our rucksacks off our backs and a weight off our minds, we went out into the night to find some food-and even though this was Italy at 10pm on a Sunday, we found a quaint little restaurant that sold delicious (proper Italian) Pizza/Lasagne and a Gelato parlour selling amazing ice-creamy goodness. To say that we weren't even in the country where we were supposed to be, it could have been a LOT more of an unpleasant evening.

The next morning after buying (and eating) brunch at the best Spar shop you will ever visit, wandering the streets and playing a few games of outdoor Uno**, we boarded the bus to Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia. I spent the bus journey becoming acquainted with Mr. Matt's music collection and 'trying to use my boobs as a pillow but failing'. I woke up somewhere in the countryside of Slovenia with about half an hour of journey left to go. And oh my, it's such a pretty country! We were all a little awestruck just walking from the bus to the hostel, which was also a pretty decent little room! Had everything we wanted (except for a dehumidifier, but that's no big complaint.) and was all cosy.

What you can't see is the gorgeous brick ceiling...or the terrifyingly saggy bunk bed...

We spent that first night just being in Slovenia, laughing at the humorous foodstuffs*** and just enjoying being genuinely properly relaxed since leaving. Me and Amycakes managed to cook a truly revolting meal, but the evening was none the worse for it.

The next day dawned bright and...not exceptionally early, although we awoke to my second favourite alarm clock ever..."Umm...Chaps...It's 10 past 10..." Today was our day of being proper tourists, so we headed out and up towards Ljubljana Castle. We managed to avoid the tiny smattering of rain as we looked around every crook and nanny, before heading up the (many-staired!!) staircase to the top of the tower. I complained all the way up, but by 'eck the view from the top was SO worth it! You could see for miles!

Beautiful, Beautiful Slovenia!

That afternoon we went on a boat trip down the Ljubljana River+ which was the most relaxing thing ever. As a bit of a history nerd, it was nice to learn a bit about the old buildings and bridges, and just being on the water was so tranquil and peaceful. I would have happily stayed on that boat forever. During our afternoon wanderings we were accosted by crazy Slovenian clown people. We had NO idea what was going on, and I am not sure the actual Slovenians did either, but they did leave us with a confused expression and the most catchy-get-in-your-head melody, to be sung for the rest of the holiday.  The evening meal was a much more successful affair than the night before, as it's hard to get a baked potato wrong even in Slovenian.

The final day of our stay in this beautiful city was spent wandering in the sunshine through the town, with my shoulders getting gradually burned in a stupid stripy pattern, eating the most gorgeous lemon sorbet I have ever tasted and generally just enjoying our last day in a lazy sort of fashion. My best memory from that day was this:

Forever Friends.

In Ljubljana, there is a (fairly new) tradition whereby couples purchase a padlock, write their initials on it, and lock it to the Butcher's Bridge, running through (near enough) the centre of the city. They then throw the keys in the river, to symbolise their ever-lasting love. We all thought this was a fairly beautiful metaphor++, and after much searching (and possibly being mistaken for lesbians!) Amy and I found and purchased a padlock. That photo was taken just after we attached it to the bridge-you can see it in the middle of the group. It's my favourite memory because it is such a feeling of hope and friendship, and it summed up a wonderful (albeit at times incredibly bizarre) trip. I have made some memories and friends to last me a lifetime. Would I go back? In a heartbeat.
We dined that evening at a traditional Slovenian restaurant-seated at tables in the centre of the street, followed by what might have been the nicest ice-cream I have ever eaten in my life. I can't even describe what flavour it was, but it was GOOD!

The next day we sadly bade goodbye to Ljubljana, and hopped on a bus back to Trieste, where we spent our time dangling our feet in the Mediterranean and revisiting the awesome DeSpar for supplies. Then it was a short hop back to the airport, and a slightly longer one back to Blighty. And no matter how awesome the trip, I still got that lovely feeling of being home the minute we stepped off the plane. What can I say, I just love this rainy little isle.

So my first adventure draws to a close. And as they go, it was pretty amazing.

Until next time then,
Jenni x x



*Thankyou Mr. Matt's missus Becky, and the lovely Italian lady who came to help us out
**You know we're friggin cool
*** "The lady at the front desk wants to know if you would like some free Cocaine?" (It's an energy drink, but still)
+Not very imaginative with their nomenclature these Slovenians. But you can't hold it against them really.
++ Except Amy; "It's like marriage...but with padlocks!"