I’m way behind on all that has happened as there was no internet I could use for very long at the last few towns. So I am now back in Edinburgh at a lovely B&B, a bit away from the Festival action but an easy walk to throngs of people when I’m ready.
I’ve been either taking coaches or waiting for them but there are a couple of things that are different than the buses at home. These citylink coaches go everywhere! Comparing them to Yamhill County, you could hop on a coach at 3rd and Davis and it would go out Baker Creek Road to drop off Lynn and then up Orchard View to pick up Emma. That would just be the route and it would go by every hour, or two at the latest. Of course you know sometimes they are late from my last blog and I have another peeve to report. I went to Dingwall to try to find my grandma’s parents graves (couldn’t) but as I was waiting for the coach back, in a queue with a bunch of other people, the coach pulled behind one already parked and people started to get off so we moved over to give them space. I stepped in the wrong direction and didn’t realize until the coach started to move up the block that I was in its way. No warning beep or gradually move, just pulled up almost knocking me off my feet. The people I’d been chatting with grabbed me and I let out a wee scream and everyone was a bit shaken, esp. me, but not the coach driver. After that I was a bit pissed at him but when I got on he acted like its all in the line of work. Maybe he didn’t see me but its all windows in front so I doubt he missed it.
In contrast two days later I took a mini-coach up to Glen Affric, one of the most beautiful hill and loch areas in the area. Loch Ness is just south 15 miles but is so big and busy and I’d seen it before, that I wanted to hike about in a more remote place. The coach driver, John Reilley has my blog address and I hope he reads this because he went out of his way to help me and would never bump someone with his coach! I was the only passenger most of the way to the loch so we chatted about all sorts of things and John assured me he’d look for me on his next two trips to the loch so I’d get a ride back. On the way back he pulled over at a beautiful waterfall and we walked down the path so I could see over the side. It reminded me of the wild Rogue River up by Crater Lake where it goes through a narrow gorge creating terrific whitewater. So thanks for your Scottish hospitality John!
BELLADRUM
I mentioned the music festival in my last email, I thought Belladrum was the name of the fest, good drumming, aye? But its the name of the 1,100 acre estate that the Tartan Heart Festival was held on. Nothing but fun and music. And craft booths, food booths, dancing and activities for kids. I read in the paper the next day that 10,000 people attended, including 2,000 children under 12. I went early on Friday, before it opened as I got a lift from 2 young women who were at the B&B. I heard some good music and talked to several women at craft booths and danced to reggae, rock n’ roll, and fiddle music. I went back Saturday afternoon after my hike at Glen Affric, and got a schedule in time to see that Arlo Guthrie was playing at the Garden Stage at 3:20. So I hustled down to the Garden Stage where hundreds of teenagers were dancing to a group called the Vaterbay Boys. Not being shy I danced my way up to the front and when the Boys finished I was at the very front row. Some kids were still hanging around to see who was next, I really wanted the spot they were in, so when the were looking for a program I volunteered that the next act was an old American folk singer. That sent them off for pizza and gave me a place right in front of the stage, center front. IT WAS SO EXCITING! The woman next to me brought an Arlo album from 1972, hoping to get his autograph, so she took it out and showed it around. Of course, like the rest of us he looks quite a bit different 34 years later, but we knew him right away by his wild, mostly white, hair. He pulled up a chair as we all screamed “we love you Arlo!”, goodness, it was fun. He played some of his old songs and then Mr. Tamborine Man, after telling about Dylan knocking on his door looking for his Dad all that time ago. He sang a new song, Shadow on the Land?, which made me cry, as well as Hillary next to me. Then he said, we only have time for one more song, so I yelled, can you guess? Alice’s Restaurant! He heard me and laughed saying that’s a song for another day.
Well, I could have left then, I felt so satisfied, but I stuck around looking for Irene again, she was looking for me, but we never found each other. I left the mobile phone at the B&B not thinking she could call me there. So as I was leaving I heard fiddle music and went into a big tent for one more round. There was a fantastic band playing and lots of people were jumping up and down so what the heck. I gradually got to the front and jumped up and down with the 17 year olds. They accept me quite easily and probably feel as I feel, the more people dancing, the more energy and fun. The band was really warmed up by now and the 4 fiddlers stood up, the drums were taking it all to a faster pitch and the guitar player was tremendous, as well as the leader, on keyboards. They were so good we were all screaming and they did an encore that was a bit calmer or we’d have never left. I bought their CD on the way out, Session A9, named after a road trip north on the A9 which is where I have been traveling most of the time.
RANDOM KINDNESS
I’ve been doing wee nice deeds for others and they have for me, although as it goes, not back and forth but spread out across the whole trip. I went to a big sale of clothes made by people in Nepal and Tibet that a Scottish woman buys from villages at a fair price and then sells around the UK. The sale was in a meeting hall at the Findhorn Village where the public toilets were, which I used on several occasions. The last time I went in I bought something from the sale and talked with the woman’s Mum who was helping her out. She said the only problem is there is no toilet paper and I can’t find any one to call, nor can I leave. So I went to the store a few blocks away and bought 2 rolls of TP and gave them to her, a wee gift, I said. Now have you ever seen anyone thrilled to receive 2 rolls of toilet paper? She thougt I was surely the kindest person on earth at that moment yet it was such a simple thing for me to do.
In return today the sweetest 3 year old waiting with her folks at the train station tried to speak to me in English, German being her first language. She said “how do you do” and we proceeded from there. She gave me a tiny pebble that she found on the beach and we shook hands goodbye when their train arrived. Although these things can happen anywhere I think having the time to just sit on a bench, or visit a place over and over is part of the magic I’ve been feeling.
THE FRINGE
I have tickets for about 8 events over the next 5 days, from a writers retreat to a Tom Stoppard play to a performance by the group Blazing Fiddles, and ending with a tribute to Eva Cassidy called Songbird. I’ve written out my schedule and the directions to each venue, all walking distance from the Royal Mile, Castle, etc. I’ll have time to write a bit more in between the excitement and a handy computer so you’ll hear from me again soon. Love, Ellie
