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The Edinburgh Festival

I spent the Fall 2008 semester abroad in the UK with twenty-five other students and two professors. We did our coursework on the road, traveling to various cities while studying the literature and drama of each region.

For our first stop, we arrived in Edinburgh at the tail-end of its famous theatre festival. Every space available in the entire city had become a theatre venue, from churches to basements to gardens. Certain squares overflowed with people handing out flyers, and a buzz thrummed through the city. I had never seen that type of energy before.

The Festival offers thousands of theatre, dance, comedy, and musical performances, which means there are some of the world’s best and some that do not quite reach that level. So, browse the Festival guide, read reviews, and rest in the fact that you have plenty of options. I saw eleven productions in ten days—not all that many compared to my classmates. Still, I saw a one-man recitation of Beowulf, a hip-hop version of Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing, a demonstration by Whirling Dervishes, and an avant-garde opera/play fusion. Very few places offer that kind of variety.

Edinburgh is the perfect size for walking most anywhere, as long as you have the time. Buses expedite the trip, but I think you can feel the city’s atmosphere better by foot. The roses in Princes Street Gardens or a mysterious close or alley in Old Town meant as much to me as the monuments and museums, so I recommend seeing both by walking as much as you can.

It could just be that the honeymoon stage had not worn off yet, but most of us still name Edinburgh as one of our favorite places from our trip. There were plenty of reasons for this. We had ten days to spend in Edinburgh, longer than most stops on our trip. We stayed in a lovely B&B called the Beresford Hotel, run by two hospitable young men who personally took our orders for hot breakfasts every morning. Also, something about that city just begged us to explore it and dwell in its vibrancy and history. Armed with maps and a strong sense of adventure, we were ready for anything.