Bitten by Britain?

(All right, that’s a terrible one, but heck, I’m having too much fun to care!)

So, here’s a (very) quick round-up of the highlights of my Great British (ha ha!) trip so far. This is going to be written very quickly, so excuse any typos, etc.

England

Without doubt this has to be Hamlet performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford-on-Avon. It was just fabulous — both the performances and getting to see celebrated actors like Patrick Stewart and David Tennant in the flesh. (Yes, Stewart has terrific presence, and yes, Tennant is really skinny.) Not to mention the whole stage door experience with Tennant (Hamlet) and Oliver Ford Davies (Polonius).

Scotland

Wow. This shouldn’t be so hard. The Loch Ness was beautiful; Scotland itself was beautiful. Those lovely accents, the kilts…! All I can say is that the Scottish Highlands are still on my list of places to visit. There’s so much to see.

Edinburgh was vastly different from Inverness, where I spent three days. By itself it is a beautiful historic city. And if one is a Rebus fan, of course, it takes on a whole new meaning, like it did for me. With the Edinburgh Festival on, it was crowded with tourists and performers. Altogether a marvellous experience, getting caught up in the atmosphere of it all. Even for someone like me, who is a self-confessed recluse with a dislike of crowds.

The imposing architecture (oh, I climbed the Scott Monument and have a certificate to prove it; also walked the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace/the Scottish Parliament) gives it a beautiful skyline. Of course, it’s a big city, with a traffic problem :-/ … and I did get lost trying to find my B&B!

It’s fascinating how different the Scots are from the English. It makes you understand why the English are sometimes referred to as bland. The Scots, at the least the ones I came in contact with, take a lot of pride in their Scottishness (as different from Britishness, I mean). And that music of theirs is perfectly lovely and haunting — somehow blending just right with the surroundings, be it in the Highlands or the historic Edinburgh architecture.

And… just for the record, men look great in skirts (I could say kilts, but I won’t); I have no idea why they insist on wearing trousers.

Wales

Well, watch this space!

~PD

7 Replies to “Bitten by Britain?”

  1. I’m glad to see you like the kilts after all. 🙂 I remember you not being sure about them. It sounds like you had a lovely time. I will be looking forward to pictures.

  2. Niklas, with his mighty voice says: Reply

    Get a room! *blushes* Honestly, you and the UK should try not to flaunt it so. If a police man sees you, you could get a hefty fine.

  3. Ah! You roam around the British Isles. I would so love to do the same. Is it a holiday or does work take you there? Scots do sound like fun the way you describe then, and then you’re having so much fun of your own, and certified fun at that!!!

    Well, eh, I’m not too sure about men in skirts. My sister’s just got her waxing done yesterday and well, the whole scenario reminds me of the U2 song ‘With or without you’! 🙄

  4. You saw Patrick Stewart AND David Tennant?! Me is greener than ever with envy!!

    But looks like you’re having loads of fun. Keep us updated and yes, do share the photos!

  5. @Swetank: Well, you just need to ignore the hairy legs in case of men in kilts!

    @Vinod: Oh my, it was amazing! Tennant is usually such an idiot as the Doctor, but he was absolutely spectacular as Hamlet. It would have been a great show even taking him and Stewart out of it. Tennant’s understudy (who played Laertes) was a terrific actor as well.

    I got my programme autographed by Tennant by the way! It was odd to hear his normal Scots accent just after the show!

  6. I’m reading Irvine Welsh these days, and so know what you mean about the British being bland in comparison to the Scots – it comes through even in their literature! But seriously, WHERE are the photographs?

  7. *lazy* Oh, yes, the photos…

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