Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2002

In Edinburgh, even the dead are put to work. There are at least three different ghost tour companies in competition with one another.

I opted first for one I learned about on the Travel Channel. Known as one of the scariest places on the planet, at least the churchyard at Greyfriars was done in the open air. There is a different company which leads a group through the dankest, and dampest of tunnels, but not before showing off a collection of antique torture instruments used to extract confessions of witchcraft from unfortunates. It was the ultimate "Dis," of the times to accuse your neighbor of witchcraft, and once someone made the accusation it could not be dis-proved. Not only the accused but the entire family would eventually be wiped out. In case you are wondering, I didn't see any ghosts, but I did see a few employees wearing white sheets.

More enjoyable for me was just to walk through the cobbled streets of the city. The wonderful looking Edinburgh Castle could be seen in many parts of the medieval section. Perhaps my favorite thing was the many pubs. I'm embarrassed to admit, whisky tastes to me like the most unappetizing of mouthwashes. So I ordered whisky with what tastes like Sprite or Seven Up, but which they call "lemonade." I learned about this combination in the land of the finest of whiskies, so on the humble outskirts of Boston, I hold my head up high when I order the same, even though the Bartender gives me a look as if to say, "Okay, it's your mouth." If the Scots do it, then it isn't wrong. Then again, they order boiled potatoes or french fries to eat with their spagetti dinners.