Traveller’s Log, Edinburgh Fringe Festival

“St. Michael is kind to strangers.” It’s the motto of Linlithgow, the royal burgh where I am staying and it’s printed on everything here. St. Michael has certainly been kind to me.

Strangers have been kind to me too. On the train that very first day, coming in from the airport, I met a group of students from Glasgow who advised me on my festival program and took over care of my luggage, lugging it around for me and putting it up and down from the rack above our heads.

In the Wildfire restaurant where the tables are close together I made friends with the couple beside me. They told stories of camping in the Highlands and we shared dessert and conversation until the place closed down.

Red from Montana, I met in the ticket line for the Edinburgh Fringe. He was lonely in Montana he said, one of the only liberals in the state who detested guns and was not much of an outdoors guy. He saved my space in line and turned me to the fast track or I’d have still been standing there now.

I met Rob on the literary pub crawl. An American theater director from a high school that had a play on the fringe. He wore a Harley’s jacket but said he’d cracked up the bike two years before and was just glad to be alive. He’d stayed in Brittany for a summer as an art student, taking photographs (“the light’s amazing”) and searching out traditional music at night. After the tour we went back to to the Sandy Bell, a famous Scottish pub, to catch a session there and stayed until the last train when I had to say goodbye.

Kaye, I met on the commute to the city. She lives in France and recommends it. Born in Scotland she only comes for holiday now. She left 28 years ago to teach abroad, and ended up mistress of an International School in the far east. I took her recommendation for “Married to the Sea” which she had just seen and which turned out to be my favorite production of the Festival.

As a solo traveler I have a new appreciation for strangers and their kindness. When I was younger I used to fear them. But now I find I have a new boldness when it comes to reaching out. Perhaps I have St. Michael to thank for that.

Three morals in this story:

1. St. Michael is kind to strangers.

2. Strangers are a solo traveler’s best friends.

3. To strike up a conversation with a stranger, ask for help or advice.

Yours with creativity and imagination,

Darlene

p.s. Meeting strangers and turning then into friends is a wonderful benefit of solo travel. And it’s even easier when you sign up for small group residential retreats with others who have a common interest. Lifescapers is hosting such a gathering May 11-18,2024 in a beautiful Victorian Villa on the sea on the southwest coast of Scotland. Click the link on the homepage of this site to learn more about the Scotland Expedition. It would be wonderful to meet you there.

p.p.s. The feature image was taken by Darlene Chrissley at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, August 2008.