savvynomadadventures

“The Fringe Festival is a VIBE, Babe.”

Heavenly Father, it’s been a while since my last…wait, wrong space. But it has been a while since my last blog entry, and even longer since I’ve traveled abroad—my true passion in life. Now, before you start picturing me with a quill and ink, let me clarify: I was “blogging” before blogging was even a thing. I embellish a bit, might not always fact-check as much as I should, and I just write about my experiences through the lens of, well…me.

I’ve traveled solo, with partners, friends, strangers, and, for the last seven years or so, with my wife, Honey ( Yes, folks, that’s her name. Cute, innit?). Traveling as an LGBTQ+ couple poses its own unique challenges. Let me just say that we have to take extra care and preparation when exploring the globe as a same-sex couple, and anyone in my position should do the same. But this blog isn’t about my sexual orientation (as my wife would say, “labels are for canned soup, anyway”). I want to share our current trip: Edinburgh, Scotland, and Portugal.

Now, I know what you’re thinking—why those two countries? It doesn’t seem to make sense, right? Why travel to Scotland and then Portugal? Why not Spain or France or somewhere closer to Portugal? Trust me, we often got that question before leaving for this trip. Folks seemed utterly confused, and we get it. So, let me provide you with a bit of context before diving into the meat of the journey.

I’ve traversed the globe and written about every inch of the places I’ve been, however, a select few of those entries didn’t make it online due to what I like to call “content not suitable for family viewing.” I write about my travels to document my experiences and, hopefully, to entertain the five or so followers I have.

It’s a diary of sorts, chronicling my travels around the world (68 countries and counting). But more than anything, it’s a love affair with writing—connecting the sights, sounds, feelings, and experiences with written words. I’m no travel guide nor a travel expert. I just love experiencing new cultures and people all over the world.

And yes, most of what I write is historically and politically correct—at least, I think so. But don’t quote me on that. I’ve been blogging since before I knew you could make money off it, long before AI bots started writing blogs for you. I can assure you, every word you read here is mine. No AI bot is writing about my experiences for me. That being said, my writing might be raw, grammatically incorrect, and full of typos. But it will wholeheartedly and authentically be our (when I say “our,” I mean Honey’s and mine) experiences.

A bit of context: 18 years ago, I packed my first backpack and headed out on a year-long journey around the globe. My first stop? The UK. Scotland. Unbeknownst to me, I landed in Edinburgh during the world’s largest arts festival, The Fringe Festival. I had no idea what the Fringe Festival was and absolutely no idea what a spectacular event it would be. Those three days in Edinburgh were pure magic. It was 18 years ago, but it still seems like yesterday. The people, the music, the art, the culture—all of it. I’ve always yearned to go back and experience that superb festival again, so when Honey and I planned our Portugal trip in August, it only seemed natural to me—since the Fringe Festival takes place in August—to take her to this unique, magical, wondrous carnival of creativity in Edinburgh. I knew she would be blown away, and I was itching to get back. So, for us, it just made sense. And holy shit…what a phenomenal choice it was! Edinburgh and the Fringe did not disappoint!

I am a workaholic. Self-diagnosed, but also diagnosed by my wife, friends, family, and colleagues. It’s not that my job heaps an unbearable amount of work on my plate—I just have an obsession with working. Whether it’s actual work, volunteer gigs, or community involvement, I need to keep busy at all times. My brain never stops. If you know, you know. It’s just how I operate. I love it and wouldn’t have it any other way. So when vacation mode rolls around, people often ask

“Oh, are you finally going to get some R&R?” And I’m literally like, what the fuck is that? R&R? Is that like Rock and Roll? Ha. Too bad for my beautiful wife, who is all about Rest & Relaxation, while I’m Rock & Roll all day errr day.

As you might imagine, I packed our 2.5-week journey to Edinburgh and Portugal with a copious amount of activities. Poor Honey. The good news is that even though we didn’t stop moving for the full three days we were in Scotland—we walked over 30 miles, saw 7 professional shows, and witnessed hundreds of magnificent street performers—she still managed to survive my whirlwind agenda. We also perfected our Australian (we saw several Aussie shows) and Scottish accents. We’re quite brilliant at them now, actually, and may keep the accents, just an FYI, in case we come back to work and say things like…It’s a vibe, mate! (With a perfected Aussie accent of course). Or if we order “Chippy’s” (fish & chips) and ask for heaps of chips. It’s a vibe, babe. Everything is a vibe. Once again, if you know, you know.

Let’s talk about Edinburgh.

For those of you reading this who don’t know much about Edinburgh’s history, I’d recommend reading another blog if you want to learn all that. Just kidding—I always like to sprinkle in a bit of history and culture to weave in the richness of the place we visit.

We arrived in Edinburgh ready to hit the ground running! Our hotel was located in the heart of the action and within walking distance of everything we could possibly need. We headed out to soak in the experiences.

The city was ALIVE. There’s just no other way to describe it. Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is home to about 400,000 people, and during the Fringe Festival, which lasts three weeks, the city swells to 1.5 million people. Yes, the city literally triples in size during this time. The sights, sounds, smells, different languages being spoken—it was all such a sweet assault on the senses, an explosion of light igniting every nerve in the body. We were buzzing inside and out. I could literally feel the energy pulsing from the soul of the city. Walking down the Royal Mile with hundreds of thousands of people was absolutely magical.

Now, this isn’t for everyone. If you don’t like crowds, do not visit Edinburgh during the Fringe Festival. If you are a germaphobe, well… you just might die, quite literally.

BUT if you want to experience the absolute best in art, music, performance, comedy, theatre, circus, street buskers, and just plain mind-blowingly weird shit, this is your place. We love the unique, the weird, the creative, and the beautiful, and the Fringe did not disappoint.

We took a walking tour and learned some unique and fun facts about Edinburgh. I will try to capture them here for y’all:

I’m not a Harry Potter fan—I mean, I never got into it, though I respect the Harry Potter Vibe. But it’s cool to know that much of J.K. Rowling’s inspiration for the Harry Potter books came from Edinburgh.

Edinburgh is a city that’s as old as time itself—okay, maybe not that old, but it’s close. With its roots tracing back to 8500 BC, Edinburgh is rich with history, and you can feel it in every cobblestone underfoot. This is a place where ancient traditions and modern creativity meet, especially during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival—the largest arts festival in the world! Imagine over 3,000 shows, 50,000 performances, and 300 venues all bursting at the seams with talent. The city literally explodes with energy!

Now, Edinburgh isn’t just known for its artsy vibe… obviously. Our guide explained, that as the Scottish capital since the 15th century, it’s divided into two distinct areas: the Old Town, dominated by a medieval fortress ( how cool is that?) and the neoclassical New Town, whose 18th-century development left a lasting mark on European urban planning. Speaking of fortresses, Edinburgh Castle sits majestically on Castle Rock (Think Game of Thrones vibes… we kept asking where they keep the dragons), a 700-million-year-old extinct volcano. This isn’t just any castle—it’s one of the oldest fortified places in Europe with a long, rich history as a royal residence, military garrison, prison, and fortress. We actually walked through the old prison cells and it was extremely creepy yet so cool at the same time. And every day (except Sundays), the ‘One O’Clock Gun’ fire from the castle erupts. We got to experience this as we were there during that time.

And let’s not forget the Royal Mile, which is actually a mile and 107 yards long—because, you know, Scottish precision. Filled with pubs serving” Chippy’s” (Fish & Chips), eateries, cafes, and shoppes. We explored until we literally passed out. No Scottish Whisky tasting for us… not our vibe, but it certainly is a vibe here!

Walking down this historic street feels like stepping back in time, especially when you reach St. Giles’ Cathedral, founded in 1124 by King David I. This cathedral has been a working church for nearly 900 years, and trust me, its beauty will leave you speechless. WE LOVED it. Edinburgh’s combination of history, culture, and art is simply unparalleled. The three days flew by, and we were saddened to leave, but alas… Portugal patiently awaits…