Aug 6 - first encounter with Fine Chisel Theatre

This was our first open day on the trip. Alex, Kerry, Katie and myself trekked up the Royal Mile to the Camera Obscura, which I was really skeptical about, but turned out to be pretty cool and totally worth the 9 pounds we had to pay for it. Apparently there are only a few of these "Camera Obscura's" in the world, and one of them is at the top of this building in Edinburgh. It allows you to see all around the city, though some building owners caught on and built their windows too small for the camera to see into them. The image is reflected into a sort of big bowl in a small room on the roof and the guides show us (and the children in the room) how to pick up the people on the street with a notecard, shake them around, and put them back down on the street. They said we could try, but I refrained (reluctantly). 

View from the top of Camera Obscura. We were able to look through binoculars and see all around the city

There was a photobooth in C.O. that allowed you to morph your face with the person who was just in before you. Kerry and I tried it because people always ask us if we are sisters. It was eerie how little the picture changed and how it perfectly morphed our faces together. Too creepy.

We had to hop into the Ames room and see what it would feel like if I were bigger than Kerry for once.

It was weird. I've never been taller than anyone.

On our way back down the Mile, we stopped to do some souvenir shopping and discovered The Fine Chisel Theatre playing outside one of the shops. We stood for a good 20 minutes watching them perform and grabbed some flyers for their shows. They have an English/folky feel, very fun. We went to their performance later on that day and it was fantastic. We didn't realize that they were all in character when we first walked in, may have made fools of ourselves (just another day). The performance was sort of an acting musical. The story really sucked you in and I know at one point we were all feeling it pretty deeply. They lift you up, slam you down and then end on a high note. They were great fun, we even went back for another one of their shows a few nights later. After doing a little research and reading their blog, I think the first show is based on a real life experience of one of the members losing his father a few months before. Hard stuff, but they made a pretty poignant short performance out of it.