After a sumptuous breakfast I began my day with a ramble in the royal botanical gardens. A lush, gorgeous oasis in the middle of the city that feels peaceful, remote and quiet. There are wonderful outdoor plantings of lavishly landscaped highland and Chinese vegetation, however the part that undoubtably makes the gardens worth visiting are their extensive glasshouses full of tropical and dessert plants. I wandered amidst palms, orchids, Lilly pads and cacti, taking far too many pictures.
After that I took care of my show tickets and had a pint at the friendly and cozy last drop tavern in grassmarket, where I was chatted up by the affable bartender and two older Scottish gentlemen with a very friendly dog. Then on to circa, the most incredible piece of dance theater Ive ever seen, full of mind bending acrobatics.

Then on to Ali mac gregor’s late nite variety show. Ali mac gregor is a clasically trained opera singer, vaudeville chantusse and all around comedic genius. She does quirky covers of Kylie minogue, ac/dc and radiohead songs on an omnichord (an instrument of the future, if the future was 1982) assisted by a smarmy, lazy eyed butler, an acordion player, and a rabble of standup comics and burlesque dancers. Only problem was that the audience was half full of geriatrics who clearly though they were in for a very different type of variety show. Needless to say they were not ammused by ali’s butler saxon’s inspired striptease to Tina turner’s private dancer. Ali macgregor is a superstar deserving of her own big ass fangirl blog entry complete with YouTube bids, but for now I say this… Watch out vaudeville world, you are about to meet your new queen.