Fab Festival Day 3

We had another early start to get into Edinburgh for a concert in the Queens Hall. The Budapest Festival Soloists played Prokofiev, Poulenc and Bartok. I will have to work on acquiring a taste for the latter. However, Denes Varjon on the piano was just amazing. We moved from our cheap partial view seats at the interval to sit where we could see better.

Everything seems to take longer struggling through crowds with brollieS but we got to 21212 in time for our Michelin star lunch. Starter was Summer Truffle Blanquette - abalone, freeloaders, duxelles giggling and coriander cole slaw, and main was trout, basil Dahl, greens, Smoked pines and asparagus blanc. For pudding I had a concoction of chestnut, cinder toffee, glazed meringue, blackberry brûlée. This took 3 hours to eat and enjoy. 3 courses cost £32 which was so worth it. I'd rather have one meal like that than 2 indifferent ones.

We then walked up to Dovecote Gallery to see an exhibition of Bernat Klein's paintings and woven tapestries. I own a scarf made from a remnant bit of his tweed. He was a famous designer in the 60's and 70's. It was hoped his wonderfully unusual use of colour in tweeds could revitalise the industry in the Borders and though big fashion houses used his material to create high fashion coats and dresses, sadly his business did not survive.

While there we saw interesting art by Kwang Young Chun, the renowned Korean artist. His large pieces have great impact. The work is made up of small packages wrapped in mulberry paper with Korean text written on it. See blip for a detail.

Next we met some friends at the Usher Hall for the Scottish Symphony Orchestra. James Macmillan had dedicated his Percussion Concerto No 2 to Colin Currie, who performed it with the orchestra. Magnificent, and for me more exciting than Kullerno by Sibelius which followed.

Phew 1 minute to spare!