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#EdFringe Survival Guide

It’s the most wonderful, tiring and rainy time of the year! To have maximum fun at the Edinburgh Fringe 2013, follow these simple steps. Guaranteed to ward off Fringe Fatigue and Fringe Flu.

Have a wee

Before going in to see a show, a well timed wee is essential. Fringe venues aren’t made for inconspicuous exits and if you do slip out, you immediately become susceptible to audience interaction.

Freeze some dinners

It’s such a good idea. But making a cottage pie and not eating it straight away is tough.

Put something proper on your feet

Like any festival, the Fringe involves lots of walking and portable toilets. A covered and supported sole is best to avoid blisters and seeping liquids.

Allow 10 minutes for the tourist slalom

The streets are congested and slow with street performers, tourists and tourists watching street performers so allow a few extra minutes to reach your destination.

Plan…but not too much

If you don’t have an idea what you’re aiming for at the Fringe it can all be a bit overwhelming. So book a few things you really want to see but leave plenty of gaps for impulse buys.

Don’t let FOMO ruin your life

Fear Of Missing Out is inevitable at the Fringe because you are going to miss out because you need to go to bed. But if you repeatedly succumb to FOMO you will, at some point, end up sitting on the toilet, sobbing.

 

Have a great Fringe!

Nanu Maps: Beer Gardens

beer

It’s the weekend, it’s 20 degrees and everybody’s having a beautiful time. In this unprecedented summer heat, a beer garden is in high demand so here at Nanu we’ve had a poke around some of the best pubs in Edinburgh and found the finest beer gardens for your al-fresco drinking pleasure.

Blackfriars
57 Blackfriars Street
Tues, Wed, Thurs 16:00- late, Fri, Sat: 12:00- late, Sun: 12:30-late.

Formerly known as Bo’s, Blackfriars reopened a couple of months ago with a new lick of paint and new bar snacks. The neon blue Bo’s sign still remains as does one of the most inconspicuous beer gardens in town. To get there you have to pretend you’re going to the toilets, which is odd, but once you get out the back it’s a lovely wee nook to while away a few hours with a cold pint of Tenants. More like your mates’ back garden than a pub, Blackfriars’ beer garden definitely does get sunshine for at least a bit of the day. But maybe pack a cardi just in case.

The Beehive Inn
18-20 Grassmarket
Mon-Sat 9:00- 1:00, Sun: 12:30- 1:00.

The Beehive Inn is a bit of a winter pub on the inside but it manages to hide a lovely beer garden out back as well. It’s one of the bigger ones in the city with loads of tables sat up the sloping garden and there’s a lovely view of Edinburgh Castle too. And if it starts raining in the middle of August, which it inevitably will, the Beehive Inn is also a Fringe venue and hosts a wide programme of (indoor) comedy events throughout the month.

The Peartree
34 West Nicholson Street
Mon- Thur 11:00 – 0:00, Fri- Sat 11:00- 1:00, Sun 12:30- 0:00.

The Peartree is Edinburgh’s go-to al fresco drinking location and will most likely be heaving on a warm summer’s day. Its beer garden is a much loved part of Edinburgh in the summer months as it’s just stumbling distance from the university and often hosts barbeques when the weather demands it. The beer’s not the cheapest in the city but it’s worth a few pennies more on a sunny day.

 

Nanu also likes…

The Hanging Bat, a fake grassed beer garden for daytime drinking…The Spylaw Tavern, to fit in during a stroll down Colinton way…The Links, not just for loo breaks sitting on the Meadows…and The Flotterstone Inn, in the heart of the beautiful Pentlands.

Nanu Maps: Breakfast

Breakfast

Hi Nanu Friends. Sorry for the hiatus. We’ve been searching the city for the best breakfast joints around and there’s only so many fry ups one can eat all at once. But never fear, Ellie, Elyse and new Nanu Maps contributor, Morgan have found the best places to grab breakfast in Edinburgh when you don’t really fancy an Egg McMuffin.


View Nanu Maps: Breakfast in a larger map

Snax

118 Buccleuch Street /15 West Register Street
Mon-Fri 07:00-16:00, Sat 07:00-18:00, Sun 08:00-18:00

Just a stone’s throw away from George Square library, Snax is usually occupied by bleary eyed students soothing their hangovers. And with full breakfasts starting at a mere £2.50 it’s hard not to see the appeal. Snax is a classic greasy spoon with big portions, small prices and actually really good food. Tea comes in big mugs and staff are friendly and fast. Buccleuch Street is much more likely to find you a table, but there’s another small branch just behind Princes Street, perfect for a bacon roll between shopping. Snax is also open really, really early so you can grab some cheap and delicious fuel for the day first thing. The comfort food extends to lunchtime with burgers, chips, baked potatoes and chilli; also very, very cheap and delicious. Snax is probably the only place I can abide which uses a quirky letter ‘x’ in its name.

Toast

146 Marchmont Road
Mon-Sat 10:00-22:00, Sun 10:00-17:00

Ideal for a sophisticated Sunday brunch, Toast even makes its own baked beans. It’s a friendly wee café located in the heart of Marchmont, slightly more expensive than your average but it makes up for it in quality and originality. The traditional fry up is given a bit of TLC and its these little differences which make brunch a little bit special. There are good veggie options available, a whole alternative fry up is on offer which includes haggis! And if you don’t fancy the full fry up, there’s filled croissants, French toast and scrambled eggs. Weekend Brunch is also particularly popular as it has a few extras like Eggs Benedict and open sandwiches on offer. A great place to take your mum or meet your pals. If you’re going at the weekend, I’d arrive early or reserve a table. It’s a popular wee establishment and the best in the area.

The Abbey

65 South Clerk Street
Mon-Sat: 10am-1am; Sun 10.30am-1am

Nanu has previously recommended the Abbey as a top location for real beer in Edinburgh, but when you’ve had quite a few ales the night before, the Abbey also functions as one of the best places to go for a cheap and cheerful fry up the morning after. Open from 10am with a cosy atmosphere, welcoming smell and a few locals nursing an early Tenants over the Daily Sport, their prize deal is a cooked “Big Breakfast” with a pot of tea or coffee for just £3.99. Also on offer is a Scottish breakfast – effectively your classic full breakfast with added haggis and white pudding. For those who want a little less grease in the morning, there are also rolls, omelettes and waffles on offer, each with a selection of fillings and toppings. The perfect way to deal with a hangover.

The Haven

8/9 Anchorfield
Mon-Fri 8.00-17.00, Sat-Sun 9.00-17.00

At 8/9 Anchorfield, Edinburgh, you’ll find the Haven. With bright coloured walls and knick-knackery hanging above and sitting on shelves it sounds like somewhere your granny might go but the Haven is not over cluttered or blinding, it just welcomes you in and cheers you up. Offering a simple but substantial breakfast menu it has the regular fry ups and rolls but, importantly, an added delight to the classic breakfast is the colourful and mismatching pretty cups, saucers and plates of Victorian style. If the traditional breakfast isn’t what you’re looking for then the array of delicious cakes might take your fancy even in the morning. A little out the way from Leith Walk and unless you’re a huge walking enthusiast, a bus is definitely necessary from Edinburgh but well worth it – it really is quite the haven from buzz of the city where you can enjoy a long, peaceful breakfast.

Kilimanjaro

126 Nicolson Street
Mon-Fri 7.30-8.30, Sat-Sun 8.00-8.00

Kilimanjaro is situated in the centre of Newington in Edinburgh. At lunchtime Kilimanjaro is heaving with students making the morning a perhaps forgotten alternative when visiting the café. Yet it offers a range of breakfast delights including the fry up and eggs benedict which challenges the lunchtime favourite, the sweet chilli chicken Panini. Milkshakes and fruit juice are also on the menu at price which is keeping with the area. The large glass window brings natural light into the café even on the dreariest Edinburgh day but it also allows you to people watch and relax whilst eating. Open early Kilimanjaro is the perfect meeting place for having breakfast with friends but you would never feel out of place if choosing to visit alone. Kilimanjaro offers a casual atmosphere with friendly staff always on the go and after eating there once it is likely you become a regular.

Nanu Book Club: Frankenstein

frankenstein_book_cover_01

Hands up if it was your New Year’s Resolution to read more books! Ours too. Here on Nanu, we’re starting a wee Book Club in which each month we’ll be choosing, reading and discussing new, old and favourite novels.

This month our chosen book is Frankenstein by Mary Shelly.

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We all know the jist, but surprisingly not many have already read it. At a teensy 166 pages, Frankenstein definitely comes under the category of ‘should have read’. So that’s exactly what we’re going to do.

Every month we’ll be meeting, drinking, maybe eating (cake) and discussing what we thought of the month’s book. We’ll also be chatting about what should be our next read and then putting it to a vote on our Facebook page. We’ll be taking suggestions from the group and trying to cover a good variety of genres so that everyone can read something they like and also try something completely new.

After our Book Club social we’ll be discussing thoughts on our weekly radio show Nanu:Live (Sundays at 1pm) and maybe writing a few words for the site too.

Whether you’re a contributor on Nanu, interested in talking books on the radio or just want to read more, get involved!

Here’s the info. for this month’s Book Club:

Reading: Frankenstein by Mary Shelly
Meeting: Wednesday 27th February
Location: TBC

Click here to join our Facebook group.

Nanu Streets: Candlemaker Row

Candlemaker Row

Nanu Streets is a brand new feature on Nanu-Nanu.com, taking a closer look at interesting stretches of Edinburgh that you might have missed. This week we’re featuring the wee stretch of shops on Candlemaker Row, between Greyfriar’s Bobby and Grassmarket. Candlemaker Row is home to a few independent shops perfect for completely unique, slightly unusual purchases.

Analogue

At the top of the street we find Deadhead Comics. Don’t let the faded yellow paint and dusty windows put you off going in, despite a few of its aesthetic problems is the best comic book shop in Edinburgh for people who actually want to buy comics. Edinburgh’s other comic book retailer has given away huge amounts of floor space to action figures and manga seemingly at the cost of back issues. Deadhead is purely dedicated to comic books and alongside the wide range of current releases and collected editions sits a wide range of back issue comic books. If you are looking to buy books on a regular basis, Deadhead offers a pull list facility so you can guarantee you will never miss an issue. Plus if you miss a book or are looking for a particular graphic novel, it can more often than not be ordered to come in with the next week’s shipment. Opposite Deadhead Comics is another specialist bookshop which could make Candlemaker Row a one stop shop for genre fans. Transreal Fiction dedicates its considerable book shelf space to Science Fiction and Fantasy books alongside some merchandise and cuddly toys; a pleasant addition, if only a fleeting distraction, from the huge numbers of novels on display. Hours could easily be lost for any sci-fi or fantasy fans in this Edinburgh institution. Tucked slightly below ground and further along the street is Analogue Books; a tiny art bookshop crammed with design, art and lifestyle books, magazines and prints. Zines are displayed hanging from the shop’s ceiling and books are laid out in such a way that’s ideal for browsing. You’re guaranteed to find a good handful of interesting reads and not just a forgotten coffee table book. Prints from local artists are available to buy and once in a while a local artist exhibits their work in the shop too. Just next door is the lovely independent boutique Hannah Zakari. The wee shop only opened a couple of years ago, after six years of trading online and specialises in handmade, quirky pieces from independent designers. Delicate, subtle pieces of jewellery are found upon entrance to the boutique, further back a variety of prints and modern illustrations are on display and a Boiler Suited Lego Man necklace is waiting to be picked up by the perfect owner. Ideal for gifts and with a really relaxed

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shopping environment, it’s great to have an Edinburgh branch of Hannah Zakari open for business. Right at the bottom of Candlemaker Row is a very unique shop, a shop that sells dinosaurs. If you reckon owning a Spinosaurus tooth is the coolest thing in the world, and honestly who doesn’t, then Mr Wood’s Fossils is the place for you. Stocking a wide range of fossils, meteorites and minerals Mr Wood’s Fossils offers the chance to own prehistoric relics for surprisingly reasonable prices.   Just beyond Candlemaker Row is Armstrong’s Vintage Emporium. Take a look at our Vintage edition of Nanu:Maps to find out more about Armstrong’s, one of the best loved vintage shops in Edinburgh.

Christmas Jumper Day 2012

featured jumper

The 14th December 2012 is National Christmas Jumper Day organised by Save the Children UK. What better excuse to go out an purchase a real cracker for the Christmas period. Up and down the country, folks will be wrapping up warm and donating to Save the Children and if you’d like to do your bit too, grab some knitwear and click here to donate.

A good woolly is a knitted armoury against the cold and an absolute essential to any stylish and practical winter wardrobe. For Christmas jumpers, it’s got to be boyfriend style. Big knits are best so that one can inconspicuously hide the evidence of a bumper Christmas lunch, a box of Quality Street and twenty mince pies as well as feel really, really cosy. A Christmas jumper should also preferably be verging on the ridiculous in terms of decoration; think Mark Darcy at the turkey curry buffet pokies online in Bridget Jones’ Diary.

In celebration of National Christmas Jumper Day, here at Nanu Nanu we are featuring the best Christmas jumpers available to buy on the high street.

If these don’t do it for you, why not pimp the jumper you already have by adding a handmade Christmas character? There’s no other time of year you’ll get away with it and you’re guaranteed to feel warm and fuzzy inside.

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Christmas Playlist Battle: Ellie

Ellie Playlist

Over the next two weeks the Nanu contributors will be releasing a series of five track playlists of Christmas music. After they have all been released there will be a chance to vote on your favourite as well as the Nanu Nanu Ultimate Christmas Playlist, released just in time for your journey home.

Track 1: Tom Jones, Cerys Matthews – Baby it”s Cold Outside

Every Christmas I long to perform a karaoke duet of this song. I have also been known to listen to it outside of the acceptable Christmas period. A belter to kick off with and much better than the John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John version…

Track 2: Chuck Berry – Run Rudloph Run

This one is featured in not one, but two Christmas films! That bit in Home Alone when they”re running for the plane and in

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Jingle All the Way when Arnie is racing to buy a Turbo-Man. Iconic film moments about running, I think you”ll agree.

Track 3: James Brown – Let”s Make Christmas Mean Something

Taken from his album ‘Funky Christmas’ and adding some funk and soul to my playlist, James Brown screeches Christmas joy in his inimitable way.

Track 4: Elvis Presley – Blue Christmas

This song choice of Christmas heartbreak is inspired by The Saving and Loan’s cover of the song, performed at Song by Toad’s Christmas Party. If I could, I would have that version. But Elvis does those dulcet swoon-inducing tones pretty well too.

Track 5: Peter Auty – Walking in the Air

Actually not Aled Jones, he just took all the credit. This is probably my favourite Christmas story. I have it narrated by Bernard Cribbins on vinyl. I melt like a snowman every time I hear it.

Nanu Maps: Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate this one

In this week’s Nanu Maps, sweet-toothed duo Fin and Ellie go in search of the best hot chocolates in town. It’s a little bit luxurious, totally delicious and the ultimate way to warm your cockles. Here are the best places to enjoy a mug of hot chocolate, definitely not out of a packet, in Edinburgh.


View Nanu Maps: Hot Chocolate in a larger map

Artisan Roast

57 Broughton Street and 138 Bruntsfield Place

Not that it needed it but Artisan Roast has recently been voted the best café in the UK by Qype. Edinburgh residents already know that it’s one of the best places around for great coffee, but Artisan Roast is less well known for its mean hot chocolates. A more bitter chocolaty taste is complemented by chili, lavender and lemongrass. Not together. The chili hot chocolate, a particular highlight, kicks at the last moment and adds real depth of flavour and heat to the traditional taste. Artisan Roast is also just a great place to be. Low-hanging lights

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and colourful comfy cushions let you slump around the place and sink into the relaxed ambiance.

 

Centotre Italian Restaurant

103 George Street

There’s good hot chocolate and there’s good hot chocolate. Approach Centotre with caution because once you’ve gone Italian, you won’t go back. Unfortunately, the delicious hot chocolate that you think you know will seem a bit…rubbish in comparison to this. Italian hot chocolate is more like a pudding than a drink, cioccolata calda is rich, thick and silky and Centotre’s comes with a tiny disk of chocolate balancing on its dense surface. Far too decadent for everyday luxury but utter, utter pleasure once in a while. Centotre ruined hot chocolate for me. But I can’t stay mad at it.

 

The Chocolate Tree

123 Bruntsfield Place

The chocolatiers behind The Chocolate Tree in Bruntsfield started out touring British festivals with their handcrafted luxury delights. Now settled in Edinburgh these handcrafted luxury delights are complemented by a vast menu of hot chocolates. The Basic with cream and marshmallows is indulgent enough but the addition of several single origin options turns the hot chocolate drinking experience into something a-kin to a wine bar. What’s more, the counter stacked with a vast array of cakes, chocolates and ice cream is verging on food porn. Come for the hot chocolate but the cosy atmosphere and the friendly staff make visiting this café a treat on a cold winter evening.

 

Vin Café

11 Multrees Walk

Another example of that most intense of hot chocolate of experiences, Valvona and Crolla’s Vin Café serves some of the best hot chocolate to be found in Edinburgh. Enjoy your Italian hot chocolate in this wonderful café or after a meal in the upstairs restaurant, though the hot chocolate being a meal in itself this may be a rather decadent option. Those familiar with Valvona and Crolla, either through their food store on Elm Row or at the Castle Street farmers market, will be aware that is more to Vin Café than just hot chocolate. I would highly recommend the pastries on offer in the ground floor café and if Christmas shopping is stressing you out why not have a look at the wine list. Tis the season.

Nanu LIVE: Interview with Alex Howard

Twelfth Night 1912

Alex Howard of Charlotte Productions joined us in the studio to chat about upcoming theatre production: Twelfth Night 1912. Expect Suffragettes, divine English accents and yellow cross-gartered stockings.

You can catch the performance You can play our 3D slots for free or try your luck with real money! Register now with WinaGames and enjoy up to $100 FREE on unique online slots like 2 Million B. TONIGHT at 7.30pm, Saturday 24th 2.30pm and 7.30pm and Sunday 25th 7.30pm at Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge.

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