And now for something a bit different — a glimpse into Neri’s real-life shenanigans!  I may do similar posts in the future, focused on my literary/folklore-themed real-life adventures (I’m inspired by the Inspired Adventures of Mandy, of Adventures in Borkdom fame).

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My best friend and I have been going to the Bristol Renaissance Faire for the last five or six years (we’re both rather mystified as to why I never went before that), and this year I almost thought I’d have to miss it since the one weekend we were both free, it was supposed to be all-day downpours.

But why should a few scattered showers keep me from reveling in my one chance each year (besides Halloween) to expose my fantasy geek side in a safe, accepting environment?  Nay!  Come rain or shine, I will don an overpriced flower garland and mingle merrily with wenches, lords, and faerie folk.

Highlights:

• MooNie the Magnificent — a sort-of mime who spoke mainly in whistles, grunts, and la-la-laaa-lala’s.  The show consisted of torch-juggling, tightrope-walking, young lady wooing, and general silliness.

• The Suitcase Shakespeare Company‘s slapstick presentation of Taming of the Shrew, complete with fake noses and slide-whistle sound effects.  It was like a miniature version of one of my favorite Shakespeare-related acts, the Reduced Shakespeare Company’s “Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).”  At one point, one of the actors plunked down all cozy next to me, to share (commandeer, really) my umbrella.  I should really carry one more often… 😉

• “Sirena” — a performance by The Seelie Players.  Three young women dressed in blue belly-dance-type outfits and blue face paint that looked like churning sea foam sang, swayed, and played bongo drums.  I used to think I’d love, some summer, to be one of the Ren Faire’s Fantastikals (the silent faeries who lurk by cobweb-joined trees or stand in the streets singing wordless melodies while staring into space), but now I think I’d just like to join a traveling mermaid troupe.  Oh, don’t pretend you don’t secretly want to do something like that, too.

• Tea Time with Lady Ettie in a miniature courtyard/garden/alley between two shops, under a canopy of dripping tree branches.  I was a smidge disappointed at first, when I realized this wouldn’t actually involve tea.  Instead, it was just a rambling talk by the very eccentrically dressed Lady Ettie (grey dress and hat covered all over with multicolored strips of fabric, random chains, and is her hair blue?) on her favorite teas for various moods and occasions (Sereni-tea, Varie-tea, Eccentrici-tea…get it?), and the usefulness of a big yellow handkerchief.  Once I got over the moment of No Can Has Tea Party?, I really enjoyed the show.

• Actually buying a jar of salt scrub from a bath & body vendor.  In previous years, I held onto my cash and just partook in the complimentary hand scrub, but this year I caved.  Now my feet feel silky-smooth and smell of tea tree oil.