I see that Samantha has posted a particularly bad picture of me and my girlfriend on her Scottish journal. I'm honestly not THAT grumpy. Oh well.

But anyway - I’m sure you all want to know. What is Sam really like? Are you ready for the Ugly Truth about Samantha Brown? Of the tears and the tantrums - of how she refuses to come out to shoot unless she has Belgian spring water, roses and a basket of white kittens in her room every day?

Ha ha! I am joking of course! There is NOTHING of the Mariah Careyesque diva in Samantha. On the night we filmed a scene in a pub with her, she treated us like old friends and made us feel very special. I have to admire her skills with people. At one point we were informed they wanted to shoot Samantha talking with us which of course shut everyone up. (We Scots and English are terribly shy around cameras).

Do you know how Sam got us talking again? By asking a personal question about something VERY RUDE. After shocked silence, we all burst out laughing and relaxed straight away. Ten minutes later we were told they’d got enough footage - I’d forgotten that shooting had even been going on.

I was invited to take part in this scene by a lovely lady named Joan who emailed me asking about Edinburgh and what the Passport to Europe crew should take in while they were here. She explained that it was very important to them that they focus not purely on the obvious tourist targets, but also on those out of the way places that locals love. Since I am not a Scot, I asked my Scottish friends who were delighted to hear about a show that wanted to show the Edinburgh the we know and love, and not just the picture postcard, man-in-a-kilt cliché.

It was clear on the night I saw Passport to Europe being filmed that the team were very much part of the evening, not just filming what went on around them. We got a chance to chat, and I found out that a lot of the humour you see in front of the camera is generated from behind it too, with the rest of the team cracking jokes that Sam incorporates.

What’s amazing is how easy and fun they make it all look, despite a perilously short timescale and gruelling hours. Sam told us she would have to be up at the crack of dawn the next day to film at a ghostly spot named Mary King’s Close. (Except she kept referring to it as “Mary Kay’s Close” adding “That’s where the ghost leaps out, then gives you a makeover.”)

We also got to see how Sam has to maintain that perky aspect even when she has to repeat herself over and over. At one point she had to ask about the pub we were in numerous times for all the different angles (did you know they did this? I didn't). The guy she was interviewing had to repeat his answer too. It went like this:

SAM: So would you say this was a great pub for traditional music?
GUY: The best in Edinburgh, if not the whole of Scotland.

Unfortunately, our friend wasn't quite so professional in his attitude as Sam, so by the 4th time it degenerated a bit...

SAM: So would you say this was a great pub for traditional music?
GUY: No, it's a (very bad word) pub and we hate it.
SAM: Okay, tell the bar staff NO MORE BEER. We are cutting off their beer.

So we had a really great time with the Travel Channel people and they all seemed to enjoy themselves too - I am positive their enthusiasm for Edinburgh will come across when you see the show. If you’re interested in Scotland, I don’t think you could have a better introduction than Passport to Europe, or hope to be shown around by a nicer group of people.

Many thanks to Sam, Joan and everyone for the pleasure of their company, and for taking a real interest in our part of the world. Oh, and all those free drinks too. You guys are welcome back anytime.

I’m still not happy about being edited out of the show though. I may have to speak with my agent.

FerretPossum!
How goes the holiday season (i.e., pitch dark by 4 p.m. I presume)? And so nice to see your appearance here. You just missed a Samantha Forum last week, although in my opinion it was a somewhat rather erratic and odd affair this time, but still remains posted for your entertainment. I must, however, confess that Mother Orange forwarded to me your e-mail address so that I could alert you to the forum but it was already Thursday here (i.e. almost Friday for you) and the thing was slated to end the next day, so I snubbed you, I'm afraid. Little did I know that you had enjoyed an honor (excuse me, "honour") far exceeding anything I could have hoped for (and didn't get) on the Forum. No free drinks for me... Well done, you!

What pub was it, and where in Edinburgh, might I ask? I'm actually fairly sketchy about the city beyond the very basic central part. With a Scots last name but not that common of one (think it's really northern Irish), I was warmed to see in the Edinburgh phonebook well over a column of the same, but that was years ago and I've only been once. I as briefly in Durham last august, however, a wonderful place (in summertime), but that was the extent of my north British excursions. Nothing like the evening you evidently enjoyed. I'll have to check out those photos now. Your description of Ms. Brown's personality seems to match the glowing versions of everyone else, so I know it must be true. Happy Holidays to you, and I'm delighted Ms. Brown was able to "ferret" you out. Of course she would do so, now that I put my mind to it. Could have been no other way. Best, "Capt.Tuttle"

I also read Sam's journal of that night, which prompted me to search out your website and read your account! How exciting to have spent an evening with the crew!

I have also had the pleasure of spending a bit of time with Sam...(sans tv crew) and would whole-heartedly agree with your assessment of "what you see is what you get". She is as down to earth as you could be.

We surely did miss you last week. It is good to see you here.

I'm finally heading to Europe next year, but think Ireland will be the destination (although we ahve not considered Scotland). I'm anxious to see the new show and then see Europe personally!

Take Care...I suspect you are preparing for Christmas...We won't have a white Christmas but will have a God-Aweful cold Christmas!

Kelly

I see that Samantha made it back on for a forum last week - a shame that I missed it but I was on holiday, so no worries - I don't feel snubbed!

The pub's name was Sandy Bell's and is recognised for its folk music scene. It is on Forres Road in the Old Town, just a couple of blocks back from the Royal Mile. I recommended a few such pubs to Joan including The Hebrides Bar and The Royal Oak, if you ever want to do that whole Celtic music thing. I would also highly HIGHLY recommend a band called The Peatbog Faeries to you. Unfortunately they were not in Scotland in August but they are a very cool band who play what can only be described as "bagpipe reggae". This may sound like a TERRIBLE idea but is in fact awfully cool.

Another pub I recommended to Joan was The Bow Bar located on Victoria Street (again just off the Royal Mile). I believe they filmed there but don't know if it's in the show. It was very gratifying to see how they really do want to show local Edinburgh as opposed to tourist Edinburgh. The Bow has a great selection of whisky, and friendly staff who are happy to make recommendations.

Captain, as for your Irish/Scots name, the history of the Northern Irish/Scots connection a complicated one. It began when James VI of Scotland ascended to the English throne (around 1600) and saw an opportunity to stop Catholic bandits from the northeast of Ireland raiding his own Stewart family Protestant territories in the west of Scotland. He simply engaged in a bit of what we would call "ethnic cleansing", removing Catholic families from that part of Ireland and repopulating it with Protestant Scots, thereby denying the Catholics of this base. It worked for him, but unfortunately left us with a bit of a situation which I'm sure you know is still to be sorted out. Anyway, my point is that I think that makes you originally a Scotsman!

Kelly, I know exactly what you mean about Sam. As I mentioned, we had brought some friends along with us who had no idea who she was but she won them all over in minutes, they absolutely loved her. And I have to say, when she knows she's not appearing on daytime tv and doesn't have to watch everything she says, she is even funnier, right?

I'm so glad to hear that you are coming to Europe. I can assure you that anti-Americanism is directed purely at your politicians not at American tourists themselves who are known for their politeness. I would really encourage you to take a leaf out of Sam's book and search out the locals wherever you go - the Irish are lovely people - good craic as they say over there (meaning good conversationalists, good fun). Mind you it's pronounced "crack" so be careful not to say you enjoyed good craic when you get back home or your relatives might get the wrong idea and stage an intervention.

I wish you both a very merry Xmas and a wonderful new year! Symon

Thank you for your kind wishes, Symon. Edinburgh in August must have been a pretty crowded place (my only visit was on I think the 19th or 20th of June one year, and I do not believe it ever got totally dark that night. I certainly was taking photographs with plenty of ambient light around 9:30 that evening).

To further explain to others, Edinburgh's a wonderful city architecturally as well as for the friendly people there (although there is that old story that if you visit anyone there around dinner time, you'll be gently told, "but then you'll have already have eaten, haven't you?"), both with a delightfully scruffy and virtually medieval Old City and then after the political union with England the spreading but austerely classical newer part. Grand views as well.

My last name, Symon, is definitely of the "Mc" variety, supposedly moved from Scotland (Galloway, I've always understood) in the early 1640s when, believe me, the going was good with civil war going on, over to Ulster, and then pretty early, 1720s or 30s, to Virginia and down, as many Scots-Irish did, into North Carolina below that, and then didn't really do much of anything since, a tradition I now carry on.

Although I've never met the celebrated Ms. Brown, all you say of her personality certainly rings true with all other reports voiced here, which is why we continue to watch her shows with adoration and look forward to these expanded horizons, where we hope she thrives. And you look quite civilized (oops, sorry, "civilised") and distinguished in the photo, by the way. Happy Holidays.