Rankin appeared at the Cheltenham Literary Festival (the one I missed - see earlier post) and was quoted in the papers talking about how comics are the most difficult form of literature to write (apparently he wrote one after 'retiring' Rebus). But when we reached Edinburgh, Rebus was everywhere. Well, more accurately, the places Rebus goes in Rankin's 'tartan noir' crime novels were everywhere.
'Hey, we're in the Grassmarket!' I said on our very foggy Edinburgh walk.
'What's the Grassmarket?'
'No idea - but Rebus used to go there.' Of course, I couldn't remember whether he went there to have a whisky at the end of the working day or to investigate a crime when he shouldn't have been. There are a lot of Rebus books to carry in your head.
As we drove through Paris from Gare du Nord to our apartment, the word 'Rankin' kept catching my eye. It was on advertising posters on the Left Bank, seemingly everywhere. For Ian Rankin has just released his new Rebus novel, Standing in Another Man's Grave - which brings Rebus together with Rankin's new character, Malcolm Fox (of whom I'm growing rather fond).
Nothing, though, inspired thoughts of Rebus as much as discovering Irn-Bru - pronounced 'Iron Brew' as I learned at Loch Leven, where I also discovered Irn-Bru gelato. Pale, pale apricot and tasting like sherbet.
Irn-Bru is the drink Rebus always turns to when he's had too much whisky the night before. So in the spirit of culinary adventure, I decided to try some (note that I also ate black pudding and mussels (for the first time in about 25 years)).
Here it is - it's hard to believe that this violently orange soft drink has been Scotland's number one soft drink for decades.
According to the label, it's been 'Bru'd in Scotland to a secret recipe for over 100 years'. The ingredients include: carbonated water, sugar, citric acid, flavourings (including caffeine and Quinine), preservative (E211), colours (Sunset Yellow and Ponceau 4R), Ammonium Ferric Citrate.
Sounds delicious, huh? But please note that 'Sunset Yellow and Ponceau 4R: may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children'!
This picture doesn't quite convey how outrageously, artificially orange the drink is. It looks to me like something you'd find in the mad scientist's laboratory, so much so that I had to work myself up to drinking it. It took a couple of days before I convinced myself to buy it - we were in Arbroath by that time.
And when I did finally drink it, Irn-Bru reminded me of something. Not oranges, or Fanta or any other soft drink you've ever tasted. What could it be? Jim had a taste. Yep, reminded him of something too. I had a bit more, and a bit more, and then I got it.
Irn-Bru tastes like BEROCCA! Did you know that Australians were among the first to claim Berocca as a hangover cure (the things you learn on the web)? Seems the Scots may have got there first with Irn-Bru - no wonder Rebus drinks it the morning after.
PS I tried to get a photo of the Rankin posters but by the time I thought to do it, this was the face decorating Paris - and the back of this week's Hello magazine. Recognise him?
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