Angus and Sophie are still on French time. 6:30 in the morning there is 5:30 here. This has the advantage that we are up and about when it's quiet and pretty much have the place to ourselves. ' The Font ' is already firmly on UK time and sleeps on.
On our start of day walk we greet the ladies who clean the university buildings. They start early. Yesterday, he ladies were getting off the bus from Dundee and met Sophie for the first time. By today four of them already know her name.
Then as we pass the Old Course we meet pre-dawn rising Americans queuing up for the first rounds of the day. These patiently waiting golfers fall into 3 categories. Corporate types who stand in self absorbed silence, excited golf nuts who have saved up for a once in a life time chance to play the 'Mecca' of golf, and fathers and teenage sons on a rite of passage. The golf 'nuts' and teenagers chat to Sophie. The corporate types don't.
On the beach there are seagulls to chase.
On our way back home the family diva heads off at high speed to her rendezvous with a half sausage. What's already apparent is that when you travel with a PON you are never alone. There is no such thing as a stranger.
24 comments:
Thank you so much for sharing and bringing back memmories. My daughter spent here junior year in college at St. Andrews and I was lucky enough to be able to visit her there twice.
On occasion, when walking on the public path through Hazlehead golf course ( a council owned facility) Nobby's predecessor Bertie would stray onto a fairway and be greeted with good natured laughter. I suspect that attitudes on the St Andrews Old Course might not be quite so dog tolerant ...
(Given his ball stealing habit, haven't yet risked letting Nobby off his lead up there).
It must be fun showing Sophie around your old hometown. That last photo is especially nice.
I don't know about anyone else, but I'm still adjusting to such totally different views of your morning walk. At the moment I'm missing the rolling hills, sunflowers and endless vistas of France.
Some years ago, my husband was looking through the Gîtes de France website and spotted the ROF - next door to the half-timbered house opposite the village green. We almost booked some time there, but even though it had a pool it was a tad basic, and we weren't sure they would accept three dogs!
Lovely empty beaches. Is it cool there?
I was just thinking if Sophie was missing running through the sunflowers and drinking from the little stream. I suspect not, if a half sausage is involved!
@PoppyQ - I think it's fair to say it's cool! I'm currently in Edinburgh, an hour away, and it's 15C this morning.
Beautiful St Andrews. Our daughter was at university there and we had planned a nostalgic swing past there on our journeys south/north in our month long house move from Edinburgh to Speyside. So far tho we've been too tight for time. If we do manage, I'll look out for a PON heading sausage-wards.
Doesworkers.jexchange name cards with cleaning ladies and refuse workers? The fact they know her name probably has more to do with time of day they start and regularity and repetitiveness of what they do...can be relied upon to be same place same time (like the half sausage).
This looks like PON heaven. I am enjoying your travel diary and thrilled that Sophie is invigorated by the new sights and sounds. The canine's lesson about living in the moment is once again apparent.
Yesterday, with the portrait of the French chef, first time to have actually seen one of this blog’s ‘characters’.
It appears the croissants have been given up happily in lieu of the daily morning sausage. Given Sophie’s diva status, I fear It is not going to be a pretty picture if Angus doesn’t find a morning sausage option for Sophie when you make your move to the west coast of Scotland.
Am enjoying the morning St. Andrews stroll - I imagine not nearly as much as Sophie and her sausage leaning scent does.
Can’t wait for the next chapter in the adventure.
JoAnn in MD
May we please see a photo of Sophie in the Wee House garden?
I too find the difference in the scenery a bit of a change. Yesterday I found myself wondering what the sanitation men think. Do they know you moved or think you have just disappeared of the face of the earth?
Fantastic photos!
Yes! The sunrise over the beach is beautiful.
The scenery and culture change, but Sophie remains a constant. Something very reassuring about that!
Curious, why do you think they are moving to the west coast? Would enjoy your thinking on this. There are so many places to move to. Thank You.
The beach sunrise is drawing me in, I want to be there on the sand to soak it in. Thank you for all the stories my imagination is working overtime going with you.
Great to see where I stayed as a student in St Andrews in 1966...the large orange building in your first picture. It was the Grand Hotel but bought by the university as a Hall of Residence for women, my room was third floor up, two windows in,overlooking the Royal and Ancient clubhouse.Not a bad location for a poor student, we watched them tee-ing off from the Common Room. Grants then, not loans, everything included, bed and three meals a day,but of course being St Andrews we also got Afternoon tea! All for £6 a week.Been back many times because I lived nearby and have family there but now in Wales so thank you for the familiar and well loved views.My dog..."Stan the Man"... loved those beaches!
Lots of luck to you and "The Font" and of course Sophie the boss with your exciting move and many thanks for great stories and pictures over the years.
Loved your last photo of Sophie!
Thank you for the lovely coastal photos....
Stunning.
My heart.
Post a Comment