The electricians are brilliant ( the best we've ever had ) and the plumbers are also very good. The issue remains the kitchen fitters who seem incapable of coordinating their schedule with any of the other tradesmen. The fitters also demonstrate an unwanted 'creativity' when it comes to interpreting the architects plans. This morning there will be a meeting on site to get everyone singing off the same hymn sheet.
For the time being those concerns can wait. Angus and Sophie turn right out of the front door and head off to the castle. In the gardens behind these old house facades you'll still find cannon balls from the religious wars. A relic of a time when these were open fields. The French and Spanish armies positioned their artillery here to bombard the Protestant rebels that had seized the castle down by the sea.
Masses of eider ducks down on the rocks at the foot of the cliff. There must be a hundred or so little eider Chicks bobbing around under the watchful eyes of their parents. This part of the coast is barnacle heaven and eiders love barnacles. Sophie grazes, contentedly, on the long grass that is growing on the far side of the railings beyond the reach of the municipal workers strimmers.
A post graduate student wanders past us and into the study centre. Sophie decides that she wants to go there too. Thankfully, by the time she's clambered slowly up the stairs the front door has closed. Sophie has endless inquisitiveness when it comes to open doors. Out on the street people are beginning to appear. It's 'summer programme' time. Teenagers are shipped here to acquire knowledge in carefully structured educational modules. The reality is rather more pedestrian. Morose teenage boys congregate in groups hoping that a group of equally morose teenage girls will talk to them. Good luck with that ! The teenage girls ignore the boys with Olympian hauteur.
We detour back past the cathedral. Our morning walks slower now. In the last week much slower. Sometimes Sophie forgets where she is. There is much standing still. Despite advancing years she's still reveling in this this glorious high summer of swallows and sunshine and scones and shortbread and of course sausages.
4 comments:
Hari OM
Ah, the years of slowing down. Again, Sophie dear, we share... but to do it in the Bonny Land when the sun is shining is extra special! Hugs and wags, YAM-aunty xxx
Well, two out of three is not a bad result Angus, but how annoying that the kitchen fitters aren't singing to the same hymn sheet.
Sophie may be getting older, but I'm sure her slower walks are just to make sure she can enjoy everything she sees. My new girl, Amber, is incredibly inquisitive and we have to stop to examine everything along the way when we go for our walks. Never mind that she sniffed something yesterday, it will be given the same intense examination again today!
Endlessly curious, I would let her in for a wander around.
Kitchen's are planned down to the inch, not a place for creative interpretation by the installer. we are still amazed what a difference of shifting a few inches from one space to another made in how functional our modest kitchen is.
Grace in advancing age - Sophie has it.
Post a Comment