Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Toasted sandwiches. .

The PONette has taken to city life. This morning we find a grey squirrel sitting on the pavement outside the front door. Our day starts early and 'enthusiastically'. The squirrel will soon find somewhere else to sit. By the harbour a professor of organic chemistry is walking a spaniel called 'Ruby'. Ruby and Sophie engage in some cheerful banter before they each head off in separate directions. As they part the six am church bells ring out  - one following on from the other. What better way to start a new day than with the sound of bells echoing over the water ?


On the beach Sophie meets two lively Springers. They whirl like dervishes around her. There's not much time for conviviality before they race after their owner. The family diva wanders after them but soon decides they're too fast and not worth chasing .


Sophie skips happily through the water.  A couple of weeks ago she wouldn't go near the water. Now she's an enthusiastic paddler. 


Heading  home our progress comes to a halt while my companion glares at a duck paddling towards the pier. Why this duck , among the scores of ducks we've already seen today, should warrant the full on glare treatment is a mystery. I put Sophie, briefly, on her lead in case she decides to leap off the quayside and pursue it.


From the harbour it's through the 13th century sea gate and up the steep lanethat leads into town. A man in a battered Dacia pulls over, gets out of his car and talks to Sophie. Angus wonders if this behaviour is borderline odd. A little later two ladies from Philadelphia wander over and ask if they can chat to her. They are here with their husbands. The husbands are playing golf for two days before they head north to Dornoch. 'We're golf widows' they trill happily. ' We didn't vote for Trump' says the shorter of the two. I'm not sure how to respond to this so I smile. She looks at me as if I'm glaikit. The Philadelphia women don't have biscuits so Sophie soon decides that they are unworthy of her attention. She wanders off. I direct the women to the cheesy toast cafe on the beach. They will get a breakfast there that's truly Scottish. I thought the place was unknown but apparently not - https://youtu.be/jI27xsugIFU?t=301

Outside the international school there are a dozen cars with German registration plates. It's the end of term and parents are here to pick up their offspring. Mothers greet their teenage sons who look embarrassed at public displays of affection. Pupils can be picked up any time after breakfast. Teutons take this to mean seven am. Anglo Saxons tend to pick up their little angels as late as possible.

We are now off to open up the house on the coast for the plumbers. Tomorrow, all being well,  the men from Wolf will be here to deliver and install the oven.


The New Testament has been translated into so many languages that it is being used as the basis for next level language translation. 1100 languages in this latest iteration  :https://twitter.com/EMostaque/status/1660794642776858628


9 comments:

WFT Nobby said...

Sophie's city social life sounds great fun. I can relate to the lady who told you she didn't vote for Trump. In Germany last week I found myself suppressing the urge to tell everyone I spoke to that I didn't vote for Brexit!
Cheers! Gail.

Jake of Florida said...

I'm so curious as to what your Manhattanites or smart Los Angeleneans will have to say about "someone" telling the world he is running for US president on Twitter, in the company of its owner. Much happier with your two golfer wives from my once Philly offering up their street cred!

paphosmuseum said...

Catching up on a couple of days. My kindest wishes to you for your brother. I wish him a gentle death.

My own contractors were due to start 8 weeks work this coming Monday. Sheer chance had me stumble on the fact they will be delayed three weeks. I, too, have moved out. But only up the stairs. I don't think the main contractor had even told his subbies. The STRESS.

The Life of Riley said...

I'd like to see Sophie's face when she dicovers a Wolf in her kitchen! My late boy Riley used to bark at any changes at our house or over the fence, until he got some food.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Having had the first hiccup on the cottage upgrades, here's to there being no more... I too will be facing tradesman matters in the next week or so; ceilings needing fixed in the Hutch. Hey ho.

Sun and 'surfing' Sophie is the winning pic today! YAM xx

Coppa's girl said...

The cheese and mac toasty looked revolting, but I'm not a pasta fan.
Hope all goes smoothly with the your kitchen renovations. There is work that needs doing here but finding someone to do small jobs is almost impossible.
It's been raining continually - Biblical proportions - for the past two days, so we haven't had a walk - everywhere is flooded. Yesterday I had to post a birthday card and was literally soaked through to the skin on the walk to the post box and back to the car. I'm back in winter clothes and thinking of putting the heating back on again - in May! Pity the poor holidaymakers!

Travel said...

I'd stop to talk with Sophie, and share the Mac and Cheese Toasty, that looks amazing. If the dear lady like cheese, she would love sharing one of those.

Bailey Bob Southern Dog said...

I love the third photo of Sophie skipping through the water!

Stephanie said...

I agree with Bailey Bob; a lovely seaside picture of Sophie. I'm up for trying a mac and cheese toasty as well.