Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Finals.

No surprises in this mornings Zoom call with the super smart Los Angelenos. Impeachment and Hunter the two topics that dominate the conversation. Angus wonders if we'll be talking about anything else for the next five years. Russia's slow but sure dismantling of French influence in Africa is touched on - briefly.

The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society are having their summer school here. This may explain why there are suddenly so many ladies and gentlemen of a certain age out and about on the streets in tartan. Last night we drop off to sleep hearing someone in a neighbouring Airbnb practising their singing for the coming ' championship finals'  :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey8rgFGsUZo . You know you're in Scotland when you hear Rabbie Burns being sung. The seagull chicks remain silent - possibly stunned by the fact that someone is competing with them in the noise stakes. They have however moved from the flat kitchen roof extension to the chimney stacks.


We're having a morning coffee at the new Italian coffee shop when a large group of visitors come wandering along the pavement. It's a Polish tour group. They seem happy enough but pass us by in attentive silence as they listen to their tour guides running commentary. Every so often they stop, emit  a spontaneous and communal ' Oooh ', and move on. The more involved among them stop and take photos. 


Near the golf course a 'Specialist ' car. It looks like every VW you've ever seen. The dealership does seem to be very social media aware. 

In the bookshop a steady stream of visitors. I'm guessing they're ever so slightly bored holiday makers looking for something to occupy them during the morning downpours. We order the new National Gallery catalogue for the Francis of Assisi exhibition.


The stream of summer concerts now slowing to a trickle. It won't be long before the new semester starts and the golfers and tourists are replaced by a wave of fresh faced students.


This mornings thought provoking read :https://asiatimes.com/2023/07/the-end-of-eurocentrism/



6 comments:

Virginia said...

Angus, could you please give me the link to the St Francis exhibition catalogue. I went into the National Gallery shop and searched but couldn’t find it. We would very much like a copy, as getting over there is just not going to happen, at least this year. Perhaps it can only be ordered from a bookshop at the moment. In which case, can you steer me in the right direction. Thanks. Virginia. Because we live in NZ the postage may well cost more than the catalogue! C’est la vie.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Another excellent article to make my cup of tea go cold! The closing paragraph is short and sweet and so very true. As for the VW - those wheel hubs are not standard issue, at least... YAM xx

Angus said...

V - they seem to be selling out quickly but they're still on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Saint-Francis-Assisi-Finaldi/dp/1857096932

Travel said...

Thanks for the page of zen, from far away.

Charlotte said...

I like your bookstore.

Stephanie said...

Very interesting link. Will you be adding the book to your reading list? Thanks to your recommendation of another David Kertzer book, we now have his "The Pope and Mussolini" to read.