Every waking moment.

A large coach pulls up outside the cathedral and deposits fifty middle aged French tourists on the pavement by the war memorial. Angus wonders what sort of tour company arranges these super early starts. They must have left Edinburgh at six to get here . This sounds more like masochism than enjoyment. I fear the bus will soon be heading north to do Ballater and Braemar before returning to Auld Reekie in time for dinner. The classic 'See Scotland in one day' option. 

At this early hour tourists looking for a coffee have a choice between the sandwich cafe by the town gate or the cafe with the indifferent coffee next to the medieval history department. At the sandwich cafe  there's a man sitting sharing a bacon bap with two attentive companions. He's drinking a can of Vimto which suggests there's a hangover in his life.

The rugby 1st XV are meeting before heading down to play Edinburgh. One of those matches where each side considers themselves to be superior to the other. Big city boys v country cousins.  The team have taken over the tables outside the pub and are working their way through a not so small mountain of canned lager. One of the players shows up late and is greeted enthusiastically. He's arrived with his girl friend who is still at that ' I want to do everything you do ' stage of the relationship. This desire to share every waking moment will soon be tested by this first exposure to his friends and Sunday mornings standing on a cold, wind swept, touchline.  I'd give her enthusiasm another week. Two tops.

Irritated flat owners pop out of their front doors and stand arms folded to see what all the commotion is about. The rugby players are completely oblivious to the noise they're making. A group of girls in a flat above open their windows and blow kisses in the direction of the team. A cheer goes up.  While all this is taking place a group of renaissance singers in red gowns arrive for a coffee before the chapel service. They are altogether more decorous.

We rarely go in the direction of the bus station ( In fact I don't think I've been there in fifty years )  but this morning we detour to catch a glimpse of another Scottie. It's decorated with a view of the coastal walk that leads from town back to the 'Last Wee House before Denmark'. I'm not sure this is entirely successful.

A bust of Polish General Sikorsky peaks out from a beech hedge. A small posy has been left on the ground next to an inscription saying ' Za Wolnosc'.

So starts another morning in a small town on the North Sea coast.

Who'd have thought it ? :https://www.science.org/content/article/mind-boggling-sea-creature-spotted-japan-has-finally-been-identified

A cathedral in the US gets new windows ( and old ones go ). I can't imagine the diplomacy , patience and tact needed to get this done :https://youtu.be/ljc2X0Qx8sc?t=523

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And a late add on . The King goes to France :https://twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/1705248589046259985