We allow two and a half hours to get to the hospital. Goes without saying that the roads are deserted and we make it there in an hour and a half. Despite it being the morning rush hour even the Queensferry Crossing is devoid of cars. What are the chances of that ? Blue skies and dry roads make driving a pleasure. Our next appointment is scheduled for mid-December.
When we make it home we find a large orange ship moored in the estuary beyond the wheat field. Work on the offshore wind farm seems to be progressing quickly. From the shore we can now count eighteen vast windmills stretching across the horizon to the south.
On the town beach the tide has brought in more kelp ...
.... and a mass of razor clams. Groups of students and townsfolk are busy observing this unusual sight. In this quiet part of the world you take your excitement where you can find it.
Shops are beginning to gear up for Christmas. Festive wreaths are making an appearance.
We stop off at the bookstore to pick up the latest T F Muir murder mystery for 'The Font' and two history books for Angus. 'The Font' likes the Muir books ( which are set locally ) but Angus finds the trail of gory deaths and dismemberments to be highly improbable in a law abiding town like St.Andrews - although no more improbable than the new television series which has English accented hit men cavorting around Shetland without being noticed by the locals. The young man behind the book shop counter engages me in a weighty conversation about post war boundary changes in Central Europe. I'm guessing he is a PhD student making ends meet by working in the book store. We agree the 'Miracle on the Vistula' was a turning point in history and before he can say anything else I make my apologies and leave. 'The car's on a meter' a catch all excuse.
We then wander off to the student cafe for an espresso shot. We haven't been here since June.
6 comments:
The beach looks like the aftermath of an apocalypse in a trendy art film!
Must check out the T.F. Muir books, not an author I can recall hearing of before.
Re the young man in the book shop: not all of us are blessed with the facility for small talk!
Cheers, Gail.
I've just come from another blog mentioning 'Shetland' and #BTAB - Buy Tosh A Brush, as Tosh is always windswept, even indoors.
My husband worked in a rare bookstore while writing the dissertation (finishing he Phd.).
Thank you for posting about the Robert Darnton book. I just ordered it. Also, I enjoyed Steele Chasing, by Peter Ross, which you mentioned earlier. It is exciting to learn about books that are new to me.
Was your surgeon pleased with your progress. Hoping so! I'm thinking too that the fellow in the bookstore was just excited to meet someone who knew what the Miracle at Vistula was. (I didn't...had to look it up!)
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