This morning there's a warship moored in the bay. We're never sure why the Navy uses this quiet spot as an anchorage apart from the fact the offshore waters are very deep. The treasurer of the village 'road safety' committee says he saw a group of Marines practising landing from Zodiacs on the rocks down by the heron pond. If true ( and it has to be said that the treasurer is an 82 year old gentleman with eyesight to match ) then this is the most exciting thing that's happened around here in decades. Angus thinks it more likely that he's seen lobster fishermen retrieving their creels. This thought is not voiced.
Another of the years invisible but inviolable routines underway. The Turkish barber is open early. There's a queue that stretches out of the front door and half way to the butchers. The six barbers chairs are already full. This is the time of year when mothers drag unwilling pre-teen male offspring off for their seasonal short back and sides. " Yer granny's coming and I'll no have ye looking like a tramp". The boys manage to have that glum, long suffering, look that tells you that in their eyes not everything about Christmas is wonderful.
The church looking very spruce. A gentleman in a festive wooly cardigan is lighting the candles by the altar . He tells us that BBC Scotlands Christmas Eve Watch night service is being broadcast from here. It is also, he goes on to say , the winter solstice today which will occur at 9:21 am exactly. After that the days start getting longer and brighter.
'The Font' picks this up from the bookshop. It has been highly recommended although the story of Handels Messiah doesn't sound the most enthralling of reads.
6 comments:
How exciting for the church and its keepers! The Handel book looks interesting, so I tried to buy it as a last-minute gift for my husband, but the only thing that would arrive in time is the large-print version, and I am not sure how he would take that.
All those wonderful cheeses to try - how lucky you are to have such a fabulous shop close by. I should be popping in every day to try a sliver or two.
Hari OM
Thank you for the King's College snippet... and the plant article, which is fascinating. Solstice is bringing very strong winds - am hunkering down at New Lanark for the weekend to let them pass. YAM xx
My heart went "pitter pat" at that wonderful cheese shop (maybe in more ways than one.) What a great joy to have such great choice.
I start the day with your blog. Let me count the ways in which I've been led astray by you today and I've ignored all the things I ought to have done such as finishing unpacking and Christmas tree shopping.
The cheesemonger was the first distraction and I'm grateful we've arrived in France for Christmas and I will be off to the market tomorrow. We have nothing like that shop anywhere near us in England but I remembered Paxton and Whitfield's old Stratford-upon- Avon shop and looked them up. That led to some last minute Christmas shopping as I discovered all the things on offer. They deliver cheeses for a live, online tasting with one of their experts. Treats for friends and one for me. A weekend cheese box is going to brighten my return to the UK.
The carol got me picking out Christmas music, listening to more of the choir and then a few other diversions via Pentatonix and Annie Lennox.
The fossil plants led me sideways to improving the nutritional benefits of broccoli by chopping and resting it, the same treatment for garlic and sunbathing my mushrooms.
The carpenters of Notre Dame proved the most diverting. The article reminded me of something on my must visit list - Guédelon Castle in Burgundy which is being constructed using medieval techniques. There was quite a lot to read and see on that (interrupted by the baker delivering my order which meant a chat). Following that it was a hunt for a book about another cathedral that I haven't read for a long time and it wasn't where it should be. I was so glad to find it eventually and also a a jigsaw puzzle of a Notre Dame in Quebec. I put the jigsaw out to do and then sat down with the book.
"Joy in Stone" has been a pleasure to reread and is even better than I remembered. It is a history of the cathedral of Reims and I think you would enjoy it. Further diversion to Amazon and a gasp at the price. I'll bring it back to England and lend it to you if you'd like to read it.
Thanks to you it has been a delightful Saturday and now I must do things. I'll be accompanied by Christmas music.
Your church looks so beautiful! Im going with the Marines on Zodiacs scenario. Much more interesting and fun than lobster creels. It's going to be 69 today in LA with no rain in sight. This does not bode well, except it makes for a beautiful day if one does not look too far ahead. Osa and Buddy send Holiday Greetings!
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