Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Turning on the heating.

The BBC breakfast broadcast informs us that the French President will be in London for a state visit. This is played at the end of the bulletin:https://youtu.be/gZ-aCm54xyc?t=15The morning rush hour traffic in the capital will be a nightmare. Few countries accentuate their differences and histories as much as the Brits and the French but they're really like co-joined twins facing the same problems, the same constraints and the same geographies.

We're in town early to turn on the heating and the AGA in the wee house by the cathedral. Old friends are coming from Florida to escape the heat. They'll certainly manage that. It's forecast to get to all of 20 degrees here this afternoon. We find that comfortably warm but I'm guessing they'll find the chill of a Scottish summer to be a shock. They have sensibly opted to take the flight to Edinburgh from Philly which takes a mere six hours . They should be here in a couple of hours.

A neighbour has planted wild flowers on the strip of land in front of her windows and the  poppies have unexpectedly taken root there and overwhelmed everything else. They provide the street with a jaunty . if short lived, touch of colour.


We greet eight dog walkers on the beach. After the better part of three years here we're finally becoming part of the landscape. This morning the man with the poodle that has sore arthritic paws says 'hello' for the first time. 


The first tourists are stepping of the bus from Edinburgh as we head back to the car. By late morning thousands of day trippers will be swarming the streets between the golf course and the harbour. En route they take in the ruins of the cathedral. Town is now so busy with day trippers that we avoid going there between eleven and five. Parking is impossible. Yesterday 'The Font' did three complete roundabout to roundabout circuits  before giving up all hope of finding a spot and coming home.


The baker has repurposed his all purpose biscuit for the recent graduations. A few of them remain unsold.


A guilt assuaging fudge doughnut run is advertised for those who have a predilection for the things.


Scent :https://gwern.net/blog/2025/perfume

Beware winning the lottery :https://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/powerball-felon-294081

Not something I'd usually read but it seems that the humdrum world of logistics will be revolutionized by AI :https://austinvernon.site/blog/ailogistics.html



4 comments:

Linda said...

Rather dreading the St Andrews parking situation. We have to be in St A in the very near future for a "significant" family event, taking place mid morning. Last time we came down from the north we managed to find space in a quiet street 10 minutes walk from the centre. Hoping that this summer's tourists are also averse to using their legs for anything other than easy medieval ogling.

Angus said...

Best option mid-morning is the stretch of angled parking spaces on North Street in front of the Martyrs Memorial church ( now the post grad library ). After that the street by Toppings is the next best option. Good luck ! The local council seem to be unaware of the concept of too much tourism.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Humdrum? Before converting to medical, I was logistical! As an anaylyst/programmer, materials stock management and transport was my forte - not in consumer goods, though. ATM parts. At one point in life, I knew every stock number right down to the mini-springs for the cash flaps required in the maintenence of those 'holes in the wall'. Anyway, I appreciated the linked article! YAM xx

jabblog said...

The baker is imaginative and versatile and deserves success.