Cancelled flights and comfortable trains.

We learn from the morning radio bulletin that the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson,  has arrived in London . To kick of the American quarter millennium celebrations he will be giving an address to parliament. He'll be the first ever Speaker to do so. Getting here was tough. His government plane from Andrews had a technical problem and there was no back-up. This meant a quick dash across Washington to Dulles where he got a seat with United in premium economy. 'The Font' rather cynically wonders if the airlines management didn't ( wisely ) give him and his entourage an upgrade to something more comfortable. You'd rather think someone so important heading off on government business might have had access to something better.

Back here in Scotland life is calm. The light in the bathroom in the fancy hotel is annoyingly dim. It's weak enough to make shaving difficult. The hotel could do with putting in more powerful light bulbs.  Perhaps this is why the potted plant on a stand in the corner looks so light starved and unwell. Neither of us can ever remember staying in a hotel which had a potted plant in the bathroom before.

The National Portrait Gallery is a good place to go for a coffee . Although we're there just after opening it has already filled up. A non-consequential percentage of the Spanish population always seem to be visiting Scotland and they all seem to be here for a start of day caffeine boost.

The cafe is full but the gallery itself is empty. We stop to envy the lights in the entry hall.

Deserted corridors provide a chance to get up close to the frescoes that cover the walls. This is a portion of the wall showing a gory interpretation of the battle of Bannockburn. The blood on the bandage around the mans head and on the womans apron stop it looking sterile and  'cartoonish'. All the battles have the common denominator of being fought against the English.

If ever you're in Edinburgh the gallery library is a good place to stop and rest your feet.

The train home runs on time and is both clean and empty. It's one of the ancient 125's that have been rerouted onto the Aberdeen line. In modern trains the seats are much closer together.

Those were more dignified days :https://x.com/Ananth_IRAS/status/2011794255719907835

Something I wouldn't like to fly through :https://physicstoday.aip.org/quick-study/megaflashes-the-worlds-longest-lightning-discharges

Generational differences :https://x.com/avidcommentator/status/2011614079027392907?s=46

George Washingtons classical allusions :https://classicaled.substack.com/p/stoke-the-fire-for-americas-250th

Not sure what this all means but I get the message that AI is on fire :https://x.com/kimmonismus/status/2011824816966295879?s=61

The gallery has an exhibition of photos taken by Alfred Buckham - a Scottish pilot in the 20's and early 30's. This one of the newly completed Empire State Building standing on its own shows just how much the town has changed