Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Spotted in a shop window in town.

The Health Centre was not busy. A hand written sign by the entrance told me flu and shingles shots were being dispensed in the room next door to the cafeteria on the first floor. After giving my name to a serious man at a desk in a small windowless cubicle a nurse met me and took me for my jab. I was in and out before 'The Font' had found a parking space. A second shot is required in nine months time. They'll send me a letter to let me know when. " Don't worry if they give you a date when you're on holiday. We can easily rearrange it " says the nurse jauntily. The NHS has worked like a charm.

 Spotted in a shop window in town. The first Scotland World Cup merchandise.


I think these bags must be made in China. The usual 'Nae Scotland ! Nae Party ! ' motto has been re-rendered as an altogether less demonstrably Scots ' No Scotland. No Party '. It loses something in translation. By the end of the summer residents of North America may have heard this cultural gem so often they'll know the updated words by heart :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvi0GtQCEcQ


Burns products still for sale in the bakers. The angel cake in the shape of the poets cottage was very good. Light and made non-cloying by the mild bitterness of the coffee flavoured roof.


The weather still wet and miserable. The wind has picked up and the rain is heavy. This morning there's no sign of any students. I'm guessing that attendance at  9 am lectures in weather like this is poor. Possibly exceedingly poor.


Can you take hot food onto a plane ? I thought Health and Safety regs would stop anything walking down the aisle with hot food or liquids. Apart from that thought this list of do's and dont's was fun :https://thecontender.substack.com/p/rules-for-modern-life

Our old university Chancellor died and a new one is to be elected. Why is it all of the four candidates are so good ? Why can't we find politicians with CV's like these ? Being St Andrews there is a strong National Security bias. We know one of these people reasonably well and are on nodding terms with two others. Both of us are in agreement which one we'll vote for :https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/about/governance/key-officials/chancellor/  Considering the UK is considered to be a moribund class ridden society it is a joy to see that three of them were 'first-in-family' to go to university.

Penguins:https://x.com/HumanityChad/status/2015411950071783457

The weather is so bad we've booked here for a few days in a months time. Let's hope there's some sunshine :https://hotel.macam.pt/

In Lisbon this little shop is worth a visit :https://www.avidaportuguesa.com/

Auld Lang Syne Edinburgh style :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-5tV-qI3Iw&list=RDo-5tV-qI3Iw&start_radio=1  Look carefully at the end and you'll see one of the bandsmen is retiring.


6 comments:

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari Om
Heavy weather indeed - another 'why bother opening the curtains' morning here. The art hotel concept is rather lovely - if expensive. We look forward to reports from there too, those of us who live vicariously! YAM xx

paphosmuseum said...

I truly don't know where you find these fabulous links every day. Thank you.

I am going to your old Chancellor's memorial service next month. He is much missed

Lisa in France said...

The list of do's and don'ts was fun. The hotel in Lisbon looks lovely. We visited that shop when we visited the city some years ago. We enjoyed our stay and were thinking seriously about moving to Portugal at one point. We had another trip booked that included a visit to the lawyer as well as a couple of universities looking for English-speaking faculty, but then Covid hit and somewhere along the way we changed direction. I think we made the right choice, but there is no question but that my husband would be happier eating grilled sardines than French food.

Travel said...

That last photo is amazing, thanks I needed that.

Diaday said...

We stayed in an arts hotel in St.Louis, in the Grand Center Arts District. Art was everywhere and made for lovely walks and dining experiences.

Anonymous said...

"Considering the UK is considered to be a moribund class ridden society it is a joy to see that three of them were 'first-in-family' to go to university". Angus that is very beautiful sentiment. You both seem to have found that going home was the right thing to do. J xx