First church then the golf course.

On their way from their bus to the Old Course a group of forty or so Spanish tourists stop off at the Catholic church. I thought one or two might pop in but they all go in. Perhaps they're praying for the sunshine to last ? 

Outside on the pavement the guide tells them that the church contains a tiny sliver of the thumb bone of St Andrew. The rest of his remains were kept in a shrine at the the cathedral but disappeared during the Reformation. "It is not possible that the Cardinal did not know that the sacred relics were in danger but no one knows to this day where they may have been hidden. Perhaps smuggled out to the Vatican in a small ship from the harbour ?". She finishes off with a theatrical " The soil here contains many secrets ! No ?"  The Spaniards make a low sound of thrilled contentment.

  

£40 for a lobster roll. I might be wrong but it seems to me that prices have gone up a notch or two ( or three ) since the students left. The presence of hot dogs and something called a 'bad boy' on the takeaway menu suggests that Wall Street golfers have taken their place.

The cinema will be showing the Scottish World Cup matches in its new 187 seat auditorium. 'In seat ordering' and Dolby sound are sure to make every match a sell out. They will be sold out.

Something is happening at the Royal and Ancient. A new Aston Martin is being carefully driven off a delivery truck. A birthday gift for a wealthy golfer ? People stop and stare. Serious German men make comments about inverted cam shafts and take photos on their i-Phones.  'The Font' has noticed that there are a lot of Polestars around. That's a car brand you don't see very often. With so many fancy cars around it's possible that the car manufacturers arrange special 'showings' at golf tournaments. The golf fraternity is certainly well heeled. Someone who's just sunk a hole in one might just be tempted pick up a new sets of wheels to commemorate the great day.

Eight Oklahomans waiting to play. They are a happily animated bunch much into high fiving and back slapping. They shout out 'Heehaw' when each of their number tees off. This must be an Oklahoman thing and is something you don't see ( or hear ) often on the Old Course. I think I've only heard people make this noise on early episodes of that 1950's era television classic Rawhide. 

After the long dry spell the sacred turf is beginning to look a little 'tired'. 

Life in this small town, as you may be able to tell, is quiet and sunny and fast drifting into the lazy days of summer.

Summer in Boston :https://www.mfa.org/exhibition/framing-nature-gardens-and-imagination

A New York restaurant ( I'd never heard of it ) opens up in St Andrews for the summer. It's already well nigh impossible to get a reservation :https://marineandlawn.com/rusacksstandrews/raos-at-rusacks/

Napoleon. Too big for the screen ? :https://histoflick.com/2026/05/26/too-big-for-the-screen-why-cinema-continues-to-fail-napoleon/

Sign of the times :https://jamestown.org/polish-army-set-to-be-largest-in-europe/

Guess this would rule out New York, Boston and San Francisco or just about any destination that's offered from the UK :https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5897027-homeland-security-plans-end-flights/