I thought that I would post some random photographs from the past year that have been sitting on my desktop for a long time. All taken using an iPhone when I have been out walking along the canal, apart from the one taken at Stirling Castle.
Long time
Wow, I think that may have been the longest gap between any of my journal posts. So long that the Squarespace app for the iPhone looks like it has been completely redesigned, or it may be that I haven’t used it before.
Today marks the day that Scotland has eased the lockdown so that shops, gyms and restaurants can re-open. Personally the idea of only being able to eat outdoors is particularly nice, in The Netherlands, in Summer, when it’s over 25 degrees, in nice boutique restaurants served by people who actually want to be there. Eating outdoors in the UK where it’s cold, usually raining and the food can be compared to the enthusiasm of the server doesn’t fill me with a lot of excitement. That may sound harsh, but reserve your rebuttal until you have lived out of the UK for a few years.
Speaking of living out of the UK I passed 100 days continuous learning of Dutch last Saturday. I am using an app called DuoLingo. I am now halfway through the lessons and it is now stupid hard. Although my early enthusiasm has waned a little (going from four hours every night), I still try to do at least an hour every night. It’s difficult without someone to talk to in Dutch all the time so I am thinking of employing a tutor for at least a couple of hours a week. I think would prefer a face to face lesson rather than a video call…
Anyway, lockdown is over for at least a month before the Coronavirus third/fourth wave hits the UK so with a bit of luck I’ll be able to go out and do some photography again!
Summer Solstice
It’s hard to believe that we are at the Summer Solstice. So little and so much has happened since the winter solstice. The summer solstice is one of my favourite days of the year, the sun does go down at this latittude but the light never disappears. I can see the sun go down over the western horizon and rise again on the eastern horizon, living on the top floor of a block of apartments has it’s advantages.
As I sit writing this at 3 am I can see that the sky to the west is already a deep orange colour that changes into a light blue above me. When I lived south of the border this was one of the things I missed most about Scotland in the summer, the first light of morning and the long summer days.
Bonnybridge
It is important, during these time, to be grateful for what you have. I am lucky to live in a village that has lots of greenspace and many tracks, paths and canal towpaths to get out and about for my daily exercise. I was actually a little surprised by how much greenspace there is around me, it’s practically everywhere, have a look at the Google Maps satellite view.
I went out early this morning while it was still very cool and walked roughly five kilometres along the Forth and Clyde canal, down through Bonnybridge Nature Reserve and back up to the Bonnybridge Road to head back to the canal towpath. A circular route that took just under an hour.
Bonnybridge is where I grew up and when I was young it was a place that I couldn’t wait to leave. Having travelled a lot of the world and lived elsewhere it is a place that I have come to appreciate in the last couple of years. It has significant history, a large part of it being built near the Antonine Wall (built in A.D. 142) and has contemporary significance being a major artery for the John Muir Way and the Falkirk Wheel.
The two photographs are from near where I currently live, the left photograph being taken on the Forth & Clyde canal and the right photograph taken in Bonnybridge Gardens, commonly known as the “Sunken Gardens” due it is sunken disposition. This used to be Bonnybridge Train station, taken away many years ago. The historical geographer would realise this as what used to be the Station Hotel towers above at the end of this garden.
European
The light left on for Scotland on the EU commission building
So Britain exited the European Union yesterday and many people celebrated, set off fireworks and generally couldn’t explain what would be different now that we were out of Europe. They stammered and looked stupid when asked what this meant to them and how would their lives be different. Twitter, inevitably, lost its collective shit on both sides of the argument.
Personally, I don’t think a fifty pence coin preaching “Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations” is going to mend the wounds north of the border. I will be happy to tell any shopkeeper that gives me that coin to shove it up their arse.
It would appear that Boris has done Scotland a massive favour this evening. Exiting Europe was not the will of Scotland, but her voice was not heard nor listened too in Westminster and now it is inevitable that there will be another Independence referendum.
You cannot ask a nation to stay together on the basis you will remain in Europe and then remove them from Europe a few years later. What happened to stronger together? Oh, that doesn’t suit your message now Boris? Well, fuck you.
I look forward to the £350 million a week funding for NHS, the really great, just the best, trade deals (as long as we don’t work with Huawei) the revitalised industry and claiming back our fishing waters that’s going to happen in the weeks to come. I really want whatever they were smoking when they came up with this nonsense and really want whatever those that voted for this were smoking because my word you had to be a little bit special to fall for the shit they were selling.
We have now entered the transition period where there will be endless trade deals where we give away everything and a period of blaming the facism party and Brexit for everything that goes wrong for the foreseeable future.
This was voted for by people that were millionaires and idiots, you should go check your bank balance and see which you are.
I am now planning my return to The Netherlands where upon I will be applying for Dutch citizenship to get away from all this madness.