Monday 31 May 2010

Last day of the holiday........

Poppies on the field wall N. Berwick

Hullo ma wee blog,

The Lovely G wanted to do some gift shopping for a forthcoming birthday in the family so we headed up the coast to North Berwick for a walk round and a look at some of the gift/craft shops. It's been a beautifully sunny day here and nice and warm to match, even if the forecast for tomorrow is rain - all the better for G returning to work as there's nothing worse than going back after a holiday with the sun splitting the sky - so we wanted to make the best of it with a wee trip out.

Over the wall to Bass Rock

I took the camera along but the sun was so bright the colours seem washed out.
N. Berwick beach

The town was busy with holiday makers and golfers all doing their thing in the sun and after a short hunt we managed to get something suitable as a birthday present so we had a light lunch and a walk before coming back home to relax in the garden as the grass has been duly cut this morning as promised.

Another shot of the poppies and the field wall.

The Bass Rock is gleaming white with breeding gannets and other sea birds. You could just see the gannets whirling round the cliffs but I never took a shot as I didn't have the telephoto lens with me. It's a beautiful contrast with the blue of the water today. Shame the photo doesn't do it proper justice. The rock is the home to the worlds largest single rock colony of Gannets and has a live webcam to allow you to watch the Gannets


                       Tantallon Castle

Tantallon Castle looked squat and forbidding across the fields. The car park was unusually busy for once. I took this without realising I had the phone lines in the shot.....sheeesh!!!

After this it was back to the house for a nice glass of chilled asti with lime - one of my favourite out-doorsy summer drinks - quietly reading in the sun on the patio. A nice way to while away some of the afternoon.

see you later

Listening to Jason Mraz 'I'm Yours'

4 comments:

Scottish Nature Boy said...

Oh, homesick for dear old sweet East Lothian - when I was a very young kid, I remember the grain fields being covered in red poppies, out between Gullane, Drem and North Berwick, before the barley barons got going good style with their big-wheeled long-boomed, agri-sprayers, with their herbicide to get rid of all the "weeds". Glad to see the poppies are stil hanging on - or making a comeback maybe? Lovely set of photos there, Al. Thanks!

Rebecca S. said...

Hello Al: lovely to read about and see all the pictures of your, by the sounds and looks of it, very satisfying holiday. I was also happy to hear you slept well. Must have been all that fresh air and sunshine! It looks absolutely glorious where you were on your shopping trip and I felt warmer just looking at your photos (it's raining here, too today).
The Dutch architecture is wonderful - so gingerbread house-ish. And I agree, holidays with people who know you better than anyone in the world are wonderfully fun and relaxing.
Cheers,
Rebecca

Morning's Minion said...

Hello, Al;
I had a couple of posts in draft and in mind for my blog, saw your photo of the poppies and thoughts of Memorial Days past came tumbling out of the mental muddle. It needed to be a two part post, but now I'm a day late.
I find it interesting that often in reading of someone else's interest or thoughts we are sparked in a related but different zig-zag of remembering or thinking and suddenly there's fodder for exploration and writing.
Mention of N. Berwick takes me on the thought path of some favorite books by Maine author Gladys Hasty Carrol who grew up in S. Berwick, Maine. Not surprising that so many New England towns echo the names of their counterparts in the England and Scotland.
Anyway--all this rambling just to say that I enjoyed this post.

Big Swifty said...

I'm as guilty as anyone else as I speed through the border country, but there's so much more to Scotland than just heading fast for the spectacular highlands. I've enjoyed what I've seen of your area, and will travel more slowly next time!!!!

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