Monday 23 January 2023
I feel like I’ve written “Monday” far too frequently as the date in 2023; this month is whizzing along now. Kind of. Other than on the tops of hills and a few sheltered patches, the snow has gone, replaced by muddy earth. Kyla’s train is around 15:15 so we’ll have time to go out somewhere today and see the area without snow.
The three of us went to Rosslyn Chapel, near Edinburgh, a 15th century building with an interesting history and incredible stonework, and which has become significantly more ‘famous’ since featuring in Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code and then (a replica of it) in the film. That was our first touristy day trip since moving to Scotland; it’s a different perspective to visit somewhere knowing it’s an easy day trip rather than it being possible only because you are staying in the area for a short time.
The stonework, inside (no photography permitted inside) and outside, was fascinating and it was one of those places where the more you looked the more you saw. However, with its age and history and the symbolism to probably all the carvings, I expected to get a good feel from the chapel. Nothing. Very odd. I have visited all kinds of places, and certainly not just religious buildings, and felt something, a sense of history, some kind of connection, even something a bit magical and special. But nothing at Rosslyn Chapel. I posted about it on Instagram and Facebook and a few other friends said they’d visited and felt the same, ie nothing. But it seems that we all really enjoyed going to see it.
It has been a pleasure having Kyla to stay and being able to show her our new home and surroundings. It’s also been good for Chris and I to have a weekend of socialising and not tinkering with things in the house that need doing. We are going to London on Wednesday so this week was always going to be a bit unsettling, packing up bits and pieces, a day of travelling, trying to get work-related stuff done around all that. I also know that lots of things need sorting out in the flat in London too. So, yes, definitely been good to have a few days off from house stuff.
I would have been happier if the house had been warmer and we hadn’t all been wrapped up in blankets though.
Last night, I had a shower with properly hot water for the first time in a week. I don’t know what made the water heat up better, but it did and it was glorious. My benchmark for appreciation is much lower these days, but enjoying an everyday occurrence/necessity like having a clean/shower makes for appreciating simple pleasures more. I’m trying very hard to put more positive spins on the especially cold times. Another one would be a happy – nay, joyous – five minutes spent warming my bum on the hot radiator once the boiler issue was fixed the other day.
