Sunday, September 02, 2012

I to the hills will lift mine feet

 
This afternoon we needed cheering up and there's nothing like hills for putting things into perspective. Hill - big. Us - small. Hills - fairly permanent. Us - just passing through. Edinburgh is built on seven hills (like Rome. The climate is marginally different, however) and today we climbed up Blackford Hill. As we did so, we looked down at the allotments and briefly fantasised about getting one and becoming self-sufficient. Only briefly, though. I like eating vegetables but I prefer expending my energies on flowers.
 
 
Standing still and gazing does the soul good. Also the lungs, after the climb.
 
 
Here's Edinburgh Castle, from an angle most tourists don't see it, with the sea beyond. It's not exactly the sea - it's an estuary - but it's tidal and salty. Behind that are the hills of Fife.
 
 
This is my beloved Arthur's Seat, said to look like a sleeping lion (a bit of imagination needed here - actually it's more leonine when looked at from elsewhere).
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And this is looking towards East Lothian. Berwick Law is that little pyramid shape against the horizon. (That's in North Berwick, not Berwick in England, which is in a different direction.)
 
And then we came down again. I managed not to break my ankle, unlike the previous occasion when we went up this hill. So I suppose the day wasn't so bad after all.
 
You would have found this an easier climb than Ben Nevis, Anna! (Yes, Thimbleanna and SweetiePie were our very exciting visitors!) And it was positively warm, unlike on the top of a real Highland mountain.

PS  Mr Life took the photos since I carefully brought my camera but it was out of battery.

12 comments:

  1. What amazing views of Edinburgh and the surrounding countryside. I can see why those allotments look so tempting.

    We too went for a good walk today, out in the New Forest heather, and it did cheer us up despite the drizzle.

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  2. What great views! There's nothing like an imposing vista to remind you of your place in the grand scheme of things, is there?

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  3. Those are amazing photos! Yesterday must have been walking day world wide.
    I love the allotment picture - there look to be many many busy vege gardeners....such a good idea.
    I am ashamed to say we never got to see the sea when in your city.( next time ! )
    Glad you returned unharmed.

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  4. I can see the sleeping lion! At least, I think I can. Fab pictures, by the way.

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  5. These are wonderful pictures!
    I am remembering 2010 when I stayed in student housing quite near Arthur's Seat. I was in the room with a friend from Seattle who was Skyping with her husband and was quite charmed when she held her laptop up to the window, telling him, "look at the view, Jack".

    You do live in a very beautiful part of the world and I hope it cheered you up.

    If you want to put things in perspective, this is my favorite video of the known universe from the American Museum of Natural History....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17jymDn0W6U

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  6. Great photos - I really like being on top of a hill, it puts things in perspective. Our hills ae right in front the house so I lift up my eyes to them every day, I don't often get any help from them but the view from the top lifts my mood. Wish we could see the sea, though, the Midlands feel very landlocked sometimes - especially today when the weather is just glorious.

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  7. Oh Scotland, heaven of my soul, the place to which my heart steals away when I close my eyes.

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  8. Oh, now I'm wanting to be back with you Isabelle! Your photos are beautiful - as always. I wish we'd had more time to take that walk with you. If nothing else, the weather atop Blackford Hill is certainly more people friendly than that on Ben Nevis!

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  10. Oh Edinburgh. We were just saying the other day what a lovely time we'd had. Didn't we have a lovelee time the day(s) we went to... everywhere! But that is a most stunning view of the castle. Hope all shadows blown away for a while x

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  11. I've never been to Edinburgh. But I so want to come and sit on Arthur's Seat now.

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