Saturday, June 27, 2015

First Walk Around Newtonhill

Our car for the next month, a Vauxhall Astra coupe.
Our first day in Newtonhill, Scotland is quite, except for Bill's soft snoring during his nap.  The homeowners, Rae and Marty, are busy upstairs packing, so I decide to go for a walk to try and get some of the stiffness out from sitting so long yesterday.
The local pub is just around the corner from the house.  I talked to the bar man who saw me taking pictures and invited me to come back for a drink anytime.
Lovely tree with yellow hanging blossoms.
The village is small, with the commuter train tracks running through the middle.  We are on the ocean side of the tracks.  There is a village store, pharmacy, Chinese take-away, two pubs and a hairdresser near us.  On the other side is more village with more shops, a community center and a Tesco.
Orange poppies are everywhere and they are huge.  These are as big as my hand.
The area reminds us of the coast of Northern California; even the plants are similar.  We were greeted by fog coming in off the sea last evening and it has been spitting rain most of the day.  However, as I went for the walk, I was dry until nearly home.
The cliffs are so steep, even the sign leans.
I think this is going to be a beautiful place to spend the next five weeks!  All the people we have talked to are friendly and welcoming.  The next door neighbor is an older gentleman who speaks Doric (the local language) as well as Posh (what they call English).  Oh, the things you learn when you travel!
The view at the end of our street.

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