Cheers, James. This was my first time in Scotland; I also have quite a bit of Scottish in me, and felt a similar welcome when we took a bus through the highlands from Glasgow to Inverness. I actually wrote the third poem in this postcard on that bus trip, trying to describe the kind of exhausted sense of wonder and homecoming that filled me as I watched the landscape through the window. On top of all the beauty we'd already seen in the first month of travel, the unrivaled peace I was experiencing in the highlands seemed to break my ability to comprehend it's depth ... If that makes sense ... Such a strange sentiment to try to describe; perhaps I'll have another go at these poems (next year; with some more distance) to try to capture it a little better. I really appreciate you following along, and I'm glad you're enjoying the postcards ... One from Northumbria or Denmark soon!
Thank you so much for sharing those photos, Peter. I've been to Scotland only the once, but it left a permanent impression on me. Your photos are exactly as I remember it.
(I visited before I learned the true history of the Appalachian mountains, where I grew up. At the time I visited Scotland, I wasn't aware of the Central Pangean Mountain range and the fact that both my home area and Scotland are both part of it. No wonder the place felt so welcoming and familiar.)
Cheers, James. This was my first time in Scotland; I also have quite a bit of Scottish in me, and felt a similar welcome when we took a bus through the highlands from Glasgow to Inverness. I actually wrote the third poem in this postcard on that bus trip, trying to describe the kind of exhausted sense of wonder and homecoming that filled me as I watched the landscape through the window. On top of all the beauty we'd already seen in the first month of travel, the unrivaled peace I was experiencing in the highlands seemed to break my ability to comprehend it's depth ... If that makes sense ... Such a strange sentiment to try to describe; perhaps I'll have another go at these poems (next year; with some more distance) to try to capture it a little better. I really appreciate you following along, and I'm glad you're enjoying the postcards ... One from Northumbria or Denmark soon!
Thank you so much for sharing those photos, Peter. I've been to Scotland only the once, but it left a permanent impression on me. Your photos are exactly as I remember it.
(I visited before I learned the true history of the Appalachian mountains, where I grew up. At the time I visited Scotland, I wasn't aware of the Central Pangean Mountain range and the fact that both my home area and Scotland are both part of it. No wonder the place felt so welcoming and familiar.)
For some reason, my reply didn't go to your comment, and I'm having trouble trying to copy it, so please see my other comment below!