The Atomium is a 100m tall representation of an iron crystal, built for the 1958 World’s Fair in Brussels. It was supposed to only stand for six months, but was such a good idea that it’s still there, and gives you a pleasingly retro (though slightly overpriced) tourist experience as you go up into the various spheres and tubes. Probably somewhere in these reflections I appear, and thus this is a self-portrait, but let’s not worry about that too much.
Union St Gilloise FC won 11 Belgian football championships before the rest of the country caught up (that is, before WW2); since then they have become a decidedly minor team in the landscape of Belgian football, but that doesn’t mean their fans can’t have a bit of fun on the first day of the season. And as a photographically-motivated tourist, I have to say, why the hell not.
I’ve always been prepared to state that the Belgians do the world’s finest beer. And it’s very nice to finally come to their country and test this out for real. Has my mind changed? Not in the least.
Another bit of travelling begins. First stop, London. Clare peruses possible future destinations in an exhbition at the British Library. This is her 99th appearance on the blog, incidentally.
I had to get myself out into some fresh air — the thunderstorms, which have been a constant presence for days, also relented. The sheep seem still to suspect me of some nefarious and unstated crime however. There was a lot of this today; sheep were definitely the dominant lifeform in the region.
Another day when I didn’t leave the house. Joe will be fairly housebound for a while too, as today he went and had his “Sybil Fawlty” operation; in other words, the removal of an ingrowing toenail (this being what kicks off the fun in the Fawlty Towers episode, “The Germans”). He seemed fairly blasé about it all. But it’s not like he needs any great excuse to put his feet up at the moment — and why shouldn’t he, it’s the summer holiday.
Since I posted on Thursday and mentioned how hot and sunny it was, we have seemed never to be more than three hours away from the next storm. I sheltered from this evening’s one under the tarp that has been graciously stretched over the beer garden at the Fox and Goose; it is from this covering that this raindrop rather attractively descends.
We have never seen our house empty. Not even when we moved in, eighteen years ago: the previous owner sold us all of his furniture along with the house. There is no cellar nor roof void in which to shove things. Therefore, concerted outbreaks of Stuff Management must occasionally punctuate our existence. Clare’s the specialist. But then again she’s a bigger hoarder than me.
Today is also proof also that I do still function, at least photographically, in the morning. This is the first pre-noon post since 10th July; a run of 18 consecutive afternoon shots.
On a day when the rain came down so hard we were in some danger of flooding again, it’s nice to have some escapism thanks to the Picture House showing Goldfinger. How cool is Connery in this role? Male or female, you surely cannot but want to be him. And as was the case the last time this place did a Bond tribute, the ones up front look pretty cool too.
The post title has a double meaning. ‘Back in time’ because Palmerston Park in Dumfries is a very old-school football ground, particularly at this, the Terregles Street end. The brickwork! The pylons! I doubt this scene would have looked a great deal different in the 1950s.
‘Back in time’ also because the weather is like February here…. no, come to think of it, February was nicer than this at times. This photo is taken in conditions of around 14ºC and teeming rain. The thought that over the last week, the UK might have experienced its hottest ever day, was laughable at this point.
Being 42 