As I decided to travel during an exceptionally dramatic weekend in terms of weather events (about 20 feet of snow fell in half an hour in Cambridge, or something) I was extremely lucky to get to Aberdeen in the first place and then to arrive back in Cambridge a few days later. My outbound flight was delayed for a couple of hours leaving Luton but this was completely acceptable and didn't bother me in the slightest (how nice to be able to sit and read my book and people-watch and eat chocolate biscuits and daydream without feeling guilty). Coming back from the airport to Cambridge was such a lovely journey (and probably a bit dangerous; there was lots of snow and ice and we had to go super-slow on the bus) and I fell in love with snow all over again. As I had my camera with me I went a bit nutty taking pictures and here are some of them:
I went to Aberdeen for the very first time last weekend to visit my sister, and it was so different to what I expected. I flew from London because it would have taken me about a month to get there by train (not really) as it is so far north - I've been to both Edinburgh and Glasgow before so I thought I knew what North was, but Aberdeen is pretty much up there on its own, and actually has a similar latitude to parts of Scandinavia. It's such an interesting city. The majority of the buildings are made from granite and probably don't make for the most attractive architecture if objectively considered. However! There is something about the light and the atmosphere that suits all this granite, and the city landscape is strikingly defined, with lots of sharp edges and uncompromising lines. I liked this a lot: the city feels honest and real and has a tangible integrity whereby it doesn't pretend to be something it's not. It was also very cold (now this I expected). Aberdeen is known as the Oil Capital of Europe due to its close proximity to energy reserves in the (freezing) North Sea. This makes it both extremely wealthy (well, at least for the oil barons and others who work in the industry; like almost everywhere else there is a wide disparity in living conditions between a minority who have lots of money and the ordinary working class) and prone to unforgiving weather conditions. Living in Cambridge for the past six years has made me soft and exposure to the wind coming in from the North Sea in Aberdeen nearly finished me off. We went for a walk along the beach, which was supremely picturesque and all, but my multiple layers and two hats weren't nearly enough protection from the bitterly cold wind and snow showers (even though there were hordes of local kids running around without any coats on). I wonder though how this unremitting greyness and freezing weather impacts on the psyche of the people who live here all the time. As a visitor it's so beautiful and striking, but maybe it can get a little depressing for the locals... although my sister has lived there for three years and she really likes it. I also found the atmosphere to be very friendly and down-to-earth - in the south of England people are more reserved for sure - and I loved all the Gaelic influences as they remind me of Ireland! All in all I have to say I liked Aberdeen very much and will definitely be back for a second visit (I'm sure my sister will be delighted)... As I decided to travel during an exceptionally dramatic weekend in terms of weather events (about 20 feet of snow fell in half an hour in Cambridge, or something) I was extremely lucky to get to Aberdeen in the first place and then to arrive back in Cambridge a few days later. My outbound flight was delayed for a couple of hours leaving Luton but this was completely acceptable and didn't bother me in the slightest (how nice to be able to sit and read my book and people-watch and eat chocolate biscuits and daydream without feeling guilty). Coming back from the airport to Cambridge was such a lovely journey (and probably a bit dangerous; there was lots of snow and ice and we had to go super-slow on the bus) and I fell in love with snow all over again. As I had my camera with me I went a bit nutty taking pictures and here are some of them: The snow has gone now and we're back to business as usual (my thermal trousers have even been returned to temporary storage). Spring is edging ever closer and Pancake Tuesday (the best Tuesday of them all) is only around the corner... January has been the most intense month but I wouldn't have changed it for anything!
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About my blog
Really, it contains a little bit of everything, from a celebration of science and the English language to the joys of travel and the Shipping Forecast. The title ('Meanderings') is a fairly accurate description of its content: I write about different things as the mood takes me, but hopefully there's something in here for everyone... Categories
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