Travel broadens the behind

That’s what I thought it said, on a large sign near the station as my train pulled out. As you know, I feel I’ve been on slightly too many trains pulling out of too many stations. And something has very definitely broadened. One can always hope it’s the mind.

Earlier this week I watched in admiration as the four large birds flew in perfect formation over St Andrews. The sky was blue and the birds… were not birds. Considering my proximity to Leuchars, I imagine it was the RAF showing off. But it was sort of impressive, especially since it wasn’t a show or anything, and it was free.

I apologise for bringing this to your attention, but while in St Andrews (not that it matters where I was) I used the Ladies in the Students Union, where I found a new meaning to ‘spending a penny.’ There was a penny down in the, you know…

It reminded me of when I first worked out why you spend pennies, and I don’t mean because you’ve had a few cups of tea. I’d heard the term for long enough, and I knew what it meant, but not why. And then, on a walking holiday somewhere, stopping at the village facilities where I put a 2p coin in the door, the penny suddenly dropped. Well, it was the 2p that dropped, but you know what I mean. Maybe it had something to do with paying to enter?

Please tell me it does!

Stopped off in Edinburgh, and I had miraculously finished reading K M Peyton’s A Midsummer Night’s Death when Son became available to take me to Starbucks. Where there were Swedes. I don’t know why there are so many of them, everywhere. (I had two more sitting behind me on yesterday’s train.) But there was a nice view of Fleshmarket Close from our table, and that made me think of Nicola Morgan and her book that can cause people to faint.

I mentioned tea earlier. Bought some on the train. It made me think of cows, sitting there squeezing milk out of udder-like tubes.

No, it was definitely not the mind that broadened, was it? I’m so sorry.

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