Grey May

It is May again and life is bursting everywhere. Just next to my office there is the university botanical garden. The flowers, the birds, the insects make it a great place for a walk and for getting some fresh air. In this photo I caught the male chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) courting the female chaffinch. He did not bother I was spying on him so focused he was on impressing the "lady". 

Bad things should never happen in May. But as they did, Aberdonian May will always bring a bitter taste to my mouth. 

Blue and white pub

 

Local pubs  are very typical in rural Scotland. We seat, eat good fish and chips, or burguer and chips or any other pub food, and watch the football or the F1. Sometimes the fire is on. The environment is quirky. Local people speak loud and are authentic. The pub in the photo is in Portsoy, a small fisherman's village in the North coast. Inside everybody knows each other. My German friend describes his pub experience in the following way: "In Scotland, I can go to a pub on my own, I drink a beer, enjoy the environment and nobody look me as if I am weird." I have never been on a pub on my own, but I should definetly give it a try.

Climbing by the blue sea

As a broken ankle is much easier to heal than a broken heart, I am back to outdoor climbing. And, incredibly, Aberdeenshire is also a great place for outdoor climbing. Along the coast, just by the sea, the granite cliffs are excellent spots (e.g. Cove Bay, Collieston) to practice rock climbing. Being in the sun, by the sea and doing some exercise is a great way of spending the weekend, specially now with the birds nesting in the surroundings.