Bartimaeus

Across the country last week there was snow. I was packing a bag to go to Aberdeen and made sure there were plenty warm woolies.

I brought my alpaca wool too to make a start on cosy hats and spent much of the journey checking out patterns, looking at the snow out of the window and knitting a swatch to test my guage. A man in a nearby seat was having a testing time, trying to phone his bank to see if he had money in his account. Despite loudly sharing his answers to security questions, he’s unlikely to be cleaned out, unless someone waited until Monday when his ‘giro’ might be in. Having overheard his dire financial situation, I felt morally bound to hand over a bit of my sandwich when he asked for “a wee corner”. He gave Shane’s bread the thumbs up.

I was in Aberdeen to meet up with my friends Margaret and Marion. We had a warm evening inside the first night. The next day the snow was melting rapidly and we had a walk on the esplanade. Turnstones made a brief appearance toddling like clockwork toys. Brave wetsuit clad surfers tried out the waves in The North Sea. A grey sky had a glint of sun to silver the sea a little.

The thaw continued with heavy rain and high windspromised so a day at the gallery beckoned. It is a beautiful building with a wide range of styles. I particularly liked the “Aiberdeen” gallery with lots of Doric, containing sights old and new, from butteries to French films, maps, songs and poetry.

Other galleries had a broader Scots theme. Silverware, designer tableware, sculpture, paintings, Impressionism, Suffragettes and Peacock printers.

We had to leave the gallery earlier than expected and hadn’t time for all the galleries. A gaitherin’ storm, Henk, was outside so we hurried from one inside spot to another picking up coffee and cake and rode it out easily. The magnificent interior of an ex bank was the setting for our evening Thai meal.

There were a couple of slates on the ground the next morning but otherwise we were unscathed. The sun came out and we were up for a walk in Hazlehead park. The wood creatures were both weird and wonderful.

I have always liked the statue in Aberdeen of Rabbie Burns, holding a daisy. (The crimson tips are not evident.) On the stormy day we didn’t stop to admire it but I had another opportunity on another rainy day when I went to meet my sister, n the art gallery. The weather reminded me of his upcoming birthday ‘Twas then a blast o’ Januar win’ blew hansel in on Robin’.

Silver tongued Burns wrote a few songs about Mary and had a mind to get her to come to the West Indies with him but despite having booked he never went. Mary died and his poetry was published so he had neither enthusiasm nor need to go.

With my sister I had the chance to explore the top floor exhibition. She knew one of the artists so was keen to see it. I didn’t know I was in for a treat in an exhibit that combined the topics of boats, scottish songs, places and textiles.

I thoroughly enjoyed my Aberdeen visit. What a grand catch up with old friends and I made a bit of knitting progress with my alpaca too, but not as much progress as Margaret made on two jumpers at once! Garments grow before your eyes from her needles. I am sure I gained a couple of pounds from her great hospitality too. I bought some non slimming butteries to take home and indulged in the new experience of haggis butteries too, and they were nae bad. Burns didn’t write any odes to butteries, but I prefer them to a French breakfast.