Gardening...

Playlist
Sumner McKane – Closing the Circle
Sumner McKane – Night Blooming Cereous
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Acoustic Splinterheart
Various – Top 200 Artists

I took almost 250 pictures today – but don’t worry, I’m not uploading them all – just a few favourites and a couple of collages...

Up unfeasibly early and working on the new performance project, revamping backing tracks...

With those on the cans, it was off to the gym for the first time in a week and a half...

Back home for breakfast then some singing to determine how the new tracks worked...

Some of them didn’t...

Then, out into the sunshine and down to Hopetoun House near South Queensferry...



I can’t believe we’ve never been here before – it’s a beautiful stately home with huge woodland gardens and park and fountain...

We initially visited the ballroom and tapestry rooms in the “left” wing, which often play host to weddings and other occasions - didn’t particularly like all the big cat heads on the walls - before going on into the main house where we toured round the opulence and grandeur...



...including this original by Rembrant...



Then, to the roof for spectacular views of the Forth, its bridges and surroundings...



Then to the “right” wing, once the stables, now a delightful restaurant, for lunch...



...before heading out into the gardens and woods for a long walk...



which featured many strange trees...


(This isn't particularly strange but was one of my favourites)

...a pet cemetery (dating back to the 1890s)...



...and two herds of deer...



In the gardens to the rear of the house, a young child was being entertained by large bubbles - I managed to snap one...



Back to the stables for some scone/ice cream action...



...before we headed home, having spent over four hours wandering around...

In the evening we went into town on the bus to the National Gallery where, as guests of BNY Mellon we were entertained with a private view of the current “Impressionist gardens” exhibition...



Here are Anne and my favourite paintings of the evening – Anne’s was a Renoir entitled “Flowers in a Vase”...



...while mine, despite the presence of a plethora of Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Renoir originals, was “Winter Sadness” by Marco Calderini...



Of course, I say “private viewing” but we were amongst around 200 guests – including ex-colleague from around twenty years ago, Anne Robb, who recognised me as we walked in...



Post the viewing we were treated to unlimited pink champagne and canapés (hence the strange pose above) which found your correspondent a wee bit the worse for wear upon arriving back at Crispycat Towers clutching a bag with a free copy of the hardback guidebook to the exhibition...

Now that’s what I call a night out...

Highlight of the Day : Hopetoun House/Impressionist Gardens...