Something a bit more cheerful today.....

but not Florence yet because that's going to take me more days than we were actually there I suspect, and I can't face even starting it yet as that means making decisions about photographs which I can't  cope with just now.  I'll start tomorrow. Probably. 

Meanwhile on Sunday we went back to the Abbey at Cambuskenneth to climb the bell tower. Historic Environment Scotland, who own it, allow it to be opened on one day a year and the local civic archaeologist, Murray Cook, conducts tours. Numbers are strictly limited and there are only six tours so, despite the fact that we would only just be back the night before, we had booked to do it while we had the chance. 

We were on the one o' clock tour which was lucky because it had been foggy earlier,  but by the  time we got there to do ours the sun had come out and it was a beautiful September day. 

I think I've mentioned recently that spiral staircases are no longer my thing, and that I am also no longer able to cope with heights like I could when I was younger. But I was keen to see the ancient log boat which has been dumped  stored on the first floor so I told myself it wouldn't be that bad and gritted my teeth for the ascent. 

In the event most of the log boat was hidden under  a sheet, but I did at least see the pointy front bit and there were some miscellaneous bits of stonework too, of which this was the nicest

Possibly somethign commissioned by James IV. Possibly not. Anyway after that it was time to climb onto the roof. Which I did, although I will admit to feeling very trembly once I was out there. You do get some smashing views though. 

I was proud of myself for doing the climb and walking out onto the parapet and walking around a little way but I did come down a while before almost  everyone else. 

Once back on - I wanted to say 'dry land' there, such is the power of predictive thought! - I just meant the ground, we wandered over to the ruins of the abbot's house and looked over the ford - the river was very low and you can see why it was historically such an important location, as it's the only place to ford the Forth for miles.