Under the old Julian Calendar, St Lucy's Day was the shortest of the year, but the Winter Solstice is now eight days later. It passed at 09:20 GMT, this morning.
'Tis the year's midnight, and it is the day's, Lucy's, who scarce seven hours herself unmasks; The sun is spent, and now his flasks Send forth light squibs, no constant rays; The world's whole sap is sunk.
I think I'm going to be too busy over the next couple of days to post anything much here, so I'll sign off with the photo I've used for this year's Christmas card. I'm not naive enough to think everyone will have a great holiday period, but I hope that the next few days prove better for you all than you anticipate.
We crossed the Tamar for a day out last week, and went for a walk in the woods on the Cornish side. Our walk took in this fine view of the, 37 metre high, Calstock Viaduct - built by John Lang between 1904 and 1907, using 11,148 concrete blocks.
On a recent trip to Vienna, I was lucky enough to see Pieter Bruegel the Elder's 'Hunters in the Snow'. Painted in 1565, right at the start of the 'Little Ice Age', it has to be one of the most famous winter pictures in the world.
Last week, during a spell of cold and snow in Cumbria, I found time to complete a jigsaw of the same painting. There's nothing like a jigsaw to help you appreciate an old master in all its fine detail...
I went for a bike ride yesterday in the Grizedale Forest. The sun was out and the trees were smelling particularly piney. I stopped for a while at Grizedale Tarn to admire the view...
I think this is my favourite road sign ever. It's called the "pillar of salt" and can be found in Bury St Edmunds. It is probably the only listed road sign in the UK, and is thought to be our earliest example of an internally illuminated traffic sign. I wish we had more like this. [I discover that there are actually a large number of listed signs - see here: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/results/?search=Road+sign&searchType=NHLE+Simple - thanks @james ]
The whole sane world feels devastated today. Posting stuff on the internet seems particularly futile at such a time, but what else can we realistically do?
Britain loves its beach huts. I must have seen thousands on my recent trip to Kent. They are a direct descendant of the bathing machines of Georgian and Victoriam times, and the changing tents of the Edwardian era. Their heyday was probably the post-war holiday boom of the 1950s, but they remain improbably popular and, in the right location, can change hands for eye-watering sums.
If it's Friday, it must be time for a window, so here is a random art dealer's shop window in Vienna. I really liked the apparent untidiness of it all - reminiscent of an artist's studio...
Retired bloke in Devon, UK, who feels he's a European and is interested in politics, the environment, photography, the arts, history, cycling, and other stuff.I try to post a new photo every day.I'm also here:https://bsky.app/profile/rickgaehl.bsky.socialAll photos by me, unless I credit otherwise - except for RTs, of course. Please "boost" my postings if you like them.I tend not to follow accounts with limited posts, bio, or followers.