Another photo post? Have I been on holiday again? Well, yes and no. (Mostly no.)
I was on holiday in France in May, as you know, but for three weeks after I came back, there was a heatwave in Britain (yes, even in Scotland!), so I still felt as if I was on holiday. In fact, even though I was working during that period, by the time the rain returned, I felt as if I had had a month of restful holiday.
At least part of the ‘holiday feeling’ is attitude rather than circumstance, which is what this post is about. Over the weeks after my return from holiday I visited an art gallery, walked in the park, went to a couple of bakeries I had never tried before, and drank an iced coffee in D’Nisi Shawlands’ wonderful little sun trap (even more wonderful, now they’re moved the bins a bit further from it). Some of this I did when I had time off, or a last-minute cancellation, but the rest of it slotted neatly around interpreting appointments.
I’m not usually afraid to appear a little odd (as well as being a committed Christian, I speak Esperanto and host Eurovision parties – not too normal), so I don’t really mind looking like a tourist by stopping to take photos in my own city, or when I’m travelling for work. I’m lucky that interpreting appointments regularly take me all over the central belt, or even further afield, providing a nice balance to the desk-based writing work.
Sometimes I have a long walk to get to the location, passing lots of lovely Greek bakeries and a world-famous location.
Or in less well-connected locations, I sometimes have time to kill before I can leave after my job is finished, giving me the opportunity to explore the area.
And I actually did go on something closer to a holiday straight after coming back from France, because it was the Scottish Esperanto Congress, which was held in an uncharacteristically sunny Paisley. Paisley may be very down at heel these days, but it’s still a good-looking town if you catch it from the right angle, and ignore the litter and the drunks.
Where possible, I take the scenic route to wherever I’m going. There’s often a handy park or interesting back road. The final picture I took on my way home through Kelvingrove Park on an overcast evening, but the light was good enough to make Glasgow University look very pretty indeed.
So that’s my ersatz holiday, and I would encourage you to have your own pretend holiday, whenever you have a spare few hours, or even five minutes. After all, when the sun shines on Scotland, who even needs foreign parts?
K C Murdarasi 
An excellent idea. Just cycled to Ladybower and Derwent. We need to remind ourselves that people come here to be tourists where we’re blessed to live.
Very true!