Upon leaving the tiny village of Aberlady this morning, I at last saw Edinburgh on the horizon across the Firth of Forth; thus I have just ten miles to cover tomorrow to reach my journey's end at the Scott Monument on Princes Street.
I deliberately planned relatively shorter walks for the last few days of the journey so that I could try to compose myself before returning to "normal" life after nearly two months in my pleasant pedestrian limbo. I had also intended to close this blog with a few thoughts distilled from the past seven weeks, but alas I find I am too tired for anything like that. Instead, as one tends to do after a particular chapter of life (or in this case paragraph) draws to a close, I have been looking at the photos I snapped along the way. For the most part, they are banal pictures of the countryside and coast line. But there are also a few shots of objects, faces or places that impressed me for some reason or another at the time. Here I should like to refer to one of them, in the hopes that someone else's words might compensate for my own dull headedness.
One rainy Monday morning in early April I found myself trudging through Hull (yes, it rhymes with wool, and the "H" is silent) in cold, steady rain. Dripping and despondent, I happened to spy a fine statue erected in memory of a Hull inhabitant named James Stuart (1836-1922), and crossed the road to inspect it. Since then I have tried to learn something about the civic worthy who merited this grand tribute, but he seems to have vanished into history, and is no doubt long forgotten. However, on the statue's pedestal are inscribed the following words, taken from one of Stuart's speeches (or perhaps a written document), and dated 1906:
"I also remember that I had a father to convince me that as I began mature life I was a citizen of a nation governed by democratic principles and that it was my duty, as it is the duty of every man according to his ability and his opportunity, to do something in the town, the the neighbourhood, and in the nation to promote the wellbeing of its inhabitants".
That, I think, is very well put indeed...
...and, on that note, I shall now head for a pub for my last (on the hoof) refreshing, rehydrating pint.
Congratulations Mr. Salamon! What an achievement. I wonder if the journey's log and photographs can be published into a short memoir and sold with the proceeds used for Kaibigan? In any case, we're all proud of you!
ReplyDeleteBy now I think your built in body satellite nav should be telling you, you have reached your final destination. Hope there are a few familiar faces to wish you a heroes welcome. The last congratulations I said, a week and a half ago were a little premature, so another congratulations & well done!
ReplyDeleteAll the very best for the future.
Julie