Day 43 Burntisland to Glenrothes
The weather forecast for today was not encouraging but weather is a strollers constant companion and delight.
Bruntisland is quite a nice town with some old stuff interspersed with later architecture.
Our old friend the Fife Coastal Trail forced us to leave and get on with the task in hand of strolling somewhere. Another consideration perventing us from loitering was the force 8 gale.
We spotted a murmuration of starlings perched on an old tower as we strolled. It may be possible to spot their tiny presences on the top of the ruin in the next photo.
Today’s stroll has been very easy, no navigational errors, no steep hills, no shortage of food. In fact we stopped for some tea and cake about an hour after setting off. It was as we were eating our tea and cake that I noticed that we were probably the youngest and fittest of the patrons. I also noticed a problem which hadn’t occured to me before today. With so many patrons of advanced years and diminished mobility there wasn’t enough room to park these intrepid elders’ zimmer frames. Could this be the next commercial opportunity?
The corporation of Kirkcaldy did a fine thing in 1922/1923. To ameliorate the effects of depression they caused to be built an esplanade which seemed to go on and on for ever as we walked along it. I’m not sure how long this structure is but between one and two miles seems reasonable. Sadly though there is nothing on the structure, no sellers of trinkets, ice cream, hirers of deck chairs. It just goes on and on for ever into the distance in a vast gentle curve.
We stopped for lunch in a shady grove. We ate our usual lunch of half an apple and a few slices of cheese, washed down with some tepid water, as we perched on a wall. The promised rain arrived in a torrent just we wiped the last cheesey crumbs from our chins, just one chin each as we are fitter than we were when we set out.
The rain eased and we emerged from our grove. The forecast had been for heavy, sudden, showers and how right it was as another arrived as we were passing Aldi, thanks for providing shelter Aldi. From Kirkcaldy we aimed for Glendrothes and the Golden Acorn.
The architecture of Glenrothes is firmly rooted in its origins as a a new town. This means that some may find the buildings too uniform and too much of concrete. Even so these critics would be extremely unfair to find fault with the footpaths and cyclè tracks which enabled us, and others like us, to be able to stroll about without traffic noise. So full marks to the planners for that
Tomorrow will take us further on the road to the next bridge, the mighty Tay Bridge. Not the bridge of that famous Scot William Topaz McGonagall thank goodness.