I bought this beautiful sun shade (umbrella) in Kathmandu last December.
That seems like another life!
I'm not really expecting to get a chance to use it in Scotland, so I'm going to hang it in the corner of my room where the gorgeous colours can brighten up even the darkest Argyll days.
When I was in Nepal last year there was promotional stuff everywhere inviting us to 'Visit Nepal 2020'. Opportunities for silly photos everywhere - see below!
But how sad to think that instead of the country having it's busiest year for visitors ever, they have had no visitors at all. My thoughts are with my friends in Nepal. No furlough scheme for them. Kathmandu is still in lockdown, and people are allowed 2 hours a day to visit the market and buy provisions. Police patrol the streets all the time.
Living in an area that is highly dependent on tourism we know how vital it is to the economy. Here we've been fortunate to benefit from the restrictions on travel abroad and have seen a large number of tourists visiting Argyll, many for the first time. I wonder how many of them will come back next year if they're able to fly off to the sun again?
Stepping ashore on the Isle of Coll during our holiday, we overheard a family - 'It's a nice wee island, but that's all it is'. Not quite what they were expecting I think. Hopefully some of our visitors have appreciated the special part of the world we live in. (And hopefully the people who have fouled the countryside will not come back!) I really can't understand how people can leave so much mess behind and not think anything of it. Rant over for today.
Here's my lovely friend Cath doing her tourist pose in happier times -
I bought my umbrella just round the corner from here.
Thanks to May Thompson for sharing this video with me yesterday. It might come in handy?
Mairi