Consternation
It's a lifeline, an artery, and they closed it. Only for a couple of days in the end, while Scottish Water laid bright blue water pipes, but there was consternation on the Water of Leith walkway last week. Those of us who use it to commute to work or for pleasure were bereft. Once the routes of suburban railways, the pedestrian and cycle paths run from the hills down through the city to the Port of Leith, and from the city centre out to the village of Cramond on the shores of the Firth of Forth.How did we all manage for two days? The lycra-clad cyclists, the fast-walking, office-bound suits, the yummy mummies running with black labradors panting along behind on a lead, the mums pushing prams, the pensioners walking wee dogs, the groups of school children, the ladies cutting ivy for their flower arrangements, the allotment-bound green wellies, the walkers 'doing' the whole route from hills to sea, the mounted police exercising horses. We're back now, hopefully appreciating what we have.
I hope your alternative route wasn't way out of your way. We only do construction in the summer's here and it is always a mess to go through our big cities as they have detours everywhere. As an outsider I enjoyed your labels of people in your neighborhood. We have a lot of code names but we wouldn't probably think them unusual until you heard our slang.
ReplyDeleteAs Joni Mitchell once said, "you don't know what you got till it's gone"!
ReplyDeleteFunny how even little bits of change - throw us into a tizzy!
ReplyDeleteYour description of the pedestrians and bikers is just great. I can see everyone heading back and forth, some slowly, some so quickly. Glad the distruption was short and it's over.
ReplyDeleteWhat a feast frorthe imagination, especially liked the yummy mummies and the green wellies bound for their allotments.
ReplyDeleteThere is so much that you have to teach Americans about the simple act of walking. We've made a big design mistake, as so much of our country is given over to the needs of automobiles rather than the needs of pedestrians. We are paying for it with our health.
ReplyDeleteThe words completed the picture! Lovely post.
ReplyDeleteWe have lost ours completely now - it is on its way to becoming a railway line again - very mixed feelings about this. By December, two minutes walk from my door and I could be in Edinburgh or Glasgow within half an hour - but i so miss the leisurely rambles along that path, where people were known by their dogs. sigh.
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