A Mysterious
Place
The village and surroundings of Arbroath,
Scotland, were mysterious to me. A small village overlooked by
many travelers, Arbroath was once the site of the Scottish Parliament.
It saw kings crowned, but now its red castle stands in ruins
and grass grows in the coronation hall. The ruins of an old monastery
crumble next to the old castle. The ancient bell tower still
stands and strong winds will cause the iron bell to ring erratically.
The cliff walks along the
North Sea suit the ruins. The white chalky cliffs have been etched
in bizarre patterns by cold northern winds. Boulders lie just
under the sea's surface and extend several miles out from shore.
Since the boulders cannot be seen, people appear to “walk
on water,” floating upon the salty foam. Devouring sea and
sky and land, a light fog sometimes veils even these strange
images.
Sunset glows briefly orange and gold. The sea, the cliffs, the
castle, the monastery -- all become ghostly silhouettes, black
against the sky. Time itself seems captured in Evening’s melancholy
painting, slowly melting into the darkness.
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