And all that Jazz ...

Really living it up this week, we have just returned (at 11pm) from a jazz concert in Glasgow - are we allowed to stay out so late? Go to concerts over the water? Have Chinese food in a casual pick and share way with out family and then not manage to get into the car park because the aged mechanism for reading tickets no longer works, so we had to push the button to get help? Well, we just did it, and drove back into the most amazing, flaming, blinding sunset - fortunately the sun went behind the hills as we turned to face it for the run down into Port Glasgow. 

It was the hottest day of the year so far - 25ºC when we arrived in Glasgow, after morning spent pottering in and out and an hour with a book in the sunshine before we left. We were there to hear Catriona play with a jazz group from the Conservatoire of Scotland Saturday school, where she has spent her Saturdays since the beginning of the academic year. We pottered around the area in the heat - were we in Naples? - until the Edinburgh family arrived, and had a drink in a strange hotel bar until it was time for the gig. 

It was a splendid concert - two ensembles, varying numbers, maybe 8 in the larger one, making great sounds in a modern auditorium that you can see the stage part of in the top right photo of the collage. There were some jolly men in bunnets sitting next to us, probably about our age but whom I thought of as old jazzers; most of the rest of the audience were clearly families of the players. We met two families afterwards, both with friends of Catriona's, and somehow managed to be the last to leave the bar area afterwards.

Over a quick sharing-type meal in an oriental restaurant whose name eludes me, Catriona was telling me how her life had changed in the past year since she'd got into the Conservatoire Saturday school, and I couldn't help reflecting how music was behind all the good things that have happened to me over well over half a century. It's great to see her lit up by something so worthwhile, especially when I considered that she'd been up since 5am and working there on her music and the concert all day. 

Having succeeded in getting into the car park and in finding the pay-station, we drove out of town about 8.45pm, and drove down to Gourock into the sunset (picture 3) only to be reminded by the emptiness of the ferry queue lanes that after the 9.30pm ferry it's an hour till the next one. I took a few photos (one of which is the fourth above) and settled down to do my Italian, but was seduced away from my book (I'd come very prepared!) by the sliver of moon over the water, crying out for me to try some night photography. That's what the extra is - I actually love the gleaming water every bit as much as the wee moon.

I don't see any sign of the Aurora now - I got photos last night at midnight, but tonight I'm past caring. This wild life fairly takes it out of you ...