Wouldja Be My Neighbor

Yesterday was a lazy day here in the East Neuk, exactly what we both required.  The travel catches up with you at some point, and yesterday was that point.  But this trip has yielded an unexpected benefit, as we've had an opportunity to meet our neighbors.

I included this picture a couple of posts back:

Eider House, where we live, is the brown stone building on the right.  The white house attached on its left is Herring House, also available for rent.  In fact, we've rented Herring House, we just never occupied it, because that was 2020 and we were all under house arrest.

A day or so after we arrived we noticed activity next door, and had an opportunity to introduce ourselves to Susan and Richard, who we had assumed to be visors, but but in fact are the owners of Herring House.  I told them of our 2020 near miss, and yesterday Richard gave us a lovely little tour of the house.

In addition to a lovely house in a special neuk of the East Neuk, they have this spectacular outdoor space:

Everything up to that wooden fence is theirs, and it's quite special, at least on those two days a year it's not blowing a gale.  

Yesterday, en route to fetching a coffee for Theresa, I passed Richard, and the subject of golf arose.  "Have you played the Balcomie?" he enquired, and it just so happens that I have.  He's a member of Crail as well, and we spoke briefly of Crail, as well as the other links in the area.  Additionally, he told me that our house has a golf connection.  Specifically, for the 2022 Open Championship at the Old Couse, Matthew Fitzpatrick had stayed in Eider House.  GMTA.  Paul Lawrie had rented their house that week, so I expect all were quite comfortable.

The path on the left side is public, either part of or feeding into West Wynde, our pathway up to the High Street and our favorite bakery.  The wall to the left we'll get to in a second, but above Richard and Susan's space, is this little plot, which is ours for the week:

Up those stairs are where you've seen us dining al fresco, which we did again last evening.  I spent a good part of yesterday afternoon sacked out on the sunny knoll:

It's a curious little alcove in which our house sits, this being the view from our kitchen:

Yes, I spent some time sacked out there as well, it was very much that kind of day.  That's the famous/infamous House on the Rock, but between our property and that is the Fife Coastal Path, so the world does wander by, which we quite enjoy.

We also met another neighbor, though this was more Theresa renewing a brief acquaintance from 2022.  That white wall is the first house on the Fife Coastal Path, a delightful spot with almost perfect views of the Firth.  Lorraine told us of the damage in their winter storm, and that she had some dramatic videos of the storm that her son had taken.  She told us she would be out back working on her furniture, and that we should just stop in if we wanted to see them.

I had actually blogged this storm damage before our trip, linking this description and posting this photo:

We might have inadvertently interrupted Lorraine's cuppa, but she invited us in and not only showed us the photos and videos, but was kind enough to take the time to send them to me to share with you:

That's three-year old Frankie surveilling the damage after the storm.

The videos are quite stunning:

And this:

The sea, she was angry that day!  Just very grateful to Lorraine for sharing these, and enjoying our friendly neighborhood.

I'll just leave you with some photos of our after-dinner stroll to the tidal pool:

And this of the evening sky from our aerie:

Earlier in the day, I had noticed this up on the High Street:

I actually didn't know we were Royal..... 

We're off to the Balcomie today.  Another beautiful day in the East Neuk, though a bit cooler.