a touch of blue

 A trial safety measure was implemented in Southampton just days before I

arrived. It was fun to watch the reaction of visitors and locals as they came upon the shocking sight of the blue painted corners of High and Grosvenor Sts. Apparently it has had some mixed reviews.

High Street is very wide and has angled parking which makes it difficult to see traffic while standing at the curb waiting to cross. One person suggested that a crosswalk might have been less unsightly, but drivers still would have had trouble seeing anyone beyond some of these vehicles. These are called bump outs and are meant to slow traffic and give pedestrians better access to cross the street. Each bump out is 10' out onto the road at its widest point.

When I took these pictures it was late on a quiet Sunday afternoon. This is also the less busy end, down by the cenotaph and the lake with the B&Bs lining the street. At this corner is a restaurant, a bank, the post office and a pub.

We also had something similar (though not nearly as bumped out) in my town, but I had no idea what the reasoning was behind the new paint and when I checked to confirm what I remembered as being green, I see it has disappeared.

I'll be interested to see if this is still in place next summer when the experiment is over. At best, maybe the blue will have lost some of it's brightness after the winter wind and snow.


sharing with signs,signs

at the end of the road

If you drive far enough along the long country roads, at the end you can see the blue line of the lake.

and further up the coast, you can still see a thin blue line of water beyond the icy, snowy shore.

by the second day of intense sunshine, you could see more melting

The beaches are empty at this time of year, most of the sand still under cover

the view at times a bit alien

the dogs, who are banned during the summer can roam free
The streets are quiet in the winter. The tourists and summer visitors have all disappeared. For those who are here, it can be a bit frustrating with so many shops shut for the season or having limited openings.

but signs are getting ready for summer.

The cottage was warm and inviting
the sunsets a calming feature.