Robin, a fish and a giant metal head

robin and a big metal head
Originally uploaded by athens2004blog.

This is the last of the Robin shots from our Scottish trip, taken in a wee (see, I picked up the dialect) town called Kilmarnock.

We stopped off there for a couple of hours before getting the flight home (Dawn, it wasn't a work trip - it was a fun one, crammed in among a busy time at work).

It's not the most glamourous town, but the sun was shining and everyone seemed very friendly. And all down the main shopping street they had these little scupltures built into the street. I've tried to find out more about them online (because I think they're ace) but, as yet, to no avail.

There, that's four postings in 24 hours - we haven't been this prolific since the Olympics!

Robin at Loch Lomond

robin and a loch
Originally uploaded by athens2004blog.

This one was taken on the way back from Mull to Glasgow Prestwick airport, when we stopped off at one of the viewing areas for Loch Lomond.

Loch Lomond is approximately 23 miles long, and up to 5 miles wide, with a maximum depth of about 190 metres (620 feet). It is the largest body of inland water in Great Britain.

The loch famously features in Andrew Lang's verse, The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond, published around 1876.

You might know the chorus:

Oh, ye'll tak the high road, and I'll tak the low road,
And I'll be in Scotland afore ye;
But me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.

See, robintherobin.com - not just fun, but educational!

Robin on the isle of Mull

Robin on Mull
Originally uploaded by athens2004blog.

Hey up

Here's the second picture from our Scottish adventure. This was taken on the seafront in Tobermory on the isle of Mull, an island off the west of Scotland. All the buildings are painted different colours making for a place that looks like a toy town - which may be why a popular BBC kids show called Balamory is filmed there.

To Robin's right is the gorgeous seafront/harbour that the town is stretched around. It's a very beautiful place - well worth a visit if you're ever up that way.

Robin hits the Highlands

robin back to nature
Originally uploaded by athens2004blog.

Hello folks, hope you're all well.

Sorry for not posting for a while, I've been (as ever) rather busy.

We went up to Scotland for a few days last week (Fri to Mon) and this picture of Robin was taken on the gorgeous drive up from Glasgow to Oban (passing Loch Lomond), where we caught the ferry to the isle of Mull. Absolutely lovely scenery and, as you'll see, the weather was great.

More pics from our Scottish adventure coming soon...

www.robintherobin.com

robin addresses the world
Originally uploaded by athens2004blog.

Those of you who come to this blog via the www.athens2004blog.com might've noticed that although you can still get to the site, you now get an annoying pop-up from UK2.net.

The best, pop-up free way to get to the blog now is to come via www.robintherobin.com - which is pretty easy to remember, even for a toy bird.

STOP PRESS: Just to clarify, using robintherobin.com will still divert you to www.athens2004blog.blogspot.com (the overall holding page for the blog, and that address is fine to use still too). But if you were using www.athens2004blog.com you will now get a pop up from UK2. Hope that makes sense.

Spring seems to have turned up

A robin and a pear tree
Originally uploaded by athens2004blog.

After the cloudy, grey skies in London the other day (see below) spring seems to have arrived today - as the sun shines and the sky is a deep shade of blue. Whether the thousands running the London marathon are pleased about this heat is, of course, another matter. But myself and Robin are very pleased - which is why we took this picture out of the window of our flat.

Robin meets Chris Martin from Coldplay!

christopherrobin
Originally uploaded by athens2004blog.

Yes, a few months after he met Kylie, here's Robin going nose to beak with Chris Martin from Coldplay. As you'll see from the pic, the lovely Mr Martin was quite awed at meeting such an international star (this despite the fact he's married to Gwyneth Paltrow!) and the two chatted for a while, swapping tips about things like how to avoid being bothered in the street (Robin's advice was to 'just fly away').

Robin. And London.

robinontheroof
Originally uploaded by athens2004blog.

Hey up

Thought you might like to see a shot of Robin on the roof of the building where I work, which I just took during a hasty lunchbreak.

If you look very carefully you'll see the Millennium Eye big wheel over on the left and Big Ben somewhere over on the right. If you look not very carefully, you'll see clouds. Where did Spring get to?

Robin is cool!

Robin the cool dude
Originally uploaded by athens2004blog.

Hey up

Long time, no post - sorry, I've been flat out busy with work and then went to Hamburg for a few days but forgot to take Robin (that's what happens when you have to get up at 5am to catch a flight!). I did take a couple of 27 pics though if you want to see them (see 27 site link over on the links bit). Anyway, as I've not posted in ages, here's a bit of a catch-up.

The picture's of Robin in his trendy new leather jacket, about to flutter into town to wow the local chicks. (Okay, okay, he's sitting in the top of my leather glove, but you've got to admit it suits him).

I liked Vix's idea the other day about trying to think of what Robin's fans should be called. Any ideas gratefully received.

I'm also trying to think of another competition along the lines of the ones we had during the Olympics - so look out for that soon.

Any other big excitements? Well, tomorrow a bunch of us are going for an 8 mile country walk as kind of a wedding reunion - nice to get our mates back together for the first time since Athens. Oh, and Prince Charles is getting married today, but nobody that I know gives a monkeys. Was very surprised that his wedding was the top headline on the news in Germany last week. I think Brits are more excited about the Grand National horse race.

And finally, in smoothie news, this morning we had banana, milk, honey and a bag of frozen forest fruits, which worked very well blended up together - and was nice and cold because of the fruits being frozen.

That competition will be up within the next few days (just trying to think of something everybody can join in with, where's there's a definite answer at some point...)

STOP PRESS: For the benefit of Andria in Texas, and anybody else who doesn't know - forest fruit is the generic term for a bunch of fruits, usually berries, that you might find if you went wandering in a forest. We're talking blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, redcurrants, raspberries, that sort of thing. You get yoghurts, sweets (candy) and various other things in forest fruits flavour. Do they really not have that term Stateside?