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Picture credit: Britta Benson

We’re back in Scotland, and true to form, she welcomes us with drizzle. The moment we crossed the border, the blue skies disappeared, as if by magic, and clouds moved in. I always love the arrival in Scotland on the motorway. The first sign you see is the exit for Ecclefechan. And yes, one simply has to cherish this name. Ecclefechan. Ecclefechan. Ecclefechan.

In our family, ‘Ecclefechan’ has become a replacement for swear words. ‘Get the Ecclefechan out of here’ – sounds ever so slightly better than the alternative.

Whenever we’re on the road for a long car journey, we play a game. Not ‘I spy’, oh no, those days are gone and thank goodness for that. Both my husband and my son are masters of ‘I spy’ and go down to the microscopic and the philosophical level. Nowadays, we play the ‘most interesting thing’ game. Whoever spots the most interesting thing on the journey, wins. And you’d be right to assume that a 1000 mile car journey should provide lots of interesting things. Gazillions. Oodles. A plethora of wonder.

Our trips to Germany and back are usually jam packed with remarkable sights and it’s always quite a challenge to pick the winner. One of my all time favourites was the spectacle of more than a dozen red kites gliding above us for a good wee while close to Hever Castle – almost to the point that it looked like they were following us. It was majestic.

This time round, the journey happened to be rather uneventful. We were ready to give up, when…

…when we had to slow down a bit due to roadworks and suddenly, I looked over to the verge and saw a something bent over nibbling the grass. I could only see the brown back and thought, hey, that’s a weird looking rabbit. Something’s wrong here. The animal lifted its head and I was still none the wiser. At first I thought it was a miniature goat, because of the horns. But the horns weren’t like goat horns, they looked more like unbranched antlers and the creature looked like a tiny, stocky deer. A mini deer and it stared straight into my eyes.

We had a moment.

‘That’s a muntjac’, my husband said, when I described what I had just seen. I googled it and yes, I am pleased to announce that yesterday, I saw a muntjac for the very first time at the side of the motorway. I hope the wee fellow went back into the shrubbery.

We’re home. The air is so much fresher here. Crisp. It’s so much easier to breathe. After nearly twenty three years in Scotland, I struggle with the heaviness of the central German air. It feels old. Used. Even dirty.

I’m breathing deeper here.

Happy Monday to you all, and I’ll see you here tomorrow, if you wish!