I think I out-clevered myself with that title! 😀

It comes from the chorus to a song by fellow Scots, Biffy Clyro, and immediately sprung to mind when I read the prompt for today’s daily blog: ‘beach or mountains – which do you prefer, and why?’

Here in Scotland, we have plenty of both, but as always seems the case, you never really appreciate what’s right on your doorstep, do you?

There are plenty others who do of course, and our mountains, especially, attract a great many visitors, not only from home, but from across the world. Some of the beaches too, are absolutely spectacular.

There’s no doubting the splendor and sheer magnificence of what the country offers.

But it’s cold! And contrary to the impression given in the above photos, it’s frequently cloudy, grey, wet and miserable!

So, as far as my country of birth goes, and despite the assertion of Biffy Clyro, I am neither ‘mountain,’ nor am I ‘sea.’

No – for me to make a call on that one, I’d have to be in India – a country my wife and I have visited many times. I say ‘India,’ but in truth, we’ve only seen a very small part. We are always based in South Goa, and have traveled by train down to Karnataka and then made our way to the foothills of the Western Ghats (Shivamogga.)

No mountains, then. The Himalayas are a fair bit away!

So, I suppose I have to say I prefer ‘beach’ to ‘mountain.’

I’m really not a beach-person though. That bloody sand gets everywhere. And though I’m never bothered by mozzie bites, the sand-flies love my ankles. And the salt from the sea gives me the itch. And it’s so hot to walk along … burny feet as we say in these parts.

The beach shacks are great though – the food in most is first class and very cheap. As is the beer. (Hmmn … maybe I like the beach a little more than I think.)

You know the best part of our regular beach in Goa? The wildlife … and the not-so-wild, wildlife. The beaches may, generally speaking be largely devoid of people in the South, but they are teaming with seabirds, black kites, brahminy kites, crows, crabs, the occasional dolphin, herds of cows (yes, cows!) bulls … and my favourite of all – the stray, beach dogs.

These poor dogs may look scraggy and appear fearsome to some, but they really are the gentlest and loveliest dogs you will encounter. Every year we make friends with a few, and if they survive till the next tourist season, they absolutely do remember us and are so excited to see us.

(I wrote a short book about these dogs, available on Amazon, called: ‘Give The Dog A Home. 😉 )

Beach or mountains? What do I prefer?

Well – I am not a mountain – I am the sea.

So the beach has it. I am a beach … make of that what you will. 😀

__________