Driving Petra To The Sea

Not the Christmas that Petra had planned, and today before driving her to Edinburgh Airport, she eagerly took up my offer to see the North Sea.

Living in Prague, the ocean and seas are not a few minutes away and having experienced the magic of the sea on previous visits to Scotland she is keen to visit West Sands, St Andrews.

I can understand her affinity for the sea. Last year, when we visited Prague for Christmas, I was conscious of how far away the sea was and I found that distance slightly uncomfortable.

The extras show a very happy Petra, a very cold North Sea and the results of planting Marian grasses to restore and reinforce the sand dunes.

On the way to Edinburgh, Petra discussed the Christmas “Call the Midwife" and the scene which features the Callinish Standing Stones where California Girl had taken her two years ago.

Reading the Guardian Review of the programme I feel I should copy a paragraph which I find particularly pertinent as we enter 2020.

For people who aren’t fans, Call the Midwife is still dismissed as cosy telly, but they miss how radical it is – especially at this moment. It’s an alternate universe where wise, practical (“I’ve no quarrel with a good stout gumboot”), compassionate middle-aged women are in charge, and the highest calling is to help others. It’s a love letter to the wonders of community and universal healthcare.


Petra is training to be a Midwife.