Last June we once again visited the good lady’s brother and his family in The Netherlands. They live on the outskirts of Opende, on the border of Groningen and Friesland provinces.

Imagine our surprise when we came across an outbreak of pirate iconography on our first walk into the village. This mock-up of a ship from what seemed to be items lying about a farmer’s field was our first inkling:-

In the village itself there was lots of bunting festooned on the houses and gardens. This house also has an araucaria (monkey puzzle) tree:-

As well as bunting, this house also had a flag of Groningen province on display. Many houses in The Netherlands fly their province flag:-

In the town proper the Valkery Festival seemed to be the source of the pirate theme:-

The entrance featured an inflatable octopus:-

More than a few houses had embraced the pirate theme:-

Strathmiglo is a village in Fife, in which comedian Ronnie Corbett once had a home. We pass it on a regular basis. The road on which we do that, though, bypasses the main street but the way we come in passes a road named Cash Fues as the land there once belonged to the ancestors of country singer Johnny Cash.

One day last year we took the time to stop for a look round the village itself.

This is the tolbooth, built in 1734:-

View towards East Lomond – the second highest hill in Fife. (The highest is the West Lomond.)

There is a wonderful monkey puzzle tree (araucaria) just off the main street – with the kirk beyond:-

By the entrance to the kirk is a Pictish stone:-

A plaque on the wall beside it has a description:-

This is a converted windmill in Marum, Groningen Province, The Netherlands:-

This one’s for you, Denis. A Monkey-puzzle tree – or Araucaria to give it its botanical name – also in Marum:-