And the cottage itself!

I'm afraid I shall continue in my misanthropic ways, by stating that it is very difficult to get the proper feeling for a place when it is full of tourists, many of which, on this occasion,  had small children. But still, I am bound to think that had it been empty, I might still have been a little disappointed. I am beginning to think, with presenting the past, that a careful balance is needed, and in many cases, less is more. I often pine for the days I have read about in the travel books of HV Morton (who traveled about Britain in the 20s and 30s), as he sometimes describes going to the gatehouse of an old castle to procure the key, letting himself in. Those days are over and dead. But I think back to a trip my mother and my sister Heather took to Britain about twenty-five years ago, and miraculously, they caught the tail-end of that Morton-esque era. Things were still rough, unrestored, unexplained, when they came here. And I think that too much has been done to the cottage. Words have been written on the wall, with wee explanations beneath them. I suppose this is an artistic approach, and I should not be against it, yet, in order to get a proper feeling for what life was like when Burns scampered about as a poor child, I certainly don't want to see "Superstition and Folktales" (or some such nonsense) painted on the kitchen wall!

The cottage is on the main street of Alloway, but one is only able enter from the back.

The ghostly christening gowns, with the names of Robert and his siblings embroidered on them - all of which were born in the bed in which they are hanging.

The bed. I do love a good box bed.

One of the windows.

Standing beneath the gorgeous thatched roof, at the front of the house. 

Oh, I took this picture for old times sake. Had I come to Alloway nine years ago, when I first visited Britain, I'd have made quite a fuss of this war memorial. I confess, I still take pictures of them -and as you know - post them on my blog. But I *don't* go into high-pitched raptures about them anymore.

Besides, I like that old cinema there as well!