Yep, that is me in three words, mostly. They are also names of towns or areas and the triumvirate recently received some media publicity. Bland is the newcomer to the paired towns of Dull in Scotland and Boring in Oregon. Apparently a local Scottish woman was a on a cycling holiday and passed through Boring in 2012 and set the ball rolling to pair the two towns for their mutual benefit. Bland has just jumped on board.
The first, Bland, in Australia. Well let me see. Shire of Blan is a local government area. It's kind of a bit south of the middle of New South Wales. Nice modern shire building.
Plenty of things to do in Bland's 'capital city' of
West Wyalong. But also one and a half hour away from West Wyalong, you can see
Iandra Castle. One and a half hours country driving is nothing for local folk, and I think it would be worth making the effort. It looks ever so European, French, dare I say.
Dull is in Scotland, a little to north in Scotland and rather to the middle. It has a population of about 80 people. I had a look around using Streetview and frankly (you knew this was coming) Dull looks rather....dull. It has a couple of nice churches but not a pub to be seen. How very un-Scottish.
The village housing appears to be well maintained and solid, probably like the good burghers of Dull themselves. It is starting out point for an organised Highland Safari, and it's only a 45 minute drive to Blair Castle, ancestral home of former British PM, Tony Blair*.
Maybe Boring will be more interesting. It is southeast of Portland in Oregon. It does have a pub, if that is what the Not So Boring Bar and Grill is, and you can buy a Boring Beer, which if anything like other American beers, you won't. It also has, for your convenience, a Clackamas County Bank. Clackamas sounds interesting and a little bit vulgar or naughty, so I did a little more research. It is a town to the west of Boring. You may want directions to Clackamas from Boring. I can tell you, and I am ever so proud of my own wit, you take the Road to Damascus. Check on a map if you doubt me (subsequently I find out I am not the first to suggest that route to Clackamas. I am really getting to like saying that name, Clackamas).
Speaking of which, while researching this piece, I was looking at an electric map and discovered there is a river just above Portland, Oregon. It is called the Columbia River. Just above the river is Vancouver. My head was a little confused with electrons buzzing around to make sense and I thought, ah yes, Portland is closer to Canada than I thought, and the marvellous cat rescuer/fixer/carer
Strayer has a kind and generous cat supporter friend there. Cogs meshed, belts whizzed, gears turned and I realised it is a different Vancouver. Just on the other side of the Columbia River in Oregon is the US Vancouver. Dearest Strayer, for we ignorant, you need to mention if it is not the Vancouver we all think of when we hear the name.
Better get back to looking at Boring. Dull, while dull is a very civilised place to live. How about Boring?
While Dull seems a bit huddled together, perhaps against the cold, Boring is widely spread out and looks quite pretty with lots of trees.
It does have a prosperous look to it. There are about 8,000 people in Boring and served by the incredible number of 14 churches or more! This is more a venue for a wedding than a church, but it is more interesting than the other modern and boring churches in Boring.
In the town itself, there is not too much to attract tourists, but there does seem to be many nearby forest parks.
Well, that was all a bit interesting and some fun.
*I made up the bit about Blair Castle being the ancestral home of Tony Blair.
