And so it is the Easter Holidays! We have had a good weekend. On Saturday we took Ally and Grandma over to Crawford & Son to collect Ally's kilt, waistcoat and jacket. He looked very smart in his Anderson tartan kilt and gave Grandma a big thank you hug right there in the shop, which I thought was very sweet. Then we went to Rouken Glen Garden Centre for lunch. We bought some asparagus bulbs which James planted later; you are not supposed to pick them for the first two years but then they produce crops for twenty to thirty years! We also bought some cat mint for Jack (his drug of choice!) which we have planted in a basket on the patio; he is enjoying having a nibble at it. Michael and Lil came for dinner on Saturday evening and we had a great evening with them. And on Sunday we had lunch in Carluccio's with Heather and Ewan and heard all about their ski holiday in Cervinia, which sounds wonderful! Their photos of the Matterhorn were stunning and they had plenty of snow, sun and skiing. Grandma came for dinner and we watched the film "Warhorse" which I thought was trying too hard to be an epic - parts of it were good. However Grandma was convinced that the horses were really being injured and she thought it was very cruel! Davie showed her the statement at the end that no animals had been injured while making the film, but I don't think she believed it!
Which all brings me to today. James and I were going to go walking and camping in Perthshire for a couple of days this week but the weather forecast was for cold nights and rainy days. So we changed our plans and we have come over to the Isle of Bute where we are walking the length of the island (the West Island Way!) over two days. And instead of a tent we are spending tonight in a rather nice hotel in Rothesay called The Victoria Hotel. Today we walked north west from Rothesay to Ettrick Bay and then north to Rhubodach where the ferry goes across to Colintraive on the Cowal peninsula. Rhubodach is pronounced "rub O dach" with the emphasis on the middle syllable, not Rubadub as we called it! It was a journey of 19.5 km and it was quite challenging for me. The weather was warm and sunny, unlike the forecast, we only had one shower. We saw a golden eagle soaring around a field and lots of cute little lambs with their mummies. James & I had a pleasant time chatting as we went along, although we had one brief falling out when I heard James muttering to himself that I was going too slowly (he mutters to himself but it is meant for my ears!) We travelled back to Rothesay by taxi with a lovely driver who told us that when Rangers and Celtic fans from Rothesay go to a football match in Glasgow they all travel in the same bus, which drops them off some way from the venue! How refreshing! After a rest at the hotel we went for a hearty dinner at the Waterfront Bistrot which was a friendly place with huge servings. Now we are in our comfy hotel room and James is fast asleep already.
