On the way home

So here we are back in good old blighty, heading north up the motorway from Dover. Our last full day of the holiday was spent in and around Valkenburg. It was good to have a change after three days of theme parks! In the morning we walked along to the little chairlift in the village and went up to the bobsleigh ride which turned out to be tremendous fun. It was not as scary as I had feared because you could control your speed, and its setting was a grassy hillside with views over the village. Everybody loved it. Then we had some shopping time in the very pleasant village centre and I couldn't resist buying a pair of clogs! I went for a traditional pattern and I'm intending to wear them rather than keep them as ornaments. In the afternoon we all went to a swimming pool in a neighbouring village. It was nothing special, by which I mean it was fine but just like any leisure pool in the UK, with river rapids and a flume. While I was standing in the shallow end looking after pupils who had lost their keys or bumped their heads, my thoughts were back in Scotland with our friend Ewan - it was his Mum's funeral in the afternoon and I knew that James and Ally would be there.
By the time we got back to the hotel the pupils were pretty exhausted, not just from today but cumulatively from the last five days! Tempers were fraying and I felt that although it had been a great school trip it was time for it to draw to a close. Thanks to a great deal of effort from Davie the trip has been a success for the pupil with autism; Davie has had quite a challenging job. We had a last night disco and after the pupils were in their rooms (although not asleep!) the teachers sat outside the hotel chatting one last time.
This morning we woke the pupils at six and left the hotel by eight. We were held up by a traffic jam (horses had strayed onto the motorway but none were hurt) but still had time to pay a visit to a cash and carry on the outskirts of Calais before we got onto the ferry. And so here we are, heading for home. We have been travelling for ten hours and we have about eight hours to go! 

Movie Park!

Back into Germany today; this time a two and a half hour journey to yet another theme park called Movie Park. I realised that I had absolutely no idea where I was on the globe, so I texted James who looked it up and told me "You are across the Rhine north east of Dusseldorf and near Essen, Dortmund and Duisburg, all famous for the 1000 bomber raids." So that's where I was. This was the biggest of our three theme parks, George had arranged it that way deliberately so that the pupils would not feel any anti-climax. Not surprisingly it is all about movies and we went to lots of rides. I was rather taken aback at how scary I found one of the rides; a train which made very sharp jerky turns and you felt that you were about to come off the tracks! Apart from that I am becoming more confident about going on rides; I used to go on plenty when I was younger but after I had the children I kind of got out of the habit. Today was very, very hot! I don't know the exact temperature but it was scorching and I had to seek out shade! The two and a half hour journey back was very hot too because the buses don't have very good air conditioning. Now we are back at the hotel relaxing. 

Phantasialand!

Into Germany today for another theme park, Phantasia Land. It was larger than Bobbejaanland and not quite so busy. I liked it. My favourite ride was the runaway train; the Colorado. It was thrilling without being absolutely horrendous! It was a great day, warm and humid, so we all felt very sticky by the end of it. The staff had a lovely lunch at a restaurant called Unter den Linden. In the evening we all went to play laser tag in amazing caves hollowed out into the hill side in Valkenburg. Everyone had a great time and I did ok, coming 3rd in my group of seventeen! Then it was back to the hotel to watch a Euro semi-final between Spain and Portugal, the pupils all watched it on a big screen. Spain won on penalties. My colleagues and I then sat outside the hotel at 11.30 laughing and chatting; I had already changed into my pyjamas but luckily the street was very quiet! A very good day. 

Bobbejaanland!

We have just had a sunny and exhausting day in Belgium at the above mentioned theme park Bobbejaanland, named after a famous (in Belgium) country and western singer. It is a pleasant medium sized theme park, built round a lake, with a suitably "wild west" theme although some rides do not seem to be quite in the correct genre, like the King Kong ride for example. The King Kong ride was however quite good fun, as the big monkey picked up the cabin in his big plastic arms and gave us a shaking! My favourite ride was a water ride where you went round and round then down the centre - it was like going down a plug hole! I went on quite a few rides with the rest of the staff and all the pupils seemed to have a great day - no mishaps I'm glad to say. The fun was not yet over because after a hearty dinner at the hotel we went 10 pin bowling at 10 p.m. I'm usually a bit ambivalent about bowling because I get bored of it quite quickly, but the convivial company made it a very enjoyable experience. Davie is doing an excellent job of supporting the pupil with autism to whom he has been assigned. Now we are back at the hotel having a chat, so I will go back to join my colleagues. 

Arrived in Holland

Here I am at the Hotel Dupuis in Valkenburg and I'm delighted that it has free internet access so that I can keep up my blogging habit. The journey was long and some pupils were travel sick but at last we are here, eighteen hours after leaving East Kilbride. The ferry crossing from Dover to Calais was very pleasant with sunny views of the white cliffs of Dover retreating in the distance. What I have seen of Valkenburg on the way in by bus is quite pleasant, a mixture of old and new on the outskirts with a pretty, cobbled street centre which we have yet to explore. The hotel is central, old fashioned but clean and well equipped, and at the moment everyone is unpacking and showering before dinner. I think everyone is relieved that the journey is over, and spirits are high! 

On the way to Valkenburg

Well we set off on our trip to Holland at ten o'clock this evening. Two buses with 68 excited pupils. I'm quite glad to be on the road after all the packing. David is on my bus too but of course he is not sitting with the teachers. I'm glad that he's here but I will miss my other boys. This afternoon James and I went to the Tramway Theatre to see Alan Cumming's one man version of Macbeth, set in a mental hospital. Very bleak but brilliantly performed, I don't know how he had the stamina to carry the whole play by himself. He used clever ways to convey the different characters, for example three screens showing him from different angles when he was being the witches. But in the end, as James pointed out, why bother doing it as a one man show when it was not written with that intention? Also, despite Alan Cumming's skilful use of different voices and postures I think that it would have been quite hard to follow if you didn't already know the plot of Macbeth. All in all I enjoyed the experience; I think that Alan Cumming is a brilliant actor, and it was great fun discussing it all with James on the way home. So back to the bus; the teachers and pupils have been watching the football on their phones and Italy have just beaten England on penalties in the Euros quarter finals. Great celebrations on the bus but I felt sorry for England. It is beginning to get dark as we head south on the motorway, but the pupils show no signs of settling down! 

Listen here!

This evening we went to the City Halls because Alasdair had kindly got us tickets for the Scottish Symphony Orchestra. These were free tickets as part of three days of "listenhere" BBC SSO concerts, and Ally and Cat came too. The first half consisted of "3 Places in New England" by Charles Ives followed by "Violin Concerto No.2" by Bartók. Frankly I was disappointed. Both works seemed very jarring and discordant to me. I suppose that everyone has different tastes in music and this was not mine. James felt the same way as me. After a quick drink it was time for the second half which was Dvorák's "Symphony No.9 in E Minor" otherwise known as the New World Symphony. This was more like it! It was excellent from start to finish; powerful, soft, loud, rhythmic, but most of all I liked the melodies. Why did I love this collection of notes but not the others? I don't know. 

A Graduation Feast

Well that's us just back from Dundee and I am relaxing in a warm bath. What a day! Our schedule was tight because I was at a big meeting in the morning and James, Ally, Davie and Grandma collected me from there and we went straight to Dundee. It was a special day despite the appalling weather and we ended the day with a delicious Italian meal at Don Michele's (pronounced Don Mikayleh) which is near Jamie's flat. It's not a fancy restaurant, but good food and good service. It was very busy with graduates and astutely had produced a compulsory fixed price graduation menu! We all chatted and had a laugh as our feet dried out after the torrential rain. Jamie was telling us all about his plans for the boat club and about how he and his friends have obtained some grants and are working hard to improve the boat house premises. Jamie was digging a hole to fix the drainage last week and a man from the adjoining estate came over to help him - and brought his JCB. They got a tremendous amount done and when Jamie thanked him he said that he was helping because he was so pleased that they were taking care of the place, which has not been the case in the past. Jamie also told us that he is working at an event one evening next week for the catering firm that he works for, and it is a "Ladies Night". I won't mention where the venue is. The organisers want the young male waiters to work without their shirts on and Jamie is being paid £30 extra to do so. Jamie thinks that this is a great joke and is happy to do it - he would do anything for £30! But I am not so sure. My son as a topless waiter? Sounds a bit sleazy to me. So anyway we chatted and ate our meal, I love it when our three boys get together and exchange stories and anecdotes. Grandma also enjoyed their chat and joined in by asking about their girlfriends and commenting on their haircuts! Among many other topics the boys were discussing how best to finish with a girlfriend and Jamie advocated the "it's not you it's me" method as the best one. Needless to say Ally and Davie were hanging on his every word as James and I looked on appalled! The journey home went fine - yes it was still raining - and we will sleep well tonight after our exciting day. 

A Graduation Deluge

Dundee is being lashed with rain on what must be surely be one of the wettest days of the year! We are here with Grandma for Jamie's graduation which took place in Caird Hall this afternoon. Jamie was resplendent in his kilt, gown and fur edged hood! It was a really nice occasion and the choir sang "Gaudeamus Igitur" which I always find moving. All the young people were so happy - today's cohort were dentists and doctors and BMSc graduates like Jamie. The ceremony started with a procession of all the academics. The Chancellor, Lord Patel, conferred the degrees by tapping each graduand on the head with a "Dundee Bonnet" as they graduated; this was specially spin, woven and dyed for the University by the Dundee Bonnetmakers Craft. When we came out it was raining quite hard but we set off to the garden party anyway - thinking that the rain would ease off a bit and anyway we had paid £11 per head for six tickets! However the rain got harder and harder and the wind picked up too! Instead of strolling around the grassy area in front of the University Union drinking bubbly and eating cucumber sandwiches and strawberry tarts, everybody was huddled in the marquees around it (still eating and drinking of course!) There was a brave jollity among the crowds reminiscent of Londoners during the Blitz. So now we are getting a heat in the car before we go out for dinner. Grandma said that she was very pleased to see one of her grandchildren graduate, which I thought was a very pleasant thing to say. 

Visiting

Tonight is the shortest night of the year and as I sit here blogging at 11 p.m. the sky outside still has some light. This evening I went round to see Marjory and the children with birthday presents for Neil and Lucy; both of their birthdays fall this week. The presents seemed be a hit and we all had a nice chat, they are all looking forward to their holiday in Florida next week. No sooner had I got home than there was a ring at the doorbell and I was delighted to find that a good friend had popped in to see me. We caught up on all sorts of news about family and friends, and I resolved not to leave it so long before catching up with friends. I don't know how other people manage to keep up with friends when life is so busy, I am lucky enough to have met many lovely people in my life but time flies by and I find that I haven't seen them for ages. James joined us for a cup of tea and gave us some of his delicious banana loaf. Now I am the only one left downstairs as James and the boys have gone to bed. 

Yummy in my tummy

The weather is back to lovely and in response I was in a tremendous mood. I had a good day at school then I took David and a pupil that he is befriending for the Holland trip for a yummy meal at TGI Fridays. As we drove along Bath Street on the way home we noticed that the passenger in the car in front of us had a large water pistol with which he was soaking unfortunate pedestrians. The driver swerved close to the pavement when they spotted a likely victim. The wet people were so taken by surprise that they didn't even have time to react! In principle we disapproved but it was kind of funny! When we arrived home the England v Ukraine match was just starting and I am now sitting relaxing on the couch while James, Ally and Davie watch the match. My tummy is full and I feel very contented. From the look of him I think that Jack feels the same way! 

After the rain

After all the rain yesterday it was nice to wake to a soft, grey summer's morning. I went along to put in Grandma's eye drops then did some schoolwork before Jennifer cooked us all a tasty breakfast of pancakes. Jack's basket of cat mint just outside the French windows has now flowered with little lilac coloured blooms and is being visited by bees. It was amusing to watch Jack staring at the bees from inside, and swatting the glass with his paw! Jennifer and I then went into Glasgow to go shopping, an unusual pastime for me. I have never been a big shopper and neither is James; we shop from necessity rather than pleasure. However I found today quite pleasant; Jennifer and I browsed around various shops in Princes Square and then went for a delicious lunch in Zizzis, chatting all the while. By the time we got home we only had time for a quick cup of tea with James before Jennifer had to head for the airport. It has been lovely to see her and I'm looking forward to a spa weekend with her in the autumn. 

A book signing on Bloomsday

A very literary day for me because I accompanied Jennifer to two book signings. The first was at Waterstones in Sauchiehall Street; it was a rainy morning and the shop was quiet so she didn't sell many copies. However we did have a lovely coffee and chat. Then we rushed to East Kilbride; the Waterstones there was nice and busy and Jennifer did a brisk trade. Needless to say, given the location, I met quite a few people that I knew! One of these was Lee, who used to volunteer in my workplace and is now running the children's section of EK Waterstones, he is a pleasant chap. We were in the shop for several hours and had lunch there. It was an interesting experience for me and surprisingly tiring. When we got home Jenn went to a party in the west end and I gave Ally a lift to Dunlop to a party there, then picked up Jennifer who didn't want to stay late. This gave me the opportunity to listen to a bit of Radio 4's Bloomsday coverage as I drove along. Ewan and Heather had kindly alerted me to this a couple of weeks ago because they know that I read Ulysses last summer; as all aficionados will know, the events of the book take place on 16th June 1904 and it has become an annual day of celebration especially in Dublin. In honour of this the BBC were broadcasting excerpts from the book over the course of the day, each extract at about the time of day that it was supposed to happen. Each piece was introduced and explained. The bit I listened to was the beach scene in the evening and it sounded a lot ruder than when I read it! Later on Jenn, Davie and I relaxed on the couch eating pizza! 

I get to carry an Olympic Torch

Great excitement at school when our local Olympic torch carrier kindly brought in her torch to show the pupils. I got a photo of me holding it, I also had a wee run up and down the corridor with it - it was great fun! Jennifer is here to spend the weekend with us and it is very nice to see her. We had a nice chat last night and watched a chick flick called "Dear John" which was a bit irritating. Today I was at work and Jennifer had lunch with a friend. I had an unfeasibly busy day at work but actually I quite enjoy that. Then I discovered that I had a flat tyre when I set off home but luckily James has an electric pump so Chris and David pumped it up for me. Jennifer is out this evening with a friend and tomorrow we are going to be on the "literary circuit" of Glasgow and East Kilbride. I have had a curry with Ally, Davie and Cat - she has been doing her Duke of Edinburgh residential week for her Gold Award by repairing paths on Ben Lomond, and I am about to settle down to do a bit of paperwork. I am looking forward to a weekend with my sister! 

Advice from my son

I was really moved to receive this email from David who sent it to me when I was feeling a bit disgruntled about something. He is so thoughtful. I have always aimed to be a parent to my children rather than trying to be their friend, however it is very gratifying that they are beginning to become friends to me too!

Hi Mum
I found an interesting Psychology article and I think that this passage would explain why people can appear to be horrible towards other people:
"Ever wonder how an encounter goes so quickly awry? Doubt your own perceptions? Feel thrown totally off balance by another person? Manipulation comes in many forms: There are whiners. There are bullies. There are the short-fused. Not to forget the highly judgmental. Or the out-and-outsociopath. But they often have one thing in common: Their MO is to provoke, then make you feel you have no reason to react—and it's all your fault to begin with! Feeling deeply discounted, even totally powerless, while having to jettison the original aim of an interaction is a distressing double whammy of social life—and a cardinal sign you're dealing with a difficult person. No, it's not you. It's them. And it's the emotional equivalent of being mowed down by a hit-and-run driver."

Remember that its their goal to make you feel like you have done something wrong so dont take it to heart if people have goes at you.

David 

I become a Duke of Edinburgh Assessor!

Over the last two days of our Qualifying expedition in the Pentlands I have also been undergoing an assessment myself! This is in order to become a D of E assessor. I have already done the online modules and attended a training course, but you also have to do a supported assessment out on the hills. I did the pre-expedition checks, discussed the route with the pupils and leaders, discussed where the pupils would be check pointed, met up with the teams en route, and at the end I debriefed the teams and told them that they had passed the expedition section. I really enjoyed it. And when I had finished, Carolyn (my assessor) said to me "Congratulations Susan, you are now a Duke of Edinburgh Assessor!" I was delighted! The journey back to the west went well and I was home in time for tea. James was in Warwick today and he got in shortly after me. He has just pointed out to me that my face is sunburned, which I find unfair because although it was a fine day it was only sunny for the last hour of walking. It must have been fierce. So now the boys are yet again watching "The Euros" which is the European football championships. David tells me that it is the Eurovision of football! This gives me the opportunity to blog and bath. 

Sleeping on the Baronial floor

I am just settling down for the night on a sleeping mat on the floor of a small hall at Bonaly campsite. Its grand title of "The Baronial Hall" is certainly not appropriate but it does have a sink and an electric socket where we can plug in a kettle. I am not alone; four of my colleagues are scattered around the floor in their sleeping bags, and I know that one of them is reading because I can see her head torch moving about. It has been a long day, but the expedition has gone well. I cannot go into details for reasons of confidentiality but suffice it to say that some pupils walk much slower than others and I can only praise the patience and endurance of my colleagues! We had a good laugh over the pizza that we ordered in for tea. As we walked along on the north side of the Pentland Hills today I had plenty of time to appreciate the beauty of the countryside. There are lots of small reservoirs and hedgerows with lots of flowers beside them. After we rounded the end of the Torduff reservoir we went up a small hill from which we had tremendous views over Edinburgh; the pupils were impressed to be able to see Edinburgh Castle, Arthur's Seat and the Firth of Forth. And so to bed; the floor feels rather hard through my sleeping mat! 

Sociable Sunday

Well we have had a social day! In the morning we did some cooking for lunch time; I made the starter (poached salmon and avocado) and the main course (Basque chicken) and James made white chocolate ice cream. It's a long time - at least two years - since we have used the ice cream maker, so he had to find the instructions and work out how to use it again. Let's just say that there was a bit of shouting! Heather and Ewan came for lunch with Andrew; it was great to see him and to hear all about his first year of studying Law at university. He clearly enjoys it and is making the most of his time there; he even said that it has been the best year of his life so far. After lunch Cat popped round bearing a welcome tray of cupcakes and we had coffee and chatted about various subjects, it was very relaxing and friendly. Unfortunately my lovely god-daughter Jennifer couldn't be there because she has a bad cold. It was a good afternoon to sit around chatting because the weather was very rainy. 

Later on Grandma came round for tea and Jamie arrived home from watching the boat racing at Strathclyde Park. Needless to say James and I weren't very hungry after our big lunch but the boys are always hungry so they ate up the remainder of the Basque chicken and Grandma ate some too. James thought it actually tasted better reheated! Grandma was in good spirits and her eye looks almost back to normal after her second cataract operation. So it has been a pleasant and sociable day. Now I should be heading to bed but in fact I am watching a spooky film with Sandra Bullock in it called "Premonition"! It is really quite scary! 

The easiest guests ever

I was slightly apprehensive when Jamie asked me if he could bring five of his boat club friends to stay with us this weekend. However I need not have worried; not only are they very pleasant and polite young people (who even brought us wine and flowers to say thank you), but they are very self-entertaining and need no attention. They brought in food for their dinner and cooked and ate it with much laughter and chat, then settled down to watch a film. When we woke up this morning they were already gone to their rowing competition at Strathclyde Park. Jamie was there only to cheer them on, because his injured toe prevents him from taking part just now. It looks gruesome. James and Davie went hill-walking today to Lochearnhead while Ally was supposed to be studying; I went into town to meet Wendy, Maggie and Helen for lunch at Amarone. These girls are such great company and I look forward to our twice yearly lunches very much. The food was very good and our lunch ended up lasting four and a half hours of chat and laughter! In the evening James and I decided to go to the cinema to see "The Angel's Share" so we set off to Springfield Quay, only to find that it was sold out. We recovered the situation by going to the GFT instead where there were plenty of seats. What a lovely film! Set in Glasgow it is very funny but also thought provoking, with a feel good ending that somewhat defies belief! When we got home our pleasant young guests were all happily watching a film in the extension - or so I thought. When I went into the computer room to find a recipe book I was surprised to find a handsome young man already in his camp bed through there. He was surprised to see me too. And I couldn't help noticing that he was not wearing pyjamas. 

June is bustin' out all over!

I did a bit of driving around today as I had meetings in different schools, and despite the grey skies I enjoyed the lush greenery of summer. Every hedge and tree is bursting with leaves, and the temperature is pleasant, with the chill of winter long gone. I'm sure that I have already said that I love this time of year with all the promise of summer ahead. I was passing near home at lunch time so I popped in and made myself a sandwich. Jack was so excited when he heard me come in that he ran downstairs and skidded on the wooden floor of the hall. When we went to look at his bowl Jack and I were both shocked to find that it was empty so I remedied this immediately! Meanwhile David enjoyed his first day of timetabled classes, and told me on the way home in the car that he really likes the school. It is a big change for him and I so hope it is a good move. Later on David and I went round to see Grandma and to put in her eye drops - another four weeks of eye drops to go! She is in a jolly mood and was talking about holidays which is always a good sign that her spirits are high. 

I get an interesting bruise

This has been a very busy day and a very important one for Grandma and Davie. At 6.30 a.m. James took his Mum to Ross Hall to get her second cataract operation; she was very upbeat about it and keen to get it over with. All went well and when we went round to see her tonight she was very happy. Today was also David's first day at his new school which is also my school! He was nervous but brave and I ran in to school when we arrived to purchase a school tie for him. I kept an eye on him from a distance during the day and he coped really well with his induction, which consisted of a series of seminars about health and well-being as well as advice and information about 5th year. At lunch time I saw him sitting with a group of boys; I strolled past subtly and he told me later that one of the boys said "Why has Mrs Anderson walked past us and looked at us twice?" David may not know many pupils yet but he knows plenty of staff both in my department and the staff who were in Paris with us last year, so all day teachers were asking him how he was getting on! He will start his proper timetable tomorrow.
Meanwhile I have noticed a large bruise on my upper arm, painful to the touch. I was very intrigued by this and my imagination was running riot as to the cause - I couldn't remember hurting myself and I wondered if it might be blood poisoning from an insect bite. Then the penny dropped - it is a bruise from the rifle when I was clay pigeon shooting! I must have been holding the rifle a bit wrongly, through my own stupidity because Hugh gave us excellent tuition. I must have held the rifle butt more against my arm that against my shoulder. It didn't hurt at the time but has produced a spectacular bruise.
This evening I went back up to school; this time with James. We went to the 5th year parents open evening and found it interesting and informative. I was trying to see the school from James' point of view as a parent, and I think it's pretty impressive. 

Jubilee!

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee culminated today in a Church Service, a carriage ride, and an appearance by the Royal family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace when there was a fly past by various aircraft including the Red Arrows. The Queen was accompanied to St Paul's Cathedral for the service by a lady in waiting because Prince Philip is still in hospital, which was quite sad. We watched bits of the celebrations on television including highlights of the river pageant on Sunday as well as sitting out in the garden because it was warm and sunny for most of the day. A highlight for me was seeing all the people streaming down the Mall towards Buckingham Palace. The Royal family are so much a part of this country and the Queen has worked so hard all her life. I don't think anyone is better than anyone else just because they are born royal but I think Britain would be poorer without having a royal family. In the afternoon about twenty of Ally's friends came round for a Jubilee party! They had a barbecue in the garden and all turned up looking very smart wearing red, white and blue clothes. Cat looked gorgeous in a Union Jack dress and had brought cupcakes that she had made and decorated herself with little Union Jack flags. One of Ally's friends had brought him a Jubilee teapot and he was absolutely thrilled. It was a very jolly party; they are a really nice bunch of young people and they spent the afternoon eating, drinking and even some dancing! Jack quite enjoyed their company and went into the garden to socialise with them. Luckily the weather stayed dry until about five and they all sat out in the garden and went on the trampoline.
In the evening Grandma took us out for dinner to Fratelli's and we had a pleasant meal together. And so ends the jubilee weekend. 

A thousand beacons

Today we went clay pigeon shooting at Rothiemurchus. I have no talent for this but I do enjoy it, and I found that when I listened carefully to Hugh's expert instructions I had some small success. We then went for a circular walk from Coylumbridge south through the forest; we had great views of the Cairngorms.
In the afternoon we visited the Osprey RSPB centre at Loch Garten. We have visited it many times over the years and it's always nice to be back. This year there are three chicks to EJ and Odin, and we could see them in their nest via binoculars and the camera above the nest. We could also see two woodpeckers and some chaffinches at the bird feeders outside the hide. As we walked along the shore of Loch Garten Alison spotted a sandpiper sitting on a branch beside the water.
Later we went out for a meal to another favourite place; Andersons Restaurant in Boat of Garten. The meal was absolutely delicious; Alison, Hugh and James told me that their steaks were wonderful but I felt that I won the jackpot with my fish tagine, which was really special. We finished off sampling the homemade ice creams, of which we all felt that the black treacle ice cream was the winner! We said our goodbyes to Alison and Hugh after dinner and set off for home just before nine; it was still light for most of the journey and we made very good time because the roads were quiet - two and a quarter hours. On the way we could see beacons on some hills above Perth and Dumyat in the Ochils; these were some of the thousand beacons that have been lit the length of the country to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. When we got home we watched a few highlights of this evening's concert outside Buckingham Palace; it looked amazing, especially Madness singing "Our House" from the roof of Buckingham Palace as pictures of houses with people celebrating were projected onto the facade. Paul McCartney was also good, singing a medley of songs. Prince Charles actually made a decent job of his speech at the end, paying tribute to his mother and also his father who has been taken to hospital unwell with a bladder infection - probably he caught a chill when he was standing on the Royal Barge yesterday, because we saw some of the footage and it had been was lashing with rain! We have recorded the concert to watch later this week , so headed off to bed, pleasantly tired by a weekend of fresh air, exercise, and great food. 

Cycling at Linn of Dee

James and Alison set out early this morning on their long planned walk along the Lairig Gru. Hugh gave them a lift to Loch Morlich and they got started at 8 a.m. Hugh and I then drove round to meet them at the other end if their walk; they were going to walk out at Linn of Dee. We headed for Ballater first; we were driving behind a German tourist bus as we arrived at the picturesque and very steep Gairnshiel Bridge. The bus stopped for a minute as all the tourists jumped out to take pictures and then teetered over the bridge - I really thought it was going to get grounded at the steep bit in the middle and as it went over the back wheels went way up in the air but it made it! I was delighted to go along the road from Tomintoul to Cockbridge for the first time in many years - it is the road that always closes first when Scotland gets snow, and you always hear about it on the radio. It is very steep in places but on this verdant early summer's day it was difficult to imagine it deep with snow. We arrived at Ballater and had a look around. There is a brand new Jubilee memorial beside the church; it's a rockery with stones from all the different mountains in the area, and the large central stone is inscribed with the dates 1952 - 2012. There's also a little metal statue with a crown on it. Nearly all the shops had displays of red, white and blue in their windows and there was bunting in the streets. Ballater is so close to Balmoral; it has very strong links with the royal family. Of course they weren't there today - they were all on the royal barge on the Thames in the rain! We had brunch in a nice cafe then went to cycle 5 km from Linn of Dee to Derry Lodge, where we intended to leave the bikes for James and Alison, then walk back. However we set off in the wrong direction from the car park and cycled about 3 km before we asked another cyclist if we were on the right route. He kindly redirected us and we had to cycle back to the car park and then find the right track. When we finally arrived at Derry Lodge (about 5 more km) James and Alison were already arriving. They had made very good time and enjoyed their walk very much; it's the first time either if them has walked the Lairig Gru. They had some hailstones at the top but the weather was mainly good. They had met Carolyn and Euan, who were walking the other way, and had a brief chat with them. We all made our way back to the car; I suggested that Alison and Hugh should use the bikes because Hugh had waited for me very patiently so it was only fair that he should get a proper cycle with Alison. James & I walked back chatting and by ten past four we were heading back to Boat of Garten. A lovely relaxing evening ensued; Alison made us another delicious dinner and then we sat in the lounge talking during the light evening. We saw two buzzards circling above the garden and the nearly full moon rising. A great day. 

A sunny walk from Carrbridge

Today James and I set off up to Boat of Garten to spend the weekend with Alison and Hugh. The traffic was very busy but we weren't seriously held up and we got there in plenty of time for lunch.
In the afternoon we walked a circular route from Carrbridge to Sluggan Bridge, through forests and high green meadows with old juniper bushes. We saw rabbits and heard a cuckoo. The weather was glorious and it got warmer and warmer as the afternoon progressed. We walked 13 km and it took us 3 hours which I think is a good speed considering the heat. I flagged a bit in the middle mainly because I was getting very hot. I drank loads of water and kept needing to go to the toilet! But I got a second wind towards the end and it was a very good walk, with beautiful views across the valley.
Later Alison made us a wonderful dinner. Bruschetta and a mushroom risotto were followed by chocolate fondants which were amazing - when you stuck your spoon into them a delicious chocolate melting middle came oozing out. 

Jubilee Weekend Dessert

We went over to Heather and Ewan's for our dinner tonight and had a lovely evening with a delicious meal - stuffed aubergines, a gorgeous Portuguese stew, and a red, white and blue Jubilee dessert that was so attractive; a cream covered trifle decorated with raspberries and blueberries. It also tasted great! This got me thinking about the Diamond Jubilee weekend ahead; it really is a very historic occasion. The Queen is the second longest serving monarch of Great Britain ever, only Queen Victoria has reigned longer (63 years). My Mum used to tell me that my grandmother bought her first television in 1953 so that her family could watch the coronation. On Sunday there will be a flotilla of 1000 boats going along the Thames with the Queen on the Royal Barge. Then on Monday there will be a Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace and on Tuesday a service of thanksgiving at St Paul's. I have to admit I quite like all this pageantry, it is like a link back in time to Royal celebrations of over a thousand years.