Best Big Birthday ever!

I can’t believe that I’m 60! How lucky I am to have reached this age! And what a lovely day I have had so far. It had snowed overnight so I woke to gorgeous wintry scenes with snow quite far down the hills opposite the cottage; I really like it when it snows on my birthday because there was a lot of snow on the day that I was born. After breakfast I was planning a quiet day while the young folk were talking about going up Ullapool Hill, when Cat turned to me and said, “You could come with us?”

I haven’t been taking much (any!) exercise since I broke my arm; it has been very painful so not conducive to striding out anywhere. However when Cat suggested that I accompany them I suddenly realised that this was exactly what I should do on my 60th. So, with a little trepidation, I set off up the hill. My gorgeous girls Cat and Chanel walked at my slower pace, claiming that it suited them too, and chatted to me the whole way. Davie & James took a longer route, and met us near the top. It was a really pleasant walk, and I was so glad that I did it, it felt like a very positive start to my next decade. The views at the top were pleasingly monochrome with snow capping the hills as far as the eye could see. 

Cat had ordered a birthday cake for me with a photo of me with my four boys on it! She had then decorated it further with chocolate icing. It was absolutely delicious and everyone sang Happy Birthday to me.

Blowing a hoolie

Well here we are back in Ullapool and the weather is absolutely horrible; very wet and windy. James and I drove up yesterday afternoon with the cats and switched on the heating and lit the fire to warm up the cottage. This morning we did a food shopping at Tesco for the next few days; we are going to spend the end of 2022 and the start of 2023 here with Ally, Cat, Davie and Chanel. From there we walked down to the front to look at the progress of the construction work there, at which point the rain became even heavier and we scuttled to the shelter of the Bothy café for lunch. When we turned the corner from West Shore Street into West Lane the wind blew the rain hard right into our faces. It was very cosy in The Bothy and our table was right beside the wood-burning stove. Now we’re back in the cottage where James has lit the fire and I’m watching a 1982 film called “Evil Under the Sun” starring Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot. Set in the sunshine of the Adriatic, it is in welcome contrast to the chilly weather here in Ullapool.

Update later: the film was pleasant but rather dated.

Update in evening: Davie and Chanel have arrived safely in Ullapool despite snow falling heavily around Aviemore and lying on the road between Inverness and Ullapool. 

Sticky toffee puddings

Ally and Cat had planned to go hill-walking today, however the weather was absolutely appalling; heavy rain battering down relentlessly. This meant that they were available to join us for an early dinner with Christine and Gerry, which was very pleasant, but it was a pity that they didn’t get to spend the bank holiday outdoors as they had wished. Davie was unwell and spent the whole day in bed, possibly with the flu. I checked in on him and brought him drinks and lemsips, he wasn’t hungry at all, and I felt worried about him. 

All of the three courses that we made for dinner turned out well. James made carrot and coriander soup to start, and I had made a venison casserole which seemed to go down well with the boys; Cat, Christine and I had a mushroom stew with crème fraîche and paprika. However the pièce de resistance was the dessert of sticky toffee puddings. It’s a long time since I have made these and they turned out very well if I say so myself! I had worried that they looked rather dark but they were delicious, as was the sauce that was poured over them. I kept one aside for Chanel when she returns from Warrington because it’s her favourite dessert. Good food and good conversation made it a very happy afternoon and evening. 

Boxing Day with the Rennies

James, Ally, Davie and I travelled through to Abigail and Graeme’s today for Boxing Day lunch. Today would have been my lovely Uncle Bill’s 83rd birthday had he not died in October. If he had lived to be 83 he would have lived a longer life than both of his parents as well as all of his siblings, however his mother (my grandmother) was slightly older than him when she died. I will always remember Bill’s distinctive and very pleasant voice; his speech often punctuated with a little laugh on the intake of breath. We all missed him at the lunch, and he was mentioned often throughout the meal, but it was still a very upbeat, happy afternoon. As well as Abigail and Graeme, Katy, Janie and Julie were there. Robert should have been there but is unwell, in fact he was in hospital last week. It was good for Ally and Davie to spend time with some of the Rennie side of the family in a small group to get to know them better, because they usually see them in a cast of thousands at larger family occasions. I was proud of both of them, they were charming and polite. Julie (who is a physiotherapist) warned me that I have been doing too much with my broken wrist and said that I should wear my wrist support more. I have been lifting and carrying casserole dishes and trays of food and drink a great deal over Christmas; James would have done this for me but he was also busy serving and carrying food, so rather than wait for him I would just do it myself, which with hindsight was foolish: my wrist is now sorer than it was when the cast was taken off. I have resolved to be more careful.

Abigail’s house is warm and inviting, which is just as well because it was cold and dreich outside, and a convivial family lunch was an excellent way to spend the afternoon. 

Christmas Festivities

Merry Christmas from Casa Anderson. We have had a really lovely day, all about family and tradition. Santa did indeed visit us and left presents for James and I as well as the young ones. We opened them under the tree and then dashed around to get ready in time for Forrest, Marjory, Jenny, Neil and Lucy arriving for our Christmas morning meet up. We had champagne and sausage rolls (both meat and veggie!) and then Christmas cake and coffee and we all chatted and exchanged yet more gifts. I reflected on how lucky we are to be safe and warm on Christmas morning. 

We watched the King’s Speech at 3 p.m. it gave me a pang to hear God Save the King instead of the Queen. Charles made a good job of his first Christmas address as monarch; he kept it short and sweet, and he broadcast it from St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. After raising our glasses to the King it was time for dinner. Christmas dinner went very well, there were no culinary disasters and Ally, Davie and Chanel were very complimentary about the meal. We had a rest before dessert, and then spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in the lounge, playing board games and generally relaxing. I didn’t play the first one, Betrayal in the House on the Hill, because it’s quite complicated. However I was persuaded to join in Codenames, which was great fun and very lively, we had a such a good laugh. 

However someone wasn’t all that happy; our Flora. She is a creature of routine and was most dissatisfied that we were in the lounge instead of the living room. Tom wasn’t bothered at all and came and went as he pleased all day, but Flora did a bit of shouting and when Ally took her to the utility room to see if she wanted food, she asked to get into the living room and was most annoyed when Ally returned to the lounge. She’s a funny wee creature. And so another Christmas is over. We felt the absence of our parents, and we also missed our Jamie (who is having a sunny seaside Christmas with the Appletons in Waiheke Island), however it has been a really great day, both fun and relaxing.

Elf and Cooking

Ally and Davie went to the butchers at 10 a.m. to collect the turkey that we had ordered, as well as gravy, two kinds of stuffing, and chipolata sausages. Ordering the turkey from our local butcher is a Christmas tradition of Grandma’s, and going down to the butcher’s at the beginning of December to order the turkey reminds me of her. I miss her especially at this time of year. 

We went into town for a bite to eat before going to see Elf at the St Enoch Centre Vue cinema. I haven’t been there before because it’s fairly new, and it’s very smart with recliner seats. Andrew came along too, after lunch with Ally, and after the film we went to Sloan’s for drinks. We were lucky to get a nice wee table where we all chatted. Andrew was telling me that he has recently finished reading “A la Recherche du Temps Perdu” and I look forward to discussing it with him. Andrew and I share a love for Russian writers too; I think that he likes Chekhov best, as do I, but I’m developing a taste for Turgenev. 

Home from town we got down to some serious preparation. James stuffed and sewed up the turkey, and made the sherry trifle (to Grandma’s recipe of course.) Chanel made some lovely ginger biscuits in the shape of Christmas jumpers which we decorated later, and I made sticky toffee puddings which turned out a bit messy but tasted good. Ally made a steak dinner and we ate it while watching quiz shows on television. 

The young ones laid out their stockings at bedtime, and hopefully Santa will remember to visit Casa Anderson during the night! 

The Burrell

I have only been to the Burrell once since it reopened earlier this year, and it’s many years since Davie has been. Chanel has never visited it. So it seemed like a good venue for a wee pre-Christmas outing. And indeed it was, it’s an interesting collection of miscellaneous artefacts that caught William Burrell’s fancy on his travels, although James rather harshly refers to it as a jumble sale! We started off with a light lunch in the café, and then went for a wander around the galleries, chatting and using the interactive games which were good fun. There was a particularly lovely tapestry which I hadn’t noticed before, embroidered with a field of flowers among which lurked dragons and griffins and a creature with a dragon’s body and a chicken’s head which is called a “cockatrice.”

Then it was time to do the last of the Christmas food shopping; I went to both Sainsbury’s and Marks and Spencer’s at Kingsgate to get the last few items I needed for Christmas dinner, and also some venison for a casserole that I made later, for the Reid’s’ lunch on the 27th. Both shops were busy but not unreasonably so, and I felt quite efficient as I drove home in the happy knowledge that all of my festive errands are done.

Casablanca

James and I watched Casablanca this afternoon, while Davie and Chanel were wrapping their presents in the lounge. It was excellent from start to finish. It was released in 1942 and I can hardly believe that it’s eighty years old! It has aged really well, and it’s amazing that it was made during the 2nd World War, when the outcome of the war was by no means clear. I enjoyed its many iconic lines and of course its famous song “As Time Goes By.” Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall were brilliant, but I think that Claude Rains stole the show as the cheerfully corrupt but good-hearted chief of police. To my surprise James had never seen it before and he loved it. 

Earlier in the day we went to May Anderson’s funeral, she had a good and long life, born in 1934, but it was still a sad occasion, especially for her four daughters and her grandchildren. I didn’t know (until the eulogy today) that her mother had died the day after she was born. May loved music and we left the service to “Unforgettable” sung by Nat King Cole.

Wrapping

This afternoon James and I wrapped all of the Christmas presents in the lounge. James put on some Christmas music and lit the fire, and we had a very pleasant and productive time. Apart from one gift that I’m still waiting to be delivered, we have now purchased, wrapped and labelled every present. We have had most of our Christmas food delivered too, although we have a few bits and bobs to pick up. 

Flora didn’t have such a nice day as we did. It was time for her annual jag so I took her to the vet just before lunch time. I got the cat basket down off the shelf very quietly so that she wouldn’t suspect, but she’s so clever that she knew something was up, and was just heading under our bed to hide when I managed to scoop her up and took her downstairs to the basket. We didn’t have to wait long at the vets; she got her jag and was declared healthy. She has not put on any more weight, which is good. The young vet gave her a couple of Dreamies after her jag, and she looked down at them and then up at the vet with absolute contempt, as if to say, “How dare you try to placate me with cat treats?” She was very glad to get home, and when Davie and Chanel arrived home from their Christmas shopping she snuggled into David’s lap. 

Chocolate!

Today was a very special day. Christine collected me, Cat and Chanel at 10 a.m. to take us to a mystery destination, for a girls’ day out to celebrate my 60th birthday. Christine had organised the whole thing in collaboration with Cat, and did all the driving on this rather wet day. We headed north up the A9 and stopped at Perthshire Foods for a bit of shopping and an early lunch. I have never been there before and the gift shop is absolutely lovely, with lots of festive and unusual items. Lunch was great, with friendly staff, and it was just as well that Christine had booked a table because it got very busy. Then onwards to our special treat - a chocolate tasting at the Highland Chocolatier near Pitlochry. What a brilliant idea from the Reid girls! It was fun from beginning to end. First we had an audio described tour of the premises, and then we were ushered to the table where our “chocolate flights” were laid out for us. Christine had cleverly ordered two dark and two milk chocolate flights, which meant that we could share them and get double the tasting experience. The tasting was also audio described, and as the narrator (who is the owner) deplored the quality of “tasteless supermarket chocolate” for the umpteenth time we couldn’t help but have a wee smile at each other! The chocolates were laid out in order on a placemat, which gave descriptions of each but left out one or two flavours, which meant that we really had to concentrate to try to discern what we were tasting. The flavours were carefully thought out and unusual; for example raspberry paired with a just a little black pepper to bring out the flavour. I won’t mention any other ingredients in case one of my readers wishes to visit the Highland Chocolatier themselves - which I would thoroughly recommend. What a fun afternoon we had. Of course we ended up in the shop where we purchased some of our favourite chocolate. And then sadly it was time to depart, and Christine took us safely home despite being held up by a traffic jam caused by an accident near Perth. I had a brilliant time. 

Hilarious

What a fun day we have had. It was our annual Christmas meet up with La Famille Black, and we started off with an excellent lunch at The Anchor Line in St Vincent Street. Jennifer joined us for lunch since Ryan was unfortunately indisposed, and then we walked down to our traditional Christmas haunt, Metropolitan, where Ally, Cat, Davie and Chanel were waiting for us. As well as Ryan, Andrew was also absent; he is still in London and he was very much missed by all of us. They had already ordered some cocktails and we had such a great afternoon; everyone was on good form and at one point my face actually felt sore from laughing, as Jennifer recounted some stories from our Tuscany holidays in the 1990s and early 2000s. It was really gratifying that the young people had such good memories of their Tuscan adventures, and at one point I felt quite emotional as they reminisced about a photo scavenger hunt that I had organised for them, and talked about what fun it was. They also all made me laugh by insisting that I am notorious in the family for unintentionally revealing “spoilers” for films that I have watched; I didn’t know that I had this reputation but it’s probably a fair cop!

My arm was very achey all afternoon; the nurse at the fracture clinic had warned me not to wear my splint too much, but with hindsight I should probably have worn it for a lengthy afternoon in town. I took some painkillers which helped a bit. I also had terrible heartburn after my big lunch; Cat and Chanel ordered peppermint tea for me and Jennifer even popped out to Tesco to get me some Rennie’s heartburn tablets. These kind actions brought me quick relief from the burning symptoms and enabled me to enjoy the rest of the afternoon. Meanwhile, on a big screen in the main part of the Old Fruitmarket, the young ones were able to keep a sideways eye on the progress of the World Cup Final between Argentina and France. Argentina won on penalties. 

After a convivial afternoon (and indeed early evening!) with lovely family and friends, we picked up a curry on the way home and watched a Disney film called “Disenchanted” which was very pleasant. It was very cosy in the television room and Cat made us all hot chocolate. By this time everyone was very tired and started heading in ones and twos to bed. Strangely, although I’m sure partly due to co-codamol, my arm was feeling better than it had all day, so I felt able to whisk round and tidy up and mop the kitchen floor before I went to bed. What a lovely day. 

Seasonal Festivities commence

The cold snap has receded somewhat, although it’s still chilly and dreich and icy in places. Yesterday Ally and Cat arrived in Glasgow by train, very late due to delays caused by the train strikes (which still disrupted travel even though Thursday wasn’t officially a strike day.) Their 5.30 p.m. train was cancelled and they finally left London at about 9 p.m. In fact it would be more accurate to say that they actually arrived very early this morning, at about 2.30 a.m. They had very kindly insisted that they would get a taxi from Central Station to Cambuslang rather than us collecting them, and by the time they arrived we were so fast asleep that we didn’t even hear them come in. It was nice to wake up this morning to find them safely arrived. 

Then this afternoon Davie and Chanel arrived by car from Manchester, Chanel’s school term having finished yesterday. It is lovely to have a houseful of young people, and we celebrated by all watching a film together; “Spirited” starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. It’s sort of a modern take on the Scrooge story, with some really good original ideas. It is also a musical, with much singing and energetic dancing. We all enjoyed it, and it seemed like an appropriate way to start our festive time together. 

It has been a festive week; on Wednesday I had brunch with Jackie at the Ivy in Buchanan Street. We had such a lovely chat and she insisted on treating me as my 60th birthday present! Then last night I had my EK Book Club Christmas night out. We watched “It’s a Wonderful Life” at Elaine’s house, except that some of the girls talked throughout the film which was kind of annoying. I shall not name names! We then had an excellent dinner at Arigo in East Kilbride village which redeemed the evening, and Don kindly gave Elaine and me a lift home. And then we had lunch at Hilary and Steven’s today, Heidi and Alex were there too and there was much chat and laughter. I took a musical box filled with chocolates and shaped like a balalaika for Hilary and Steven to put in their Dacha. They were very pleased with it. 

Also yesterday I went to my five week appointment at the fracture clinic, where I had my plaster removed. Boy is it stiff and sore! The nurse assured me that the bones are healed and that the pain is due to my arm being immobilised for five weeks. I have a list of excruciating exercises to do, and hopefully my arm will feel better soon. 

Frosty

It’s very cold! When we woke up this morning, the weather station told us that the temperature was -8 degrees, and that during the night it had dipped to below -10 degrees! Christine told me that in Dunlop, which is more rural, the temperature in the morning was -12 degrees. Although there hasn’t been much snow, * just a dusting really, the pavements are very icy and treacherous. Flora sensibly spent most of the day on our bed, but adventurous Tom made various expeditions into the frozen outdoors and returned with cold fur and feet. When James came in from his walk we made our way carefully along the treacherous pavements to Elfie Trees and chose our Christmas tree. The elves (because yes, the staff do have to dress as elves) looked very cold too. Alison T came round in the afternoon for coffee and we had a cosy time chatting beside the fire. I got a really lovely message from Andrew about the book that I recommended to him recently; “A Swim in a Pond in the Rain” by George Saunders. Andrew had loved it as much as I did, which I knew he would. The cold snap is to continue for the next few days but I think that it has passed its very lowest point. 

* however Ally and Cat have had some proper snow in London, and sent us beautiful photos of snow falling onto the Thames, and film of Ally throwing a snowball at Cat! 

Update on Wednesday morning - how wrong I was! We woke up to -10 degrees so even lower than yesterday, and a winter wonderland of frost on grass, houses and trees contrasting with beautiful blue skies! 

Winter fun in Manchester

And now I’m on the train homewards from Manchester to Glasgow; speeding past frozen landscapes in the north of England. I have had a lovely weekend with Davie and Chanel. We watched England playing in the World Cup quarter final against France on Saturday evening; unfortunately they lost but they played really well and nearly equalised several times. While watching the match we ate a delicious curry from Mrs A’s, Davie and Chanel treated me and also gave me the little cloth bag saying “Mrs A” that it came in! 

On Sunday I had a girls’ lunch with Chanel and her Mum, Rick. We went to a restaurant in Warrington called The Botanist which had great food, and chatted all afternoon. And then this morning David and I met up for a winter walk in Manchester which was very pleasant, there were big slabs of ice floating on the canals and the air was freezing the inside of my nose. We visited a new project in Castlefield which is the oldest, Roman part of Manchester. It’s a disused railway track across a Victorian viaduct, which is being converted into an urban nature walkway, reminiscent of New York’s High Line, although currently much shorter. It’s still in the early stages of development but already very impressive, and could be extended further. On this chilly December morning we had it almost to ourselves and it was really attractive, with a wee visitor room and young enthusiastic National Trust staff. 

David very caringly made sure that I was headed towards the correct train at Manchester Piccadilly station, and we said our farewells. There are delays on various trains due to the cold weather but so far my train is only running a few minutes late and should hopefully arrive in Glasgow around 6 p.m.*

* I did arrive on time and got straight on a low level train; James picked me up from the station and I was in the house just after 6.30 p.m. I felt as if I had ridden home on the crest of the wave of weather delays and train strikes! 

Train to Manchester

I’m blogging on the train to Manchester, on the way to see David and Chanel for the weekend. I left Glasgow in the frozen darkness early this morning, but here in the Lake District it is sunny and very pretty on the trans-Pennine express. The fields are frosty, glistening in the sunshine. It has been a social and Christmassy week. On Wednesday James and Gordon spent the afternoon at the Brew School at Innes & Gunn in Ashton Lane, where they had a fun time. We had a coffee in Byres Road first, and when the boys went to make their beer I had a wander round the shops before heading home. Then on Thursday I had lunch with Ally W which was lovely, I was hearing all about her exciting plans for South Africa in the new year. We ate in a new wee café in Dunbarton Road called Derby and the waitresses were really friendly although they managed to get both of our orders spectacularly wrong! They were very apologetic (in fact they wouldn’t stop apologising!) and gave us free coffee. I still can’t drive of course but it was very easy to get to Ally’s by direct train from Cambuslang to Exhibition Centre. 

I found myself on the train again last night as I travelled to Christine’s Choir Christmas concert in Kilmarnock. Gerry picked me up from Dunlop Station and drove me the rest of the way. I haven’t been to the concert since before Covid and it was lovely to attend it again. There were many familiar carols and a few that were new to me, a good mix. Gerry and Christine very kindly insisted on driving me all the way home afterwards which was very much out of their way but was great for me to get home in time for a nice early night, ready for my early start this morning. 

I was a bit worried that I might sleep in this morning, without James to wake me up! James left on Thursday for a hill-walking weekend based in Ullapool, with Cornel and Kenny. It just as well that the cottage in Ullapool is cosy, because it’s cold everywhere this weekend, but especially in the north.

So I set my alarm for 7 a.m. to make sure that I was in plenty of time for the 9.09 a.m. train from Glasgow Central to Manchester. When I arrived at Cambuslang station it turned out that all of the trains on the Argyll line were delayed, so I took the advice of the station manager and jumped on a bus: this went very well and I got into Central in good time for my train. The train was strangely quiet considering that most seats had “reserved” signs - where were the people? At first there was just me and a group of pleasant young girls who offered to share their Prosecco with me! It gradually busied up from Carlisle onwards, and a party atmosphere ensued, but then there was an announcement; because of an earlier (unspecified) incident, the train is short staffed and will terminate at Preston. I will need to change there to a slightly later train. Oh well. 

Seaplane!

On Tuesday James and I had an exciting day. It was really James’ exciting day, with me tagging along, because we were going on a seaplane flight, which was Heather & Ewan’s 60th Birthday present to James back in January. This was our second attempt; the first time that we booked it we got a message that morning to say that the cloud was too low and the flight was cancelled. Yesterday however we woke to blue skies and were very excited.

It didn’t take long to drive to Cameron House Hotel on Loch Lomond, the first time I have been there. I was very impressed with the hotel and the spa looked good too. We had time for a quick coffee before strolling down to the jetty for the flight. Neither of us have ever been on a seaplane flight before and it was fantastic fun. How strange it was to take off from the water; we could see the wake from the floats as we skimmed along, and then suddenly we were up and away. We circled round Loch Lomond and then headed west across the Clyde Estuary, passed Gigha, the north of Bute and out to Jura. It was absolutely amazing. The slanting winter sunshine lit up the hills and sea beautifully, and also accentuated the shadows of trees and paths and even sheep! It was such a gorgeous day. We did a wide turn past Jura and headed back to Loch Lomond, passing over Tarbert Loch Fyne which looked very pretty. We descended steeply onto Loch Lomond and taxied back to the jetty. What a trip and what a treat! We had lunch at the hotel, looking on to the loch and discussing our flight. 

Such a good cat

When Tom had his annual check up and jag last week, the vet said that he could do with a scale and polish of his teeth too. We felt that we couldn’t ignore his dental health (even though none of our previous cats have ever required such a procedure despite having visibly manky teeth) and so on Monday this week we parted with £240 for his treatment. Poor Tom. He must have been horrified to be back at the vet so soon, and even more horrified when they did whatever they needed to do, which involved a general anaesthetic! After taking Tom to the vet, James and I went back to the fracture clinic at Hairmyres. I have been very worried that I might have displaced my healing radius and ulna when I accidentally and foolishly twisted my arm last week. I was sent for an x ray and was delighted to be reassured that the bones are still in the right place and healing well. This is probably due to the Vitamin D and Calcium that Heather and Ewan recommended to me. I was out on Monday afternoon with Jennifer & Linda so James collected Tom from the vet at tea time. He arrived home a bit agitated and very hungry (he had been nil by mouth since midnight.) He was not allowed to go outside until Tuesday morning and the vet provided special wet food to aid his post-op digestion. No dry food for a couple of days, presumably to let his gnashers and gums settle down. Tom absolutely wolfed down the wet food, and was not happy when we locked the cat flap and directed him to a litter tray, but he was still his affectionate self and spent most of the evening on James’ knee. 

On Tuesday evening I needed to post a few Christmas cards. James warned me that it was very icy on the pavements, so I picked my way gingerly down our path and then walked along the middle of the road which looked less treacherous. The pavements were glittering with frost. When I arrived at the post box I was just putting in the letters when I heard the friendly jingle of a bell. Who was right beside me but Tom cat! Such a good boy; he had escorted me all the way along the road! He was very excited and ran under the gate into the Birkmyres’ garden and then into all the gardens on the way back along the road! But as I walked along he kept coming back to the pavement to keep an eye on me; I felt very happy that he was taking such good care of me! 

More World Cup

The football World Cup continues to dominate the television, and I’m quite happy to have it on in the background. This evening England are playing Senegal. We’re not long home from the Tarbet Hotel on Loch Lomondside, where we took part in the annual hill-walking club Mince Pies outing. Since it usually takes place in the first week of December, I always think that it marks the beginning of our Christmas season. I prepared a quiz for the occasion in two parts; a general Scottish / hill-walking section and a picture round in which the contestants had to identify twelve well-known walkers / climbers. It seemed to go very well, and everyone joined in enthusiastically. As a wee joke, two of the well-known walkers to be identified were Willie and Bob, I used photos from their much younger days that I found on the club website. 

Santa aka Steven made his usual appearance with secret Santa Christmas gifts for all, and the three children who were at the outing were very excited. They were three of Heidi’s grandchildren; Meghan, Maren and Kerr, and they were absolutely delightful - pleasant and polite. I had arranged a matchbox treasure hunt for them to do during the walk and they all filled their matchboxes correctly and imaginatively, and were very appreciative of their prizes. And here we are back home watching the football. It’s just after half time and looking very good for England at 2 - 0 so far. 

* By full time it was 3 - 0.

Flames and Jools and afternoon tea

James and I went to see Jools Holland on Friday evening. Beforehand we went to one of our west end favourite, Joia, in Dumbarton Road, where the pasta is always cooked to perfection. We had a lovely and very filling meal. However, as I stood to put my jacket on as we were about to leave, I accidentally pushed my napkin into the flame of the tea light that was burning merrily on the table. Quickly the napkin caught fire and as I tried to smother the flames with my coffee cup they kept breaking out to the side, it was scary how quickly they spread. James noticed me trying to put out the small fire and was very alarmed, but luckily the waitress assisted me and we managed to extinguish the conflagration. However there remained a strong smell of burning, which caused quite a few heads to turn in our direction, although I don’t think any other customers had seen the flames.

The concert was great; lots of boogie woogie and blues and even a wee bit of classical music. Jools was very personable and chatted about the band. The singers were very good, especially the gorgeous Ruby Turner who has an amazing voice. The main guest singer was Vic Reeves aka James Moir, an old friend of Jools, they have the same birthday and are only one year apart in age. We did a double take when he appeared, because as a veteran comedian of our youth (and a very good artist) we didn’t know that he was also a singer. Well, actually he wasn’t really, in my opinion! There is no doubt that he enjoys singing very much, and he enthusiastically belted out three pop hits from the 1960s. However he was not of the standard that Jools usually invites along to his concerts (such as Eddi Reader or Marc Almond.) He’s a very funny man and he was entertaining, however when I nipped to the toilet shortly before the end of the concert, I heard some younger ladies complaining that he wasn’t very good, and sounded “like a karaoke singer” which I think was a fair assessment. 

Today I met Heather at the Grand Central Hotel for afternoon tea for two in the Champagne Bar. This was my birthday present from Heather and Ewan from last year, to which I naturally invited Heather! We had to postpone it from earlier in the year when Heather had Covid, but it was worth the wait, and we had a lovely time. The dainty sandwiches, scones with cream and jam, and a selection of cakes, arrived on a three-tiered cake stand, and there was more than enough for the two of us; we could hardly finish. We had a good chat and then joined James and Ewan for drinks at Innes & Gunn in West Nile Street. 

Sore bones

I woke up to a beautiful blue sky with a swathe of pink across it as if an artist had painted it with a broad brush. My wrist was very sore all day because I foolishly twisted it last night when chopping an onion; I asked James to do it but he said that he didn’t know how I wanted it chopped, and wondered if I meant sliced instead. So I just did it myself. The trouble is that I felt as if the bones pulled apart when I gripped the onion and I’m concerned that I have displaced them. I’m probably imagining that, but I’m not imagining the shooting pains in my arm. I heard some excellent news from Jackie about her recent scan; no new growth and tumours have reduced by 30% - huge relief. 

James has treated himself to a new Alexa which means that I have inherited his old one, which is now in pride of place in my office, currently a hub of Christmas secrets. However there’s something not quite right about the new Alexa. She refuses to play certain radio stations, and rather alarmingly refuses to switch herself off on command. Shades of 2001: A Space Odyssey! “Open the pod bay door Alexa!” “No James, I can’t do that!” Hopefully these issues are just temporary, and she won’t take over the house and hold us prisoner! 

World Cup football

James and I are watching the World Cup England vs Wales match this evening. I’m certain that Davie and Chanel are also watching it in Manchester, and probably Ally and Cat are watching it in London. Jamie however is almost definitely not watching it, partly because it’s early morning just now in New Xealand, and partly because he has never been quite as interested in football as his younger brothers. 

It’s noticeably colder here now, as you might expect since we are only two days away from December. The grass was frosty this morning and I was treading warily as I walked down the path on my way to the post office; it wasn’t actually icy but it looked as if it might be. I just feel so vulnerable after my recent fall and I’m terrified of breaking something else. On Heather and Ewan’s advice James has bought me Vitamin D and Calcium supplements to help my bones to heal, and I’m taking them conscientiously. 

James took Tom to the vet today to get his annual jags; he needs to get his teeth cleaned and polished according to the vet, which is the first time any of our cats has needed this. It will of course be expensive. 

James seems to be more annoyed than entertained by the football match, as he often is! He addresses the football players in a critical tone as if they can hear him: 

“Oh kick it back to your goalkeeper why don’t you?”

“Och you diddy! Keep it in!”

“Stop dithering!”

“You idiot Rashford!”

* update after the end of the match - the above mentioned Rashford managed to score two goals and Phil Foden scored one (excitingly moments after Marcus Rashford’s first goal!) and England won 3 - 0.

Sparkly!

We’re back in Cambuslang, and the World Cup in Qatar is in full swing, which means that James and Ally have been watching football all afternoon and now into the evening. I am sort of half watching it, while also footering about on the internet looking at the Black Friday sales. We are just finishing a curry and it’s a pleasant way to spend a rainy evening. 

Yesterday we went to the fracture clinic at Hairmyres. My cast from Raigmore Hospital had become very loose, probably because my arm was swollen when it was put on. James insisted on staying with me and was rewarded when the nurse produced an alarming looking but efficient machine, a cross between a circular saw and a vacuum cleaner, which removed my plaster with minimal dust. James (like our friend Hugh!) loves a useful machine so he was fascinated by its workings. The nurse asked me if I like glitter - I confirmed that I do indeed. So, with my permission, she efficiently re-plastered my arm with a Christmas themed cast, consisting of little Santas and snowflakes on a blue background. Then while it was still wet she sprinkled lots of glitter on it. I love it, although I suspect that she was keen to use up the Christmas stuff, which is sent to the hospital each year by their suppliers. An x ray then showed that my bones are in the correct place which was reassuring. The cast feels much more supportive than the previous one, and the nurse said that the pain is usually gone by about the four week mark. I’m only two weeks in, but I think it’s getting a bit better already. 

Home we went, doing a few errands on the way including dropping off Jamie’s Christmas parcel to an Evri drop off point. I just wish that I have faith that it will get there! I don’t feel very optimistic given Evri’s lack of reliability so far. 

Sunny outing to Lochinver

We decided to head to Lochinver today, even though our parcel pick up did not happen yesterday, much to our annoyance. The parcel is a few Christmas gifts that we want to send to New Zealand, and we had to take turns waiting in the cottage all day yesterday to no avail. Anyway today we left the parcel in the garage and a note on the door for the van driver, and set off northwards. I was glad that we did. My arm was very sore and I actually felt quite tearful when we set off. I hurt it while serving out the dinner last night, I think by accidentally twisting it a bit, and I didn’t sleep very well because of it. It also hurts a lot when I tie my shoelaces. 

However the weather was absolutely beautiful with blue skies and all of the mountains lit up golden by the winter sun, which cheered me up. We bought pies from Lochinver Larder (of course!) and had a really delicious lunch in An Cala café, as well as walking along the front and back. At the river estuary we saw hundreds of seagulls and four seals diving for fish, it was quite the feeding frenzy. 

When we got home the parcel was, of course, still in the garage. I wish that I had just waited to post it until our return to Glasgow. 

Pain and funeral and lovely flowers

This last week can be summed up as sore, sore, sore. After my broken wrist was plastered we have had a nice quiet time in Ullapool, which is just as well because I had forgotten how painful a broken bone (or two) can be. I got a phone call from Raigmore Hospital on Monday morning to say that my radius looked ok in the second x ray so I am to go to the fracture clinic at Hairmyres when I get back to Glasgow. My main problem is that I keep using my left hand, for example to pick something up, and then pain shoots through my wrist. I’m trying my best only to use my right hand because I don’t want to slow down the healing process. 

It has still been a pleasant week in many ways. The weather has been mixed but we have been out walking around the village whenever it has been sunny, stopping for coffee in a new wee café called the Bothy which is very cosy. I have also done some useful admin and planning and James has been wonderful, hoovering the house and making meals as well as working in the garden. 

On Thursday we travelled down to Cambuslang because Jonathan’s funeral was the next morning. We met Jennifer at the house (she had travelled north by train) and had a nice catch-up evening with her. Then the next morning we got suited and booted and set off to South Lanarkshire Crematorium. It felt wrong to be attending the funeral of a cousin who was eight years younger than me, I can remember him as a wee boy. He was very close in age to another cousin, Brice, who died twenty years ago at the age of only 32. The funeral was a touching and positive tribute to Jonathan. The humanist celebrant told fond stories about him, and the music was great; as we went in Marillion’s Lavender was playing which reminded us of taking a young Jonathan to a Marillion concert with us many years ago. The other songs were Dougie Maclean’s Caledonia (which I adore) and Runrig’s Loch Lomond. I remember at Jonathan’s Mum Rosemary’s funeral (who was only 45 when she died) the celebrant mentioned “a short life lived well” and that could be said about Jonathan too. It’s still very sad though. 

James had to do all of the driving of course from Ullapool to Cambuslang and back, which made me feel guilty, especially when there was very heavy rain as we drove north on Friday evening. However we are now back in the cottage with the cats - and a lovely “Get Well” flower arrangement sent to me by Ally and Cat!

(Another) Broken Wrist

I had been meaning to clean out the cat basket all day yesterday; Flora had done a poo in it during the journey the evening before, but it was in the garage so I kept forgetting. Just before bedtime I decided to get it over with so I got cleaning materials and dealt with it. I noticed that there were a couple of Amazon parcels in the garage so I gathered them up, closed the garage door, and headed to the back door of the cottage. The outside night light was on so I could see quite well, but I completely forgot the step down on the short path along the side of the house and I came crashing down onto the slabs. There was that horrible moment of falling when you know that you are going to be hurt, and then I landed on my left hand and my face. Oh boy it was sore. My face was just a bit scraped on the chin but I knew that my wrist was badly damaged, the pain was just so intense. I shouted for James (and, bizarrely, for my long dead Mum!) but he was already in bed and couldn’t hear me. I had to wait for the pain to recede a bit before I was able to get up and make my way back inside. James kindly retrieved the scattered Amazon parcels and, when he saw that I couldn’t even open a blister pack of paracetamol, he made me a rather efficient splint using two rulers which he bound in place with a long bandage from his first aid kit. Without this I don’t think I would have been able to sleep at all. With it, I managed a good few hours of sleep punctuated with wakefulness and vivid nightmares.  

In the morning we set off to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. I was very impressed. There was a notice in the A&E waiting room warning us that waiting times after triage could be up to four hours, but in fact I was in and out in two hours. The receptionists and nurses were very friendly. James spent much of that time on a walk along the riverside, at my insistence; there was no point in both of us waiting around the hospital. As a result he had quite a good morning in the sunshine and even shopped for some treats for me - bath bombs and a shower cover for a plaster cast. Thank goodness he got one, my wrist is broken in two places; the radius and the ulna, and I will have to wear a plaster cast for about six weeks. The break in the ulna is straightforward but the radius isn’t sitting quite right and may need further attention. I’m so annoyed with myself for my clumsiness and inattention. 

Since we were quite near Nairn I messaged Alison and Hugh on the off chance that they were available for coffee and they were able to meet us at the pleasant Househill Café. Although my wrist was sore I was very glad that we met up because our get together “fair cheered me up” as my Dad would say! When we got back to the cottage I collapsed into bed for a couple of hours for a nap, although I got up for a while later for some tea and toast. I hope that I sleep better tonight. 

Warm November in Ullapool

We have arrived back in Ullapool after a pleasant week in Cambuslang. On Monday we went to Play, Pie and a Pint at Oran Mor, which was quite good with a neat plot about someone who thinks that he can predict the future. I had lunch on Tuesday with my Dad’s cousin Janet, who has just turned 88. She is an amazing lady, and is so well-informed and interesting and has a great sense of humour. I met up with Jackie at a new restaurant that she knows and it was brilliant to see her. She has been going through some difficult times with her health recently and has stepped back from work, but as usual she was so positive and strong. And I also went to my East Kilbride book club which was lively as usual and we made some fun plans for Christmas celebrations. It was all very social!

We were delayed by one day in our departure to Ullapool because the car was in a garage for repairs after its scrape in the summer, and they were in no hurry to get it back to us. However as soon as we retrieved it we set off northwards with the cats and arrived in the cottage by tea-time last night. It’s lovely to be back; the weather is cloudy but warm, and we are having a relaxing time. 

* Update in the evening - we went out for dinner to the Ceilidh Place where the food was absolutely delicious, and noticed that it’s very quiet now that it’s the off season. It wasn’t just the restaurant that was quiet, it was the streets and the front as well. James said it was as if the whole place was holding its breath. It was dark and warm and hardly a breath of wind.

Lunch at The Grapes

Our last day in London was the sunniest yet. I can hardly believe how warm it is for November. We decided that we should take advantage of the weather and go for a riverside walk, so we dropped off our luggage at Ally & Cat’s new flat first (they had both taken Friday off work so that they could work in the flat) and set off down the Thames walk way towards London City. We had a great time and the views of the river were beautiful. We have walked that route before, with Cat in the summer, so it was pleasingly familiar. We had a reviving coffee at St Katharine’s Dock and then crossed the river to the South Bank. At London Bridge we decided to jump on a boat back down the river; we passed Ally and Cat’s flat again and phoned them - they came out onto their balcony and waved to us! We got off the ferry at Canary Wharf, which is less than 20 minutes walk from the flat, and will be a great place for them to access many restaurants and pubs. We met Ally and Cat for lunch at their “local” The Grapes, an old and historic pub in Narrow Street, Limehouse. There has been a pub on the site for five hundred years although the current building dates from the 1720s, which is still pretty old! It’s currently owned by top luvvie Sir Ian McKellen and Gandalf’s staff is displayed behind the bar! I liked the atmosphere, it’s not fancy at all but the staff are very friendly and it feels well used and loved. After lunch we walked to the flat to retrieve our luggage, picking up a coffee on the way, and James helped Ally to remove an archway in their hall. We are now back at Gatwick Airport in good time for our flight, and rather sad to be leaving London after such a great week.

How do you like them apples?

Back in London we started our day at Borough Market and had a nice breakfast before continuing along the South Bank to the Tate Modern. We wanted to see the Cézanne exhibition, but it was a pricey £25 per person and was also fully booked for the day. So we just purchased an annual membership of the Tate (£114 for 1 person plus guest) which allows you into all exhibitions and you don’t need to book. If we go to another exhibition over the next twelve months either there or at the Tate Britain it will justify the cost. Upstairs we went and into the exhibition. Well, Cézanne can certainly paint apples extremely well. Mainly red, some green, sometimes with a few oranges and lemons too, usually spilling out of a dish onto a cloth, his apples stand out very attractively. I would however comment that it was his best skill by a long chalk; his landscapes were very good, his bathing figures were just ok, but his apples pop out of each still life, they are definitely his speciality. I wonder if he enjoyed eating them as much as he enjoyed painting them? 

Later we had a pre-theatre dinner at Bill’s (very pleasant with excellent service) before strolling round the corner to the Apollo Theatre to see The Upstart Crow, starting David Mitchell and Gemma Whelan. It’s based on the tv series and was cancelled right at the beginning of lockdown in 2920, so we were very pleased to book it on its return. It’s written by Ben Elton and the dialogue is very funny. It’s all about Shakespeare so of course I loved it, and it is cleverly written so that it’s funny even if you only know a bit about Shakespeare, but also appeals to people who know a lot about Shakespeare’s works because it’s stuffed with references to various plays and plots. James really enjoyed it too, and my only slight criticism is that it’s a bit “shouty” especially if you’re sitting near the front of the stalls, as we were. It was an excellent evening. 

Bill’s funeral

Today we said farewell to my Uncle Bill, one of the best natured men that I have ever met. We had planned to spend from Monday to Friday this week in London, and had booked hotel and theatres so when we found out that the funeral was going to be on the Wednesday we decided to use the last of James’ British Airways Avios points to fly to Glasgow and back on the same day. This entailed a very early start to travel on the 06.45 plane to Glasgow from London City Airport, which meant that we were in plenty of time for the funeral at 12. It was a good and personal service and Robin gave a touching eulogy. Then we went to Strathaven Hotel for soup and sandwiches. As is usual at a family funeral we met relatives who are very nice people, and as usual we all agreed that we really should meet up when it’s not for a funeral. Unfortunately time goes by and we never seem to get round to that. It’s a pity. And it’s sad that the reason that many of us will be meeting again in a couple of weeks will be for Jonathan’s funeral. 

We said our goodbyes to Katy and Abigail and went back home with Jenn and Russ for a very pleasant couple of hours where more tea was drunk and we chatted until it was time to set off to catch our flights back to London (Jennifer and Russell were flying from Edinburgh to Heathrow.) As we went through security at Glasgow Airport I spotted celebrity Fred Sirieux (from First Dates) who was looking very handsome. Our flight was an hour late but apart from that everything had gone like clockwork. We were very glad to arrive back at our hotel by 11 p.m. What a long day. 

Tuesday in London

On Monday morning we set off from Canning Town to Limehouse for a very important visit - to see Ally’s and Cat’s new flat. Ally was at work in the city, however Cat was working from home so that she could take delivery of some flooring, and she gave us the tour. The flat is absolutely amazing; I love it! It is very spacious with two good-sized bedrooms, two bathrooms and a very large living room. Ally and Cat are going to knock the wall down between the living room and the kitchen to make it into an even bigger room. The living room and the master bedroom both have balconies which overlook the River Thames, and their outlook is very open across the water, with Canary Wharf in one direction and London City in the other direction. I had thought that I would miss the fabulous view from their 14th floor flat in Goodluck Hope, but the view they have now from their third floor flat is even better - being closer to the water means that they can see all the ripples and reflections of sunlight as it moves, and they can see all the boats that pass by, for example Thames ferries, tourist boats, police launches. If I lived there I think I would spend all of my time staring out of the window at the river! The flat needs work; it is like a blank canvas and Ally and Cat have lots of plans for refurbishing and decorating it, I can’t wait to see the results, which I think will be fabulous. 

From Limehouse we walked to the nearby Prospect of Whitby pub, a lovely old-fashioned riverside pub which used to be a haunt for pirates and other criminals, but now does a very nice pub lunch. In the afternoon we went to the Lucien Freud exhibition at the National Gallery. My opinion (which James actually agrees with) is that Freud was a very talented painter except for the faces of his subjects - rather unfortunate in a portrait painter! You could see from the backgrounds, clothes, hands and even dogs in his paintings that he was very accomplished, so I don’t understand why so many of his subjects’ faces are painted so grotesquely. Lumpy, florid, cartoonish - I presume he did this on purpose but I can’t see how it benefitted his paintings. I don’t mean that he should have painted them as if they were photographs but they are so crude. Anyway I’m no art expert but that’s what I thought, for what it’s worth. 

When we exited the exhibition we suddenly felt very tired. James suggested that we go back to the hotel for a nap; I had checked film times and fancied going to the cinema in nearby Leicester Square. We amicably parted ways and while James headed back to Canning Town, I went to the Odeon. The timing was perfect; a romcom starring Julia Roberts and George Clooney was just about to begin. It was a very easy and pleasant watch, and some of it had me laughing out loud. It ended ten minutes before we were due to meet Ally and Cat at Aquavit Restaurant which was exactly ten minutes walk away! Perfect! We had main courses which we all found to be delicious, however the service was very slow, which meant that we didn’t have time for dessert. My meal was chocolate gnocchi with puréed pear and puréed celeriac - I couldn’t resist trying it and can report that dark chocolate and gnocchi work beautifully together! We were only a few minutes walk from the Harold Pinter Theatre, where we saw Good, starring David Tennant. Wow, it was intense. It’s a play about whether a person can still be “good” in an evil regime when they don’t want to rock the boat for their own safety and that of their family. It really made me think about what I would have done in that situation. I’m glad that I saw it. Back at Canning Town station we said our farewells to Ally and Cat and dived into bed at the Premier Inn to get as much sleep as possible before our early start on Tuesday. 

 

My cousin Jonathan

I’m blogging briefly from the plane just before we set off to London for a few days. We are looking forward to seeing Ally’s and Cat’s new flat and going to a couple of plays at the theatre, a couple of exhibitions, and generally strolling around London.

On Thursday evening Julie phoned me and I thought that it was about the arrangements for Bill’s funeral, but in fact it was to tell me that there has been another death in the family. My cousin Jonathan was found dead in his flat aged only fifty-two. I was so sad to hear this; Jonathan was always an extremely pleasant man who loved his rugby and his real ales, in which he was an expert and was on the board of CAMRA. He had been suffering from a chest infection for about ten days and had been prescribed antibiotics. He spoke to a friend on Thursday morning on the phone, saying that he felt a wee bit better, but by the time Kari tried to phone him at midday there was no answer, it must have been very sudden. It is a shock for the whole family, he was so young and it happened so soon after Bill’s death. 

I visited Katy in Biggar on Friday, she is very sad but comforted by many phone calls and visits from friends and family, especially Abigail. And today I went to visit Stuart and Anne, who are being supported by their family; Kirstie and Kari were both there along with Scott, Greg and Greg’s beautiful girlfriend Sabrina when I arrived. But it’s still so sad, even though the family are taking good care of each other, they (and we in the wider family) will miss Bill and Jonathan so much.

In other news, Ally has been home for the weekend; he had a work thing on Thursday and stayed in Scotland to do a bit of hill-walking with James. It has been very nice to see him. We had a lovely dinner at Heather and Ewan’s on Saturday evening, and then brunch in town with Gerry and Janis on Sunday. Ally came for brunch too, he did work experience at Janis’ firm years ago so was pleased to see her again. Then on Sunday evening we decided to make a fondue to celebrate Ally being at home. Ally did all the assembling while I cut up the bread and it was absolutely delicious. But oh dear oh dear I suffered dreadfully from indigestion afterwards to the extent that I was very sick during the night. As a result I’m completely exhausted, I will be glad to get to my bed in Canning Town Premier Inn later. 

Recovering

I had a sore stomach and headaches over the weekend from which I have thankfully now fully recovered. It wasn’t Covid because I did a test - I must be one of the few people in the country who hasn’t caught Covid. As a result it has been rather a quiet time at Casa Anderson. James has been very sympathetic towards me but I still felt dreadfully guilty that I was unwell. I don’t know where that guilt comes from; nobody likes being ill but I have always felt as if I have to soldier on no matter how I feel. In fact I even went down to Morrison’s on Sunday for some groceries and felt very faint when I was there, which was silly because I’m sure that James would have done the shopping if I had asked him to. Luckily I was able to lean on the trolley until it passed. I am now feeling tip top again but four days of my life were wasted. 

While I was ill a new Prime Minister was appointed, Rishi Sunak. He is the first British Asian Prime Minister and the first Hindu Prime Minister.  He is having a honeymoon period just now which I expect will be very brief! Boris rushed home from his holidays when Liz Truss resigned but ended up not announcing his candidacy when it became very clear that the country is not ready for his triumphant return! I have been reading a rather turgid biography of Clarice Lispector; I am slightly embarrassed to say that I had never heard of her until “The Hour of the Star” caught my eye on a display at East Kilbride St Leonard’s Library during the Book Club library evening earlier this year. So I read it recently and it is absolutely brilliant. The style, the plot, the characters, and of course the country of Brazil; I have never read anything quite like it. The biography is dutiful but a bit plodding, however she was a very fascinating character. 

And that’s about it - I’m just glad that I am feeling in better fettle.

Vacancy for Prime Minister

Oh dear oh dear oh dear. Our new Prime Minister of only 44 days resigned yesterday, after a mini-budget based on debt-funded tax cuts, which had a traumatic effect on the financial markets. Although the new Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng quickly resigned and was replaced by Jeremy Hunt, who reversed most of the policies, it was too late. Liz Truss became the shortest serving Prime Minister in British History. 

As usual when someone falls from power, I feel sorry for her; it can’t be an easy job. But it does seem that she really messed up.

Now we are going to get a new Prime Minister in a rushed process of only a week! Prospective candidates will have to get the support of at least 100 Conservative MPs (out of a total of 357) and then if necessary there will be some kind of vote - it could be that most people will swing behind one candidate. 

But who could it be? Well, word has it, previous recent applicants Penny Mordaunt and Rishi Sunak and - wait for it - possibly Boris Johnson! Boris Johnson? The same Boris Johnson who was persona non grata only a few months ago and hounded out by his own party? Yes indeed, what short memories politicians have! Only Penny Mordaunt has so far declared her candidacy, so we shall see what happens next. 

My Uncle Bill Rennie

My dear Uncle Bill died on Tuesday afternoon. He had many health issues connected with old age, but his death was sudden, when he was in hospital but hoping to get home shortly. My cousin Julie phoned me with the news and I feel very sad. Bill was such a nice man and he didn’t have an easy life. His Dad died when he was only six years old, and as the son of the family he was the only one of his siblings to attend the funeral. His four sisters stayed at home, as was traditional at that time in the 1940s, and when Bill arrived back after the funeral he spoke of the beautiful tassels on the ropes used to lower the coffin into the ground and what a shame it was that they were buried in the earth. He had his troubles in life although he was lucky to meet and marry his lovely wife Katy, who was with him to the end. But almost exactly 20 years ago his son Brice took his own life, and that was so hard for Bill, Katy and Abigail. Bill was a very clever man and was loved by his friends and many relatives. I have many very happy memories of him and my Mum loved her wee brother very much. He was a good man. 

Davie’s Birthday

Today is David’s birthday and we enjoyed spending the morning with him. By happy coincidence I had booked the Proclaimers at the Lowry yesterday evening for the four of us, which meant that we were still in Manchester today. The concert was great. I don’t think that the Proclaimers have toured for at least four years, so when I saw the tickets come on sale I hurried to book them. I also booked tickets for their Carlisle concert (Glasgow sold out very quickly) but then we booked the cruise so couldn’t go - luckily Suzy and Brian were keen to go in our stead and sent us photos of their evening which Suzy said that they enjoyed very much. And I have booked tickets for their Motherwell concert too at the end of November (maybe I have gone a bit overboard with this!) but there is a question mark about that date too. Hopefully I will be able to make it. 

Anyway, yesterday afternoon we drove to Manchester and had a long hold up on the M6 yet again. We went straight to Davie and Chanel’s flat and had a cup of tea before having pre-concert dinner at Salford Quays. The concert was sold out and the audience was very enthusiastic. Craig and Charlie were still excellent and sang lots of songs old and new. Of course all of the big hitters like “500 mikes” and “Letter from America” got the most response from the audience; it must be a bit annoying for bands who want to showcase their new album but the audience just want to hear their old favourites! 

This morning we picked up Davie from the flat and had brunch with him at the Trafford Centre before going shopping for his birthday presents. After coffee we dropped Davie back home and said our farewells (with extra birthday kisses!) and James and I set off homewards. The drive went very well at first but guess what there were roadworks on the M74 which delayed us by about an hour. At least we couldn’t blame the M6 this time! 

Three churches in Rome

This morning we left the ship and were impressed with the efficiency of our transport to the airport. It was about an hour’s journey from Civitavecchia to Fiumcino Airport. We had about eight hours before our flight would depart so we checked our suitcases into the left luggage office and caught a train into Rome. 

Unlike yesterday, the weather was glorious. We decided to revisit a few of our old favourites, and started with coffee and pastries at Tre Scalini in Piazza Navona. It was delightful. We then popped into Sant’Agnese in Agone, just because it was right there. It was beautifully decorated and the cupola had a gorgeous fresco of Saint Agnes ascending to heaven, after her brutal murder at such a young age. Back outside in the sunshine we started strolling in the general direction of the Trevi Fountain. 

As we passed the church of San Luigi dei Francesi we noticed that it seemed very popular, with lots of people going in and out, so we looked at the information board outside which mentioned that it contained three paintings by Caravaggio. We needed no further persuasion to go inside; Caravaggio is one of our friend Ewan’s favourite artists and due to his enthusiasm we have also become admirers of this turbulent genius who died in 1610 aged only 38. We soon found the three paintings, about the life of St Matthew; the Calling, the Inspiration and the Martyrdom. The most striking was the Martyrdom; the expressions on the faces during the attack on St Matthew were so vivid, and the shafts of light contrasted with dark shadows. 

Back out on our walk, we didn’t intend to visit yet another church but we again noticed large numbers of tourists going into the Chiesa di Sant'lgnazio di Loyola in Campo Marzio. It’s another sumptuously decorated church, notable for its trompe l’oeil fresco by Andrea Pozzo on the ceiling, of St Ignatius (and lots of angels) floating upwards into the blue sky towards heaven, it’s very effective. 

We resumed our walk through an increasingly busy Rome, and we didn’t linger at the Trevi Fountain because it was hooching, but I did manage to throw a coin in the fountain as I always do, to ensure my return! We had a late lunch in a wee restaurant near the Spanish Steps, before taking a taxi back to the station and heading for the airport. What a pleasant end to a great holiday. 

Torrential in Naples

The weather forecast for today was very wet, and sure enough when we woke up in Naples the rain was battering down. We were not down-hearted though; after breakfast we put on our waterproof jackets for the first time on the holiday, and sallied forth through the port into Naples. This was only our second day in Naples so there was plenty that we hadn’t visited. We decided to start off with Castel Nuovo, the castle just across from the port. What a palaver it was to get tickets! It took ages for the staff to process us onto an English speaking tour. Luckily there was no queue at all at that point, I dread to think how long it would have taken in that case. The tour was just starting when we arrived, and it turned out to be very interesting indeed. Originally medieval, it was re-built by King Alphonso of Aragon in the 15th century after he conquered Naples. Our friendly guide had lots of good stories to tell us, although her English was a bit rudimentary - she referred to a skeleton which was in poor condition as “badly keep-èd” which phrase James and I used to insult each other for the rest of the day.

We then took a taxi to see the Underground Tunnels of Naples, as recommended by Mitchell and Gosia. They are fascinating; there are hundreds of miles of tunnels beneath the city, built and extended over the centuries by Greeks, Romans, and medieval Italians, and were used to extract stone to build the city, then as aqueducts, to invade, to flee the city, and even as bomb shelters in the 2nd World War. As a result Naples has a labyrinthine city beneath it. There are still underground pools, water channels, wells, and although there are wide parts there are also many very narrow tunnels, some of which we went along as part of the tour, they were only just passable. It’s just as well that neither of us is claustrophobic! 

We walked from there back to the ship and had not ce showers and a wee rest. We had dinner with Mitchell and Gosia in the Cosmopolitan Restaurant and then went along to our last Quiz Night, which we lost, although I did win a game of “this or that” and my prize was a small Celebrity Cruise-line notebook, which I shall treasure! Back at the cabin later we sadly packed our cases and left them outside our door for collection. It has been a really great holiday. 

A Relaxing Day at Sea

Today we were at sea all day, sailing from Athens all the way to Naples. There were plenty of options for activities on the ship, from swimming to spa to games to lectures. Or of course my favoured activity which was complete relaxation. James went to a lecture in the morning on ship navigation by Captain Costas himself, he really enjoyed it. And in the afternoon he went to a Whisky Tasting Session in the Eden Bar; Mitchell was there too and they had a great time. But apart from a swim in the pool, I chose to have a very agreeable day reading on our cabin’s balcony, often breaking off to stare out at the blue, blue sea or to lean over the balcony to look at the lacy white wake fanning out at the side of the ship as we cut through the water. 

After dinner we went along to the pub quiz in the Club as usual, where we came a respectable third. Then we went down to the Martini bar and had some good chat while we watched the barmen juggling with the bottles and cocktail shakers. Then the entertainment crew appeared with headsets for the silent disco. This was a first for James and I and it was absolutely hilarious! Everyone was singing along so if you took your headset off you could hear the crowd singing enthusiastically, but no background music. The pièce de resistance had to be Bohemian Rhapsody, which (like the rest of the music) was exactly the right era for the majority of us cruisers, and was tackled with great gusto by everybody on the dance floor, not least James and Mitchell! It was a most excellent evening.

Autumnal Athens

James and I have visited Athens on two previous cruises and both times we went on tours to the Acropolis, which where absolutely brilliant. So this time we decided to do something a little different. We had a look in our “Top Ten Athens” guide and decided to start by going to Lykavittos Hill, which has great views of the Acropolis. There were lots of taxis waiting at the port of Piraeus, so we were soon whizzing through the streets of Athens. Our taxi driver took us to a car park near the top of Lykavittos Hill and we walked about five minutes up some steep steps to the top. Wow what fantastic views over the white buildings of Athens to the Acropolis and the Parthenon, and Piraeus in the distance. There’s a little Church at the very top of the hill, and a lovely café where we enjoyed morning coffee. We then took the funicular down the hill - no views though because it goes through the rock! James consulted Google maps and expertly navigated us downhill to the Parliament building. It was a very pleasant walk, partly in the shade of the buildings so I didn’t overheat too much! We saw the Greek soldiers outside the Parliament with their wee pom-poms on their shoes, then continued into the park which was a little oasis of green in the city, full of trees which were just beginning to turn into autumn colours of orange and gold. It was still really warm though. It had a small lake in the middle, and ponds which were full of terrapins slowly swimming about. And finally we navigated to the restaurant that we had found and enjoyed eight years ago; Diogenes, which is in a small leafy square beside the Plaka shopping area. It was just as nice as we remembered and we relaxed with our tsatsiki and dolmades. After a stroll around Plaka we jumped into another taxi back to the ship. 

Real Fake Handbags in Kusadasi

We are both very fond of Kusadasi because we visited it twice on holiday in the early years of our marriage in the 1980s. So it is always a pleasure to revisit it. We didn’t book a trip this time, but instead strolled up the familiar Main Street where the shopkeepers called out to us and all of the other tourists, to entreat us to buy their wares. They were insistent but very friendly. Items for sale included many “real fake watches” and “real fake handbags” and “real fake shoes.” Needless to say, I couldn’t help purchasing a couple of cute little bags. From former experience these look great for a couple of months and then break! James looked for a sports bag but couldn’t see one that was what he wanted. 

We had coffee in a wee bar half way up the street, and it was just lovely watching the world go by. As well as the shopkeepers and the tourists with their bulging shopping bags, there were locals riding mopeds, and an old guy with a barrow piled high with grapes for sale. 

Back on the ship we had a relaxing afternoon by the pool, a nice dinner and then went to the pub quiz followed by drinks with Mitchell and Gosia, a pleasant couple we met a few days ago. 

I haven’t mentioned our evenings much; in the ship you have a huge variety of activities that you can choose all day and all evening. If you wish you can listen to music in the bars, go to a show, go dancing (old-fashioned or disco!) or go to various quizzes and games. There is absolutely no pressure to go to any of these things, which suits us. So James and I dip in and out of these activities as the mood takes us, but we have formed a habit of going to the pub quiz with Mitchell, Gosia, and another pleasant couple called Ken and Elaine. We don’t win (there is a very clever group of quizzers who win every evening!) but it’s great fun. 

Hot chocolate on the Bosphorus

The Golden Horn is an estuary which roughly divides the old from the new parts of European Istanbul. It’s sort of horn shaped and “golden” may refer to the riches which were traded in old Istanbul. Today, like yesterday, we crossed over the Galata Bridge to the peninsula of Old Istanbul, this time to go on a boat trip along the Bosphorus. Today, early on Sunday morning, the traffic was mercifully much lighter than yesterday, and in a short time we were guided onto our boat and set off down the historic waterway that connects the Mediterranean, via the Sea of Marmaris, with the Black Sea. How amazing to be travelling along that busy waterway, with fishing boats and trading boats and ferries all making their way along it and across it just as they have done for thousands of years. James bought me a hot chocolate and I sipped it as we travelled about 10 km along the Bosphorus and under several bridges. We travelled along the European side and after we turned, we travelled back along the Asian side. There wasn’t much difference between them, although there were more public buildings on the European side, and apparently goods and services cost about the same on both sides. The price of property used to be cheaper in Asia but that has evened up recently. We also learned that number of minarets shows the importance of the mosque, from local (one minaret) to very important (six minarets.) Our guide was quite open about her dislike of the divisive President Erdogan who has spent twenty years as Prime Minister and then President. 

After our boat tour we strolled to the Spice Market which is much smaller than the Grand Bazaar and we couldn’t resist buying some “relaxing tea” which smells delicious, and some pistachio nuts for James. Our ship set sail back across the Sea of Marmaris at lunchtime. 

A big day in Istanbul

As we sailed through the Sea of Marmaris this morning, approaching Istanbul, we could see a pod of dolphins swimming and leaping alongside the ship, just underneath our cabin window. What a lovely welcome! 

We joined our fellow tourists in the theatre all ready for the “Classical Istanbul” tour, but it took an hour to get into the bus and another hour to queue through traffic to the Topkapi Palace. So by this time I was losing the will to live, especially when I saw how busy the Palace was. Maybe a Saturday is a particularly busy day. We were running so late by this time that we went straight for lunch in a restaurant inside the first courtyard of the Palace, which was very nice and perked us up a bit. Our guide, Ibrahim, was very pleasant and extremely patient with our very straggling group! There was always someone or other missing but they eventually turned up. One time it was me, when I lost the group in the queue for the Blue Mosque! I really don’t know how Ibrahim kept track of us. 

So a quick summary of a big day: the Topkapi Palace (Top = cannon and Kapi = gate) is huge with three courtyards and various museum rooms. The bejewelled weapons are stunning. The people in the shop were very helpful in choosing a headscarf for me to wear later in the mosques and there were wee kittens living in the hollow trees in the courtyard. 

The Blue Mosque is full of scaffolding so we didn’t really see it at its best; I foolishly wasn’t wearing socks so I felt a bit concerned about catching something e.g. a verruca, when I had to take my sandals off to walk around inside the mosque - the carpet has been walked on by so many other bare feet. Maybe I didn’t need to worry though because there were special buildings with separate washing areas for men and women just outside each mosque, where the worshippers were having very thorough wash-downs including their feet. 

We were too late to see the Hagia Sophia before it closed for evening prayers so we were taken to the Grand Bazaar first. It was much as we expected; very large and busy. Then back we went to Hagia Sophia. It is so old and historic, you could see both the Christian and Muslim decor. It has been a Byzantine Christian Church for a long time, then briefly a Latin Catholic Church, then a Muslim Mosque for many more centuries, then a museum in the 20th century, and since 2020 it has become a Mosque again. It is beautiful old building but could do with some serious refurbishment inside; it looks tired from all that history. As we walked back to the bus the Call to Prayer was ringing out from several minarets. It was very melodic and haunting. 

By the time we got back to the ship it was nearly 9 p.m. and we were exhausted so we ordered room service and watched a silly but compelling film called The Fall about two friends who climb a ridiculously high radio mast. What an intense day we have had, so busy and full of amazing sights. 

Windy on Mykonos

This morning we had breakfast delivered to our cabin at the early hour of ten to six, then we turned up in the theatre (the meeting place for organised trips) at 6.45 a.m. all ready for our trip. This was planned for the island of Delos, which is a short ferry ride from today’s port of call, Mykonos. Time went by and it was announced that we were waiting for the port authorities to confirm that the ferry to Delos would be running today, because it was rather windy. In fact the nickname of Mykonos is The Windy Island. After waiting for an hour-and-a-half we were told that the ferry wouldn’t be running today so the tour was cancelled. It couldn’t be helped so we jumped onto the next tender and we’re soon wandering the narrow and winding streets of Mykonos old town. There was very little wind once you got away from the shore because you were sheltered by the houses. It’s very pretty with five white windmills at the one end of the town; all cylindrical in shape with tiny windows and pointed roofs. We also strolled through the Little Venice area, which consists of old fishing houses built directly on the front, with balconies overlooking the sea. 

Back at the port we had a coffee and enjoyed the views before taking a tender back to the ship for some serious relaxing.

Poly Zesto in Santorini

On the advice of a very pleasant couple that we met in the restaurant last night, we decided to hike the 10 km from Fira to Oia in Santorini. So we got up nice and early this morning and caught the first tender from the ship to the island at about 7.30 a.m. We were so early that the shops and cafés of Santorini were only just waking up; displays were being set up and boxes of supplies were being carried along the narrow alleyways of Fira, which is a pretty village with white painted houses on a steep hill only accessible from the port by gondola or up a long set of stairs. We found a small café where the owner was amazed that I wanted to sit outside to take advantage of the cool morning breeze. He indicated that it was cold, and indeed he was wearing a zip up jacket, but I told him that for me it was very hot. “Poly Zesto!” he translated in disbelief. 

The breeze was great for me; without it I would never have been able to go on the hike because it would have been far too hot for me. We walked out of Fira and followed the curve of the caldera with the sea on our left. It was such a beautiful walk with the deep blue sea below us and clusters of white buildings and little white churches dotted along our path. We ascended a small hill and then descended to the road before the path rose again over a last hill and into Oia. 

Oia is incredibly gorgeous, picture postcard pretty. Its white buildings, a few of them pastel-coloured, and it’s white churches with blue domes, are stacked on the slopes of the hill. At the end of the village there are a couple of white windmills, no doubt built to take advantage of that breeze I was talking about. We had lunch in a small restaurant overlooking the sea and then strolled through the pretty, narrow streets. It was very busy with tourists but that didn’t really bother us, after all we’re tourists ourselves! In due course we took a bus back to Fira and then stood in a long queue for the gondola; with hindsight we should really have walked down the steps, avoiding the donkey poop (convoys of donkeys carry tourists up and down them.) As we neared the head of the queue there was a bit of drama; a group of Italian tourists brazenly pushed in. The valiant British and American tourists tried to prevent them, but it was no use, they squeezed in anyway. It was annoying because everyone else had been waiting for ages. 

At the port we quickly got on a tender back to the ship and showered off the dust of Santorini before going for pre-dinner drinks. 

The Walls of Rhodes Town

Today we arrived in Rhodes early in the morning and Rhodes town looked beautiful from the top of the ship where we have our breakfast. We wasted no time in setting off the short walk along the harbour-side to the medieval city walls, dating back to the mid-14th century although rebuilt after an earthquake in the 1480s. Still pretty old though! You can’t walk right round them but we climbed up onto one section and it was amazing. We strolled around the moat which is now a path lined with grass and a few trees, with great views of the walls. There were little birds tweeting and many cats strolling about. We went through one of the smaller gates and emerged into the old town. It is very lovely and historical, with cobbled streets and ancient houses. We walked up the Street of the Knights and along Socrates Street, taking in the atmosphere of all the little shops and had coffee and orange cake in a café in a most enchanting little courtyard. We even did a bit of jewellery shopping. We visited the Grand Master’s Palace, which was originally built in the late 7th century as a Byzantine Citadel, although it has been repaired, modified and repurposed many times since then. Its name dates from the occupation of Rhodes by the Knights Hospitaller in the 14th century, when they converted it into their headquarters and palace for their Grand Master. We also visited the Archeological Museum, which is a peaceful little museum with a lovely roof garden. Later we had lunch in a roof-top café with views of the city walls with the sea beyond. Rhodes Town is a very attractive place and I would love to visit there again.

Back at the ship we went swimming in the pool before drinks and dinner. 

Botanical Crete

On Monday evening the people that we ended up sitting next to at dinner (Boboy and Nicholas) recommended that we go to the theatre after our meal to see a reputedly excellent pianist called Jason Lyle Black. James and I aren’t really bothered about going to shows on the ship, preferring to relax in one of the bars or on our cabin’s balcony, but we took their advice and trotted along. The theatre was completely full! The entertainments manager, the enthusiastic Lewis, first introduced the captain of the ship, Captain Costas, who I thought had a look of a young Christopher Plummer. He was very funny and said, “I know what you’re all thinking - who’s driving the ship?” After a bit of banter with Lewis the captain told us that we would be arriving at Crete the next day a bit earlier than expected and when the audience cheered he said, “Well if that’s what you want I had better get back to the bridge!” which was a slick exit line. Jason Lyle Black turned out to be very accomplished indeed and we both enjoyed his mix of classical music and musicals, supported by the ship’s small orchestra. It was one of those unplanned experiences which turn out to be really good. 

Our visit to Crete on Tuesday was great; we went on a trip to the Botanical Gardens of Crete which is in a hilly area in the west of the island, just about half an hour from where the ship docked at Souda. It’s full of exotic fruit trees and medicinal plants, and it was all very attractive, set on a steep hill side with views across the green and pleasant valley. But the word to remember here is steep; we started at the top of the hill and followed the sign-posted path as it zig-zagged down and down. Clearly we would have to climb back up again at some point and the weather was very warm, so I started feeling a bit worried. However the ascent wasn’t as difficult as I had feared, and soon we were back at the little café at the top of the hill having water and snacks. 

Then we spent a couple of hours in nearby Chania (pronounced “Hania”) where we wandered the streets and had a relaxing coffee sitting at a wee café right on the front at the beautiful Venetian harbour. The flagstones of the harbour were only just above sea level which meant that the water kept lapping over the edge like an overly full swimming pool, I loved it. 

Sailing through the Strait of Messina

We settled into our lovely state room on the ship yesterday after spending the previous night at Rome Airport’s Hilton Hotel. Our home for the next twelve days, Celebrity Edge, has all of the same constituent parts as our three previous cruise ships; state rooms, long corridors, lifts, restaurants, cafés, bars, fancy shops, a large swimming pool, various jacuzzis, art work on the walls, a spa, a casino and a theatre. As relatively seasoned cruise people we soon found our way around the ship. By the time we sailed out of Civitavecchia at 5 p.m. we were on deck, drinks in hand, watching the land slowly seem to glide past as we headed southwards. 

I didn’t sleep very well as a result of eating too much the night before; as a result I was already awake and sitting out on our balcony at about 6 a.m. as we sailed past Stromboli. I woke James because I knew that he would want to see it too; the island was a dark grey mound in the pre-dawn light with wisps of darker grey smoke trailing from the top, and we could see tiny patches of glowing lava at the top. 

By breakfast time we were sailing through the Strait of Messina, which is between the eastern tip of Sicily and the western tip of Calabria in Southern Italy. We have done this before on a previous cruise but oh boy it’s amazing; we saw the pilot boat speeding up to the side of our ship to drop off the (mandatory) pilot to assist the ship’s captain through the narrowest and busiest part of the Strait. As well as being busy with lots of ferries and fishing boats, it is very beautiful; the shores are dotted with little towns and there are hills and trees behind them. Soon the pilot was collected and the little boat sped off again, and we emerged into the Ionian Sea, turning eastwards towards Crete, where we will arrive tomorrow morning. 

An interlude at Schipol Airport

The first leg of our journey to Rome today (where we will join our cruise tomorrow) was scheduled at a civilised 10.45 a.m. However the flight was annoyingly brought forward to 7.25 a.m. which necessitated a very early start. As a result I snoozed uncomfortably on the plane, I just couldn’t keep my eyes open. We now have a seven hour stopover at Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport before our flight to Rome. 

This is not too bad actually. After strolling the length of the terminal and peeking into a few shops, we have found ourselves two adjacent recliner chairs in a nice open plan lounge area which is quite peaceful, and have installed ourselves here for the duration. I intended to have a nap here, but of course now that I have a very comfortable place to doze, I am wide awake! For lunch I went to the rather nice Dutch Kitchen, a self service place where you could also order burgers or omelettes or, in my case, a plate of mini Dutch pancakes with butter and sugar called Poffertjes which were absolutely melt-in-the-mouth. And so our holiday begins! 

An unexpected visitor

The weather forecast had warned us that Sunday was going to have a lot of wind and rain, but that didn’t stop the intrepid James, Heather and Ewan from climbing Ullapool Hill in the morning, before the heaviest rain arrived. I walked down to the village and met them coming back along Shore Street, and Heather and I popped into the bookshop and the delicatessen. It had already been very windy for them at the top of the hill and sure enough the rain was soon lashing against the windows of the cottage. So after lunch James lit the fire and we read magazines and books and chatted. We even played a couple of games of Maponimoes before dinner; Heather and Ewan hadn’t played it before and I had forgotten the minutiae of the rules but we soon got up to speed and it was great fun. 

We walked along to the Ceilidh Place for a lovely dinner; their menu has improved immeasurably since their cut down menu during Covid times. Then we popped into the Argyll Hotel to see Shrew and the Loveland Frogmen, a folk and bluegrass group who I thought were very good, and it’s nice to find out about the local music scene. We just stayed for the first part of the gig because after our big dinner we were looking forward to getting back to the wood fire at the cottage, which we managed without getting too wet in the on / off rain. 

However little did we know that a final adventure of the evening lay ahead of us. As we walked up the north road back towards the cottage, we noticed that a kitten of about four or five months was following us; it would run ahead of us, then fall behind, then run ahead of us again. It was an attractive wee thing; grey with a white bib and paws. Alarmingly, it also kept veering off the pavement and into the road, which luckily was very quiet, but it is the main road and we were concerned that it might get hit by a car. We kept encouraging it to turn back but it was very persistent and followed us over the bridge and along into Morefield. By this time we realised that it must be quite far from home, and as it was clearly so young I wasn’t sure whether it would find its way back, so I picked it up and carried it into the cottage. It squeaked and wriggled at this indignity but allowed itself to be carried inside and I put it into the study with a small saucer of cat food and the spare litter tray. It immediately scoffed the food and did a big and rather smelly poo in the litter tray. I shut the door because I knew that Tom and Flora would not be pleased, but they heard its little cries and were very curious! 

I’m not normally a fan of social media for many reasons which I think I have documented in the past, although I do use it, but it certainly came into its own on Sunday evening. I took a photo of the kitten (a rather unflattering picture of it sitting in the litter tray, but I was in a hurry to find its owners!) and quickly posted it on the Ullapool Facebook page. In less than five minutes I started getting responses from people who recognised it - or as I now found out, HER, and I was put in touch with her owner, who was very pleasant and grateful and sent her husband round in his van to collect her. Heather very kindly came outside with me and hailed the cat owner when he arrived at the end of the lane. The kitten is called Flores (she is named after a beach) and has a reputation as a bit of a wanderer although she has never wandered so far before! Her family live next to the Argyll Hotel so Flores had followed us all the way from there! She was very cute but I was very relieved that she was claimed so quickly. 

Loch of the Beautiful Tresses

Heather and Ewan arrived to visit us on Friday. It was great to see them and we were especially impressed that they had driven north straight from the airport after their holiday in Rome! Naturally, I was keen to show them a good time after their fabulous time in the eternal city, so I had done a bit of research into fun things to do. So on Saturday morning we headed to Kylescu and went on a boat trip along Glencoul and Loch Beag to Scotland’s highest waterfall, Eas a’ Chual Aluinn (which is also Great Britain’s highest waterfall!) which has a 200 metre sheer drop. Its name means Loch of the Beautiful Tresses. The weather was pleasant and sunny and we saw a sea eagle as well as plenty of seals on the little islands in the loch. It was all very beautiful with mountains and rocks around the loch, including part of the Moine Thrust where you can clearly see that the much older rocks have moved on top of the newer rocks, not that they are all that new of course! The waterfall can best be seen from the head of the loch, otherwise you have to walk for a boggy six miles to reach it! It did look impressive, although it’s not right beside the loch, I would love to see it closer up. On the way back to the slipway, the boat was heading into the breeze to it was a bit cooler, but still not too cold. 

We then had an delicious lunch at the Kylescu hotel, really excellent food, sitting at a table with marvellous views over the water. On the way back to Ullapool we stopped at Knockan Crag, another geological marvel, where we clambered on a scarily (to me!) exposed path right up to the top of the crags. I think that I have been up there a long time ago but oh boy I had forgotten how amazing the views are of the lochs way below and the mountains behind them. Luckily the way back down seemed less rough and steep, and soon we were back in the cottage for pasta puttanesca (my old Delia Smith recipe and highly complimented by our guests!) and a convivial evening. 

Catching Up

We have had a lovely week in Ullapool. Last Tuesday Alison & Hugh came through to visit us and have lunch, and we went for a walk around the village to look at the new building works at the front. The road at the front (Shore Street) is being widened. I have my doubts about this because I feel that the current narrow road, although inconvenient at busy times, limits the speed of the traffic because the cars have to negotiate around each other. I hope that this new wider road does not encourage speeding, but all the local people seem very happy about it so what do I know? It was great to see Alison and Hugh; we haven’t seen them since Hugh and Lucy’s wedding so we had lots to talk about. 

On Wednesday afternoon I drove back down to Cambuslang and stayed there overnight because I was meeting Libby, Maggie, Wendy and Helen in Ardrossan on Thursday lunchtime. A long way to go for a lunch, but it had been arranged before our trip to Ullapool was definite, and I don’t mind a drive. And indeed we had a convivial and delightful lunch at Cecchini’s, and it was absolutely great to catch up with the girls. I set off for the five hour drive back north to Ullapool at about half past three and was pleased to find that it was an easy, pleasant journey with no hold-ups. I listened to an audiobook during the drive and stopped at Perth Marks & Spencer’s to do a small grocery shopping and have a bite to eat in the café. I stopped again at Inverness Tesco to pick up a few items that I had forgotten, and it was a good opportunity to stretch my legs. I arrived back in (Ullapool) in the dark just before 10 pm. The roads had been fairly quiet on my drive but it was interesting to see various large vehicles carrying diggers and other building equipment, and wide loads of building supplies all being moved around the roads in the twilight and darkness. I presume that it’s a quieter and better time to transport them, but it was strange to see; I didn’t realise that all of this goes on in the evenings.