Ladies Lunching

We set off south on Tuesday after sprucing up the cottage ready for our next visit. We thought that we were being subtle when we packed up, but Flora quickly hid under the bed and Tom disappeared into the garden and didn’t come back for ages! It only delayed us for three quarters of an hour during which time we sat outside the cottage enjoying the sunshine. Eventually Tom reappeared in his good-natured way and approached us enquiringly, and we bundled both cats into the car and set off homewards. The journey south had no delays but there was quite a lot of traffic so it wasn’t our fastest journey. However by mid afternoon we were home and had a relaxing evening. 
Today I had “lunch with the ladies,” my school chums Maggie, Libby, Helen and Wendy. We have had lunch in Zizzi’s in Princes Square so often that the waitress Blanca knows us and our favourite foods! Very recently Libby has become a Grandma, as well as Wendy, who is now a Granny of two. We had lots of baby chat and also wedding chat, because Maggie’s daughter Megan got married (in France!) in April and her son Donald will get married next year. Among all the good news there was worrying news about Libby's son's partner. Life is never fair it seems. It was, as ever, a pleasant and supportive occasion with good friends. 

The Black Isle Belter

It was still grey on Thursday but not rainy, so after a pleasantly late start to the morning we all went for a walk to Corrieshalloch Gorge. I don’t think that Dave had been there before and it really is very impressive; the waterfalls were very lively after yesterday’s heavy rain. Later Christine, Gerry and Dave treated us to a tasty dinner at the Caley Bistro and we popped down to the Arch Inn for a drink. RuMac was playing, even louder than usual I thought, so we sat in the main bar and could still hear him. Back to the cottage for a nightcap. In the morning we all set off in our different directions; the Reids to Perthshire to visit a new baby, and I gave James a lift to Inverness so that he could catch the train to Glasgow. This was because he and Gordon were meeting up to see Yes at the GRCH in the evening. So I spent the evening back in Ullapool in a suddenly empty house, apart from Tom and Floof of course, who were very happy to get lots of attention from me! 

On Saturday I drove back to Inverness to meet James off the train at lunchtime (he had stayed overnight at Cambuslang after his concert) because we were going to a music festival. No, not Coachella or Glastonbury, but the Black Isle Belter in Muir of Ord! Unlike our Waverley trip, we got a really lovely day for it. Warm, sunny, blue skies with big white clouds. We turned up at the festival early afternoon and had a rather lovely time chatting and listening to the bands, of which there were plenty. Highlights (for me) included Rhythmnreel, the Black Isle Peas, RuMac (yes, again!), The View, and of course the headline act, whom we haven’t seen before, Peat and Diesel. Peat and Diesel, who are from the Western Isles, are tremendously popular in Scotland just now and I can understand why, they have huge energy. They are described as “Celtic punk” and use accordion as well as guitar and drums so they have a Scottish sound. Their songs are often humorous and about island life, such as Calum Dan’s Transit Van, whose Gaelic chorus is “air do shocair” which means Slow Down! 

We set up a wee camp with blankets and fleeces just outside the big tent, from where I could hear all of the music perfectly. Purist James spent more time inside the tent to get the full experience, and I popped in during my favourite songs. It was all very satisfactory. The jolly crowd had become a very drunk crowd by the time Peat and Diesel came on at 8 p.m. but it was all very good-natured. After a fantastic day we headed back to Ullapool, the sky was blue and pink as the sun set, so beautiful. 

Wet and wild on the Waverley

Christine, Gerry and Dave arrived in Ullapool on Tuesday and we had a lovely time sitting outside in the sunshine, chatting before dinner. However the weather forecast warned us that the weather was soon to change for the worse. On Wednesday morning we all went for a stroll around the village and had coffee; the clouds had rolled in but it was still warm and dry. After lunch back at the cottage it was time for our trip on the Waverley paddle steamer. It was quite a historic occasion, the first time that the Waverley has visited Ullapool. We boarded excitedly and sat on the deck. By now it was a bit drizzly but we had all brought waterproofs so we were well prepared for the weather. We departed from Ullapool with small boats racing along beside us and a drone hovering nearby filming us. It was all very festive, but the weather soon closed in. The rain became heavier, and when we left the shelter of Loch Broom and the Summer Isles the sea got very choppy. Very choppy indeed. The Waverley ploughed bravely westwards, its paddles lifting right out of the water when the ship was lifted by a wave. Also the wooden decks and rails creaked alarmingly, although as Dave later explained, they are designed to creak rather than break apart! Dave, aged 84, was not at all fazed by the adverse weather and sea, he’s an experienced sailor and even seemed to be enjoying himself! Christine and James were fine too, but Gerry and I did not fare so well! I never suffer from seasickness (apart from that one time that I felt a bit off on the ferry to Rothesay) so I didn’t expect the nausea that built up in me. It was pretty crowded inside the boat because most people had moved indoors to get out of the  driving rain, so there were no seats anywhere. I was watching the mechanism of the engine with James; the big arms spinning around, when I started to feel very sick. I hurried on to the deck where I spent more than an hour clinging to the ship’s rail in the rain, breathing deeply and getting wet. I wasn’t alone. There was a lady beside me similarly ashen faced and white knuckled, I felt a bond with her although we never exchanged a word! And there were plenty more around the deck, all standing grimly facing out to the roiling sea. One poor soul had his (or her, it was impossible to tell in their waterproofs) arms around a bin, into which they were vomiting. I had no idea where any of the others in our party were; at one point James found Gerry on the deck, cold and nauseous, and brought him indoors for a heat. The captain announced over the tannoy that the waves would ease once we turned south at the Rua Reidh lighthouse because then they would be running behind us instead of side on. I could see the lighthouse like a wee dot in the distance, slowly slowly getting nearer. And sure enough, when we eventually passed it and turned south towards Gairloch, the motion of the boat improved quickly and my nausea disappeared. I went indoors and after the first set of passengers got off the boat at Gairloch we were able to get a nice roomy table for the five of us in the dining room. James and Gerry got us some food which was quite decent considering that it had been prepared while the boat was tossing about like a cork! The last hour of the journey was quite pleasant, although the rain didn’t let up. We sailed underneath the Skye Bridge which was quite exciting and moored at Kyle of Lochalsh, where we ran through the rain to the waiting buses. I dozed on the two hour journey back to Ullapool, and was glad when we were all safely back at the cottage after our gruelling adventure! James plied our guests with some drams of whisky and soon we were all off to bed. I swear that I couldn’t still faintly feel the motion of the boat when I was drifting off to sleep. 

High Tide in Ullapool

We had a quick turnaround today to set off for Ullapool after arriving back from London last night. This haste is because we have our Waverley trip from Ullapool in a couple of days. So the washing machine worked overtime and by lunchtime we were ready to go. James had locked the cat flap before we packed the car, because the cats can recognise the signs that we are going on a journey and will often hide from us outdoors. Unfortunately Tom managed to burst the cat flap open, with his henchwoman Flora hot on his heels, and both of them escaped into the garden! After a short delay we managed to entice them back, and soon we were on our way. 
We arrived in Ullapool just before 6, about half an hour before high tide. It was an absolutely beautiful early evening so we headed straight down to the estuary and I had a lovely swim; the water didn’t even feel cold and the tide was so high that some of the grass and sea thrift on the shore were submerged in the water, the little pink flowers waving under the ripples. A man and his dog appeared with a canoe and set off out into the loch; the man told us that it was the dog’s first time; it was impressively calm as they paddled off. The cats were very happy to be back at the cottage and we had a relaxing evening. 

Romans and Rooftop Lunch

Another lovely day with Ally and Cat before our departure back to Glasgow in the evening. After breakfast on the balcony, we went to the “Life in the Roman Army” exhibition in the British Museum. It was a really good exhibition. As James pointed out, the fact that it picked out one aspect of the Roman Empire -  the Roman soldiers as they lived, fought and even hoped to retire one day if they were lucky - gave the exhibition a proper focus instead of just displaying a bunch of old relics. Next, we went to the Garden Rooftop Restaurant in Charing Cross Road, near Leicester Square. Cat and I had looked for a rooftop restaurant because of the good weather and this fitted the bill perfectly. The restaurant is indoors but has big windows which were open today, letting a slight breeze to cool us, and with splendid views over the city in all directions. The meal was decent although outshone by the amazing location. 

Back at Ally and Cat’s beautiful flat they put the sunshade onto the balcony and we had ice lollies before the time came to leave for the airport at about half past five. We were so sad to leave Ally and Cat, although of course excited to see Tom and Flora. It really has been a great holiday. 

The Ultimate Brunch and Eugene O’Neill

A delightful day with Ally and Cat. Cat had spotted a café on Instagram which had photos of amazing brunches, so she suggested that we try it. First we walked to Shadwell to catch the Overground, and Ally and Cat showed us the colourful Cable Street mural, which commemorates the battle of Cable Street in 1936, when anti-fascist protestors drove back a march by the British Union of Fascists. Very impressive, it covers the whole side of a building. 
We continued to the café. It is in Hackney, near Homerton Overground station, a new area of London for James and me, and is called Beans and Bites. We were lucky to get one of the last tables before it filled up completely. Oh boy was brunch good! I could have ordered many options on the menu, but in the end I decided on the French Veggie which was beautifully presented and cooked to perfection. Not only did it have veg sausage, grilled halloumi, fried eggs, baked beans and hash browns, it had French toast with maple syrup, berries and cream, and even an Oreo cookie! The others had equally decadent brunches; James even had a whole ice cream cone upended on his! It was the best brunch I have ever had! 
We decided to take our full tummies for a walk so Ally and Cat guided us via Well Street Common to Victoria Park, which we visited with them last year, this time entering from the north. It was good to see all the Londoners enjoying themselves in the park on this sunny day; a game of cricket was being played on the grass, children filled the playgrounds, people were having picnics, walking or sitting on the benches. It’s a good sized park and we strolled through it to Regent’s Canal where we saw a swan nesting, and walked on to Mile End, another new destination for James and me. We had some cool drinks at the Rusty Bicycle Pub before taking the underground in to the West End and having pre-dinner drinks at All Bar One in Leicester Square. Dinner was particularly early because our play this evening “Long Day’s Journey into Night” would be starting at 7 p.m. We met Gordon, Sheena and Peter at Brown’s, extremely handy for Wyndham’s Theatre. Ally and Cat had dinner with us but had decided not to go to the play after reading its very downbeat synopsis! Dinner was a convivial affair with everyone chatting away, and we even got free desserts for all because of a delay in two of the main courses. In the end we were cutting it rather fine for the start of the play so Ally and Cat swung into action; they persuaded the staff to let us out of the back door of the restaurant which saved us from having to walk around the block, escorted us through the lane and deposited us at the front door of the theatre with minutes to spare. I thought that it was very sweet that they took such good care of us oldies!
And so to the play. “Long Day’s Journey into Night” by Eugene O’Neill is regarded as one of the greatest plays of the 20th century. I came to it with no knowledge about either the play or the author, I had meant to read up on it but didn’t get round to it. I found it to be very intense, very raw, with the characters being quite brutal in their dealings with each other. It depicted the events in a family on one day, with a downwards trajectory during the course of the “long day.” The family is filled with bitterness and resentment but there is love there too. So when I did a bit of reading later about Eugene O’Neill I wasn’t too surprised to find that it was extremely autobiographical! No wonder that he didn’t want it to be published for at least twenty-five years after his death, although his wife overrode that request. Did I enjoy it? Yes I think so, even though it required a high level of concentration. Am I glad that I saw it? Definitely. 

Caravaggio and Hills of California

This morning we met Andrew for breakfast at our old favourite, The Two Magpies and had a very pleasant catch up with him. He’s on holiday this week which is why he was free. Like Ally and Cat he is enjoying his life in London to the max, and when he’s not working he goes to art galleries and museums, attends concerts, travels into the countryside to go for walks, and of course socialises with his friends. Andrew went off to go for a run and James and I made our way into the city where we went to the National Gallery to the Last Caravaggio exhibition. It’s a very small exhibition, comprising only two paintings, the titular one being The Martyrdom of St Ursula (the other one is Salome receives the head of John the Baptist which we have already seen) and the letter authenticating the St Ursula painting. James wasn’t convinced that the letter was absolute proof and I could see what he meant, however it did imply it pretty strongly. The light was very dim so as not to damage the paintings, which as well as the tragic subject matter lent a gloomy air to proceedings. The St Ursula painting was, in my opinion, well composed and suitably shocking - the arrow, shot at point blank range, was already so deeply embedded in her chest that you could only see the feathers protruding as St Ursula looked down at it in shock. However the brush strokes were rough and the painting was not as finely detailed as his others. Maybe this was because his health was deteriorating towards the end of his short life. 
Back in the hot sunlight we walked to St James’ Square to cool down a bit before going for a pleasant late afternoon stroll around St James’ Park. It was hooching! Tourists, locals, guided walking tours, parents with small children, were all out enjoying the fantastic weather. And there was so much wildlife; geese and goslings, ducks and ducklings, pelicans and squirrels. There were parakeets flying around in the trees, which are now commonplace in London and can even be seen in some areas of Glasgow. I presume that this is due to global warming. 
We had dinner in the Roma Restaurant (perfectly adequate) just five minutes from the Harold Pinter Theatre, where we then went to see the Sam Mendes / Jez Butterworth production “The Hills of California.” Our theatre chums Gordon, Sheena and Peter were there too and we met up at the interval and at the end to discuss the play. It is one of those thought-provoking plays that will stay in my head for a while. Four sisters meet up at their mother’s deathbed in Blackpool during the heatwave of 1976. In the course of the play the sisters’ back story is gradually revealed. It was both funny and sad, but ultimately I found some of the plot to be a bit unlikely. It was good, but not half as good as Jerusalem. 

Battersea

A quieter day in London today after all our dashing about over the last few days. James went out in the morning to get ingredients for his risotto, and after lunch we walked fifteen minutes along the road to catch a ferry to Battersea. How very handy for Ally and Cat, their flat is in such a great area! I noticed that the ferry is now called an “Uber Boat by Thames Clippers” instead of the old Thames Clippers, apparently they formed a partnership in 2020. The journey took about 50 minutes and was very pleasant. Battersea Power Station has been converted into a shopping centre, while retaining its architectural integrity and its iconic chimneys. The land around it has been sold to build luxury flats, and between the power station and the river there are landscaping and seating areas. It’s all very nice but shopping centres do not excite me. We did go into a shop which sells locally made stuff, and bought some rather attractive (in my opinion!) coasters for Ally and Cat, decorated with scenes of London. We returned on the boat all the way back to Canary Wharf and soon James was cooking his signature asparagus risotto. I helped with the prep but the cooking was all James and it was absolutely delicious. We had a lovely evening with Ally and Cat. 

Moonwalkers and Brontës

We set off from Ally and Cat’s flat this morning to the Lightroom at King’s Cross, stopping for coffee and a croissant on the way, and feeling like Londoners as we sat outside a café on this fine May morning. We have been to the Lightroom before to see the David Hockney film, so we knew the routine, and were in good time for our booking at 10 a.m. It was narrated by Tom Hanks, whom we heard talking about this on “The Rest is History” podcast last week. It is about the Apollo programme and the twelve astronauts who have landed on the moon from 1969 until the early 70s. It was fascinating and the photos and film from that era have been cleaned up and sharpened, and looked fantastic. It was an excellent show. Then we decided, since it was a lovely morning, to walk the hour to the National Theatre. On the way, we stopped for another coffee at my favourite coffee spot in all of London; Caffe Tropea in Russell Square. It was delightful as usual; I chose a table in the dappled shade of a tree and it felt great to sit there enjoying the atmosphere. Onwards to the National Theatre where we saw Underdog: The Other Other Brontë, which I booked mainly because I like the actress Gemma Whelan. She has been in Upstart Crow, Killing Eve and even Game of Thrones. She was indeed brilliant and so was the play. Inevitably the ending was sad, however it also made me think about the Brontës in a whole new way; I thought that I knew the story of the Brontës pretty well but I now realise that there is a lot that I don’t know. It was an interesting and excellent experience. 
We did a wee grocery shopping at Canary Wharf and went back to Ally and Cat’s flat where we made dinner of cooked meat, fish, salad, dips and pitta bread which Cat grilled. And then we looked at some of Ally and Cat’s Grenada holiday photos before watching this week’s episode of Race Across the World which we all thoroughly enjoyed. 

Musée de Cluny and Eurostar to London

We knew from the weather forecast that today was going to be rainy, so we decided to go to the Musée de Cluny, the national medieval museum, which we have never visited before. First we had breakfast in a wee café along from our hotel. It felt so Parisian as we munched our croissants and drank our café crèmes. James expertly navigated us to the Musée de Cluny which wasn’t too busy (yet) and we went to see the “Les Arts en France sous Charles VII (1422-1461)” Exhibition. It was absolute fascinating; the Art Renaissance was beginning in the Netherlands and in Italy but France was embroiled in war with England, so the arts didn’t have the same chance to flourish. However there were some interesting developments as artists brought ideas back from Europe, and some great paintings, sculptures, stained glass and of course illuminated manuscripts were on display. We went through the rest of the museum but lingered most at the six “Lady and the Unicorn” tapestries, which are still so colourful despite being woven so long ago (early 16th century.) As well as the Lady and her trusty lion and unicorn, each tapestry has lots of different animals like dogs, monkeys and rabbits. The tapestries are in the style of “mille-fleurs” so have many different small flowers all over the background. They must have taken so much time and effort to make, and they were much more beautiful in real life than in paintings I have seen of them. When we left the museum in the early afternoon there were many more people arriving, so we were glad that we had gone in the morning. It wasn’t far to walk to the Tuileries and the rain had stopped so we had a nice stroll through the gardens. I spontaneously suggested that we go to nearby Angelina on the rue du Rivoli, since we had enjoyed the Louvre branch so much last year. We only had to wait a few minutes and had a lovely light lunch. And then onto the Metro to our hotel to collect our case before walking to the Gare du Nord, which didn’t take long at all. The Eurostar waiting room was nicer than the London one, and we sat and read our books for a while before being called to board the train. Again we had good seats; this time I was more awake as we whizzed though Northern France and James kept track of where we were, using Google Maps. So we saw the River Somme as the train crossed it, not too far from where we were in April. At one point I noticed on the train information display that we were going at 295 km per hour; so fast! When we went through the Channel tunnel it was so strange to think that we were underneath the English Channel with all that water pressing down on us! We got back to the flat in less than forty minutes from St Pancras station and had a cup of tea with Ally and Cat before bedtime. They ate some of the macarons that we made in Galeries Lafayette and said that they were delicious! What a whirlwind of two days we have had! 

Eurostar to Paris and Macarons

We got up very early and took an Uber to St Pancras Station. Cat came with us because she had a screen to drop off at her office which is near the station, so our journey turned out to be convenient for her too! We have never been in the Eurostar or through the Channel Tunnel before, so we were both very excited. The Eurostar has pros and cons. To start with the cons it’s pricey, although it’s cheaper if you book quite far ahead, as we did. You have to arrive 90 minutes before the train’s departure, to go through passport control and security. which means that we needed to be at St Pancras at 6.30 a.m. for our 8.01 a.m. train. This is just about as early as you need to be at the airport to catch a plane. The pros are that you travel from the centre of London to the centre of Paris, which is very handy, and also you go through two passport controls at the beginning of your journey, so when you get on the train you are have already changed country, and you can just stroll off at the train at the other end. 

Our seats were comfy, forward facing and beside a window (carefully booked by me!) however there wasn’t much to see except flat countryside. And once we entered the channel tunnel there was nothing to see at all of course! We were only in the tunnel for twenty minutes until we emerged into France. I dozed a bit and the two and a half hour journey flew past. It was very exciting to arrive at Gare du Nord and walk into the streets of Paris. 

First of all we went to the Louis Blanc Hotel, which I booked because it’s only 15 minutes walk from the station. We were very pleased to find that our room was ready early so we could put our cases straight into our room, which was plain but smart and clean. 

And then off we went on foot to Montmartre, one of our very favourite places in Paris, and had lunch sitting outside a café in the Place du Tertre and wandered around the streets and it was blissful. The waiters of Paris are reputed to be unfriendly but I have never found them so; they were laughing and joking with us. When I forgot which salad I had ordered the waiter said “Alzheimer’s?” with a cheeky smile! Later we walked down the hill through Pigalle and onwards to Galeries Lafayette, where we were in good time for our Macaron making class. What great fun it was! There were twelve of us in the class and our lovely French teacher, Marie, was so kind and helpful. All of the other students were American and very friendly. Marie was absolutely precise in her cooking and instructions and I really felt that I learned a lot from her. We each made two pistachio macarons and two chocolate macarons, and took them back to the hotel in little boxes. Excellent experience! 

Our final plan for the day was dinner in the Café Les Deux Gares, situated between the Gare du Nord and the Gare de l’Est. We had dinner in a restaurant with the same name several times more than forty years ago and we thought that it would be fun to revisit it. But alas we didn’t recognise it, and the location seemed slightly wrong. So I think that our old café, with its red and white checked paper tablecloths where the waiters used to write the “addition”, and ceramic carafes of very cheap wine, probably closed years ago. The new one is very nice though, and we sat outside in the evening sunshine and had a very tasty meal. We were both exhausted when we got back to our hotel! 

Mamma Mia the Party

A delightful start to the day with a sunny breakfast on Ally and Cat’s balcony, overlooking the River Thames. Then we met Gosia and Mitchell for coffee at the Wetherspoons opposite the Mamma Mia the Party experience at the O2. 
How to describe Mamma Mia The Party? Well it was absolutely amazing, and felt very joyful. It was also very professional; despite the fairly large number of guests, the staff were very efficient and attentive, and our meal was served timeously. It was a Greek meal of course, very tasty, and the restaurant was just like the restaurant in the film Mamma Mia, so the whole afternoon really did have a Greek feel. The event was centred round a musical comedy which took place all around the “taverna” which had a fountain in the centre and steps leading up to a bar area; a British waiter has fallen in love with the daughter of the owner of the Taverna, love and drama ensues. All of the actor / singers were fantastic with great voices and of course all of the songs were Abba! There were lots of wee Abba jokes in the script but I won’t mention them because I wouldn’t want to spoil it for others. The whole event was great fun. Four hours later we emerged blinking into the sunshine in the Wetherspoons beer garden, where we had a couple of pints with Mitchell, Gosia and their friends Sean and Kirsty. Then we went back to Ally and Cat’s where Cat rustled up a very delicious salad which we ate out on the balcony. Great day. 

Player Kings and Keane

After breakfast yesterday morning we caught the 9 o’clock train from Braintree into London, getting off the train at Stratford, where we stopped for coffee and pastries. James pointed out a Café Nero up the stairs with lots of seats beside it, and it was an excellent choice, we were able to relax in a little oasis of peace, overlooking the busy station. The day was heating up already. We journeyed onwards to Cat and Ally’s flat, and thence to an Italian restaurant in Holborn with outdoor seating which Ally sometimes frequents. The service was slow but we had plenty of time so it didn’t really matter, and it was nice and cool in the dappled shade of the trees. Onwards to the afternoon performance of Player Kings, an interpretation of Shakespeare’s Henry IV Parts 1 and 2. I was worried that it might be a bit dull, but in fact it was very good and full of action. Ally and Cat enjoyed it too. Ian McKellen stole the show; he has such stage presence. It’s hard to believe that he’s eighty-five. The Prince was played by Toheeb Jimoh who played Sam in Ted Lasso and he was very good too. It was quite a long play; the first half was two hours and the second half was one and a half hours, but it held our attention. 

By the time it ended it was time for James and I to head to the O2 to see Keane, pausing for a quick bite to eat at one of the many restaurants there. I was amazed yet again at the sheer size of the O2; so much bigger than the Hydro in Glasgow. Keane were full of energy on their 20th anniversary tour. The audience was of all ages, however although we weren’t the oldest by any means, I noticed that most people were in their thirties and forties; I missed Keane first time around and have only started listening to their music in the last five or six years. The queue for the underground was massive after the concert so we went for a walk along the Thames, enjoying the city lights, and then joined the end of the queue just as it was it was diminishing. At their flat we found Ally and Cat watching the end of Eurovision with Iain; they were all full of the joys and showed us their favourite songs which were the usual outlandish mix. Apparently the contest has been full of drama behind the scenes this year. We joined the young folks for a drink, the chat was excellent and we ended up rather late to bed!  

Visit to Essex

Today was the start of our exciting nine day trip to Essex, London and Paris. We were already all packed so we had a leisurely start to the morning before catching an EasyJet flight to Stansted Airport. We almost never go to London via Stansted; we prefer London City or Heathrow. However this time we were not going straight into the centre of London, we were going to visit Gosia and Mitchell in Braintree in Essex first, and Stansted is their local airport. It was very warm when we arrived and took a bus to Braintree, where Gosia and Mitchell met us. We had a lovely afternoon at Braintree Village retail park where we had coffee sitting outdoors, mercifully in the shade with a slight breeze which helped me to cool down. Gosia and Mitchell then took us for a drive in their fabulous VW Eos convertible, through beautiful tree-lined country roads to a gorgeous wee village called Finchingfield. We sat outdoors at the little pub overlooking the village green, which had a river running through it, and ducks waddling around. It was very pretty, even though the road which ran right through the centre of the village was quite busy. I wonder why the inhabitants haven’t lobbied for a bypass or even traffic calming measures; none of my business I suppose, since I don’t live there. Back at Braintree, Gosia cooked us a delicious barbecue in their garden and we sat outside all evening talking and laughing. Meanwhile the aurora borealis was putting on a fine display all over the UK; Davie saw it from his camping trip near Loch Cluanie and sent us an amazing photo. It was even visible from Essex but we were tucked up in bed and didn't know that it was visible so far south until Davie messaged us, by which time we had missed it. 

A Garden Centre in Gartcosh

Today I went to the Homegrown Garden Centre in Gartcosh with Gran Jan. I always enjoy meeting up with her, partly because of her close link with my Dad (cousin) but mainly because she is great company and so wise. I don’t think that every elderly person is wise but Janet really is. If she gives advice it is only when asked for, and it is very measured and kind. After looking around the very smart but very expensive garden centre we went upstairs to the Café which is extremely nice. It is beautifully decorated but most importantly the food is very tasty. We both had French toast and it was delicious. We had a good chat about all sorts of things. Unfortunately the news about her wee great-granddaughter Ferne (Rachel and John’s daughter) is not good. The brain tumour is growing back and she is going to have palliative care. I was very sad to hear this. 
We decided to take a cross-country route home by following signs to Uddingston instead of going back on the motorway. It took a little bit longer but was a pleasant drive through places that Janet knows, like Bargeddie. The surrounding countryside is all very lush and spring like. After I dropped her off I did a wee bit of food shopping and admin, and then James and I packed for our trip to London. 

A Night at the Opera

We set off home this morning. Unusually Flora became suspicious before Tom did and she hid in the bedroom cupboard while he was still strolling around the garden, blissfully unaware of the journey ahead. So I picked him up and carried him to the car, and Flora didn’t put up much resistance when we came to get her. I would like to think that they are getting used to the four hour journey, they don’t seem so upset when they are taken to the car; more resigned. The journey was pleasantly uneventful which is the way we like it.

In the evening we went to see La Traviata at the Theatre Royal. We got the tickets on a whim about eight months ago; it’s many years since we have seen an Opera, not since we were in our thirties I think. La Traviata was a good choice because it has great songs and is visually very attractive with much partying and dancing. It has a sad ending of course, but the singers, whom my Dad would have described as “well built,” looked so hale and hearty that it was difficult to believe that Violetta was in anything but robust good health!  The singer who played Alfredo was so moved however that he was still crying his eyes out at the curtain calls! 

I had forgotten that I had booked the very front row of the stalls, not a row that I usually book because it can result in having to crane your neck to look up at the stage. However this time it worked very well because we could see right into the orchestra pit and saw all of the musicians playing their instruments, the conductor expertly entwining their music with the singing that was going on above them. The stage was on a slope towards us so we could see all of the performers very well, although we did need to crane our necks a little to see the English supertitles above the stage. The singing was so expressive that I didn’t feel the need to look at the supertitles very often. However there was one unexpected outcome of sitting in the front row. At the beginning of the second interval I put my glasses on a wee shelf in front of me and they slid off and fell right down into the orchestra. Luckily they didn’t hit any of the musicians, one of whom handed them up to James. I was very embarrassed but we had a laugh about it and when I came back to my seat after the interval a man said to me “Hang on to your specs!” which I thought was very funny. James and I both thoroughly enjoyed our night at the Opera. 

Davie and Chanel visit

Saturday was a big day for Davie, who got up very early and climbed the five Western Fannichs. James did some gardening, as much as he could with his sore knee. Chanel and I went for a lovely walk to the village where we had coffee and cake in Tea by the Sea and a lovely girls’ chat. It was much warmer than I expected and I was sweltering so we sat indoors where it was cooler and we were chatting to the ladies who run it. Back at the cottage Chanel did some Maths for her upcoming exam at the end of May. She is a very hard worker and I admire that. Davie returned, tired but triumphant, from his big hill-walk and then we all had a barbecue together. 

The next few days were very pleasant. We all went for breakfast to the new café beside Deli-ca-Sea one morning, and walked down to the village several more times, chatted and watched films. Davie and Chanel were great company as usual and we were sad to see them go on Monday. I’m sure that the cats were sad to see them go too, they love having them around. Such social wee cats! 

James has a fall

It was a fine, sunny morning so James went out for a walk in the morning to Loch Achall and then around Ullapool Hill. Unfortunately he fell on his way back, just above the Royal Hotel, and twisted both his knee and his ankle. He was really hobbling afterwards; the trouble is that he has damaged both knees on several occasions which hill-walking and he certainly wants to avoid needing surgery on one or both of them. 

We went through to Dingwall to have lunch with with Alison and Hugh at the Storehouse Café right beside the Moray Firth with lovely views of the water. It was light and airy and we had a good chat; it always great to catch up with them.

Davie and Chanel arrived in the evening for the first May holiday weekend. How happy it makes me that they like the cottage so much; they are also planning to come here with friends in August.  

Estuary Swim and Barbecue

This has been a smashing day. We’re back in Ullapool and the weather is very balmy with beautiful blue skies and a strangely warm wind. I washed the kitchen floor in the morning and did a bit of dusting, hung out a washing, then booked The Moonwalkers show (about the moon landings, not Michael Jackson’s dance!) at the Lightroom at King’s Cross for our London trip later this month. James cut the grass and the repair company arrived to replace the garage door, which was buckled by one of the storms in January. It looks brand new now, not surprisingly. Then we had a delightful stroll into the village and had lunch sitting outside Tea by the Sea. James pointed out to me that the hills around the loch are greening up from their verdant lower slopes towards their still pale brown tops. You can see it very clearly. Very few of the mountains still have patches of snow on them. By the time we got back to the cottage l was rather overheated, so I put on my swimming costume and five minutes later I was swimming in the estuary. Oh boy, the water felt cold compared to the warm air! But once I was in, it felt absolutely wonderful and I swam about for twenty-five minutes while James sat in his deckchair on the shore and read his book on his Kindle. This was my first open water swim of 2024! Back at the cottage James constructed the barbecue and we had our first outdoors cooking of the year. Beef burgers for James (bought from the butcher who visits the village hall on a Thursday) and halloumi burgers for me, with baked potatoes and coleslaw, yummy! Both cats joined us and Tom actually sat between us in the bench for a while! We continued to sit outdoors after dinner until the evening started to cool, and then went indoors for a cup of tea.