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 the show to start 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 Emma 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. 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 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. 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 “additions”, 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 experience at the O2. 

How to describe Mamma Mia The Party? Well it was 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 drama 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. 

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. 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. Ally and Cat  also enjoyed it. 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

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, and Stansted is their local airport. It was so warm when we arrived and took a bus to Braintree, where Gosia and Mitchell met us. We had a lovely afternoon at Braintree Village 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. 

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 (Rachel and John’s daughter) is not good. 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 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.