First cold of the season

We are having a pleasantly quiet few days in Ullapool where there is a mixture of warm sunshine and light showers. Unfortunately I have been afflicted with a horrid wee cold. My throat is on fire and I am sneezing and coughing as discreetly as I can. However my dear husband tells me that I sound disgusting. I spent the afternoon reading about Northern Renaissance Art as much as my poor thumping head would allow. In other news there seems to be a peace deal between Palestine and Israel; it’s very early stages so let’s hope that it lasts. And James and I, strongly influenced by Jenn and Russ, have started watching Celebrity Traitors. I’m loving it so far, and am surprised and gratified by the high calibre of the celebrities. Often in these celebrity versions of reality tv shows the so-called famous people are, to quote Billy Connolly, “Celebrities you’ve never heard of!” In this case though, I would say that at least fifteen of the nineteen are genuinely well known, for example top intellectual luvvie Sir Stephen Fry. Alan Carr is hilarious and it’s all very good-natured. James is markedly less enthusiastic but he is sportingly watching it with me which I appreciate. I’m now tucked up in bed waiting for my Night Nurse capsules to kick in. 

Tablet

I enjoyed my Northern Renaissance Art class yesterday; this week was about the symbolism and realism in the Netherlandish art. It actually raised more questions in my mind than answers. Is the mousetrap in Joseph’s workshop in the Mérode Altarpiece by Robert Campin really a symbol of the devil trapping Jesus? Or is it (as I instinctively feel) just a mousetrap? I walked to Partick Station on my way home because the earlier drizzle had stopped and it was a fine afternoon. 

James made tablet for the first time ever yesterday. Gran Jan asked me to deliver some of her tablet to Rachel last week for a charity sale, and I think this gave James the idea to try making some. Also we have discussed offering to make tablet as wedding favours for Jamie’s wedding in 2027. James worked and stirred away using his sugar thermometer and the results were fantastic. It tasted just as good as my Dad’s tablet and that is high praise indeed. 

Today Ally and Colin came for lunch and we made them a lamb and quince tagine. The quinces were picked from our own tree. It turned out very well if I say so myself, and we served it with couscous, a dollop of thick yoghurt and flatbreads. We made double quantities so there was plenty to freeze and I made a butternut squash version for myself. We had a lovely catch up with Ally and Colin, and after lunch we had coffee and baklavas sitting in the back room which was nice and warm. Colin also partook enthusiastically of James’ tablet; it really is excellent. 

Deceiving the Eye in the National Gallery

We went back to the National Gallery this morning for a members’ event called “Deceiving the Eye.” We walked from Bank Station to Trafalgar Square; it was the most beautiful sunny day. We took a small detour to walk through the narrowest lane in London, Brydges Place, which was only one paving slab wide at its narrowest point. First we had cool drinks in the members’ room then met our group in the Sainsbury’s Wing foyer. The art historian was very knowledgeable and presented a case that the Dutch artists of the 17th century used the recently developed optics technology to help make their paintings more accurate. He used Samuel van Hoogstraten, who experimented with various optical effects, as an example. We also looked at works by Carel Fabritius and Johannes Vermeer. All good fun. At James’ suggestion we then strolled through the sunny streets to my favourite outdoors café, Caffe Tropea, in Russell Square. It was absolutely delightful to sit outside in the warm afternoon, drinking coffee and eating mini cannoli. All too soon it was time to head to the airport for our flight home, but what a fantastic five days in London we have had. 

We have also had excellent news from Ally and Jamie, both of whom have new jobs. Ally has just been promoted to Senior Associate in his law firm and Jamie has just been offered a consultant paediatrician post at a hospital in Auckland. Following on from Davie’s excellent new job news earlier in the summer this is great news for all three of my sons. I am so proud of them all. 

Woolwich to Eltham

Ally and Cat took us on another walk on the Capital Ring today, the first section from Woolwich to Eltham, and it was absolutely brilliant. The weather was beautiful with a wee breeze which kept me from overheating. First we took the DLR all the way to Woolwich. We had brunch in a gorgeous wee French bakery and then set off along the Thames where we could see the ferries that cross the water. The route then climbed gently away from the river through Woolwich Common, passing the impressive Georgian Royal Artillery Barracks. The path led through Charlton Park and into Oxleas Wood,  one of London’s ancient woodlands, which has oak, beech, and hornbeam trees. It was beautifully autumnal and there were so many acorns falling from the trees, James told us that it is a mast year for oak trees. This occurs every 5 to 10 years and means a bumper crop which is too large for all of the predators like squirrels to eat, thus ensuring that some will grow. We all gathered some acorns to plant in the spring. Emerging from the trees, we arrived at Severndroog Castle a striking 18th-century folly perched on Shooters Hill. It has a wee café and we sat at the tables outside to drink our coffees. Then we climbed to the top of the tower and were rewarded with views southwards to London City and Canary Wharf. In the foreground parakeets squawked in the trees below us. Windsor was just visible distantly to the west, using the binoculars provided by the friendly guide. This small hill is the highest point of the Capital Ring. The route then continued gently downhill through Eltham Park to Eltham Palace, a magnificent Art Deco mansion surrounded by elegant gardens. It is currently closed because scenes for a film are being shot there over the next few days, but the kindly security guard allowed us to walk across the bridge to have a closer look at the palace and grounds, which are very pretty. We walked onwards past fields of horses, it felt very rural considering its proximity to central London. Finally we walked down into Eltham itself and caught a train to Lewisham and thence to Canary Wharf on the DLR. We had drinks in the Munich Cricket Club, a pub with a great atmosphere of which we have lovely memories with Ally, Cat and Andrew. Then we had dinner in Mala and an excellent chat, before saying very fond farewells to Ally and Cat and heading back to the hotel. My feet were very tired after 20 km of walking but I felt good. 

Ally saves a pigeon

We walked along to Ally and Cat’s flat in the morning for a delicious breakfast of coffee and pastries. It was very sunny but also quite windy - perhaps the edge of the Storm Amy that was bringing down trees in Scotland last night. We decided to go for a boat trip at Canary Wharf, something that Ally and Cat have done before but they were happy to do again. So we booked a self drive boat, which was very comfy with a wee table in the centre where we could put the drinks and snacks that we brought. It was good fun navigating around the waterways and looking up at the buildings towering above us. There were a few swans swimming about, some cormorants, and one very unlucky pigeon who had somehow flown into the water and couldn’t get out. The poor wee thing was desperately swimming, using its wings to try to lift itself up. Our hero Ally directed James (who was driving the boat at the time) to turn and pursue it. Of course the pigeon became even more agitated trying to get away from us. The safety boat appeared and we managed to trap the pigeon in the space between the two boats, whereupon Ally lifted it out of the water using an oar, and deposited it into the safety boat. The man in the safety boat took it to the shore and put it into a quiet corner on the wharf to rest. When we finished our boat trip we went to see it and put some pieces of cookie beside it; it didn’t look in great shape but it was sitting up and watching us, so I hope it survived. I am very proud of Ally for giving that wee pigeon a chance. 
We made our way to Swiss Cottage where we had a pre-theatre meal in a delightful Lebanese Restaurant called Arabesque. Then we went just round the corner to Hampstead Theatre to see Titus Andronicus. This was of course part of my quest to see all of Shakespeare’s plays performed live; this was my 22nd out of a total of 38 plays. Ally and Cat had good-naturedly agreed to join us. I was a bit concerned about it; Titus Andronicus is one of Shakespeare’s least loved plays because of its huge amount of graphic violence, and I didn’t want Ally and Cat to feel that they had wasted their Saturday evening on a load of rubbish, even though I knew that they wouldn’t complain. I needn’t have worried; the play was much better than any of us expected. It was indeed very bloody but the plot was robust, the actors were excellent, and the director had cleverly played up the gory bits so that they seemed so over the top as to be almost surreal. We all enjoyed it and had a good chat about it on the way back to Canary Wharf on the Jubilee Line. 

Troilus and Cressida

We awoke refreshed and ready for another fun day in London. Our first stop was the new members’ room at the National Gallery, which is called “The House.” It has its own private doorway on Trafalgar Square and it is very lovely and smart, with a dining room, café bar, lounge / event space, and an interior door which takes you right into the National Gallery. I love everything about it. We had brunch in the café before heading into the Gallery to revisit our favourite Northern Renaissance paintings. After a pleasant wander around, we walked down to and across the river to the south bank, and strolled along to the Globe Theatre. We had plenty of time for a coffee before seeing Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida. James bought us a programme so that we could check up on the plot, which seemed complicated at first, but made sense once it got started. It was the story of the love affair of Troilus and Cressida during the part of the Trojan War leading up to Hector’s death. It was well acted and I enjoyed it. The best known actor in the play was Samantha Spiro, whom we saw in Troilus and Cressida in Stratford last year, she is very talented. We had seats which meant that we were protected from the rain that came on lightly but steadily just at the start of the performance. Unfortunately this meant that the people in the standing area got rather wet but they were well clad in waterproof jackets. We decided to walk back to Limehouse; continuing along the south bank of the Thames through Rotherhithe and then under the river on the Windrush line to Wapping. We have walked this route before but in the other direction. The rain stopped within about ten minutes so we felt very pleased that we didn’t have to put up the hoods of our jackets. We had a tasty curry at the Holy Cow in Limehouse before the last short stroll back to the hotel.  

My Neighbour Totoro

James and I were up early to catch the 8.50 p.m. plane to London City. All went smoothly although not for the man behind me in the queue for boarding who was told that he was in the wrong queue because his ticket was for Heathrow! We left our luggage at the Premier Inn, Westferry, and set off along the Thames walkway towards Tower Bridge. The weather was fine and soon we had to take our jackets off because it was so warm. We jumped onto the underground from Tower Hill to Temple and had a really good wee lunch at Delauney’s. We were only a short walk from the Gillian Lynne Theatre where we saw the matinée of My Neighbour Totoro. This musical theatre production, based on a popular Japanese Animé, was recommended to us by both Ally and Gordon, so we were intrigued. And we were so glad we went because it was unusual, joyful, and downright surreal! A good example is the twelve legged orange cat-bus! The puppetry was so skilful, the music was alluring, and the actors were very energetic. When Totoro himself appeared for the first time there were gasps from the audience at his sheer immensity and presence. There were quite a lot of Japanese families there; apparently Totoro is a very popular figure in Japan. There were also quite a few school groups, who were lively but well-behaved. The man to James’ left was told off for getting his phone camera out, and from then on the usher watched him like a hawk. I took a surreptitious photo myself at the end when the usher wasn’t looking, just out of a feeling of rebellion. 
After the show we walked some more (12 km in total during the day) and later had a decent if not outstanding meal in Gordon Ramsay’s Limehouse restaurant, which we have passed many times as we have walked to and from Ally and Cat’s flat over the last few years. It has been a long but satisfying day. 

A coffee on Mum and Dad’s bench

James and I were very wily this morning before Tom’s vet appointment. I assembled the cat carrier last night and hid it in the front room. James did not feed Tom when he got up, and we both acted very casually. As a result, when we went downstairs, Tom was frisking about our ankles, wanting his breakfast. Before he could suspect a thing I picked him up and popped him in the cat carrier. Flora was in the vicinity, but disappeared when she saw what was happening, probably under our bed. Ten minutes later we were at the vets with Tom with no fuss at all. The enthusiastic young vet had a good look at Tom’s itchy bits, and decided that they were probably allergies. He has a short course of steroids and some cream. The idea is if the patches stop itching, they will heal up and the cycle of scratching will be broken.
I then went up to East Kilbride Shopping Centre to boots for a Scottish NHS health check, where they found out that I had low blood pressure. It’s 82/59 which apparently is quite low. So I’m to talk to the doctor; apart from that, I am a good weight for my height so that’s good news. As I walked through East Kilbride Shopping Centre I felt a bit sad at how it has deteriorated from the fairly smart place it used to be when the boys were younger, and even from when I took pupils there in later years. A lot of the shops have closed which makes it look a bit bleak. However, the girls in the health check clinic told me that part of it is going to close and the rest will be consolidated, which hopefully will give it a new lease of life. Walking through there was similar for me to Proust dipping his Madeleine in his cup of tea; it brought back a lot of memories and I could picture it in its past incarnations very clearly. 
Elspeth came round in the afternoon and we visited my Mum and Dad’s memorial bench in Douglas Park together. We brought a flask of coffee and some cakes. It was really special and we had a good talk about our parents, who were great friends, and about family and life in general. 

Lunching

Both yesterday and today have been mild and sunny autumn days. We took the train through to Edinburgh yesterday to meet Margaret for lunch. It was warm enough to sit outside in St Andrew’s Square for a coffee beforehand. It was great to see Margaret and catch up on news; I’m so glad that she has moved back to Scotland and she is loving life in Crail. Amarone, a more spacious, high ceilinged version of the Glasgow restaurant, provided us with a very tasty lunch and then the three of us strolled through Princes Street Gardens and had a cup of tea at the National Gallery. 
Today was the second of my Northern Renaissance Art classes. I had lunch at Eusebio beforehand and thought fondly of my lunches there with Jackie, however although my spicy poached eggs on Italian toast were delicious, they were really too expensive and I will return there only sparingly. The course was good, however I think that my previous lecturer in 2024 was more structured so I’m glad that I have done the course before and have a basic knowledge to build on. Again I walked to Finnieston Station through  Kelvingrove Park after the class which was very pleasant with lots of people out and about. I saw a squirrel and a crow squaring up to each other beside a tree and I wanted to see what would happen next, but another person walked past nearer to them and they both hopped off. I had a meeting in Blantyre in the early evening and when I left at about quarter past seven it was already getting dark; the nights are fair drawing in! 

Sunny Weekend Miscellany

I had brunch with Gran Jan yesterday and it was so great to see her; I like to dress a bit more smartly than usual when I meet up with her because she is always so  beautifully turned out! We went to Sterling’s in Uddingston which has a really attractive wee café and had a really good talk. After I dropped Janet off at home I popped round to see Davie for coffee; Davie and Chanel’s house is looking fantastic as they continue to paint and decorate it. Skye made a brief appearance and I got the chance to have a wee cuddle with Harris. It’s such a good and spacious house and I love its location. In the evening James and I decided that, since we are going to see Bob Dylan in concert at the end of next month, we should watch the biopic which was made about him last year. It’s called “A Complete Unknown” (the name comes from the lyrics of his song “Like a Rolling Stone”) and stars Timothée Chalamet as Dylan. It turned out to be an excellent film, covering the period 1961 to 1965, and all the actors were superb and sang the Bob Dylan songs themselves. It made me appreciate Bob Dylan’s music more, so that is good timing. 
Today Hilary and Steven came round for lunch and then we went for a wee walk up to Holmhills Park where the trees were absolutely covered in red berries; the views over the east of Glasgow towards the Campsies were stunning in the sunshine. And later Davie came over to join us for a Sunday night curry, both the curry and his company were very pleasant. 

Kingfisher Blue

Flora had an upsetting start to her day, although it was really her own fault. Last night I found a big spider running around my bathroom, so I captured it in a glass and gently tipped it out of the red room window. I was aware that Flora had followed me so when I left the room I called her and looked for her, and when there was no sign of her I closed the door. This morning as I headed downstairs I heard a little cry from the red room. I don’t know where Flora had managed to hide from me but she had ended up trapped in there all night. She was extremely hungry so she ate a hearty breakfast of cat food before going outside to perform her ablutions. 
James and I had brunch with Gerry and Janis in All Bar One; they were full of the joys and we caught up on each others’ summer adventures. They showed us recent photos of their wee grandson Rory, he is so cute. We decided to go for a walk in the west end since the good weather is still with us, despite the dire predictions of the weather forecasters. Again there was not a cloud in the sky and the Botanic Gardens were pleasantly busy with people enjoying the sunshine. We walked down to the River Kelvin and spotted, for the first time in either of our lives, a kingfisher! It was the most amazing bright blue and was sitting on a log that protruded into the river. We walked beside the river where the surroundings were autumnal and pretty, then up into Kelvingrove Park and on to Kelvin Hall underground station and thence to Cowcaddens. We had a lovely meal with Gordon and Morag in the Piper’s Tryst and caught up on more news, before going to see comedian Stewart Lee at the Theatre Royal. I like Stewart Lee and have seen him before, however this evening I thought that he was a bit too chaotic even though there were some very funny bits. But then again chaotic is what he does, so that’s part of the deal. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I could see what he was aiming for, which was to satirise right wing comedians, but James did not feel the same way and told me afterwards that he will not be returning to see Stewart Lee ever again. That’s comedy though, it’s very subjective. 

Small Acts of Love

Yesterday morning we needed to take the cats for their annual health check. James set the cat flap to “in only,” and we surreptitiously assembled the small cat carrier in the lounge. I’m convinced that the cats didn’t notice this, and yet somehow both of them disappeared shortly before the appointment. Tom appeared first out on the patio and I quickly picked him up and put him in the carrier. Then I spotted Flora having a face off with another cat at the top of the garden, and she was distracted enough by this that I was able to capture her too. We arrived at the vets only slightly late and I’m glad to say that the cats are both in good shape. As we already knew Tom has been biting the inside of his legs, causing raw patches, so we will need to take him back next week to get them properly looked at. 
Dougie came round in the afternoon for a coffee and we had a really good chat with him, There are aspects of his life of which I had no idea, he’s a very interesting person.
Then Lesley and Chris arrived to give us a lift to Glasgow Green where we had a pre-theatre meal with them in Whistlers on the Green before going on to the Citizens Theatre. I am absolutely thrilled that the Citz has reopened after about seven years. It’s one of my favourite theatres and we have seen some fantastic productions there in the past. Its opening play is Small Acts of Love and what a brilliant play it is. The cast was led by that fine Scottish actress Blythe Duff, but actually there was no principal actor because they all played multiple parts. The play was about how the people of Lockerbie supported each other and the families of the American victims of the Lockerbie disaster in 1988. I remember it so well. It was a musical play with the music written by Ricky Ross, and the stories the acting and the music where all excellent, and very moving. Gordon and Morag were there too and we were chatting with him at the interval. Afterwards we set off with Lesley and Chris to walk back to their car, which we had left on the other side of the river. However, as we approached Albert Bridge we saw that it was taped off by the police with lots of emergency vehicles including river rescue. This meant we had to take a detour down to Saint Andrew’s suspension bridge and back up through Glasgow Green. It was a fine mild evening so that was no hardship, but I did wonder what incident had happened. There was nothing in the news so it may have been a training exercise. 

Northern Renaissance again

Another beautiful sunny day; a pale blue sky without a single cloud. Today was my first of a course of ten Northern Renaissance History of Art classes. Eagle eyed readers will notice that I attended this very course a year ago with James. However, although I enjoyed it very much, I didn’t feel that I got the best out of it because I didn’t do any extra reading or research. So when I came to look for an interesting class this autumn, I thought, “Why not do Northern Renaissance again?” James declined to join me because he felt that once was enough. When I arrived at the class, I noticed that it was a different lecturer from last year. I thought this was just as well because it might have seemed a bit odd to turn up again, as if I was some sort of geriatric Art groupie. And of course all the attendees were new to me, although mostly of the same post retirement demographic. I had looked forward to finding the coursework to be extremely familiar and well within my comfort zone. However, I actually found it quite difficult. I still have the same problem with understanding the difference between Northern Renaissance art and Italian Renaissance art. I will need to look into it further. The lecturer is a cheerful young chap but he moved fast through the topics and it certainly didn’t feel like a beginners class; thank goodness I have covered the subject before, otherwise I think I would’ve been rather lost.
Afterwards I decided to walk through Kelvingrove Park to Exhibition Centre station because it was such a nice day. The park was busy with school kids on their way home, student, parents and children. The leaves on the trees are beginning to turn orange and yellow, but it didn’t look like full autumn yet. I was surprised at how short the walk was; less than two kilometres. 

It’s a Wild World

It was frosty when I went out to the car this morning and there was a little bit of ice on the windscreen! That must be the first frost of the autumn. However it is sunny with blue skies so I can’t complain. Yesterday I took James to the IMAX cinema at the Science Centre as a surprise, to see a screening of David Gilmour Live at the Circus Maximus, Rome. James was pleased and said that the sound was better than when he heard him at the Albert Hall last year. We then strolled into town along the Clyde Walkway which was very pleasant, and had a tasty dinner in Dakhin, one of our old favourites. Needless to say we had a massive paper dosa with our meals, and took the train home with very full tummies. 
This evening we had a real treat. Cat Stevens is doing a book tour to promote his autobiography, and the event was advertised as being a chat about his life with some music. I was slightly concerned that this would mean only a few songs, but I bought tickets anyway. Well, there was lots of chat and there was also lots of music so I was delighted. Cat Stevens is very personable and he didn’t shy away from awkward subjects of faith and politics; he was very interesting and has led a fascinating life, always seeking the truth. The music was wonderful! He played lots of his old songs like “Wild World” and “Father and Son” and “The First Cut is the Deepest” (yes he wrote that!) and “I love my Dog” and many more. “Morning is Broken” was just stunning. I was so happy. 

Malva Pudding

It has been a pleasantly social couple of days. Last night I was out with my Dukie chums for a meal at Orient in Westwood in East Kilbride. I was sorry that this very nice little restaurant seems to be struggling, with a reduced menu. However, the food that they did have was delicious, and I hope they can make it go of it. It was great to see Shona, Kenny, John, and Carolyn. It has been far too long since the five of us got together and we have such good memories of our expeditions together. We parted with vows to get together more often.
Today Davie and Chanel came over for lunch and we had a good chat. They were looking very well and happy, and both enjoying their new jobs. Then this evening we had dinner at Cornell and Heather‘s with Heather‘s brother Brian and his wife Yolandie. They were all brought up in South Africa, although Heather and Brian were born in Scotland. What a fun and interesting family they are. Heather made us an absolutely delicious dinner of which the crowning glory was Malva Pudding, a caramelised sponge pudding containing apricot jam, which is a favourite in South Africa. It is now a favourite of mine too and I had two helpings! 

Flora flees

Yesterday afternoon, after we had packed up and tidied the cottage ready to return to Cambuslang today, James and I suddenly decided that we should head down the road straight away. It was like a self fulfilling prophecy, because we had planned to stay one more night, but once we were ready, we felt as if we wanted to set off. So far so good. The cats were outside so we had to wait for them to come back in. This duly happened and James carried Tom out to the car and put him into the cat carrier. This was where things went wrong. I arrived at the car carrying Flora, but also a pair of shoes and the car keys. I thought that James would open the door for me but he didn’t realise that I needed assistance because of everything that I was carrying, and I ended up dropping both Flora and the shoes. Flora ran round the side of the house, down the path, and along the lane. I have never seen her run so fast. I followed her and found her sitting just inside the thicket of trees and bushes beside the path, looking out at me mournfully. But when I tried to reach her she retreated further into the undergrowth. Foolishly, I tried to follow her and got scratched by thorns and stung by nettles on my wrists and ankles, before I gave up and went back to the cottage. We waited for nearly an hour until she came back to the cottage. By this time it was 8 p.m. and I wondered whether it was worth driving down the road. But everything was packed so we set off, both cats securely in the car. Things got better because the journey went very smoothly and we arrived home at five past midnight. The cats were amazed and demanded a big feed. I had a quick bath and a cup of tea and headed for bed.
Today was all about unpacking and settling back home. The cats stuck pretty close to me as I pottered around upstairs. James and I treated ourselves to lunch in the Museum of Rural Life, one of our old haunts. This evening I went to EK Book Club at Maria’s. It was good to see everyone again and there was a lot of news to catch up on from the summer. 

Summer’s End

Grandma would have been 96 years old yesterday on Sunday. I miss her. It was a fine morning and James and I had a nice walk up to Loch Achall, where we had a coffee before retracing our steps. James actually walked on for another kilometre before turning, and he caught up with me at the quarry. We had lunch in our favourite Cult Café before returning to the cottage, having walked about 12 km in total. James has been laying concrete to repair the lowest two steps on our path over the past couple of days. It involves a lot of skill and he has worked hard. Yesterday morning while he was working on the steps he was attacked by thousands of midges and had to go straight into the shower to get rid of them. I washed his work clothes straight away to make sure there were none lurking in them! James came back from his walk today with some excellent gossip about a Netflix true crime drama that will be filming shortly in the Rhidorroch Estate. And so our five weeks in Ullapool are nearly at an end. We have been so lucky with the weather, we have had some lovely visitors and have had a lot of fun. 

Ruddy Turnstones

Jamie phoned last night with some great news; he is a Consultant! He has worked so hard for this over so many years and James and I are extremely proud of him. So now as well having the letters MBChB after his name, Jamie also has FRACP (Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.) 

Today James and I headed through to Inverness. Our main mission was to obtain cement for James to fix the lowest step in the garden. We first went to Simpsons Garden Centre where I had a huge and delicious cheese scone, and James had a sausage roll with salad. Then at James’ suggestion we drove to South Kessock and parked at Merkinch Nature Reserve from which we had great views of the Beauly Firth. The sky was blue but in the west we could see rain showers descending from clouds, backlit by sunshine. We saw a wee crowd of ruddy turnstones (similar to sandpipers) pecking away at the stones in the shallow water. We crossed the small railway line and walked to Clachnaharry Sea Locks, and then past the railway swing bridge, south west along the Caledonian Canal. It was so interesting, with more locks, boats, boatyards, barges, and people walking and cycling. In total we walked about 7 km before returning to Ullapool and the kitties for a cosy evening; we are watching the Last Night of the Proms. 

Sore Bones

I had a small mishap on Monday when we were at Clachtoll Broch. There is a low stone lintel across the doorway of  the broch, where a wooden door probably once stood. Foolishly I banged my head on it, but that wasn’t the problem. I immediately recoiled backwards and sideways and hit one side of my back on one of the big stones in the passageway. Despite me wearing a t shirt and fleece, it was a sore blow, and to my dismay it continued to be sore, in fact it became even more painful over the next several days. I wonder if I have cracked a rib, or whether it’s just bruised. It’s slowly improving now but it concerns me that my bones seem to be increasingly fragile. I know that I have osteopenia which probably explains it. 
This evening we watched Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1. It was full of action scenes. I couldn’t help noticing that when the main character, played by Tom Cruise, parachuted into a train right through a glass window, not only did he show no distress but he immediately started fighting the baddies. In fact shortly afterwards he climbed up onto the train roof to fight some more, ducking down nimbly when the train went through tunnels. Then the front part of the train fell off a bridge and Tom had to climb upwards through several train carriages that were hanging vertically over a vertiginous drop, supporting the weight of his female colleague with one arm as he pulled her to safety. Needless to say I couldn’t have done any of that. In the unlikely event that I ever parachute through a train window I would be covered in cuts and would probably break several bones. The baddies would have to help me up from the floor, dry my tears and make me a cup of tea! 

Lack of Empathy

Our guests departed on Tuesday morning; we were sorry to see them go but it has been an excellent long weekend with them - apart from the big fall! The weather is gradually becoming more autumnal but it was still warm enough to sit outside in the garden on Tuesday afternoon and on Wednesday. We did some housework and had lunch at Tea by the Sea where I have become enough of a regular that I was given a loyalty card; I felt honoured! On Wednesday evening news began to come in from the USA that a young right wing influencer called Charlie Kirk (of whom I had never heard) had been shot in the neck while speaking to students at a university in Utah. A couple of hours later it was announced that he has died. Immediately reactions were mixed and controversial. Kirk supported gun use among other right wing beliefs so some people have commented that he deserved to be shot. This lack of empathy is troubling. It seems that many people think that people whose views differ from their own are not deserving of pity or safety, or even of life. When one news channel announced Kirk’s death, employees in the next room could be heard cheering. Cheering for the violent death of a young man of thirty-one who had a wife and two small children. Although his age and situation are not really the point; I don’t understand anyone celebrating the death of any person, no matter what their beliefs. 

Today the rain finally arrived. It has been wild and windy all day, and the ferries between Ullapool and Stornoway have been cancelled due to the weather. James lit the fire and it’s nice and cosy in the cottage.  

Clachtoll Beach and some more music

Heather and Ewan know the north west of Scotland very well so today we decided to take them to one of the few places they haven’t visited; Clachtoll Beach. James and I are very fond of Clachtoll with its Iron Age Broch and we wanted to share it with our good friends. And as ever, Heather and Ewan were enthusiastic and interested in the geology and history of the area. The warm colour of the Torridonian sandstone was beautiful in the sunshine, and the waves on the sea were many shades of turquoise and azure. It was quite breezy so after our walk we didn’t sit on the beach, but headed to Lochinver for a tasty lunch at An Cala. Back in Ullapool we had a relaxed afternoon before dinner at the Caley Bistro and a concert at the Ceilidh Place Venue - Tom Smith. Tom Smith is the lead singer and song-writer of the indie rock band Editors, and he was playing the music from his upcoming and rather cumbersomely named solo album “There Is Nothing In The Dark That Isn’t There In The Light.” He has a good voice and I found his songs pleasant if slightly similar to each other. It’s good to try something new, and to support the music scene in Ullapool. As Heather said, we let the music “flow over us” and then strolled back to the cottage for drinks and chat. 

A walk, a big fall, a game of chess.

After our late night last night we all had a leisurely start to the morning, and went for a walk beside the River Broom. The start of it was quite near the road so we could hear the traffic, but the path curved northwards beside the river and it was very pretty; there were bramble bushes beside the path. An elderly couple passed us with their beagle, and they commented on how peaceful it was. However our peace did not last because one of us had a bad fall. It’s not my story to tell and although we will no doubt laugh one day about the genuinely scary incident, it feels too soon just now. Let’s just say that it was a reminder that life can change in a moment. This time all was (mostly) ok, in that it could have been a lot worse, but we were all very shaken, especially the person who fell who was also sore and scraped. We decided that a restoring lunch was required so we continued the few miles to Corrieshalloch Gorge. It was nice and warm in the shelter at the Visitor Centre and as we sat at one of the outdoor tables having our lunch James and Ewan played a spontaneous game of chess, which Ewan won. Later a hearty dinner and a convivial evening with much music ensued. 

Northern Star Country Music

Yee haw! We had an absolutely tremendous day yesterday at the Northern Star Country Music Festival in Inverness with Heather and Ewan, who are visiting us for the weekend. It was the first one ever, and it was extremely well organised, in the Northern Meeting Park. We had upgraded to covered seats in the stand, which worked well because we could go for a seat there between acts or when we ate our food. Being in the stand would also have worked well if it had been raining, because from the stand’s slightly elevated position we could see the stage clearly and not too far away. However luckily it was not raining, in fact it was a fine summer’s day, warm and with only a slight breeze. This meant that when the bands were playing we could stand in front of the stage with the rest of crowd and enjoy the music and the atmosphere. And such great bands! We arrived when Raintown were playing, a talented and lively duo from Glasgow. As is usual with music events the bands were roughly in reverse order of fame, however they really were all very good. Next up was the excellent Chris Andreucci, from Ayr, I particularly enjoyed "To The Moon & Back" which of course reminded me of Jackie, as it was one of the things she used to say to her boys. Catherine McGrath is Irish and very personable as well as being a great singer; and The Wandering Hearts sounded a bit folly as well as country. When Glasville came on the the stage the lead singer said “You have heard some wonderful original music tonight, here are some favourites that we know you love!” This is because they are a covers band, and oh boy they were really really great, the crowd were all dancing - mind you we had been dancing quite a lot already. As well as food stalls and a bar there was a tent where there was line dancing, karaoke and a few less well-known bands; we saw part of First Time Flyers’ set and they were full of energy. They said that they had driven ten hours today to get to the festival and that they were going to drive all the way back to London afterwards. As a Mum this worried me, however hopefully the four of them shared the driving! Back on the Main Stage it was time for The Shires and I think it’s fair to say that they were the best of the lot, certainly in terms of songwriting and vocal harmonies. But then they are probably the most experienced, the other bands were so great too. The Shires were the culmination of a fantastic day. We left sharp and were back in Ullapool by midnight, where we had a wee nightcap before bedtime. 

Outdoors with the cats

I had some house stuff to do yesterday but I still had plenty of time to sit outside the cottage in the sunshine with the cats. I had a complicated form to fill in on my laptop so I sat on the bench and took my time over it, while also watching boats on the loch and listening to bird song. There is a woodpecker very nearby, but its tapping is a bit hesitant and James thinks that it may be a juvenile. I collected James from Inverness Station at 5 p.m. and we had a good chat in the car on the way home. We picked up delicious pizzas from Oak and Grain and ate them back at the cottage while watching The Great British Sewing Bee.  

Today was yet another warm sunny day and James and I sat outside the cottage in the morning making plans. The cats love it when we are outside so they both spent time with us; Tom was rolling around on the patio and Flora climbed onto the garden gate to watch the lane, although she strategically retreated under a bush when some dog walkers passed by. James did some gardening and I did some drawing. It has been a very pleasant and quiet few days, however we are looking forward to seeing our visitors, Heather and Ewan, tomorrow. 

Coffee at Corrieshalloch Gorge

I dropped James at Garve Station at lunchtime yesterday so that he could travel to Cambuslang to check on the house and garden and also go to the dentist. He will be back on Wednesday. I stopped at Corrieshalloch Gorge on the way back to the cottage; I had a walk and a coffee which was very pleasant in the sunshine. It’s not often that we stop at Corrieshalloch Gorge because we’re usually on our way somewhere else when we pass it, and this may be the first time that I have sat down for coffee rather than grabbed one to go. It’s a nice wee sitooterie but it still annoys me that there isn’t an indoors café for colder days. It’s a big enough building, but the inside space seems to be only used for NTS offices. Still, the toilets are lovely. Not long after I arrived back in Ullapool it started raining properly for the first time in weeks. The cats were outside at the time; I had inadvertently closed the porch door, and when I opened it they came running back inside! They weren’t even wet because they had probably hidden in a bush but Flora was shouting disapprovingly and they both decided that they needed fresh bowls of food to get over the trauma! In the evening I noticed that the film of The Thursday Murder Club has appeared on Netflix. Murder mysteries are not James’ cup of tea so I decided that it would be a good choice for me. I read the very popular book (by Richard Osman) a while ago and it was a decent read, not groundbreaking or outstanding though. The film was similar; a cosy British murder mystery which could have been improved with a better script. Pierce Brosnan in particular was miscast as a retired trade unionist; he had no edge to him. Despite all this I thoroughly enjoyed it. When I went to bed, the rain was pattering on the velux windows. 
By this morning it was sunny again and the cats and I spent most of the day outdoors. In the evening I decided to watch the film Good Will Hunting, which I have never watched even though it was made in 1997! It was very good, and Matt Damon and Robin Williams were excellent. 

Tea by the Sea in the sunshine

Cornel left us on Friday morning and then had to come back again half a hour later because the road was blocked at Leckmelm for two hours due to an accident. A cyclist was air lifted to hospital; I hope that she will be ok, we haven’t heard otherwise. So the three of us all sat outside the cottage and had another coffee until we heard that the road was clear and Cornel set off homewards. We were tired after our late night, so James and I had a pretty quiet day in the sunshine.
On Saturday we had a meeting in the village and enjoyed watching a sailing race; the yachts swept by very near the shore; the loch must become deep very quickly there. We had lunch at Tea by the Sea and had a walk around the harbour. 
Today is the last day of August and we have had such a tremendous run of good weather. It’s still very warm, almost too hot to sit outdoors in the sunshine. However the rowan berries are very red and there are a few leaves gently drifting down from the trees. It feels as if autumn is just around the corner. James and I have been watching our old favourite The Great British Sewing Bee, it never disappoints. We also watched a series recommended to us by Kerry called Apple Cider Vinegar about Belle Gibson, an influencer in Australia who pretended that she had cancer in order to gain popularity and make money from her website and products. However it wasn’t just an exposé; it was very nuanced and showed different sides of the story. 

Dinner at the Shore Restaurant

Wednesday was another big day for James and Cornel; three more Munros in the Fannichs. They left early in the morning. The weather is staying dry and warm despite the dubious forecast and they had a great day. While they were away I replenished our stocks of beer and made a delicious dinner (if I do say so myself!) of chilli con carne. 
Then yesterday James and Cornel went for a walk up past the quarry to Loch Achall this morning and then over the hills to the dump road before returning to the village. It was a much less strenuous day for them than yesterday, but still a goodly walk. I walked down to the village and had a cheese scone for lunch in the Cult Café. We all had a relaxing afternoon sitting outside the cottage reading our books, drinking coffee and chatting. Cornel very kindly insisted on taking us out for dinner. We went to the Shore Restaurant at the Arch Inn and the food was absolutely delicious. We then went downstairs to the pub for a drink, and to listen to Rumac who was playing. The room at the front where he was playing was very full, so we sat in the bar area, and the music was loud enough that we could hear it fine from there. Sitting at the same table as us, there was a an Austrian couple in their 30s and we got talking to them. In fact, Cornell was talking to them in fluent German, which I found very impressive! He speaks three languages; German, Afrikaans and English. We had only intended to have a couple of drinks, but we were still there at closing time and James invited Eva and Fridolin back to the cottage to sample some whisky, specifically Raasay whisky. We continued our evening in a convivial manner, and James and the others tasted and discussed whisky among lots of other things. The cats were amazed that we had brought back strangers and stared at them at first and then paid them lots of attention. By the time they left it was late. Very late. It was really very funny because we have been going to bed at a sedate 10 p.m. all week because of all the hill-walking that James and Cornell have been doing, and then yesterday evening we blew it out of the water! 

Back to Mellon Udrigle

After their big day yesterday, James and Cornel decided a coastal walk would be appropriate to stretch their legs in a more gentle fashion. I suggested that we go to Mellon Udrigle, which we had enjoyed visiting with Kevin. We set up camp on the beach and James and Cornel went off for a walk around the Peninsula, while I read my book. The weather was fine but the breeze was brisk enough to put me off going for a swim. Instead, I paddled up and down the length of the beach, enjoying splashing through the gentle waves. There’s no feeling quite like it. The coastal walk turned out to be boggier and longer than anticipated and after a couple of hours James phoned me to ask if I could pick him and Cornel up from the road end from Slaggan Bay, which would cut about half an hour from the end of their walk. James then made us coffee on the beach before we headed back to Ullapool in glorious late afternoon sunshine. 

A Bonnie Day

James and Cornel left early this morning to climb four Munros in the Fannichs. Cornel is visiting us this week and he and James are hoping to do lots of walking despite a mixed forecast. Today is beautiful so they decided to go for a big day while they can. I went down to the estuary at 9 a.m. when there was a very high tide of 4.99 metres. The water was so far up the grass that it nearly reached the bushes. The water was quite chilly but I had a good swim, and then sat and read my book for a while on a deckchair in the sunshine. Later I went for a walk along to the village where I did some shopping. I was sitting on the sea wall drinking some refreshing chilled apple juice when I saw a group of six fit ladies walking along from the ferry, wheeling their bicycles. Heather had messaged me earlier in the day to tell me that Kathleen and a group of the Glasgow Gals cycling group would be crossing to Ullapool from Stornoway after a cycling trip in the Western Isles. I had assumed that I wouldn’t run into them since Ullapool is currently about as busy as it gets, but I spotted Kathleen straight away and hailed her. We had a brief chat and I took a photo of the group. James and Cornell arrived back at the cottage, tired but very happy after climbing all of their mountains in glorious sunshine and we had drinks outdoors before dinner. 

Erin and Hughie

We are enjoying the warm summer in Ullapool, having a peaceful time with the cats. Both of them are spending a huge amount of time outdoors and so are James and I! We were sitting on the bench today watching Flora who was rolling around on the slabs in the sunshine, and we noticed that she just rolls her shoulders and top half over, and then her lower half inevitably follows. It’s very funny and sweet. Less endearingly, Flora likes to eat the cobwebs on the wall beside the patio as if she is eating candy floss, including juicy dead flies. Disgusting. 
Yesterday we visited Alison and Hugh in Nairn for a very special reason; to meet their five month old grandson Hugh, aka Hughie. What a smiley baby he is! Whenever you catch his eye he gives a great big smile - what a friendly wee chap! His smile is very like that of his Grandpa Hugh, and I have always thought that Erin looks very like Alison. We haven’t seen Erin since she was a baby herself and now she is about to turn four years old and is a gorgeous wee girl. She is very clever; she can count to a hundred and can say the whole alphabet as well as writing her name. She is also pleased to be the big sister of Hughie and is very kind with him. Hugh and Lucy have taken to double parenthood like ducks to water, they are so calm and competent, I can remember Hugh so clearly as a wee fellow running about our garden with our boys in the 1990s, not much older than Erin is now! It was very nice to see Lynsey again, she dotes on her wee great-niece and great-nephew. After a delicious lunch we went outside so that Erin could play on her swing and discovered that she is completely fearless, liking to swing very high while trying to burst bubbles that Granny Alison was blowing for her! Having grandchildren looks like great fun. 

Walking in Strathconon

This morning, James and I gave Kevin a lift to Inverness station. We were sorry to say goodbye to him, we have had a lot of fun with him over the last few days. We were in good time and had a quick coffee in the Costa at the station before saying our farewells to Kevin and then heading for Strathconon. James had a Corbett that he wanted to bag, called Bac an Eich, which was a six hour circular trip from our parking spot near Inverchoran farm. I decided to walk along a bit of the River Meig and then walk the length of Loch Beannacharain. There was an attractive big house at the end of the loch called Scardroy and opposite it there was a steep hillock with a little cylindrical monument on top. I climbed up to take a closer look, and found it easier to take my shoes and socks off to walk up through the long grass! Apparently the monument is in memory of a 2nd World War Major-General called John Frederick Boyce Combe. There are a couple of crests on it but the plaque mentioned online is missing, so I’m not sure what was his link to the area. I walked back to the car, stopping beside the river on the way for lunch. The field was full of delicate pale blue harebells, tiny clusters of white field madder, purple field scabious and little yellow tormentil. By the time I arrived back at the car I had walked more than 12 km which pleased me. James made really good speed on his hill walk and arrived back at the car only twenty minutes after I did. We headed home via Deli-ca-Sea where we got fish suppers. The cats had been outside all day, with access to food and water in the porch, and were excited to see us. 

Appletons meet in Ullapool!

The weather in Ullapool is fantastic and we have been making the most of it. Yesterday I went swimming in the estuary and today we are at Mellon Udrigle beach where I have had another swim. The water is at its warmest at this time of year, it’s such a pleasure to be able to stride into the water without even flinching! Kevin had been staying with us for the last few days and it has been lovely to see him. He posted a few photos on Facebook about his trip and his cousin’s son contacted him to say that he now lives in Ullapool! So we invited James and his partner Cal round for drinks and we all sat in the garden in the hot sunshine and chatted. They are in their thirties, really nice and also extremely interesting. James is a photographer and film maker and hill runner and kayaker, and Cal is a vet and paddle boarder. They moved to Ullapool a couple of years ago and are renovating a boat as well as travelling and working. Last year they made a film of Cal paddle boarding around Scotland, interviewing local people on the way about their work for the environment and biodiversity. We watched the first part last night and it was fascinating; we’re going to watch part two tonight. 
On Saturday evening James, Kevin and I went to see the Lewis McLaughlin Duo at the Ceilidh Place Venue. Lewis is a talented young singer and guitarist, and he was accompanied by Chloe Bryce on the fiddle who was also great. It was an excellent evening and the sky was glowing red on the horizon as we walked home along West Terrace. We also took Kevin for a trip on the Shearwater yesterday morning, where we saw bonxies swooping about, and lots of dolphins leaping in and out of the water. It turns out that tour guide Noel Hawkins is a great friend of James and Cal - so many connections! 

Sounds of Africa

We are back in Ullapool enjoying the warm weather. We had a sunny lunch sitting outside Tea by the Sea today, and enjoyed the beautiful views along the loch. 

On the way north we played some of the music that reminds us of our Tanzanian holiday. Many lovely African songs were played in the evenings at our lodges and camps, often accompanied by dancing by the staff and sometimes us too! Three songs particularly stood out to me. 

Firstly, Jambo Bwana is a cheerful and catchy Swahili greeting song from East Africa, originally written in Kenya in the 1980s. Its famous line “Hakuna Matata”  means “no worries” and was subsequently used as a song title in the Disney film “Lion King.” We heard it (and sang it!) every evening.  
Secondly, we heard a lot of Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) which was the official anthem for the South African World Cup in 2010, written and sung by Shakira. It draws inspiration from traditional African music, and also Colombian rhythms. 
However my favourite song of all was Jerusalema, a Zulu song from South Africa. It has such a beautiful tune and is an anthem of hope, unity, and belonging; it is the song that we danced to at Lake Manyara Lodge. 

We also learned a few phrases while we were in Tanzania in addition to Hakuna Matata. 

Asante sana means thank you very much, and we had very many occasions to say that. Karibu means you’re welcome, and Pole Pole (pronounced “polay polay”) means take your time, take it easy.

For me these songs and words perfectly reflect the spirit of our trip - full of friendship, adventure and shared memories. 

Farewell to Tanzania

A quick blog from top of the garden before I go inside to make dinner. It is delightfully warm today; not as warm as the Serengeti or Zanzibar of course, but still properly summery and balmy. The sky is completely blue and the garden is in full bloom. Flora is sitting in the chair beside me, keeping me company. I have done quite a few very useful errands over the last couple of days which would be boring to relate but were satisfying to complete. I have also been swimming, visited the dental hygienist, done loads of laundry and packed for our trip to Ullapool which starts tomorrow. We had lunch with Heather and Ewan yesterday at Vin18 and then came back here for coffee and cakes. James took the car for its service and has been working hard in the garden. 

We had such a great holiday with our young folks. It’s hard to believe that we were in Africa just a couple of days ago, and its vivid colours and scenery remain with me. I am so delighted that the holiday went so well, but I’m not surprised; after all we are a family and we all share our love for adventure. 

The young people were all vocally appreciative of the accommodation and the holiday, and enthusiastic about the animals and birds. I couldn’t have asked for better companions. 

What would I do differently? Not much, however perhaps I would choose a couple of lodges rather than move around so much. We could fly between them and spend 3 or 4 days in each, going on one game drive per day early morning and relaxing at the lodge for the rest of the day. I would love to go back to Tanzania, however I’m aware that there are different countries whose safaris would offer us more and different experiences. It has been truly brilliant. 

Stone Town

We were being collected from Breezes Resort at 1 p.m. yesterday (Saturday) so we had a relaxing breakfast and morning before meeting at Reception. I had actually asked for a late checkout, however when the hotel didn’t have availability we asked Audley Travel if our airport transfer could be a couple of hours early so that we could visit Stone Town. Holly arranged this for us at no extra charge, which was a really nice gesture, and by 2.30 p.m. we had been dropped off and were heading on foot into the narrow alleyways of Stone Town. These twisting lanes were full of colourful shops selling bright fabrics, dresses, paintings, carvings and other souvenirs. There were lots of beautiful carved wood doors with brass studs in them. Ally was our excellent navigator, and guided us first to the Anglican Church. The church and the neighbouring East African Slave Trade Exhibit stand on the grounds of one of the largest and most notorious slave markets in East Africa. This exhibition was created to commemorate the abolition of slavery and preserve the legacy of the individuals who were brought here and sold. Slavery had always been a component of traditional East African society, but during the 19th century the trade grew hugely and was led by Europeans, Indians, Arabs, coastal people and

ethnic leaders of the mainland. A lot of people made a lot of money and Zanzibar was at the centre of operations. Slave trading in East Africa was abolished in 1873, however it persisted in Zanzibar well into the 20th century. We went on a tour which included the cramped cells where the slaves were kept before market, and a group of statues of chained slaves outside. The exhibition was very interesting and showed us that as well as the slave traders there were also good people who tried very hard to abolish slavery. Our very own local boy from Blantyre, David Livingstone, was one of the good guys. He spent most of his life campaigning to end the slave trade as well as exploring Africa. It was a sobering visit but I felt glad to have paid my respects to the men, women and children who were sold into slavery. 

Ally then expertly led us onwards to the Old Fort which was full of little stalls selling food and drink.  We walked right through the courtyard and some attractive gardens to the harbour and had lunch in the lovely Cape Town Fish Restaurant. It is an attractive and busy harbour with lots of little fishing boats as well as ferries. On the way back to the minibus we stopped briefly at the house where Freddie Mercury lived until he moved to the UK when he was about 20. 

And so our journey home began. It was a long haul, mainly because we had factored in significant gaps between our flights in case of delay. We said good bye to Jamie and Kerry in Addis Ababa when they headed to Dubai and thence to Bali. We said goodbye to Ally and Cat at London Gatwick, from where they had a short journey home. Davie, Chanel, James and I hung around at Gatwick rather tired, until it was time for the final leg of our journey to Glasgow. We finally arrived home at about 4.30 p.m. Tom and Flora were waiting for us and it was so very good to see them. 

Swimming in the Indian Ocean

We all met for a late breakfast at the luxurious hour of 9 a.m. instead of the 7 a.m. starts that we have been having because of the diving course. Then we all headed to the sun loungers overlooking the sea for some serious relaxation. We did set off for a low tide walk to look at the coral but my sandals were being sucked off my feet by the very soft sand and I was concerned about tripping and falling onto a sea urchin, so I retreated to the sun loungers with Cat and Chanel, while James, Ally and Davie pressed on. Ally did in fact get spiked by a sea urchin in the side of his heel but he removed it with tweezers. We had lunch in the sandy floored bar and then the young folk went off for a lively afternoon at the pool table. I hear that David was the ultimate victor. I decided to have a swim in the sea. The tide was fully in and the waves seemed quite big; there were a few other people swimming which encouraged me, and I had a fantastic time. The water was as warm as a bath, the waves tossed me up and down and I had to swim quite hard against a current that swept along northwards about 20 metres from the shore. James came and joined me and we swam out to the raft and back to the shore. 
As it was our last night, complimentary drinks and snacks were delivered to our room, where we all gathered before heading up to cocktail hour at reception. Dinner was delicious and we had a nightcap in the bar, discussing our holiday experiences. It was such a lovely evening and I will miss our group of eight intrepid explorers. 

Frangipani Spa and Tides Restaurant

This was the last day of our intrepid divers’ PADI course, so they set off to the Diving Centre after breakfast. Kerry and I relaxed and chatted over coffee and pastries, and at 10 a.m. we presented ourselves to the Frangipani Spa. We had both booked massages and thoroughly enjoyed them. The spa decor was browns and golds, with dark brown furniture. It felt very relaxing. Then we got ourselves sun beds overlooking the sea and read our books, and we went for a swim. The water in the pool was cool and refreshing. 
The divers returned happily; they had enjoyed a great morning and have all passed their PADI. We had a delightful lunch together and a relaxing afternoon. The evening was very special indeed. The young folk had clubbed together to treat James and I to a dinner for two at Tides Restaurant for our Ruby Anniversary. This is a little restaurant for two people right on the beach. It’s a carved wooden room with curtains that blow in the breeze and with doors that open out onto a tiny terrace overlooking the sea, where we had pre dinner drinks. Back inside the tiny room we had an amazing four course dinner. James had a huge lobster and I had paneer masala; there is definitely a spicy vibe about the food here. One stand out course for me was hibiscus sorbet, which is both sweet and tart, which I will attempt to reproduce at home. After we had eaten our fill and more, our waitress Hamid presented us with a big chocolate cake decorated “Happy Anniversary!” We took it to the main restaurant with us and shared it over drinks with the young folks, who had just enjoyed a slap up Gala dinner. The evening was crowned by Jamie asking Ally and Davie to be his joint Best Men at his and Kerry’s wedding, to which they both agreed with alacrity. I was so very happy. 

Scuba Diving

Yesterday we had a change of pace, we had a day at the pool at our lovely hotel. Six of us were having a scuba diving lesson; James, Jamie, Ally, Cat, Davie and Chanel. Kerry and I spent the day spectating, swimming, chatting, reading and relaxing. The friendly instructor, Emily, took the divers thoroughly through their training. It was very interesting to watch. 
Later in the afternoon we all went to the bar for pre dinner drinks, and a convivial evening followed, listening to the music from a very good Zanzibar group and having a laugh. 
This morning we had an early breakfast because the divers were heading out to sea. Kerry and I lingered on pleasantly for another coffee, then went to the sun loungers near the beach where we read our books and chatted. Our divers arrived back at lunch time rather tired but happy that they had all successfully used their skills to scuba dive in the sea. Lunch was lovely, and then I went for a walk along the beach at high tide which was spectacular; the waves reached nearly to the low wall beneath the hotel. Drinks by the pool were followed by champagne in our bedroom and then dinner, which was Swahili night with a delicious and unusual buffet. 

Travelling to Zanzibar

We left the Nyikani Migration Camp just after 7 a.m. The morning light was beautiful and lit up the long grass. 

We saw a white cuckoo sitting on a tree, plenty of zebras, and wildebeest in herds as far as the eye could see. Charles and Naftal had brought us to the air strip very early but it was quite cool with lots of shade. We said our goodbyes to them rather sadly, they have been such excellent drivers and guides to us. Ours was one of the larger planes that we saw arriving, with room for about 40 passengers in 10 rows: we watched our luggage being loaded and soon we were on board. Kerry was asked by the stewardess to help her to close the door! We made a stop at Central Serengeti airport to pick up more passengers; we could see giraffes in the distance. And then we left the Serengeti and our plane flew us south east to Zanzibar. The final leg of our journey took just over an hour by minibus to Breezes Beach Resort and Spa, which is everything we had hoped for. the attractive white-washed buildings have high Makuti roofs, made with hand woven coconut palm leaves. The resort is right beside the sea with a swimming pool and a diving centre. It’s great that the pool is very close to the beach, so you can go to either pool or beach without having to move to a different seating area. We soon settled into our beautiful rooms and then headed to the bar for a snack lunch and later to the pool for a swim and drinks. Dinner was absolutely splendid; it was Spice Night and both the variety and quality of dishes were excellent, with lots of vegetarian options. We had a fun evening with lots of laughs, and went down to the beach to look at the stars before bed time. 

The Mara River

We started the day with a refreshing bucket shower. The staff who fill them call from outside the tent to check if you are ready, so I said yes and when I heard it fill up I jumped into the cubicle. The first splash of residual water was chilly and I exclaimed aloud “Oh that’s cold!” to which a voice right beside me (just outside the tent!) replied “It will be warm in a minute!” which I thought was very funny. He was of course waiting for me to finish so that he could fill up James’s bucket. 

We set off in our Land-cruisers just after 7.30 a.m. The aim of today’s expedition was to attempt to see the wildebeest crossing the Mara River as part of the Great Migration. On the way we saw lots of wildebeest trotting along in large groups. We also saw zebras, a Secretary bird, Repelle Vultures in a tree, water buffalo and a Marshall eagle. 

Naftal positioned the landcruiser right beside the river and we waited to see what the wildebeest would do. And waited and waited. A Little bee eater entertained us by flitting around. The wildebeest moved around in their huge herd, massing near the river, but they didn’t quite dare make the move to swim through it. They made quite the racket mooing at each other. They were right to be hesitant; down on the banks of the river we could see dead wildebeest, who hadn’t made it across, being feasted on by vultures and crocodiles. Eventually we headed back to the camp for lunch, spotting lots more wildebeest, a few giraffes, zebras and a battler eagle. 
Lunch was excellent and after a chat we all went back to our nice cool rooms for an afternoon rest. 
We regrouped at 4 p.m. and headed back to the river. Alas the wildebeest had decided that today was not an auspicious time to cross, and in fact were heading away from the river for the evening. Naftal told us that while we had been able to go back to camp for a break, some jeeps had waited in vain at the river all day, because they had travelled from much further away. I’m glad that our camp was only about an hour’s drive from the river. So after a while we headed back to camp, seeing lots of wildlife on the way, such as brown snake eagles, zebras, giraffes, and really huge herds of wildebeest. As James pointed out, although we didn’t see the wildebeest actually cross the Mara River, we certainly have seen the Great Migration. After refreshing bucket showers and a rather lovely dinner, we all sat around the camp fire and chatted and looked at the moon and the stars of the southern hemisphere. A great evening in great company. And now a hyena is yipping gently outside our tent! 

Northern Serengeti

I was excited to wake early at Lahia Tented Lodge, and decided to go for a swim before breakfast. It was idyllic. A large stork accompanied me to the swimming pool which overlooks the countryside. The water was silky cool and little birds skimmed over it for a quick dip. It really was a wonderful experience. 
Breakfast was lovely and then we chose the ingredients for our packed lunches. We set off in the landcruisers, this time we decided to have girl / boy landrovers and I enjoyed a day in the delightful company of Kerry, Cat and Chanel. Among many other birds and animals we saw a Volder decken? Hornbill eating a snake! Also water buffalo, impala, lots of zebras, a spotted hyena, and a pride of lions - two male and three female, running along. So many wild animals right beside us! Fantastic. Perhaps the most exciting moment was coming across two male lions right beside the track, sheltering from the hot sun in the shade of a tree. They were not at all bothered by our presence and sat yawning quite happily. 
We had to queue for petrol at a filling station at the edge of the national park on the way north, it’s the only filling station in the area and Charles told us that it was very expensive. After a long drive (we left the Park and then went in by another entrance further north) we arrived at our final and most remote camp, Nyikani Migration Camp. This camp is a temporary one which is moved twice a year.
The bedrooms are again little huts, each with an en-suite toilet and a bucket shower. 
The bucket showers are amazing. They are filled up on request by members of staff and then you pull on a rope and 20 litres of lukewarm water descend upon you through a shower head. It’s so refreshing! We all had showers because we were quite dusty and hot, then met up for drinks and dinner in the main building, followed by more drinks and chat. At one point I needed to visit the toilet just beside the main building. They use a novel way of indicating that the toilet is occupied. There is a warrior’s spear in standing upright in a little hole to the right of the door, and when you go in you move it to another little hole in the middle of the doorway! Back at our tent James used safety pins borrowed from Jamie to hang our mosquito net from the seam in the ceiling. We had been advised to bring a mosquito net for this camp but in fact the tent already has fine mesh windows and inner nets which cover all of the walls and windows. But we decided to use our mosquito net anyway. 

Into the Serengeti

This morning we set off to the Serengeti via the Western Side of the Ngorongoro Crater. When we stopped at the gates for Charles and Naftal to complete the required paperwork, I nipped into the shop to buy a few postcards. Then I went to the toilet, and on exiting I realised that I no longer had my purse. Oh no! I rushed back in but there was no sign of it in either the toilets or the shop. The toilet attendant told me that he had seen it in the toilet and had gone to get latex gloves to retrieve it, but when he came back someone had flushed it away. We all agreed that this was a doubtful story; the purse was a bright blue so the chances are that the next person to go into the cubicle would have seen it straight away. Without meaning to cast aspersions, I think that I dropped it and it was found and stashed somewhere by someone. I was so annoyed with myself, but all the others were very understanding and I cancelled both of the cards that had been in the purse immediately, and established that the cards had not been used before cancellation. We continued into the Ngorongoro Conservation area; the western side has more open grassland and trees, which means giraffes. And sure enough it wasn’t long before we saw our first giraffe, and quite a few more during the day. It was so exciting, they are so elegant. Charles told us that when they stand still their group name is a tower of giraffes, but when they are walking along they are called a journey of giraffes.  And we saw lots and lots of zebras; James and I had thought that we would maybe see a few, but there were so many, and so very beautiful. 
Charles showed us a tree called a theorisation? which is like a thick acacia. 
At David’s request we added in a stop at Olduvai Gorge more info. We had a delightfully cool lunch sitting in the courtyard overlooking the valley. 
We entered Serengeti National Park and queued to go through the gates after Charles and Naftal did the paperwork. Serengeti means endless plain. 
Charles warned us that we were about to have an “African massage” which was a very bumpy five hour game drive on very dusty and uneven roads. Som if the potholes cause by flooding during the wet season were so huge that I thought that they would tip the landcruiser over! 
Here goes with another list:
Speckled fronted weavers, lapis faced vulture, Hildebrand starling, Southern ground hornbill. Alasdair is extremely interested in the birds that we are seeing and is learning to recognise them very well. 
We also saw a cheetah, a jackal, a cervo cat, a jackal, a topi, a Holder? (heart shaped horns), a hyena, and a couple of extremely cute dikdiks. 
More impala, elephants and finally a leopard emerging from a bush. 
At about 6.30 p.m. we arrived at Lahia Tented Lodge. This accommodation was incredible. We all had our separate double rooms but this time they have tent walls under high wooden ceilings, and the curtains move gently in the breeze! The main room of the lodge has a magnificent vaulted ceiling over a huge lounge and dining space. Outside is a swimming pool overlooking ——
On the tops of hills around us controlled fires glowed in the darkness, and the warm night was filled with the sound of crickets. We had a convivial dinner until it was time for us to be escorted back to our rooms, to protect us from wild animals. After seeing the cheetah and leopard today I was very happy to be escorted! 

Ngorongoro Crater

An early start today! Coffee was delivered to our villa at 5 a.m. and then we set off from the hotel to the Ngorongoro Crater. It was a long drive, about two and a half hours to the inner gates. Then we started our descent of the Eastern side. We saw so many different types of animals! A list is boring but here is one anyway! 
Zebras, wildebeest, grand gazelles, Thomson gazelles, lions in the distance, vultures, guinea fowl, lots of warthogs, buffalo, ostrich, and hippopotami. 
Flamingos in the lake, red billed teals, Cory bustards (the heaviest birds of flight), black crowned cranes (also known as the Uganda bird because it is on the Uganda flag.) Lilac breasted rollers, buzzards, speckled mouse birds, ibis, heron, secretary birds - so named because when secretary birds kill snakes they use their feet like typing. They are also familiar to us Andersons from the film Bedknobs and Broomsticks! A vulture at the top of a tree with two chicks in its nest. 
Rhinoceros, and a female lion right beside the jeep!
We saw lots of trees too, the ubiquitous acacia trees, a strangling fig, baobob trees. 
These lists are by no means comprehensive; there was so much that I couldn’t possibly jot it all down. The Ngorongoro Crater is an amazing place. 
Back to the Mandhari Lodge hotel and we went for a swim in the pool and then sat around the fire pit before a tasty dinner. Then in came a group of the staff, dancing and singing. Last night Cat and Chanel got up to dance with them, and this evening Chanel pulled me and Davie up to dance too. It was great fun! 

Safari!

Today we had our first game drive, to Lake Manyara National Park. We travel in two Landcruisers, four of us in each, we have decided informally to rotate travelling companions. Our drivers, Charles and Naftal, are friendly and informative. The roofs of the landcruisers lift up so that we can stand up to see the wildlife. This also gives us a pleasant breeze. On the way to the park we passed through the town of Mto Wa Mbu which means River of Mosquitos. A terrifying name, but it is a fertile place, with rice fields and banana trees because of its water. Ahead of us we could see the mountains of the Rift Valley, the origin of our species.
Naftal bought red bananas from a roadside vendor; they are delicious, small and very sweet. We entered Lake Manyara National Park, which is fed by springs from the Rift Valley. 
We saw Baobob trees with their very thick trunks and distinctive shape. Also lots of baboons. Monkeys too, but mainly baboons. 
Also impalas, waterbucks, and a bushbuck. We saw a group of elephants; two adults and two babies, which were so sweet. There are so many birds too, many of them very brightly coloured. 
We were given a hearty picnic lunch at table overlooking Lake Manyara; it was cool under the trees. 
We saw elephants, just strolling along through the trees. And we saw a warthog (Pumba!) just before we left the park. 
Our hotel, the Mandhari Lodge, is very attractive; it consists of a main building and restaurant and a scattering of villas. It’s a long drive up a dusty track, but you are rewarded with stunning views over the green valley below and Lake Manyara. We all met up at the pool, and swam and chatted and had drinks. 
Dinner was excellent and then we had to be escorted to and from our rooms after dark because of the danger of leopards and hyenas. As I write this I can hear what I think is a hyena whining and snuffling outside our wee villa. 

A Long Journey to Arusha

It has been a long day, or more accurately a long night. Davie and Chanel came round for a snack lunch yesterday before we all took a taxi to the airport and flew to Heathrow. It was just as well that we had allocated four hours before our next flight because it took two hours to retrieve our luggage and travel from Terminal 5 to Terminal 2 by train. When we boarded our flight to Addis Ababa it was very busy with people milling about the aisles. The lady who was sitting to my left was  what my Dad used to call “well built” and encroached on my space but she was so pleasant that I didn’t mind. She even told the man in front of me not to recline his seat while I was eating! I was surprised to see her eating the dry creamer straight from the packet though! I don’t know how much sleep I got but it didn’t feel like a lot and we were all pretty tired when we arrived in Addis Ababa. 
Ally and Cat arrived and met us in the Departures Lounge; in their two days in Ethiopia they have had some adventures already, including sightseeing, retrieving lost luggage, and having to  hand over their binoculars to security. This last was because of the current military situation in Ethiopia; it is deemed a threat to bring binoculars into the country! 
We caught a mid morning flight to Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania, which was pleasant and uneventful, it was less than two hours. However we were delayed on arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport. James’ visa never came through so he had to stand in a long and slow moving queue to get one before following the rest of us through security. And David’s case was missing; he has a luggage tag in the case which showed us that the case is still un Addis Ababa airport. So he had to fill out a form and hopefully the airline will send the case after us. 
Our driver was waiting for us and we set off on the couple of hours drive to Arusha, where we would be spending our first night of the holiday. Well, our first proper night, in a bed rather than an aeroplane seat! Our driver, Alex, took us for an impromptu tour around the centre of Arusha, a bustling city with a market, lots of shops, and street stalls. It is allegedly the centre of Africa, half way between Cairo and the Cape of Good Hope, and has a little clock tower to prove it. 
There were people with sewing machines repairing clothes in the pavement, there were people riding incredibly overladen bicycles, a woman carrying cassava in a basket on her head, children on their way home from school. On the outskirts of town we arrived at Katambunga House, and went for a swim in the pool before dinner. As well as being very pretty, the pool area has an incredible view of Mount Meru, Tanzania’s second tallest mountain, in the distance. 
Jamie and Kerry arrived from the airport at about 9.30 pm and of course got a huge welcome from the rest of us. The team of eight adventurers are now assembled and ready to go on Safari! 
The young folk gave us a big surprise after dinner. Cat had organised and ordered eight t shirts, printed with a photo of James and me on the front to celebrate our 40th Wedding Anniversary. On the back is the itinerary of our holiday in the style of a band’s tour t shirt. It is absolutely perfect and so thoughtful. We had drinks in the bar before bedtime and now I’m lying in bed exhausted but happy with strange African bird and insect noises outside.