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.