Arran and ice cream

On Wednesday I had lunch on Arran with Maggie. It was an absolutely lovely day. The weather was warm and sunny so the ferry crossing from Ardrossan to Brodick was delightful; I stood at the rail on the upper deck, a mug of coffee in my hand, watching the island as we approached it. So beautiful. Maggie met me at the very swish new ferry terminal (and so did her gorgeous wee westie Millie) and we went for a walk on the sandy beach at Shiskine before lunch at the golf club. We sat outside beside the putting green overlooking the sea and chatted and laughed and caught up on all of our news. Arran was basking in the height of summer, Brodick was full of people enjoying the sunshine.
The weather has been fantastic this week. I spent Thursday outside in the garden as much as possible, because there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The cats kept me company; Flora was chasing butterflies in the garden and Tom was rolling around in his back on the warm slabs on the patio. I also did some batch cooking and made ice cream, popping in and out of the back room to do so. It was such a peaceful day. I stayed outside until about 9 p.m. and, as the sun was getting low, lots of birds started to wheel around above the houses against the pale evening sky. 

I have conquered Ben Nevis!

To my surprise and delight, on Saturday I climbed the highest mountain in Scotland - and in Great Britain - Ben Nevis. I have always wanted to climb it, but never thought that I would manage it. This is how it happened.

We were in Fort William for the weekend with the hill-walking club, and the weather was fairly good. I decided that I would attempt the climb on my own, so as not to hold up James and the boys (Ally and Davie had both come along at short notice). I also didn’t want to feel any pressure about how often I would need to stop or for how long. I packed the night before, making sure to carry lots of water, drinks with electrolytes, bananas, protein bars and trail mix. I got up very early and I set off up the tourist track from the car park at the Glen Nevis Information Centre at 6 a.m. 

It was very quiet, but there were a few other people also getting ready to climb the mountain; a group who were starting the Three Peaks challenge, and some fit looking younger people. I was very nervous. Anyway, I got started and made slow but steady progress up the path which parallels Glen Nevis. Eventually the path turned round the side of the hill towards the lochan, however the cloud was so low that I couldn’t see it at all. I had considered stopping when I reached that point, but I still felt ok so I continued onwards and upwards, thinking that I could turn back whenever I felt like it. During one of my frequent rests, a man told me that I was getting near the waterfall which is the half way point. He told me that if I doubled the time that it took me to get there I could work out when I might reach the summit. I noticed that everyone on the hill was very encouraging to each other, swapping stories and information. Sometimes there was even a bit of disapproval e.g. two girls pointed out to me some people who were wearing trainers instead of hill-walking boots, or when a man asked me if the water from the burn is drinkable (it’s not due to sheep crapping in it) another man commented to me “That smacks of a lack of preparation!”
When I got to the waterfall I had a good think. It had taken me four hours to reach it - this was very slow progress and by this time the hill was much busier and lots of people were overtaking me. On the other hand, it was still only 10 o’clock in the morning, so I had lots of time, and it occurred to me that if I didn’t continue, I would have to climb the first half again at some time in the future. So I pressed on. 

After the waterfall, the path becomes a series of eight long zig-zags up the mountain. This was quite good for monitoring my progress and I had a rest at each turn. So did lots of other people so it was quite companionable. Again my progress was extremely slow and more and more people overtook me as I plodded up. At the end of the zig-zags the path winds its way up the shoulder of the mountain to the summit. Word on the path informed me that I now had about forty minutes to go. This was really the first time that I realised that I was actually going to reach the summit! The other good news was that the cloud had lifted and I could now see amazing views far down into the valley.

Meanwhile, James, Ally and Davie had climbed the mountain by a different, much harder route. This was so that they could bag some outlying tops that they hadn’t done before. They had started at about 9 a.m., three hours later than me. By the time they reached the summit, I was only about half an hour away, so they waited for me.

As I made my way up the last part of the ascent, I was encouraged by people who recognised me from the path, who had overtaken me but were now on their way back down. They were telling me that I would definitely make it, and to keep going. I met Cornel and Justin on their way back down (they had gone up by a harder route too), who cheered me on. It was great to reach the plateau, although it took me another fifteen minutes to pick my way along the very rocky path to the summit cairn. It was very busy up there but I didn’t mind. Everyone who was there had earned their place at the top.

I saw Davie sitting beside the cairn and then saw James and Ally walking towards me. They were all really happy that I was there. It had taken me eight whole hours to get to the summit. Shortly after I arrived, Jean, Tom and Steven arrived. It had taken them only four hours, which is a more normal pace! But they were all so nice to me and told me that it didn’t matter how long it had taken me.

After a rest, a chat, a look at the view and the obligatory photos at the summit cairn,  I set off back down the mountain, aware that it was going to take me a long time. The boys soon overtook me and I made my way down more slowly, back into the cloud. Just over half way down, there was a casualty who had fallen during his descent. The rescuers were already with him and I didn’t stare as I went past, however mountain gossip soon  informed me that he was a big man and from his description I wondered if he was one of the charity walkers that I had met at the very beginning of my day. He was stretchered down to a waiting helicopter which was hovering below the cloud, near the lochan (which I could see now for the first time!) and then winched up into it. Later when I checked the report on the Mountain Rescue website they cheekily compared him to the giant Mag the Mighty from Game of Thrones! I continued down. My pace was much better (I got down in just over four hours) but the rocky path was very sore on my ankles, which jarred with each step. I almost fell several times, but eventually I reached the last section of path down to the bridge and the car park, and there was the dear, familiar figure of James waiting for me. Later, at dinner back at the hotel, Gordon K was so surprised and delighted to hear that I had reached the summit and shook my hand, which I found rather moving. What a day! 

I left my heart in San Francisco

On Saturday, our last morning in San Francisco, we had an early morning swim in the hotel and then went out to wander the streets one last time. It was another lovely sunny morning. We found ourselves walking up the steep part of Mason Street up to Nob Hill, where we had fine views over the city. We saw a statue of the singer Tony Bennett outside the Fairmont Hotel. We then walked back down the hill and had a coffee at a wee café in sunny Union Square. All too soon it was time to go to the airport where we relaxed in the small but very comfortable British Airways lounge before our flight. We enjoyed our spacious upgraded seats and both got some sleep overnight. The only hitch was that when we arrived in Glasgow, we found out that our luggage had been left in London. Luckily it was delivered the next day. So that’s our holiday in Oregon and California over. It was amazing; we saw and did so much. All that’s left is to get over our jet lag! As Tony Bennett sang for the first time ever in the Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill in 1961:


“I left my heart in San Francisco
High on a hill, it calls to me
To be where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars
The morning fog may chill the air, I don't care

My love waits there in San Francisco
Above the blue and windy sea
When I come home to you, San Francisco
Your golden sun will shine for me.” 

Cable Cars and Pier 39

Friday was Jamie and Aisling’s last day of their holiday and we were very sorry to see them go, although we would be setting off home ourselves only twenty-four hours later. We started the day with a hearty breakfast at Café Bellini and then jumped on a cable car to take us to the popular Pier 39. It is colourful and bustling and still has its hippy vibe; there was a marvellous saxophonist playing the blues and we listened to him for a while and even had a wee dance. We had lunch in a wine bar looking onto the marina where James and Jamie sampled flights of Californian wine.
Later in the afternoon James and I went to the swimming pool at the hotel while Jamie and Aisling got ready for their journey to New Zealand, and then we said our farewells.
It was a beautiful sunny evening and, on Jackie’s recommendation, James and I went to see the attractive Saints Peter and Paul Church across from Washington Square. We took another cable car to get there. It’s the church where Joe DiMaggio posed for wedding photos with Marilyn Monroe after their wedding at City Hall. They weren’t allowed to get married there because although DiMaggio was divorced from his first wife, the marriage had not been annulled by the Catholic Church. We realised that we were in the Italian district of the city, because there were lots of great looking Italian restaurants lining the streets, so we chose one called Da Flora and we were not disappointed. The food was as good as any that I have tasted in Italy.
One thing that strikes me about San Francisco is its cosmopolitan feel. It almost feels like a European city to me, rather than an American one; there are lots of French and Italian voices. It also has its vibrant Chinatown and lots of other immigrant nationalities. I really like its international atmosphere. 

Alcatraz

On Thursday morning we took the boat across to Alcatraz. I booked it ages ago to make sure that we got spaces, but I wasn’t sure how interesting the famous prison island would actually be. It turned out to be very interesting indeed thanks to the excellent audio tour, which directed us around the prison while providing fascinating stories about the lives of the prisoners. From some of the cells they could hear the sounds of people having New Year’s parties in San Francisco; they were so close to the city but it was almost impossible to escape because even if they had managed to escape from the prison, the water between was too cold and too treacherous to swim across. There were nevertheless some escape attempts which were amazing to hear about.
Back on the mainland we strolled down flower filled Lombard Avenue, allegedly “the crookedest road in the world” before having a tasty lunch at the Blue Mermaid Chowder House down at the waterfront.
We also took the opportunity to ride several times on the ancient, rattly and gorgeous trolley buses, which are called “cable cars.” The most fun is to hang onto the poles on the outside of them while they trundle up and down the steep hills of the city. It really is a wonderful experience.
In the evening we went to a cinema at Embarcadero to see a film of Muse's Drones Tour, which was being released in cinemas around the world at the same time. We ended our day with a convivial dinner at Seaside in Fisherman’s Wharf. 

Biking the Bridge

On Wednesday we cycled across Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. I am so delighted that we did this! I was nervous beforehand in case I held up the others or found it too difficult, but it was absolutely fine and I loved it. It helped me that the warm temperature was alleviated by a cool breeze from the sea. This is caused by the hot inland air rising and being replaced by cool air rushing in from the ocean, forming fog which is pulled through the Golden Gate passage into the bay. We were so lucky that only the very top of the bridge towers had fog wreathed around them, so we had fantastic views of the bay. Once we had crossed the bridge, expertly avoiding other cyclists and many pedestrians, we cycled down into Sausalito, which is very pretty. Otis Redding wrote “Sitting on the dock of the bay” when he was staying on a houseboat here.
We had a celebratory late lunch on a restaurant terrace overlooking the bay which was very relaxing and picturesque. When we joined the queue of cyclists waiting to get the ferry back to San Francisco, it was so busy that we didn’t get on to the first one and had to wait for the next ferry. However when it tried to dock, the captain had to try about six times to bring the ferry in to the pier. I don’t know whether the currents are very difficult or whether the crew were very inexperienced, but it did not inspire confidence!
As the ferry set off, we saw a huge bank of clouds rolling down the hills behind Sausalito; it was spectacular.
We were hot and dusty after our cycle ride, however our hotel has a lovely swimming pool so we cooled off there later. It was a great day and I was so happy that I had “biked the bridge!” 

Monterey

After leaving the cottage in Carmel on Tuesday, we set off on the 17 mile coastal drive from Carmel to Monterey, for which the locals enterprisingly (or greedily, depending how you look at it) charge each car $10.25. It was indeed very pretty and we stopped several times at places such as the photogenic Lone Cypress, and wee beaches where different coloured seals were lounging around on rocks. We stopped for a coffee at Pebble Beach golf resort on Spanish Bay, which was very smart. If I had realised just how smart I probably wouldn't have suggested it; it's clearly a private club and not a coffee stop for tourists. But they made us feel very welcome and it was an interesting glimpse into a different world!
Monterey is lovely! Formerly a fishing port which was featured in John Steinbeck’s novel “Cannery Row” it is now largely devoted to tourism. We sauntered around it taking in the atmosphere and had a delicious lunch in Lalla’s before heading towards San Francisco - and straight into a traffic jam on Route 101! The worst thing was that after being delayed for two hours there was absolutely no sign of what had caused it!
Anyway, eventually we arrived at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco and after checking in we set off to find something to eat. Our hotel is really well located just off Union Square, and Jamie found us a little soul food restaurant called Hops and Hominy which was excellent. I had an “Impossible Burger” which is vegetarian but supposed to taste like real meat - and it kind of does. But not quite.