Postcards from Retirement - the Britan 2017 Edition
Jul 17th, 2017, 05:09 AM
#42
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DAY 19, SUNDAY, JUNE 18th
We had a late night, not really settling in until about 11:30. It was just getting dark then.
We were up at 8 this morning for our breakfast. Our host, Louie MacLeod, helped us plan a trip around the islands and lent us maps. Most things on these islands are closed on Sundays as the people are very observant of the Sabbath. Church is a more formal affair than at home, with everyone dressed up and the ladies wearing hats. So our first chore was to go to the local variety store to buy sandwiches and drinks for a picnic lunch. They didn't open until 10.
Once we got going, we drove west until we came to the coast and then turned south. It was high overcast, a bit of sun and some showers.
Our first stop was to see some restored blackhouses that were occupied by the crofters until 1974. You can actually stay in them now, so the restoration must have included some modern conveniences. They are low one story buildings made of thick stone walls, with thatched roofs. Even I could not get through the door without ducking.
By the time we finished there, it was raining harder. We moved on to the Callanish standing stones. We saw them from the car as the visitor centre was closed and it was raining too hard to walk the mile in to visit them.
We were supposed to be heading out to some beautiful beaches and spectacular rocky coastline, but the weather wasn't going to cooperate, so we decided to head south to the Isle of Harris instead. The weather improved as we went along a winding mountain road. The scenery is amazing, but very rugged and austere. Even though we were on a two lane road, we had to stop for sheep several times. They don't mind cars going by, but if you stop too close they slowly move away. If you get out, they run away. Yesterday, we saw a pile of fleece at the side of the road and wondered if there was a sheep was inside. Today we saw a clearly dead sheep that must have been hit by a vehicle. We also saw some highland cattle, but it is mostly a sheep based society feeding all that fiber to the Harris tweed mills.
We had our picnic in the car because it was too windy to eat outside. We were overlooking a little loch with whitecaps. In one small loch we saw an entire island covered in rhododendron just growing wild. It was absolutely stunning.
We continued in to Tarbert, (Harris), stopping frequently to take pictures of the mountainous scenery. It is very rocky, but there is a thick layer of peat on top. You can easily see where they have dug the peat to heat their homes.
We tried to have coffee in the Harris Hotel in Tarbert, but it was packed with the now escaped church goers, drinking beer! We decided not to wait, and made our way back to our B & B in Stornaway.
We had a glass or two of wine and walked to a hotel for dinner. We are now home again, anticipating another early start for the ferry.
We had a late night, not really settling in until about 11:30. It was just getting dark then.
We were up at 8 this morning for our breakfast. Our host, Louie MacLeod, helped us plan a trip around the islands and lent us maps. Most things on these islands are closed on Sundays as the people are very observant of the Sabbath. Church is a more formal affair than at home, with everyone dressed up and the ladies wearing hats. So our first chore was to go to the local variety store to buy sandwiches and drinks for a picnic lunch. They didn't open until 10.
Once we got going, we drove west until we came to the coast and then turned south. It was high overcast, a bit of sun and some showers.
Our first stop was to see some restored blackhouses that were occupied by the crofters until 1974. You can actually stay in them now, so the restoration must have included some modern conveniences. They are low one story buildings made of thick stone walls, with thatched roofs. Even I could not get through the door without ducking.
By the time we finished there, it was raining harder. We moved on to the Callanish standing stones. We saw them from the car as the visitor centre was closed and it was raining too hard to walk the mile in to visit them.
We were supposed to be heading out to some beautiful beaches and spectacular rocky coastline, but the weather wasn't going to cooperate, so we decided to head south to the Isle of Harris instead. The weather improved as we went along a winding mountain road. The scenery is amazing, but very rugged and austere. Even though we were on a two lane road, we had to stop for sheep several times. They don't mind cars going by, but if you stop too close they slowly move away. If you get out, they run away. Yesterday, we saw a pile of fleece at the side of the road and wondered if there was a sheep was inside. Today we saw a clearly dead sheep that must have been hit by a vehicle. We also saw some highland cattle, but it is mostly a sheep based society feeding all that fiber to the Harris tweed mills.
We had our picnic in the car because it was too windy to eat outside. We were overlooking a little loch with whitecaps. In one small loch we saw an entire island covered in rhododendron just growing wild. It was absolutely stunning.
We continued in to Tarbert, (Harris), stopping frequently to take pictures of the mountainous scenery. It is very rocky, but there is a thick layer of peat on top. You can easily see where they have dug the peat to heat their homes.
We tried to have coffee in the Harris Hotel in Tarbert, but it was packed with the now escaped church goers, drinking beer! We decided not to wait, and made our way back to our B & B in Stornaway.
We had a glass or two of wine and walked to a hotel for dinner. We are now home again, anticipating another early start for the ferry.
Jul 17th, 2017, 05:16 AM
#43
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DAY 20, MONDAY, JUNE 19
We were up early again today for the ferry which left on time. There is only one place in the UK where it is still raining today, and it right over our head!!
On the ferry we were mobbed with primary school kids who were on a school trip to Glasgow and Edinburgh. The four teachers looked frazzled and they were only into their first two hours of herding 37 students. There are both primary and secondary schools on Lewis, but kids must go to the mainland for post secondary education. All kids are bi-lingual English/Gaelic. One of the teachers had been to the Gaelic College in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. On Lewis all signs are in Gaelic, occasionally with English underneath. The BBC news us available in both languages as well.
The trip was smooth and we dozed a bit after breakfast. Two and a half hours later we were in Ullapool. We had another coffee while we did a load of laundry. We also picked up another picnic lunch.
I loved Orkney, especially the war history, but I would pick Lewis and Harris, hands down, for a return trip. The scenery was amazing and the islands are bigger so there is more to see. You can come and go from Skye which is a shorter trip, but it suited our itinerary to come and go from Ullapool.
Once we topped up our gas, we headed out to our next stop, Gairloch. One of our pipe tunes is "High Road to Gairloch", so it captured our imagination.
Our trip was lovely...some showers, some mist and increasing sunshine. We stopped here and there for pictures and ate our picnic at the foot of a mountain, next to a loch. At one point we started to hike into a waterfall in a gorge, but after a while we turned back. It got quite steep and was slippery from the recent rain, but the main problem (I hate to say this) was the sun! There was no wind, so when the sun came out, so did the midges, or, as we call them, “no-see-ums”. They are tiny wings with teeth which leave a really itchy bite. I had anti-midge stuff with me but, of course it was in the car!
After a while we were back in fog and rain. Regardless, it was a beautiful trip. We came over a pass and looked down into the village of Gairloch. It is a lovely little place with most of the buildings being whitewashed. We walked around for a bit, in the sun, and checked out potential dinner spots.
By then it was about 2:30 and we checked in to our hotel, an old, large stone building. We had been looking forward to this hotel, but found it disappointing. We had a glass of wine and practiced playing, what else, but "High Road...".
We had dinner in the hotel and were underwhelmed, however we are fed! Tomorrow we are off to Ornich, just below Ft. William.
We were up early again today for the ferry which left on time. There is only one place in the UK where it is still raining today, and it right over our head!!
On the ferry we were mobbed with primary school kids who were on a school trip to Glasgow and Edinburgh. The four teachers looked frazzled and they were only into their first two hours of herding 37 students. There are both primary and secondary schools on Lewis, but kids must go to the mainland for post secondary education. All kids are bi-lingual English/Gaelic. One of the teachers had been to the Gaelic College in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. On Lewis all signs are in Gaelic, occasionally with English underneath. The BBC news us available in both languages as well.
The trip was smooth and we dozed a bit after breakfast. Two and a half hours later we were in Ullapool. We had another coffee while we did a load of laundry. We also picked up another picnic lunch.
I loved Orkney, especially the war history, but I would pick Lewis and Harris, hands down, for a return trip. The scenery was amazing and the islands are bigger so there is more to see. You can come and go from Skye which is a shorter trip, but it suited our itinerary to come and go from Ullapool.
Once we topped up our gas, we headed out to our next stop, Gairloch. One of our pipe tunes is "High Road to Gairloch", so it captured our imagination.
Our trip was lovely...some showers, some mist and increasing sunshine. We stopped here and there for pictures and ate our picnic at the foot of a mountain, next to a loch. At one point we started to hike into a waterfall in a gorge, but after a while we turned back. It got quite steep and was slippery from the recent rain, but the main problem (I hate to say this) was the sun! There was no wind, so when the sun came out, so did the midges, or, as we call them, “no-see-ums”. They are tiny wings with teeth which leave a really itchy bite. I had anti-midge stuff with me but, of course it was in the car!
After a while we were back in fog and rain. Regardless, it was a beautiful trip. We came over a pass and looked down into the village of Gairloch. It is a lovely little place with most of the buildings being whitewashed. We walked around for a bit, in the sun, and checked out potential dinner spots.
By then it was about 2:30 and we checked in to our hotel, an old, large stone building. We had been looking forward to this hotel, but found it disappointing. We had a glass of wine and practiced playing, what else, but "High Road...".
We had dinner in the hotel and were underwhelmed, however we are fed! Tomorrow we are off to Ornich, just below Ft. William.
Jul 18th, 2017, 05:01 AM
#44
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DAY 21, TUESDAY, JUNE 20th
We had a fine night but an interesting time in our bathroom. Both the sink and the tub (no shower) had separate taps for the hot and cold water...no way to mix them. It was therefore impossible to put your head under running water to rinse out the shampoo. Who designed that?!
We checked our email before leaving this morning and were dismayed to find out that our daughter, Nancy, has been admitted through Emerg with pneumonia and fluid in her lung. They had to put in a chest tube to drain her chest and keep her lung inflated. It is quite worrisome until they figure out the cause, but she is a very heavy smoker. Her Mom is with her and keeping us informed.
We had breakfast and by the time we were heading out the rain had stopped and the mist had lifted...yeah! This was our day to drive around the Applecross Peninsula and over the pass. This trip brought new meaning to single track roads! This was certainly the most narrow we have ever been on. If you let your wheels go off the pavement there are places were the car would be sitting on it's frame. In addition this is a very hilly, winding road and the passing place locations are irregularly placed. Once I had to back up, UP a hill to get back to one, when the on-coming car went past its place and refused to back up. I was not happy. Usually other drivers, other than motor cyclists, are very polite and accommodating. Once I was stopped in a passing place to let two cars come on by, when three bikers passed those cars and barged on through. They almost never pull over for anyone else. There are also people on bicycles. I can't imagine how fit they would have to be!
The one thing we had going for us was a beautiful, sunny day, our first really great day since London. I'm really glad I did this drive, but once is enough of an experience. You could average about 20mph, often had to climb hills in second or even first gear, and made most of the trip in third. Oh yes, there were the requisite sheep!
Once we were back in civilization, we ate the box lunch prepared at our hotel. It was lovely to unwind a bit from that drive, sit in the sunshine and gaze out over the loch.
The rest of the trip to Onich was fine, through spectacular mountain scenery. We even saw some snow on Ben Nevis. We checked into our B & B, a large house that dates from the 1600's. We look out over a loch. The walls are about 18 " thick. It is very comfortable, although there is no TV in our room. I don't really care except we like to get a bit of news and the weather. I think it is calling for thunder storms. It is still sunny, but there are high cirrus clouds, signaling a change.
We went into town for dinner and are now settled in for the evening. We don't have too far to go tomorrow. BTW, we won't have Wifi for two nights starting tomorrow, but I'll try to send from another spot if I can.
We had a fine night but an interesting time in our bathroom. Both the sink and the tub (no shower) had separate taps for the hot and cold water...no way to mix them. It was therefore impossible to put your head under running water to rinse out the shampoo. Who designed that?!
We checked our email before leaving this morning and were dismayed to find out that our daughter, Nancy, has been admitted through Emerg with pneumonia and fluid in her lung. They had to put in a chest tube to drain her chest and keep her lung inflated. It is quite worrisome until they figure out the cause, but she is a very heavy smoker. Her Mom is with her and keeping us informed.
We had breakfast and by the time we were heading out the rain had stopped and the mist had lifted...yeah! This was our day to drive around the Applecross Peninsula and over the pass. This trip brought new meaning to single track roads! This was certainly the most narrow we have ever been on. If you let your wheels go off the pavement there are places were the car would be sitting on it's frame. In addition this is a very hilly, winding road and the passing place locations are irregularly placed. Once I had to back up, UP a hill to get back to one, when the on-coming car went past its place and refused to back up. I was not happy. Usually other drivers, other than motor cyclists, are very polite and accommodating. Once I was stopped in a passing place to let two cars come on by, when three bikers passed those cars and barged on through. They almost never pull over for anyone else. There are also people on bicycles. I can't imagine how fit they would have to be!
The one thing we had going for us was a beautiful, sunny day, our first really great day since London. I'm really glad I did this drive, but once is enough of an experience. You could average about 20mph, often had to climb hills in second or even first gear, and made most of the trip in third. Oh yes, there were the requisite sheep!
Once we were back in civilization, we ate the box lunch prepared at our hotel. It was lovely to unwind a bit from that drive, sit in the sunshine and gaze out over the loch.
The rest of the trip to Onich was fine, through spectacular mountain scenery. We even saw some snow on Ben Nevis. We checked into our B & B, a large house that dates from the 1600's. We look out over a loch. The walls are about 18 " thick. It is very comfortable, although there is no TV in our room. I don't really care except we like to get a bit of news and the weather. I think it is calling for thunder storms. It is still sunny, but there are high cirrus clouds, signaling a change.
We went into town for dinner and are now settled in for the evening. We don't have too far to go tomorrow. BTW, we won't have Wifi for two nights starting tomorrow, but I'll try to send from another spot if I can.
Jul 18th, 2017, 09:49 AM
#45
May I apologise for UK plumbing, Jane? two taps, one for hot and another for cold are quite common in UK households, we have them and are quite happy with them, except over the bath where we have a mixer tap with a shower attachment for hair washing or cleaning of small people or animals. [we have a separate shower cubicle as well for cleaning larger people].
It is unusual to have no shower attachment at all - some places still have rubber contraptions that you fix onto the taps with a shower attachment on the other end.
I'm glad you got some decent weather at last though and i hope that we are going to discover that there was good news about your DD.
It is unusual to have no shower attachment at all - some places still have rubber contraptions that you fix onto the taps with a shower attachment on the other end.
I'm glad you got some decent weather at last though and i hope that we are going to discover that there was good news about your DD.
Jul 18th, 2017, 10:16 AM
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Jul 19th, 2017, 08:25 AM
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Thanks to Annhig and Gyhston for the info on the taps. We have travelled quite a bit in Britain and usually stay in B & Bs. Somehow this has never been a problem before. Most have had showers and were probably a more recent retro fit , I guess.
Jul 19th, 2017, 08:28 AM
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DAY 22, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21st
When I was doing my letter yesterday, I forgot to mention that we decided to go through Plockton. As we drove along beside the sea, we could see the mountains (the Cuilins) on Skye. We spent three nights on Skye last time and never had such a good view of it because of poor weather. Today was stunning.
We got to Plockton, very near where the bridge to Skye is. It is a lovely little village with its whitewashed buildings rimming the harbour's edge, like a string of pearls. It also has palm trees!!
After we left Plockton, our next stop was Eilean Donnan castle for a picture stop. It was such a lovely day, I am hopeful that I did better with my camera than last time when it was very cloudy. This castle is frequently on calendars or on Scotland promotional material. We stopped for ice cream as a treat.
I also forgot to mention that, while we were having dinner last night, two fighter jets did a low fly past over "our" loch. The locals say that this is not normal. Makes one wonder.......
We were in no real hurry to get going today and lingered a bit over our coffee. It was forecast to be heavy rain and thunder, but our day was not all that bad. We checked our email and got news that DD is doing better, but she still can't eat or even drink as she is a choking risk. They hope to be able to start fluids today.
We headed out towards Glencoe. Fortunately, there are lots of pull outs for viewing, because it is stunning scenery. We drove up over Ranoch Moor and saw many long distance walkers and cyclists. I should have thought of this 40 years ago. I can barely walk at the moment. The tendon problem on the top of my foot has more or less resolved itself, but now I have acute pain in my arch. It feels like plantar fasciitis, but not in the heel.
We stopped in Oban for lunch on our way down a long peninsula to our self catering cottage just outside Campbeltown. DH is happily cooking as I speak. Our intention for tomorrow was to spend the day on Islay, but we have cancelled our ferry reservations. Partly the weather (we now have the thunder) and partly my foot made the decision for us. We have decided to chill for a day. I finally have the capacity to make ice for my foot. We will kick around Campbeltown, do our last laundry and get re-organized.
Our dinner was great...spaghetti with venison meatballs! We had a lovely fruit salad, including local strawberries, for dessert.
When I was doing my letter yesterday, I forgot to mention that we decided to go through Plockton. As we drove along beside the sea, we could see the mountains (the Cuilins) on Skye. We spent three nights on Skye last time and never had such a good view of it because of poor weather. Today was stunning.
We got to Plockton, very near where the bridge to Skye is. It is a lovely little village with its whitewashed buildings rimming the harbour's edge, like a string of pearls. It also has palm trees!!
After we left Plockton, our next stop was Eilean Donnan castle for a picture stop. It was such a lovely day, I am hopeful that I did better with my camera than last time when it was very cloudy. This castle is frequently on calendars or on Scotland promotional material. We stopped for ice cream as a treat.
I also forgot to mention that, while we were having dinner last night, two fighter jets did a low fly past over "our" loch. The locals say that this is not normal. Makes one wonder.......
We were in no real hurry to get going today and lingered a bit over our coffee. It was forecast to be heavy rain and thunder, but our day was not all that bad. We checked our email and got news that DD is doing better, but she still can't eat or even drink as she is a choking risk. They hope to be able to start fluids today.
We headed out towards Glencoe. Fortunately, there are lots of pull outs for viewing, because it is stunning scenery. We drove up over Ranoch Moor and saw many long distance walkers and cyclists. I should have thought of this 40 years ago. I can barely walk at the moment. The tendon problem on the top of my foot has more or less resolved itself, but now I have acute pain in my arch. It feels like plantar fasciitis, but not in the heel.
We stopped in Oban for lunch on our way down a long peninsula to our self catering cottage just outside Campbeltown. DH is happily cooking as I speak. Our intention for tomorrow was to spend the day on Islay, but we have cancelled our ferry reservations. Partly the weather (we now have the thunder) and partly my foot made the decision for us. We have decided to chill for a day. I finally have the capacity to make ice for my foot. We will kick around Campbeltown, do our last laundry and get re-organized.
Our dinner was great...spaghetti with venison meatballs! We had a lovely fruit salad, including local strawberries, for dessert.
Jul 19th, 2017, 08:34 AM
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Day 23, Thursday, June 22nd
We woke up about 7:00, checked the news to see if the world is still here, and made breakfast at home. We went into town for coffee at the Bluebell Cafe. Worst coffee of the whole trip, but a lovely, friendly owner. We have actually had really good coffee everywhere else.
We found Wifi, as our cottage in the country doesn't have it. It seems as though DD is a bit better. We are getting regular updates.
We took a drive along the coast and were looking out at the Mull of Kintyre. You Paul McCartney fans remember that tune, and, if you were at our 150th birthday (held a couple of years ago...me 70 and DH 80), it is the tune that another DD played on her violin, joined by the Pipe Band.
We also found out that this DD and her family seem to be in the path of a cyclone in Houston...what next?!!
We had a lazy day, looking around a bit and doing some laundry. I have also been able to ice my foot which will hopefully help.
Our cottage is in the country and we have our own herd of cows in a nearby field. These are dairy cows and it is so nice to see cows out grazing and leading the life they deserve. We also have sheep but they are a couple of fields away. The fields are looking green and lush and are scattered over rolling hills. We had a mostly cloudy day, no rain, and a bit of sun now and then. Our yard is surrounded by a 20 ft hedge of fuscia which is blooming now. We are enjoying very fragrant roses by our door. We are only 13 miles from Ireland!
The property managers (Aussies) live in the next cottage. They have a three year old boy named Linton. When I met him, I said, "Hello Linton, how are you?" He replied "I am very well, thank you." He speaks really well and seemed happy to have new neighbours. He was just showing me his brand new big boy bike, a two wheeler, but with no pedals. A great ambassador!
We are having a drink and staying in for dinner, a shrimp stir fry, I think, with a green salad, and fruit for dessert.
We woke up about 7:00, checked the news to see if the world is still here, and made breakfast at home. We went into town for coffee at the Bluebell Cafe. Worst coffee of the whole trip, but a lovely, friendly owner. We have actually had really good coffee everywhere else.
We found Wifi, as our cottage in the country doesn't have it. It seems as though DD is a bit better. We are getting regular updates.
We took a drive along the coast and were looking out at the Mull of Kintyre. You Paul McCartney fans remember that tune, and, if you were at our 150th birthday (held a couple of years ago...me 70 and DH 80), it is the tune that another DD played on her violin, joined by the Pipe Band.
We also found out that this DD and her family seem to be in the path of a cyclone in Houston...what next?!!
We had a lazy day, looking around a bit and doing some laundry. I have also been able to ice my foot which will hopefully help.
Our cottage is in the country and we have our own herd of cows in a nearby field. These are dairy cows and it is so nice to see cows out grazing and leading the life they deserve. We also have sheep but they are a couple of fields away. The fields are looking green and lush and are scattered over rolling hills. We had a mostly cloudy day, no rain, and a bit of sun now and then. Our yard is surrounded by a 20 ft hedge of fuscia which is blooming now. We are enjoying very fragrant roses by our door. We are only 13 miles from Ireland!
The property managers (Aussies) live in the next cottage. They have a three year old boy named Linton. When I met him, I said, "Hello Linton, how are you?" He replied "I am very well, thank you." He speaks really well and seemed happy to have new neighbours. He was just showing me his brand new big boy bike, a two wheeler, but with no pedals. A great ambassador!
We are having a drink and staying in for dinner, a shrimp stir fry, I think, with a green salad, and fruit for dessert.
Jul 20th, 2017, 05:16 AM
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DAY 24, FRIDAY, JUNE 23
We both woke up early, so we got ready, had breakfast, and loaded up. We started out in cloud and mist. We had some very hard rain and also some sunshine. Typical Scottish weather. The only thing missing was snow!
We had to make our way all the way back up the Kintyre peninsula (about 50 miles), and down Loch Lomond towards Glasgow. We stopped for a coffee break once. We were sad to leave the Highlands, but we pressed on around Glasgow, and headed south into Ayrshire.
We stopped and had lovely soup for lunch. We carried on into Dumfries and Galloway and on to our destination, the Isle of Whithorn, which is actually now connected to the mainland.
We have a small apartment on the second floor of a house which overlooks the harbour. We arrived in time to accumulate some groceries for dinner. Wifi is still an issue, but I can access it elsewhere during the day.
We plan in exploring this area over the next few days. We have not spent time down here before.
We both woke up early, so we got ready, had breakfast, and loaded up. We started out in cloud and mist. We had some very hard rain and also some sunshine. Typical Scottish weather. The only thing missing was snow!
We had to make our way all the way back up the Kintyre peninsula (about 50 miles), and down Loch Lomond towards Glasgow. We stopped for a coffee break once. We were sad to leave the Highlands, but we pressed on around Glasgow, and headed south into Ayrshire.
We stopped and had lovely soup for lunch. We carried on into Dumfries and Galloway and on to our destination, the Isle of Whithorn, which is actually now connected to the mainland.
We have a small apartment on the second floor of a house which overlooks the harbour. We arrived in time to accumulate some groceries for dinner. Wifi is still an issue, but I can access it elsewhere during the day.
We plan in exploring this area over the next few days. We have not spent time down here before.
Jul 20th, 2017, 05:20 AM
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DAY 25, SATURDAY, JUNE 24th
We slept in until about 7:45, got up and organized and had breakfast at home. The only place for coffee is the local tea room/community centre, St. Ninian's Hall. We found ourselves among families picking up their budding ballerinas. There were about 10 little girls in their leotards and pink slippers who were so cute. We had our coffee and availed ourselves of the Wifi as well.
Then we headed out to our destination for today, Kirkudbright, pronounced "kirkcoobree" with emphasis on the second syllable. This is a lovely coastal town which is home to several artists and galleries. I would have spent more time poking around, but my foot was quite temperamental and I just couldn't walk anymore.
DH found some bakeries and bought stuff to take back. He also got a lunch which we had sitting in the park. It was lovely. It had become mostly sunny with a stiff but warm breeze.
On our way home we stopped in Newton Stewart and did a proper grocery shopping to last for the time we are here. I hopped along, leaning on the cart!
We eventually made our way home and stashed all our purchases. I'm not sure what is for dinner, but I am looking out over the harbour, while at the same time watching tennis on TV with a glass of wine. Even with a few limitations, we are having a great time.
We slept in until about 7:45, got up and organized and had breakfast at home. The only place for coffee is the local tea room/community centre, St. Ninian's Hall. We found ourselves among families picking up their budding ballerinas. There were about 10 little girls in their leotards and pink slippers who were so cute. We had our coffee and availed ourselves of the Wifi as well.
Then we headed out to our destination for today, Kirkudbright, pronounced "kirkcoobree" with emphasis on the second syllable. This is a lovely coastal town which is home to several artists and galleries. I would have spent more time poking around, but my foot was quite temperamental and I just couldn't walk anymore.
DH found some bakeries and bought stuff to take back. He also got a lunch which we had sitting in the park. It was lovely. It had become mostly sunny with a stiff but warm breeze.
On our way home we stopped in Newton Stewart and did a proper grocery shopping to last for the time we are here. I hopped along, leaning on the cart!
We eventually made our way home and stashed all our purchases. I'm not sure what is for dinner, but I am looking out over the harbour, while at the same time watching tennis on TV with a glass of wine. Even with a few limitations, we are having a great time.
Jul 21st, 2017, 06:07 AM
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DAY 26, SUNDAY, JUNE 25th
I forgot to mention that, while we were driving home yesterday, a young man on an ATV type vehicle, shot out of a laneway right in front of me. Thankfully, I was slowing down as we were coming into a little village. I was able to slam on the brakes and miss him by inches. Stew opened the window and said "that was a pretty close one, buddy". He, looking quite shaken, said "I din nae see ya". It was scary all round, but I am sympathetic to his problem. He was coming out of a lane bordered by stone fences and hedges. We often have difficulty seeing when we are trying to enter a roadway, as you are virtually blind.
We had a nice dinner last evening and settled in to watch TV. About then, I realized I had a sore throat. Then I looked at DH who had started to shiver and shake. I took his temperature and it was up considerably. Thankfully, I had the British equivalent of Tylenol. DH is one those people who gets a really high temperature and gets totally weak while he has it. He has only done this 5 times in all the years we have been married, but it is quite dramatic. I was thinking about how I could get him to a hospital. I stayed up until about 3:00 am checking him, giving him meds when I could, and sponging him down. By then he was only slightly febrile.
In the middle of all this nursing care, I looked down in the corner of the bathroom to see the second biggest spider I've ever seen. (Biggest was in Australia). This one was easily bigger than a toonie, with a body about as big as a nickel, only more elongated. I'm not a big fan of spiders, but I don't usually kill them. Because I didn't know if this one would bite, I decided that I should dispatch him. There I was chasing him around the bathroom with my shoe....quite a sight I 'm sure. I prevailed in the end, feeling guilty.
When we woke up, DHès temperature was back to normal and he was no longer weak...thankfully. He was still not quite as zippy as normal, so we decided on a slow day. After breakfast at home, we went to our little centre for coffee. They have a tiny store there, and I was able to replace the Tylenol.
It was a lovely, sunny morning so we sat drinking our coffee, looking over the sea. We could see the Isle of Man. We did our Wifi related stuff and set out on a shortish drive Stranauer, the little village where the ferries to Northern Ireland come and go. We had our lunch there and walked a little bit, me with my cane.
We came home along the coast and could see Ireland. We were back by about 2:00pm and we had a little nap to recover from the events of last night. How decadent! It is now wine time while we think about dinner.
Hopefully, the drama is over!
I forgot to mention that, while we were driving home yesterday, a young man on an ATV type vehicle, shot out of a laneway right in front of me. Thankfully, I was slowing down as we were coming into a little village. I was able to slam on the brakes and miss him by inches. Stew opened the window and said "that was a pretty close one, buddy". He, looking quite shaken, said "I din nae see ya". It was scary all round, but I am sympathetic to his problem. He was coming out of a lane bordered by stone fences and hedges. We often have difficulty seeing when we are trying to enter a roadway, as you are virtually blind.
We had a nice dinner last evening and settled in to watch TV. About then, I realized I had a sore throat. Then I looked at DH who had started to shiver and shake. I took his temperature and it was up considerably. Thankfully, I had the British equivalent of Tylenol. DH is one those people who gets a really high temperature and gets totally weak while he has it. He has only done this 5 times in all the years we have been married, but it is quite dramatic. I was thinking about how I could get him to a hospital. I stayed up until about 3:00 am checking him, giving him meds when I could, and sponging him down. By then he was only slightly febrile.
In the middle of all this nursing care, I looked down in the corner of the bathroom to see the second biggest spider I've ever seen. (Biggest was in Australia). This one was easily bigger than a toonie, with a body about as big as a nickel, only more elongated. I'm not a big fan of spiders, but I don't usually kill them. Because I didn't know if this one would bite, I decided that I should dispatch him. There I was chasing him around the bathroom with my shoe....quite a sight I 'm sure. I prevailed in the end, feeling guilty.
When we woke up, DHès temperature was back to normal and he was no longer weak...thankfully. He was still not quite as zippy as normal, so we decided on a slow day. After breakfast at home, we went to our little centre for coffee. They have a tiny store there, and I was able to replace the Tylenol.
It was a lovely, sunny morning so we sat drinking our coffee, looking over the sea. We could see the Isle of Man. We did our Wifi related stuff and set out on a shortish drive Stranauer, the little village where the ferries to Northern Ireland come and go. We had our lunch there and walked a little bit, me with my cane.
We came home along the coast and could see Ireland. We were back by about 2:00pm and we had a little nap to recover from the events of last night. How decadent! It is now wine time while we think about dinner.
Hopefully, the drama is over!
Jul 22nd, 2017, 04:49 AM
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DAY 27, MONDAY, JUNE 26th
We woke up to grey skies with short periods of sunshine. After breakfast we went back down to our local shop for coffee. We ended up in a US political discussion with a local couple. I must say that it has been wonderful to hear virtually nothing about US politics for almost a month. I hope the US is still there when we get home.
Since we are in Robbie Burns country, we headed for Dumfries today. We were here once with band last time. We arrived in time for lunch which we had in an M & S cafe.
We walked around town, exploring, until it was time to head home. We intended to stop at Castle Douglas on our way home, but missed the turn. The signs here are intermittent at best, and often covered in foliage. The GPS, both ours and the one in the car, lose their satellites at the most inopportune times. They often lead us in circles. We'll try again tomorrow.
Driving along we got speculating on how farm owners know the acreage of their farms. The roads are very winding, and therefore so are the lot lines. It sounds like a geometrician's nightmare to calculate the size of the fields. Often the road bisects the farm. In fact the cows have their own stop lights! There are places where the farmer must relocate the cows across the road. He can activate the stop light, which has a picture of a cow on it, to stop traffic, for the girls to cross. I have seen many breeds of cows I haven't seen before, including some grey ones. I'll have to Google them.
There are also many wind turbines here. We asked about how they are received and tolerated, and basically no-one seems to mind. (This was not an exhaustive survey.)
We made it home in time for wine. Tonight's dinner is salad with the beef pies we bought at the bakery. Fresh strawberries for dessert.
We woke up to grey skies with short periods of sunshine. After breakfast we went back down to our local shop for coffee. We ended up in a US political discussion with a local couple. I must say that it has been wonderful to hear virtually nothing about US politics for almost a month. I hope the US is still there when we get home.
Since we are in Robbie Burns country, we headed for Dumfries today. We were here once with band last time. We arrived in time for lunch which we had in an M & S cafe.
We walked around town, exploring, until it was time to head home. We intended to stop at Castle Douglas on our way home, but missed the turn. The signs here are intermittent at best, and often covered in foliage. The GPS, both ours and the one in the car, lose their satellites at the most inopportune times. They often lead us in circles. We'll try again tomorrow.
Driving along we got speculating on how farm owners know the acreage of their farms. The roads are very winding, and therefore so are the lot lines. It sounds like a geometrician's nightmare to calculate the size of the fields. Often the road bisects the farm. In fact the cows have their own stop lights! There are places where the farmer must relocate the cows across the road. He can activate the stop light, which has a picture of a cow on it, to stop traffic, for the girls to cross. I have seen many breeds of cows I haven't seen before, including some grey ones. I'll have to Google them.
There are also many wind turbines here. We asked about how they are received and tolerated, and basically no-one seems to mind. (This was not an exhaustive survey.)
We made it home in time for wine. Tonight's dinner is salad with the beef pies we bought at the bakery. Fresh strawberries for dessert.
Jul 22nd, 2017, 04:53 AM
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DAY 28, TUESDAY, JUNE 27th
As forecast, we had pouring rain and wind all night, carrying on into the morning. We were a bit lazy getting up, but eventually finished breakfast at home and went into the village for our last coffee there.
We spent a little time organizing ourselves, and then drove into Newton Stewart for lunch. It was a soup kind of day, so we had a beef vegetable soup and a fresh bun lunch special. Hit the spot!
We took a run into Sainsbury's for strawberries for dessert tonight. I think the some munchies for the plane might have fallen in the basket too!
The rain had dropped off a bit, but it was still windy, wet, and foggy, so we decided to come home and get re-packed for the trip home. We come with carry on luggage only, but we have to check at least one bag this flight to be able to bring our scotch home. If I have to check bags, I always pack half of each other's stuff in each bag. That way, if a bag goes astray, one person doesn't lose everything.
Stew made a lovely lamb stew for dinner. We have just about polished off our wine. We had lovely fresh local strawberries for dessert.
We hope to get an early start tomorrow so we can spend a little time in Glasgow before we head out to the airport to turn in our car. We will stay overnight in the Holiday Inn Express right across from the terminal. Our flight leaves about 8:30 am on Thursday.
As forecast, we had pouring rain and wind all night, carrying on into the morning. We were a bit lazy getting up, but eventually finished breakfast at home and went into the village for our last coffee there.
We spent a little time organizing ourselves, and then drove into Newton Stewart for lunch. It was a soup kind of day, so we had a beef vegetable soup and a fresh bun lunch special. Hit the spot!
We took a run into Sainsbury's for strawberries for dessert tonight. I think the some munchies for the plane might have fallen in the basket too!
The rain had dropped off a bit, but it was still windy, wet, and foggy, so we decided to come home and get re-packed for the trip home. We come with carry on luggage only, but we have to check at least one bag this flight to be able to bring our scotch home. If I have to check bags, I always pack half of each other's stuff in each bag. That way, if a bag goes astray, one person doesn't lose everything.
Stew made a lovely lamb stew for dinner. We have just about polished off our wine. We had lovely fresh local strawberries for dessert.
We hope to get an early start tomorrow so we can spend a little time in Glasgow before we head out to the airport to turn in our car. We will stay overnight in the Holiday Inn Express right across from the terminal. Our flight leaves about 8:30 am on Thursday.
Jul 22nd, 2017, 07:33 AM
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What is the local equivalent of Tylenol. I needed to replenish my stash halfway through the trip in June. The chemist told me that they didn't sell it over the counter and I would need a doctor's prescription. So eked mine out for the rest of the trip--unfortunately was uncomfortable by the end.
Jul 22nd, 2017, 09:17 AM
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>>What is the local equivalent of Tylenol. <<
Paracetamol. No prescription required in that form, but not sold in large quantities because overdose leads to liver damage.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tylenol
What <i>is</i> only on prescription is co-codamol, which is a combination of paracetamol and codeine.
Paracetamol. No prescription required in that form, but not sold in large quantities because overdose leads to liver damage.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tylenol
What <i>is</i> only on prescription is co-codamol, which is a combination of paracetamol and codeine.
