Back in Norwich again after two weeks away. And to greet us, an eight-hour power cut affecting three houses in our street. Much digging up of pavements before they found the problem and fixed it. Thanks to Scotland, we were used to the lower temperatures, but Dot did light a fire when she returned from a morning at Thurton school. I meanwhile went round Phil’s, had a cup of tea and charged my mobile phone.
Here is the account of the last fortnight or so:
Tuesday, May 8
On Saturday Andrew and I went for a walk down the Riverside path, taking in the new footbridge, under which we sheltered when a few drops of rain fell. In the afternoon I drove him to Dunston as usual, after a brief excursion to show him where Joe lived at Hethersett. At St Remigius Church we saw black rabbits. We had sheltered in the car for a few minutes during a hailstorm, and I switched on the radio to hear that Norwich City had equalised to draw 3-3 away at Arsenal, thus giving Spurs a chance to come third in the Premiership – a chance they squandered the next day by drawing with Aston Villa.
We all had lunch at church on Sunday (Anna providing chicken thighs), then returned quickly home to pack up the car, and left at 1.50pm for Coventry, where we dropped Andrew off after a good journey, at about 4.40pm. (We had stopped briefly at Cambridge Services.) Then onward and upward, stopping at M6 Toll services before reaching Knutsford Premier Inn before 7pm. We had bought sandwiches, so didn’t partake of the evening meal, but the breakfast next day, after a good sleep, was excellent.
So far we had done about 242 miles, but we had about 350 to go. Travel conditions were good. We stopped at the lovely Tebay farm shop services and bought some stuff to eat on arrival. On entering Scotland we experienced the first drops of rain, and it continued wet or wettish the rest of the way. We stopped at Annadale Water to get chips for Dot; they had run out of petrol, so we stopped again at Abington for fuel.
Some heavy rain between Glasgow and Perth, but they’ve at last got the road sorted out, and there were no problems. Balathie looks as if it may be permanently shut, so we continued to the Fife Arms at Braemar, where we had tea and cake. On the way to Ballater we turned back to get another look at Lochnagar covered with snow. (Temperature got as low as 1C over the Glen Shee pass – as predicted by Dot – and there was a roaring fire in the Fife Arms lounge.)
Arrived at a very cold wee house about 6pm and turned up all the heat. Bought a little extra food in town, gave someone directions to the chipper (!) and ate a meal while watching some DVDs (no television, of course). First Set in Stone, a film about Norwich churches that I had got for Christmas, then the first two episodes of Series Two of Mad Men. We decided on the twin-bed room, which seemed warmer, and had a relatively early night. This morning, we moved the beds together.
Finished reading the Grove booklet, Worship and Freedom in the Church of England: Exploring the Boundaries, but found we were already exploring beyond the boundaries. Still, it was interesting.
Wednesday, 9 May
Lovely day yesterday. We started by ‘”popping” into town to buy washing up liquid and kitchen towels, but ended up with over £30 worth of items from the kitchen shop and a scarf from Byzantium. The weather was unexpectedly nice: not too cold, almost warm when the sun was shining, and very little wind. We drove over to the log cabin for lunch, then back across the Braemar road for a stunning view of snow-covered Lochnagar.
On via Crathie to the South Deeside road, where I saw a huge, darkly painted aircraft very low over the trees. No idea what it was doing, as there is nowhere that I know for it to land anywhere near. Dot didn’t see it, but she heard it. On again via the Birkhall road to Loch Muick, where the car park was very thinly populated. We walked down to the loch and then did the short circuit via the hut and the Lochnagar path. Red deer were feediing, and I saw a meadow pippit struggling to reach about 30ft and then floating down to earth on outstretched, unmoving wings.
Decided to have fish and chips, but restricted ourselves to only one piece of fish (between us). Watched three more episodes of Mad Men and wrote postcards and a birthday card for Vicky, on which I managed to get her surname wrong. Think I’m cracking up. After all, it is Lenton.
Thursday, 10 May
Another good day yesterday, when we travelled across to Cairn Gorm via the recently mended and reopened Gairnshiel Bridge (one can only imagine the chaos while it was closed). Weather was looking pretty bad just beyond Bridge of Brown and we almost turned back, but very glad we didn’t. Heavy hail shower as we arrived in the car park, so we sat it out and then caught the funicular, which showed an unexpected turn of speed.
At the top we disgorged into the top level restaurant so that the skiers and snowboarders could access the snow easily. Dot and I had some food first, but then emerged on to some beautiful snow and walked about on it for quite a while. Surprisingly still and not too cold, especially when the sun came out.
We went back in to look round the shop, but eventually ventured outside again. Quite magical. Took the train down at 3.40pm, visited the Camera Obscura and sat outside with a hot drink, such was the improvement in the weather. This was the best time of day, and so of course everything was closing in true Scottish fashion – even the funicular.
On the way home we stopped by the loch for a while and took some photos. Think I saw an eagle in the distance. We were approached by a pair of mallards, and I gave them an apple someone had thrown away. Practically no traffic at all on the road home. Bought some food in Ballater and ate in. More than halfway through Mad Men.
Today is much different; very wet and very cold. We stayed in bed late and had a long telephone conversation with David. Didn’t venture out till close to 2pm, when we drove to Braemar and had late lunch at the Fife Arms, where Dot paid £2 for six hours of Wi-Fi and caught up with her e-mails. Then drove up the hill outside Crathie and sat in a layby reading for a while. We had hoped for a view, but there wasn’t one. Then home and got ready for evening meal with Ella and David at the Lodge on the Loch at Aboyne – a new one on us. Managed to write a couple of poems earlier in the day.
Friday, 11 May
Rather less wet this morning, but stayed in bed late anyway. Unusually our meal with Ella and David ended at a respectable hour, and we were home before 10pm. The Lodge on the Loch is an impressisve establishment opened only about four years ago and incorporating three nine-hole golf courses and regular visits from ospreys. Even in the pouring rain, the view was spectacular.
We were the only people there, apart from residents who had eaten earlier, and so got the full attention of the waitress, who I think was also the owner. I paid for initial drinks, but Ella insisted on paying for the meal, which was really nice: well cooked and presented without being spectacular. I had garlic mushrooms, steak and pavlova, and my stomach was very happy about it.
Saturday, 12 May
Rather less wet, I said. I suppose that’s true in the sense that the cold evening brightened enough for us to walk the river path and linger on the stones. But until then the only time there was no rain was when there was snow, which we encountered at a lower level than ever before, on the Ballater-Corgarff road and on the scenic road between Gairnshiel Bridge and Crathie.
The ground was too warm for it to lie there (although the air temperature hit 0C at one point), but it was lying beside the road in some quantity on the Lecht. We sat in the log cabin and watched it sweep across the little cemetery while I ate lentil soup and egg sandwiches, and Dot had maple syrup and bacon with pancakes, followed by ice cream. I bought a shirt (of course), and Dot a wallet.
Today was a totally different kettle of fish. It dawned bright and blue, and we decided to go through with our tentative plan for a walk near Craig Leek, close to Keilloch. We made the mistake of starting from a layby near the turn to Aberarder, following a walk in one of our books. I hadn’t studied it carefully enough and thought it was about five miles, but an extension up the shoulder of Craig Leek – by far the best bit of the walk – added a couple of miles, and as this is Scotland, that added up to eight.
It was warmer than recently, but there was still a chilly wind against us most of the way out and it strengthened as we climbed towards Am Bealach. So it was quite hard going – but the views towards snowy Lochnagar were spectacular. On the walk back there was plenty of standing water to circumnavigate, and by the time we reached the road I was feeling pretty tired.
On our return to Ballater a hot bath eased our limbs somewhat so that we managed to stagger to the Green Inn for our customary appointment with culinary excellence. Top-class meal with an exceptional chocolate dessert that had won a national competition. Also great ambience, and a nice chat with the owner, who remembers us from previous years but lets us in anyway.
Monday, 14 May
Yesterday was mainly dry but very windy, and we were blown along into a totally different time zone – otherwise known as the local church, which has galloped into the 20th century (the 21st would be a step too far) by switching to Mission Praise, but still chooses all the oldest hymns from it. There is no danger of any surprises here, but there is something nostalgic about it. I’m not sure this is what one should look for in a church. They are very friendly, which is.
Afterwards we had tea and scones at a new coffee shop on the main street – Rock Salt Cafe – and bought a couple of other things before returning home, where we attempted a bit of washing. This turned out to be a mistake, as someone had disconnected the drain pipe, and the floor and cupboard soon had water flowing over them. We managed to limit the damage by mopping up with towels, and I worked out how to reconnect the drain pipe. We risked rinsing what we had in the machine, and everything including the towels was hung out to dry in the very brisk wind.
Obviously we deserved fish and chips after that, so we had an early supper, and then drove out to park and read. We quickly located the nearest heavy rain (on the Corgarff road), stopped for a while, then had a rethink and returned to our favourite riverside spot on the South Deeside road, where it was almost dry, apart from the river. Back at home later we finished Series Two of Mad Men, which leaves us without a DVD to watch tonight. Will we find one? Watch this space.
OK, that’s enough space-watching. Yes, we did find one, after much searching: it turned out that the internet cafe in Ballater had a four-for-£10 offer and was open late, so we ended up with four films – the first of which, Source Code, was very good indeed.
Earlier in the day we drove to Linn of Quoich and after waiting for the rain to stop walked upstream for a while, then climbed up on to the moor and meandered back. Huge amount of water in the stream and quite a lot falling from the sky as we got back to the car. Very showery day altogether.
We called in for late lunch at the Fife Arms, and Dot checked her e-mails again, finding one from Barbara M that was four days old. Drove back to Ballater, picked up the DVDs and, as it was sunny, drove up towards Glen Muick to park and read. After I finished my book, Cairngorm John (about mountain rescues) we decided to walk and drive instead: Dot walked for ten minutes; I caught her up and then I walked for ten minutes. Amazing how far you can get in ten minutes. We ended up near the Falls of Muick and walked down to get a closer look. As we got back to the car it started to rain, and as the road entered the open glen, it started hailing. It was that sort of day.
On the plus side, the house feels much warmer, and we saw a woodpecker on a tree. We have also realised, in case I fail to mention it elsewhere, that you can actually see the top of Lochnagar from the garden. Took us 20 years to notice that, but to be fair they are cutting down trees in Greystones.
Tuesday 15 May
Mainly dry today, and sunny too: but a bitterly cold wind developed during the day. Our first outing, three and a half miles on the Muir of Dinnit, was extremely pleasant, taking in an area of bog called Perkin’s Moss, where a boardwalk has been erected. After that we walked on down to the loch but abandoned the circumnavigation because Dot was hungry.
Instead we drove round “the other way” to the log cabin and had a bite before driving up to the start of the path down to the bridge where we took David and the children. We walked down and back, but the wind had become really icy, and we were glad to reach the car, especially as there was snow in the air. Coldest I’ve been so far.
Parked again on road above Crathie: Dot read, and I wrote a poem. Then we drove into Ballater, and I bought a newspaper and a birthday card for David Coomes. Later we walked to La Maggiatore for a very nice Italian meal, then rounded the evening off by watching The House of Flying Daggers – some rather special effects.
Thursday, 17 May
We leave today – and it’s snowing. Not lying, but a steady downfall of snowflakes from a leaden sky. Yesterday was rather better, though still very cold in the wind later on. In the morning I climbed Craigendarroch by a different route, following the circular path into the Pass of Ballater first. Dot was in town shopping, and I could see her (and she me) from the top. Descended by a new route on the timeshare side that proved very quick.
Did some packing and sorting out, and a man came to read the meter. After a quick lunch drove into Glen Muick, where we walked the archaeological route near the Spittal. Very pleasant at first, but got cold as the wind hit us higher up. Hung around the ranger’s place for a while, then returned to Ballater for petrol.
Evening meal was at the Glen Lui – a fitting conclusion featuring venison and prosecco, plus the usual great view out on to the golf course. Afterwards we watched Passion in Mind, a very clever but ultimately slightly confusing story about a woman (Demi Moore) who couldn’t distinguish between her dream life and reality.
It’s now 9pm, and we’re in the Premier Inn at Newcastle (Team Valley), seventh floor. As we left Deeside, even the lower hills were covered with snow, and in Glen Shee the snow was everywhere, and we took several pictures. Stopped at the pottery place and visitor centre between Glen Shee and Perth and had tea/coffee and a scone. They’ve made an attractive place of what used to be just a pottery shop about ten years ago (or more). Nice people.
We stopped again at Kinross services (a former haunt) and then headed for the A1 via the Forth Bridge and the Edinburgh bypass – all in pouring rain. I was reminded again why we now use the longer western route: many stretches of single carriageway between Berwick and Newcastle, and huge numbers of speed cameras. Not that the latter came into play much, because we were in a long, slow-moving queue behind a giant crane much of the time. Coming after the 40mph stretches of motorway around Edinburgh (for minimal work being done), this left us more than a little frustrated.
Still, the Premier Inn was easy to find and is very pleasant. Good value for £23 a night (booked in advance, non-cancellable), and an extremely helpful receptionist. It also seems to have stopped raining.
Friday, 18 May
David’s 40th birthday. Texted him when I woke up (just after 8am) to find he was already at school waiting to take Amy in. We had a good breakfast, and I got some cash out of a nearby machine, and after filling the car with petrol Dot drove south. Traffic was fairly heavy all day, but there were no hold-ups. We switched drivers at Ferrybridge services at the M62 junction (not the most convenient), and our next stop was at Peterborough services – new ones at the start of the motorway section and horrendously busy.
Still we ate a little, called David and then decided to pull in at Folksworth, where we found the grave of what I think were my great-great-grandfather William and his wife, and that of his father, George, and wife too. Both wives called Sarah. A few more Lentons located in nearby Yaxley cemetery, but didn’t stay long enough to search thoroughly.
Reached David’s at about 4pm and went in. He was picking up the children from school, so we made a cup of tea. They arrived at around 4.30pm, full of beans. Gave David his presents and some money, and played football in the garden for a while (after I’d had a brief snooze). Oliver a good footballer, and he won a race today too.
He’s making great progress with the Harry Potter books, and Amy is also a good reader. They also had presents from Scotland, and some Easter ones from Birgit’s brother and his wife.
Had a birthday tea of Thai food and champagne.
Sunday, 20 May
Great day yesterday. It stayed dry, although it was not as sunny as it might have been. Dot and I (mainly Dot) prepared the contents of a couple of salad dishes which David completed in his usual expert style when he returned from taking the children swimming.
Really nice food for the party. The Coomes arrived at about 12.30, and Tim and Liz with their children, Lawrence and Heather, a bit later. Games included much Wii activity, Harry Potter Cluedo and plenty of football, both in the garden and at the nearby park. Liz is a primary teacher and gardening expert; Tim used to work with Vicky.
After they all left we wasted an evening watching Bayern Munich contrive to lose to Chelsea after squandering a multitude of opportunities and missing a penalty in extra time. So Spurs not in Champions’ League. Slept badly.
