Talking for Scotland

After our goodbyes from Edith and Peter we walked along the shore in Largs so I could get a pic of Magnus the Viking for Flynn (I send him postcards of something everyday on Facebook)..they were about the only thing I took pics of that day…the camera needed a rest I think.

We arrived at Damnonis lovely house just after lunch…(I felt as if I already knew her from blipping ….of course) and immediately felt welcomed by her and her husband David. 
I didn’t take long before our gums were flapping about all sorts of things…(drinking tea and eating bakewell tarts)….…in fact they didn’t stop until we needed to pile into the car for dinner….and…that is after a mandatory Gin and Tonic……. (Peter had bought some in Orkney and we just had to try it out…it was strong).
Back home more chatting (talking for Scotland) until I just had to get to bed…I was a bit delirious at this stage. I sank into a lovely white fluffy bed covered with green and black tartan and fell straight to sleep.

I didn’t get out of bed until a bit later and having my own bathroom I pottered and took care of very important business…like washing my hair and sorting out my case …which I have to say was starting to look like a mad woman breakfast. Around lunch time we had breakfast…which I have to say was a breakfast of champions and their champions…did I mention clotted cream and french jam was involved?

I went into their lovely garden in the sprinkling rain and took pics of the beautiful purple lupins covered in drops and some of the other inhabitants near by…I do love the rain falling from pine trees too. Down the bottom of the garden is the famous Gin Palace…….a fabulous little hut carpeted with comfy couches and chairs where on the summer afternoons when the bees are buzzing and the flowers are releasing their fragrance gin is consumed with bucket loads of laughter so I am told.

It was time for an outing…….first of all we stopped off at Sterling Castle…….I really liked the view of the fields of buttercup eating coos leading up to the castle in the very brooding cloudy sky….extra. I have to say that when I saw the clouds in the sky I was very excited cause we were going somewhere special that I knew would look just incredible with this sky as back drop…I digress.
We went up to the castle where I took a pic of that villain King Robert the Bruce (extra) …on our travels ….I have been getting lessons on Scottish History and from all accounts of what I heard he was a bit of a sneaky bloke in some respects..however I thought he cut a rather handsome figure against the sky and a bit of the castle.

Then we went on to a place where I have been longing to go ever since I saw a pic of it on blip over 3 years back now…….to The Kelpies. I have seen so many pictures of them but nothing quite prepares you for the awesomeness and majesty of them until you are up close and personal……Oh my goodness……I was blown away. After taking a visit to the gift shop (as it was nearly closing time and I always have to see if there is something for Flynn)…..we walked up to those very very BIG BEASTIES……of course the camera was out and I started snapping away like a demon…….as I navigated them it was then I realised what a mammoth task it would of been to of made them…..the thought and planning on every aspect…….the incredible way the metal plates were cut…and put together…..such a hard material that created the contours of the nostrils….eyes… neck…well everything. Andy Scott sure did know his horses…….I am thinking that only someone who has spent a decent amount of time with them and a huge love of them could create these. 
Diane mentioned the pic that Sleepyhead had taken a while back with a daisy in the foreground (mono of course) my eyes skirted the surrounds and saw a field of daisies…buttercups and yellow iris……I had a lot of fun there.

Back to the hacienda for tea and bakewell tart…again (I’m loving that tart) and a bit of quiet time whilst Diane and David were bustling in the kitchen with Alan their son.
The dinner gong went ..we entered the warm kitchen (from the AGA) and a might spread on the table. After a HUGE delicious dinner (so huge I had just a slither of cheesecake…seriously) back to the lounge room for more chatting and a bit of joke telling and laughing.
It was late before we left and needed to get back to Edinburg …as we drove home I felt so spoilt and loved from both Edith and Peter and the Diane and David……..and already considering my trip back to UK in the future……..we arrived home just before 12.
I still had packing  and sorting to do …face time the kids and shower before a 3am beddybyes.

Up at ‘em early…….Peter drove me to his work……(I teased him that he has to work and Im off on another adventure)…I sat in the car blipping and playing around with my pics and writing for a couple of hours…(I thought I would be having a little kip but you know what its like when one starts looking at and  playing around with pics) until he took an early lunch at 11.30 and drove me to the airport for my flight to Cork.

Here I am sitting at the airport…I have been really confused with late flights without a gate to go to..infact this is a very confusing and very very busy airport……I have found a quiet lounge for people in wheelchairs……I so do not feel comfortable around a lot of people…I get all hot and sweaty…(probably only getting 4- 5 hours sleep doesn’t help much)…none seems to know what is happening…I really hope Himself found out early that it was going to be delayed and not waiting at the airport for me.
So looking forward to getting to Ireland…….another place I have always wanted to go…and then there is the extra special bonus to hang out with Freespiral and Himself…I reckon it can’t get much better than that.