Trip

Had a good chat to Mt&AR over breakfast, hearing about how they’d gone to a brilliant large scale Japanese puppet performance last night and on the way went into the Portrait Gallery. They not only had a chance to draw people dressed in Tudor clothes but also saw the cast of Six the musical doing a guest performance in the Tudor galleries….AR still besotted with that period!
Hazelh walked over to my place then we drove round to M’s to collect her and set off for Pitlochry. We went through rain and sun but by about Perth it settled to being a bit cloudy. We stopped to pick up some coffees en route and had some traffic jams, but otherwise all went smoothly and we arrived at Winsford’s to meet up with her, LauraM and Arclight (C and E were on holiday this time).
Lots of jolly chat, admiring of artwork and even talk about the book (Bookseller of Inverness). Most enjoyed it to varying extents…after a slow start LauraM and I both liked it, but perhaps because we were listening to it rather than reading it like the others as it was a long one.
After our quiches and salads lunch followed by fruit and cream we set off for the afternoon adventure…Winsford, hazelh and Arclight all drove down to go swimming in Loch Faskally, out to Winsford’s famous pine tree and back. The rest of us walked down to greet them as they swam back to shore. Although there were a few drops of rain as we set off it soon cleared and was warm…and on our way back to the house after it was also sunny. Although I’d taken my bathers I was pleased I didn’t go in as it would have been too far to swim as a first cold water dip and I’d have been sure to get cramp. Quite a few paddle boarders and kids and dogs all playing around the water and beach…lovely to have this so close to the town.
We stopped at the station bookshop to browse and see where Winsford volunteers some of her time. On our walk we saw two roads joining each other, one called Well Brae and the next call Nursing Home Brae…the potential move for people between the two depending on their state of health amused us.
After a drink and a chance for hazelh to get changed we set off south again and, apart from missing a turning at one point and having to do a couple of loops to get back and avoid some road closures, we had a smooth trip back with less traffic. I dropped M and hazelh at their homes then got home and slumped a bit for the rest of the evening before bed. Lovely day trip