It’s all very well me posting shots of picturesque views, telling you about old pubs and even older trees and also suggesting you visit BritMums to read my grown-up review of our accommodation. But what you really want to know about is all the other detail: the arguments, the things which went wrong, the usual drivel I write about our family holidays. Relax, dear reader, you can have your fill now of my typical holiday blather.
When we eventually reached Kenmore, after a bad decision by me to go through Perth rather than the bypass as ‘it looks quicker’, we had just enough time to unpack and change before heading out to have dinner at our friends’ home just a few miles away. Whilst Rory and I seemed to manage this with little fuss, Dougie couldn’t get the shower to work and was standing butt naked in the bathroom, twiddling knobs and generally getting irate. He was about to ring for maintenance to sort it when I realised all that was needed was a good sharp tug…. (apologies for the blatant use of innuendo in that paragraph)
Our wonderful friends, Marion and Henry, and their two teenagers, Tino and Harry, own the Courtyard Shop attached to the apartments. I used to work with Marion at John Lewis in Oxford Street. She met Henry some years later at John Lewis in Edinburgh. We have stayed friends since 1985. You can imagine two ex-John Lewis managers run a fabulous shop/delicatessen: sharp merchandising, great products and excellent customer service. We bought a few items from the shop to keep us going then met them at their home for a gorgeous meal and a long-awaited catch-up.
Marion had provided me with lots of leaflets about the area so bedtime reading was spent perusing them and planning our next two days. Dougie and I both spotted all the special offers for various attractions. I was under strict instructions to make sure we used them. I failed. Leaving the restaurant after our first meal at the resort, I remembered too late the ‘free bottle of house wine with your first meal’. We also forgot the 10% off voucher for a great shop, Spirit of Wood, which was galling as we spent over £200 on home accessories including some cushions and an interesting metal artwork thingy for the bathroom. Dougie’s annoyance at losing over twenty quid’s worth of discount was assuaged by his delight at now having some tartan additions to our home: I didn’t let on that I later discovered they were made in England.
Bedroom cushions |
Sausage-shaped tartan cushions for living room |
Metal artwork thing for new bathroom |
We did however remember our ‘free tea for two’ at The Watermill, a gorgeous bookshop/cafe in Aberfeldy. Hoorah! However in order to get the free cuppas we had to buy a book. I berated the boys for not bringing their Christmas book tokens with them so we bought a book Dougie was planning to buy anyway and had an excellent lunch, made more excellent on account of free drinks.
We very nearly had a domestic at the House of Bruar, a huge shop catering for people who love traditional Scottish clothing and produce. They do go a bit overboard on tweed and cashmere and jaunty items for bracing walks but it’s a good place to go if it’s raining. Thankfully it was glorious sunshine so we planned to have lunch there then head off round the back to climb up to the Falls of Bruar. The restaurant was heaving, it was noisy and busy and overwhelming. Then suddenly we saw, in the deli area, a hot counter selling pies. Whilst everyone else jostled with each other with trays to find food and a free table, we bought hot steak pies and went back to the car.
We changed into sturdy boots and spent the next couple of hours walking up to the waterfalls, following in the footsteps of both Robert Burns and Queen Victoria. All the time I was huffing and puffing up the path, I kept having an image in my head of Queen Vic with her Timberlands and spotty ski-jacket, trekking up the hill and stopping for a Mars Bar and a Powerade. Or was that just me? It was a brilliant afternoon, we laughed and chatted all the way, Rory was full of energy (was that really our son?) and we even travelled further than we should have done as we didn’t read the sign properly before we started the walk. Did wonder why we were clambering over fallen trees and that everyone else had disappeared.
On the way back to the apartment we stopped in nearby Pitlochry, home to a hydro-electric dam and fish ladder. Rory was fascinated by all this – good material for his Geography exams – and his father explained with great detail how the fish ladder was created so the salmon could continue moving upstream even though a thumping great dam stood in their way.
“Look at the steps,” said Dougie, pointing at the water. “That’s where the salmon leap from one pool to another.”
“Not sure that’s right, Dad,” replied Rory, pointing at the information sign. “It says here they swim through a pipe underneath.”
We didn’t spend too long in Pitlochry as the amount of walking we’d undertaken was starting to tell. Tired and hungry we headed back to Kenmore.
Guess what I found when we got back to the apartment and happened to look through my purse? A book token. My book token which I’d also been given for Christmas. I kept quiet.
Love the cushions…tartan in all its glory, every colour etc., is very attractive…even if you are not Scottish. This post really does make me want to visit that part of the world sometime.
I was surprised we didn't have any tartan things at home. Suddenly seeing them for sale, we were quite taken with them.
HAHA, love all the oops moments. It's so frustrating when you know you have money-off opportunities and then are not able to take advantage because you've forgotten the vital coupon or voucher.
But then it makes life that much more complicated if you have to keep remembering all the stuff you can get money off and keep tabs on the coupons. It's probably done on purpose because most people are like you and me and just forget the coupons but spend the money anyway.
I'm like this with supermarket vouchers. Every so often we get a £5 off your shopping one with Tesco and I always remember the day after it runs out. Mind you, if I do remember, it feels very satisfying.
I'm such a wimp about using coupons. Invariably I find I've missed the bit where it says "Only when there's a R in the month" or "Not redeemable by English people living in Chicago" or something like that. So embarrassing when you have to pay full price for stuff that you might not have bought if not for the discount potential.
Have you seen that American programme, 'Extreme couponing'. I don't think I could do that. Mind you I'm a sucker for 'buy two for £2' offers in supermarkets, only to struggle to use up the second item.
Your second paragraph will have me smiling all day! Thanks for the great sense of humor. And don't worry, I won't tell about the book token.
I just couldn't resist it…
Yep, it's the Panamanian Stalker again. Loved the post. I have fond memories of Pitlochry — Youth Club trip where we stayed at Youth Hostels including one at Pitlochry, Inverness and, believe it or not,a Castle, Carbisdale Castle, near Ardgay, a unique experience. I will return!! I miss "home" and being able to swear at government officials in English and have them understand what I say.
Cheers,
Marion in Panama
PS Don't be wearing MY Spotty Anorak too much, you'll wear it out!! I know, I know, you post photos of you wearing the jacket just to aggravate me!!
Hello my dear Marion, lovely to hear from you!
That spotty anorak is still going strong. I've been wearing it since 2007 and keeping it in good condition for you. xx
I know the truth will out, but is the 'Metal art thing for the Bathroom' a radiator that rusted a tad. Although, mind you, it has rusted artistically to be fair.
You might be right. I should have plumbed it in instead of just banging a nail in the wall to hang it up.
It's always so awkward those moments during travel in which the parent says "here's what this place is about/what it means/what that thing is" and the child corrects them. D'oh! Been there myself.
Love the write-up. You're making me eager to finally book our trip to Scotland.
It gets worse the older they get, Jen. We get caughtbout all time. I remember waxing lyrically about glacial erosion when in Iceland and Rory rolled his eyes most of the time.
I was getting a bit anxious but I am now relieved: The bonus scenes – or is it the gag reel? – at last!
Only kidding, all of your posts – read the one on Britmums too – are fabulous, I really, really have to make it there.
I LOVE your metal artwork thing, it looks fantastic in your new bathroom. xx
A gag reel – I like that! Maybe I should always do a Director's cut for holiday blog posts. I quite enjoyed it!
Ah, a fan of metal artwork things. It went with the bathroom so well – and wasn't expensive either. The cushions cost more!
Love the bedroom cushions and yes, my purse is full of out of date coupons that I have to surreptitiously throw away every so often because I've forgotten to use them….
It's so annoying when you miss out. I have to try not to think about it: pretend I didn't have a voucher anyway.
I have a piece of metal artwork in storage somewhere, but it's not nearly as nice as yours. Must confess we read this on (our) Sunday morning over coffee and MrL hooted at the whole 'Not quite, Dad, it says here they swim through the pipes' part. So exactly our reality! And – in case you hadn't already figured it out – the bonus scenes are always my favorites. x
PS – saw you've been nominated for BiBs shortlists – congratulations, but not surprised in the least!!
The metal artwork was quite a bargain but was just the right colour for the bathroom. We had a big expanse of wall space and no idea what to put in it.
You see, I knew you'd appreciate all the nonsense bits.
I was delighted to have made the shortlist – now I have to see if I recieve any more votes to get me to the finals. May mention it in a blog post and hope it doesn't sound grovelling. Always makes me feel awkward.
Love the English cushions and I am admiring the metal thing greatly! Also love the salmon comment from Rory! 😀 PS. Congrats fellow shortlister. I know what you mean about asking for votes. I am planning on asking in a post! 😀
I think I did one post last year to thank people for votes I had received and to ask if they wanted to continue voting. Such a fine line though so hopefully people will forgive us!