Olympic weekend friday

wow well if ever I want a lot of organisation skills I think I will employ the logistic company of the metropolitan police to show me how its done... the Olympic torch relay team we had access to on Saturday at Inverness were totally awesome and never again should anyone british think it is only the germans who can do things to the second... these guys will give them a run for their money...

Anyway back to my thoughts and musings of this wonderful family and regional and even national occasion of the my daughter carrying the Olympic torch..

As you all know I have had a gallbladder operation and making really good progress this weekend was going to be a challenge this soon after and well if honest it was... but with my gorgeous Rob and both his and my mum we managed very well... We set off for the first leg to Fortwilliam around 10 am on Friday, calling in Miltons garages for the cover for our deck chair which I would need to stop me having to stand around a lot...

 The excitement in our cars was palpable and when I popped into see the guys building Milton and hand on some info about worktop deliveries they needed they helped to fuel the excitement by indulging this doting mom...lol So with flags attached to the cars we were ready to set off only instructions from me was we will need lots of stops for stretching my sore body...

And we were off, I was sat in the passenger seat of the the Seat... with a load of pillows to lean back on and my crow waltz scarf to knit .  The mums were in the toyota Janet driving this section getting used to the automatic and my mum having the rare chance to be a passenger so we set off... First rest point is going to be Inverary for coffee via our local amazing garage The Cot House..

We made it to Inverary and I have to admit to being glad the pot holes on the roads of Argyll are legendary but if I am honest I hadn't realised how sore they would make it for me...Rob did a lot of swerving around when traffic and safety allowed but even so I was glad of the stop... So we parked at the front car park had a wee wonder up and down the street and then popped into The Bramble cafe which array of cakes was impressive... none of partook though as the next stop was to be The real Food Cafe at Tyndrum and the food there not to be missed...


So after a nice cuppa we set off again in convoy but this time Mum driving and leading the convoy this came about more because she was first out the car park but she drives this way such a lot they were only convoying to keep me company at all the stops... So a rather sick feeling sandy arrived at the next stop.  The real Food Cafe http://www.therealfoodcafe.com/ and I can say yes it is a chip shop take away but it is so so much more... the couple who opened it saw a niche in the area for good food, the green welly is just up the road and fills one area of a travellers needs but this also gives locals some lovely food reasonably priced too... they only cook as you order so the food is always totally fresh, they source their fish ethically and sustanably, they buy from local estates the venison and the local butchers for the pies etc...this is not takeaway chip shop food it is much much more...there is a wonderful woodburner for those cold days and well its well worth a visit trust me..

So what can a low fat eater get there... I had a gorgeous venison burger which was really really tastey... the mums and rob had the small fish suppers and well they were raving about the fish so a wee flake or two no batter found itself into my mouth and wow it was delicious...think this week it was coley..nom nom... so we stopped for a wee time and then after finishing our freshly squeezed orange juice set off for only a few hundred yards I felt it was time of another photo of cars and flags so what is known as Emily's layby had to be the next stop...

Then we set off again and made it to the glencoe visitors centre... This was not the time for more tea as we were chock full up. So a wee dander around the gift shop and I managed to pick up something for an envelope swap later this summer so a very useful stop it was indeed... there was also the wee free exhibition centre there and we took a wee look... Now been many times and sometimes the exhibits are not something I would be too worried about seeing again but have found some absolute gems sometimes and well this was one of those times... they were exhibiting some photography finalists photos of wild life and well amazing is all I can say... we spent a good half hour looking round reading the snippets about why and how the photos were taken and well it put all mine to shame.... still I am a point and shoot kind of girl not a study the area/lighting and patiently sit for what will be the shot.... wish I was more that kind after seeing these photos they were wonderful... even the german wasp (which I have real issues with as the wee beasties always sting me) was stunning sat on a sunflower in extreme close up...stunning.  




Leaving the centre and returning to the carpark what did we see but the Jamie and Claire tour car... wow Janet and I had to have our photos taken with the car and we had a wonderful chat with the woman who was leading the tour very nice she was too...I wish the ladies taking the tour lots of laughs in all the familiar places though dont think any of us really knows where lallybroch was really situated... 

So we now pushed on to Fort William and negotiated the horrendous traffic got the mums booked into their B and B's and made it to corpak where we were staying with a lovely lady called Mary...who kindly opens her home to people who come to see the world cup MTB downhill series... did we land on our feet there...mary was so kind and made us very welcome and well do love a B and B which will let you loose in their kitchen to help your selves to tea and coffee so none of those wee carton things for oldish pasturised milk.... just good fresh out of fridge cowy goodness... bliss..

Needless to say straight from dinner it was into to bed for me and lots of lying down, wish I could say I slept well but I didnt... still it was so exciting I was never going to sleep....