Day 0 -- Friday, the 11th October
The time has come to sign off for the week, and start the hols. We (JS, adc and I) miss the bus by a couple of minutes, and despair when it turns out the next one is more than twenty minutes away. We rush to the tube instead, and make it well on time to catch our train. Phew! A stressful start, but disaster has been averted.
It is an uneventful journey, save for a blocked toilet in our compartment, from the midway point. We are also delayed by roughly half-an-hour. Bah. No connection, no stress. Meanwhile, MR calls off our rendez-vous, and offers to meet up tomorrow instead.
Once checked in at Apex, we head to the Butterfly and the Pig for a bite. They are still open, but the kitchen is closed. Also, a DJ is playing music that is too loud for our tired heads. One staff member recommends the Howlin' Wolf, another the Slouch Bar. We end up at the latter.
They have a live band in one room, and "another area if [we] want to enjoy a quieter dinner." The other area in question is not immune to the next-door sound, and is blasting music of its own (different too, imagine the cacophony!) This has become a utilitarian affair, though. Conversation is minimal, but nae bother: we are here for food, and only food. It does the trick without chichi -- and it is remarkably affordable to boot.
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| Hell Fire Chicken Wings (adc) |
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| Fried Halloumi + Cheesy Fries (me) |
JS has a Karma Police Burger, which we take no picture of, for some reason.
On our way back to the hotel, we are accosted by three well-drunk passers-by who ask us if we know a bar close by. Literally every basement of this street is a bar. I tell them we have not seen any; one screams she loves Americans. We are not. Her friend apologises profusely. We laugh it off, see them into the night, and hit the sack.
Day 1 -- Saturday, the 12th October
Despite going to bed late, we get up, shower, watch a couple of episodes of King of Queens, and check out just after sunrise. A taxi ride later, we are at the car-rental agency to collect a vehicle. It is raining.
tOMoH: "Yes."
Employee 1: "Name?"
tOMoH: "Huy."
Employee 1: "...First name?"
tOMoH: "Old Man..."
[Both start whooping and high-fiving, much to our puzzlement.]
Employee 1: "Yer name came across as 'O'. I bet you were an Old Man."
tOMoH: "Seeing how happy you are, you must have had a lot of money on that one..."
Employee 1: "That's lunch sorted!"
Employee 2: "Yer getting a sandwich!"
We then talk about everything. They both end up showing us pictures on their phones they took of the northern lights, last week. Our jaws drop at the insane spectacle.
The road, she is calling, though. We take possession of the car (a blue Seat Arona that will later tell us to shift gears or stay in our lane every other minute, clearly not attuned to the Scottish countryside!) and leave.
Our first stop is Tantrum Doughnuts, which we reach easily. The on-board satnav is a useful default feature of modern cars, even though that opinion will change later on.
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| I want all of them! |
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| We have Pumpkin Crème Brûlée, Maple-Apple 'Old Fashioned', and Vegan Mango Matcha. They are, of course, excellent. |
We then drive to the Clydeside Distillery, in three attempts, on account of the satnav not being clear on the way to follow. Grrr.
DH, who knew of our visit for a year, called off our meeting this morning, but not before making sure his colleague would take care of us. And take care she does.
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| adc and JS have a Smoked Salmon Beigel |
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| I have Pear and Leek Soup |
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A few minutes later, MR joins us and orders the Beef Brisket |
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| MR tastes Clydeside b.2023 (60.6%, OB Limited Edition, Bourbon Casks) adc has Clydeside 5yo 2018/2024 (60.3%, OB Hand Filled Distillery Exclusive, ex-Bourbon Cask + Port Finish, C#00IF) |
We spend precious moments together, exchange whisky samples, take selfies, then go our respective ways.
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| Always rains, in Scotland! |
Leaving the city is as slow as usual, what with roundabouts and speed limits everywhere, but we are unfazed. It is the holidays. Past Arrochar, the road to Rest and be Thankful is closed once more, as the authorities try to counter erosion. They operate a one-way convoy on the old road, and it is quite telling to have to wait twenty-odd minutes for the safety car to open the road, and see the dozens and dozens of cars going up and down the hill. One really gets a different understanding of how busy that passage is. It stays dry throughout, which helps keep a good mood.
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| Imagine cycling this in the rain |
The old road is challenging, borderline treacherous, and the speed limit imposed on the convoy is really for safety. Sharp turns, steep drops, gravel... Looking at the wonders outside may result in serious damage! It does not help that rain starts dripping on the way to the top. The parking lot at the top is not accessible when we pass it. There goes our photo opportunity.
We proceed to Loch Fyne, where we stop at Fyne Ales to stock up on brew. We just about manage to grab a table before it gets unexpectedly busy. Many hover around, preying on a table. As soon as we get up to leave, someone is already there.
We then halt at Loch Fyne Oysters for supplies. Sadly, we lack time to eat there, and we are certainly not keen to repeat our experience of 2017, when we had to speed like maniacs for the rest of the way to make the ferry with mere seconds to spare. No! this time, we reach Kennacraig with plenty of time.
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| MS Finlaggan awaits |
It is a pleasant crossing to Port Askaig. Some waves, but nothing to get upset about.
It is virtually impossible to stop at the Port Askaig Hotel: the village is busy to start with, and the boat vomiting tens of cars is making it even more difficult to try and find a spot to park in. We elect to continue to Bowmore, where we are staying.
It is an easy enough drive, even in the dark, in a car I am not accustomed to. Once there, we unload the boot and head to Peatzeria: it is closed for the night. It is 20:20. Every other eatery is the same. The island rhythm.
We wind up in our cottage, devouring the supplies from Loch Fyne and a Tantrum doughnut. Good thing we brought stuff to eat!
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| Banoffee Pie Cheesecake |
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| Cottage with a view |
We do some prep work for tomorrow, then aff tae bed. On the street, just outside our windows, kids are loitering in their cars, playing loud (shite) music. The youth of today!
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