under another sun

Collected bright and early by Jade and Sam. A cold day and were driven north for two and a half hours to Aviemore in the Cairngorms. Quite amazing to be driven along through a great -- to Sassenach eyes -- empty landscape forested with bleak snow capped mountains. Loved it and I had never seen this part of Scotland before. We reached Aviemore where Jade had booked us all on a steam train ride. We clambered aboard and it was a Santa Special, so had Santa and a host of naughty elves cavorting through the coaches. There were lots of kids on the ride, for obvious reasons.  Our first elf was called Crackers, a male elf, a bit extra and ebullient, who took a shine to Sam. Then there were women elves hiding and leaping about running up and down the aisle while shouting, and exciting the children no end. Then there was a magician style elf, and finally a rather quiet Santa whispering to children about Christmas. Meanwhile the steam from the train hung low among the trees, and the whole thi...

Steamy Sunday Anton and Bob's birthdays today. Up early and while I was typing in my back yard Anton called and said did I fancy going to the flea market by the station. Wandered about with him and baby Oskar. A chuffing big steamtrain in the station below, which attracted lots of attention as it huffed out of the station. Something almost organic about steamtrains. Anton in a good mood and parading about generally talking about his "birthday month". After we were done at the market, I wandered through the lanes to buy Anton his present, of a Swedish massage voucher. Then met up with him and Anna and the kids, Brian and Anne and Keith, Anton's folks. We went to the Tin Drum for a good Birthday feed. I was feeling a bit washed out today. Slight stomach ache and so on making me feel a bit wussy and tired. After a good deal of chatting to Anne and Keith, I went home for a bit of a siesta and a small spot of tending to my roses. In the evening I returned up the hill to ba...