voor Christina's pub

It was indeed wonderful to walk through the streets of Ayr, where all the drama of Burns's poem played off,and we also had a wine at a pub with my name!
But everything to do with Tam o'Shanter was intrigueing , and to stand on the bridge where he and his horse were supposed to have just escaped the groping hands of the witches, gave a whole new side to the poem.
Here then a short piece, as the whole poem is way to long to put on the blog

When chapman billies leave the street,
And drouthy neibors neibors meet,
As market days are wearing late,
And folk begin to tak the gate (go home)
While we sat bousing (boozing) at the nappy,
And getting fou and unco happy,
We think na on the long Scots miles, (don't think)
The waters, mosses, slaps and stiles,
That lie between us and our hame (home)
Where sits our sulky sullen dame,
Gathering her brows like gathering storm,
Nursing her wrath, to keep it warm.
.
Then it goes on about his angry wife:

She prophsied that late or soon,
You would be found, deep drown'd in Doon,
Or catch'd with warlocks in the mirk
By Alloway's old haunted church.

I just loved to listen to the Scotch on a Burns night, when everyone in the group visiting the hotels would have a few lines, and they bring over the phantasy of the whole thing so fantastically that I could listen to it the whole night, although sometimes I just couldn't understand some of the things, but as the years went by, the language and different dialects fell easier on my ears.

Burns se huis en tam o shanter

We then had a picnic lunch, as I packed all kinds of cold stuff and sandwiches. The dogs were in seventh heaven, as they could be unleashed, and ran around sniffing at everything that came their way. It is hard on poor Stout, as Benny was a little fighter, and could or would not leave any other dog, no matter how big or small, in peace, and therefor they were always kept on a leash when there might be other dogs around.
Then we went to the town, where we had a drink at a pub supposed to be the one that Tam O'Shanter, of the Burns poem fame, always had his drinks.To me it was so wonderful, as I had heard this poem being told in many pubs, as Burns evenings were done quite often, and to sit in the pub where Burns himself used to drink was amazing.

We had a funny interlude in the pub, where a man, quite intoxicated, and extremely talkative,  tried to pick one of us up for a bit of fun as he unashamedly put it, and we had a good giggle wondering whether he could be a descendant of Tam o'Shanter, who was a bit of a chancer! He started off by sending us each a dram, and shifted his alcohol drenched body closer and closer to Liz, who became quite agitated, and shifted closer and closer to me, almost pushing me off the seat.When this guy realized that Liz was not at all enchanted by his charm, he walked over to my side and pulled up a chair, giving me a very vague and wet lipped grin! I now started pushing towards Liz, who also had to shift, and when this man again saw his prey disappear, he walked around again to be near Liz on the other side. We decided to call it a day and to walk up to have a look at the house of Burns. The story of Tam o'Shanter is very interesting, and was first published in 1790. It tells of Tam oShanter, a local farmer who used to get drunk with his buddies in the pub, and one night after leaving the pub nicely sozzled, he saw that a haunted church in the village was lit up, with witches and warlocks doing some dancing, while the devil played the bagpipes. Tam decided to creep into the churchyard to watch, and was very much impressed by a young witch with a short skirt, and before he could help himself, he shouted: 'Weel done cutty short!'(cutty short means short skirt) at which the witches noticed him and chased him all the way to the river Doon. Witches can't cross water, but they came so near to catching him that the pulled off Meg's tail just as the two of them reached the river!

blue bells ayr

Liz made a suggestion about taking me to Ayr, where she grew up, and I was very happy about that, as it was quite far, and I was a bitty scared to drive so far with the Panda.
So on my day off I was at Liz's door at eight as we had decided, knowing that she would not be ready, but also knowing that I had to kind of irritate her enough, and she would get all upset at me for harassing her, but it would make her dress faster.I found her sitting slumped at the table with her second cigarette and coffee, as she was already dressed by this stage, and knew that it was only her hair and lippy to be done before we could set off. That took another half an hour, but I just sat quietly, knowing how she could loose it if harassed too muchat this stage. But at last the dogs were in, the food were packed, the flasks filled and last but not the least, we got in.
It was quite a hard road to drive, as it was still early, and the big road leading to Glasgow was extremely busy with huge trucks driving like they were chased by the fires of hell. We skirted Glasgow, and soon we were off the busy highway, and I relaxed with a huge sigh, as Liz was quite a nervous driver, but also a very good one, who could sum up a situation fast, and respond accordingly. One thing she absolutely could not do, was reversing, and many a time I had to get behind the wheel if there was some difficult reversing to do.
We got to the beach at Ayr at about twelve, and decided to have coffee and a cake at a small kind of chippie place, before we set off for the river, where Liz wanted to show me the place where her dad had taught her to swim many years ago, and also the bluebells that she said was the pride of the district.
It was indeed beautiful, the bluebells as thick as a purple carpet, stretching as far as the eye could see.
We walked around for a while, had coffee, and then decided to try out the river that looked a bitty frisky to me, but after we got used to the icy water, we had a lovely time splashing about!

A few of us ladies decided to go to Callender one night to the Indian restaurant for a meal, and as I like Irene, I suggested to the others to ask her with. I was as usual the designated  driver, as I did not drink as heavily as the others, who would have a glass of red as a starter, then about three reds with their meal, usually another with their puds, and to end the evening they would all opt for a dram of whisky with their coffee, and another dram to finish everything off. They were usually as drunk as bally skunks by the time we had to leave, and as the new policeman was always on the look out for drunken drivers, the inhabitants of Strathyre had become very cautious all of a sudden since he came.
About three quarters of all Strathyre men were at this moment without their licences for a few years after they had been caught, and the poor law enhancing policeman was shunned by most of these, but I liked both him and his wife, as they were such friendly and outgoing people.
We had a lovely meal, as this restaurant was well known for their quality and service, and when it was time to leave, the waiters were told by the owner to help me get the others safely to the car.
The next day I was in stitches when Irene, who is not really the merriest person walking the earth, told me how she misled the poor Jim into believing that he had a hearty meal the night before.
She had ordered a take-away from the restaurant where we dined, but as she was nicely sozzled by the time we left, she forgot to pick it up. She found Jim fast asleep, but as she knew that he would be very cross when he found that she had not brought him the promised food, and scared that he would wake up and demand food, she got onto a brilliant plan!
She boiled the kettle, and after making herself a coffee, she actually hit on this plan, and that was to take some brown gravy thickener which she then dissolved in the boiled water, then smeared a plate with that. To make it look realistic, she then arranged a few pieces of rocket leaves and iceberg, also a slice of tomato, and then splashed some ketchup onto the plate, smearing that also as if Jim had smeared his food through the gravy and sauce!This plate she then put on the table in front of the snoring Jim to make him believe that he had actually eaten!
Jim woke up during the night, and as usual, went up to his bed at about three am, believing that he had eaten, but in the morning he told Irene, who struggled to keep a straight face, that for the life of him he could not remember polishing a whole plate of food the previous night! We women giggled a lot thinking of poor Jim who walked around for a few days with a frown on his face, I suppose wondering if maybe he was losing it!

loch Ard

I stayed in and around the hotel as little as possible, as I felt too ashamed to encounter any of the guests, they all looking glum and unhappy. On my next day off I drove first to Aberfoil on the Trossachs Trail route, a scenic and beautiful road through the huge mountains.
It wasn't the perfect day, and it was beginning to get a bitty chilly, as it was now the beginning of September, and everywhere the coming of winter was announced. The Rowan trees were carrying loads of berries, not red yet, but by the time I would go home, they would be beautifully red. The leaves of some trees were already starting to turn yellow, and there was a definite chill in the morning air.
After visiting my favourite shop in Abefoil that sold antiques, specially beautiful silver antique jewelery, but also all kinds of other stuff, then on to the gift and garden shop, where you could find gifts that would please all tastes, I had a cuppa and a cake, and then drove on to loch Ard, where I would camp for the night.
 I found a beautiful spot under the trees, with a wee stream singing joyfully as it rippled away into the loch,where I put up my small tent, hoping that I would be warm enough.
I was as always as happy as a lark, as to me nothing could ever beat being so close to nature, and I walked for miles enjoying the small fish jumping out of the water to catch midges that were swarming around in huge clouds, and also the sheep that watched me with their soft eyes as I passed them, I suppose wondering at this person invading their grazing fields.

On my way back I found an old rope swing, but this one was tied to form a seat, and it gave me a bit of nostalgia for days gone passed, as I knew that this was a favourite spot of the many Gypsies that roamed the country in days gone by. It is so sad that people's whole way of existence can be destroyed by just a few people that was put in a seat of authority, and that by a stroke of a pen, stating that Gypsies had to stay in houses, forced them into a life of confined misery.
I decided to try out the swing, but the moment I had kicked myself into the air, I got one huge panic attack, as the swing was tied to a tree on the verge of a considerable slope, and when I found myself gliding through the nothingness of the air, with the vegitation far below me, my heart almost stopped at the thought that I might not be able to get my footing at the starting point! I did, and then started one of the best times I ever had, with me kicking the swing further and further, and feeling the cool wind slapping my face as I flew like a bird through the air, high above the earth, and I was as contented as I could ever be!

Liz and self went for a drink at the Ben Shean, one of the other hotels, where a quite different lot hung out, and I must say, they were very weird and wonderful!
One of the couples that intrigued me was Jim and Irene. Jim was a builder working with one Keith, who owned the two man building company.
When I first started making pizzas at the inn, I made the aquaintance of Keith after I almost killed him one Friday night with a pizza of all things.An order came in for a large pizza with only garlic and chillies as topping, and as the thing looked a bitty washed out with the sprinkling of chillies that I first scattered over, and after some contemplation, and not knowing how strong the chillies were, I litterally covered the pizza in the small red bits.Ewan and Suzy, who lived next to the hotel was sitting at the bar with Keith when he started on his pizza, and told the story of how the poor Keith's face went from pink to red, then to purple, while he took huge gulps of beer after every mouthfull of pizza! Nobody told me this at once, and I felt very bad when I heard it told in one of the other hotels after about a week, and when Keith came in again, I went to the bar and begged his pardon.
But to come back to Jim and Irene! Irene was the chef at the Munro Inn at this stage, and was extremely good, albeit, according to people also working there, not one who believed in spitting and polishing all day long, but she was clean with the food. She refused to work at night, as she told me that most couples working as chefs and barmen in small inns like the ones in Strathyre usually ended their marriages and relationships by splitting up, and I could well believe it, as the hours are sometimes horrendous!
Jim, after a hard day's work went straight to the Ben Shean after work, where he sat drinking rum and coke, and the four missing front teeth bore evidence of the over indulgence in the enamel eating sugary coke with which he made the rum drinkable.
Seven o'clock every night Irene would amble down to their house, after a few quick drams to refresh her after a hard day's work, and she would then cook, and sat watching her soaps until Jim came home. He timed it very well, and at about eight you saw him walking down the road, not always in a straight line, and disappear into their house. Actually, as they are not married, Irene would remind him quite often that it was her house, and if he kept misbehaving, she would throw him onto the street, but it always stayed with only the threats!
Irene would constantly moan and groan about Jim's stingyness, as he had to, for the prevelage of her company, and of course staying in her house, buy the groceries for the week. Which he did every sunday morning, when he pulled his car out with great care, and drove to Callender at about twenty miles an hour, coming back quite intoxicated, with a small bag of groceries! Irene would then explode, as the bag usually contained only a few packets of meat, a small bag of potatoes, a few other unneccassary pre- cooked things, while two other bags would have in them about four bottles of wine, two bottles of rum, and umpteen bottles of coke!
Irene would ramp and rave the whole Monday, and took oath upon oath to stop feeding him, but she never did, and the next Sunday he would do the same, and Irene would buy stuff she needed from the village shop!

loch turret

As I always do, I found loch Turret by chance, driving around, looking for new places that I could put up my small tent and sleep over. It was late afternoon when I came back from roaming around the little roads, just enjoying the beauty of the countryside, and decided to take the small road leading up a steep mountain to loch Turret. It was indeed the smallest and steepest road, with the ground falling away dangerously on the one side, showing a thin stripe of shining water far below.
It was quite a walk up to the damwall, and I walked over the wall to the left, where a long stretch of beach lying serenely in the late afternoon sun beckoned me to come and explore. I had my flask and some cakes in my backpack, and sat gazing across the still waters, impressed by the reflections of the clouds and surrounding hills in the loch.
After my tea I just sat on gazing, a thousand reflections going through my mind, the quietness flooding over me, the stillness putting back some of my inner peace that I lost through the week with my stress in coping with Anne.
I noticed a movement on my left, and saw a huge hare come hopping across the rocks, ears pricked, I suppose to decide whether I was an enemy. I think he must have decided that I was either part of the scenery, or otherwise that I held no threat, as he sat down about three metres from me, and after watching me for a few minutes, his nose quivering with the effort of  trying to make out what I represented I suppose, he turned his head to the loch, and sat staring out over the water, as still as a piece of rock. I was too afraid to move in case I chase him away, so I just sat gazing at him, the mystery of this interlude with a wild animal almost too wonderful too be true.
Then I made a big mistake! My camera was lying next to me, and I slowly put my hand out to get it, as I would have loved a photo of this hare that joined me in my contemplations of life and love, but as I lifted the camera, the hare suddenly came out of his daze, gave me a kind of regretful or accusing stare, I couldn't make out which, and slowly hopped off down the beach, disappearing over a clump of shrubs in the distance!

loch tay

I was off, I was happy to be off, and decided to  explore the other side of loch Tay, as I had noticed that the road leading to the Crannog took one along the shores that I had until now not visited..
It was a lovely day, and with my flask filled up, my throw-away barbeque pan in the back, and a sheet to keep the damp away if I wanted to have a midday sleep in the forest, I set off, first to Killin where I bought all kinds of gall enticing goodies, and some salad stuff.
Of course I had to stop at the picnic spot where my ducks lived to see how they were doing, as I was quite worried about the girly, not knowing what happened after the two males had their fight to see who won her as a prize. One of the males had disappeared, and I could not make out whether the one now at her side was her original lover, or the challenger, but she looked happy enough with her man, so I had my cuppa and fed them some crumbs before I went on my way again.The backroad along the shores of Loch Tay was absolutely beautiful, with huge trees talking excitedly to each other as the fresh wind blew their branches hither and thither. Here and there I caught glimpses of loch Tay that was twinkling and winking as the sunlight caught the ripples blown up by the quite strong breeze. I was in seventh heaven, well, almost! The only thing disrupting the quiet beauty of the place was of course the local people, who were so used to the place that they did not anymore saw the beauty, and drove like bally maniacs, with disregard for other road users, and got extremely upset when they had to dawdle behind me until I could pull off at a passing place!
I came upon an old homestead that perched on the verge of a flat spot high above the loch, with a small boat lying forlornly in the driveway, that was absolutely stunning, with loch Tay in the background.I decided to have my lunch there, and to explore the old houses. It just broke my heart when I find such lovely old dwellings that in my opinion are discarded much too easily, and it boggled my mind when I saw the modern horrors being built to replace them.
I decided to have my lunch there, looking out on loch Tay, and found myself a spot where the breeze did not bother me too much. I had minted lamb chops grilled on my barby pan, and fresh crusty rolls, with a crispy salad, and chocolate mousse for pudding. Pure heaven!
Then I spread out my sheet to have a nice little sleep, and was just loosing conciousness when a rough voice demanded to know what the f....k I was doing on his property! Must say, if a circus boss had seen my jump, from lying flat on my back to standing about three metres away from my resting place, I would have been offered a job immediately, but I was shaking like a bally blamange, and tried to explain to the very cross looking guy that I was only having a picnic!
Once he got rid of most of the evil tostesterone that made him think that he was top of the alphas, he calmed down a bit, and even softened up a bit, telling me that as I was there now, I could stay for a while! Phew!

And then of course I had to work again. What had been so enjoyable when working for Joe and Rosanne was now a schlep, and only my decency kept me from taking the first flight home! I knew that to get a chef in the middle of the season was almost impossible, and if I left I would break my promise that I would help them through the season. Bryan was so reasonable, and always managed to douce the fires, but one morning, just after my day off, I was so cross that I am sure I spit fire and fumes.
The rooms at this stage was not busy at all, the tour agencies not making any bookings, and as I knew that with a few extras and some care the hotel could again thrive, I became more and more disgruntled. One night Anne came to me where I was sitting with my friend having a drink after work, and told me that as there was nobody in for breakfast, I could come in a bit later, and she would clean and reset the diningroom. I knew there were guests, as I had done the bookings, and told her so, after which she said that both couples had cancelled!
But as I am always awake by six, I got up at about eight after some daydreaming, as I just couldn't lie in bed so long, and decided to have my breakfast at my cove at loch Voile, and went down to the kitchen to fill my flask and make myself a piece. A piece means a sandwich, something that made me smile when I first came to Scotland, and thinking back at my confusion the first time somebody ordered a bacon piece, I had to laugh!
I found Anne already in the kitchen making breakfast! She jumped about a metre high when I walked in, and as she was looking extremely guilty, I looked through the round opening in the diningroom door, and there, sipping their coffee while waiting for there breakfast, was two couples!
I was livid, and in my thinnest voice asked Anne what the hell was sitting in the diningroom, as it looked a lot like guests to me! She stuttered and squirmed, then pulled herself together, and without even blushing, told me that this two couples had arrived unexpectedly during the night! As I went out for a while after work, I knew that when I got back at about one, there were no strange cars in the parking lot.
I knew that the hotel was struggling with the accommodation part, and if Anne wanted to save a bit of money by doing some breakfasts herself, she just had to be honest about it, and tell me, and I would understand.
At that moment Bryan came down, and I told them that I could not work for people that lied to me, and he wanted to know what the commotion was about, and for the first time I saw the man angry! Anne started screaming again that it was her hotel, and she was the one who made the decisions, and that she was definitely not going to allow me to run her hotel, and in the meantime the poor guests sat waiting for their breakfasts, listening to Anne's raving.
I took my breakfast and drove to loch Voile, where the green stillness under the trees, and the serenity of the mirror like loch calmed me down again, and when I went back, I asked Anne for a meeting between the three of us. At first she was very antagonistic, but Bryan told her to keep quiet and listen to what I had to say, so I told her that she was running the place like a third rate hotel with the cheap soap, no shower gels, and no shampoos, at which she flared up again, but Bryan told her shortly to keep quiet, so I went on about there being no biscuits also, and that she had to get rid of the dog's hair, the limescale in the showers, and soften the towels.Then, my breath quite short after my vocal attack, I told them that if they did not get clean oil regularly, they would loose even the few guests who still booked with us, and the loyal villagers who still came to us for their meals, stating that if I walked into a hotel smelling like this one at the moment, I would definitely not dine there, or stay over. I thought Anne was going to explode!
Bryan's face told me that he was unaware of all of this, and he suggested that the three of us had a look at the rooms, and the poor man almost expired when I asked him to feel the towels, and there and then told her to either also send the towels to the laundry people, or see to it that they were softened. He then went down, got into the car and drove off, coming back a few hours later with all kinds of goodies for the rooms, and a bigger vacuum cleaner. I almost did a reel when he brought four huge tins of fryer oil into the kitchen, and said to tell him when more was needed.
As it was such a lovely summer, and I had only about two months left, I was persuaded by Bryan, who had now taken it upon himself to inspect the rooms regularly, to give them another chance. I had in the meantime got another job for the next summer at the Kingshouse hotel.

Visiting the Crannoch at loch Tay

I was exploring a lot on my days off, and one day after driving through Kenmore on my way to Aberfeldy to meet a friend for lunch at the Turkish cafe, I saw this turn-off with a sign saying something about  a crannoch, and decided to drive in on my way back to see what it was!
I loved Aberfeldy, where they had a lovely shop selling antique bed linen, and also beautiful tablecloths. There was also a charity shop with a variety of interesting books, and as I am quite a bookworm, it was wonderful to rummage around, and I have found some really good books there. I was lucky on this day, as I was looking for a plunger for my room, as mine had broken, and I hate instant coffee! What I found and paid only one pound for was a small gadget that filters the coffee through an assortment of holes, not needing a filter bag, and making one cup at a time. It was perfect!
The crannoch turned out to be a house on the loch, like the ones built thousands of years ago as dwellings for the iron age people, who built this kind of houses for security, but also as a sign of wealth. This one was reconstructed on Loch Tay, not far from Kenmore, according to evidence of tools and other artifacts found on the loch bed.
In the highlands of Scotland this crannogs were built from timber, supported in the loch by poles, but in places where timber was scarce, huge amounts of rocks were dumped into the lochs, creating a small island to built on. It was a good way of proptection from the enemy as well, as the entrance was a narrow kind of swinging bridge that could easily be defended.
I was lucky on my first visit, as the woman leading our tour was one of the divers, and she had first hand knowledge of things found underneath the cold water of loch Tay, and she also was passionate about her work, and she talked about her diving and her finds with so much gusto, and explained it in such a way that kept me riveted the whole time.
The crannogs were big inside, as it used to house large and extended families, and also their cattle and food for humans and animals for the winter. In the middle was a fireplace, but there was no opening in the roof for the smoke, as the smoke went up, and being hot, it stayed there until it filtered through the reed roof. The bedrooms were marked off with poles, and so was the pens for the cattle and other stuff.
Outside were woodworking tools which could turn legs for tables and chairs! These were ingenious wooden things with ropes tied to a tree, connecting the wooden pedals worked with their feet to the turning gadgets on top, and we all had a go to show our woodworking skills!
Then we were taught how to make a fire with, if I remember correctly, a stick turned between your hands at a furious speed, igniting a tiny piece of straw, which was then oh, so cautiously blown until it ignited the rest of the straw. I was not too skillful with that, and gave up after most had either also gave up, and a few had got it right! I must say, I have forgotten exactly how that was done.
It was incredible to me that even grain that fell from this crannochs was found after 2,500 years, still intact!

Eating strawberries and ice cream

Liz and self decided to go up to Glencorrie for more strawberrries as it was now full summer, and have lunch up on the mountain. I could not stay in the hotel, as Anne and self had one huge fight, as I told her that I would leave if she kept on refusing to get clean oil for the fryers! She was just not worried about the smell of dirty oil that made one's nose itch when you enter the hotel, and up to now I was helpless, as she just did not order clean oil.
Of course she started wailing for Bryan again, and told him to tell me that it was not my hotel, but hers, excluding the poor hardworking Bryan as usual!  That was the previous night, and on this morning I was up early, and while waiting for Liz to wake up and get ready, I drove to Loch Voile and had breakfast at Christina's cove.
It is very strange, but whenever my feathers were ruffled, or I was tired and a bitty depressed, my spirits were immediately on the up when I entered a wood or even just sat under a green tree.
By ten thirty I hoped that Liz was ready, so I drove back, and found her sitting over a coffee, but at least she was dressed and almost ready to go.
Somebody else must have been before us, as the strawberry plants yielded no big crop, but enough for us to eat as a desert, so after a nice nap in the sun, we went to Comry and bought ice cream, then on to my cove, where we tried to have strawberries and cream, but the midges were rampant, and we had to hastily run up the steep hillside for cover. I then drove on to loch Doine, where there were less of the horrors, but enough to make eating outside unpleasant, so we sat in the Panda and had our feast, remembering our previous strawberry hunt when Liz rolled down the mountainside.
I was in a bit of a crossroads situation, as everything inside me screamed against Anne's sloppy ways, and also the fact that nowadays the once spotless hotel smelled awful, and we were lately only attracting the kind of people that Joe and Rosanne tried to keep out. I had however, although I had promised to help them and stay for the first season, decided that if Anne did not get clean oil weekly, I was definitely going to look for another job, or go home!
There were lighter moments, like Friday nights when Tommy came. Tommy was the strangest man, always alone, but very sociable, and loved to dance, and on Fridays I always expected to hear his voice calling: 'Christine, come on out lassy, it is time for your treat', and if I did not respond fast enough, he would come into the kitchen and get me. This had been going on since I first started working at the Inn, and Joe, who loved to see his staff happy, would put on some nice dance music, and Tommy would dance me expertly through the tables.
Anne funnily enough did not object, so this little ritual went on after they took over the hotel.

My days off were spent taking my kids around to all my favourite spots and it was on one of this trips that Stephan also tasted black pudding, and decided that Haggis was his number one food, followed by black pudding. If there is one thing I just could not eat, it was black pudding, although I have tasted it, and the taste was quite nice, but not being used to the idea of pig blood mixed with oats and herbs as a food, I could not bring myself to swallow it.
All too soon it was time to say goodbye to Trienkie and Stephan, and for me to start rethinking my situation, as Anne was getting funnier by the day, and I was very unhappy taking orders for breakfast, when the guests tackled me with complaints about the bedding, and the smell from the dirty fryers, and the fact that the towels were worse than bally hessian bags.
One morning Anne came into the kitchen wearing a pair of flip flops that were about four sizes too big for her, and on seeing me throwing her a disgusted look when she entered the diningroom where the already disgruntled guests were still eating, she told me that she had forgotten her shoes in Edinbugh, where she worked twice a week as a nurse. I was really stunned, as her home was now the hotel, where she stayed for five days, and two days away when working, so how on earth could she not have any shoes at the inn!
That night Rosemarie and self were in the kitchen, and the older daughter was doing the waitressing in the diningroom, and she was doing well on her own, getting the orders right, and not dawdling when the food was ready.
Then Anne came in, still wearing the too big flip flops, with a pair of black pants a few numbers too small, and when Rosemarie gave a gasp and said something about her best top, Anne colly explained that she had no clean tops, so she borrowed one from her daughter. If the woman had a firm body all would have been kind of okay, but she had a white, flabby layer of wobbly fat like a car tyre hanging over her too small pants, and a pair of humongous boops wriggling like two blamanches in the front of the low cut top, and I kept my breath when she moved, scared that the boops would jump out from their skimpy cover!
I got all goose pimply when this apparition, after first having hot words with Rosemary over the top that I also thought would be ruined, decided to go into the restaurant where all the guests were dressed up smartly! It was like a bally nightmare, watching through the small scircle in the door how Anne made her way through the tables, laughing and talking to the guests.
The poor daughter must have had one huge shock, as she burst through the kitchen door like a tornado, her face red and tears running down her cheeks, with Anne on her heels, boops now almost completely free from the small top,  A terrible scene then played off, with Anne shouting at the child that it was her hotel, and she would go where she wished, at which the girl ran upstairs, vowing to go back to university immediately!

That night I resisted all their pleas and moans, and slept at the hotel, as another night with the caravan shaking on it's wheels with Stephan's snoring did not appeal to me at all!
I woke them up early, and they were both maar a bit bleary eyed, and not too friendly towards each other, Trienkie stating that she wanted a chemist to see if she could find decent earplugs! I was glad that I stayed in my own room, as I am a light sleeper, and very grumpy if I didn't sleep enough.
Stephan collected twenty pence for his shower, and we all shook out our purses, as my son in law usually showers for about half an hour, at the shortest, and he was scared that his water would dry up. I found one twenty pence piece enough to shower, and wash my hair, but he just looked at me with loathing for being so stingy, and went on his way with three, the shop not open yet, and that being all we found.
He stayed away for ages, and Trienkie who sat facing the ablution block suddenly started laughing, signalling me to have a look through the window. Coming with great speed in our direction was Stephan, towel around his pelvis, soapsuds covering the parts not covered, and eyes like saucers!
His water had stopped, and he was just so mad, as according to him, he had just started soaping himself when the water just stopped running, and he insisted to have a talk to Emma later. We had to wait till the shop open for change, Stephan having just washed the soap off his face, not believing us that he was indeed away for about twenty minutes before his shower dried up.
From then on he saw to it that he had about six twenty pence every time he went for a shower. The caravan had a shower, but it was very cramped, so it was much better to use the ablution block's showers.
After breakfast we went to Perth, stopping along the way for the packed breakfast I brought along, then onwards, having a great time just strolling around before taking the wee roads that criss-crossed the Perthshire landscape until we came to Dunblaine and went into the church to see the remembrance corner put up for the children killed when a madman entered a school some years ago, and started shooting, killing a lot of kids ans teachers. it is also the birthplace of Andy Murray, the tennis player.
Stephan had Haggis, neeps and tatties for lunch, and he was so taken with that, that I had to stop at a supermarket for him to buy all the stuff for a haggis dinner for himself. Neeps are like a cohlrabi, but when cooked its flesh becomes quite orangy, almost like carrots, and mashed up with butter and pepper, it is delicious, tasting quite sweet. Served with a whisky sauce, the Scots loved their haggis, neeps and tatties, and I served up a lot every day.
Trienkie was not as impressed with the haggis as her husband was, so that night he cooked his own dinner while we had a barbeque outside.
It was a pleasure watching my son in law tuck into his self cooked food, but when he insisted on having the same the next night, Trienkie became a bitty upset, but he stood by his decision that while he could have it, he would!

trienkie en stefan

I  was as happy as a lark camping for the night at loch Etive, and after I had my dinner, I made coffee, and sat dreaming at the river for ages. I had found Tabbard, a South African mosquito repeller at the Wee Minden, a small gift shop next to the Kings House hotel, and that was wonderful against Scotland's biggest pest, the Midge!
I slept like a log, and was up with the birdies next morning, sitting with my coffee at the riverside,thinking about Trienkie and Stephan that was coming for a visit the next week.
I had gotten them the caravan again, as it was cheaper than staying in one of the hotels, and as the South African Rand was quite weak at that stage, it suited them just fine. I was sad when I realized that it was time to pack up and go back, as it was another lovely day, and just thinking of my workplace wanted me to just drive on, and never go back! But, if I wanted to stay in Scotland, I had to work!
After a long week that felt like a year, I set of for the airport to fetch the kids, and it was decided that I would sleep with them in the caravan that first night. But first we had dinner at the Ben Shaen, afterwards sitting at my hotel just talking and me of course almost getting a kingsize fit when I saw the size of the pizzas that was served, and the disgust on the guests's faces, but the kids calmed me down, reminding me that it was not my hotel!
It was the longest night ever, as I bally well did not sleep one wink, sleeping in the caravan with them, with Stephan's snores that started just as I was falling asleep, making the caravan rock around like Elvis on a wild night, while Trienkie's threats of chucking him out became more and more intense.
Luckily I was off the next day, and we all slept late, as my son in law stopped snoring the moment it started getting light, a strange phenemonen indeed, and like all people sawing rafters through the night, he moaned that he never slept a wink!
I had been to Farm  Foods, a huge supermarket selling mostly frozen foods, and bought all kinds of goodies, and we had a huge Scottish breakfast, and Stephan, after first eyeing the Haggis a bitty longfaced before tucking in, decided that it was the most delicious food he had tasted in a long time. Trienkie didn't share his taste, but it didn't bother me, as I have tried it, but never built up a big liking!
Both of them loved hiking in the mountains, and had climbed Kilamanjaro the previous year, so I took them to Ben Lawers that first day, and we spent the whole day just walking around on the hillside, enjoying the view over Loch Tay on the one side and the rolling green hills with the river flowing lazily through Glen Lyon on the other side, before we went down to my spot where we made lunch and swam for the rest of the day.

picking strawberries

The summer was now in full swing, and we were very busy food wise, but as a lot of bookings came through agents, and I suppose people complained about the state of the hotel, the rooms were not busy. One morning Anne caught me trying to make the rooms habitable, and asked me in her high pitched voice what I thought I was doing, ans then stalked down to tell her tale of woe to the poor Bryan, who had the bally patience of a saint.
When I came down to start the evening shift Anne called me into the bar for a coffee, and asked me to tell her straight out what I thought was wrong with her hotel. I thought it my chance to try and get her to do things the right way, so I said that I would also refuse a room where the carpet was covered in dog hair, and where the showers were not sparkling clean. She blew up like a blow fish, and asked me coldly if I had any more complaints about her hotel, so I told her that the cheapy soap did not do it for me, and the fact that she bought the cheapest coffee and no biscuits was another point that she would have to think about., but when I told her that the towels were so hard and rough it could take the skin off a person's body, she exploded like some hissing bomb, and screamed for Bryan to come to her immediately.
The poor man must have thought that the hotel was burning down and came running in, and on seeing him, Anne said in thin voice while giving me a withering look: 'She wants to run my hotel!", before running into her husband's arms!
I had enough and legged it to the kitchen, regretting for the hundredth time my decision not to go over to the Munro Inn when they asked me!
On my day off I decided to go and see if the wild strawberries at Glencorry was ripe, and asked Liz if she would like to go with.
It was a gorgeous day, and we took our lunch along to have a picnic as well. The hillside where the strawberries grew were quite steep, and we had to cling for dear life to keep upright, but the strawberries were smiling down at us with their red cheeks, and we had a field day in gathering them. That is until Liz lost her footing and rolled down the hillside, lying absolutely still on reaching the bottom!
I was horrified, and almost rolled down myself to get to her, wondering how on earth I was going to get her back to the car, as we were about a kilometer up the mountain.
Luckily she was only stunned, and was okay by the time I reached her, so I told her to stay put, and I would do the rest of the picking.
The strawberries were as sweet as sugar, and after our lunch we ate it with cream I brought along, then lay in the sun and baked until a cool mountain breeze reminded us where we were, so it was with regret that we packed up and made our way down to the car.
The thought of going back to the inn was really upsetting, as a lot of the guests who realized that I was connected with the hotel cornered me and demanded to be re-imbursed, and told me what a dirty lot we were! I was creeping down the cooridor to my room like a bally ghost, trying my best not to be seen!

loch etive

As the hotel got busier, I became more and more embarassed, as the guests who did not book out directly after booking in were very uncomunecative at breakfast, where I was forced to meet them, and I decided to try and vacuum the rooms when Anne was out,. and just see that it was in a decent state. My efforts did not yield any results where the carpets were concerned, as the wee vacuum cleaner she had bought was so weak it couldn't lift a bally duckling feather, so lifting the Labrador hair that was clinging like dung on a woolen blanket was quite impossible. I did however sneak the towels down to the laundry to soften them up in the tumble drier, and took a room every day to try and get rid of the lime scale on the showers. It really broke my heart to see this absolute disregard of the guests comfort and enjoyment of their stay, and thinking of how Liz drilled the right ways into us made me so angry.

But on my days off I tried to forget all about my worries, and went all over the place with my ever willing little Panda.
I have noticed a signboard for loch Etive when I took Jan and Nina to Fort William, and decided to take my tent and chill out there, just to get away from the hotel and the accusing eyes of the guests, so I was up at about six on my first day, and onto the road by seven, my tent and other camping stuff, and some food in the back of the car. It was a glorious day, the sun shining down warmly through the window, and I was just about delirious from pure joy to be out in the fresh air.
What I could never understand about the Scotts is that they do not really enjoy their wonderful country, preferring a pub to going out for a picnic, and it took some really hard work to get Liz to go out with me, and now I think that she enjoys it almost as much as me. But most of the time when going into the wilds I prefer to be on my own, and sleep over in my tent.  And anyway, after our camping and the midge episode in Glen Lyon, Liz never wanted to sleep out again, and that suited me, as it was in the early dusk that most animals show themselves, and not a lot of people can sit quietly for long stretches just watching and enjoying whatever came into view.
I drove to where an old and dilapidated wee jetty was still hanging on to the side of the loch. This jetty was used many years ago to load sheep and wood, and that was then taken to the big cities, I suppose the sheep for slaughtering. It was breathtakingly beautiful, and the fact that there was nobody in sight just heightened my pleasure, not that I dislike people, and in the cities and touristy spots I love to watch them, but in a remote spot like this, I prefer to watch the scenery, and what animals I can see.
I found a wonderful camping spot alonfg the river, and after putting up my tent I went for a dip in the icy cold water, but felt alive and refreshed after, then started my wee barbeque, and sitting there with the quietness, and dusk falling slowly and gently, I could just as well have been in heaven!
It was such a shock and a nice surprise to see a flock of ducks walking along the road, then took a shortcut to the river, there being nothing else in sight at that spot, and I was musing for long after about their being there, quite happy and looking plump and well fed.

celtic prayer

Relations between Anne and self was a bitty on the blink, as my idea of how to treat customers and hers did not seem to be remotely related!As I was used to clean the fryers twice a week, more if neccesarry, well, I had to use my brains, as sometimes when it was really busy, the oil got dirtier faster. One day when cleaning the fryes, anee told me that I was much to free with the oil, and that from now on I had to clean the fryers only once every three weeks! I was aghast, as I knew that a lot of the smaller and cheaper inns did not clean the oild regularly, and you can smell that the moment you walk in. This inn had always been a very clean and popular hotel, and we had a lot of people who came back every year.
I had to obey Anne, as she just did not order new oil, and soon the tourists who did not book out ten minutes after arrival, started to complain of the horrible smell that drifted into their rooms through the windows.
I was becoming really upset, as I had to go up the stairs leading to the rooms to get to my room, and every time I encountered a tourist or two, they complained bitterly about their rooms, and the smells, and the towels., and I started to skulk around the place, trying to avoid the accusing stares of the poor tourists! I haven't been in the rooms yet after I came back, so I didn't know what was wrong with the towels, but I soon found out!
One morning Anne phoned me, and she was in a tizz, as she couldn't be back from her nursing job that she held for two days of the week, and there was a couple coming in early, and could I please do the room for her. I could hear that she was really upset, so I said okay,yes, I'll do it, although being Monday, I had a lot to do.
So after breakfast I went up to the room, and what I found was so disgusting that I couldn't believe that even one guest ever stayed! The carpet in the first place was covered in the Labrador's hair, and the shower glass was so covered in limescale that you could hardly seethe glass, but what really threw me was the towels! They were as hard and rough as a piece of goingsak, and I can't believe that anybody could dry their bodies with that and have any skin left.
So I took all the 'clean' towels in the linen cupboard, sprinkled it with water, and put it in the drier to soften them up. But tried as I would, the inferior little vacuum cleaner would not pick up any of the dog's hair, so I took a bucket of water and a brush and went on my bally knees to try and get rid of it. What also horified me was that there was only the cheapest soaps, no shampoo or bath gell, and no biscuits, that being standard fare in all the hotels and inns.
I had no time to try and clean the limescale, but decided to wait for a chance to tell her my view of her ability to run the hotel, and also tell her why the guests all book out almost immediately. But I at least knew that the guests in this room would be more comfortable, and still have their skins left after a shower.
I had no time that day to talk to her, but bided my time! The little celtic prayer I put on, as it gave me a lot of peace in this very stressfull situation, as she found the towels all soft, and fluffy, but instead of being thankful, she told me that I am not to waste the electricity in the future, and stalked away in a fat old rage!

eende by loch tay

B y the time of my first day off i was bally exhausted, as it was a continious struggle to give people who came in for a meal the food they deserved. To me, if you five a servrice to the public, and they pay for that service, you try and give them your best, and Anne just could not grasp that. She was out on making money as fast as she could, and basta with the rest. I have noticed that the guests, who were mostly German and Dutch this time of the year book in, and a few minutes later some of them came downand stating  that they were not happy, and wanted to book out. This was unknown to me, and I was becoming anxious, as my job will be gone if they lose all there guests.
But in the meantime i just did my best,and couldn't wait for my days off. I decided to drive to killin first, get some of the throw away barberques, and then just drive around and find some new and interesting things, but first i stopped at a picnic place on the banks of loch tay to see how my little duck there were doing.
The first time I went to this spot there were only this one wee duck, and she was extremely lonely, as when I stopped, she came waddling up, and stood quacking at me , and thinking she was hungry, I threw her some cake crumbs.
I walked along the banks of loch Tay for a while, as I am always looking for small pieces of pottery, as I was going to make a mosaic when I had enough. I have already found some really nice pieces.
The little duck followed me all the time, quacking conversationly at my heels, so I talked back to her, happy that nobody could hear me,
The next time, after about six weeks when I went again, my duck had found herself a mate, and the two looked very happy and in love, and both followed me around, quacking happily. I left two very contented ducks when I came to see them before I left the previous year.
I was not happy when I went this time, another drake had joined the two, and as they started following me, the third one followed them, and from the sounds ans hisses this two males made, I deduced that they were enemies, and maybe fighting for the ladies's hand.
And I was right, as the third duck kept on coming closer and closer, and when I went back to the car, I heard a heck of a commotion behind me, and on turning, saw the two males fighting it out, hissing I think what must have been all kinds of threats and obscenities to each other, while my little duck stood alone, looking very worried indeed.

I had promised Bryan that I would stay with them through the season, as otherwise it would be a waste to change the whole set-up, making converting my the laundry into a roo m for me, as it meant that he had to do a lot of plumbing to get water to the other room, and he also had to put in a sink, and a draining system. But as the days wore on there was a lot of skirmishes between the two of us, as she wanted to do everything on the cheap, and that did not work for me. When a lot of really fatty and low grade mince was delivered one morning, I just had enough, and told her that I was not cooking any meals with that, or make the hamburger patties.
Of course she flew into a rage, threw one humongous tantrum, and bellowed for Bryan to come and back her up. I showed him the meat, and he was really upset, as it consisted of about seventy percent fat, and the rest was about twenty percent meat, and then there was bits of very red meat looking like lungs or some kind of intestine. He but I could see that he was a bitty scared of Anne, so I told her that she would loose all the loyal customers, and that serving inferior food will give the hotel a bad name, and that I knew for a fact that everyone was eating at the newly done up Munro Inn. She didn't like that, and went on and on about Joe lying about the clientele, but I stayed calm, and told her that as I was in the kitchen during the last two seaons, I knew what we did and did not do. Bryan managed to calm her down, and she said that she would take back the mince and bring a better quality!But I was not a happy cooky!
I think that on seeing what her cheap meat looked like, she had a bit of a shock, and she brought back some really nice mince.
One night some food came back, as there was a hair in, not a human hair, but one of their Labrador's. As I saw all the white hair in the corridors, and also found some in the kitchen earlier that morning, I meant to say something at the right time, as it was unhigienic, and I couldn't see why the dog had to walk through the corridors to go for his walks, as they could easily take him out of the back door of the cottage. So this dog hair in the food was the last straw, and the next day I told her that I was not happy with the hair all over the kitchen, and that the possibility of more hair in the food was big, and that they had to try and keep him from shedding hair all over!
So, she put up another of her shows, spitting out the coffee she had just taken a sip of, and screamed at me, asking me if I wanted her to put her dog down! Poor Bryan had to come and restore the peace, but when I found him alone later I told him that I wasn't used to all this pallava, and if one more plate of food came back. I'm walking.
But when I saw Rosemary the daughter walking through the hotel again with the dog at her heels. I knew that Anne was not the type that would give a step backwards to fix things, and as the job I was offered at the Munro Inn was now filled, I kept quiet, but decided to keep my eyes open. as I would not put up with dog hair in the food!

When at last the train pulled into Glasgow station, I was a wreck! Not so much from nerves, but more from being very, very tired, as I have had almost no sleep, as of courese I sat through the night at Stansted. And this is the  reason why I prefer just to fly to Heathrow, and then take the train to Stirling.

Anne and Bryan was very excited at my coming, as they had tried to cope by themselves with the help of their daughters, but I don't think that they realized when buying the hotel that it was so hard running an Inn.
I could see from the beginning that I was going to have to be firm about my position, as I could see that Anne was quite out of her depth about having someone working for her, and when she told me on the first morning that it was her hotel, and I will do as she said, I started to see red lights, as when someone is head of a kitchen, that person knows what was going on, and if an outside person kept on bugging in, things could turn sour fast.
I was given a room at one side of the hotel, and told that I could use the toilet and shower on the other side, and I flatly refused! I was NOT going to run in my pajamas up and down the corridor, not with all the guests around. It wasn't to be funny, but I just thought that it was a bit silly, as they could have given me the room that Joe and Rosanne gave us, that was not quite up to standard, and had to still be re -decorated. But Anne wanted all the en suite rooms to be rented out, so I decided to look for another job, as I did not think that they were the kind of people that I wanted to work for. Bryan, who had a lot more common sense then decided to move the laundry to where they had given me a room, and make the laundry into a room for me, as the shower and toilet were in a small corridor together with that.
The next day I met Suzy and Ewan, two of the Inn's most loyal customers who ordered pizzas every Friday night if they didn't come in to eta it, and Ewan told me that they don't have pizzas anymore, as the Inn now sells mcvities biscuits with pizza toppings!
The next evening I knew exactly what he meant, as Anne's daughter came to help me, and she had to do the pizzas. I was busy, and told her to do me two pizzas, but when the whole table's meals had to go out, I noticed this tiny little pizza on the big pizza plate. I was aghast, as a pizza was not cheap, and this thing that the girl made was smaller that even a child's pizza. So I told her to hold that back, and I made two other pizzas, on which Anne came rolling in and asked me why I was holding this people's pizzas back. On me answering her, she got stark raving mad, and screamed at me that it was her hotel, and she called the shots, at which I took off my apron, and told her that I was leaving.
She then told me that Joe and Rosanne had lied about how well they were doing with the food, and that they were not having any of the locals in anymore. I then told her about the people saying that she was selling mcVities biscuits with pizza toppings on, at which she stormed out of the kitchen calling for Bryan to come to her aid.
Bryan was a nice, softspoken man who always looked well groomed, while Anne, who was completely grey, died her hair a dead black, and when I started there, the roots had grown out about two inches, and it just looked so cheap. She wasn't dirty, but she had this huge boobs, and a huge, sagging tummy that hung over the tight pants that she wore, and also a lot of flab hanging out on the sides as the tops she wore was not at all suitable for a body of her shape.
Bryan was the peacemaker, and he asked me to please stay, as after Joe had left they were completely lost, and they really did need me. I asked for a meeting the next day, as there was still a few meals to get out, and the people had already waited for some time while we were squabbling!

Glasgow Prestwick

As the train from Odensk stopped at the airport, I told my children that it was not neccesary for them to take me, as Jan was preparing for a seminar that he had to speak on, in Amerika. So on the due date I was packed off, couldn't find a space on the train for my luggage,so I tried to store it underneath my seat, but when the conductor came he was not happy, and when he realized that I was actually a foreigner, he took my bags and told me to follow him, and he found, after some heavy scouting, as spot to put it. He then told me to make myself comfy in a seat that he found, and I sat pondering the fact that people always told me that the Dane's are not very tourist friendly!
This time there was no fires or broken aircraft, so we landed at Stansted  somewhere during the early evening, but I had to wait till the next morning for my flight, but so did a lot of other people. My flight to Glasgow was also without incident, and after about an hour and a half we landed, but there was no Lizzie to welcome me. I looked around for a while, and as I was at this airport only once, when Anna and self went home, I thought it looked a bit smaller than what I remembered it.
Then I phoned Lizzie, and she said that she is at the airport, and the flight from England did come in, but she never saw me. I told her that it was impossible, as I was standing now at the gate where we came in, but she still couldn't see me.
I then went to the coffee shop across from W.H. Smith, the bookstore, and sat myself down on a high chair looking out on the isle leading passed the bookshop and to the coffee shop. I told her where I was, and in a few minutes she told me that she was standing facing a coffee shop near to the bookstore, but she still could not see me. So I waved furiously, and said that if she couldn't see me now, there must be something big wrong, either I was invisible, or her eyesight was going. She was now frantic, and so was I, and when I heard two people talk and the man said that he didn't realize that there were two Glasgow airports, and their people were at the other one, I phoned Liz, and told her about it. She started laughing uprauriously, and said to find out whether I was at Glasgow Prestwick. I was!
I do not understand the English, or rather the British at all, as this airport was in Ayr, miles and miles away from Glasgow, so why it is called Glasgow Prestwick, only they will know.
But how to get to Glasgow was another good question, and I was getting really anxious now, so Liz phoned her son, and he said there was a train from there to Glasgow, so I made haste to find the station, and sighed deeply when it pulled away to Glasgow train station,where Liz had now gone to. This trip was not very comfortable at all, from the moment I left South Africa, up to when at last I was seated inLizzie's car!

Outing to Copenhagen

I had a lovely time in Denmark, and had to quickly brush up my cycling skills by practising on a little road in the small forest park near to their home, as we were going to cycle around the countryside a lot! My big fall when practising on a bicycle just before I went to work in Holland, when I took of a big branch of Irma's Magnolia tree was still fresh in my mind! But this time it was a lot better, as within half an hour I had my balance right, and was careering down the wee road full of confidence.
Every day we packed a lunchbox, filled their two flasks with coffee, and took to the open roads. The first time we went into the town to get to the road leading to some or other dam I was petrified, as not only was I scared of the fast moving traffic, but I now had to cycle on the right side of the road. In South Africa we drive on the left side. But I just kept my eyes on Nina's back, where the small Andreas was sitting cosily in a baby carrier.
They had a nice big hothouse connected to the side of the house, with even a grapevine that yielded astonishing crops, which Jan made wine from. They also had a big strawberry patch, but as it took up almost their complete back garden, I helped them to take out about half of the plants, as Jan wanted to plant some veggies.
Then they decided to take me to Copenhagen, but as the tax to go over the new seventeen kilometre bridge that connected Sealand, Funen and Jutland was so expensive, we would be going by train, and I thought it a good idea, as driving was much more expensive than going by train because of that tax, and also hazardous.
Copenhagen is one of the best cities to live in, I think, as people are quite laid back, and the amount of people on bicycles astonished me. We only had coffee in a cafe, as it was so expensive, and we had of course, like most Danes, brought a packed lunch and flasks, and sat on the grass in a park and had our lunch, with a lot of other people doing the same. Then we went to a huge amusement park where we spent a wonderfull couple of hours, eating lovely icecream, and Jan and Rene going on a thing like a long pole, and strapped to this thing they were taken up very slowly, until, when they were up very high, this thing suddenly made them drop down to earth at breakneck speed.SCARY!
I remembered when I came with the ferry once from Harwich in England, none of the Danes went to eat in the restaurant, and as Nina had warned me about how expensive it was to eat in the restaurants, I had bought some food, and sat on the open deck on top eating my food. There were lots of other people doing the same, and most of them were Danes. And when the next morning I went for a coffee, I knew exactly why I was warned off, as that coffee almost cost as much as a three course meal elsewhere!
The day before I left we drove to central Jutland as they wanted to show me the highest mountain in Denmark. As Denmark is like Holland, quite flat, I didn't expect too high a peak, but when we stopped and they got out of the car, I thought we were just having a coffee quickly. Jan looked at me kind of with a questionmark on his face, then he waved his arm in the direction of a wee molehill-like little mount, and I realized that the molehill was indeed Denmark's highest mountain, called Yding Skovhoj.
I questioned their audacity to call that a mountain, but kept my thoughts to myself.