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05 June 2012

TGO Challenge 2012: DAY 10: Braemar to Callater Lodge

Sunday morning in Braemar.

First of all, the lovely Diane took a peek at the bottom of my foot, as no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t bend my body so that i could see the offending blighter. She very expertly cut a Compeed blister plaster to the correct shape so as to not impede the independent operation of each toe and then covered the little devil up with some of Andrew’s infinitely available Micro-pore tape, again snipping and deftly folding the tape so as to be a part of me, rather than an applied device.

I was and still am, very grateful for this expert help.

Suitably fixed up, I hobbled, and Andy strode, back into the village for breakfast at the Old Bakery. Double sausage egg & chips and never ending coffees straightened the previous night’s efforts out.

Then it was off to the Fife to join the usual suspects..

You can see where this is going, can’t you? We were showered, mended and full of breakfast. All was well with our worlds.

Morpeth, Croydon, Richard & Rosemary

Duracell Bunny, Andy & the Excellent Ian

Actually, we were very good and after a visit to the shop for even more provisions we set off for Callater Lodge… in… the… sunshine!

Yes! It was warm and sunny! Unbelievable, really! Summer had suddenly burst upon the Highlands and we were in shock. Oddly though, the repaired tootsies were now quite painful. The extra thickness of the plaster was adding more pressure to the blister. Ho hum. Andy was very patient as he kept at my snail’s pace up the golf course road.

Glen Callater

Eventually we made it to the Lodge, to be engulfed by the warm fug of hospitality and friendship. It was being manned again this year by Bill, Ross, Jeanette & Mike and within a very short while we had a of plate of hot food and a beer in hand, sitting by the roaring kitchen fire. The place was packed. Tents were pitched on every available spot and Andy & I were lucky to nab beds upstairs – a real luxury.

Smile

Morpeth, Di, Lynsey & JJ

John, Jim & John

It was Lynsey Pooler’s Birthday today, and JJ had organised a card which everyone had signed & a birthday cake for the lovely lass. Bill did the honours:

IAN COTTERILL'S PICTURE

IAN COTTERILL’S LOVELY PICTURE OF LYNSEY’S BIRTHDAY CAKE

The evening wore on in its inimitable style and back, by popular demand, was Doha Jim’s excellent rendition of Dangerous Dan McGrew. Priceless stuff!

Jim, reciting

IAN'S PICTURE OF JANE & ME

IAN COTTERILL’S PICTURE OF JANE & ME @ CALLATER LODGE

Eventually I realised that I was staring at a fixed point somewhere close to the middle of nowhere and climbed upstairs to bed, leaving the others to a very late night indeed.

Today’s route: 8.9km with 230m of ascent.

TGO CHALLENGE 2012- DAY 10 MAP

9 comments:

  1. Ah, so it was in the morning that your blister was administered to.
    I must make an attempt to catch up again.
    Maybe tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's a good one as usual, Alan.

    Your comrade in this adventure adds a certain something to the telling of the tale too. Sort of enjoying the trip journal in stereo.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed Gordon! He seems to have a better memory than me. And he makes stuff up as well!
      ;-)

      Delete
  3. Dangerous Dan McGrew. A good canoeing friend of mine who went to the Yukon gold panning, used to recite this poem and many more of Mr Service, especially when we were paddling the lochs of Scotland.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Our Jim has it off-pat now - The highlight of the night at Callater Lodge. I must look out some more of Mr Service's work... I hadn't realised there was more! Thanks, Bob.

      Delete
  4. Ah, so THAT's where I was on the Sunday night.

    Did I enjoy myself?

    JJ

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not sure JJ. I was concentrating on the damned "Music Man" to the detriment of everything else, apart from the 1* Napoleon Spar Brandy

      Delete

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