I blinked, a week went by…

Last Friday we had a picnic lunch in a park with Lee-anne, before waving her off to Essex for the weekend. In the afternoon we took a drive to ______ Pass, North East of Ambleside, where we fulfilled our promise to the kids, that we would climb a mountain. We parked by a roadside ‘Free House’, in the carpark where many people stop to take walks up into the hills. We chose the side of the road where the hill did not look as high – our very reasonable logic being that we had a three year old in our midst, and the clouds that the cold winds were bringing along, were very grey and threatening. I stuffed my parka pockets with a bottle of water and some afternoon tea, and off we went. We fully expected to get drenched, but were very pleased…..like, VERY pleased, that we didn’t. We did get wicked winds making us unsteady on our feet at the top of the summit, but that was more exhilarating than alarming, and the view was brilliant. We sheltered under an overhanging rock to eat our fare, and even managed a few moments of silence, to listen to the noise of the wind, whipping the grasses together, and to think of home and all those we love. On arriving back at the car we all felt thoroughly alive, and the warm stillness inside the car was felt as a great luxury. Life can be so simple and so wonderful…. Makes me wonder why we haven’t climbed more mountains, taken in more views, and sat in silence in the country more often?
Saturday was bump out, and a bigger task than usual, due to having actually unpacked suitcases for the first time, and over the course of the week, spreading out like so much ivy. We hit the road soon after ten am and kissed the Lakes District goodbye with our eyes. Wishing like blazes that you had a photographic memory to tuck it all away in, and hoping fervently that one day you may be able to return and stay for longer. Every town is full of ‘walking’ shops… and every laneway, road and park, is full of walkers, er, walking. One day, I would like to join them and just walk around the country side until I can’t just picture the area, but can smell it and feel it too.
Our plan was to visit Birdoswald Roman fort, followed by Chester Fort, both in Hadrian’s wall, on our way to Scotland. It is without doubt a fascinating place to visit, and the achievement of the three regiments of Roman Soldiers who built (the majority) of the wall in under three years, is remarkable. (for those who aren’t familiar with Hadrians wall, it covers the land from the east coast to the west coast of England, right at the tippy top, only a couple of districts away from what is now Scotland. It sort of marked the edge of the Roman Empire’s lands – which were phenomenally large. The wall had forts built into it every mile (I think) where soldiers were posted to maintain control and order. The wall was in use more or less until the Roman Empire collapsed, and then certain areas were still inhabited….like Birdoswald, right up until the early 1900s.)
I really can not tell if it was the grey skies and occasional showers that dampened the mood, or whether there was too much of the same here, or whether I simply had ants in my pants because I was desperate to get into Scotland. Whatever it was, by the time we had finished our visit and eaten our sandwiches in the carpark (it was a really nice car park) we were all happy to make our way onwards, leaving Chester Fort to another day -or not. The drive was rather longer than I had anticipated, so I was glad that we hadn’t lingered any longer on touristy things...(or maybe it was those ants in my pants again). We stopped and took an obligatory photo at the Scotland / England border, and my heart began to feel a little lighter.
After loving the Lakes District so wholeheartedly, I confess that I was worried I would find Scotland to be secondary in beauty. That maybe my mind had built it up to be more that it could possibly be. But it is not so. I am the first to admit though, that objectivity is not something I can claim to have. You see, I am in love. I don’t know why and I wonder at it constantly. Maybe it is simply because of its beauty and magnificence (which, if I am making an attempt at objectivity, I would have to say does not surpass the Lakes District). Maybe it is because of the past that it represents to me – memories of independence, freedom and adventure. Or maybe it is the new present, spending precious time with precious people, and sharing it all with my very own family. I don’t really know. All I can say is that as we drive along the roadways, the entire time there is a gnawing at my heart. Like something is being turned over and over that needs to be resolved, and it feels akin to yearning, but for, I know not what. When we are out of the vehicle surveying the scene, I am breathing deep with not just my nose, but my eyes and flesh as well. Why do I feel such belonging to a country that isn’t even my own? It makes me feel downright disloyal, and yet I love our Australia as much as the fiercest patriot. So you see, love-sick. Love-sick, with Scotland!
Samuel and Nathan (or Nethan, as Sam can not stop calling him – I think it is because to his ear, that is what Cat and Stu are saying) were dressed as a pirate and fireman respectively, within about two minutes of our arrival at Innerleithen. A back yard to play in was considered a form of bliss by the kids (and consequently the parents, also). We formed a plan of attack for the following day and set about getting five excited children to sleep, which was not highly successful, but eventually worked.
Sunday bloomed into a fine specimen of a day, and we took a packed lunch up to the top of a hill, referred to as ‘the tower’, and all ate there. The sun cast its magic onto every blade of grass, every tree and the very view itself. We were warm, even hot at points and we couldn’t believe our luck. We kept telling the kids to enjoy the sunshine immensely as we may not get to see it again for the rest of our trip! I got stung by a bee on the thumb, and had midgies attempt to nibble us, and Sam had an attack of the stinging nettles, and yet nothing deterred the mood of the outing. Fantastic. Innerleithen was laid out below us, with the village of Walkerburn alongside. Getting the kids to keep going was sometimes a bit of a tire, …in fairness, I should be specific, because they were all great, except for Eliza who behaved as one struggling to cope…which is probably and adequate explanation really. She was outdone by the little legs on one year old Laila, who waddled along in trooper fashion, between bouts of being carried.
An old friend from the castle came by in the afternoon, Alison, bringing her two lovely kids, Ewan and Olivia. (more blondies, seriously, the kids all looked like cousins, not strangers from opposite ends of the earth) There was more happy playing in the back yard as new friends were made, and we old friends caught up. As the afternoon neared its end, we fulfilled a promise to the kids, and drove out of town, to a point where they could wade in the river. They all ended up building a damn across the width of the stream – and by all, I mean Stu and Shane as well, for what boy can resist an attempt at changing, or at least controlling, an element of nature? We went home to a succulent Roast Beef (by now, it is almost official that the Fulwoods are addicted to roast beef with gravy and Yorkshire puds), followed by Golden Syrup Dumplings (something that the Ormistons hadn’t tried, and which it therefore, seemed a necessity to provide them with). It barely needs saying, that Sunday, was a beautiful, golden memory kind of day, where you don’t need the benefit of hindsight to know that everything was perfect.
Monday saw us visit Peebles. Aaahh. The nostalgia. So familiar and yet so unknown at the the same time. We had morning tea with Agnes. A super sweet woman who is now in her retirement, who I knew from my days at the Castle. Her and Cat keep in touch and the timing just worked out well for me to tag along on a pre-planned visit. Lunch in the park by the Tweed. Separate ways for a while, and then Cat and I headed into Galashiels, whilst the blokes looked after the kids and helped build a new fence in the back yard. By the time we returned, the blokes had not only done the above, but also fed and bathed the kids, and we were in time to be shown to our seats, in the back yard, to watch the ‘circus’ which the kids had prepared for us. Circus is a pretty good description actually. There were clowns and games and even a programme for us to keep track of things with. It was about then that I asked Cat if the swarming things EVERYWHERE, like bits of ash floating in the air, were midgies. To which she replied yes. Man oh man. Freaky. They seriously are thick in the air, and so it pays to stay well covered.
Tuesday we left Innerleithen, to go to Broughton, where Cat’s mum and dad live. The afternoon was passed at Doug and Morags’ with the kids meeting three more children to play with, these ones with a bit of DNA in common. Seriously, it is really hard to name the relationship for the kids, I think they must be third cousins or something like that. It was really cool seeing D and M again, and meeting (and re-meeting) all of their children. We were lucky enough to stay for dinner and we left there having had a really lovely time, and having been made to feel really welcome.
Wednesday was Stobo day. We took the kids out to see where Mummy used to work, and on Teresa’s invitation, were able to share lunch with her… and then Yvonne joined us…which was a most excellent bonus, and we even had the pleasure of Mr Winyard’s company. There was much laughter and pleasure at the reunion. Neither woman looked any older, which I thought pretty impressive given the years that have slid by. We were given a tour of the new part of the castle, and of the Cashmere Suite, all of which you can probably find on line if you were to look up ‘Stobo Castle’. Teresa most generously invited us to hers if we needed somewhere to stay and again, we left the visit feeling really, really lucky. What a buzz it is catching up with great people from your past, and both parties deriving real joy from it.
Today we have departed from Hotel Fordyce, where the service is second to none, and the rooms such that you wonder if perhaps you should stop touring, and just stay… (which they have incidentally offered as an option) But no. The North of the country calls. Begging a visit. We are on our way. Drove through the kingdom of Fife today which I have been chomping at the bit to see. But enough. Enough. Your eyes are tired and so are my hands. Enough, and goodnight.