SKI-er or Sk-ater. We know how to enjoy ourselves

NAR

Nice shopping outlet centre in Gretna MC; enjoy your trip.

We are just back from a fortnight in Amoudara, Crete. It was lovely and relaxing with temps in their 30'sC. Would definitely reccomend Crete to anyone who hasn't been, the people are very friendly and the food is very healthy. :beer:

margaretclare

Thank you. Yes, the hotel we stayed at on the way up is just across the road from the Gretna Outlet Village. I went there on the way up and on the way back. M&S Outlet is good, but some of the little boutiques are costly. I bought a pair of linen crops (not crops on me at all!) and they were more comfortable than any of the other trousers I'd taken with me, especially for sitting in the car. I bought a M&S Classics blouse and also, a sleeveless jerkin made of fleece - this was really useful, far better than a cardigan. So I went there again on the way back down from Moffat to Wakefield, and I bought another pair of the same trousers and another 2 blouses. On the way up, I bought a bright pink fleece in the Berghaus outlet shop, but I only wore it twice (when going on boat trips) because the weather was so warm. Apparently the weather in the Outer Hebrides/west Highlands was much better than they'd had in south Essex, or so our neighbour told us when we got back last evening.

We managed to clock up 2,300 miles from leaving south Essex a fortnight ago. We saw a lot of gorgeous scenery and met some lovely people in some unexpected and out-of-the-way places. From home to Gretna, stayed overnight in a hotel where a wedding reception was being held. Beautiful bride in a lovely extravagant gown out the front of the hotel having a cigarette, and we found exactly the same when we stayed at the Holiday Inn on the outskirts of Wakefield, so that was first night away and the last night! To me, it looks a bit odd, but that's me, I suppose.

We drove from Gretna to Ullapool, stayed there 2 nights, then by car ferry to Stornoway. Just caught a glimpse of a basking shark. All you see of them is the fin. 3 nights in Stornoway, from there we did a boat trip to see more wildlife in the Atlantic. The scary kind of boat trip where you have to dress up in wet-weather gear and life-jackets. I enjoyed it once I got over the sheer terror when the boat took off! We saw the nesting fulmars and shags, the seals, and just a glimpse of more basking sharks. Also drove right round the island of Lewis and saw 'black houses' - the former homes of islanders, they were occupied up to the mid-1960s as they'd been for centuries. A peat fire right in the middle with hooks from beams to hang cooking pots - no chimney as such, that's why they were 'black houses'! We went by ferry from Armadale to Skye, spent one night in a pub in Portree (and that's almost a story in itself) the to Raasay (another story!) 2 nights on Raasay then 2 nights in Fort William where we drove along Glen Nevis and then had another boat trip on the fresh-water loch, Loch Shiel. We actually did spot an eagle, very high up. I thought I'd seen a couple of them on Raasay but wasn't sure what they were. And the common gulls nesting on a little island in Loch Shiel - they're called sea-mews because the sound they make is 'mew-mew-mew' and they had chicks just a few days old. From Fort William via Glencoe, the Trossachs and Loch Lomond, one night at Moffat which is a lovely little town in the Borders. One night at Wakefield (only reason there: Holiday Inn were offering deals) and Sunday lunch out with my eldest GD in Huddersfield.

We got our quote from the pond man - now, only question is when to get it done. Better in the late summer to make sure the young frogs have matured and left the pond.

John_Pierpoint

margaretclare wrote: »

We managed to clock up 23,000 miles from leaving south Essex a fortnight ago.

Careful Margaret, that must be finger trouble - I make it an average of nearly 70 MPH 24 hours per day.:D

It is postings of journeys around the world that upset the Ipad generation unable to afford a gap year.;)

almeria1

I have looked around this thread but I have to give up and ask - just what does ski-er and ska-ter stand for ?? Ah my wife ( who has the brains) tells me what ski-er is so it's just ska-ter I need explaining.

margaretclare

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

Careful Margaret, that must be finger trouble - I make it an average of nearly 70 MPH 24 hours per day.:D

It is postings of journeys around the world that upset the Ipad generation unable to afford a gap year.;)

I am sorry. Of course there is one zero too many in there. It was 2,300 miles in total distance.

Savvy_Sue

almeria1 wrote: »

I have looked around this thread but I have to give up and ask - just what does ski-er and ska-ter stand for ?? Ah my wife ( who has the brains) tells me what ski-er is so it's just ska-ter I need explaining.

Spending Kash and Thoroughly Enjoying Results (for those without kids to be deprived on an inheritance).

seven-day-weekend

almeria1 wrote: »

I have looked around this thread but I have to give up and ask - just what does ski-er and ska-ter stand for ?? Ah my wife ( who has the brains) tells me what ski-er is so it's just ska-ter I need explaining.

SKI-er Is Spending Kids' Inheritance. SKA-ter is Spending Kash and Thoroughly Enjoying Results, for those who don't have children.

Hope this helps

Do you know Almeria? I spent eight years living in Granada province fifteen km away from the border with Almeria province

almeria1

Hi S-D-W we regularly used to go to almeria, Mojacar and Roquetas, until the airline decided to drop winter flights. I don't miss the flies or the stiff breezes though.

seven-day-weekend

Ah Roquetas! I know it well. We used to do our big shop there, at the Gran Plaza .

We were up in the mountains, in Las Alpujarras.

John_Pierpoint

margaretclare wrote: »

I am sorry. Of course there is one zero too many in there. It was 2,300 miles in total distance.

Still pretty impressive though.

You could be watching the midnight sun ?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=distance+london+to+North+Cape