Island Holidays Blog

Bank Holiday Bliss

There's something about working on a bank holiday that makes one feel a bit self-righteous!  Actually, it's great because there are no interuptions and, personally, I used such days simply to take the top thing on the vast pile and do it - no matter what its priority rating.  Today I've polished off my ATOL renewal - you know, that insurance that we have to hold with the Civil Aviation Authority to protect your financial interest.  It's an expensive business (although not quite so bad as it used to be for small businesses) and my blood tends to boil when people boast about going on holiday "so much cheaper" with someone who isn't bonded.   Don't get me on my high horse!!!

May is always my favourite month of the year which is why it seems practically to have vanished without trace!  In fact the weather hasn't been that great this year (except for those fabulous couple of days up north) but I don't care - as long as the sun shines for our 21st anniversary cruise which is only 10 days away.  After all the planning (which started 2 years ago) it's hard to believe that the time has come when I'll be surrounded by so many folk who have become friends over the years they've travelled with us.  We've got a handful of new clients as well and they'll doubtless become part of the family pretty quickly.  It's going to be terrific and good weather would be a real bonus.  Prayer mats out please.  Today is fairly horrid - dark and threatening with not a breath of wind: strange how weather affects us, isnt' it?  It's much harder to be creative when it's like this.

Anyway, creative I must be because there's the small matter of the brochure to get on with.  Every year I wonder how on earth it will be done on time and every year it's achieved though goodness knows how.  There's just so much it's hard to know where to start.   I know - top of the pile!

Perfectly glorious

For next year we're introducing a new tour on Mainland Scotland and so this week found me in the North-West checking out routes and accommodation.   Tough job.   One of my neighbours took time out from school runs and came with me and we had terrific fun.   We were blessed with the two loveliest days of the year so far - clear blue skies, fantastic visibility (right out to the Outer Hebrides), and really warm sunshine (20 degrees).  The wind was chilly and strong, but who wants to get overheated?

Really I don't think there's anywhere more beautiful in the world than Scotland at its best.  The grandeur of the mountains, the contrasts of landscape within such a small area, the fabulous colour of the blue sea, the orange seaweed, the bright yellow gorse, the purple of the rhodedendrons (hope I've spelt that right!) and the haze of bluebells - all of this blends into a whole which fills the senses and feeds the soul.

So, as you might have gathered, I rather enjoyed myself!   At the same time the time was productive and I'm pleased both with the accommodation I've chosen and the jiggling of the itinerary which I've done from the rough outline the tour leader drafted.   Overall I think we've come up with a cracking 12-day tour.   All we'll need will be the weather ......

We're on count down for the 21st anniversary cruise and for the brochure deadline, so blogs might become few and far between over the next few weeks.   Having said that, it's good to get away from costings and sums and things like that and reflect on the good things of life.

Sympathy Vote please

Now I'm not asking for a sympathy vote for all those greedy politicians (nor forgetting that once the papers get a hold of something truth becomes something with which to be economic). No, it's ME that needs sympathy.  It's these horrible (few remaining) teeth of mine.  One of the front ones broke off on Friday evening while I was out for a walk to the Osprey nest.  OK, I was sucking a peppermint at the time and possible nibbled it a bit, but this was a bit drastic.  

The remains of the tooth cut my lip every time I tried to eat something.  An ideal way to go on a diet but not to lose weight as comfort in a hugely large whisky becomes essential.   I manfully struggled through Saturday until the evening when I could stand it no longer and phoned my mate Sandy who's a neighbour and friend as well as a dentist.  Bless him, he had me in there yesterday morning (meant missing church but the Good Lord probably didn't mind).   Had 4 people coming for a rib roast lunch so it was all a bit fraught.   Fortunately the guests are folk I've known and worked with for over 30 years and, although they work at the very top end of the hospitality industry: one is one of Scotland's leading chefs, his partner runs a small boutique restaurant and the other chap is, in my opinion, one of the best hoteliers in Scotland.  And his wife, Carol, is one of the loveliest ladies you could meet.  So once they'd all spent their laughter at my bizarre appearance we had a very happy time.   I'd bought new season Scottish asparagus from Glamis which is to die for and we had that for a starter.  I ate very gingerly but it was OK.   So to the rib roast.  Refrained from parcipating in the crisp Yorkshire Pudding (made in the same pan my mum used to use) but thought a roast parsnip wouldn't do any harm.  Wrong.   All Sandy's hard work was undone in a nano-second.  Fortunately the roast beef was supremely tender (and absolutely delicious). I opted for camambert (in such perfect condition it was just starting to run off the cheese board) and the mango/passion fruit pudding was easy.

But it meant going back to the dentist again this morning - and I've got to go back tomorrow as well.  Then on Wednesday I head north to the glorious west coast to check out accommodation for a new tour.  If the weather is like today it will be glorious - Scotland in May is perfection if it's good.

So I guess the sympathy factor has now gone, given that we had a very happy lunch (even if i couldn't eat much) and then a lovely walk during which the Osprey flew off her nest and did a couple of circuits to stretch her wings before returning to her maternal duties.   I reckon that lunch guests who are still around at 6 o'clock in the evening must have enjoyed themselves!

The question now is:  what's for lunch?

Spring has definitely sprung

Now spring might have sprung but what I want to know is how we've got to May without me noticing!  It's only just over a month till our birthday cruise and plans for that are going fine.  All we need now is good weather because, when it's gorgeous on the west coast of Scotland there is nowhere more beautiful in the world.  I was talking to the expedition leader, Martin Gray, last week.  He's been doing this trip for 11 years and working for Oceanwide Expeditions for 14 years (serve me right for recommending one of my best leaders!) and he says it's his favourite voyage in the world - and that includes Antarctica and Spitsbergen.  Mind you, he's an Orcadian so perhaps there's just a tad of bias there?

Before the cruise I'm going to have a couple of days in the North West (Gairloch and Ullapool) checking out accommodation for our new Scottish Mainland tour.  One of my neighbours is coming with me so we should have a good time.  Scotland in May really is unbeatable - IF the weather is good.

We've had a terrific response to the Tristan da Cunha trip.  I believe there are still a few cabins left on the ship but it's almost full - and that before we know what the price will be!  It's in January/February 2011 which sounds light years away but in fact is only just round the corner. 

I really must get back to grown-up work.  There's a brochure to be written (again).  Outside there's a wee wren singing its heart out - a noise which can be utterly beautiful except at 4.30 in the morning when it's right beside your bedroom window!  Waking up with the birds takes on a whole new meaning.

Right.  Back to work.