Friday, Late Morning - The phone rings "Hello Ross, it's Andrew, Andrew Wilson. Do you still have any spaces on the weekend. Don't worry about the meal, Linda and I will cater for ourselves".
Ross - "Don't worry, if it's anything like usual there should be enough for you".
Little does he know he is part of a cunning plan.
Friday night on the M8 - I'll put money on someone getting lost. Moments later I miss the turn off for the Erskine Bridge - but Port Glasgow was nice. Cathy and I arrive and feel smug about being first there eating Pizza and drinking beer. Put part of the cunning plan into action and pretend there is no main meal arranged.
Some head for bed but are roused by others who go out stargazing and counting shooting stars in the churchyard across the road. How will we explain people in pyjamas in a dark churchyard? Finally get to bed about 02:30.
Saturday Morning - The tea fairy (can you guess who?) slept in so Martin has to make it. Sun, calm no wind so no sailing.
Phone Andrew and Linda to
bring food to make sure that the cunning plan is going to work.
Its time to play "find the puncture". Locate one and find its
irreparable so use the spare tube. Then decide to play "find the
puncture on the spare tube". Can you guess who's bike it was?
And this despite being adequetely warned. Bikes will be subject to inspection, persons with no oil on their chain, no air in their tyres or worn tyres will be sent home. There is no bicycle repair man on this trip.
Eventually set off to visit many of the local historical sites to the south. Lunch in the sun by the loch to north of Crinan, climb up to the site of an ancient hill fort overlooking Jura then a nice ride along the Crinan Canal where we run into Richard Sloan, a member who stays in Crinan, then onto to the hotel bar. Someone is asked "Do you drink Guinness? No, but I'd like to" and promptly drinks something else. Can you guess who?
The rain comes on for the return along the canal but goes off. Divert onto a private back road up towards an old church with two strange characters watching us approach. On closer inspection it turns out to be Andrew and Linda who had just arrived and gone for a walk only, to quote Andrew, hear "distant voices across an ancient landscape" or in reality someone constantly talking. Can you guess who?
A short ride back to Klimartin for the usual vegetable chopping which turned into a wonderful Ricotta and Spinach Lasagne proceeded by a light oatcake starter and finished by crumble. The plan worked, let people think there is no meal then let Linda surprise us all with the main meal. That's my version and I'm sticking with it.
What do you do on a Saturday night after the meal?Play Pictionary of course, boys v girls with a rep. from either in each team just to balance it up to give one an advantage and handicap the other. Depending on your pint of view you will have to decide which was which. As someone once said women are not equal to men, they wouldn't lower their standards that far! Any way the girlies were soundly thrashed, oh and the boys won.
Sunday Morning Another fine day with a bit of breeze. Sailing is on for some. After a tour of the visitor centre the rest cycle north along the main road over to Ardfern and along the coast with visits to see some of the local history. Wonderful view across to the north of Jura.
The weekend ends for some with food in the one and only hotel in the village. It made a change to go somewhere different. There is potential for another visit for cycling, sailing canoeing.
Ross