Portree

An overnighter on the Isle of Skye. We booked into the same hotel we stayed in 4 years ago, The Caledonian, not creatures of habit are we, but they did us a good turn and were so friendly, we wanted to come back.
John was in search of a draughty of a certain local brewery, so off we set. One pub, no. Two pubs, no. The third pub had an acceptable brew, though not the preferred choice.
'Ok give me a pint of that then, and what's the choice of white wine?' he says....
'Ahh, white wine....umm (asks the co-worker)....No, we 'aven't got any.'
Crap, a pub with no white wine, who would have thunked it.
Two more pubs checks, no better, this is turning out to be a fun night!
Back home to the Caledonian, which does have a bar, though not the most lively in town, usually. The bar girly, Dorothy Ann, comes to serve, all friendly but somewhat formal. John orders his beer and I do my usual carry on, what have you got and where is it from (fair, cause I don't want to drink Oz wine O/S) All good.
Then John attacks the poor girl.............
'Have you been to Australia ?'
'Yes....' (interesting expression)
'Did you go to Wagga?'
'Yeess....' (look of sheer horror, as if somebody was stalking her, and what is it she can't remember????)
'We came here 4 years ago and you told us all about your adventures.....'
She collapsed with the sheer relief!
He then joked with her about the popularity of Fosters beer. And it is popular, you see lots of folk ordering draught Fosters, so she made him try some. Ha ha ha...John Evered drinking Fosters in Scotland. What a joke!

It was like old friends night and new friends night too. There was a fellow sitting at a table with 2 computers and a large power board. He looked a bit scruffy and was sinking beers happily. John struck up a conversation......
It turned out he was a pensioned soldier who had been retrenched and wanted to do something other than sit on his arse. So he was doing a ride around Britain to support 'Heros', to support wounded soldiers from engagements from recent wars and the Royal National Life Boat Institution.....unsung heros.
He was a most interesting man, taking photos of his trip as he went and travelled on a motorised scooter with a trailer attached, for him and his 2 cats to sleep in.

Yep, he was travelling with his 2 cats, cause if he left them at home, George, the Maine Coon/Ragdoll/something else cross, suffered from anxiety syndrome!

George

 

All in all, with chats all round, it was good fun.
We then went off to an eatery that didn't take bookings, but were told if we came back at 8.45ish, we'd probably get a table. So we wandered back, only to be given the best table in the place. The atmosphere was subdued and people quietly eating. We started to order.....only to be told by the waitress which wine we should have....
'How did you know that's what I was going to order?' says he
'I didn't, but I own this place, and that's the most expensive bottle on the list (a list of 3, I might add), so that's what I think you should have.'
'I was ordering it cause it comes from the Andes region' says he 'and I don't even know where the Andes are.....'
'Right on the end of your armies....' she says
IT WAS GOING TO BE A LONG NIGHT!
I think she found us vaguely amusing cause everybody else was so quiet
The food was good.
We went back to our hotel and because we were on the Isle of Skye, we chose to have a nightcap. Back to the bar, and it was jumping. The traveller, still don't know his name, which is weird, was still there and the 2 cats had come inside to join the party. George was sitting on the local policeman's knee and the 'Fiendish Black One' was skulking around. She wasn't the most friendly pussa, didn't really want to be loved. One whisky and off to bed. What a funny night, from one that started so poorly.
A trip around to island, in the pouring rain, still beautiful, somewhat haunting.

Called in on the Tallisker Distillery, cause we could and then on home to Inverness.
A perfectly wonderful get-a-way within a holiday.
Lucky us......