The Wendy House: Recharging batteries

This year has been very busy in one way or another and seems to have passed very quickly. Tim and I are not great at making plans well ahead and enjoy being at home, so holidays are usually the last thing we think about. We decided though that maybe some time away would recharge our batteries. So we headed for the hills. Having parents that came from either end of the country many childhood holidays were spent by the sea down south or in the hills and mountains up north. For me I always feel at home in these places because they hold so many wonderful memories.
We had an overnight stay with my Aunt and Uncle with wonderful home cooking. I needed to do some interpreting for Tim at times as my Uncle has such a strong accent. We used to laugh at Dad when we visited as children because he would always revert back to his home dialect and we couldn't understand him.
We then headed further north into Scotland which is another place I love. We have had 4 days of walking eating and just trying to absorb the most beautiful countryside. I must add a note of warning here, this is not the place to visit if you want good hair. Wind, rain walking and ferry trips all add up to a bad hair week, but I have to say I love it when the wind blows through your hair so much it really does feel like the cobwebs have been cleared out.

We both love walking, but our home area is considered quite flat and a 5 mile walk here would just be a short stroll. We tackled a 5 mile walk which took 4 hours and went in an upwards direction until we reached 2400 feet.The last bit was almost on hands and knees scrabbling to the summit not quite my idea of pleasure but the views from the top were amazing and worth every aching muscle and joint that followed.

One of the great things about walking is that you get so much pleasure, satisfaction and exercise from something that costs absolutely nothing. This was the "Pap of Glencoe". The decent which involved sliding down some places on your bottom was made more appealing by the thought of a hot cup of tea in the visitors centre. This turned out to be better than expected because they had wonderful settees to sit on whilst you savoured your drink.
Returning to the car I spotted this......................

I have only seen these before in books and a certain blog. This one is for you Weirdbunny.

I won't bore you with anymore holiday details but just share some more views because it really is such a beautiful place, and there is so much to see.

These cows on Mull were in no hurry to let us past so all you can do is sit and admire the view until they are ready to move on.

I loved these colourful houses in Tobemory.

Views as we were leaving Skye.

Changing the subject completely now several of you have asked for the chutney recipe so here it is as promised.

No Cook Chutney
1lb of peeled and cored cooking apples grated
1lb finely chopped onions
1lb finely chopped dates
1lb demerara sugar
1 pint vinegar
1/2 tsp salt & pepper
1 tsp dried English mustard

prepare all ingredients (beware of grating fingers whilst doing the apples and tissues to the ready for the onions) mix in large non metallic bowl with sugar, mustard s & P pour over vinegar and stir ( I use malt vinegar).Cover bowl and leave for 24 hours before pouring into clean jars and cover with screw top lids or cellophane type. This will need to mature for about 1 month before it's ready to eat.

I do hope you like it.

Comments

Glad you're back and still pretending that you're hair doesn't always look like that!
And you visited Balamory did you meet Josie Jump and Susie Sweet? x

Posted by: jayne | 10/01/2006 at 01:03 PM

Gorgeous!

Most bloggers would just present the striking views. I love that we get to hear how difficult the views were to get to!
-feel like I've excercised today myself now.

Posted by: blackbird | 10/01/2006 at 01:35 PM

Wow, love the photos. Especially Tobermory and Skye. Thanks for the recipe. Just experienced another massive thunderstorm and downpour on the coast here. Are you watching Jane Eyre?

Posted by: Zoe | 10/01/2006 at 02:05 PM

welcome back!!! you were missed.
the views are amazing, and the chutney sounds wonderful - it's got dates so it must be... and, yes, that is some hair you got, lady.

Posted by: stephanie s | 10/01/2006 at 04:17 PM

Thank you for this wonderful photos. I know Tobermory from photos. In 1993 we made holidays on Skye.

Sigrun

Posted by: Sigrun | 10/01/2006 at 07:04 PM

i was wondering where you were- lucky! how beautiful. i love looking at all the photos. thanks for posting. and what is that sugar that is in your chutney recipe>
becky

Posted by: Becky | 10/02/2006 at 03:19 PM

OOhh, ive missed you W!!! Love the photos - sounds wonderful! Were you in Glasgow?
Isnt Tobemory - Balamory - the childrens progam on BBC?? Its looks just like it!!!
And the chutney sounds great!
Speak to you soon xxx

Posted by: julie | 10/02/2006 at 06:35 PM

what a wonderful holiday! the pictures are just great - I love the cows on Mull - life on Mull certainly goes at their pace! well done for the mammoth walk up Glencoe - and welcome back from the north!

Posted by: katie | 10/03/2006 at 09:08 AM

Those photographs are so beautiful, I am determined to holiday up there one of these days. You are right about cobweb blowing winds, I love that feeling, fills me with vigour.

Posted by: Rebecca | 10/03/2006 at 02:35 PM

Your hair? Lovely! ;) I think the windswept look is great.

The photos were gorgeous. I am so jealous. I'd love to have gone.

I know about translating for the husband.....I do that sometimes. And yeah, my accent gets quite pronounced when I go home. So I relate to the tale about your dad.

Posted by: Marmite Breath | 10/03/2006 at 06:16 PM

Just got a bag of apple from my mom so chtteny is a must, thanks for the recipe.
I think I'm heading for Scotland next summer...we want to stay in the "pineapple castle" Will you email me with a must see list of the favorite sights you went to ?

Posted by: carolyn | 10/04/2006 at 06:37 AM