The Evening after the morning before and some of the afternoon before the evening before the morning after

These two weren't on Lord of the Glens but  maybe I didn't meet everybody

So far all the posts have contained pictures from my phone.The next post will contain all the ones from my camera

The last post ended with our return to Muirtown Locks but failed to include :-
Photos of My Trip to The Bridge

Loch Ness from The Bridge

Our Outing with Brian the Hotel Manager
The last evening party

This is partly due to technical difficulties and partly due alcohol. Nobody's perfect.

My Trip to the Bridge

Tony, the First Officer explains all

An old ship's wheel so that idiot passengers can pretend to steer for the benefit of the camera. I think Ken looks like Noel Coward in the Cruel Sea

Brian decides on a new style for his Zimmer

I look nonchalant which is French for I don't have a chalant

   

Loch Ness

 

                                                                                                           

Loch Ness again

Back at Muirtown, Brian Copeland, the Hotel Manager and damn nice fella mentioned in earlier posts announced that if anyone is interested in a short walk to see an exhibition on** the Titanic he will be leaving in 20 minutes. Now Brian has done a terrific job all week and in normal circumstances one would have no hesitation in following him to the ends of the earth....well Muirtown anyway. However it would be true that his track record (and I use the term advisedly) on short walks and the definition thereof has not been too brilliant. To be fair it was only one occasion and as I said above Nobody's Perfect.

** Actually it was about the Titanic rather than on it which was a comfort to those of us not too capable in a diving bell.

We went ,of course,and it wasn't too far though the sharp and freezing wind coupled with the absence of my hat meant that I discovered frozen orifices about my person of which I had previously been unaware and my brain felt like it does when you rush a lolly

The exhibition was a collection of memorabilia from and about the Titanic. A vast amount of stuff that was too much to take in. But I did enjoy it, especially the film section. I have an interest in film history and was surprised to learn that there were at least 20 feature films on the Titanic story, 14 tv films and innumerable documentaries. The man who owns/runs/organises the exhibition told me there were so many because it was an obsession with many people. Believe me this guy knows all about obsession and I happily coughed up a few quid for the collection. 

http://www.odditycentral.com/news/man-builds-100-foot-replica-of-the-titanic-in-his-backyard.html

The 10:1 model of the Titanic.

Alan and Jane (nb Docrera) studying Titanic memorabilia

Brian prepares his followers for the Great Inverness
Chicken Run across the road. "It's all safe he cries.No trains coming"

The Final Evening
After returning from the Titanic adventure and having established there was nowhere within walking distance of the ship to get a gargle-nay bother-we packed and got dressed for dinner. This is necessary as being the last night they don't like you b-----k naked which is understandable mainly because of Health and Safety and the soup being so hot. Nothing worse than being scalded by the cockaleekie.
Much favourable comment about my dicky but  no photograph.

Bubbly in the bar-sadly the Scottish Dancing had to be cancelled because of illness-apparently they were reel sick (ho ho) but nay matter. Hope they are all well soon.

The food has been wonderful all week. properly cooked, beautifully presented and great variety. 10/10 for catering. The waitresses were superb, efficient without being superior and obligingly laughing at the usual inane comments that people make. Not on our table of course. It's just what they told me about the rest of you.

To start we had vegetable soup which was delicious

Haggis



 Beef





then Sticky Toffee Pudding (David's favourite) or Cheese
No photo-no room

The Haggis was piped in by a lady Bagpiper (if that's a term -sounds like a bagladypiper to me but she was very good and good to look at!) and then Brian C did Burns' Ode to the Haggis-rather well I thought, with great assistance from one of the guys from the kitchen. Very entertaining.

Brian then made a speech on how the trip had been for him and apparently we weren't too bad a mob.

Adrian, very eloquently, proposed a toast of thanks to the Crew who had so ably and so cheerfully made our trip so memorable and then asked me to do the" three cheers" as he couldn't remember the order of the words but I happily obliged and all assembled joined in enthusiastically.
Well done Adrian

In his speech Ady reminded us all how privileged we were to have such a wonderful week and this prompts me to remind anyone interested in the mission that Pam is currently visiting in Uganda can visit the site www.teamsonline.org  and if they have anything left after settling their bar bill then good on you.

A very pleasant night in the bar watching my table indulge whilst I lectured on the demon drink. Sorry....that should be lemon drink.
Lots of jokes and banter and even the normally shy Brian was able to stammer out the odd witticism.

Brian, Cath, Pat and Jenni
Ken, Pat and David

The following three photos are courtesy of David and Jenni and were added after publishing this post. What a jolly crew.

Whether Adrian and I have been lucky on this first cruise I don't know but we do seem to have met a terrific bunch of people all with a good sense of humour. I so envy them that.
And so to bed-like the Seven Dwarfs-feeling Happy, alongside the Doc. and waking up Grumpy.

Postscript.
During the night I heard Adrian harrumphing round the cabin I assumed on a visit to the usual offices. On waking he explained he had spilt a little of his cocoa but not much. When I put my glasses on I thought I had gone blind so if I ignored anyone in the morning it was because my lenses were still smeared in cocoa. Could be worse I knew a chap whose wife trod on his Horlicks and he couldn't ride his bike for a fortnight.

Paid the bar bill-£180 -so Ken and Brian were using my cabin number after all -but I understand and I don't blame the Prize Bar Steward, Gordon, cos he has to respect his elders-and Gawd are they elder!. I know David didn't cos he's a boater and by definition a gent.

 A good breakfast and baggage on the dockside. Into a cab and off to the airport with Huw and Claire, so good company to the end.
Home to snow and happy memories.

Thank you everybody-from the Captain downwards, Brian Copeland and his team, every passenger I met and the lucky ones I didn't.  And of course, the Clerk of the Weather and the wonderful Caledonian Canal-a dream fulfilled.
You all made it a terrific holiday.

Oh and thanks to Adrian for being so short of mates he had to ask me. Cheers Ady.

Would I recommend Lord of the Glens to anyone else?

Definitely!

The Morning after the Night Before and the Evening before the Morning After

A good time last night with lots of laughter and good company. Oh and Brian was there as well. Pictured below with Cath his wife for 50 years. So sad. Such a nice lady.
The main event last night was Pat and Ken's 48th. We organised a card and the ship came up with a cake. All very jolly.
A moment for silent prayer after dinner where Pat, Ken, Cath, Brian, David, Jenny, Adrian and I were joined by Claire and Huw from Cardiff and James and Catherine from Glasgow for a discussion on nuclear physics.....or something I can't remember. It was great to be joined by some younger people with a pulse.
David and Jenni have a boat ( JenilkaG the Third on the Lancaster canal. I have met another couple (Alan and Jane) who have a narrowboat (Docrera) on the Calder and Hebble so I'm not the only member of the Elsan Fraternity on board.
Breakfast at 8 30 (feeling less than sparkling) and on the move at 9 30 through Kytra lock. A covering of ice on the canal but a bright morning.
Down to Fort Augustus before lunch and before crossing Loch Ness.

Ken and Pat

Clarie and Huw

Pat and Ken are reunited with the son stolen by gypsies.

Cath and Brian

Adrian astounded me by asking Gordon for a Laphraiog whisky at 10 45 a m! As he has always disliked whisky it good that he has found one he likes. Clouding over as travel down the locks at FA so Loch Ness could stir up my kipper The First Officer invited me to the bridge but I explained I only play cribbage and he went off muttering.

Ken and Pat

David and Jenni

Ice on canal at Kytra

Gordon the Prize Bar Steward

Catherine and James

Crossing L Ness had a tour of the Bridge which was great with the Captain and First Officer explaining the instruments. They had to keep it simple as Ken and Brian were there but I thoroughly enjoyed it. As it turned out the cloud lifted and the weather maintained its habit of clear, bright and cold round the Trossacks . Well my trossacks were bloody cold anyway! Back to Base at Muirtown locks and tonight's farewell party.

Adrian enjoys his morning Laophroig

Down the Locks at Fort Augustus to Loch Ness

Decisions. Decisions B-)

Wednesday and awoke to another sparkling day. Because of the hold up yesterday our timetable is in need of a tweak. The ship's hotel manager (a really nice fella called Brian who has a passing resemblance to golfer, Colin Montgomerie and works very hard to keep everybody happy) advises that we have two options. Stay on board till Laggan then a coach and train to the Glen Finnan viaduct and monument or stay on board, turning at Banavie and return toLaggan to pick up people from coach. A real dilemma as I came to do the canal but fancy the train ride. In the end I stayed on board and Ady went on the coach.
But to begin at the beginning. Excellent kipper for breakfast-a real treat-especially as we sat with Pat (a lovely lady) and Ken (no comment) Archer (pictured above) who celebrate 48 years married today. Congratulations,especially to Pat, who must be a most saintly soul and deserving of all our sympathy.

Left Fort Augustus along the canal to Loch Oich, the Laggan corridor which is gorgeous dropped the nuisances at Laggan Lock then across Loch Lochy turning sadly before reaching Banavie. The  trip curtailed because the bridge at Fort Augustus was busted. The joys of boating....mind you if it's  broken on the way back real fun will ensue.
(Photoshere and elsewhere on this trip are all from my phone as facilities to put camera shots on blog don't exist here. Will stick them on asap.)

Enjoyed a quiet beer in the ship 's bar manned by the excellent Gordon. Ken nearly bought me a drink but recovered his senses in time to avoid so doing. The sun is really quite warm as we pass Ben Nevis albeit the top is shrouded in mist. Recrossing  Loch  Lochy  (how unimaginative is that for a name? It's  like calling Ben Nevis "Mount Mounty ") I am looking out for the others as instructed by the tannoy . Very good team building amongst the passengers I thought but apparently he said "otters"!
The coach returned and lunch was served (Chicken Caesar salad-vg) and Adrian explained how because of a slight hiccough he had missed the train (after a 500 quid yomp )and along with others had grabbed a cab. Still managed to see the viaduct and the monument.

  

Left Laggan and carried on to Kyrtra lock for the night. Can't go any further because the waterways people pack up at 4 during the Winter.

A less reasonable man than myself might say well as their ****ing bridge threw us out of kilter the least they could do was half hour overtime to get us through to Fort Augustus but I am a very reasonable man.

And despite no pub Kyrta is a beautiful place to stop and in my opinion everyone is drinking far tooooo much anyway. Went for a walkabout and took a few photos including the interesting gear once used for opening the lock paddles and a Notice that suggests Camping and Defecation is a local pursuit. Hey ho its good we're not all the same. I've heard of loitering within tent but blimey ! A small tincture before dinner to keep out the cold would seem to be in order. 

A Wonderful day

An early (8am) start from Dromgarroch in sunny weather and a covering of snow. Stunning! Across Lock Dochfour, past Castle Urquhart and onto Lock Ness. All very beautiful.
Became a little disoriented at one point when looking out of a window I saw the Pope in Rome. I though this Captain is a rubbish navigator! Soon realised I was looking at the tv.
Reached Fort Augustus about 10 30 but had to moor in queue as swing bridge before flight of locks was jammed.
Went walkabout round F A and enjoyed pre lunch pint in the Bothy where amazingly we were joined by the same people we dined and whiskied with last night! Such a coincidence. Back to boat  3 course lunch (can't keep this up) and another spin round L Ness. Back to sweet F A by 4 (afternoon tea! I declined) and the bridge having beenrepaired went onward and upward to moor at the top of the flight. Beautiful moorings. And beautiful evening.Not where we were meant to be but nay matter as the FA ers say. I wonder if we'll hit the Bothy again? Oh Gawd and there's dinner still to come.
Everyone asleep (too much food) so went for a pre-dinner walk and pint at the Bothy . Lamb for dinner (my favourite ) and a quiet drink with friends? /nuisances before retiring for night. For the second night the last to bed. Am I an insomniac? I am definitely one Happychappy.