Day 89 – 10.10.2015

Countdown Scotland T-6 days and counting.

Pain. Applecross.

Painful it was getting to sleep last night. Painful the night was. And it was even more painful waking up this morning. So I started the full Monty again: Arnica cream, Arnica globules. Paracetamol. Hot bathtub for 25 minutes. Hot water bottle under my bum. And walking like a 95 year old lady, knowing I might insult any fit and healthy 95 year old lady right now. But it is so annoying apart from being really painful that there has to be a permanent solution.

Anyway, I got my family sorted, told them what to do and finally we could leave home to drive over to the West coast of Scotland to Applecross.

168 km in 2:33 hours was the planning. But if you see such beauty on the way, it all takes longer and longer. Now if you ever come to Scotland, or if you are already here, there is really one thing you need to do during the summer months, and that is to take this street from Turnapress to Applecross, the Bealach na Ba Road. But let’s be clear about it. This is nothing for Learners and Nerveous Drivers. 

This pass comes pretty close to some of the passes in Switzerland. And like those one this street is closed during the bad weather season.

And although the drive is at times tricky, the view is so amazing that I would do it again at any time. 

Shortly before sunset we arrived in Applecross in our youth hostel. When we were in the driveway we met the receptionist, who in autumn and winter leaves at 6 pm the office. But trust is here so big, she just left an envelope with the keys at the reception and said she would see us in the morning.

We had been recommended the Applecross Inn for eating seafood. So we went there and we were obviously not the only ones who had heard about the place. It was packed and we had to wait to get a table. When we finally had one, with our pints in our hands, which actually was my very first pint in these three months, we had a huge menu to choose from. Everything from mussels, to cod, haddock, prawns, … Alina wanted to have mussels and was so much looking forward to them, so that when the waitress came to tell her that the mussels were sold out, she was deeply disappointed. Anyhow, this is a place that we can really highly recommend. The food is fantastic. The portions are huge. The atmosphere pub-like. We had Sophie from London joining our table and talked about Dubai, life coaching, civil engineering, kids and life in genera. Thank you Sophie for sharing your dessert with my children. Alina finished it 🙂