Fitties Footdee Flybe

I am not sure I was 'early to rise' this morning, or if I was just 'late to bed' as it felt I had never actually slept. In bed by midnight but up by 04:30 for the early Flybe to Aberdeen.

I guess I must have slept at some point, as I recalled having a nightmare of watching from the ground as an airliner circles overhead before crashing into the next valley. Not exactly the greatest start to the day, it has to be said.

Just in case, before setting off, I decided I had better check online that my annual travel insurance policy has been renewed (it had - with a £2m payout to MrsB to keep her in the manner to which she is would like to be accustomed!).

As it happened of course, I made it to Aberdeen intact. I even managed to present my strategy report and get out of that alive as well. This then left me a few hours to while away before the flight back tonight.

I had been meaning to visit the fishermen's 'tarry sheds' or 'Fitties' at Footdee at the northern mouth of the harbour for ages. I went for a stroll there, and was not disappointed. This is easily my favourite part of Aberdeen. Something about it reminds me of Christiania in Copenhagen, though this vernacular is less alternative and anarchic, and much more fun and folk-arty. Simply wonderful.

Getting peckish, I then started looking around for a little cafe, but nothing doing. I did however spot the a la carte Siver Darling restaurant on the quayside. Blow it, I thought, I deserve a treat after all that graft. Sadly though, it had closed at 13:45. No delicious Herrings for me then - or so it seemed.

Heading back to the airport later on I spotted a Polish Supermarket sign in Polish , so headed in there and came out with some coconut chocolates for MrsB. I also couldn't resist some Roll-Mop for a late lunch. Slightly difficult to eat, it has to be said, but they served a need.

Waiting now for my flight back, and trying not to think of the storyline of that awful film with Richard Burton called The Medussa Touch.

Postscript: Lots of great photos today, and problem is my Blipfolio is bursting to full so am going to have to do something (anybody out there know how to increase it?) I will look into Flikr, but maybe I will set up my own separate blog on Blogger. Meantime, take a look at this humungous anchor sitting next to my hire car; or this absolutely beautiful pair of Clydesdale heavy horses that stood dead-still in tandem as I approached them from 50 metres away and never budged at all, in all the time I was photographing them