Next Time!

"If you get it wrong you'll get right next time..Next Time!"

Our youngest son S commented that today was unfolding a bit like one of my favourite Gerry Rafferty songs which he has clearly heard looping round too many times in the car. As always with S his observation was a wise and accurate one. (I was slightly enthused by his awareness of this great song and I asked if he knew who sung it; a hesitant "Was it the Beatles?"

I probably had the same conversation with my own Dad and didn't know it was Al Jolson.

We had booked a boat trip for this morning earler in the week. Working our timetable to meet with the 10.00 am set off meant that M and I had an early start to get the dogs walked and back to the digs before going to the harbour.

On arrival we learned that the boat had broken down with no indication of an early repair. The competitor next door at the pier gleefully accepted our alternative booking for tomorrow and could not resist throw away comments about the other vessel breaking down again and that how his boat was skippered by an extremely well qualified master. Watch this space tomorrow.

A big gap in the day now opened up for us and we decided to head, with the dogs, for the spacious looking (on the map) beach at Naast. The grazing land behind the beach had a large population of sheep and there was no physical barrier between this land and the sand. We didn't even bother getting out of the car. "....Next Time!"

Udrigle a short drive up the coast did however provide more opportunity although it attracted many people.

Our odd timetable had put us in to a hungry time of day and our collective bellies were rumbling, Soup and a roll, or a bacon roll would do fine somewhere. There was a big sign earlier for the Ocean View Hotel at Laide (open for snacks today) and we drove along to it; a hand written sign on the locked up door said "No food today".

Next, we drove to Poolewe and tried a promising little cafe. Admittedly our boys are still on the fussy side when it comes to anything unusual and the menu was beyond them. We had to embarrassingly leave and I explained we were just needing a bacon roll or something simple.

To my surprise (I'll not say horror) M suggested the NTS cafe at Inverewe Gardens. My view of these places is always of low quality food at very high prices. "It can't be that bad" but it was. "Next Time!"

We drove back to the well stocked village shop at Gairloch, filled a basket and had our own wholesome better value lunch at the holiday house.

This is Caley enjoying the Udrigle surf.