DAY TRIP TO ABERFELDY

Jeanette invited me to accompany her on a trip to Aberfeldy, where she had to conduct some business. We decided to make a day of it and have lunch on the way. There was a hard frost this morning and driving through the glen was beautiful on such a sunny day, until we hit fog and thereafter could see nothing much at all:



Lunch was homemade mushroom soup at the Legends of Grand Tully, which also doubles as the most amazing chocolate shop called Highland Chocolatier which specialises in gourmet truffles and spiced pralines. The workmanship literally made the chocoloates look too good to eat and I was grateful that I do not have a sweet tooth, not least because such delights come at a high price.

As with many shops tucked into small hamlets and off side roads, this establishment had a huge array of locally made gifts. It also boasted a welcoming cafe decorated with witches on broomsticks (not real ones) and walls covered in clocks of all different shapes and sizes. I fell in love with a clock about half a metre in diameter decorated with pictures of playing cards - yes I know it sounds weird but it was actually very tasteful in French provincial style. We do not have a wall big enough for it, not would it fit into my already overladen suitcase, so with great reluctance I left it still mounted between a pendulum clock and a cuckoo clock.

Paul advised me that just outside Aberfeldy is the best wine merchant in the area. He reinforced on two or three occasions that I must remember to visit it, so I could not disappoint him. In fact, I decided I would choose an Australian wine as a thank you for all the games of golf he has shouted me at his club whilst I've been here. Despite being a very small wine merchant it was excellently well stocked with Australian wines and I found him what I hope will be a very nice Petaluma 2002 Chardonnay.

On my shopping list was wrapping paper and ribbon for Best Wrapped Secret Santa Gift. I also had it in mind to buy a different gift because the one I have already purchased is a round tin of biscuits which I think will be fearfully difficult to wrap in an elegant way. Not that I think I stand any chance of winning the prize against a village full of craft enthusiasts but I couldn't bear the look of dismay on the recipient's face when they see they have ended up with the Worst Wrapped Secret Santa Gift. In the end I decided on a square tin of biscuits and gave my parcel my best shot!


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