June 15th
In a week, the days will start getting longer! Here on the Isle of Skye, the days are reasonably long already. There’s light until ten in the evening, and in the morning, it’s impossible to wake up early enough to find it still dark. Hooray for the approaching midsummer celebration. Hopefully, everyone stays afloat… or on dry land.
This morning, I must have gotten up too quickly because my right side cramped up in a strange way. Fortunately, I had booked a massage therapist for myself—without knowing anything about the person’s qualifications. After breakfast, we drove to her practice. A mother of three greeted us in a workspace connected to her home. I shared my history, the operations I’ve had, etc., as one usually does on a first visit to a professional. When she started working, my doubts about her skills vanished immediately. I’ve only received such high-quality treatment in Finland before. What a session! She started nearly half an hour earlier than my appointment and the whole thing lasted about an hour and a half. And the price was indeed reasonable. I added a bonus to her fee. She was truly worth it—absolutely! The entire day after the treatment was remarkably positive—almost like walking around in a new body! Keep this in mind if you come to Scotland. Near the bridge to the island, on the mainland side: Seawind Massage Clinic; Kyle of Lochalsh, Kyle. It can be found on Google Maps too!
While working, she chatted with me and, upon hearing about our activities in Tanzania, she told me about her friend Terry. Terry has organized a significant number of computers for schools in various African countries (http://cfa.webmate.me/CFA/Welcome.html). Eva saved Terry’s address (Craig Highland Farm) and we headed there immediately. The journey itself was an experience. It’s worth leaving the larger roads here and driving along these single-track roads with passing places to get to spots where excessive tourism hasn’t ruined the charm. Terry and Patty’s place was just such a spot. Chickens, a couple of roosters, cats, and ducks ran around, all mostly in harmony. One rooster was a bit bossy, but the others were quite gentle creatures. All in all, an absolutely amazing place—a real haven for forest trolls. I tried to see if I could spot any elves peeking around….
After having coffee and sharing some of our own experiences, we thanked our hosts, bought a dozen duck and chicken eggs, bid them farewell, and hurried back to Tellu to avoid the approaching rain.
Next, we headed to the nearby harbor village of Plockton, intending to find a place for lunch. Fish & chips were on offer! We’ve had our fair share of those, so we decided to move on to larger villages to look for other options. We searched quite earnestly for a while only to conclude that a visit to the local co-op for some supplies was a much better and cheaper option. We drove to our night’s accommodation with our provisions, boiled six duck eggs, shared a seafood salad, and had some bread rolls on the side.
Satisfied, we decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and went for an evening drive along the western coast of the island. Eva had noticed the weather forecast promising some significant rains for the next few days. Tellu purrs quite nicely even up steep hills as long as you keep the revs above two thousand. There were plenty of hills and breathtaking scenery all the way to exhaustion. In the evening, we managed to reach the campsite before the gate closed. Now we wait to see what kind of rain tomorrow will bring!