June 17th
Quiz for readers! What is Ben Nevis?
a) A Scotch whisky
b) A famous sprinter
c) The highest peak in Scotland
d) The name of a historical movie
Among those who answer correctly, we will raffle off a front-row seat to our next Arusha benefit concert!
We’re starting to see a little travel fatigue in the team. The best sign is that when we turn towards home, the mood brightens up even in the rain! The morning was a bit drizzly. Over coffee, things got a little better.
Today we visited a distillery called Torabhaig near the southeastern tip of the Isle of Skye. Eva didn’t join the guided tour and tasting. I went, and it was a pretty good decision. I learned a lot about making barley liquor all at once. And of course, the tour price included a tasting of the house’s products. The eastern coast of Scotland is rainy enough that the barley from this region isn’t suitable for whisky production. They apparently source their barley from the drier eastern side. I wonder if some distilleries use Finnish barley? Maybe I should ask AI or crowd intelligence! (Ping Mixi) There was quite a difference between the 3-year-old and 5-year-old whiskies. And apparently, an enlightened taster cuts their drink with a little water!
With a bit of whisky in me, I started driving towards home… meaning Finland. Of course, we’ll make several more stops along the way, but right now, it feels like the hard drive is full of experiences and landscapes. I need to sort it out a bit…
We looked for a lunch spot along the way and found one. We decided together that the menu had to offer something other than fish & chips. Otherwise, we’d pull over and make pasta or pea soup! We found a rest stop with lentil soup on the menu. Eva ordered that right away, and I got a chicken sandwich with salad and chips. I’m soon going to start dreaming of new potatoes and herring!
In the evening, we found accommodation at a campsite near the town of Glencoe (Red Squirrel Campsite), nestled by a small, clear river beneath the magnificent mountains. It’s a peaceful place, and the hosts seem quite nice. We did some back and forth trying to find a free spot where the local wifi would reach. When we couldn’t find one, we settled for an otherwise nice place. We’ll update the blog from the office later.
For dinner, we got strawberries, blueberries, latte milk, hot chocolate milk, and a warm fresh bread. I even bought some cream in case we get the urge to make pancakes tomorrow. Until then – usiku mwema! (Good night!)