Logie Day Two

Suzanne's favorite cap rack.
Entrance to Logie House
One, two, three barrels.

Storage

Lorraine

Findhorn River

Haiku by Suzanne:

Dapple-gray mare with rider
Moving down the morning road,
In the sun.

July 25 (road to Logie Estate, near Forres, Scotland)

The next morning, Suzanne got up to run and I slept in. We had all of these grand ideas of seeing Findhorn, Inverness, a castle, do a few whiskey tastings, etc. But it was like I had cement legs. I was BEAT. We finally decided no, driving all over was not what we wanted. So we went downstairs and had some cereal and yogurt and relaxed. Panny was working on the land and we could hear Alastair busy on the phone so we went online and checked in with people.

It's weird being on vacation and hearing about things back home. It feels as if we are in a completely different world. So I say, everyone needs to take a vacation at least once a year. Even if it's camping at the nearest lake or staying in a hotel in town. Something happens to you. Deadlines don't exist, responsibility is limited, the colors are more vivid and details distinct. You sssslow dooooown.

Later, we walked down the lane to the steading and perused the shops and artwork. We saw a woman rolling felt into scarves and a very friendly man re-rushing a chair. We sniffed candles that smelled like hot chocolate, tried on hand-knit wrist warmers, read Scottish poetry and ate a delicious lunch of steak sandwiches, fresh salads and crisps at the cafe. Ooh, and then we split a pot of peppermint tea and some scones. Yummy.

After a well-needed rest for me and a walkabout for Suz, we decided to rally and head to Forres and the Benromach Whiskey Distillery, only about 8 miles away. We got there just in time for the last tour of the day. We first watched a short video of the history of the place and then went around back to see how it goes from malted barley to a clear liquid that then gets put into oak casks for years. Btw, did you know that the color of the whiskey comes 100% from the oak casks? I didn't. A huge storage area held every last drop of the whiskey. From the first cask, signed by Prince Charles (he just signed it, "Charles". Like Madonna or Cher. Cheeky.) to the most recent batch. I liked hearing that. It doesn't get sent away to the big city to age, all parts of the process happen right there in Forres.

After the tour we were invited to come inside to taste a "wee dram". Woo, what a flavor. Very good. And the cool thing was that our tour guide had us taste the scotch straight from the bottle, and then she added a couple of drops of water and had us taste it again. It really changed in taste and aroma. Delicious. And STRONG. I am glad I had only a tiny bit. There's just no driving after two. As we were heading back to the steading to interview a woman who worked at the cafe, my face felt like it was on fire. haha. They should have a warning on the bottle.. may cause hot flashes.

Before I forget. The rule with single malt scotch, according to Benromach: don't add ice, it kills the flavor. Now I know.

The interview with Lorraine went really well. I love, love the Scottish accent. It makes me smile. Funny enough, we had to search out a Scottish woman to interview. A lot of the women we encountered outside of Edinburgh were English.

We got back to the house and went our separate ways. I decided to check out the River Findhorn right there behind the house. It was beautiful. And red of all things. Panny said it was because of the peat earth. I had fun wading in the water, skipping rocks and taking photos.

That night for dinner, we ate a gorgeous salmon plucked from that river just the day before. Can't get much fresher than that. Suz and I went to the gardens with Panny to cut some artichokes too. I want to be able to pluck food from my backyard and eat it for dinner! Closest thing I could do is a container garden. Along with the fish and 'chokes came beets, potatoes and berries with cream for dessert. yum yum yum.

While cleaning up, we were able to talk with Panny. She asked about Susan and the kids, and about my coaching. I can tell she really loves what she does there. She is perfectly happy in the gardens and hanging with the horses. Suz and I interviewed her after dinner and learned more about their kids. What it must have been like to grow up in that house! I'm sure many games of hide and seek happened. As well as games of croquet on that lawn.

Soon it was time for bed and I was sad to think we would be leaving for Cambo the next day.