Saturday 17th -- across Arran

Here's something very clever:

Every so often I shave. As well as the usual shaving gear, I require a good light and a mirror. The last two places have had both... except for the "good". The light is always above the mirror. When I look at my face in the mirror -- the light from above creates shadows where I want to shave. Well...

Lagg Hotel has a light above the mirror -- and the mirror tilts! I tilt the mirror and can see my face -- with no shadows. So simple. So brilliant.

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This morning, we drive across Arran, from Lagg to Brodick. Google maps shows a road along the north coast, a road along the south coast, a road across the middle. If you know where to look, and zoom in close, you can convince Maps to show you another road across, a bit south of the obvious middle road. GMaps is useless at showing road options across "long" distances, as you zoom out, roads disappear -- and are not used in route selection.

We follow the "hidden" road, from Blackwaterfoot to near Brodick. It's a nice easy road -- compared to the twisty coastal route! Even better, this road takes us directly to the ferry terminal. We will use this road on Monday.

Today, our drive across Arran is easy. There's a lot of single lane with passing places but we pass just six vehicles in about 20 km. Easy :-) Though one was a truck, that made me sit up and take notice... and extra care.

We visit Brodick Castle, now a National Trust property. It's magnificent! Deb says, It's nice to see how the other half live. The other .001%, I say.

The owners -- for the last few centuries -- were the richest family in Britain. And top nobility. One lord travelled the world collecting expensive souvenirs. Back home he would then have his souvenirs set in gold and silver settings. A more recent lord bought race-horses which never won. He lost the family fortune, a generation later and the government took the castle as death duties.

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There's a bit of original castle, a solid lump designed to be defended. Well, not quite original, one or two earlier castles failed the defence and were razed. In more peaceful times the very rich lord extended the castle -- made it three times as big. The new part is less castle, more a very fancy hunting (and entertaining) lodge.

We go through the castle. It's full of amazing stuff, with lots of explanation.

We reach the butler's pantry, he has a lot of work, a lot of responsibility. Down a narrow staircase -- to the kitchen. Wow! It's huge... what more can I say?!

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We walk through the gardens. The massive beds of fuschias. Lawns, trees, flowers. The formal walled garden, the less formal woods. We walk along a forest trail, find a cache, walk back.

There's one shower of rain, otherwise fine and sunny. We eat lunch at the castle cafe (a separate, new building). Then we drive home -- along the road that google does show.

The scenery along either road is excellent :-)

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Back to our hotel. Coffee in the cafe. I would like to collapse on a soft sofa in one of the lounge areas but they are all occupied. ie there are some other people in each room. Back to our own room, relax until dinner. Which is delicious.

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A very short stroll after dinner, across the road to the "other" garden area. We spot another brilliant innovation:

There are compost bins, plastic, looking like upside-down rubbish bins, we have one at home. These ones have an opening, a door, at the bottom. As the leaves etc compost -- you can dig out compost from the bottom! Then add more material at the top. Continuous composting... brilliant!

To get compost from the bottom of our own bin we have to empty the whole thing. We decide that we will start a business, importing these bins into Australia.

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And that's the end for today. Tomorrow we plan a couple of walks starting near the hotel. Today, now... sleep.

====    Dr Nick Lethbridge  /  Consulting Dexitroboper
             Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
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"I would like to think it's possible to construct a society where our orders don't involve slaughtering our own people." ...Gen. Khiruev via Yoon Ha Lee

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dying for you to read my blog: notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au :-)
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