A Snowy Birthday in the Cairngorms

I recently celebrated a birthday and my beloved took me to the Mountain Cafe in Aviemore for their breakfast which we'd wanted to try for a while. Thankfully they serve breakfast until 11:30am which meant I didn't have to get out of bed too early - Aviemore is 53 miles away so with the snow and ice on the roads it took us just over an hour to get there.

The first order of business was a much needed latte as our milk had gone off at home so I was running on no caffeine which is never a good thing for the people around me.

It was lovely and warm in the cafe with the wood fire burning brightly. We were very lucky to get a table as soon as we arrived as the cafe is very popular. After we were seated people were having to wait quite a while and the staff give the waiting customers buzzers so that they know when the table is ready.

Ken had porridge with vanilla poached oranges, blackberry compote & toasted smashed hazelnuts which looked fabulous and I loved the bowl it was served in.

Whereas I had the very scrummy Tropical French Toast with chunks of eggy ciabatta with brown sugar, cinnamon & coconut baked pineapple, stewed raspberries, banana, pomegranate, a drizzle of syrup, crushed candied pecans & toasted coconut.

It was a perfect birthday breakfast especially as I had this gorgeous man sitting opposite me.

After our wonderful breakfast interlude we drove towards Cairngorm mountain to take Bramble Jelly for a walk in the snow - she loved it and kept trying to eat it.

Such a cutie and she was loving running through the snow covered undergrowth.

More posing in the snow - Ken said I was mean making her sit down in the cold, but as she was lying down in it by choice I thought it was okay.

 We then drove further up into the mountains and took a few photos of the beautiful landscape.

For the first time ever we were able to get a selfie with Bramble actually looking at the camera. Such a shame that we can't get one with both the furbies in the picture.

Our next stop as we came down from the mountains was at Loch Morlich which was frozen. It's the first time I've seen such a large expanse of water frozen, and it was amazing.

Ken standing on the loch - I was freaking out a little bit and telling him to stop and come back as I had visions of him falling through the ice.

When we got home, my choice of evening meal was fish and chips - a perfect meal to end my birthday celebrations with.

Until next time, be good, stay safe, and have a really lovely week.

Pamela & Ken

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Thunder in the Glens 2017

This weekend was the yearly meeting of thousands of Harley Davidson lovers at the 21st Thunder in the Glens in Aviemore - we attended last year as well and you can read about it here: Thunder in the Glens 2016. The day before we went to the actual rally we saw this man in a cafe we were visiting (just for a change) and I asked him if I could take a photo. He's never been to Saudi, a friend bought it for him - it was giving me and Ken cold shivers as we have both worked there in the past.

Thunder in the Glens is the biggest Harley Davidson rally in Europe and is held in Aviemore which is 40 miles from where we live. Last year there were over 4000 attendees so it's a huge boost to the local economy.

There's going to be lots of pictures of bikes now so sit back and enjoy.

Love the art on this bike - very gothic.

The paintjob on this bike is a forces commemorative one  and on the tank it has the words, 'not all wounds are visible....'

Is it just me or does the seat on this bike look really uncomfortable?

Great art on the above bike - it was different on each side but all had the same theme.

Whilst Harley Davidsons are the predominant bike, there are others like this mega Triumph - that engine is just ridiculous it's so big.

In amongst all the two wheeled works of art my beloved actually found a couple of cars to look at.

Around the town there are stages set up for entertainment and at night apparently it's quite the party atmosphere. This soloist was really good, singing Scottish/Irish themed songs. It was a really lovely day so perfect for sitting out with a drink to listen to the music.

This bike had lots of skulls featured in the details including on what I think might be the air filter (apologies if I'm totally wrong).

Very curvy bike with a very fat back wheel.

The fashion styles being sported were predominantly themed black with lots of leather. We did watch one couple get out of a car dressed in their full leathers as if they'd ridden bikes to the rally - very odd. There were also lots of dogs sporting the latest in biker doggy fashion including a leather jacket on a small dog. This gentleman was with three other people of the more mature variety and I thought their t-shirts were fittingly funny - it says Banchory Coffin Dodgers.

By now it was time for us to restore our energy with a coffee and cake break. We found the fabulous Mountain Cafe which is above an outdoor activities store and the cafe is run by a Kiwi, so a fellow antipodean. The cakes were absolutely amazing and we'll definitely be going back there.

As you walk around the town there is the constant rumble of Harley engines as they are riding up and down the main street.

A very unique bike that was a bit like the ratrod style of cars that Ken likes - it's got great paintwork and very interesting parts on the bike including a doll's head.

One of the power rangers must be in town - that's what this bike reminded me of.

All around Aviemore there are beautiful flower - I really liked this multitiered stand.

Some more bikes to enjoy.

You may have noticed that skulls are quite a popular theme when it comes to the bikes.

The winner of the 2017 Best Sportster - last year it was the winner of Best in Show.

The winner of the 2017 Best in Show. For those of you reading this that know about bikes, it's a 1462cc 89 cubic inch Sportster (whatever that means).

I absolutely adored this elephant that was on the side of one of the trade stall vans - this would look beautiful on a bed quilt.

This was an interesting trade stall, Team Beard has products for looking after beards but also lots of clothing, pet apparel, and accessories with the emblem on it.

If you look closely at the bikes you'll often find really interesting little features, just like the notice on this bike - it's quite a small part of the bike so I've enlarged it for you.

On the way home we passed lots of bikes who had been out for rides including this large group.

We stopped to enjoy the beauty of the heather across the moors - it's such a lovely purpleness before your eyes. The photos never do the colour justice but believe me when I tell you it's gorgeous.

Don't panic, we didn't have a freak snowstorm on the way home, I've included this picture because I took this one in the same spot in March this year as the one below it - such a contrast.

Here we are, my hair is trying to blend in with the heather.

The other thing we encountered on the way home was a proper Highlands traffic jam.

We hope you've enjoyed this visit to Thunder in the Glens 2017 - it's a really great event and if you're a fan of Harleys then you should definitely try and come one year.

Until next time, be good, stay safe, and have a wonderful week.

Pamela & Ken
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