I've kind of gotten out of the way of telling stories of where we've been... thought I'd change that with this.
Last Friday we [ Olly, Dayna, Miriam, Pippin & I ] took a wee trip to the Kingdom of Fife and I really wanted to share it with you. We needed the opportunity to get away from everything and recharge our batteries... to seek inspiration and just rest.
We stayed here - 5 miles outside Cupar in Fife and right bang in the middle of nowhere... it was pitch black at night_ we needed to put the car lights on just so we could walk the dog before we went to bed.
For more pics... go here.
Tx
We stayed here - 5 miles outside Cupar in Fife and right bang in the middle of nowhere... it was pitch black at night_ we needed to put the car lights on just so we could walk the dog before we went to bed.
Location was perfect for townies like us... nothing but the varied quilt that is farmland_ shapes in green... brown... yellow... instead of grey & black. Beautiful.
We stopped off in Cupar (pictured at the top) for a wee while on the Friday before venturing to the cottage. Cupar is a fab wee town with some interesting shops (picked up the Gladiator soundtrack and "Loveless" by My Bloody Valentine in a charity shop there). It is a rural hub... in fact, it is the rural hub for many a mile in all directions.
The cottage itself was lovely... a wee swing and a sandpit for the we'ans... 2 bedrooms... log fire... leather suite and a really bad mobile phone reception. A reception so bad I commented to Olly that it was up and down more often than a whore's knickers to which she replied that I was vulgar... that was an awful thing to say... and she didn't think whores wore knickers for efficiency's sake. I was duly chastised.
On the Friday night... we headed over to Anstruther on the coast. Its a fantastic fishing village with one of the best fish & chip shops in Scotland (if not the world). We grabbed a couple of fish suppers... ate them in the car (cheaper and less time to wait)... then headed out for a donder around the harbour.
I love walking around a working harbour... seeing sights that I wouldn't normally see... unless, that is, I was walking around a working harbour. We had a laugh and took in a great deal of that infamous sea air... which knocked us all out pretty much as soon as the log fire was ablaze and the dog's need to piddle slaked.
The following morning... our room was filled with wonderfully glorious sunlight... the kind you read about and only witness now and again, especially in Motherwell.
We headed out to St Andrews for a donder round the shops. I picked up William Gibson's "all tomorrow's parties" at an outdoor secondhand bookstall and chatted with a Canadian lass who was mightily impressed with my choice of authors. We then had a fab coffee in Beanscene before heading to the beach.
It is the beach where they filmed sequences from "Chariots of Fire"... albeit... this is only important to someone who has seen the film. Playing the Vangelis soundtrack and imitating Eric Liddell only works if you get the cultural reference. Unfortunately, Olly & the we'ans hadn't seen the film.
The cottage itself was lovely... a wee swing and a sandpit for the we'ans... 2 bedrooms... log fire... leather suite and a really bad mobile phone reception. A reception so bad I commented to Olly that it was up and down more often than a whore's knickers to which she replied that I was vulgar... that was an awful thing to say... and she didn't think whores wore knickers for efficiency's sake. I was duly chastised.
On the Friday night... we headed over to Anstruther on the coast. Its a fantastic fishing village with one of the best fish & chip shops in Scotland (if not the world). We grabbed a couple of fish suppers... ate them in the car (cheaper and less time to wait)... then headed out for a donder around the harbour.
I love walking around a working harbour... seeing sights that I wouldn't normally see... unless, that is, I was walking around a working harbour. We had a laugh and took in a great deal of that infamous sea air... which knocked us all out pretty much as soon as the log fire was ablaze and the dog's need to piddle slaked.
The following morning... our room was filled with wonderfully glorious sunlight... the kind you read about and only witness now and again, especially in Motherwell.
We headed out to St Andrews for a donder round the shops. I picked up William Gibson's "all tomorrow's parties" at an outdoor secondhand bookstall and chatted with a Canadian lass who was mightily impressed with my choice of authors. We then had a fab coffee in Beanscene before heading to the beach.
It is the beach where they filmed sequences from "Chariots of Fire"... albeit... this is only important to someone who has seen the film. Playing the Vangelis soundtrack and imitating Eric Liddell only works if you get the cultural reference. Unfortunately, Olly & the we'ans hadn't seen the film.
After watching adult men zooming about on gokarts with kites... we headed to Dundee.
You could tell there was something magical in the September sunshine because even Dundee looked lovely. That said... the fashionistas were out in force... all looking remarkably like Karen O from the "yeah yeah yeahs". Not a bad thing, I don't suppose, beats Ugg boots and jogging bottoms any day of the week.
Later on... we drove down to Cowdenbeath to spend the evening with our dear friends... Yvonne & David. We went out to their local Indian restaurant for some amazing food. The service & the ambience was second-to-none... they really looked after us which made the night that wee bit more special.
You could tell there was something magical in the September sunshine because even Dundee looked lovely. That said... the fashionistas were out in force... all looking remarkably like Karen O from the "yeah yeah yeahs". Not a bad thing, I don't suppose, beats Ugg boots and jogging bottoms any day of the week.
Later on... we drove down to Cowdenbeath to spend the evening with our dear friends... Yvonne & David. We went out to their local Indian restaurant for some amazing food. The service & the ambience was second-to-none... they really looked after us which made the night that wee bit more special.
Afterwards, we went back to their house and set the world 'aright.
Sunday involved a long walk in the surrounding countryside...
then a wee trip to the coast via some fab backroads that held great visual treats... if you were looking:
We spent our time in Elie wandering around the harbour... the beach and the converted Granary.
We watched a rad kitesurfer catch a lot of air in the blustery wind... and wandered around surfaces that could have been used as the set for Dr Who circa Jon Pertwee.
I then parted company with Olly & we'ans... and went wandering on top of Ruby Bay... where I found the Lady's Tower. I spent so long photographing this fantastic tower that Olly & the we'ans got done what they were doing and joined me.
We then all headed to the nearby lighthouse...
I haven't done that much in Elie before... and was glad to this time. It is a truly beautiful part of the world... even with the high winds.
That night I got a log fire going... we ate pizza & garlic bread... and watched "Annie" on DVD. The girls hadn't seen it before and loved it. Another strong female role model for them. I then succumbed to the sea air again. I intended to finish "Twilight"... coulda/shoulda/woulda, I suppose.
On the Monday morning... we ate up, packed up and headed over to Kirkcaldy for a donder before leaving the Kingdom and heading home. In Kirkcaldy we met my Aunt Anne & her niece Gillian... and thus proved, both categorically and empirically, that it is actually a small world.
We had a wonderful break... were very blessed with the weather... and had a blast. I would recommend the cottage and the Kingdom to anyone seeking an away-from-it-all break. Its done me the world of good.
Sunday involved a long walk in the surrounding countryside...
then a wee trip to the coast via some fab backroads that held great visual treats... if you were looking:
We spent our time in Elie wandering around the harbour... the beach and the converted Granary.
We watched a rad kitesurfer catch a lot of air in the blustery wind... and wandered around surfaces that could have been used as the set for Dr Who circa Jon Pertwee.
I then parted company with Olly & we'ans... and went wandering on top of Ruby Bay... where I found the Lady's Tower. I spent so long photographing this fantastic tower that Olly & the we'ans got done what they were doing and joined me.
We then all headed to the nearby lighthouse...
I haven't done that much in Elie before... and was glad to this time. It is a truly beautiful part of the world... even with the high winds.
That night I got a log fire going... we ate pizza & garlic bread... and watched "Annie" on DVD. The girls hadn't seen it before and loved it. Another strong female role model for them. I then succumbed to the sea air again. I intended to finish "Twilight"... coulda/shoulda/woulda, I suppose.
On the Monday morning... we ate up, packed up and headed over to Kirkcaldy for a donder before leaving the Kingdom and heading home. In Kirkcaldy we met my Aunt Anne & her niece Gillian... and thus proved, both categorically and empirically, that it is actually a small world.
We had a wonderful break... were very blessed with the weather... and had a blast. I would recommend the cottage and the Kingdom to anyone seeking an away-from-it-all break. Its done me the world of good.
Tx
1 comment:
Enjoyable summary of your break. The East Neuk of Fife is simply fantastic. Glad you could all see and appreciate this area and meet friends and family as well.
Post a Comment