Stephen was the only one required to be up early today – something about having to go to work and earn a living. Like that’s important! 😉 I was the only one up to see him off and enjoyed a peaceful cup of tea while everyone caught up on some sleep. Frank joined me later and after quick showers, we wandered down the beach road to the local convenience store to buy sugar – an essential supply for the Cannon family to have tea; surprisingly the Bargh family doesn’t take sugar (actually they don’t really drink tea which makes me wonder if we’re really related.) It was a gorgeous morning with brilliant sunshine and a cool breeze coming in off the Atlantic, a lovely break from the heat of Spain.
Eventually, the rest of the house stirred and the day began. Coffee in the sunshine of the back garden while the teens got ready for the bi-annual rock diving expedition. Apparently what started as a lark four years ago has become a tradition and the kids felt the need to jump off the rocks at Barassie Beach. Luckily it was screaming sunshine and nearly 70 F (quite balmy if you ignored the breeze off the ocean!) After jumping and swimming in incredibly cold water, the teens felt the need to get ice cream at the Marina Cafe – owned by the family of my dear friend Lorena, whom I have known since I was 10. I stopped by to say hello as well and it was as if we had just seen each other a few weeks ago. How I love the connections of youth that carry on into one’s older years!
We then spent a good deal of the afternoon having tea and biscuits (not me, but everyone else) in the back garden of my Auntie Alice’s house. She was my mom’s best friend when they were growing up and the real root of the Cannon-Bargh relationship. Although it started with my mom and Alice and then continued with their oldest daughters (me and Fran), it has now been truly cemented with the first round of grandchildren, regardless of whether they are 3rd or 4th cousins.
A quick stop at the grocery store to bolster the alcohol and GF supplies, and we were in the Bargh’s garden again barbequing lamb and kebabs. Eventually the sun faded a bit and that’s when we noticed the sunburns: what we had successfully evaded in the scorching sun of Spain by the relentless application of sunscreen, we succumed to in Scotland by the naive assumption that sunscreen was unnecessary. (Who gets sunburned in Scotland for heaven sake?)
Loads of aloe vera cream was applied before the teens headed out to the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the grownups worked to support the European wine industry. Rumor has it that we are getting up early to hike the highest hill on the Isle of Arran. We’ll see how that goes.
Three things we noticed today:
- Family sticks regardless of the circumstances. We may be separated by time, distance, and cirmstances but watching our kids act like they see each other every day makes lots of things worth it.
- Right hand drive takes time to get used to even if you grew up with it. Frank was the first one to admit that he’s glad he won’t have to drive here until we’ve had a few days to adjust. If he had to navigate the roundabout outside Prestwick Airport last night, we’d be toast.
- Sunny and cool in Scotland is the perfect antidote to hot and sticky in DC. And we’ve been told the reverse is also true.
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