How to go for a walk…

…Will, Anna, Becky, Hannah, Josh and Rachel style!

 1. Peruse a map of your local area and notice that one of the nearby hills is called Welshie Law. Don’t worry, it doesn’t matter that the surrounding land could be a midge infested bog, this is an adventure! And it’s called Welshie, you have to climb it!

2. Arrive at the tiny village of Yarrow to begin your walk, only to find that there is a huge funeral being held there and that every sensible parking space is taken.

3. Drive out of village. Do perilous three point turn in farm gate. Lose hub cap.

4. Park inappropriately at the side of the road and awkwardly walk out of the village avoiding eye contact with the steady stream of mourners walking the other way.

 

5. Find hub cap at the side of the road. Decide it would be too embarrassing to run back to the car past the mourners so carry it on the walk instead.

6. Find path.

 

7. Act out the Christmas story to keep yourself amused (only advisable if you’re walking with children’s workers)

 

8. Remember half way up the hill that you’re ridiculously unfit. Feel like legs will fall off. Dump all bags on the ‘fit one’ (read: Josh)

 9. Remember that the big bottle of insect spray you bought especially for the trip is still back at the cottage. Proceed to be attacked by flies.

10. Admire the amazing view from the top of the hill. Feel like it was well worth the toil after all. Eat lunch, take photos, play Frisbee.

 

11. Walk down other side of hill and realise you have lost the path. Consult map. Trespass on farm property and worry you are about to be shot by farmers.

 

12. Finally make it back to the inappropriately parked cars and head home, happy.

 13. Eat cake

Things to do on holiday: Visit Castles

Scotland is renowned for its old manors, castles and towers. You couldn’t really drive anywhere around where we were staying without spotting a grand house with an amazing view.

 Luckily for us, several of them were open to the public and so over the week we visited two.

 

On Monday we visited Bowhill Estate for a walk, which was literally on our doorstep. It had some nice grounds to walk in, and an adventure play ground, which brought us much joy.

On Friday we visited Traquair House. If you get a chance to visit this place I would definitely recommend it. My sister and my mum are really into history and old houses so I’ve been dragged into many in my time. However, it has only been recently that I have actually come to appreciate them. I have begun to read more historical novels and become more interested in British history.

Having more of an understanding makes walking round these houses much more interesting and brings alive how the past inhabitants would have lived and acted.

What made Traquair even more interesting was that we managed to tag along with a group of people that were being guided by the Lord and Lady of the Manor themselves.

Traquair is the oldest castle in Scotland to still be lived in, and I think that’s what made it so special. The owner’s dogs and cats were just running around and it didn’t feel sterile like some of the National Trust places you go where you are watched everywhere you go to make sure you don’t touch anything. It was filled with history too, they had a bed where Mary Queen of Scots slept, and the cradle where James the First slept as a baby. We were even allowed to climb down the secret escape route taken by the Catholic Priests in the time of the Stuarts.

However, just a word to the wise. Always remember that when you’re posing for a photo for someone using a telephoto lens OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT NOT REALISE YOU’RE POSING FOR A PHOTO. You will just end up looking like a weirdo in front of the owner of a big fat castle.

Things to do while on holiday: Stuff your face

If I could sum up us on holiday in one word it would be: fat pigs

Okay, that’s two. But you get the gist.

We seemed to spend an uncommon amount of time consuming good food and drink, and it was wonderful!

(Just incase you’re wondering, we were holding a living funeral for Anna here, you know – like you do)

Tea and chocolate round the kitchen table, scones and hot chocolates in stately home cafes, milkshakes and cookies in city centre Marks and Spencer’s (civilisation!), picnics by a lake and then straight back to the pub for more cake, anyone?

(Please note that I do not condone eating scones like this. Please consume sensibly, the Devon way. Cream and THEN jam. Thank you.)

But the best place we visited was this…

The pub in the village a mile down the road from our cottage had such a great atmosphere, not to mention 105 different whiskeys for Josh to get excited about.

AND they had very good food.

Yes…I ate this.

Take note family. Remember, I’m the one that used to hate eating food in restaurants?

Not anymore! Bring on the meat.

Snaps

I know that some of you are eager for me to post about my holiday…but well, I’m very sorry but I think you should resign yourself to the fact that it’s not happening soon.

I have a friend staying this week, a big pile of work to catch up on, a birthday party to host, presents to open and a litre of Baileys to drink.

I will try to fill you all in soon, but in the mean time if you want to see some of my holiday snaps click here

Introducing Chloe

A big welcome to my second guest blogger this week – Chloe from My Happy Ending. I’ll let her introduce herself properly, but just to say that Chole and I have been ‘blogging buddies’ for a while now, and she’s great! You should go and check out her blog NOW! (Well after reading this post of course).

Hello! This is not Rachel… My name (or at least my blog pseudonym) is Chloe. Rachel asked me to write a guest post for Dreaming of the Country, so here I am. When she e-mailed me and asked to write for her blog, at first I was excited and answered YES. Of course! I love her blog and love writing… so why not?

But then I realized it wasn’t as easy as I thought… At least not for me. Questions started to come up. Questions like: What’s the topic? What do I write about? What if I write about this? No, too boring. And about this? No, this is lethal… Hum. What if I made mistakes? What if people don’t like my guest post? What would she like I write about? No idea.

Ooh, stress, stress, stress. Questions, questions, questions.

Anyway. The day has come and I don’t have any good post. Sorry!

But I’ll try to write one. I promise.

So, first I think I should introduce myself properly, don’t you think?

*Cough, cough* Hi everyone!! I’m Chloe, from… (Surprise!!!) SPAIN. Everyone thinks Spain is a beautiful country: sun, beach, holidays… But the truth is: IT IS!! Except for holidays… I’ve not been on holidays for two years! This is my first summer holiday in two years… (sob, sniff, hiccup, sob, sniff, hiccup…) Too sad.

Okay, I said I’m from Spain. Why am I writing in English? My mother tongue is Spanish, but I love English, so I try to write in English whenever possible. So you may find some mistakes… Sorry!! I do my best!

I found Rachel’s blog some months ago, and I’ve been reading it ever since. Humm… I don’t remember how I found it… (maybe I’m a terrible gossip and enjoy running from one blog to another in order to know a little bit about other people’s lives… or maybe I was bored and started to look for something good to read on the internet and wanted to know A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE’S LIVES…) In conclusion: Maybe (but just MAYBE) I’m a terrible gossip.

Want to know more about me? Okay…I write for my own blog, My Happy Ending. I write about Jimmy (my boyfriend), our relationship, my ups and downs, life in general, and my cute pet, Stitch… Oh Stitch. He is a super pet! Do you want to know what kind of animal he is? Well… he is… (Surprise!!!) a FERRET! Yep, a ferret. Not a dog, nor a cat, nor a hamster. A ferret. Why? Don’t know. I like ferrets. As simple as that (No, he doesn’t stink!! He’s not a skunk!)

As I said before, I don’t remember how I found Rachel’s blog, but it was probably while I was reading Confessions of a Young Married Couple (I say “probably” because I was reading that blog all the time, and thanks to all the comments I found there, I could meet great blogs like this and great people like Rachel). And once I found it, I was hooked! I loved her honesty and sincerity. AND HER PICTURES! I think Rachel is a great photographer. Love Love LOVE them!

I mean, look at them!

 

I love how natural she is about anything.

And really LOVE her (*cough*love*cough*) story. Yes I confess: I’m an incurable romantic!!! She’s living my dream!!

(My dream is to get a job, buy a house and marry the love of my life, Jimmy.Right now, I’m unemployed, don’t own a house, and am not married to Jimmy… Unfortunately. Not yet. Great!! I’m a disaster. The only goal I’ve reached is a college degree in Translation and Interpreting. That’s all. Meanwhile, I’m earning some money working as a private English, French or Spanish teacher at home.)

So when I found her blog, I had to write a comment and introduce myself! And then she found my blog, and that’s how we met! (not in person… obviously!! She lives in UK and I live in Spain… And fortunately, we haven’t met in person… because then she would realize how uncool I am…)

So if you see some comments written by someone called Chloe, you already know who Chloe is. That strange Spanish girl who writes in English, has a ferret and is waiting to share her life with her boyfriend. And with her readers!!

Exciting News!

Ah! Doesn’t that just lift your spirits?!

Scotland is one of my favourite places on Earth. It’s so beautiful and wild and it makes me very happy indeed.

Luckily for me, as you read this, I am in Scotland on holiday with Josh and four of our good friends.

However, the holiday fun doesn’t end with us. I am extending some blogging holiday joy here at dreaming of the country to YOU, my dear readers.

I am excited to announce that this week DoTC will be taken over by not one, not three, not five, but four special guests who will be taking it in turns to entertain you with their wit and talent.

If you peruse my blogroll regularly these people will be familiar faces, if not this is a great opportunity to meet some of my favourite blogging friends.

So sit back, grab some haggis and enjoy.

Get Back to Work

Our holiday is over and we are back in Aberystwyth and back at work. I can’t quite decide whether it’s a good thing or not. I love visiting friends and family, and I hate the fact that we are too far away from them to just visit for a day here and there, but I do tend to get a little restless when I’m not doing anything constructive.

Holidays