Getting Decked

Apologies if my headline mislead you into hoping that someone had finally given me my just deserts - it's not easy coming up with snappy blog headings day in day out. Of course it refers to the decking alongside the caravan which, after several false dawns, finally started to take shape today. The joiners have worked at a cracking pace and I anticipate it being finished by tomorrow. This area faces south and catches the sun all day so we'll have to go and invest in a table and a couple of chairs to take full advantage next time we're here.  

I said how lucky we felt yesterday to be able to enjoy our retirement and get out and about on our bikes while we are still fit enough. Lucky wasn't exactly how we felt today after we cycled to Tentsmuir nature reserve. We somehow seemed to have a wind blowing into our faces all the way there and all the way back and, although flags were only fluttering gently, the breeze was stiff enough to make the twenty five or so miles round trip seem like cruel torture. Thank goodness for the salvation that is the Harbour Cafe in Tayport. Run by local community volunteers, this friendly little place is a haven for cyclists like us and walkers on the Fife Coastal Path and we were able to recharge our batteries with tasty fresh rolls and slabs of cake - at least we could justify the cake, that cycling into the wind must have burnt plenty of calories.

I just finished reading Build A Man by Talli Roland. It's chick lit and isn't aimed at fifty eight year old blokes but some of the people I follow on Twitter were gushing about it and I decided to give it a try. I gave it a five star review on Amazon as it's very well written, funny, original and, unlike many self published books, well edited with virtually no typos. You can read my full review HERE My own novel is a very gentle love story and I'm not the only bloke who enjoys romance - Times columnist Robert Crampton devoted his column this week to his love of romcoms; like me, he enjoyed Love Actually, About The Morgans and other slushy movies and maybe a few more of us should own up to being in touch with our softer side.

No Orange Wednesdays in St Andrews so we're going to have to pay full price this week. We're going to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. With a great cast of 'mature' British actors I'm expecting something light and I hope it doesn't concentrate too much on the downside of growing old.

Marion just burst into tears. No it wasn't at the prospect of proof reading this blog. It signaled her finishing reading Just in Case by Meg Rosoff. She tells me that it's a fabulous book, very original, well written and it has a beautiful ending - the best book she's read in ages. So that's my next read sorted then.

On Our Bikes

The weather was glorious today for the first time since the bikes arrived. So we took the opportunity to take them for a spin. We took the route from Craigtoun Meadows to Strathkiness which is quite a climb but it's one that is well rewarded by the lovely views at the top and the luxury of freewheeling down to Guardsbridge to meet up with the Fife Cycle Route 1. 

The route passes Leuchars station so we stopped off to buy railway tickets for next week to go and visit Edinburgh for The Fringe. After the station the cycle path runs by the ancient Leuchars church, a beautiful building dating back to Norman times and unlike any churches I have seen in England. From Leuchars we headed to the beautiful Tentsmuir Forest which lies at the head of a peninsular between the estuaries of the Rivers Eden and Tay. It was great to cycle through the  forest of tall pines in dappled sunlight. Within the forest is a large picnic area and tracks from there lead to miles of unspoiled beach.

It was great to see the sands and the views across the estuary to St Andrews. I messed up a bit in the forest and guided us onto the coastal path rather than the cycle path and it was hard going for a couple of miles but eventually we met back up with the right track and headed to Tayport where we stopped for a well earned cup of coffee and a slice of cake. Sarah texted and asked if we could baby sit for her for an hour so we headed back to St Andrews by the road. Altogether we cycled for four hours and I reckon we covered about twenty five miles. Not bad for a first effort.

I think Marion may be taking baby sitting too literally.

When we have finished baby sitting it's back to the caravan for our evening meal. As it's Friday we can have some wine with our spaghetti with crab (we're still trying to eat sensibly and keep on top of our weight so wine is restricted to weekends) . Last night I cooked a Thai green prawn curry and managed ok in the confined space and with the relatively limited facilities. So cooking is going to be fine although next week we are going to treat ourselves by cycling to St Monans and having lunch at the fabulous Seafood Restaurant if we get another day of good weather.

I'll leave you with a snippet of an act that we've been told is a must to see at the Fringe