Skye No More.

Skye was mostly about getting together again. No phone, xbox (because it wouldn't work - oops), or friends. Poor kids had to rely on each other and their parents for entertainment. The view far accross the water was iether Harris or Lewis, we couldn't quite work out, but we could see the Harris Ferry crossing regularly. The wind turbines were majestic in their own way, as was the Quiraing. The coral beaches were just accross the inlet that we were staying on, near Dunvegan, and we could see the Cuillins if we lent out the window and strained.

Our welcome on arrival at Dunvegan came from a tiny wee place called Jan's Cakes. She was from Bedfordshire but of African or Carribean origin - far too cheery to be a Skianach! She made her own bread, chocolates and cakes and did coffee and toasties. She was a very charming start. We could have topped off the cosmopolitan experience with Bollywood dance classes in the Dunvegan Hall on Saturday, but the children just didn't fancy it. We kept to ourselves, explored a little each day, ate, drank and watched a movie each night. We started with Forrest Gump which Meg loves and Finn hadn't seen. That got top marks. Schindlers List got bottom marks for being in black and white (just as well, I think), and was long and harrowing - no surprises there. Finn had covered 'harrowing' quite well in year 7 in NZ, so we thought they might handle this. Spook and I probably suffered most.

So we opted for the The Worlds Fastest Indian the next night. Apart from it being charmingly Kiwi and about a man from Invercargill which Spook thought was a great wee town, unlike every report he'd ever had of the place - it was about a man called Burt Munro. The children took ownership of him, and the boy in the movie reminded them of a boy that featured large in our life in Wanaka.

We finished off with Witness. After Schindlers List, they were a bit wary of our choice, but there was enough drama, suspense, cute kid and interesting culture, to keep them going.

We ran out of movies, wine, and figured we would be as well to get home a day early and get on top of things needing done. The children had left us within the hour, as they picked up their busy lives again. The snow fell and Spook spent quite a lot of time in the sleet trying to bleed brakes that wouldn't bleed - nothing new there. Spook's mum has spent all of her adult like pressing pedals while his dad bleeds brakes, and I see no reason why I should be any different.

On the last day of our holidays, Finn has gone snowboarding on beautiful fresh snow, Meg has gone to the Fired Art Cafe with a friend, Spook is under the car with his dad, and his Mum and I are avoiding them.