20 Feb 2015

Hestia... has been away

So we've been away for a few days.  To a greyhound friendly cottage in the Borders' town of Innerleithan.

The cottage is called Cosaig  and it's REALLY dog friendly.  If you book with your recycled greyhound, Jennifer makes a donation to The Scottish Greyhound Sanctuary.

Jennifer's Cosaig welcome box is very thoughtfully put together and includes locally produced goods (we had apple juice and beer.  Guess who drank the beer?) And she made flapjacks too - bloody gorgeous.  Of course the diet went straight to hell!

There were even doggy bix from her greyhound, Luke, to Nero.

Overlooking Victoria Park and the distant hills, it's a great place to base yourself for any walking or cycling gig that you might fancy in the Borders.

There is also a Wii.  I had great fun with the boxing.  Until the following day and I could barely put my knickers on because my arms were THAT sore!  I also manage to actually punch Tartarus with my Wii numchuck in my hand. Not part of the game, but felt great in a passive-aggressive way...

So, I won't bore you with all the details of what we did, save to say that we ate like kings - including an apricot frangipane that weighed the same as a housebrick and tasted like heaven on earth.  A marvellous Indian meal was also purchased as a carry-out from Saffron, just round the corner from the cottage.  I have never lived so close to a lovely restaurant.  I'd be the size of Belgium if I actually lived at Cosaig!


Snowdrops at Kailzie Gardens (also home of delectable frangipane cake). Very friendly staff in restaurant and deli and, vitally, dog friendly. Unlike Dawyck Gardens who are distinctly unfriendly to dogs (although guide dogs etc are permitted).  Restaurant had lovely local artwork on the walls and I was fair smitten with a ladybird painting! My lunch there was a divine open sandwich of beetroot and a fairly local blue cheese.  The combo sounds unlikely, but, by jingo it worked!


Sonshine and Nero on a treestump.  As you do.


Sonshine and me on a swing thing, just across from Cosaig next to the tennis courts.  Do I look bilious? If there's one thing that makes me feel sick it's going round and round.  Add going up and down to the round and round and you've got potential projectile vomiting right there.

We had an absolutely marvellous time and can't wait to go back!

What did you do at half term?

3 Feb 2015

Hestia and Juno | Clothing disasters

This could be me.
The clothes, not the Colin Firth.
If there is ONE phrase that strikes fear into my heart and mirth into Tartarus's, it's my mother saying: "I've just laid out some clothes for you to take a look at."

It's not that she has poor taste.

It's just different taste to mine.

It's 78 year-old lady taste.

Explore the ruined citadel of m'blog: