Visitors - Day 1

We got to go to Aberdeen Thistle Airport on Thursday evening to pick up our first official out of town visitors - Pim and Sandra from Holland.  It was kind of nice to be going there without having to go through security or worry about missing flights.  Interesting point: Aberdeen airport labels itself as the "most improved airport in the world".  Is that a good thing?  How bad did it used to be?  

We all woke up bright and early on Friday morning.  I had managed to take a day off, so we all sat down together to a nice Dutch breakfast.  Pim said he was slightly disappointed not to get a full Scottish breakfasat (eggs, sausage, blood pudding, tomatoes, beans, etc ..).  This will now become the standard first morning breakfast for all future visitors.  Prepare yourselves.

The weather was quite nice when we left, full sunshine and blue sky.  By the time we got halfway to Dunottar Castle it had started to cloud over into what Sandra called her idea of what Scottish weather should be.  We passed a field with a few of the season's first spring lambs, and a few fields of daffodils, so we kept the spring mood.  

Dunottar was gorgeous as usual.  We were unsuccessful again with finding any puffins, but I think everyone enjoyed the ruins.  We even found a couple of rooms that we hadn't seen last time.

The 187 stairs back from the castle to the car park had everyone a little winded and tired, except Casey, so we drove down the road to Stonehaven for lunch.  We had a good hearty meal of fish and chips, washed down with a deep fired Mars bar.  

We did a driving tour of Aberdeen to show off the rest of the sights - it had started to rain, so walking was out.  We went through the harbour, where a CGGV seismic boat was in town, drove by the beach (Pim was declared stone skipping champion) and old Aberdeen.  I think the city acquitted itself quite well.

We spent the afternoon Wii'ing with various levels of success - bowling, billiards and shooting rabbids.  After dinner - BBQ'd steak and asparagus, with Fiona's spectacular apple-rhubarb crumble for dessert - we found ourselves just enough energy to put in a Blu-Ray and watch Batman beat up the Joker for a couple of hours.

We woke up to a little snow this morning.  We're hoping it clears a little, because we're going into the mountains.