Under a Rowan Tree

I haven’t finished writing about my China trip yet but that will have to wait as Scotch, Wee Scotch and I are now on our annual family vacation to Scotland visiting Scotch’s family.

We arrived in Edinburgh last night about 8:00pm and the first thing I noticed was that it was still bright as day out! Sunset in Dubai is a little after 7:00pm at the moment but in Scotland, the sun did not set until 10:01pm last night. We were tired and jet-lagged with the three-hour time difference but it felt wrong to go to bed while the sun was still up in full force.

As soon as the sun set though, Scotch and I made a beeline for bed and dreamland.

This morning, we had a leisurely day hanging out in Scotch’s parents home in sunny Dunbar, getting over jet lag, and reacquainting ourselves with their cozy and comfy cottage.

Wee Scotch loved running around the lush garden with the grandparents (more affectionately known as “Papa” and “Rara”), making pretend tea in the little house built for the grandchildren (see photo below), and helping to fill all the bird feeders.

Well-loved and tended for, the garden in late spring is blooming with beautiful flowers and herbs.

Walking into the stoney garden path from the kitchen, I couldn’t help but admire the magnificent blue blooms of a Ceanothus tree which contrasted perfectly with the droopy yellow seed pods of an adjacent Laburnum tree.

With barely 3 hours of late afternoon sun in our Dubai balcony and the laborious and constant need for watering our plants in the desert heat, Scotch and I have given up growing anything on that balcony. So to be surrounded by such prolific plants in all their late spring glory was just amazing and…peaceful.

I envied my in-laws veg garden with this great big bay tree towering over plantings of tomatoes, zucchini, leeks, baby lettuces, rocket, fennel, gooseberries, raspberries, and strawberries. While we we there they also planted peas with Wee Scotch’s help who kept asking if the carrots were ready to be dug up from the garden. He has a great memory and remembered the carrots from our last visit in October.

On this bright sunny day, the sun’s rays provided plenty of warmth to sip our mid-morning coffee and tea underneath the branches of a Rowan tree that Scotch’s dad estimated to be at least 70 years old. Apparently, it is bad luck to cut down a Rowan tree because it is believed to guard against evil spirits.

Next to my garden seat was a barrel of herbs – spearmint, peppermint, chives (bright purple-pink flowers), thyme flowering violet, fennel, and curly parsley. Scattered around the garden there were also rosemary, spearmint and peppermint – the leaves of which I plucked and threw into my tea for a minty flavor.

That spot by the Rowan tree was also perfect for further taking in the natural beauty of the place – I think my favorite were the bright orange Poppies and the bright red Peony roses.

In the afternoon, we had lunch with a salad of baby lettuces and rocket straight from the garden – it was a perfect first day in Scotland so far.