TGO Challenge 2014- Day 9-10 Braemar

We got an early start on Saturday morning and Paul at the Cairngorms Guest House was kind enough to make us breakfast a half hour before they normally serve the first sitting as we needed to catch an early train to make all our connections today on to Braemar. 

The Aviemore Train Station is very nice and clean and we enjoyed getting there in time to people watch a few trains stop and go before ours. 

There is a steam train service (below) that is run out of Aviemore into the Cairngorms for site seeing. I got to watch that train come in and depart while we were waiting.

Early in the morning, a view from the cross over platform above Aviemore station

"Where have all the people gone?"

Cairngorm Mountains again in the distance from Aviemore (above)

 Above is our route for today. We are leaving Aviemore and will travel by train first to Inverness, where we will make a connection to a train for Aberdeen (in blue) and then in Aberdeen we will catch a bus back to Braemar (in red) in the center of the Cairngorms National Park.

Arriving in Aberdeen the bus terminal is in the same building complex as the train station making the connection easy and quick. We only had 20 minutes to make the connection, but the train was right on time, the bus however was 15 minutes late...HAHA- since this is all  fabulous service compared to buses and trains in the US.

 Arriving in Braemar I had booked us into the Fife Arms Hotel. This was already a planned stop for us during the Challenge. I planned a rest day here as well, hence the reason we would be here Saturday and Sunday. Unless someone saw us get off the bus we are arriving just as planned for our challenge itinerary.

The room was quite luxurious and large. Vicky got her feet up right away and I got some ice from the bar to get it going on her knee. 

 Vicky also took advantage of the first bathtub we have gotten in Scotland, to soak her knee and just plan relax.

 Vicky stayed close to the hotel and rested the knee while I went out and visited the Braemar Mountain Sports shop and got the resupply package that I had sent to the Fife Arms. It again had far too much food in it for what we had been eating and also because we had adopted the custom of getting fresh food for lunches and if we didn't eat lunch then using it for dinner. So I took the majority of the food to the outdoor shop to have them turn it into a hiker box, where anyone could take what they wanted for free, and then I went by the local Co-Op to check on breads, cheeses and breakfast pastries which have become one of our favorite food discoveries in Scotland- sausage or bacon with egg rolls (I love the kind where everything is actually cooked inside the puff pastry shell.

 The bar was full as we went down to have a drink and meet other challengers that were arriving. We wanted to also watch the finals of the FA Cup match as we have been following English Football all year on TV in the states. Unfortunately for me I sided with Manchester United......

Sunday we got out and did some exploring around Braemar and went to the shops to look around , but I still had Vicky wear the new knee brace while she was up and keep icing her knee several times during the day

 We wondered around town and went into the Bakery for lunch and gave Vicky one more day to get rested. We spent the day discussing how she felt and while I am sure her knee still hurt she had built herself up and there was nothing that was going to stop her, including me, so I agreed that we would give it a try. The route  for tomorrow was on the long side at 17 miles but flat and accessible if something should happen so off we will go.......

Vicky calling for help!  

Day 9-10
no miles walked- looking forward to starting up again tomorrow