On the move again

Hi, reader

I left Inverness a few hours ago. I had a great three days there, but time to move on.

This morning was really just housekeeping stuff. I returned to the library, got some Superfloss from Boots and went back to Primark to buy more thermal underwear (Russell, I've sent those pics you requested to your private email, mate 😉). 

I also had lunch in a really cool little vegan cafe/restaurant called The Alleycat. 

I ordered the all-day breakfast and red berry tea. This is hash browns, beans, mushrooms, scrambled (tofu) egg and vegan haggis. If you're looking for delicious, plant-based food in Inverness, I recommend this place. Delicious. Lovely staff too.

I made a few video calls. Hi, Hugo, Nathan, John Charles. Yes, comic enthusiasts, that's the John Charles, talented British comic creator, artist, colourist and writer. If you're a fan of the Galaxy's greatest comic, 2000AD, then you've likely already seen John's work on your favourite characters and stories, including Judge Dredd. John has also drawn for Marvel and he is co-creator of the awesome, Technofreak. Check it out at this link.

After town, I returned to Inverness Leisure for a shower and shave.

Heading out of Inverness, I popped into Tesco for some groceries. Lori, I got the carrots for the Highland coos. Only 40p for all these.

I also filled up on diesel and it was less than 1.30 a litre! I've seen on the news that in Wales and parts of England there are horrendous queues for fuel at petrol stations and instances of fights breaking out on the forecourts. Not so, here in Scotland. Looks like I've solved the problem; if you're having trouble getting fuel down south, just drive up to Inverness and you can fill up right away. You're welcome.

Not long after I left Inverness, I was excited to spot these guys. Fancy a picnic? Alpaca lunch. Sorry.

I  grabbed my bag of carrots and headed over to see them, but then I spotted this sign. I didn't feed them, but I bet those alpacas would have loved some fresh, crunchy carrots.

I've compiled some lists to share which I hope might be useful to anyone thinking of doing their own van adventure. Starting with ...

The 10 items I've found most useful on this trip

(in no particular order)

1. Tissue paper

Useful in so many ways beyond the obvious.

2. The camping stove

It's compact and easy to use. Butane gas cans are cheap and last quite a long time. I've used this stove at least twice daily on this trip, from making tea, cooking pasta, heating leftover Chinese takeaway to boiling water for my hot water bottle. Invaluable.

3. My laptop

I love my Huawei laptop, which I bought in Bangkok. I mostly use it for blogging and watching movies and TV shows in the evenings.

4. Raincoat

This raincoat weighs almost nothing and folds up really small so it can go in my backpack. Very handy when you're travelling in a country with changeable weather.

5. Warm hat and hot water bottle

You've all heard it - most body heat is lost through your head. I think it might be a myth that's been debunked these days, but it sure helps me to stay warm. I love this hat, which I bought at Universal Studios in Osaka. 

And this hot water bottle, which I've borrowed from my Mum, has gotten me through some chilly nights, especially when I was on the Isle of Skye.

6. Masking tape

Very handy! One way it has proved useful is to tape up food packages, such as my bag of porridge oats.

7. Power bank and Cigarette lighter USB charger

For when I'm in the middle of nowhere and my phone needs extra juice. The power bank was a gift from Hugo and his Mum last Christmas.

I usually connect my phone and laptop to the cigarette lighter, even on short drives. It's great at charging the phone, but not so effective with the laptop. Although it does give some boost to the battery.

8. iPhone

Probably my most essential piece of equipment. I use Google maps a lot on it, as well as Park4Night, Messenger, Whatsapp, YouTube and, of course, the camera. I've also called my Mum daily since leaving Wales.

9. Reusable shopping bags

These are handy for much more than shopping. For example, when I visit a library I can carry all my plugs, cables etc.

10. LED Lamp

I love this. Recommended by my friend Jules and less than 20 pounds from Amazon. It has three levels of brightness and three 'mood' settings. I use the brightest setting when reading and a softer light if I'm cooking. The flexible, bendy neck and strong clamp mean I can position it where I like and light up any area of the van. Best of all, it holds a lot of charge and hasn't run out of power on this trip. I charge it up whenever I'm in a library, but it can also charge from the cigarette lighter USB socket.

Not sure if that list was interesting or useful. Let me know. I'll post another 'top 10' list soon on a different topic.

So where am I this evening? I'm parked on the shores of a little place called Loch Ness! It's nearly dark now, so I'm going to make dinner and settle down with another episode of Squid Game. Tomorrow I'll explore this area and see if there's anything interesting worth taking pictures of. Hope you'll join me.

Thanks for reading,

Brian

Bonus content: The Many Saints of Newark

Last night in Inverness, I went to the Vue cinema and finally saw The Many Saints of Newark. This is my spoiler-free review. 

I'm a HUGE fan of The Sopranos and I've been waiting a long time for this film. I've seen all six seasons of Sopranos five times now and I was really excited to hear they were making a prequel movie.

As you can imagine, they've made it in such a way that it can be enjoyed as a stand alone gangster, crime drama even if you haven't seen the HBO TV series. But for fans of the show, there are all kinds of nods and references to the series.

I was confident that David Chase and Lawrence Konner would write a good story. For me, the success of this prequel hung on how well they cast the younger versions of the characters I've come to know and love. For the most part, I feel they got it bang on. 

Standouts for me were Silvio, Lyvia, Janice and, of course, Michael Gandolfini in the role his father, James Gandolfini, made famous, Tony Soprano. I found it amazing to watch Michael Gandolfini inhabit the role. He did his father proud.

A few of the casting choices didn't resonate with me. I was disappointed by the young Paulie Walnuts, Corrado 'Junior' Soprano and Johnny Soprano, Tony's dad. They were decent enough, but I felt that the TV show already nailed Junior and Johnny Boy when they were shown in flashback scenes. 

Another outstanding performance for me was Alessandro Nevola as Dickie Moltisanti, a character often mentioned in the TV series, but never seen. I thought Michela De Rossi was also fantastic as Giuseppina Moltisanti.

I won't go into the story as I'm sure a lot of people haven't seen it yet. The time flew by and I was surprised when it ended. I thought there was still at least another half hour to go. 

I will say - fans of the TV series will surely have a goosebumps moment as the credits start to roll. Can't wait to see it again. 

There were some story points and unanswered questions from the TV series that weren't included and I had hoped to see, but the rumour mill suggests this film is leading to a prequel TV series, which will be awesome.

Go see The Many Saints of Newark!