Glasgow to Cedar

Wednesday July 17 - Thursday July 18, 2019

We awoke to what would be a busy and long day. Dave went to the train station next door to get some breakfast and ended staying there for a bit to people watch. It was very busy with the morning rush. We left the hotel just after nine and had to find a gas station. After three failed attempts, the GPS is 10 years old and so isn't always 100% accurate, we headed to the airport. Conveniently, there was a gas station right beside the rental car return. That never happens.

It had started to rain and so we got a wee bit wet (a bit of Scottish) as we made our way to the airport terminal. The possibility of our flight being delayed due to weather in NYC had been removed - which was lovely. The flight went really well. We had an empty seat in our row which was a gift.

We landed in New York City about 2:45 pm. Our next flight wasn't until 7:30, so a long layover. It was over 90 degrees there - heat we weren't used to. The departure board had our flight leaving from two different gates. The correct one had us boarding a bus which took us to the plane. We went up the stairs to board. Rather fun actually.

The plane ended up sitting on the runway for three hours. Yes, with us on it! Once again, due to storms. (The same problem we had in Chicago on the way out that resulted in us loosing a whole day of vacation.) I slept the entire time, but Dave didn't. We landed in Chicago around midnight. The hotel shuttle was supposed to automatically come and get us. Well, it didn't. We arrived at the hotel about 1 am - which was 6 am in Scotland. Dave had been up for 24 hours. 

Thursday morning we drove home - on the right hand side of the road. An adjustment believe it or not. It took about four hours to drive home. Most of the time it was raining cats and dogs. And then we were home.

Some numbers. We drove 1,335 miles and saw:

• 7 castles
• 2 palaces
• 5 churches
• 2 museums

It was a terrific trip!

Auchterarder to Glasgow

Tuesday July 16, 2019

The time had come to leave Miles and Marina’s wonderful B&B. Marina gave us a bag of caramel popcorn that Dave had tasted while sharing a whiskey with them one evening. She also prepared a whole packet of info for our day in Glasgow and booked a room for us at (what turned out to be) an amazing hotel. (What we had booked was less than amazing. You do the best you can when booking online.) And she suggested a great place to have supper. More on that below.

After goodbyes, we headed to our last historical stop - Linlithgow palace (early 1400s). In its day, this place was spectacular. Part of the palace was a ruin and parts we could get into. There were only a few plaques with info on them so it was a “refreshing” stop. Mary Queen of Scots was born there and became queen at 6 days of age. Right beside the palace was St. Michaels (1242). Once a beautiful Catholic Church, it's now a beautiful but far less “decorated” (John Knox and his buds took care of that), Protestant, active parish. Interesting tidbit. It was used as part of the university when the plague hit in 1645.

Glasgow was about an hour’s drive away. Our hotel “Motel One”, was in the city center. We parked the car at the car park down the road and pulled our suitcases down the sidewalk to the hotel. The first time we’ve done that! We got settled, I began the repacking of suitcases, and Dave took a nap. Then we headed out for supper.

It was about a 20 minute walk. The weather was great. (Another day without a drop of rain.) After a lovely meal, we walked to a theater to see a movie. Another 20 minutes or so with lots of sights along the way. After the movie, we walked back to the hotel which was only 10 minutes or so away. As this was our last day of holidays, and we didn’t want it to end, so at 9:30 we stopped at pub for a drink. Still broad daylight at 10 pm - which allowed for lots of people watching.

We popped into the train station, right beside our hotel, because the entrance looked very inviting. There was a massive, old hotel right beside the station that you can access from inside. That whole station was really beautiful and still quite busy considering the time of day.

When we got back to the room, there was a message from Delta saying that there was probably going to be “weather” in New York that would impact our flight the next day. A bit too much like the “weather incident” that we had at the beginning of the trip in Chicago. Here’s hoping everything is fine and we actually get into Chicago tomorrow at 10:30 pm as planned. It’ll be a really long day. Thankfully our room has blackout curtains which means for the first time since we left home, it’ll be dark at night.

One thing I learned today: It’s against the law to have “alcohol on the street” after 10 pm. So at 10, those sitting in an outdoor cafe having a drink need to go inside the building.

One new thing I experienced today: Seeing a movie outside of the US/Canada. The theater was on the fourth floor, the seats didn’t recline (we’re spoiled at home), and there were ads for 25 minutes (no previews of movies to come) before the movie started. We saw “Yesterday” which was a fun movie.

Most powerful moment of the day: A person was lying on a piece of cardboard in a sleeping bag on the sidewalk - at 9:30 pm. A guy who looked like he just left the gym after some serious weightlifting pulled a banana out of his bag and was going to eat it. As he passed the person on the sidewalk, he stopped and put the banana by his head. I thought the person was sleeping, he grabbed the banana and ate it. What a gift for him!

One pleasurable experience: Eating at “Two Fat Ladies at the Buttery”. The best part was the name of the restaurant, but the whole experience was delightful. The last “nice” meal of our vacation. Trout, pork belly, and two fantastic desserts.

A Day In Edinburgh

Monday July 15, 2019

After a bit of a slower start to the day, our first stop was to see the “world’s best golf resort” - Gleneagles. Rooms start at 800 pounds per night and go up to 10,000. It’s a golfer’s dream to play there. We only saw the hotel and a driving range of this sprawling complex.

We decided to take the train into Edinburgh so Dave didn’t have to drive in the crazy, busy city nor deal with parking. Tickets were purchased the night before so we just had to pick them up at the station. Except, the credit card used to buy the tickets (needed to claim them) was back in the B&B. No worries. Just buy more tickets. The trip took just over an hour. I don’t know where the train started from in the north, but it goes all the way to London. A five hour trip from where we’re staying.

The Edinburgh train station was busy and an experience. After getting the info on which train to take back, we headed out. The weather was fantastic! Not one drop of rain, but at times it was a bit too hot. The busyness was overwhelming at first. We’ve spent most of our time in quiet, rural settings. The masses of people and the traffic were definitely an adjustment. There was a double decker bus roaring past almost every 30 seconds.

We walked up a steep hill to Edinburgh Castle. This was, by far, the largest castle/grounds that we’ve seen so far - and the busiest. You could see literally 100s of people in some spots. On this, our 12th day of sightseeing, we were on “information overload”. That point when you just can’t take in any more info - no matter how amazingly interesting it is.

After walking around a bit, we sat on a bench and I had a 10 minute cat nap. Sleeping has been a bit of a challenge. At 11:30 pm it’s still not dark and by 4 am, it’s fully light. It doesn’t ever get fully dark at night which means waking up multiple times wondering if it’s time to get up since it’s light outside.

There were a few things that we really wanted to see on the castle grounds. The room where James V was born (1566) and St. Margaret’s chapel (1130 - oldest building in Edinburgh). Both were terrific. What was especially great was to see a copy of “Mary’s gospel book”. I had just read about it in the book I finished earlier in the week. History coming to life! We also saw the Scottish Crown Jewels which weren’t nearly as impressive as the English Crown Jewels, but still good to see.

The Royal Mile is the road that leads from the castle down into the city. (The castle is at the top of a very high hill.) The road is filled with shops and tourists. We walked around a bit, explored a couple of closes (small alleys leading to another street), went in a shop or two, and enjoyed street musicians playing guitars/bagpipes. Book stores are always a pleasant stop. We wandered around in a four story one for a bit and may have bought a book or two.

The train was leaving at 8 pm so we only had time for a quick bite to eat. We got sandwiches and ate them in the park across from the train station. A plain, old sandwich was a nice change from all the “heavier” food we’ve been eating.

The trip back to the B&B took about 90 minutes. We got back to our room by 9:30. A very full day.

One thing I learned today: You can teach a dog to beg for money. We passed a few people with cups in front on them asking for money. Unlike in the States, the people don’t make eye contact with anyone and don’t say anything. They just stare straight ahead or look at the ground and have a cup in front on them. One women had her dog holding a plastic container in its mouth for money. It was sad all the way around, but it must be difficult for the dog to hold that container the way he did.

One new thing I experienced today: A lawnmower that operates all on its own - much like the iRobot vacuums. It was cutting grass on a very steep hill that no person or machine could ever cut. Could it cut grass? Yes. Was it doing a good job? No. The lawn was a mess with cut tracks going all over the place. It was however, a great tourist attraction. Lots of people laughing about it and taking pictures.

Most powerful moment of the day: Standing in the tiny room in which Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to James V. Loving history and being in the places were events took place is the best.

One pleasurable experience: Sitting outside of a pub having a drink, people watching as busses go by. It was so delightful. And, the barkeeper let me take the glass I was drinking out of. A great reminder of this day.  

Stirling and Queensferry

Sunday July 14, 2019

Usually when we’re away, we like to find a church and have a culturally different worship experience. Our hosts, Miles and Marina, were off to church and we could have joined them, but that would have taken up half our day. So we decided to pass this time.

We got a nice early start today - on the road just after nine. First stop was Stirling Castle. It sits high on a hill - in fact, covers the top of the entire hill. It’s a huge “complex” that had 300 people there at one time. Within the castle walls were a number of buildings, including a palace that James V built for his wife in the 1500s. It was part of the marriage agreement. He had to provide her a lavish home. Kings and queens have lived on this site for over a 1,000 years.

The day was perfect - low 70s and not a drop of rain. Lunch was the first time we’ve been able to eat outside and it was delightful. A big of shopping and we were on to the next stop. Only two more gifts to go!

The plan was to see three things today, but after four hours at the castle we didn’t have enough time so decided to see an abbey on an island in the middle of the Firth of Forth. A firth is a body of water just off the land - an estuary. There are lots of them along the coast. We had checked to make sure it was open, but failed to check the info on the ferry needed to get there. In fact, the ferry part wasn’t clear until we were on our way.

By the time we found the ferry, it was too late to go to the abbey. Disappointing. So we parked the car in the very busy town of Queensferry and walked around. It’s a very old town with narrow streets and buildings from the early 1600s. We sat by the water, listened to the waves hit the shore, and looked at the abbey that was “right there”. It’d be great to see, but not worth the drive back again on another day.

We got back to the B&B about 6:30. I read and Dave chatted with our hosts. The plan for Monday changed during that chat. We’ll be going into Edinburgh by train, spend our fourth night at this B&B (which is amazing!), and then have a final day out and about here on Tuesday. As I look at the weather at home (high 80s and humid), I’m not excited about returning to it at all. We left before the heat arrived so we aren’t used to it. Hopefully our air is fixed before we get home.

About eight we headed out for some supper. The place we wanted to go to was full and had a 90 minute wait. This in a really small town. So we found another hotel with only two tables filled. The food was okay and even that might be generous. There was a lively group by the bar. As we were heading out, they called us over. More on this below.

Some more fun facts:
On the carriageways (highways) with four lanes of traffic, there are signs everywhere noting that cameras are tracking your speed, but there’s never any speed limit signs. We learned last night (thank you Google), that cameras take a picture of your license plate/note your speed and then at some point down the road does it again. The system then determines your average speed for that stretch of road. If it’s over the speed limit (70 we found out), then you get a ticket. Every trip we wait to see if any speeding tickets come our way. The wait has begun......

We’ve only seen two pickup trucks. No Chevys. Lots of BMWs, Jags, Land Rovers, and Fords. Foreign cars, to us, include Kadjar and Vauxhall. We’re renting an Astra by Vauxhall.

You can purchase an “explorer pass” that allows you to see over 70 historical attractions in Scotland in 14 days. So far we’ve saved 57 pounds using it. A great idea!

One thing I learned today: Not all castles where whitewashed stone covered with tapestries. The Stirling Castle is the first time I’ve seen a castle decorated as it was once was. Unbelievable. Plastered walls with brilliantly colored pictures painted on them. Ceilings that explode with color and patterns. And the exterior was stuccoed and painted a shade of yellow that was suppose to make it look like gold.
One new thing I experienced today: Asking for directions from a local person. No help at all. “Well, you need to get on the bridge and then find your way to Queensferry.” That’s the same information I had when I asked for the directions. We figured it out.
Most powerful moment of the day: Being in a garden at the castle where a most grisly murder took place. Royalty got away with a lot!
One pleasureable experience: Chatting with some local men about politics (US and Scotland). Most had had too much to drink so it was loud and opinionated, but fun.

Out and About Around Auchterarder

Saturday July 13, 2019

A delightful breakfast began this terrific day. The B&B were staying at is so wonderful. It’s an older home that they’ve just recently remodeled. The kitchen was once 3 very small rooms and now it’s a bright, very modern kitchen. The doors are always open to the garden which is filled with flowers and birds. Fuchsia plants, I’ve learned, are actually bushes. There’s one in the backyard that’s over 12’ tall. It’s incredible to see so many blooms on a bush that big!

The food at breakfast was wonderful. The smoked mackerel was the best! And, there was a couple staying at the B&B from Holland. We talked with them for about an hour. That too was a nice addition to the start of the day.

We had the whole day planned out, but all of that changed in a minute. On the recommendation of our host, we headed east instead of south. First stop, and only 30 minutes away on a straight 4 lane highway!!, was an exhibit for the ship “Discovery” which went to the Antarctic in 1901. The ship was built in Dundee, the town we were in, using ten different kinds of wood. The ship walls were 26” thick. Supplies for 40 men for three years were needed. The “grocery list” was mind boggling. They had lots of canned fruit (as in canning in glass jars, not cans of fruit), but it wasn’t discovered until a few years later that scurry (a lack of vitamin C) was caused due to lack of fruit. They thought it was from meat that had gone bad. There were a number of mannequins in the ship and just about everyone of them startled me. You’d think I’d learn that they weren’t real people.

After a quick lunch, we went to St. Andrews which is located on the far eastern side of Scotland on the North Sea. There’s so much history there. It’s the first really old town that we’ve been in - with stone walls surrounding the old city, stone houses, huge stone gates (the Pends Gate is the oldest city gate in Scotland - 1350), and the “feel” that we haven’t experienced yet on this trip.

St. Andrews Castle was mostly a ruin, but it could be the best castle experience we’ve ever had. Headsets allowed us to listen to the history of the castle of a man “who lived there”. It really made everything come to life. The castle was built in the early 1200s, but suffered many attacks and therefore many rebuildings. In 1546, a catholic cardinal, Beaton, had George Wishort killed (by burning him alive) just because he was a Protestant. The spot is marked on the road where this happened. So George's friends killed Beaton and started the First Congregation of the Protestant Church. I won’t tell you what they did to him - too gruesome. George used to hang out with John Knox - one of the reformers. There was lifelike model of Knox preaching (fire and brimstone). I got a great picture of Dave standing under it with the best expression on his face.  :)

One of the best parts of the castle was the underground tunnels. One was dug by the Catholics and one by the Protestants. It was an adventure going through them. What was really remarkable was how they dug these tunnels out of solid rock.

We had five minutes to get over to St. Andrews Cathedral (a massive ruin) and St. Rule Tower before they wouldn’t let anyone else in for the day. The cathedral must have been really something years ago. Built in the 1200s, it covers a huge area. From the top of the tower, we could see the castle ruins and part of the town - which is famous for its golf courses.

Next we walked along a pier with a brisk wind in our faces. The tide was out, as it always is. It would have been great to see the tide in with the water right up against the castle walls.

It was a warm and sunny day. However, we learned not to trust the weather. We didn’t take our umbrellas and needed them when it started to rain when we walked back to the car after supper.

We’ve decided to stay an extra night at our current B&B and only spend one night in and around Endiburgh - pronounced “ed in br u”. We’ve been corrected more than once on that. Our time is starting to wind down. Only three full days left and then the long journey home. (Four hour layover in New York.) It feels like we’ve been away for a long time - a”long” in good way. Thinking about going back to our  tremendously busy lives is a bit daunting, but that doesn’t happen today!

Yesterday, I was going to attach a couple of pictures of the moors. (I learned that if I take pictures with the iPad, I can attach them to the blog.) Here they are. I wish I had of know this earlier, but carrying the iPad around to take pictures is cumbersome.

One thing I learned today: How horrible and violent the Protestant Reformation was. We generally only hear about how great it was.
One new thing I experienced today: Going up 160 spiral steps to get to the top of St. Rule Tower. Spiral staircases are not my friend!
Most powerful moment of the day: Being aboard the Discovery which went to the Antarctic and back.
One pleasurable experience: Having supper at a tiny table by a very old window with flowers exploding from a flower box with a view of an old street. Just delightful!

Carron to Auchterarder

Friday July 12, 2019

A very full day! We headed south for what was supposed to be a two hour drive, but ended up taking three. More amazing scenery and roller coaster like roads as we took the Highland Heritage Trail through the Cairngorm mountains. After 2 1/2 hours, Dave was starting to feel the weariness of the trip. It takes a lot of concentration to drive the roads we were on. Things like sheep standing in the middle of the road as you round a corner keeps you on your toes. We were able to see a “moor” with heather. This comes up in books a lot so it was great to actually see it.

Our first stop was the Stanley Mill. It’s had a long history - opening in 1729 and closing in the 1990s. During that time it made a lot of different things including cotton, webbing for military equipment, tapes for rolling cigarettes (still not sure what that means), and thread. It actually began by milling corn. The conditions were dangerous and loud right up until the 1960s. When cotton fell out of fashion in the 1970s, the mill switched to synthetic fabric. We all know how long those polyester suits lasted. Most of the buildings now have luxury flats in them.

About 30 minutes down the road was the access to Lochleven Castle. This was an interesting castle for a number of reasons - some of which will be mentioned below in the “new thing experienced section”. Robert the Bruce was at the castle at one time. It’s interesting how we keep “bumping into him” when we go to different historical places. Mary Queen of Scots also spent some time there. During a lengthy stay, she used one of the windows as an alter/chapel.

As we headed back to the car, it started to rain. We can’t go a whole day without rain! It was a brief shower, but adding that to all the rain that’s come down lately is resulting in flooding. Some of the roads we’ve been on have had far too much water on them. A safety hazard. For the first time since we arrived, the temperature got into the 70s. It actually felt hot at one point.

St. Serf’s Church was only a few miles away so we hopped in the car in order to get there before it closed. The draw to the church was the Dupplin Cross. Up until just a few years ago, the cross was in the countryside. The cross is another example of Pictish stone carving - and it’s incredible. It dates back to 800. The church itself had its first building early in the 1200s. It was added onto as the population grew. After the Reformation (1560), the appearance of this once Catholic church changed a lot. Inside, on the wall, is a tombstone from 1612. The rich were allowed to have their tombstone inside. The oldest tombstone in the graveyard is from 1623.

We weren’t scheduled to get to our B&B until 8 or so, so we had a couple of hours to fill. We wanted to pick up a few things at the grocery store so headed to a town where we knew we could find one. Checking out different food is always fun. The main street had a lot of shops and old homes on it so we went for a walk. Between businesses was a beautiful house with lovely gardens. Back in the car, we entered the info for the B&B into the GPS. Unbelievably, we were one minute away! We didn’t even realize the town we were in was where the B&B was located. And, get this, the lovely house with the gardens was the B&B! The hosts were amazing. They greeted us warmly, showed us the nicest room/bathroom we’ve had yet, and made us a coffee/tea. What service! Dave spent a couple of hours chatting with them while I relaxed.

Another great day.

One thing I learned today: In the Stanley Mill of the 1880s, most of the 885 workers were children who worked 16 hour days - 6 days a week. Adults were too big for most of the work and women were “unreliable” due to having to take care of their families. Kids started working at 9 years old and they were the ones who usually earned the money for the whole family.
One new thing I experienced today: Having to take a boat visit a castle - Lochleven Castle where Marg Queen of Scots was both a visitor and a prisoner (at different times) in the 1560s.
Most powerful moment of the day: Standing in front of a monument (pile of rocks) noting the place where Maggie Wall died. It read, “Maggie Wall burnt here as a witch. 1657.” Horrific!
One pleasureable experience: Lending one of our umbrellas to two young Scottish boys who were just thrilled with it as it was raining on the boat ride back from the castle. The smiles on their faces were delightful!

Out and About Around Carron

Thursday July 11, 2019

We got a bit of later start today since we didn’t have to be out of the B&B by 10. It was lovely to be able to take a bit of extra time, but the downside is that it shortens the time we have to see things. Just about everything (except some grocery stores and most restaurants) close at 5 pm - which is wonderful for those who work here. They can go home and be with their families/do what they need to do. However, it’s a bit challenging for us as we’re used to things be opening until much later. A different culture and lifestyle - which is one of the delightful parts of traveling.

We had about a two hour drive to our first stop. Much of it was on the Coastal Trail Road. Along the way was a lot of very productive farm land. Some fields as large as 50 acres or so - which is huge compared to what we’ve seen so far which have mostly 1 - 2 acres. They grow a lot of barley with some oats. This probably goes to all of the distilleries around here. There are a LOT of them. We also saw some crops of carrots and turnips, under white plastic mesh which is used to try to keep some heat on the plants. It’s removed if the ground gets too wet. (Dave learned this from talking to a 94 year old farmer who was sitting in his car by the sea.)

The first thing on our list to see was the Duff House (1735). It’s a Georgian manor and one of the finest houses in Scotland - so says the brochure. It was very grand with lots of interesting things in it. A few examples: Napoleon gifted a number of beautiful blue chairs to one of the owners, two globes from about 1760 - one of the earth and one of the heavens, and a medicine chest from the 1700s that had about 10 options. There was art on just about every square inch of the walls. What a lot of dusting for someone!

As we were driving to our next stop, a small side road called to us so we just had to go down there. A very steep, winding road ended in the cutest seaside town of Pennan. Lovely white houses lined up facing the sea. A pop of color came from the window trim - some purple, some pink. Clotheslines ran the length of the coast (it’s a tiny town) - between the water and the road. A fellow was sleeping in a rocking chair just a few feet from the edge of the sea. I have a video of all of this, but can’t figure out how to attach it to the blog. :(

Our next destination was a lighthouse/castle combination. Turns out that part of the Kinnaird Head Castle, built in the early 1500s, became the base for a lighthouse built in 1787. The only evidence of the castle was a beautiful stone building that we couldn’t get into. It was really just a three story box - its original use a mystery. The lighthouse still had a keeper until the early 1990s when everything became automatic. It’s now run from an office somewhere far from the lighthouse. In its early years, the light could be seen for 10 - 14 miles out to sea - the North Sea. That’s remarkable when you think about the technology they had at that time.

By 5ish, it was time to head back to our B&B. It was a 50 mile trip that the GPS said would take 90 minutes, but time always gets added because we don’t go the speed limit. On the way, we stopped for fish and chips. The fish was freshly caught and the chips were just cut from potatoes. On the side we had mushy peas which are a lot like baby food with chunks of peas in it. They taste really good, but are a bit hard to look at.

Back to the B&B for some texting with the kids, checking email, reading, and planning for tomorrow. A big day tomorrow! Stay tuned for more on that soon.

Oh! The rain! Today it didn’t start to rain until 4 or so and only lasted for an hour. I think it’s rained every day but one, but it’s never slowed us down for a minute.

One thing I learned today: The first fuel used in lighthouses, for the light, was whale oil.
One new thing I experienced today: A “flaky” made from scratch at the cutest bakery in Banff. It was amazing! The cream was real and the raspberry filling was made with real raspberries. Who knew you could actually get a “real” one?
Most powerful moment of the day: Hearing from the owner of this adorable red stone cottage on the edge of the North Sea that when it storms, the waves from the sea go right over the top of her cottage. Hard to believe just standing there looking at it, but true I’m sure.
One pleasurable experience: When we arrived at the Duff House, we ran a bell and spoke to someone  over an intercom system. This woman sounded exactly like Mrs. Doubtfire (from the movie with Robin Williams). It was like having her right there.  :)  

Loch Ness to Carron

Wednesday July 10, 2019

Lovely, lovely day! After breakfast, chatting with the B&B owner Michael, and packing the car once again we were on our way for another full day of unplanned adventure.

We drove for about two hours to the area where our next B&B was - in Carron. More beautiful scenery - it never ends, but does change. Highland cows have very long, reddish hair and an impressive set of horns. They’re really quite beautiful. We came along a couple of them in a field right by the road. A great chance to take a photo of them. They’re in a field of lush grass, but will take the handful that you offer them. I think they just like having their pictures taken and want you to get their good side. :)

Our first stop was Balvenie Castle - mostly a ruin, but we were able to get inside some of it. This was a “real castle”. Stone everything - including toilets. The first part was built in 1225 with an addition put on some years later. (Gives a whole new meaning to “addition” doesn’t it?) What was really delightful about this castle was that it was built by the Black Comyns. Comyn was the guy in the movie we watched last night about Robert the Bruce. He and the Bruce (weird name) were revivals. Having seen part of his life story and then being in his castle was really great.

We had a quick lunch of a shared tea biscuit, plums, juice, and chocolate at the picnic table by the castle when the rain chased us into the car. It was the warmest day yet - sneaking up to near 70. No extra layer of clothes for the first time since getting here!

Next stop was Elgin Cathedral. It’s the second oldest cathedral in Scotland and mostly a ruin. The first part was built in 1225. The two towers are still standing with wonderful exhibits of the stone carvings that were part of the church. Most date from the 1300 and 1400s. The skill needed to do that work is amazing. Those who had lots of money and/or were “important” were buried in the floor of churches. With the roof gone, these tomb markers are now surrounded by brilliant green grass. You’ll have to the pictures to really appreciate how neat this looks.

It rained throughout our time at the cathedral and the Biblical gardens across the road. The only biblical part of the garden was that it was across the road from the church, had some plaques with bible verses, and a few statues of guys from the Bible. The flowers were beautiful. Once again we’re damp and have wet feet.

One more stop for the day - Inveravon Church which was built in 1806. It was down this very narrow, cow path like road that dead ended with the church and the manse. In the early days, this was a very busy road. Now, its an idyllic place to live for the pastor of the active congregation. In the graveyard surrounding the church were about a dozen guinea hens who liked to sit on top of the tombstones. Strange sight. The reason we went to the church was to see the Pict stones.

The Picts were the very early inhabitants of much of northern Scotland. They were chased out/killed by the Vikings. In the church are four stones with carvings done by the Picts dating back to the 500s! They’re the oldest things we’ve seen - outside of a museum. They’re in terrific shape - which is amazing considering their age.

Supper in a local hotel and at the B&B by 8 pm. We’re here for two nights which means we don’t have to rush out in the morning - allowing me to write a bit longer. So here are some interesting bits about Scotland.

Bikers: The roads are very narrow without any shoulders. There are a number of guys (haven’t seen any women on a bike) out riding - some just out for a ride and others with big packs so they’re traveling by bike. They’re taking their lives in their hands! There’s barely enough room for two cars to pass by each other on the road and here are the bikers riding, not as close to the edge of the road as they can, but “on the road”. If a car is coming from the other direction, it’s nerve wracking getting around them without hitting them.

Food: There seems to be four main dishes found on almost every menu. Steak pie (meat pie), mac & cheese, venison lasagna, and salmon. We’re starting to notice curry dishes popping up more often.

Towns: The definition of a town here is a bit of a mystery. Almost all of them consist of 3 or 4 houses. That’s it. We’ve done a lot of driving, mind you most of it in the “countryside”, and have only been in maybe five towns - what we’d consider a town. It’s pretty exciting when we get t a real town! It’s a mystery what the rural folks do for a living. Although on the Isle of Skye, just about every house is a B&B.  

Roads: For the last two days, I’ve been quite car sick. The roads we’re typically on are very scenic and “off the beaten path” (meaning not the interstate highway) which have many perks. However, it’s like being on a roller coaster. Up and down. Braking and accelerating. Around corners to the left and then immediately to the right and then immediately to the left and then.... Dave has to slow down at times, because I think I’m going to throw up, and he isn’t even going the speed limit. Most often you can go 50 miles an hour on these roads. That’s just crazy!

Farming: Late in the day Tuesday and today, we’ve seen the first farming. Yes, there are lots of sheep grazing everywhere, but there hasn’t been any field work possible until now. We saw fields with fresh cut hay and a couple with a crop of some sort of grain. Right now we’re in the north eastern part of Scotland. As we start heading south in a day or so, I'm sure the land will be more suitable for farming.
 
One thing I learned today: “Church scholars had long regarded women with deep suspicion, some even calling them instruments of the devil. In art, they were often portrayed as physically repulsive- symbolic of this supposed depravity.” This was beside a stone carving from the 1300s. A bonus learning for today. “Displaying emotions through facial expression was considered sinful.”
So: Women are repulsive. Emotions are sinful. You had to give almost all of the little bit you had to the church, and you were barely allowed in the church (see below). That’s an invitation to become a Christian if ever I heard one!
One new thing I experienced today: How fun it can be shopping for cookies! We stopped at the Walker Shortbread factory store. It’s been making shortbread for about 130 years.
Most powerful moment of the day: Standing in the ruins of the Elgin Cathedral knowing that this massive, ornate structure only allowed people in at Easter, Christmas, and on other significant holidays. The rest of the time it was only for the priests. The people, who had nothing, had to pay for this building and were rarely allowed inside. The injustice of this is most maddening.
One pleasurable experience:  Being able to fall under the “concession” category when buying a pass to the historic sites. Those 60 and over get a discounted rate. The pleasure came from saving money. Being in the “seniors” category - not so much.

Kyle of Lochalsh to Loch Ness

Tuesday July 9, 2019

Each morning I blog about the previous day. Dave needs to find something to do as this takes me about 45 minutes.Tuesday morning he was chatting with the B&B owner and her other mother who spoke Gaelic. Dave learns a lot from these chats.

I can see why people say you should bring “wellies” (boots) when going to Scotland. It rained until about 2 pm. We were damp all day with wet feet which made for a chilly day. It was about 60 degrees. The rain did stop as we headed toward Loch Ness.

Our first stop was the Eilean Donan Castle. It has been used in a number of movies - a James Bond movie with Pierce Bronson and “Highlander” with Sean O’Connery. The main section was built in the 1300s with additions added when more space was needed and/or when parts were destroyed by war. In the late 1800s, there was hardly anything left - just a small ruin. A member of the Clan MacLeod decided to rebuild it in 1912. It took 20 years and now is back to the original. How they knew all the details of the layout is a mystery to me. The MacLeods still live in part of it - and have owned it for over 800 years.

After some lunch at the castle, we started our journey to Loch Ness. The landscape changed from vast expanses of beautiful mountains and raging streams and waterfalls to lush, dense forest with parts of the roads canopied with trees. Also very beautiful. We got to the Loch Ness “center” where we heard both sides of the story - the scientific and personal. The people that say they’ve seen Nessie are convinced of it. The scientists can explain it away. Either way, it’s a great story.

Loch Ness is 22 miles long and apparently can hold the entire population of the world. It’s over 1,000 feet deep.

After a bit of shopping, and two cat naps along the side of the road (being on holidays is tiring stuff!), we headed to our B&B for the night. It was 6 miles away (if we could have crossed the lake), but took us an hour to get there. It was a bit tricky to find - as are many of the places we stay. The host, Michael, is super friendly and had lots of stories to share with us. He and his wife are originally from near London and loved this area so much they decided to move here. Michael said living here is very inexpensive and so can make ends meet from the B&B.

In Scotland, you can rent land from the government for about 2 pounds per acre. You can even deed it to your kids. It’s yours “forever” - if you want it. By renting the land (which your house sits on - you own the house), you’re able to get grants from the government. The people at the B&B yesterday got a 40,000 pound grant to help with building their house. How does all this get paid for if the rent is so low?

We had supper in a place way up on a hill that overlooked Loch Ness and then watched a movie (first TV since we got here) about Robert the Bruce who was a Scottish king.

Another lovely day!

One thing I learned today: Blood pudding (which is black) is made of pig’s blood and some grains to hold it together. Dave liked it. I wasn’t even going to try it!
One new thing I experienced today: Three dogs barking at each other in the restaurant where we ate supper. Dogs are allowed in many restaurants, which is fine, but the barking is NOT fine.
Most powerful moment of the day: Being able to see Loch Ness. It’s so famous. Unfortunately, Nessie was hanging out at a different part of the lake.  :(
One pleasurable experience: Eating chocolate. In addition to the “large” chocolate bar we share everyday, we had a chocolate dessert. Holidays and chocolate just go together.

Isle of Skye - One More Day

Monday July 8, 2019

What a day! Today was one delightful thing after another. First the weather. It was supposed to rain all day, but we had sun and it was the warmest day yet - about 68 degrees. The weather can make all the difference in your day.

After a lively breakfast with a women and her two kids from Germany, and the entertaining ways and stories of our host, Arlene, we headed out to Dunvegan Castle - just 10 minutes down the road. The first part of the castle was built in the mid 1300s by a MacLeod. It’s been added on to and renovated by a member of the Clan MacLeod ever since. Today, a family of the clan still lives there. Scottish castles are quite different from the ones we’ve seen in England. Due to the harsh weather, they’re built differently. We weren’t able to see much of the castle, but what we did see had plastered and painted/wallpapered walls. Not the rough stone you normally associate with castles. However, you could see the stone in spots - like the dungeon. The gardens were spectacular.

Seals hang out on the rock outcroppings in the lake so we jumped in a boat to check them out. We saw a few of them and would have seen more if the tide had of been all the way out. At a different time of year, we could have also seen killer whales, dolphins, porpoise, and masses of mackerel.

By 1 pm we were in the car and driving up and around the northern most coast of the Isle of Skye. I know I keep mentioning the great scenery. Today was another breath taking day of extreme beauty. Much of the road was single lane. This can prove challenging as they are lots of tourists going in both directions. Dave’s a pro at driving here. The first day is was a little hard, but now - piece of cake!

I got some great photos - which is tricky since there are so few places to stop the car. We dodged sheep on the road - one of which had a very itchy ear and wasn’t going to move until he was satisfied it had had a thorough scratching.

Interestingly, in the last several years many dinosaur footprints and bones have been found here. We stopped at a really old stone building that housed a dinosaur museum. There were pieces of rock with actually dinosaur footprints in them. So neat to be able to see those!

Next stop was Kilt Rock. There’s a great  geological  history there. Something about the area being sub tropical with volcanoes - way back when (when the dinosaurs were around). This wonderful formation, Kilt Rock, is the result of some pretty intense activity. Sheer cliffs dropping to the sea. Again, so beautiful!

If you see tourist flyers for the Isle of Skye, one photo you’ll always see is a row of colorful houses (all joined together) on the edge of a body of water. It’s so pretty. Well, that’s in Portree. We got there about 5 pm. This is the first “town” (except for Glasgow) that we’ve been in since we arrived. Old buildings. Lovely atmosphere. A wonderful setting. First order was to get a picture of those famous colored houses.

It started to rain a bit as we went for supper. I had the best salmon I’ve ever had - which is saying a lot as I usually order salmon when I go out. We were surrounded by three table of Dutch folks. Warms the heart to hear Dutch spoken!

We wandered around the town a bit and stopped in a couple of shops. Getting something for the kids and grandkids is an important tradition for us. So far I have 6 out of the 17 gifts needed. A stop at a grocery store to get some more things to eat for our travels over the next couple of days and then off to our B&B for the night.

We’ve stayed in a different place every night so far. It’s working out really well. We’ve become very comfortable staying in other people’s homes. It’s really like being in a hotel room. We spent a couple of hours trying to book places for the rest of our stay here. We ran into a couple of “issues” and thankfully Amanda was able to get things fixed for us. What a gift texting is!

This great day ended with both of us reading our books with stories that took place in Scotland. We’ll be visiting a castle that’s mentioned in my book. Exciting stuff!


One thing I learned today: A baby seal only stays with its mother for two months and then it’s completely on its own.
One new thing I experienced today: Being in a small grocery store that had so many people in it, you could hardly move.
Most powerful moment of the day: Listening to, and watching, a Scotsman dressed in full “costume” play the bagpipes while standing on a lush green hill overlooking the cliffs and the sea. Wow!
One pleasurable experience: Getting some outstanding pictures. I love taking good pictures!

Isle of Skye

Sunday July 7, 2019

What a delightful day! We were up and at it in good time. Our first castle to explore was just down the road from our B&B. Armadale Castle (home of the Clan Donald - “mac” means “son of” so Mac Donald = son of Donald) turned out to be a ruin so we could only walk around the outside. A bit disappointing, but the grounds and gardens were really nice. The sun was out, and stayed out all day (could be the last sun we see for many days). We spent a couple of hours in the museum learning about 1,500 years of Scottish history. The cafe had tables outside so we had lunch in the gardens. It’s been quite chilly so sitting in the sun for a bit was wonderful.

Next stop was Talisker Distillery which opened in 1830. Our tour guide had a fairly thick accent and spoke quite quickly. Throw in the noises from the machinery and we missed a fair bit of what he said. It sure takes a lot of effort, ingredients, and time to make whiskey!

There’s always one person who fails to listens to instructions. It wasn’t us. This time.  :) At the end of the tour was an opportunity to taste some of the whiskey. It was 45% alcohol. I passed, but the rest of the group went for it. It was fun to watch the faces and attempts to cover the coughing. The guide did warn everyone about the strong burn.  (Dave was looking for something to get the taste out of his mouth when we got back to the car.) The tour ended, as they all do, in the gift shop. There we saw a bottle of 31 year old whiskey that sold for 2,200 pounds - almost $3,000 US. They actually make a 40 year old whiskey. You have to really love the stuff to spend that!

The town the distillery was in was so cute. A real tourist town - on a lake, picturesque, roads wide enough for only one car. There were lots of people there.

We headed out to find our B&B for the night. We’re booking places day by day not really knowing what we’re getting or where exactly the places are. It’s adventurous and can be bit nerve wracking, but it’s all worked out fine so far. We do go down some out of the way roads and wonder if we’re lost. Our room for this night was located in the country, surrounded by rolling hills/low mountains and lakes everywhere. The view from the bedroom window is terrific. Many years ago, this was a croft - a farm.

It turns out that the Isle of Skye has been called one of the ten best islands in the world - says National Geographic. That makes for a challenging time getting lodging, but we’ve yet to sleep in the car.

Supper was in a tiny village. The food was quite good and there was lots of if. We drove back to the B&B and Dave went to work looking for a place to stay for the next two nights. On Tuesday we’ll be at Loch Ness! Looking forward to that. It’s light here at 11 pm and again at 4 am. Not sure when the it gets dark and when it’s first light. Long, lovely days!

One thing I learned today: If there isn’t a slight breeze, the midges come out (tiny bugs that bite) and it’s most annoying.
One new thing I experienced today: Tried my hand at playing a harp.
Most powerful moment of the day: Trying to absorb the incredible hardships the people of Scotland have faced in the past. Why do people treat others so horribly?
One pleasurable experience: Sitting in the sun, surrounded by incredible gardens, eating good food, listening to music from the movie A Star is Born (on the loud speaker) with the love of my life.

Eigg to Skye

Saturday July 6, 2019

We woke rather late in the morning - 9 am. Breakfast was croissants, mini oranges, tea, and possibly chocolate. If it’s there, we’ll eat it! We packed up our stuff and put it in Sue’s car for the trip back to the dock at noon. Just down the road from the bothy was a museum. It’s a croft - a farm - that was still in use in the 1960s. Fully furnished and looked at if the owners had just stepped out for a minute. Cute as all get out!

Sue took us to the store and we put our bags, by everyone else’s bags, just outside the bathrooms. Everything feels very safe on the isle. Tea and cake was calling to us from the restaurant, but first we popped into the craft store. In this quite small building was the restaurant, post office, grocery store, craft store, and bathrooms with showers. It’s the “happening place” on the isle!

It’s our practice to send a few postcards near the beginning of our trips. We bought those and asked about stamps. “You have to get those at the post office.” In a corner of the building is the cutest post office I’ve ever seen. The postmaster said we had 10 minutes to get them in the mail as the boat was leaving at noon. We were close to being done when he stopped by to ask, “How we were coming on.” They’re not the best post cards we’ve ever written, but they made the boat!

The bike rental shop was the next stop. Two bikes and two hours until the ferry left. Once again we headed down the “road” we went down the night before - the “wrong road”. It turned out to be more of a hiking path that lead to some amazing scenery. When you meet a car on the “real” road, you have to get out of the way. The roads are 8 feet wide, or less, which makes for very tricky driving. Only the residents can have cars on the isle. At one point, I was standing on a slight hill (on the side of the road) holding my bike as a car went past. Thank goodness I didn’t slip!

On the ferry ride back, we saw some large seals playing in the water. We had less than 30 minutes to get to another ferry 10 miles away. Our next night would be on the Isle of Syke. Busy place that ferry. So busy in fact that it was full. It would have taken us an hour to get to our next stop by ferry. It took 3 hours to drive there. But what scenery!! The old, rounded mountains are mostly covered in brilliant greens. The sun was out for part of the trip. Lots of lakes. Breathtaking for sure.

We arrived at our B&B at 8:45. Standing there, we could see the place where the ferry left from - just across the water. Just there. It was a bit discouraging that we drove for 3 hours when it was so close if we went by water. That would explain why the GPS said we’d be at the B&B in 10 minutes - from the ferry dock. If we had of driven across the water, that would have been true.

Mary, our host, said we should hurry off to the restaurant just down the road as the kitchen closed at 9. The chef was gracious enough to make us a fabulous supper - best food we’ve had yet. After a full day, we were tucked into bed by 10.

One thing I learned today: How wonderful it is to have a room with a private bath and hot water.
One new thing I experienced today: Tripping over sheep sleeping outside the bothy when I had  to use the outhouse in the middle of night.
Most powerful moment of the day: Seeing the incredible beauty of the mountains in the highlands of Scotland.
Our pleasurable experience: Having sea bass for supper. It was amazing!

Isle of Eigg

Friday July 5, 2019

After 10 hours of blissful sleep, we were up and at it just before 6. We needed to catch a ferry at 11 and it was a 3 hour drive. We’ve had enough experience to know that things generally take longer than the GPS would have you believe. Once out of the city, the countryside was beautiful. Lots of green fields. It was sunny; rainy; cloudy; sunny and rainy. We got it all on the way up here.

Most of the drive was through the Loch Lombard and Trossachs National Park. (Loch means lake.) Spectacular scenery! Very old mountains covered in grass with rock outcroppings here and there. Narrow winding roads. Very few cars and almost no houses. Sheep once in while. The clouds were very low and looked like mist at the top of some of the mountains. I took some pictures, mostly while driving since rarely is there a place to pull off the road, but I know they won’t do the beauty justice.

We arrived at the ferry with 20 minutes to spare. The ferry was smaller than we thought it would be.  The 11 mile trip took an hour over some rather rough water. Thankfully, I took something for nausea before getting on the boat. A mum with two little ones was busy with them throwing up. I gave her some anti-nausea pills for the trip back. Dave chatted with Alister Kirk for most of the trip. He lives on the island and shared lots of interesting tidbits with us. (There are times you can see whales while on the ferry, but not today. Hopefully on the way back tomorrow.)

The Isle of Eigg (pronounced egg) is 6 miles by 3 miles with about 100 residents. It’s located in the Inner Hebrides on the west side of middle Scotland. Why did we go there? Because we saw this amazing stone cottage and wanted to stay there. After it was booked, we did our research - backwards  I know. That’s when we found out it was a bit of drive and we had to catch a ferry to get there. No, we didn’t know it was on an island when we booked it. This is how we travel. A bit crazy, but adventurous!

After docking, we walked up the road to the small store/restaurant and got some tea. There were about 7 men sitting outside on the bench. Locals who must do this all the time. It made for a great picture. Sue, the owner of the bothy (the cottage we were to stay) was suppose to meet us, but wasn’t there yet. One of the guys asked us if we needed a ride and we said Sue was going to get us. “Which Sue? There are two on the island.” We got that figured out and someone called her. In the meantime, Dave made a reservation for supper. If you saw this small place, you’d wonder about the need for reservations.

Sue arrived and took us to her house and the bothy (a small cottage for use as a mountain refuge). Turns out the bothy is a very small stone building that used to be a barn for cattle. It’s about 15’ by 20’ and cozy as all get out! It was raining when we arrived and chilly inside so Dave got the teeny tiny wood stove going. We were as snug as a bug while we napped and read the afternoon away. Too wet to be outside.

We booked a taxi to pick us up for supper. It’s about a 75 minute/3 mile walk to “town”/the restaurant-store. The taxi driver, Charlie, had a blue toque with Scotland on it, a longish beard, and loved to talk. He chatted and told stories for the 10 minute drive. We caught about half of what he said. When he laughed, we laughed. It was fun just to listen to his voice.

The restaurant was humming with all but one of the six tables full. Some locals were standing just outside. They have a tight community here. The atmosphere was great! We enjoyed supper and then headed out - on foot. We decided to walk back. There’s one road on the island and you’d think it’d be easy to find the way back to the bothy. We got lost. Twice. On the same “road”. The problem was that we couldn’t see the road from where we were standing and so took a rather long driveway. After deciding it wasn’t right, we went back to the restaurant. It was still the only road we could see so thought we just hadn’t gone far enough. After the second attempt, we saw the road below us tucked under an overhang. The walk was spectacular. Words can’t begin to describe the beauty here.

The 75 minute walk took us 2 hours - arriving at the bothy at 9:30. After reading for a bit we climbed into bed - sleeping where cows have slept for many years.

One thing I learned today: The shoes I brought aren’t the best for long distances. Two blisters. Thankfully I have other shoes back in the car.
One new thing I experienced today: Goats trying to climb on the roof at midnight. First, “What’s that?!” Followed by thinking it’s funny. Then, “Enough is enough. Knock it off!”
Most powerful moment of the day: The beauty of this isle. Words can’t begin to describe it.
One pleasurable experience: Seeing a guy, in his 20s, changing a tire on the side of the road in his kilt.

From JKF to Circus Drive

Thursday July 4, 2019

Due to our missed connection, we were given exit row seats on the flight from JFK to Glasgow - a gift. We left New York at 11:30 pm and landed in Glasgow at 11 am. Very smooth flight with some sleep. As we were coming into the airport, the beautiful, lush green fields were a taste of things to come. We were thrilled that our suitcases were actually there to pick up. We wondered how that would all work out.

When we arrived at the car rental place, they once again tried to get us to upgrade, but we learned our lesson the last time. Our lovely little, red Astra would do just fine! Dave quickly adapted to the stick shift on the left and driving from the right hand side of the car. Flo, our GPS, lead us on a wild goose chase, but we eventually got to our B&B - Craigpark Guest House - on Circus Drive. A huge house from the 1850s. The ceilings were 12’ with metal crown molding. Thomas was our host and everything was perfect.

We dropped our bags in the room and headed off to the city center - walking. It was a bit chilly (60 or so) which kept us moving. Once again I failed to pack the right clothes. Sigh.... It took us about 25 minutes to get to the city center where we were less than impressed. There were a few old buildings, but it wasn’t what we were expecting. Almost all of the buildings in the area looked like beige concrete boxes.

We did find a lovely place to have supper - The Counting House. At 4:30, the place was packed with people laughing and talking. The atmosphere was terrific. Being tourists, we had to ask what to do. “Find a table. Order at the bar. They’ll bring you the food.” When in Scotland try Scottish food! I had a steak pie and Dave had haggis. Haggis is ground up sheep organs. Sounds great doesn’t it? Dave thought so, after adding the whiskey sauce. He said it tasted like the barn. Enough said. I tried it and don’t need to do that again!

After supper we headed back to the B&B. A few groceries were needed so we stopped at Lidl’s. Very similar to Aldi. Food is so inexpensive here! We got lots of bread items, a bit of fruit, and chocolate. The essentials. :)

We were back in the room by 7 and my goal was to make it to 8. Dave only made it until 7:30. He woke up at 10 (pm) and it was still broad daylight. Fortunately he was able to get back to sleep. So ended our first day in Scotland.

One thing I learned today: If you knock on the door of your B&B’s neighbor, they will not come to the door. (We went to the wrong door.)
One new thing I experienced today: How easy it is to go through customs. It was just a matter of scanning our passports. We didn’t even have to talk to a border agent. So fast and easy, but we didn’t get a “Scotland” stamp which was most disappointing.
Most powerful moment of the day: Deciding to read a book about a Scottish queen from the 1070s. A quirky thing, but neat for me to do while I’m here. Hopefully we’ll visit some of the historic places mentioned in the book.
One pleasurable experience: Being able to get the lovely hard cider I can only get in Europe.

Off To A Bumpy Start

Tuesday July 2 - Wednesday July 3, 2019

I usually don’t start blogging until we’ve actually reached our destination and the holiday “has begun”, but today is an exception to that practice. We were booked to fly out of Chicago just after 6 pm so we left home about 1 pm. That would give us enough time to do what we had to do and comfortably make the flight. Because driving can be a bit dull, we had three different GPS systems going - all of which were telling us to go a different way. What’s a person to do?!

It was clear sailing for awhile and then we hit Chicago traffic. You’d think we could have avoided this. Obviously the GPS route we went with was the wrong choice. We had to drop the car off  and catch a shuttle to the airport. We arrived at the car park as the shuttle was pulling out. The next one would leave in 30 minutes. We were already 30 minutes late so now we're an hour late. The stress is kicking in.

We get to the airport to discover the flight was delayed by 30 minutes - which was great. It ended up being delayed over two hours. Bad weather around Chicago was causing planes to line up for take-off. One line had 60 planes it in. Ours only had 10. The result is that we missed our connecting flight in JFK. We landed at 11:30 which is when our flight to Glasgow was to take off.

Since the next possible flight for us was 24 hours later, we had to find a hotel for the night. A very short night. If we wanted our luggage, we had to wait for two hours. Not going to happen as it was already midnight. We tried to call a hotel to book a room, but the phone battery said it was calling it a day. We began wandering aimlessly trying to think with super tired brains. At just after 1 we took a cab to a hotel. Getting in, I tripped on a seat belt laying on the floor and hit my head on the luggage rack. The driver didn’t exude confidence nor a pleasant personality. We now know he took the scenic route so he could run the meter up.

When we got to the hotel Dave, thankfully, forgot to close the taxi door. That allowed him to get the backpack out - which had all of the papers with reservations and other critical stuff in it. The zipper was open and he grabbed the bag by the bottom. Just about everything fell into a puddle. It’s now 1:30 am. We have to email the hotel in Glasgow to say we won’t be there on Wednesday and call the car rental people with the same message. I laid everything out to dry. The hotel was able to give us a toothbrush and other essentials as we had nothing with us.

After a short night of sleep we had the whole day in front of us. It would have been great to see some of New York City, but we were just too tired. We got back to the airport about 2:30 pm. The flight leaves at 11:30. As I write this, it’s just after 7. Over there on the coach, Dave’s sleeping. I’ve got a “lack of sleep hangover” which is most unpleasant. We’re both hoping to get some sleep on the flight tonight, and for a better day tomorrow.

One thing I learned today: How delightful it is at times to let someone make the decisions for you. Dave made things happen when I was too tired to think.
One new thing I experienced today: Putting mascara on while wearing glasses. Can’t see to do it without them!
Most powerful moment of the day: Getting into bed.
One pleasurable experience: The hotel clerk let us use her boss’ charging cord as long as we had it back before 7 am. She’d be in trouble if it wasn’t there when he arrived for work.