Day 9: Friday, October 16
• Breakfast at the Firestation. Scone with bacon egg cheese roll. Can't...stop...EATING THESE THINGS.
• Off toward Inverness to see Loch Ness today. Found a lovely spot to deposit some of Mom’s ashes at a viewpoint in the Cairngorms, and shared a moment with Dad as we did so. She would truly have loved the surroundings and the view, and it's a perfect place for her.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Flashback: Day Eight - Pottery, Casks and Whisky
Day 8: Thursday, October 15
• Stumbled across some morning shows in Gaelic today. Rather surprising given our collective assumption that it was more or less a dead language, but there is a dedicated radio station for the language as well as several childrens' TV programs. And thanks to a Gaelic clone of Steve Burns, we know a few choice words: "ballooniken", "helicopteren" and "party"!
• Stumbled across some morning shows in Gaelic today. Rather surprising given our collective assumption that it was more or less a dead language, but there is a dedicated radio station for the language as well as several childrens' TV programs. And thanks to a Gaelic clone of Steve Burns, we know a few choice words: "ballooniken", "helicopteren" and "party"!
Fair enough, I relent
I realize now that we are on the verge of coming home and I am only of day EIGHT of our EIGHTEEN day journey. So if you don't mind, I will dispense with the wordiness and cut straight to the meat of what we got up to each day. Pictures will hopefully help provide some color along the way, but all the full greasy details will have to wait until we see you face to face.
And with that, here we go!
And with that, here we go!
Overheard in the Edinburgh airport Hilton lounge...
R Kelly
Loreena McKennitt
"Wind Beneath My Wings"
T-Pain
Elton John
I wish I was kidding.
- Posted using BlogPress from my fake iPhone
Loreena McKennitt
"Wind Beneath My Wings"
T-Pain
Elton John
I wish I was kidding.
- Posted using BlogPress from my fake iPhone
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Flashback: Day Seven - Castles, Culloden and the Clockhouse
Day 7: Wednesday, October 14
We started the day with another breakfast at the Firestation, then, determined to make it to Culloden and hit some castles on the way, we got on the road. Along the way we stopped off at what looked like an ancient graveyard called Edinkillie, but upon closer inspection, contained nothing older than the mid-1800s. Our expectations for truly old stuff have been reset somewhat so this wasn't quite the venerable site we were expecting, but all the same, we walked the yard and studied some of the names, amazed by some of the stories revealed on these massive headstones.
We started the day with another breakfast at the Firestation, then, determined to make it to Culloden and hit some castles on the way, we got on the road. Along the way we stopped off at what looked like an ancient graveyard called Edinkillie, but upon closer inspection, contained nothing older than the mid-1800s. Our expectations for truly old stuff have been reset somewhat so this wasn't quite the venerable site we were expecting, but all the same, we walked the yard and studied some of the names, amazed by some of the stories revealed on these massive headstones.
A fine day for Stirling
Well, by "later tonight" I obviously meant "tomorrow after breakfast", but as faithful readers of this blog you know that by now. :) Had a large and lovely dinner at the Piazza Italia near George Square in downtown Glasgow and we were pretty wiped out so we capped off the evening with a post-prison interview with Boy George on the TV by what seems to be the British equivalent of Jay Leno and then sleep took over.
So this morning we've had a lovely breakfast here at Craigpark and chatted with another boarder (an older Scot gentleman who gives talks on Management around the UK and elsewhere), and I've been down to the pay phone to sort out our rental situation, which is settled now, and we are good to go on one more day of rental and a return of our car at Edinburgh instead of Glasgow. Yay! This means we can go check out Stirling today and then get settled before driving to Edinburgh after breakfast tomorrow.
Another interesting sidenote...tonight Britain "springs back", so we get an extra hour of sleep tomorrow. Since we also spring back next weekend in the US, we effectively get a bonus hour this year. SCORE.
More this evening when we return to the room. For now, we face the rain and make our way to Stirling Castle and its environs. Till then!
So this morning we've had a lovely breakfast here at Craigpark and chatted with another boarder (an older Scot gentleman who gives talks on Management around the UK and elsewhere), and I've been down to the pay phone to sort out our rental situation, which is settled now, and we are good to go on one more day of rental and a return of our car at Edinburgh instead of Glasgow. Yay! This means we can go check out Stirling today and then get settled before driving to Edinburgh after breakfast tomorrow.
Another interesting sidenote...tonight Britain "springs back", so we get an extra hour of sleep tomorrow. Since we also spring back next weekend in the US, we effectively get a bonus hour this year. SCORE.
More this evening when we return to the room. For now, we face the rain and make our way to Stirling Castle and its environs. Till then!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Safe and sound in Glasgow
It took some to get here and was a little confusing and mind-numbing once we entered the city limits, but with the help of some patience and an in-depth map of the city, we were able to find our way to the Craigpark Guest House, which I booked this morning via pay phone while we were browsing the shops in Oban.
I will sit down and post more of our adventures this evening (via a wireless internet connection that seems to only work in one corner of the room), but the plan for those following along is to stay here for two nights (exploring Stirling tomorrow, then returning the car at the Glasgow airport and seeing more of Glasgow proper once we get a cab back to our Guest House), then make our way to the Edinburgh Airport Hilton on Sunday so we're nice and close for our 6 AM FLIGHT (ugh).
Highlights from the days up till now later tonight, but now...gotta find some dinner!
I will sit down and post more of our adventures this evening (via a wireless internet connection that seems to only work in one corner of the room), but the plan for those following along is to stay here for two nights (exploring Stirling tomorrow, then returning the car at the Glasgow airport and seeing more of Glasgow proper once we get a cab back to our Guest House), then make our way to the Edinburgh Airport Hilton on Sunday so we're nice and close for our 6 AM FLIGHT (ugh).
Highlights from the days up till now later tonight, but now...gotta find some dinner!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
