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Scotland 6: Day 15

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03.13.18 | Aberdeen > Lerwick | 18:27

I’m sitting in the dining room of a northbound ferry. It has been seven years since my first (and only) time doing this. It’s time for Shetland!
A few days ago, my old friend Tia sent me a message telling me that her son is currently serving as a missionary in Aberdeen. When I told her that I would be in Aberdeen, she sent me his address so I could go see him… maybe check up on him? Actually, I know his parents and have no doubts that he is a great kid. I had the best idea: I was going to pretend to be interested in their message, and when they’d ask about my American accent, I was going to tell them I grew up in American but live in Scotland now. I had it all planned!

When they ask where I was from in America, I’d tell them that it was just a small town in southeastern Arizona that they’d never heard of. Hopefully, my video camera would record his reaction… I would draw on my Emmy-worthy acting skills and give them the performance of a lifetime. Sadly, when I knocked on their door, nobody answered. They weren’t home.

I decided to make this into one of my ‘<100 Steps’ posts. The rules are simple, you set out on your destination, and you have to snap a photo in 100 or fewer steps. That way, people can pretty much see what you saw without having to record a video the whole time. If I had a decent internet connection, I’d transfer all the videos and images and make one video, dubbing in music and everything. Unfortunately, all of my hostels have been not-so-good when it comes to an internet connection.

19:57

Tonight I have a shared four-person cabin. I will try to get some sleep, but I don’t know what will happen as I have at least two other roommates. They look like snorers to me.

This ferry has the world’s worst Wi-Fi. I am connected, but just barely. There will be no streaming of movies tonight. I texted my sister Melanie, and she told me that “at least you have Wi-Fi at all”- so very true. I imagine when the pioneers of old crossed the country, their Wi-Fi was also shite (and that, my dear reader, is Scottish for ‘poop’).

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Scotland 6: Day 14

03.12.18 | Aberdeen Hostel | 21:38

My hostel here in Aberdeen is creepy but beautiful. It’s an older brownstone building, and they have me all the way up on the fourth floor. They call it the third floor, however, because in the U.K., the ground floor is the bottom. So the first floor is the one you come to when you walk up the stairs, etc. Very nicely decorated. The creepy part is the fact that there are paintings with faces on the walls, and that is horrible.

I decided to do a walking tour from the pub (that is on the bottom floor of this place) up to my room. You’ll see why I’m creeped out, just a bit.

Tonight I bought tickets to go to the cinema, and was almost late for the film. This is due to the fact that I actually walked all the way to the wrong theatre. So I had to pretty much do a 25 minute walk in 15 minutes. I did it, barely. Too much Irn Bru in my gullet. I need to start my 2019 diet early, I think. I did miss a trailer or two, however. For me, that’s a big deal because I need to find out what movies are coming out. I pretty much plan my existence around movie time.

Scotland 6: Day 13

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03.11.18 | Glasgow, Scotland | 21:44

I don’t have a whole lot to report on for today. Since it’s Sunday, I found a church to attend here in Glasgow. The last time I was here, I took a very long walk to see the church, but the address that I found on the internet was wrong- I never did find it. The address has been updated since I was here last time. I got an Uber to church but decided to walk home.

I would have taken pictures on my walk, but I needed to save my battery. My phone didn’t correctly charge last night, and I wanted to save what little battery life I had, just in case.

Scotland 6: Day 11

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03.09.18 | Ayr > Glasgow | 10:08

Ayr was even sunnier and more beautiful than it was yesterday morning. It would have been a perfect morning to go back out to the beach, but since I’m on a train, headed to my next stop, it’ll have to wait for another visit to this fine country.

When I checked out of the hotel, the desk clerk told me how much I owed the room. I told her I had prepaid on the internet. She had to go through a bunch of notes before finding out that I wasn’t lying. In the meantime, I told her I could pull up a copy of my receipt if it was necessary. She figured it all out, and I was free to go without paying her tons of money.

Glasgow, Scotland | 21:21

Just like every other time, Glasgow does not disappoint. Such a cool city! I spent the afternoon walking around and getting reacquainted with the area.

For dinner, I found this very authentic American restaurant. I don’t know if you’ve heard of it: T.G.I. Friday’s. I had a crispy duck salad. It was delish, even if they put too much dressing on it. People drown their salad in the dressing! I’ve never understood that. Some of us actually like the taste of vegetables.

Scotland 6: Day 12

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03.10.18 | Glasgow, Scotland | 09:20

It is a rainy morning in Glasgow. I am crossing my fingers that it doesn’t last all day, but even if it does, nothing is going to get me down today! I am in a great city! Also, I just had a candy bar for breakfast, so things are off to a great start!

13:25

I felt like it was time to get my hair colored, so I made an appointment with a guy named Mikey. I’m not really 100% happy with the results. Maybe it’s because my hair is so short, but the color is barely noticeable. It looks more like a gray/purple hue than “steel blue,” as Mikey promised. I’m going to purposefully not wash my hair for a couple of days, and maybe that will help the color stay longer? I’m really not sure what it’s going to look like.

This past October, I purchased tickets to the Country to Country festival, just as I had done back in 2016 (see post). I had such a fun time at the concert! I got to see Eric Church and Chris Stapleton perform live- two more things I can check off the bucket list. The show was so fantastic! I decided that this year I’m going to check off another live performance… tonight is Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Kelsea Ballerini, Old Dominion, and I’m not sure who else will be there. Tonight is the C2C 2018!

I wasn’t sure if I was actually going to get to go- when I purchased my tickets, I told them that I wanted the tickets mailed to my home. The tickets never showed up in my mailbox. I was so busy planning the other details of this trip that I forgot to get ahold of them before I left. Fast-forward to three days ago. I tried to call the company but couldn’t get through. Both the U.K. number and the number in the U.S.- nobody would answer the phone.

After about 40 minutes of trying, I was able to get through. I spoke with a nice girl. She said that they’d had so many more calls, mostly because bad weather had canceled or postponed a few events, and everyone was calling to either get their money back or just to get more information. She said she would move my ticket to will call, at any rate, so all is well!

23:13

The concert was amazing! Even though I was way up in the nose-bleeds, it was deafening. I guess I would have liked more of an intimate setting with an acoustic set, but I’m not in any way complaining! I already loved Kelsea Ballerini, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill, and now I love Old Dominion and Morgan Evans too (he is from Australia, has a phenomenal voice, and happens to be married to Kelsea Ballerini).

Life is all about the connections you make! I want to give a shoutout to my new friends John and Gayle! They sat next to me during the concert and they were a riot! They even bought me an Irn Bru! So sweet! We definitely need to hang out again… C2C 2019?

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Scotland 6: Day 10

03.08.18 | Ayr Hotel | 22:01

Ayr is a nice little town! When I woke, the sun was actually out (first time on this journey) but I could see that the clouds were rolling in. I wanted to take the opportunity to get out of the room and see what I could see, just in case these clouds decide to bring rain- I wanted to get my hair cut (and colored?).

I called a couple of salons but it didn’t seem like any were open. I finally found one that was open and I asked her about a cut and possibly a color. So- I don’t dye my hair a whole lot, and usually, when I do, I’m traveling for fun, and don’t have to board a plane for work in weeks or months. My folks probably view it as an act of rebellion? Do 42-year-old guys still rebel? Or have they just decided on the person they want to be? I’m sure Freud would have something to say on this subject.

The lady on the phone told me that she had a chair available but then told me about the skin test they have to do. They want to make sure that you’re not allergic to the coloring chemicals, so they spot a little bit behind each ear. Then they make you come back in 48 hours to (I’m guessing) make sure your ears haven’t fallen off. I told her that I wasn’t going to be in town for 48 hours, but asked her if I could just sign some kind of release or something so they’re not held liable. I’m sure that’s the way they would do it if I were in America right now… so here’s my questions- is this something that is done in the states? Those of you who get your hair done… please let me know. The girl on the phone tells me that there’s no such thing as a release for me to sign. So I try elsewhere.

I decide to walk to town and ask someone face-to-face. I find a salon that is open and they have the same kind of 48 hour waiting period. She asks me where I’m going next and I tell her Glasgow. She tells me that they are part of a chain and have salon locations in Glasgow as well- so can do the skin test here, and note my account (I have an account in the U.K. now. That’s how posh and worldly I am). Then I can simply go into one of their Glasgow locations and they’ll be able to do my hair coloring (that is, again, if my ears haven’t yet fallen off). I decide to not wait for the haircut part, and she gives me a very cool mohawk. It’s not way different from how I usually cut my hair, but I haven’t colored it yet.

After getting my head fixed, I headed over to Ayr beach and sure enough, the clouds and the wind were there to meet me. It was still a lovely morning and an amazing beach! I only wished that I’d have brought my bigger jacket. I chatted with a few passers-by, most of them with a dog in tow. Of course, I had to stop and pet every dog.

I took this quick video… you can check out my hair and the lovely beach! It was so cold!

 

After some more wandering on the beach (I think I was out there for over two hours), I headed back into town and found a fish & chips for lunch. While in the restaurant, it got even colder, because the winds were really kicking in. I decided to duck into the cinema and see a flick. The movie was called Finding Your Feet. It was sort of inspiring! Kind of a second-chance-at-happiness kind of movie. I hope it comes out in the states.

Dinner was at the hotel again. They have special where you pay one price for three courses. The first course was the salad with prawns and some kind of pepperoni in it. The main course was a chicken crepe with a cheese sauce and mushrooms. Dessert was a brownie sundae garnished with a tomato… yeah… a tomato- which I did eat. So I guess I can count it as “healthy”.

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Scotland 6: Day 9

03.07.18 | Dumfries > Kilmarnock | 11:58

First off, I want to give a shout-out to everyone who complimented me on my new hat. I did a live video yesterday from a cemetery in Dumfries and many people thought it looked good. I actually picked it up at an H&M in Edinburgh, mostly because Scotland is cold and rainy right now. I can’t help it that I am the height of teen fashion. Seriously, thank you for your compliments!

I checked out of my hotel this morning and headed to the train station. I had plenty of time, so I headed further into town, back to the restaurant where I got the pancakes yesterday. I ordered a traditional Scottish breakfast, minus the black pudding and the haggis.

I am off to my next destination- yet another location that I’ve never visited, so I don’t really know what to expect. I’m sipping hot chocolate (shocker) on a train, and have about an hour until I will make a transfer in Kilmarnock, then head to Ayr, on the coast. Jonny texted me from Chicago and told me that I should do a hot chocolate collage and frame it. He may be on to something.

The countryside is beautiful! The temperature has finally risen to about 40°, so it’s actually turning into a beautiful day! I don’t yet know if the sun is going to actually make an appearance, however.

12:28

Ok- I’m the idiot who just missed his station. I was lost in thought and didn’t realize we’d reached the transfer. This has never happened before! I hope the next stop is soon so I can backtrack! It wouldn’t be so bad if I was in the city, the next stop would probably only be moments away. Since I’m traveling through the countryside, it may be awhile!

New Cumnock > Ayr | 13:03

I got off at the next stop and checked Scotrail for the next train that would take me back to make my connection to Ayr. The website said the next option wasn’t until after 16:00. I walked into a station cafe and told two ladies my situation. After they were done having a good laugh at this lost American, they told me that there was a bus that left to Ayr in about 15 minutes. I ran over to the bus stop and now I’m back on track (not literally, since I’m not on a train at the moment). This little “detour” should only set me back about half an hour or 40 minutes. Not too much wasted time. Zero stress: I am embracing the adventure!

Ayr Hotel | 21:28

The good news is that I was able to find my hotel very easily- it was probably only about a 10-minute walk from the bus station. Ready for the bad news? Come to find out, I hadn’t missed my stop when I thought I had. I did more research when I got to the hotel and it dawned on me that I still had two stops to go! The moral of the story is- be present and don’t mentally drift off!

This Hotel is awesome! It’s not huge, but some of the decor and furnishings give it a ritzy, almost Downton Abbey vibe, that is, if Downton Abbey was set in modern times. Maybe it was the way the bellman carried my bags up the stairs and called me “sir” (a little bit creepy- I’d prefer ‘dude’). I hereby promise to not act like I don’t deserve to stay here. I just need a bell that I can ring so “the help” can bring my tea…

Tonight I’m laying in bed, deciding what movie to watch. I had an amazing dinner at the hotel here, which was a three-course meal. First, they brought me some chicken skewers in some kind of peanut sauce. It tasted very “Thai”. The second was the main course, which was a pulled lamb over couscous, and dessert was a really good caramel Oreo cheesecake.

I can’t wait to explore the area tomorrow!

Scotland 6: Day 8

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03.06.18 | Dumfries, Scotland | 22:08

This morning started like most mornings in Scotland: Me, walking through the rain, hunting for breakfast, hoping the sun decides to come out. I followed my G.P.S. to a restaurant that served “Famous Scottish Pancakes.” Upon further inspection- Scottish pancakes taste exactly like the ones we have in America. Still, they were delicious! I chose the “Banoffee Stack”- their tribute to famous banoffee pie, which got its start in Great Brittain. I know you’re curious, so click here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banoffee_pie?wprov=sfti1.

I decided to call today’s exploration theme “Robert Burns.” He is one of the most famous Scottish writers, and in many parts of this country, he still holds his rockstar status. This is funny because people didn’t really start to love and appreciate him until after being dead and buried. Burns spent the last nine years of his life in Dumfries, and it was cool to tour his home and stand in the room in which he died.

I walked down the street to the churchyard where his body was buried. Fun story- years after his death, they decided that they needed to honor this hometown poet, and they built a giant mausoleum, dug up his remains, and re-buried them at the new location. I read that the original plan was to carry the whole oak casket to the new spot, but it sort of fell apart, as did most of the body. When his wife finally passed away, she was buried with him in the same mausoleum.

While I explored the graveyard, I was approached by a cat who let me pet him/her for a while. This is not the first time an animal has come to me in a graveyard. Evidence of reincarnation? You decide.

I walked along the river until I saw a little coffee shop. I stopped in for another hot chocolate. At least I’m not binge-drinking alcohol. Dinner was a delicious burger!

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Scotland 6: Day 7

03.05.18 | Train: Edinburgh > Carlisle | 10:49

I just sat down on a train that is headed south. I will be making a transfer in Carlisle and then be heading to Dumfries. I have never been to Dumfries, so I really don’t know what to expect. When I was planning this trip, I looked at a map of all the places I could get using Scotrail, the Scottish rail service- Dumfries looked promising. I didn’t even want to google information about the town.-that would spoil the surprise. This is, after all, how I discovered Oban, and that is turning out to be one of my favorite little cities in Scotland.

Dumfries Hotel | 21:12

I had about two hours to kill before I could check in to the hotel, so I found a chippy and got my first fish & chips of the trip. So delicious- especially smothered with vinegar and salt! The restaurant was closing down for the afternoon, so I grabbed it to-go and ate it at a nearby park. It was chilly outside, but not as quite as cold as Edinburgh had been.

It amazes me the number of people here who eat chips (fries) as the entire meal. That is such a United Kingdom thing to do! Not as a side, but as the main, and often only dish. I remember doing that when I was in Elementary School- I would walk over to Roberto’s and order a plate of fries. Good times!

I finally was able to check in to my hotel. My room is extremely small, but the bed is very, very comfortable. I laid down and took a short nap. When I woke, it felt so good to just lay in bed, so I did some good ole fashioned boob-tube watching. Eventually, I found the energy to walk to town and find some dinner.

I followed directions to a restaurant that I don’t think exists any longer. Instead, I went to Italian food again. My meal was some kind of chicken with ham and some kind of red sauce over the top. Delicious!

Scotland 6: Day 6

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03.04.18 | Edinburgh, Scotland | 16:27

It is a gloriously Sunday morning in Scotland! I was, once again, up later because of various parties in the vicinity. At least I had a quiet roommate- I can’t complain about that. I also may have lost sleep because the pillows here aren’t very comfortable. I woke up at about 09:30 and got a quick shower before I was off to church. It was a longer distance than I wanted to walk in the snow, so I got an Uber- I arrived right on time.

Google maps told me that the walk back to Old Town would take me about 40 minutes, but I did it in only about 25. Even though it had snowed some more, and I trudged through so much slush, it felt good to be outside. 

I got lunch at a barbecue restaurant called Bubba-Q. This is the ultimate name for a restaurant! I’m just disappointed that they thought of it before I could. The restaurant was an American-West theme, including license plates from all or most of the states.

I ordered some kind of sampler platter, and I had no right doing that. I didn’t realize that this meant there would be about seven dead animals on the plate in front of me. The meat was really delicious, but their sauce wasn’t really smoky at all. It was a lot closer to ketchup than a good barbecue sauce.

I wasn’t able to finish all this meat! Sadly I didn’t have the stomach to enjoy any of the side dishes. Some students were eating at a table nearby, and when they saw the amount of food on my plate, I saw eyes wide and jaws drop. Then when I spoke, and they realized I was from America, one of them said, “Oh, you’re an American”- as if that’s all the explanation they needed. I’m so thankful that I have been chosen to represent an entire nation!

This afternoon is my laundry time. It amazes me that this hostel can house 100+ people, and they only have two washers and two dryers for us to use. I’d gone to a local pay-laundromat in the past, but it’s no longer in existence. So, on this Sabbath afternoon, I will practice my God-given patience and wait for my turn to wash my clothes.