Glasgow

Scotland 6: Day 35

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04.02.18 | Glasgow, Scotland | 23:39

Quick report, as I’m extremely tired tonight: What started out as a horribly windy morning and partly cloudy morning, soon turned into a very rainy day. I don’t think the sun came out one time. This is, of course, what happens in Scotland. After a walk along the river, instead of being bored, I decided to try and do some indoor activities.

After breakfast, I tried to go to two different art galleries, but both happened to be closed… I ended up going back to the cinema and seeing a matinee of A Quiet Place. Scary movie, but really good. I’ve decided I have a thing for Emily Blunt. She is extremely good at acting, and the girl sings!

Tonight I went to see a play at the SEC Armadillo called Blood Upon the Rose. It was good, but I was lost for much of the time because it was a political drama about Ireland during the First World War. It was a musical, and that’s the main reason I went. The actors had really decent voices, especially the leads. The only thing I would change- it was boring since I couldn’t really understand a lot of the dialogue.

Scotland 6: Day 34

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04.01.18 | Glasgow, Scotland | 11:35

When I initially tried to book a private room at this hostel, they didn’t have any available for my first night back here in Glasgow. This is how I ended up last night in a room that I had to share with three others. All three of my roommates were girls attending college in Stirling and are in town to see a concert with their friends. They told me the artist’s name, and not wanting them to know I’m not cool, I pretended to know exactly who they were talking about. Honestly, I had no clue.

The hostel did have a private room for the other days I’ll be here, however. This means that I had to be out of my room this morning by 11:00, but they will let me check into the new, private room early. I’ve decided to take the morning to listen to podcasts, since there is no church today. This gives me something to do while I’m waiting for my clothes to wash, and I can check into the new room.

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This afternoon, I got a burger for late lunch- at Handmade Burger Co. This is the same place that I came for dinner two years ago and told a little white lie that I was a blogger for the Travel Channel (see post). I know I shouldn’t lie, but I wanted to make them feel bad, and that’s just what happened. Anyway, I didn’t try taking pictures this time because if they got mad again, I wouldn’t want to be forced to lie a second time.

After a delicious meal, I went to see the movie Isle of Dogs. This was probably the funniest movie I’ve been to lately! It’s more of a quirky funny- definitely not a comedy. I highly recommend seeing it! I grabbed a few snacks on the way home. Even though I’m not anywhere close to hungry yet, I did have that early dinner, and I don’t want to have to go out to eat in the middle of the night.

Scotland 6: Day 33

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03.31.18 | Glasgow, Scotland | 23:27

Today has been a slow day. In fact, I don’t have a whole lot to report. It was hard for me to even stay awake on the train since I hadn’t got much sleep the night before. The room in Oban was full, and two of us four were snorers. I’m glad that the snorers were able to get a good night’s sleep at least.

When I got to my hostel in Glasgow, the first thing I wanted to do, after checking in, was take a nap. I crashed hard, and I think I was out for about three hours or so. This means that it’ll probably be a struggle getting some sleep tonight. Oh well, the nap was sorely needed.

Tonight I went to see the movie, Ready Player One. Unlike the last movie I saw, I really liked this one, and will probably be adding it to my library when it finally comes out. I often log into and play around in Second Life, which is a virtual world. It’s not advanced like the virtual world depicted in the movie, but I still think it’s a blast to be able to set up the world however I wish. Maybe some psychologist would want to tell me that it’s an escape from the “real world”… I would have to disagree since I really love the real world as well. This is a whole other blog entry on a different day.

For dinner, I got reservations at an Italian restaurant called Verona. You know I eat out (more than I should) and this restaurant had the best red sauce I’ve ever tasted! I don’t know what they put in their marinara, but it was really good- I got it with some chicken dish. Amazing!

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.

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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!

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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!

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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?

/ Dav / 1 Comment

Scotland 5: Day 50

04.19.16 | Edinburgh Flat | 19:12

This is crazy! I have been over here for 50 days! I am by far the coolest person you know, would like to know, or will ever know (take your pick). This morning I took a walk down The Royal Mile and found a great little tea shop for breakfast. I think it’s called “Clarinda’s”. The place looks like you’re visiting grandma’s house. It was brilliant!

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After breakfast, it was a hike up Arthur’s Seat again. As you can tell, I’m trying very hard to make this strenuous climb part of my daily tradition while I’m here. When I reached the top, it dawned on me that I’d left my camera at the teahouse, so you don’t get pics from the top today. When I got back, the greeter was holding my camera and smiling at me. I told her this was a not-very-uncommon occurrence. I am better than I used to be, though.

Dinner note: I really like the restaurant Pret A Manger. I’m not sure how the name is pronounced. I had this early in the trip when I was in Glasgow. Fresh sandwiches made every day- nothing is ever frozen or even refrigerated. No preservatives and they’re pretty environmentally conscious. Good fresh sandwiches. I make no money by sharing this information, unfortunately.

Back to the beginning of Scotland 5 | Forward to Scotland 5: Day 51

/ Dav / 1 Comment

Scotland 5: Day 49

04.18.16 | Edinburgh Flat | 21:02

The walk to the Stornoway airport was very windy! I’m surprised that with my huge backpack, I wasn’t pushed over several times. Sometimes I would have to stop walking for a moment and simply plant my feet. I certainly didn’t want to be pushed into traffic, not that there was a whole lot of that.

When I got to the airport, I had about seven hours to kill. My flight to Edinburgh wasn’t leaving until 18:35 and since I had to be checked out of the hotel long before that, I really didn’t have much of an option. The trek from downtown to the airport was about 2 ½ miles. When I arrived, I walked up to the gentleman at the Flybe ticket counter to ask if there was an earlier flight to EDI, and if so, how much it would cost to change. The gentleman told me that there wasn’t, but I could switch to an earlier Glasgow flight and then get on a train or bus from there. The change wasn’t very expensive, so this is what I decided to do. This move put me into Edinburgh about 5 hours earlier than I’d expected!

 

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The good news is that I’m now back in the city I love most. The bad news is that this will be my last stop in Scotland before its time to come home. I’m not going to think of that right now, though. More good news: For this last part of the trip I’m renting a flat in Old Town, just half a block off The Royal Mile. I found a really great deal through AirBnB. It is pretty much the supreme location! The only reason I can afford it is because it’s still the off-season, so things are cheaper.

I say this is my last stop in Scotland but I’m taking the scenic route home. To find out how I’m getting home next week, you’re just going to have to read it on this site next week. I’ll just say- I won’t be flying in a straight line, and a trip to Western Europe wouldn’t be the same without getting to see an old, dear friend.

Back to the beginning of Scotland 5 | Forward to Scotland 5: Day 50

Scotland 5: Day 14

/ Dav / 1 Comment

03.14.16 | Stirling, Scotland | 20:21

As I was leaving the Glasgow hostel this morning, I noticed it was remarkably sunny outside. I cold tell that it was going to be a perfect day. When my train arrived in Stirling, it was still just as sunny. Not a cloud in the sky. Today was indeed perfect!

The hostel is only about a five-minute walk from the train station and seems to be smack in the middle of this small city. My room is pretty small but they somehow managed to fit three bunk beds in it. So far I’ve met two roommates, one is an older gentleman who is from Dumfries in the south of Scotland. He is here to attend a lecture at Stirling University tomorrow morning. The other one is a man who is originally from Ukraine but has since moved to Greece. I don’t know what industry he works in, but that is how he has ended up in Stirling for the time. Both roommates seem to be really nice.

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After getting settled in, I needed to walk and see The National Wallace Monument. This is something I’ve wanted to see for so many years! By the time I got there, I was regretting wearing a coat and scarf. Scotland is funny, especially this time of year. Always be prepared for at least three different seasons.

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A very old bridge. This isn’t the original bridge in Stirling (where a famous battle involving William Wallace was fought). That bridge was wooden, and located about 25 meters upstream.

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The National Wallace Monument

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Looking Up From The Base

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The stairway leading up to the top is very narrow!

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This is the actual sword of William Wallace!

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I have always loved stained-glass windows!

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The beautiful view from the top of the tower. The dark spot you can see is Stirling Castle.

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After walking back to the hostel, I needed to rest for a few minutes. That hike was a hefty one, thanks to all the steps in the monument. I think there are just under 300 steps!

I have the surname ‘Wallace’ in my ancestry. They came from Scotland. Though there’s no record of William Wallace ever having children, I like to think that there’s a connection. What with my valiant and brave spirit and all.

Scotland 5: Day 13

/ Dav / 2 Comments

03.12.16 | Glasgow, Scotland | 09:14

I just did laundry. I kept putting it off, and since I only brought seven days worth of clothes, it was time. The washers here are a bit funky. I went downstairs to ask if they had laundry soap available, and they said that the machine would automatically dispense the detergent when I started the load. Is this even possible? Are we living in the time of The Jetsons?

I did check on my load a few times while it was going, and I never did see any soap bubbles. Maybe it’s some futuristic kind of detergent as well- like that Wen shampoo (according to the late-night infomercials, Wen doesn’t get all bubbly because that robs your hair of much needed- blah blah blah). I’m surprised that you didn’t know that.

09:41

I have to be checked out by 10:30. I’m staying here tonight but have upgraded my last night to a private room. Just a bit too much snoring in the room last night and the night before. I got fairly decent sleep, but I think getting a full night’s worth is in order. The problem is that they aren’t going to let me check back in until after 15:00.

03.13.16 | 08:20

Later in the afternoon, I made my way back to the restaurant again, and when I walked in the front doors, one of the servers recognized me right away and told me she’s glad that I came back. I just smiled and said to her that the fact that I forget everything is quite normal. She ran into a back room and grabbed my CD.

img_5595Last night was an incredibly awesome concert at the SECC Clyde Auditorium (at least I think that’s what the building is called). This was an incredibly life-changing experience. When I first booked the tickets months ago, I saw that the headliner was Eric Church- since I had already added “Attend An Eric Church Concert” to my bucket list, this was a no-brainer. Here’s what’s cool- I didn’t even know that Chris Stapleton was one of the openers for him, who is also on the list! How cool is that?

The concert was fantastic! The first one up was a guy named Andrew [something-er-rather]. He was good, but two things bugged me:

  1. His bass was way too loud and overpowering. I couldn’t even hear his lyrics, and I’m all about the lyrics.
  2. He would never smile. He looked as if he didn’t want to be there. He also kept looking down at his feet. The poor boy suffers from a low self-image or something. He sounded good, though. Still, I don’t think I’ll be buying his album anytime soon.

Next up was Chris Stapleton- imagine me screaming like a wee school girl. It was a bit like that- only it was me, not the tiny school girl. The next one to take the stage was Kasey Musgraves. I’ve never paid too much attention to her songs, only the big one that everyone knows- Follow Your Arrow. I found out that I do like her songwriting style. She is very gifted, and her delivery was spot-on. As a result, I had to buy one of her CDs afterward.

FINALLY, Eric Church comes out! Do you know how people typically stand up at concerts for the excellent and energetic songs and sit down for the slower ones? Well, NOBODY sat for his entire set! It was stinkin’ awesome! He is one of those artists who sounds every bit as good live as he does on a studio album.