It’s good to be back in the city! Not that the smaller cities and villages have been bad, but I do enjoy the change of pace. It’s like when I’m at home, it’s nice, quiet and country but often times for my work I end up in the bigger cities. It’s all good, as long as I never have to live in a big city again.
When I arrived in Glasgow yesterday afternoon, it was raining hard, just like Oban had been. I made my way from the Queen Street Station to the hostel, only getting lost twice. The good news is that I didn’t have to ask for directions, OR turn on my phone- I’m stubborn AND I saved money! 😀
After check-in, I was on a mission to find Will Young’s CD that came out last year. Sadly it’s not available in the U.S. iTunes store and I need a U.K. address in order to have access to that store. I went out to HMV and found it- yay!
I went to find an early dinner. All I know is that I needed something remotely healthy. All these chippies and IRN BRUs aren’t very good for my body. I found a lovely steak salad and had a good sit.
Last night I went back to the cinema and watched the new Allegiant film. I was hoping this, the third of the Divergent series would offer some closure. Nope. It was a fun film, but no closure, really. It’s horrible!
07:24
When I woke this morning, I realized that I had left my Will Young CD (that I had just purchased yesterday) at the restaurant where I had my steak salad last night. I know I would forget my head if it wasn’t securely attached… but I sometimes wonder if it is attached at all. My first task will be to go try to find the restaurant and see if they have my CD. I remember the inside of the dining room, but don’t recall the name. It was good… and it was some kind of Italian fusion food. Wish me luck!
11:41
I was able to locate the restaurant where I think I left my CD. They aren’t open for breakfast, however. Unfortunately, I was unable to see if it was there. I’ll head back after getting some things done at the hostel. I found breakfast at a little cafe. I ordered the “breakfast haddie”, which is just an excuse to serve a smoked haddock fish with poached eggs. The fish was good- a bit odd for breakfast, but good still. It needs to be said that I have mixed feelings about poached eggs. Sometimes they’re really good and other times, not-so-much. This was one of the not-so-much times.
Fun fact: Did you know that Irish Spring soap reminds me of Scotland? It has nothing to do with the name of the soap or the Scottish/Irish thing. It’s because when I come to Scotland, I travel with soap in a soap holder, and for some reason this is the brand of soap I’ve always grabbed at the store to travel with. At home I use different kinds of body wash and none of the work hotels I stay in have Irish Spring. So that blessed smell reminds me of trips to Scotland. And now you know. And knowing is half the battle (G.I. Joe)!
On my way to Glasgow Central Station, I stopped to have a “traditional” Scottish breakfast. This includes over-easy eggs, bacon (think Canadian-style bacon, not American style), sausages, hash browns, toast, and baked beans. I wasn’t in the mood for the nasty black pudding. Though I have tried it on at least two different occasions, I wasn’t feeling it. Click here for wiki’s explanation of black pudding. Are you daring enough to try it?
When I got to Central Station (map), I printed out my ticket at the kiosk and was trying to find the right platform for my train. I was there about 2 ½ hours earlier than I needed to be. One of the employees told me that I had an open ticket so I could just get on any other train that was headed in the right direction. Even though I managed to end up at Dalmuir hours before I’d planned, where I’m transferring to a different train, it doesn’t look like there’s a sooner train from Dalmuir to Fort William, which is my final. Looks like I’m going to hang out here for just over an hour. Too bad I don’t see a vending machine.
11:45
I need to remember to buy another scarf when I see a store. It’s a windy day so far and the sun has been hiding behind the clouds. It’s not raining, but it looks like it may start soon. I’m thankful that the Dalmuir station has some a lobby to keep me out of the wind.
15:05 | Train from Dalmuir to Fort William
This countryside is so beautiful! I have been staring out the window of this train and my only regret is that I didn’t take the train to Fort William (map) before this trip. I have been doing little 10 second videos out the window occasionally and I can’t wait to put them together and put in some music. I’ve written down some of the town names so I can do some research if they’re places I can come stay on future visits.
As I’m looking at the houses by the train, I’m wondering what would make these people move out here. I do understand the draw of country living, but I’m sure there’s little to no industry out here. Maybe they’re sheep farmers who supply meant and wool to Glasgow. Maybe the houses have been in their family for generations. This isn’t too far off from some of the places where my ancestors came from. Now I’m wondering what they did for a living as well.
17:26 | Fort William Hostel
When I decided to come to Fort William, I didn’t pay attention to the fine details of the trip- didn’t realize that it would take over 4 hours for the train to get here. I do have to say, however. That train ride was so beautiful and so worth it!
This hostel is the coolest old house, high on a hill that overlooks the valley. Fort William seems to be a great town! There’s two kinds of towns- towns I’d like to live in, and towns I’d rather not live in. So far, I’m getting the first vibe. Will walk into the downtown area in a few minutes to explore a bit and find some dinner.
When I said “Hi” to my hostelmates and introduced myself, I met 4 people from Germany, a girl from Croatia, a boy from Zimbabwe, and a girl from Logan, Utah (not even joking!)! It’s a small world, after all.
For tonight’s dinner, I walked into town and found a pub/restaurant. I ordered some lasagna and cheesy garlic bread. It really wasn’t that good. I mean, it was ok- but I’m pretty sure I could do better… if I ever tried to make lasagna, that is. I should try that when I get back.
I was going to walk around town and take some night pictures, but when I left the pub, the rain had started. I forgot to bring my umbrella, so by the time I got back up the hill to the hostel, I was pretty much soaked!
Glasgow is every bit as beautiful as I remember! The brown buildings bring back so many fond memories! As I made my way from the airport shuttle to the hostel, I had to stop during my walk and take a few pictures. Today it’s overcast, which is quite common in Scotland, especially at this time of year. The streets are wet from a morning rain, but thank goodness it has let up just long enough for me to get to the hostel.
The lady at the reception desk of the Euro Hostel told me that I couldn’t check in until after 15:00 and so I stowed my backpack in their luggage room and felt it was time to go find a chippy (fish and chip shop) and a can of IRN BRU. This is a soft drink that is made here in Scotland. It tastes kind of like red creme soda, but it’s orange in color. I’m not sure if it’s available in the states. I’ve convinced myself that Fish n’ Chips taste better when consumed in the U.K., especially with IRN BRU! I suspect I’m going to destroy my sexy Herbalife body by the end of this trip.
12:23
I feel like I really need to take a nap. I didn’t get any sleep on either of my flights. I should probably make myself stay up until later tonight so I can adjust to the new time zone faster. At the moment, I’m hurting a bit too much. Life will be better when they finally give me the key to my room.
17:05
I laid in bed trying to sleep for just almost 3 hours. Have you ever been so tired that you can’t fall asleep? I think that’s what I was experiencing. In a way, however, I’m glad I couldn’t fall asleep because if I can just push through until tonight, this is going to help my adjustment to this new time zone. I decided to change my clothes and head out to find a new electrical plug adapter. The one that I brought from Utah is a piece of crap and isn’t working properly. I walked down to the Apple Store, only to discover that it was closed. I stepped for renovations.
Soon the weather had turned and it was pouring down the rain. I decided I’d walk back to the hostel to grab my umbrella. As luck would have it, the front desk had a few universal adapters for sale. I paid the £5 and made my way back up to my room on the third floor. The new adapter seems to be working just fine!
22:05
Technology still fascinates me! Earlier this evening, I was able to FaceTime with my sister Melanie, who lives in Fort Worth, Texas. Remember how George Jetson used to chat with Mr. Spacely on the screen? We’re living in the future, people!
I found dinner at the Handmade Burger Co. I loved the look of the restaurant so while I waited for my food to arrive, I was walking around taking a few pictures of the place. One of the workers told me, “Pictures are not allowed here.” I didn’t like that- and you know how I can be a brat? I may or may not have told a little white lie. I may or may have told him that I was a food and travel blogger who came to Glasgow from America-technically that’s not a lie, I do travel and I do blog about it, and I do put food pics on this blog– who works – ok, here comes the lie– for The Travel Channel.
After dinner, when I got up to leave, he apologized and I said it wasn’t a big deal. I told him that I wasn’t offended by his no-pictures request and that the burger was delicious. He told me it was ok if I took a few pictures and I told him, “I already did.” I smiled and walked out. So here’s the controversial pictures that I took. Please tell me if I crossed any lines.
After leaving the restaurant, I took a longer walk back to the hostel so that I could take a few pictures of some of the buildings at night. The night air was very chilly, but at least the rain had stopped. I love Glasgow!
I had a horrible time falling asleep last night. My stomach started bothering me- I felt as if I’d gotten a touch of food poisoning. I waited in bed for a bit, but then it finally went away. When I did fall asleep, however, I slept fine throughout the night.
I just had to say goodbye to Edinburgh, the most magnificent city in the world. My joy is full, but my heart wants more. Is that poetic? I think so. More sad news: I was unable to find my cell phone. That means if any of my friends and family get random calls from someone with a Scottish accent- please ask that person to return my phone.
Thank goodness all my calls are being forwarded to another number, so I’ll still get my messages. I can use my Skype phone on my iPad or my home computer. If anybody texts me, however, that will probably be lost forever. I should have a new phone in 3 or 4 days, hopefully. I suppose I should have gotten traveling insurance.
I just ate a delicious and healthy breakfast from the train’s trolley: a brownie and hot chocolate. This is one of the healthier meals that they offer.
Glasgow, Scotland | 10:36
Check-in time isn’t until 15:00, so I’m hanging out in the lobby. Connor and Rorrie should be here somewhere. They stayed here last night, and even though they are leaving on a cruise to Ireland tonight, they said that they might meet me for lunch. When I arrived, I asked the receptionist if the twins had checked out. She asked me, “Conner and Rory?” I laughed and said, yes. She said they’d checked out, but they said they’d be back. I find it funny that they sent a message to me through the front desk. I hope they get here so we can grab lunch or something.
I had lunch at the Brunswick Hotel again (I’d eaten there at the beginning of this trip), and it was lovely. I stayed there for about an hour and a half before heading back to the hostel. When I got back, the receptionist said that the twins were there about 10 minutes ago, and said that they were going to find me at the Brunswick. There were so many people out- the sun was shining, and it was a Saturday. We could have quickly passed each other on the street and not seen each other.
14:03
I checked into my room- a queen size bed! This will be the first time on this trip that I’m not sleeping in a bunk bed.
20:46
I got dinner tonight at a chippy- I had a pretty good shish kabob. It’s been a while since I’ve had that.
I had to wake up a bit early this morning to get my train to Edinburgh. Edinburgh is my favorite city! The train is supposed to leave in two minutes. I can hardly stand it. On my way over here, I stopped for some breakfast at the K.F.C.
When I got to my train, there was a lady and her daughter sitting in my seat. I told her I had reserved this seat. I was very kind and smiled at her. She grabbed her daughter and moved to the seats adjacent. She wasn’t there for two minutes when somebody came up to her and told her that she and her daughter were sitting in their seats. She argued with them for a moment and then grabbed her daughter and had crossed to another position. Then it happened a third time- about five minutes later, a couple showed up and told her that she was in their seat. My question to her is this: What’s the point of getting a seat if she’s going to ignore her seat assignment? This isn’t Southwest Airlines, ma’am, we assign seats here.
I highly recommend scotrail.co.uk if you come this way. They’re not very expensive to book, and if you add a bus, they’ll take you just about anywhere you need to go. Also, you don’t have the hassle of messing with a rental car.
Edinburgh, Scotland | 1029
I arrived at my second destination safely. The funny thing: I meant to reserve the same hostel that I stayed in when I was last here last time. I didn’t realize till I was almost at that hostel, that I was booked somewhere else. Whoops! When I tried to check-in, they told me that they wouldn’t allow me to check-in until after 14:00. Now I get to hang out for a couple of hours. I would go and explore the city, but I don’t see a secure place to store my backpack. Perhaps I’ll find a quick lunch nearby. I’ll hold off my major explorations until later.
15:46
Lunch was at Monster Mash, where I ate my first haggis back in 2007. I didn’t want to repeat the haggis experience, so I ordered the bangers and mash. The sausages of the day were venison and beef with tomato.
I came back to the hostel and met one of my ten roommates. Yes, there are ten people in the room. His name is Mike, and he’s from Pittsburgh. Mike is a student, but he decided to take six months off from his studies and has been tooling around Europe. He says he was recently in Norway, where he got a job as a construction worker and lived with a coworker. He said Norway is still cold, but the weather changes frequently, just like in Scotland.
Mike was just sitting up on his bed, looking bored, so I asked him if he wanted to walk up Calton Hill with me. Calton Hill overlooks the city and isn’t too tough of a hike. We made our way over to New Town and then hiked up.
He wanted to get back to find a pub because there was some game that he wanted to watch on T.V. I went to find some soap, a soap holder and a refill for my razor. I’m sure it’s not going to last long. The soap I bought was called Imperial Leather. It sounded manly- and that’s why I got it. I’m a manly man, after all.
I am sitting in a KFC, where I just had breakfast. It was pretty good… about what you’d expect from a KFC. It is a typical rainy Glasgow morning. That means it’s raining. It’s not as windy as it was yesterday, but it’s raining twice as hard. It’s a good thing I enjoy the rain.
Let me say that I’m so glad I brought my iPad on this trip. It’s the ultimate portable computer, and it’s small enough that I can just throw it into my bag and go. I also brought my Zagg to type on an actual keyboard rather than having to type on the iPad screen. It’s like a little laptop. Neither Apple nor Zagg has paid me for telling you this. Although, if they wanna make a deal, I wouldn’t mind getting paid for “converts.”
This is the perfect morning for rain. I’m going to be stuck at the hostel for a while, after all. I’m declaring this the first laundry day of my trip. No, I don’t have tons of laundry yet, but I do leave Glasgow for my next destination tomorrow, and it will be better to not have to carry stinky laundry with me.
Hostel Stays: Here’s a list of things to make sure your hostel has:
Free Internet- I didn’t look for this when I was booking, but it’s a must! Mine came with it, but you have to go down to the lobby in order to reach it. There is an option to have it in your room for 4 pounds a day, but they won’t guarantee the speed, so I just go down to the lobby when I need to.
Free Breakfast- This may be my only hostel that comes with the meal- this is another thing that I didn’t think about looking at when I booked. Here, it’s just a simple cereal bar that comes with toast and juice. It’s simple, but it’s good to not have to go out and find breakfast in the rain.
Private WC- The deal with hostels is that you’re saving tons of money, and if you get a shared room, there’s going to be total strangers sleeping in the bunk next to you and stuff. That’s not so bad, but I’m not for the whole community showering situation. At the very least, give me a private shower stall, that is, if you can’t give me my own bathroom. What some people won’t do to save a buck… just don’t drop the soap.
Clean- I’m not way picky about the places I stay in. My Glasgow hostel is one of the better hostels, not to mention the fact that I happen to have a private room at this stop. The need to be running the vacuum daily. I don’t even care if they change my sheets each day- I’m the only one sleeping in the bed, after all. You may have to deal with the smell of your roommates- so at least the room will be clean if not the others in the room.
And that’s about the extent of it. You don’t have to have these things, but it sure is helpful when you do. Keep in mind, hostels are only for those who don’t mind sharing a room. It saves me tons of money, though. I’m not here to “wine and dine” or hang out in my room all day. I wake up, get ready, and usually leave the hostel. I’m here to see Scotland, after all, not hang out inside the entire time. If that’s your plan, then go pay extra for that charming B&B or hotel room.
16:13
So far, my afternoon has been great! I wanted to go find a certain church, on the outskirts of downtown. When I searched, I saw that it was in West Glasgow. I had to do my stretches because it was 3 miles one way. Finding the church was mess.
I missed one of my turns and ended up about a mile in the wrong direction. I stopped to ask for directions and they basically pointed me back in the direction I had just come. I backtracked and after a lengthy search, found the address, which turned out to somebody’s house. You’d think there would be a sign out front or something, but there wasn’t one.
I stood around for a while, and this girl walked up and asked if I knew the way to the 7th Day Adventist Church. I just laughed and told her I was looking for a different church- we were both lost. I finally took a picture of the building and left. On my walk back to the hostel, I noticed how trendy and upper-class this portion of West Glasgow was. I hadn’t had lunch yet and decided to look for a place to eat.
I found a restaurant called Cail Bruich, which translates to “To Eat Well” in Gaelic. They sat me in the corner of the restaurant near this elderly couple. I heard the man speak and noticed his American accent. I thought immediately that the couple must be from the US, or perhaps Canada. I said hello and told them I was on vacation from the states. The man asked what part of the states I lived in, and I told him Kentucky. His eyes lit up! He said that he was initially from Paducah, Kentucky (not too far from where I live).
This couple, Mr. and Mrs. Reed, spend about 6 months in California a year and the other 6 months are spent in Glasgow near her side of the family. What a fantastic retirement this would be! Mr. Reed told me that the two of them had been married for 40 years now. He decided to take a Scottish country dance class near his home, and that’s where the couple met. She and one of her girlfriends decided to take that same class. He said he fell in love with here the moment they’d met. They were soon married in Santa Monica (near where my parents were married). He attended UCLA for a time but graduated at the U of A in Tucson, Arizona. We had a great conversation, but they had to leave about the time my dinner arrived.
I had the fish & chips. Oh, my cow! I’ve had fish & chips many times, but this was probably the best one thus far! The fish was beer-battered, and the chips were substantial potato wedges, also fried. The tartar sauce was the best I’ve ever tasted. Of course they made it there from scratch. Every time the lady would come by I told her how much I loved my meal. She probably thinks I’m a freak, but I had to let her know every time. I told her I’d be talking about this meal and that I’d surely come eat hear again the next time I come to Glasgow.
One of the servers came out and asked me about my blog. He was probably hoping that I was some vital food critic or something. I told him that it was just my personal blog so that friends and family (and total strangers) can keep up with me. He gave me a business card and told me I could share it with others- so here’s the information:
I just had a light snack for dinner. My lunch at Cail Bruich was later in the day and I was still full. Tonight I met a guy named Mark. He has come to Glasgow but is from Aberdeen, Scotland. He looked like he was stressing out just a bit, so I said hi. He told me that he’d come to Glasgow because his Uncle, who lived here, has lung cancer and it has spread all throughout his body. The doctors told him that he could die any day- they are sure that he’ll be gone within the week.
I didn’t know what to say to Mark, other than the fact that death is an unfortunately part of life. I don’t know his background or anything, and there wasn’t enough time to get into talking about theology. I’m not sure what his views of life and death are, but I wish I would have had time to speak with him about it.
For some reason, I had trouble falling asleep last night. Not sure what that’s about- I only woke up a few minutes ago. I think that a 20 oz Coke isn’t the smartest thing for me to do, right before bedtime, that is. I look out the window, and it seems like it may be a rainy day today again. The rain doesn’t bother me, for the most part. It is somewhat expected- as I brought along a wind-breaker jacket and that umbrella. So far, it’s been overcast mornings, but hopefully, it will clear up soon. I wonder if every day is going to be like this. I guess that April showers bring May flowers. Too bad, I’m headed home at the very beginning of May.
11:53
It’s crazy cold in Glasgow today. It’s raining (like it has been every morning so far), and there’s a strong wind out there. I just trudged through it to grab an early lunch at Pizza Hut (sadly, I missed the free breakfast) and the wind was so strong, I knew it wanted to knock me over. I think I may stay inside for a bit today and wait to see what the storms going to do. I hope it lifts soon. It’s my fault for making plans, I guess.
15:20
The rain finally stopped and so even though the wind was still crazy, I went out and went for a walk. I first stopped by Central Station to grab my train ticket for the 2nd. I prepaid for all my tickets, so all I have to do is go to the kiosk. I enter the confirmation code that was emailed to me and scan the card I used to pay. It’s a very cool thing to be able to do this. This way, I don’t have to carry all my tickets with me for the entire trip.
I walked west along the River Clyde today (yesterday I’d walked east), and it was beautiful. The entire time the wind acted like it wanted to push me into the river. I had to keep my hand on my head- so I wouldn’t lose my hat into the water. Still, there were cyclists and joggers all around.
23:16
This afternoon, I went back to the Brunswick Hotel for dinner I had the Spaghetti Carbonara. Soooo good, it was! I’ll probably have to go back there this afternoon, I went back to the Brunswick Hotel for dinner and had the Spaghetti Carbonara. I’ll probably have to go back there for dinner tomorrow and get something else. I needed to hear some live music this evening, so I hung out in a pub. The band was good, not great. They were admittedly loud, though… they’ve got that going for them. I was able to hang out with some hostel mates who are from some other part of Scotland. They were friendly and told me that American accents were sexy- I am proud to be an American. I’ll say to you- Scottish accents are sexier- till I get up into the highlands and can’t understand anybody unless they speak very slowly. I mean, “Huh?” and tilt my head a lot.
Note: I don’t know where Day 1 or Day 2 ended up, if I come across them, I will update Scotland 4. Enjoy!
Glasgow, Scotland | 06:17
Good morning world! I think my body has adjusted to the time change splendidly! Is splendidly even a word? I woke up a few minutes ago and remembered that the desk clerk told me that there was a free breakfast each morning! Today is going to be a great day! Once again, I’m thankful for the fact that I don’t have to share a room here. Also- free wi-fi in the lobby downstairs! At this moment, I’m looking at a city map, deciding where I want to go, or what I want to do today.
12:39
My morning was a good one. It’s rainy in Glasgow today- bring your umbrella. I went for a walk that was about a mile up the River Clyde, then around the city. It was a beautiful walk, but it kind of wore me out.
I look forward to a nap that will start in just a few minutes.
First, however, I came up with reason #457 of why I should never travel alone. I’m walking around the city, and I see a salon that is having some sale on hair coloring (you know where this is going, don’t you?). I walked into it thinking I would get some highlights done… I walked out and my entire head dyed purple. I kid you not- I now have purple hair. When the light hits it just right, it looks blue. It’s freakin’ cool, that’s what it is. This is the perfect time to do something like this- my work would never allow me to do purple or blue but I have a month off… and I’m in a foreign country. So why not?
I just left the grocery store with a bottle of Ribena Blackcurrant juice- my favorite! I remember it’s one of my friend Colee’s favorite drinks as well. Ribena… and chocolate… and a nap.
16:50
It is apparent that my body hasn’t quite adjusted yet. Is this because I’m an old man? Probably. I laid down to take a nap and woke up about 2 ½ hours later. This is kind of a long nap- but I guess vacation is for relaxing and resting.
What was once purple hair, no longer is. I’m just thankful that I got some photographic evidence! The lady who colored my hair got so much dye on my scalp, and some on my cheek. This would never do. I ran to Tesco and grabbed some shampoo. They didn’t have that big of a selection, but I still didn’t know what kind to get. The idea was to try to clean my skin but keep the hair color. I ended up with a bottle of hydrating Herbal Essence. I came back to the hostel to wash, rinse and repeat. This took all the purple out. I don’t dare go back and pay the gal to dye it again. So now, instead of the purple, my hair is what I would describe as “dusty platinum” with a very slight blue tint. I like it more. It’s [ever so slightly] more natural than the purple was… as natural as platinum hair is, of course.
19:42
For dinner tonight, I decided on curry. Low and behold, there is an Indian restaurant just down the street from the hostel. I ended up getting some lamb curry. It was very delicious! I tried to call home to say hi to the folks, but they didn’t answer, so I called one of my sisters instead.
After dinner, I decided to walk to the north, since I haven’t explored that part of Glasgow yet. In all, I’ve probably done about 4 or 5 miles of walking today, and I’m pretty proud of that accomplishment.
I was able to locate the restaurant where I think I left my CD. They aren’t open for breakfast, however. Unfortunately, I was unable to see if it was there. I’ll head back after getting some things done at the hostel. I found breakfast at a little cafe. I ordered the “breakfast haddie”, which is just an excuse to serve a smoked haddock fish with poached eggs. The fish was good- a bit odd for breakfast, but good still. It needs to be said that I have mixed feelings about poached eggs. Sometimes they’re really good and other times, not-so-much. This was one of the not-so-much times.
