Scotland 6

Scotland 6: Day 12

/ Dav / 2 Comments

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.

Scotland 6: Day 5

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03.03.18 | Edinburgh, Scotland | 23:12

I didn’t get very much sleep last night. I could hear the music and a very loud party from a nearby pub. I think it’s the Irish pub just around the corner and up Victoria Street. It was Friday night, however, so I don’t blame anyone. I may experience the same thing again tonight. At least tonight, I’ll have my earplugs ready.

Jonny was out the door by about 03:30. I had planned on walking with him to the bus stop, but when I stood up and started to get ready, he told me that I didn’t need to. I tried to explain the directions as best I could and sent him off, hoping he wouldn’t get lost. He texted me a few hours later, just after he landed in Milan, Italy, so I know he made it safe.

Lunch was at Pret A Manger. I believe I’ve mentioned the restaurant before. It’s a soup/ sandwich shop where they make it all fresh daily. They put the food out on a shelf, and you grab whatever you want. They believe in trying to get local produce, and since it’s all made fresh daily, I’ve heard they even give the leftovers to food kitchens, not sure if that last part is true, but that would be cool!

I was bound and determined to get some exercise today. I made myself walk from the top of The Royal Mile to Holyrood at the bottom, and then I later walked over to New Town. In my exploring, I found a marketplace that used to be a church and ran into a photographer whose picture I have hanging on my wall at home in Utah (see story).

I told him that I was the guy who contacted him from Utah and reminded him that I had his image hanging in my home. He seemed delighted to shake my hand. I promised him that if I had the funds, I would be purchasing another one of his prints when I come back through Edinburgh and before I head home to the states.

Tonight was Italian food for dinner. I’ve eaten at Bella Italia many times over the years because they’re always so good! I ate some bruschetta and some gnocchi.

I just met my new roommate, a guy called Gohan. He is French and pronounces his name more like “jew-on”… only “Frenchier” than that. He told me that he was from about an hour south of Paris and is on a break from University. He is hoping to get a job here at the hostel. He has big plans to get a flat somewhere. He then asked me to go with him to help him open a bank account. I told him I don’t know anything about opening a bank account in the United Kingdom. Still, he told me the reason he wanted to take me was that he could understand me. When he spoke with the Scottish bank representative, he couldn’t understand the thick accent.

I told him that this probably wouldn’t be possible because it’s already late on Saturday night and I’d be leaving early on Monday morning. Plus, knowing me, I would probably accidentally co-sign for something, like possibly that new flat he wants to rent. No thanks.

I hope I can find somewhere to karaoke tonight. That would be fun! Y’all remember I like to sing, right?

/ Dav / 1 Comment

Scotland 6: Day 4

03.02.18 | Edinburgh Hostel | 20:56

Today was a “Check in- check out day”. When Jonny originally told me he was going to join me in Scotland, he said that he was just going to stay for only three days. For this reason, I’d booked us a bedroom with two beds, but then to save money, the rest of my time here was going to be spent in a cheaper room with three beds instead. He decided to extend out for one more day, and because both of us were moving to a new room, we had to be out by 10:00 and weren’t allowed to check back in until 13:00.

We went to get a late breakfast, but as soon as they let us check back in, we did so. I asked the desk clerk if he could put me in the same room as Jonny. After tinkering with his computer for a few minutes, I ended up getting the room upgrade for free. I’m not even sure why this happened, but I’m glad it did.

For our final day together, we went to the cinema in New Town. Dinner was at a nearby Indian restaurant. Since we were both craving this for a few days, this totally hit the spot! It was a great day, but I will say one thing: Jonny does not like walking around in the snow and he hasn’t been afraid to remind me of that fact, at least thirty-five times over the last three days. I just wish he would have enjoyed his time here. He has clearly been miserable. If I could control the weather, I totally would. I decided, from the beginning, that I wasn’t going to let the weather control my mood. Jonny, however, did not.

Tomorrow, Jonny is off to Milan. I hope it’s warm for him (even though I know it isn’t going to be), and I hope he finds a part of the trip that will make him happy. Or rather, I hope he chooses to be happy. We had quite a few heart-to-heart conversations and the man has been through a lot of hard times. Life is good, and I think we all need reminders of that from time to time. At least, I know I do.

I think that we have singlehandedly drank all of the hot chocolate in Scotland. It feels like we have, at least. I really need to eat healthier while I’m here. Perhaps I’ll start eating more salads and drinking less hot chocolates.

…but it tastes so good!

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Scotland 6: Day 3

03.01.18 | Edinburgh Hostel | 14:13

Snow-mageddon rages on! It’s really not a huge amount of snow, especially compared to what we’re used to in the states, but the biggest problem is that I’ve yet to see a single snow plow come through and clear the streets. I imagine they have them here, but they must be working in other parts of the city at the moment. The only snow clearing has happened from the brave drivers who are venturing out. Jonny is over it. Even though he lives in Chicago, where they get so much more snow than here, this is definitely not how he’d pictured Scotland in his head. He’s weighing his options… he’s either going to fly somewhere else (possibly Italy), stay here for a few more days, or just head back to the states. I’ll definitely miss him when he goes, but at this point I just want him to be happy. We’ll see what he ends up doing. I, for one, love the snow, but most of the businesses around Edinburgh have decided to stay closed. This is so their employees don’t have to come to work. Even the cinema is closed at the moment. So on a cold, blustery day, we could be watching a movie, but instead, we’re hanging out at the hostel. I’m working on this blog entry while Jonny decides what he wants to do, travel-wise.

We went back to Mum’s for lunch. The server seemed amused to see us back since we’d eaten there for dinner last night. I told her that she may even see us another time or two because almost all of the other restaurants are not opening their doors today. I had a venison and redcurrant pie, with a “deluxe hot chocolate”. Jonny had a questionable-looking veggie burger and some kind of shake with alcohol in it.

24:10

We learned today that the people of Edinburgh DO NOT plow the streets here like they would in any other civilized society. It’s no wonder that most of the businesses have had to remain closed for the day. This storm is the heaviest one they’ve had in about 22 years, according to our server. The city doesn’t really want to invest in all the snow-removal equipment, because they don’t know when they’re going to need it again.

At dinner time, we found a few restaurants open on High Street, but decided to trudge through the snow over to the New Town side. We managed to find a Chinese restaurant. The food was alright, but the chef sure loved to use salt. Both my soup and entree were extremely salty. Afterward, we headed over and found some dessert at an Italian restaurant/ cafe.

Scotland 6: Day 2

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02.28.18 | Edinburgh Hostel | 21:51

Edinburgh and many other parts of Scotland are under a “Red Alert Warning” because of all the snow that we’re getting at the moment. So far, this is nothing that those of us who live in Utah don’t already have to deal with. In fact, so many stores and restaurants have closed their doors because they are thinking that lives are going to be lost. I know it snows here, but I think they’re just expecting some kind of snow-mageddon. It’ll be interesting to see how this turns out.

Jonny and I were up until about 04:00, and didn’t wake up until after 11:00. That may be normal for some people, but not for myself. Perhaps this means I’m getting older? While we were walking around yesterday, we spotted an Indian/Thai restaurant that we really wanted to try out for lunch today. We found the place and it was closed. This sort of bummed us out a bit because we both had been craving curry. We ended up getting a late breakfast at a restaurant called Fig Tree Bistro. This is a perfect example of a traditional Scottish breakfast: A fried egg, pork sausages, a potato scone, a portabello mushroom, beans, bacon, a slice of tomato, and toast. Tradition would have me add some blood pudding and haggis, but no thanks- been there, done that.

Earlier this afternoon, we went to see The Greatest Showman. I felt like Jonny needed to see it, and I was right- he thought it was great! This marks the fourth time that I’ve seen it in the cinema, and it still gets me. It makes me laugh, it makes me cry and really touches my heart! I can’t promise you that I won’t see it another time before it comes out on video… and yes, I have preordered it on iTunes.

Tonight I took Jonny to dinner at Mum’s, which happens to be one of my favorite restaurants in all of Edinburgh. I’ve eaten here on many visits and it’s the best place for simple Scottish comfort food. Jonny got some kind of pie (something vegetarian, that he said tasted amazing. I got my usual: Sausages & Mash (bangers and mash, if you will). Always a great meal at Mum’s!

Today’s hot chocolate is brought to you by the fine people of Starbucks.

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