Bonnie Scotland

 

Bonnie Scotland

June 2023

 

            Scotland has been mostly missing in our European travels. I had some stops in Scotland at the beginning of a Viking Ocean Cruise with brother Doug, wife Ann, & daughter Katie before continuing to Norway & the Arctic Circle. But Marjorie is eager to go there, and I’d like to see more. Interest prodded by recent TV highlighting Scotland: Outlander, a time-travel romantic adventure I got hooked on during the COVID pandemic; The Crown, which includes views of Balmoral Castle, Scottish home of the Royal Family; a “Wildheart” episode of Nature focusing on 500-year-old pines in the Highlands; The Traitors, a reality show promising “backstabbing and treachery” hosted by Alan Cumming in a Scottish castle; we stream the 3 seasons of very enjoyable Ted Lasso. So it seems the planets are aligned for a trip to Scotland.

Gate1, with whom we’ve had a number of happy trips, has a few options. Though it

does not include the Orkney Islands I enjoyed, Marjorie opts for the somewhat shorter “10 Day Classic Scotland,” which looks quite comprehensive enough. This continues a very busy travel year: Cruisin’ down the Mississippi in January, Florida in March,  Orient Express London to Verona coming in September.

A couple weeks before departure there’s an “Uh-Oh” moment threatening the trip: Marjorie tweaks her knee during early garden work. Ortho doc confirms a torn meniscus, but should heal in 6-8 weeks. A brace stabilizes the knee and things improve. Also helped by a cane that belonged to late friend Jerry, a reminder of enjoyable travels with Jerry & Diane. 

Marjorie asserts the garden is in good shape, planting complete. A stretch of summer weather, up to the 90s. We’ll plan for more spring-like weather in Scotland. Thankfully, packing this time doesn’t entail jumping thru COVID hoops. But one complication: a CBD tincture helpful for Marjorie’s joint pain and my restless leg (she says I “sleep like a baby,” not kicking her) has THC, not legal in the UK. We’ll take a similar product without THCWed., June 7: “Canadian Smoke”

"Midnight Sun" Ocean Cruise

“Into the Midnight Sun”

June/July 2018

          My brother Doug & sister-in-law Ann declined our invite to join us on a Fall trip to Croatia. But then made a counter-offer for me to join them and daughter Katie on a Viking Ocean Cruise. Doug had booked 2 cabins but there was no option for a single fare, so I would be the “fill-in” (actually the 2^nd choice, but their grandson Aiden was too young), Doug & I sharing one cabin, Ann & Katie the other. [They knew Marjorie would be busy then with the Colonie Art League summer Art Camp for 4^th-6^th graders she organizes (and is one of the instructors)  ̶  I suppose now she’ll want an equivalent trip with her sister.] Doug & I have enjoyed trips together, and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity for more time together . . . with Ann & Katie as a bonus! Marjorie & I have enjoyed several Viking river cruises, so it will be interesting to sample their ocean cruises. And the itinerary is very attractive: Shetland Islands and Edinburgh in Scotland, along the Norwegian coast including 3 ports above the Arctic Circle! (Marjorie thinks maybe I’ll see Santa!), finishing in Bergen, one of our favorite places from a Scandinavian tour in 2008. (Sadly, I will be unable to connect with one of our regular Albany Symphony guests, bassist Tristan, now with the Bergen Philharmonic. He did e-mail to say, as I suspected, that with the season over he is not in the city.) Norway is “home” to Viking for obvious reasons, including the Norwegian founder (in 1997) & Chairman Torstein Hagen. 

London

LONDON

April 2004

Saturday, April 3:

          A typical Saturday: take trash to the dump, vacuum, Marjorie at the fitness center, call Mom . . . leave for London!  On the road listening to “Chris Warren” (the nom de radio of Marjorie’s boss who moonlights as a DJ).  Cold & rainy here lately, snow forecast for tomorrow, but nicer today and more spring buds in NYC; we hope that foreshadows London.  Hangin’out at son Matt & Anthea’s with cat Lucy until Matt finishes a rehearsal to drive us to JFK.  We got air/hotel package thru go-today.com, a Frommer’s favorite.  We’re on our own this trip, no accompanying family and friends  ̶  hopefully we’ll get along OK.  At JFK an attendant helps w/ our first effort to check-in on a computer screen w/ e-tickets.  United flight leaves a little early at 9:15pm.  We start daylight saving time while in-flight.  I suspect there might be a “rip in the fabric of time” over the mid-Atlantic; Marjorie rolls her eyes.  We’re a bit worried when a large group of kids boards the plane, but they’re well-behaved, it’s an uneventful flight.  We’ve become pretty blasé now about trans-Atlantic flights.

Sunday, April 4:

Early into London Heathrow about 10:15am, beautiful view coming in of Tower Bridge, Parliament, Big Ben.  Sunshine, spring flowers and buds more advanced here than NYC.  Customs guy tells Marjorie there’s lots of shopping in London  ̶  like she didn’t know that!  But it’s expensive (1 pound=$1.80), as we particularly notice in meal prices.  Transfer ride to hotel yields first sights of London traffic, classic cabs & double-decker buses.   

To our Queens Park Hotel, on Queensborough Terr. off Bayswater Rd., above Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park.  We learn later Marjorie’s British co-worker Emma stayed here recently.  On a nice street w/ mix of small hotels and apartments, a good location w/ “underground” stops (aka the “tube;” “subway” here refers only to underground pedestrian walkways) 2 blocks away on Queensway, which also has lots of shops & restaurants.   

A very tiny (and very slow) lift to our tiny room, just big enough to maneuver single file past the bed, where Marjorie settles in for a brief nap.  Room’s on the 5^th (top) floor, view below of pretty gardens and a pool with big koi fish.  The hotel has mix of young people, families, older couples, and tour groups (mostly German).  We know we're in Europe: showers are a challenge (this time too much hot water!) and no washcloths.

Ireland

IRELAND

May 1995

            This is our 1^st trip “over the pond,” and Marjorie’s 1^st choice.  After dropping son Matt off at the airport for his visit w/ family in Kansas City, a drive to Boston to stay w/ Francisco & Diane.  Dinner with Sarah & Kevin, then exploring Natick and Wellesly that evening and early the next day. Francisco drives us to Logan airport, 80 and muggy in Boston.  Aer Lingus flight on time at 8:30pm.  Dinner w/ free wine (and another snack about an hour before landing), but only an hour or so of sleep.

Thurs., 5/25

            Arrive Shannon 7am  ̶  mostly sunny (!), about 50.  Through customs, exchange some money (exchange rate about 1.65), and pick up Hertz car.  Expected something quite small, like a Fiesta, but they’re out so we get a brand new Toyota Corolla (only 7 miles on it, 4 doors, regular trunk).  Ready to go about 9, our excitement has overcome the lack of sleep.

It’s been a while since I’ve driven a stick shift, so a refresher spin around the parking lot before venturing out. I don't find it too difficult driving on the left and shifting with my left hand, tho I’m glad to start at Shannon w/ open countryside, rather than Dublin.  We will have a very clean windshield  ̶  I often turn on the wipers when I want to signal turns!  But I quite enjoy the driving  ̶  it seems like "real" driving.  We have our share of narrow, twisting roads, squeezing past buses & tractors (and sheep) and trying to see past hedgerows, but there are more roads than expected that are pretty fast, even a few up to 70 (and still being passed by other cars).  We’re probably in greater danger as pedestrians, trying to remember which way to look crossing a road.  It helps in cities to have "LOOK LEFT" or "LOOK RIGHT" painted on the road at crosswalks.