To Scotland
Up and packing this morning, then Lorraine and I set off by car to Gatwick, after fond farewells with Beth, Pat and Maureen. To Gatwick on time, and then by SleazyJet to Edinburgh. A hateful flight, packed in like battery hens, Lorraine was claustrophobic, and I was entertaining the usual gamut of neuroses. Off at Edinburgh. Lorraine and I found our way out of the airport and onto the Tram which took us to Haymarket station from where caught Dunblane train, to Bridge of Allan. Dominating the landscape from the train was the beautiful Wallace Monument. I want to try to get a better look at this.
We arrived in the town on a sunny day, and it looked very pretty. We crossed a little bridge over Allan water passed the Chip Shop, and found the Royal Hotel, and went up to our room with a creaky floor, along an uppy-and-downy corridor in the part of the hotel which is just about to be refurbished. Nice enough place. Then along the main street to meet Sam in a pub restaurant called the Meadow Park Pub and Restaurant, where we ordered pints of bitter and twisted, a citrus noted bitter which was very nice. Tried to blend in by being jocular (arf).
Sam arrived from his philosophical seminar, to be much hugged. Caught up with him over a shared seafood platter and then Lorraine had sticky chicken, Sam had a pie, and I had a satisfyingly jalapenoed pizza. Walked back along the road, looking at Stirling Castle lit up across the dark valley, and the tops of the circus that has come into town. Early to bed tonight, after Lorraine had cunningly bought some big bottles of sparkling water, and emergency bananas for the morning.
A shot from the plane window of Inchkeith Island, in the Firth of Forth shortly before landing at Edinburgh, two of the rocks near it are called, I learned thanks to Google Seal Croft and Iron Craig.
We arrived in the town on a sunny day, and it looked very pretty. We crossed a little bridge over Allan water passed the Chip Shop, and found the Royal Hotel, and went up to our room with a creaky floor, along an uppy-and-downy corridor in the part of the hotel which is just about to be refurbished. Nice enough place. Then along the main street to meet Sam in a pub restaurant called the Meadow Park Pub and Restaurant, where we ordered pints of bitter and twisted, a citrus noted bitter which was very nice. Tried to blend in by being jocular (arf).
Sam arrived from his philosophical seminar, to be much hugged. Caught up with him over a shared seafood platter and then Lorraine had sticky chicken, Sam had a pie, and I had a satisfyingly jalapenoed pizza. Walked back along the road, looking at Stirling Castle lit up across the dark valley, and the tops of the circus that has come into town. Early to bed tonight, after Lorraine had cunningly bought some big bottles of sparkling water, and emergency bananas for the morning.
A shot from the plane window of Inchkeith Island, in the Firth of Forth shortly before landing at Edinburgh, two of the rocks near it are called, I learned thanks to Google Seal Croft and Iron Craig.
Comments