Rocky Mountain High’s blog

Scotland 008

The sixteen hour journey has ended and here I am in Glasgow, "the dear green place"!  Found the #500 bus to Buchanan Street Station. Pushed those little buttons on an ATM at the station and then purchased my ticket for next day's journey to Tayinloan. I am ready to begin my adventure in Glasgow but first walk the few blocks to Pipers' Tryst Hotel (8 rooms).  Piper's Tryst is located in the National Piping Center but no bagpipe welcome for me.  Checked in, dropped my bags, showered, and headed down Hope St.in search of lunch. I saw it almost immediately-Mollie Malone's, the Original Irish Pub.  Should have been a Scottish pub but I was starved.  Fish and chips and an ale.  How revived I felt and ready for exploring.  Walked to the Glasgow Art School on Renfrew.  The Scottish architect Charles Rennie Macintosh,1868-1928, designed it but I was not in the mood for a tour.  The area was rather grey and worn looking so I was glad that I had not planned on staying in one of the guesthouses on this street.  Also very uphill from the train station and more than a few blocks.  Walked on to Tenament House, a typical flat in a late 1880's grey stone apartment house.  Agnes Toward moved here in 1911 with her mother.  She lived here until 1965. 

Yes, this morning there was snow on the lettuce!   No, I didn't get a photo as I've forgotten that I own a camera.  Better start remembering soon as I leave for Scotland in 10 days.  My research on what I definitely want to see and where I want to put in head prior to meeting my hiking group is completed.  Finished reading "Island on the Edge of the World, the story of St. Kilda".  This island,St. Kilda, is not as remote as Gigha where I will be staying for a couple of days but both have been inhabited for over 2000 years  and are off the West Coast of Scotland.  Also read "The Lighthouse Stevensons.  That's the same Stevenson family that Robert Louis was part of.  Robert Louis actually studied engineering for several years but finally told his father it was not for him.  I will be visiting only one of the Stevenson lighthouses, Mull of Kintyre.  Robert Louis' grandfather used to visit all of them on an annual trip around the coast of Scotland.  That would be nice. I have not yet chosen books for the trip but yes, they will be on life in Scotland. Any recommendations?

So what do you do when your best friend moves 2000 miles away?  You feel numb, cry,and then start thinking of leaving this roller coast springtime that never fails to give us a good ride here along the "front range".  Last fall I found this wonderful hiking group out of England.  One of the leaders had mentioned flower-filled springtime on the Isle of Arran.  Flowers are one of my passions so research began.  With my favorite and enthusiastic travel planning buddy out of the country, I proceeded on my own.  And I did it!  Flying to Glasgow in a month. From there by bus to peninsula of Kintyre and by ferry to Isle of Arran for a week of hiking.  A few days in Glasgow and then back in time to plant the tomatoes, eggplants, and okra.  How's that for beating "the blues"?  I'm so glad my mama brought me up to live "lean".Thanks mama, for the chance to fly away for a few!

Really exciting day of gathering discarded bricks, loading them onto a trailer, and then unloading them at my place and my neighbors.  My favorite four children, their parents and I were involved in this adventure.  Now we can build patios, walls, fireplaces, and just anything we want with our pile of bricks.  About 2000 bricks, I think.  Does anyone know how many it would take to build a small house?  Now I have been catching up on the news and resting the bod. I think I have uncovered the real story behind the Spitzer expose.  Spitzer was in DC in his continuing fight to stop the predatory subprime lending practices. Now that Spitzer is silenced, Beranke went ahead and opened the vault to bailout the big guys-Countryside, Bank of America,etc.  Greg Palasti's column on this is most interesting.Not sure if I have spelled his name correctly but if I try to research correct spelling I will lose this whole thing.  So much is falling into place as I read more and more about this Republic of ours. My personal photographer was not working today so I have no photos.  Better luck next time!

Love it or hate it, many of you lost an hour of sleep last night due to Daylight Saving Time? Worth It? Do you like it more/less now that Daylight Saving Time occurs earlier (and later) in the year?

I just want the same time year around.  When was this Daylight Saving Time started?  I clearly remember the first reason I ever heard for the change-  " more daylght hours to shop".   

When you travel, do you use a guidebook so that you're well prepared, or do you go without much prior knowledge so that you're surprised?
Submitted by Jack Yan.

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A nice comfy"gathering room" with plenty of travel info in Italian and English.  Mt. Carria was viewed from the window seen here.

Yes, I did it! Picked up my rental car in Spoleto and traveled north to explore Umbria and LeMarche. The couple I'd met in Spoleto's Piazza della Liberta, had told me of their driving experiences in Italy- nearly got killed twice- and promptly handed me the name of their current traveling agency which they highly recommended. "Mrs. Advice Giver" did say they had little time to read and relax.  I was going to be able to read and relax with the aide of my yellow Fiat!  Alberto, my Hertz agent, had picked me up at the train station and I was off by 1PM.  I'd brought picnic stuff with me and by 2pm  found a quiet spot to lunch -beside a grape vineyard. I discovered I did not know how to put the Fiat in reverse so I exited and found a soccer field full of players and decided assistance was near.  I pulled into a nearby clubhouse parking area.  I went into the clubhouse and with my best Italian explained that I needed help in getting my car into reverse.  One gentleman went to the parking area and showed me how to reverse the little Fiat.  With many grazie I departed !  Onward on Highway 3.  Soon it would be time to find a bed for the night.  I see a sign MAXIMUS B&B and promptly turn left where sign indicates.  I park and walk up to the only door that seems to be a B&B.  There is no doorbell, only some wires hanging out where it should be.  A man approaches and in my limited Italian I explain that I need a room for the night.  He points down the main road but can tell that I am not certain exactly where he means.  He walks with me about two blocks to the house of the senora. A young teenage boy with dark curly hair answers the door.  I ask for a room in Italian and he departs into the house with the door open.  He returns telling me to wait 10 minutes down the road.  The two blocks I have come with the man.  I understand I can wait beside the B&B or at the Viper, a bar/cafe along the road.  Just the name does not appeal but I enter and find a few local folks sipping beer.  I buy a candy bar in exhange for "casing the joint " and then return to what I assume is the B&B.  Senora  appears and shows me the room.  In addition to the room is a lovely gathering room with comfy sofa,coffee table with lots of local information, large dining room table and chairs, and small kitchenette. 
She is concerned I will be cold so sends her husband to light the pellet stove.  What a cozy place! 
And a view of Mt. Carria from the window.