Greetings from Milngavie
Today offered the perfect weather to start my hike. Unfortunately, I don't start until tomorrow. The only distance I really covered today was on the train from Glasgow to the small suburb of Milngavie.
On the way to the train station, I got to see some bike racers on the last day of competition. The local news discussed how there are 500 turns along the route for these competitors. They called that a “technical challenge.”
The train ride only took about 30 minutes, and that included a change of trains halfway down the line.
It was at the train station in Glasgow that I ran into my first fellow hikers. Winton and Jerome are from Belgium. This is their first through-hike and they will be camping along the way.
I’m interested to see if I catch up with them somewhere along the trail. They took advantage of the good weather and started walking as soon as they got off the train.
I spent the day getting all my hiking gear squared away, out of my suitcase and into my backpack. It would be great to have sunny skies again tomorrow. Rain is always a possibility in the area this time of year, so I’ve packed my foul weather gear as well. I upgraded my equipment since doing the Wainwright, and I'm almost eager to get the opportunity to use it.
Some of the day was spent adjusting to the time zone. By that, I mean I took a nice nap. Then it was time to go out and search for dinner. I returned to the city center and most everything was closed down. Fortunately, the Marks and Spencer grocery store was still open. Not only did I find some good things for dinner, I obtained another inexpensive souvenir: a reusable shopping bag.
The non-profit West Highland Way organization has started their own passport program similar to the stamp books of the Caminos. Funds raised are used to maintain the trail. Only a few businesses have picked up on the program so far, and I stopped in to one of those establishments. I'm not sure how experienced the gentleman behind the counter was with the procedure. I think he stamped in the wrong spot and upside down. Regardless, I have the first stamp for my journey. We will see what happens down the trail.
I ate my dinner in front of the TV while watching a Gaelic language instructional show. Now I'm not certain if I don't understand some people here because they have a heavy brogue, or because they are simply speaking Gaelic.
The majority of the hotel guests are fellow hikers. I hope to get up a little early and beat the rush for breakfast. My suitcase is picked up promptly at 8:00 a.m., and shortly thereafter, I will be on my way.