Back on the Road
It seems once you have the bug to hike, it sticks with you. It's only been about three months since I completed the Wainwright Coast to Coast. The scenery, the challenges, and the people on that hike were all incredible. With that in mind, it makes perfect sense to travel across the Atlantic once more and head for Scotland.
If nothing else, I am definitely traveling with some new style. Artist Stephen Palladino was kind enough to personalize my new suitcase. We discussed how it might be damaged in transit, and I voiced my concern about somebody stealing it for the art and not the contents. I can't imagine anybody wanting my beat-up hiking gear.
For those too young to have grown up with Bugs Bunny, the character looking over the top of the Earth is the Gremlin.
Happily, my flight to New York and then on to Edinborough came off without any hitches. I even managed to grab a few hours of sleep while crossing the Atlantic. With my bag trailing behind me and drawing comments, I headed for the train (or tram) to get to the next train.
The concept was a little odd, as was the process to get there. I purchased my ticket on the Trainline app because of what I’ve learned traveling in England. When I arrived at the pickup area, there were no machines to plug in my code and retrieve my ticket. So, it was back into the terminal, past the arrivals, to a lone machine that I was informed would appear "mostly" yellow. It did.
Back out on the curb, to the right was a bus, and to the left a light-rail tram. I asked a gentleman in a red vest which was better. He said it didn't matter. I asked which one was leaving first. That was the tram. I think it was the better choice. The scenery from the rail lines seems to be a little better than from the roadways.
It's important to note that many of the tickets purchased for a specific time are actually for use anytime during the day. Unless you are booking a specific seat on a specific train, it’s pretty laissez-faire. As I looked at the posted schedule for Glasgow departures, it appeared I had about an hour before my train was to leave. About that time, a young man with the rail service waved me over and asked where I was headed. It seems I am getting much better at my “lost old man” look.
When I told him Glasgow, he told me there was an express train leaving in two minutes from Track 4. I headed in that direction and discovered it was going to Glasgow Queens Street Station, instead of the Central Station around the corner from my hotel. I hesitated just long enough for a uniformed woman to tell me that the express would save me over an hour in travel time. Sold! It gave me an opportunity to see a little more of Glasgow, and I walked the streets on a sunny day with temperatures in the low 60s.
The walk from the station only took about 10 minutes. Luckily, the route was not blocked by all the barriers erected for the UCI Cycling World Championships.
Google maps took me into the central train station, and then back out through a different exit to arrive at my hotel. The entire hotel consists of 29 rooms on the sixth floor of a 150-year-old building. It's nothing fancy, but the staff gives it a very homey feel with homemade cakes and ice cream put out for the hotel guests.
The last 24 hours have really all been about getting into position, and giving myself a little room to adjust to the change in time zones before starting the 100-mile walk ahead.
In my limited time among the Scottish people, I have found them to be very friendly and helpful. The only glitch is that I cannot understand what they say half the time. I know I am not the first person to experience this. They are generous and repeat themselves slowly and enunciate every syllable. This only makes it worse. It is so frustrating when they are really trying to communicate and I am not understanding. In the end, we manage, and I do appreciate their kindness.
One last thought. Before I left home Sunday morning, I watched the CBS Sunday Morning Show. An interview with Michael J. Fox was featured. His struggle with Parkinson's has been going on for decades. There was a quote that underscores how he handles his incredible challenges and it resonated with me. He said, "Gratitude sustains the opportunity for optimism."
Gratitude every day.