SCOTLAND: THE ROAD TRIP, PART 2

Hi All.

Our initial incentive for stopping in Pitlochry was because it was described in various publications as an enjoyable small town with “Scotland’s highest concentration of woolens shops” and a cute train station.

The only shop in the small train station is a bookshop

and not a Barnes and Noble

Scotland: The Road Trip, Part 1

Hi All,

We left Edinburgh to experience the Scottish countryside, hike in the bonnie highlands, visit Loch Lommond and The Isle of Mull.

This was our proposed route to Tobermory which is on the Isle of Mull.

The numbers refer to the various places that we got lost on the way except for number 3 which is where we got a flat tire or as we referred to it: “the incident” occurred.  There were many more times where we got a little lost, but I didn’t include them because it would have been impossible to see the map.

 

And this was the route back from Tobermory to the Edinburgh Airport

Once again, the numbers refer to where we got lost.  Number 8 was especially bad since Angus, the voice of the GPS wanted to take us one way and the police closed that road because of a rock concert.  The GPS could not figure out another way to go and neither could we.  We finally had to call the hotel.

Edinburgh: The Fringe

Hi All,

We arrived in Edinburgh the day after the six glorious weeks of warm, sunny weather that they had been enjoying had ended.  The Edinburgers were disgruntled. We tried to explain to anyone who would listen that this was not our fault, but we could see in their eyes that they blamed us.  And so we went from 95+ degrees and sunny Paris to 60 degrees and overcast (with the occasional bit of rain) Edinburgh.

We stayed in a hotel called “The Glasshouse”

We learned that the two people seen exiting the hotel were asked to leave because they were throwing stones which is strictly forbidden

A Wedding in France

Hi All,

This adventure begins as most do, at Los Angeles International Airport.  We were flying from Los Angeles to Paris on “Delta One.”  Sounds impressive, huh?  At the classy “Delta One” check-in counter we were greeted by name and offered a drink and a place to sit and relax after the ordeal of our 20 minute of Ubering to the airport.   Our luggage was immediately tagged and taken as we finished our drinks.  Then we were escorted to the front of the TSA security line.  We felt like two celebs (who barely knew each other), like Mick Jagger and Jennifer Lawrence (I don’t think they’ve ever even met).

The royal treatment didn’t end at TSA; when we got on board the plane, we were similarly treated like two people who have nothing in common and hardly knew one other (like Mick and Jennifer) .  The seating configuration in the “Delta One” section on this particular airplane is pretty much geared for solo travelers or for couples who hate each other.  There are no two seats in which you can sit together with your traveling companion or even see or even touch them without some acrobatic maneuver or getting up and walking to the other side of the plane.  Talking was quite difficult as was any form of physical contact.  I could barely see Jill (and remember, we’re still newlyweds).

Jill reaching longingly for an inaccessible me (notice that her seat and my seat are facing away at right angles to each other)

I Left my Hearta in Puerto Vallarta

As we reach the end of our one-week getaway to our southern neighbor, I wanted to reflect on how we ended up here in the first place.

Jill and I (mainly I or is it “mainly me”) did not want to be in Los Angeles for my birthday on February 2. My firm and long held belief is that if you are not in the place you normally live on the day of your birth, it doesn’t count toward your age. It is for this reason that I wanted to be elsewhere to celebrate my 48^th birthday.  We had much discussion and debate over where we should go to escape Los Angeles, including such exotic destinations as a South African safari (Jill) or a safari-like visit to the San Diego zoo (me).  We finally decided to compromise and join our friends, Judy and “The Bob” Stein

Hawaii: The Land of Many Vowels and Few Consonants

Hi All,

I apologize that this was not written contemporaneously with our Hawaiian holiday, but I spent quite a bit of our time in Hawaii relaxing (or as they say in Hawaiian, sleeping).  We’ve have now been back home for several weeks, and I’m very well rested, and so here’s the blog.

While a trip to Hawaii isn’t like going on a foreign adventure to a strange land, it did have a major appeal beyond beautiful beaches and great weather: Hawaii is farther away from Washington, D.C. than anywhere else in the United States. Too bad there was still TV, newspapers, and internet.

Also, Hawaii is Jill’s favorite place on earth.

Mine, of course, is being with Jill

So much for the, what I’m sure will be the necessary, sychophantic portion of this missive.