Category Archives: Scotland

We combated the grey drizzly morning with a nice fry-up for breakfast: eggs, sliced sausage, beans, toast.  Jesse had gotten about 12 hours of sleep so we were ready to face the day. It was to be a pretty quiet day though – just some time visiting with grandma and other family.

My mother-in-law likes to shop.  I do not.  She wins.  So off to the Thistle Centre we go.  We spent about 90 minutes wandering through various department stores with the occasional stop in an outdoor or sporting goods shop to look for new hiking boots for Frank.  (Apparently the current British brands don’t cater to fat feet.) Jesse immediately took off for the music and bookstores and it was quite entertaining corralling everyone when it was time to go.  You don’t realize how much you rely on being able to phone/text without consequence until you can’t.  It’s 50 cents for each text we send, 5 cents for each one we receive and $1.79/minute for phone calls.  So no, I am not pleased when the KC Chiefs want to chat with me about tickets for the upcoming season.  Grrrr…

Grandma got a lovely new top on sale for just a tenner (£10 or about $14 for the uninitiated) and then it was time to meet family for lunch.  On the way out, we had to pay for parking and found a machine to solve a small currency issue we found ourselves with.  Apparently, the UK is moving from paper to polymer notes and the Bank of England stopped issuing paper £10 notes earlier this year.  And there was a deadline of March 2018 to stop accepting paper £10 notes.  So the three I have left over from last year are no good in the shops – as I found out trying to by slice sausage in the butcher shop.  We can apparently go into a bank and swap them but haven’t had chance to do that yet.  So when we find an automated parking machine that takes the old notes, we are very excited!  Even if it means walking around with 8 pound coins in change.  Now we just need to find two more stupid machines!

Parking paid for, albeit somewhat dubiously, we were off to the Birds and Bees for a bar lunch with one branch of the Cannon clan.  Since there were 8 of us and the restaurant was very full, we could only sit outside – which was fine since the sun was splitting the trees.  So for the next two hours we sat and chatted and ate and laughed until we thought Grandma was going to melt.

Since one Cannon cousin needed to head back to Dundee, the younger ones went on a road trip and we headed back to the care home to get my mother-in-law settled in.  Now yesterday when we dropped her off, she went straight to bed because she was absolutely shattered.  Today we finished up a bit earlier and returned to the home to hear lots of music and singing – the day’s entertainment was still going on.  I skipped down the hall pushing her chair while singing “Bonnie Wee Jeanie McCall” (A fine wee lass, a bonnie we lass is Bonnie Wee Jeannie McCall.  I gave her my mother’s engagement ring and a bonnie wee tartan shawl.  I met her at a wedding on the cooperative hall.  I was the best man and she was the bell of the ball.) She initially asked me to help her get into her pajamas (it was 3:30 in the afternoon) but then decided that she’d rather go along and see what everyone else was up to.  So we left the social butterfly – who had been on death’s doorstep the previous week – sitting in the dining room chatting away with “Roy.”

With Jesse away to Dundee and Helen safely delivered home, we had some time to ourselves so it was back into town to continue the search for hiking boots.  We tried a different car park this time to see if the old note trick would work again (it didn’t.  Harrumph) and walked along the high street to find the two outdoor shops we thought might have what we needed.  We popped into one of the charity shops where my niece volunteers and said hello then continued the quest, only to be disappointed.  One shop didn’t have what we needed and the other is closed – as are so many high street shops it seems.  It’s only been 16 months since we were last here but the changes are astounding.  The economist in me wants to think that such change is the sign of a healthy economy but in my heart I know that’s not the case.

Back to the flat for a wee drink in the sunshine to wait for Jesse.  Then a trip to Paulino’s for the full monty:  haggis supper for Frank, fish supper for Jesse, and chicken supper for me (no batter and fried in the same fryer as the chips but not the fish so less chance of cross contamination).  So we had a chippy picnic at the flat watching quiz shows and feeling thoroughly native.

Data for today:
Steps: 9865 (4.7 miles) – mostly behind a wheelchair in a mall
Cups of tea outside the flat: 0 (hard to credit that!)
Embarrassing stories told over lunch: at least 6
Seconds to disassemble and stow the wheelchair: about 15 – we’re getting very efficient!

Today started very early with a run to Glasgow Airport to pick up Jesse!  She’ll be hanging out with us for the family circus this week. We aren’t very familiar with GLA so it took a couple of circuits through the airport before we could find a place to double park and collect her and her bag.

Then back to the flat to fulfill her first request: bacon roll and a cup of tea!  It’s been 5 years since she was last here – we can date it precisely because it was the first time Andy Murray won Wimbledon – and she has a list of “things to do/see/eat” while she is here. We then showered and headed out to pick up grandma for a grand day out.  We had heard that her health hadn’t been great recently so we were pleased that she was chipper and ready to go a run in the car.  Off to Callander where we were hoping for a stroll up to the Bracklinn Falls but it was not to be.  We took short jaunt around town, stopping in a shop or two for Frank to investigate new hiking boots since his didn’t make it out of Iceland in one piece.  The obligatory cup of tea and a cake in our favorite tea shop (gluten free cherry bakewell tart for me thank you) and it was off to do more visiting.  Into Bridge of Allan to see gran’s sister and one of the many uncle Jimmy’s. We got to show off photos of the new house (Frank is so excited!) and hear about Jesse’s Disney adventures.

We had a lovely chat but it was getting late and we were famished so off to the Westerton Arms  for a lovely – if late – bar lunch.  Here Jesse got to check box number 2: steak pie! Frank got his first haggis of the trip and grandma made short work of her gammon steak.  All that excitement was enough so back to the care home for an early bed and we made visit number two – stopping in Bannockburn at the family homestead now occupied by Frank’s middle brother and family.  That was also a quick stop – with the obligatory but most welcome cup of tea – before we headed out again for a quick run to the shops for a few things and then on to visit number 3 with youngest brother and family.  This was a bigger clan gathering than we had yesterday as 4 of the 6 cousins were all there – the oldest from both families were missing.  We discussed housing markets (we have a niece waiting for her new house to be finished),  labor markets (is Uncle Frank going to get a job in NY?), and travel (will they ever come and see us in NY?)

By this time, Jesse was fading fast so it was time to get her to bed but not before a quick stop at the chippy for two bags of chips which were quickly devoured.  This doesn’t constitute a complete checking of a box for her, however, as she wants a full fish supper.  That will have to be another day.

Data for today:
Steps: 5241 (2.4 miles) -mostly pushing a wheelchair
Hours awake for Jesse: 29
Cumulative cups of tea while visiting: 3 (tea at home or in a tea shop doesn’t count)

So I’d like to tell you what the morning was like this morning but unfortunately we didn’t see much of it.  While we had consumed slightly less wine than the previous night, having two nights of heavy bevvies had taken it’s toll. With no major plans for the day, we all slept in and eventually had “breakfast” at about noon. We sat outside in the emerging sunlight, enjoying croissants and coffee and conversation.  This morning we covered the Me Too movement, entitlements, and travel troubles.  Finally we made our way to repacking and loading up the car for another transition – from coast to inland, from my family to Frank’s.

A short drive to Stirling brought us to our AirBnB rental: Skeoch Cottage – a converted farm building and by far the nicest place we have ever rented through AirBnB. The place is gorgeously done, impeccably clean, and shall I mention the jacuzzi bathtub?  Sharon, the owner, is a gem (who happens to know my in-laws) and had the place well stocked with everything from cereal to wine.  We did still need to pick up a few things though so a stop at Tesco was in order.  I was so excited to see the how range of gluten free items had grown that I had to take a photo.

I even found a gluten free version of morning rolls – an absolute necessity for making bacon rolls for breakfast!

We had a quick stop to visit Frank’s mum and let her know that we would be coming by tomorrow to take her out. Then it was time for dinner. Without the gourmet stylings of our grillmaster from the weekend, it was a meal at the Jam Jar in Bridge of Allan where we indulged in some of the “hair of the dog” with our Sunday roast.  The sun was still with us so an outdoor table was a must.

Another short stop to visit the younger brother and family before heading back to oor wee cottage for a relatively early night because Jesse arrives tomorrow!

Data for the day:
Steps: An embarrassing 5,803 (2.7 miles)
Miles to empty in the car when we started our journey: 410
Miles to empty when we arrived an hour later: 428 (?!?)
Cups of tea consumed with family: 1 (but it’s early days yet)

No grey mornings here – loads of sunshine met our bleary eyes and it took a little effort to get moving after the “counseling” session the night before.  But move we did – to Largs to catch the ferry to the Isle of Cumbrae where we were to spend the day cycling around the island.  It sounds more ambitious than it is: the circumference of the island is just over 10 miles.  After renting our bicycles in Millport, we ventured around the island anti-clockwise (counter-clockwise for the Americans 🙂 ) enjoying the incredibly blue skies and mild temperatures.

With one circuit completed, we made a short stop at the smallest cathedral in Britain: the Cathedral of the Isles, one of two cathedrals in the Scottish Episcopal Church Diocese of Argyll & The Isles.  It is a lovely wee church dating back to the early 19th century and we admired the stained glass and worship space before heading back out into the screaming sunshine to find some lunch.  We got a table outside one of the cafes across from the beach and enjoyed a lovely lunch before hopping back on the bikes to tackle the clockwise trek.  We took a “short cut” that cut down the length of the ride by about a mile but included climbing straight up hill before a long straight back down into town.  Since only one of the four of us is an avid cyclist, it made for a challenging end to the day.  Nevertheless, we made it and finished up the day with well deserved ice cream (two scoops for me: tablet and Fry’s peppermint cream!) Then we headed home for another lovely BBQ (tuna this time) and more conversations about solving the worlds problems.  Tonight’s topics included welfare dependency, childhood obesity, and personal responsibility.

Data for today:

Steps: 10,615 (5 miles)
Miles cycled: ~19.5
Sunscreen applications: 2
Bottles of wine consumed: ?

We awoke very early not to our alarm (which was set for 4am) but to a barrage of texts that came in just after 3 am letting us know that the Capitals had won the Stanley cup. Great news to start the day. And what a day it has been. Out of the flat by 5 am and on the road to the airport. While we’ve done this drill plenty of times in the past, t’s much easier to manage when it’s already daylight at that hour. Return the rental car by 6 am and then a short walk in the grey morning – but you knew that part – to the terminal to check in for our 7:35 flight to Glasgow. And the chaos ensued from there.

No business class upgrade for this short trip so we waited in line with the rest of humanity to check our bags. Then to the security line which was actually pretty well run. I can’t say that for the rest of the airport operations. Reykjavic airport is not ready for the volume of passenger traffic that now flies through it. There are no gate waiting areas – but lots of duty free shops – and not every gate has a jet bridge. We managed to get to the general vicinity of our gate just before 7 am to see a mass of people milling around in a sort of queue but not a queue. There were 4 gates with flights leaving within 30 minutes of each other but the gates weren’t all open and a mass of humanity was milling around trying to figure out how to queue for the right gate. Right as we thought we had time to nip into the shop to get some Skyr, they opened gate D33 and the crush was on so the yogurt plan was abandoned and we proceeded to inch forward for the next 40 minute or so. Apparently, our gate was one without a jetbridge so they were bussing us out to the plane on the tarmac, one busload at a time. So 40 people would go and get dropped off and the bus would come back for the next load. Chaos! We then got to sit on the tarmac for a while and ended up leaving nearly an hour late with no indication of why or apology.

A short 2 hour flight to GLA (where they were out of any snack I could eat) and we landed to bright sunshine. We picked up the rental car – a ginormous Peugot hatchback – and headed to town to find some food. Cafe Wander suited the bill and I got a jacket potato with chicken mayonnaise and bacon and Frank had the ubiquitous lentil soup and a ham and cheese panini. Then a little wander up and down Buchanan Street peeking in the shops (and caging their wifi) and it was time to head to the coast.

The sun was with us the whole trip and when we got to Troon, it was time for shorts and t-shirts. We sat out in the back garden enjoying the sun and discussing all manner to topics over beer, wine, prawns, and an amazing grilled tenderloin. We continued with the drinks and discussion until the wee hours.

Data for today:
Steps: 12,830 (which should be 6 miles but is really probably due mostly to shuffing in place in the airport)
Minutes between landing and drinking my first IrnBru: 15
Number of cool features on the Peugot that we exclaimed over: 5

Interestingly, this year’s Day 17 looks a lot like last year’s  – there must be some odd karma on the universe. We started the day with the previously mentioned GF sliced sausage from the butcher in Bridge of Allan as part of our final fry up in the flat. Then the serious packing commenced. My large case filled with everything we knew we wouldn’t need for the next few days and Frank’s case with everything we thought we would.

Then came the round of farewells. First to see how mum was doing. We got to the home and she was up and about and all in a tizzy about something that had her charging about with her walker. We got things sorted and headed out for a nice lunch at The Birds and Bees, another favorite from our last trip. Mum enjoyed her steak pie and even managed to drink some cider!

We took her back and said our goodbyes there before doing the same in Bridge of Allan and Braehead. Next stop: Grangemouth and the Scottish Athletics Under 17 championships where we said hellos to my family who were there to cheer on youngest son. We had a we wait before the final event and time to catch up and blether before Michael claimed a bronze medal in the 400 meter event.

Then to head back west to Barassie for the gourmet dinner and epic bevy. Because it was late and the weather was not conducive to grilling, we “settled” for monkfish and Parma ham, expertly cooked with only one scalded hand sacrificed as part of the process. This year’s conversation menu was as wide ranging as ever: multilingualism, pan sexuality and non binary gender identity, travel woes, the political state of several countries, Netflix series, the spirit versus wording of the Second Amendment, and the possibility of replacing Freddy Mercury.

Finally after several bottles of wine and buckets of tears of laughter, it was off to bed in the wee hours having only managed 5,683 steps during the course of the day.

Another grey and misty morning made it easy for me to decide that running with a cold was not in the books.  We got ready and headed to the nursing home to pick mum up at 10am as promised.  She was much brighter and ready for an outing so into town we went.  We stopped at a teashop, The Bluebell Tearoom, where they do gluten free very well.  Unfortunately, no gluten free scones today but I did get carrot cake and we all enjoyed tea. Then for a wander through the town and the Thistle Center before taking mum back to the home.

Then it was time for a late lunch.  I was meeting a  friend that I had shared a flat with (could it be?) 30 years ago.  We hadn’t seen each other in a few years and her now 16-year-old son joined us.  It was a fabulous time catching up and chatting.

Back out into the constant misty rain to pick up a few last minute items before spending the afternoon getting started on our packing.  It’s hard to believe that things are drawing to a close but we do have one last stop this weekend before heading home.  Of course we don’t need most of the things we brought with us as this point so we spend some time sorting, washing, and packing up.

Then off again into the rain for the walk to Cambusbarron and a night with friends for the annual “box of curry” – a tradition started years ago when the kids still traveled with us.  We enjoyed lots of drinks, conversation, and curry before the night was through.  Then it was out into the now dry, mild, night for the wander home. It doesn’t seem much to write about but it was a very enjoyable day despite the weather. And a productive one – 20, 189 soggy steps achieved.

Today was our day to do a little exploration since we knew that we wouldn’t be seeing Helen until teatime.  So we got ourselves sorted and headed east out the A720 to see lies east of Edinburgh.

We stopped in Haddington first – advertised as a “historic market town” – and had a wee wander about the shops.  I stopped into the chemist to see about getting something for my cough as my cold has now moved into my chest (hence there was no run for me this morning).  I got some Robitussin and possible the oddest suggestion ever:  Vicks vaporub on your feet with socks on to prevent your cough keeping you up at night.  Weird but I’ll try anything once.  We also picked up a few books for Frank and for friends back home.  Then the trek east continued.

To Dunbar.  We picked it off the map somewhat arbitrarily but it is a nice seaside town.  Not with nice seaside weather today as the rain moved in and got steadier as we wandered about.  We found a tea shop for lunch (baked potato with coronation chicken – yum!) and a cup of tea and then off to explore the harbor.  The remains of the castle aren’t particularly impressive until you understand the history of the place.  There’s been a fortress of somekind there since the reign of Malcom Canmore in the 11th century. The defeated Edward fled there after losing the Battle of Bannock burn and Mary Queen of  Scots took refuge there twice.

The coastline is pretty dramatic – especially for those of us that don’t regularly see a coastline.  We climbed up and down things and then headed back into town for a visit to some galleries. I now have a lovely wee tree made by an artist in Aberdeen to add to the “forest” in my kitchen.

But alas, the clock was ticking for our family dinner date so we started heading back home.  We considered making a quick stop in Musselburgh because it’s there but the traffic trying to get into the town center was crazy so we abandoned that idea and hit the road again.

We were meant to collect Helen at 5 o’clock to go out for a special meal with my niece who recently turned 21  but she was very out of sorts so we decided to leave her be and have a lovely meal with the youngest Cannon brother and family at the Torbrex Inn.  Since we didn’t have to worry about hauling the wheelchair around, we parked the car and walked the half a mile or so to the restaurant so Frank could have a pint and not worry about driving.  He also had his share of a bottle of Bordeaux. 🙂

After dinner we thought we’d wander into Stirling to see what was up and stopped at No. 2 Baker Street for a pint.  The night was mild and dry so we could sit outside and watch people go by.  And the people we saw were all either tourists or very drunk people who’s accents were indistinguishable.  How times have changed! I don’t know what the more sober locals do on a Wednesday night but I know it isn’t having a pint downtown anymore. So we toddled home for a cup of tea before an early bed – which managed to bring our step count for the day to 16,077.

Another  bright dry morning encouraged another run to start the day and continue with the pretense that I’m not getting sick. This time around the castle.

We picked Helen up after breakfast and thought we’d try a different outing: a distillery tour! Off to the Glengoyne distillery we went as the dry morning succumbed to the ever lurking rain clouds. Unfortunately though the website we consulted said it was handicapped accessible, we found that most of the tour involved stairs so it wasn’t really going to work for us. Back in the car to get something to eat and we found ourselves at The Forth Inn in Aberfoyle surrounded by English and Italian tourists – the latter sporting newly acquired “Scotland” sweatshirts, proclaiming their inability to pack for a Scottish summer.

Lunch was fine but nothing spectacular- although Mum seriously attacked her haggis and cheese panini!

The traveling about had really worn her out so it was back to the home and into bed. We decided on a similar plan of action and opted for a wee kip ourselves (translation: nap).

Then it was off to the family house in the hill for a family gathering of Cannons and other important relatives. (See Jean? I told you I would say nice things 😉)

Twelve of us gathered for a large Indian carry out and the enjoyment of many beverages. While the matriarch wasn’t there and the wayward university student joined us quite late, it was a fabulous and fun evening. My inability to pretend that I felt fine meant that by midnight I was done and it was time to rest up for tomorrow. We barely cracked the 10k step mark (10,979) – hopefully I’ll be fit enough to improve on that.