Knitting Class

I have been taking a knitting class for about a year. A lot of people ask, why knitting? It is a pretty antiquated trade and isn't really relevant to people much anymore which is actually why I wanted to learn it. Yes, I could buy a book or go on YouTube and learn to knit but instead I meet up at least once a week with a group of grandmothers who are more than happy to help me learn. There is something truly fulfilling about knowledge being bestowed from one generation to another.  Plus, it is rewarding to create something from scratch that is useful to other people.

My first project(s) were dish towels and pot holders. My second project was a scarf which I gave to my sister's boyfriend for his birthday. This was my third project which I gave to my sister for her birthday. My teacher was very impressed with my ability to complete such a difficult project.

This is a blanket I knitted for Lily. I measured her bed and made a chunky wool blanket for the winter. It's hard to tell in the picture but it is navy blue in color.

Current Projects: 

• In class I am learning to make mittens. I almost have the first one complete. 
• At home, I am working on a scarf for Hubby with wool that I purchased in Scotland. 
• I also just started a baby blanket for some friends who are expecting their first child in March.

My teacher says I am a true knitter now, we always have multiple projects going at one time!

UK Vacation: Day 11

Our last morning in Scotland started with coffee, as all good mornings do. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at the cafe downstairs from the apartment, finished packing and walked to the Buchanan Bus Station again. This time we needed to catch the Express Bus to Glasgow International Airport. What we didn't know was that they only accept cash or contactless credit cards (which we "technologically advanced" Americans didn't have, so we had to hit up the ATM like an old couple and take out money so we could get home. 

We arrived at the airport with a few hours to spare, ate some terrible airport food and waited to board our flight to Iceland. The several hours we spent in the airport were difficult for me. I asked Hubby on several occasions to just leave me behind, that I would figure out how to live in Scotland without a home or a job, but he insisted that wasn't going to happen.

The flight from Scotland to Iceland was a quick 2.5 hours, although it felt like an eternity to me as I had finally come down 100% with the plague. I wore my medical mask on the plane which served to keep the other passengers safe but also kept anyone from talking to me. I might have cried a little as I watched Scotland slip away.

Iceland was the most beautiful desolation I had ever seen. I wouldn't mind going back to visit this location someday, although the food leaves much to be desired. So much fish, even at the airport. We overspent for some more terrible airport food and waited 3 hours for our connecting flight to Seattle. 

The flight from Iceland to Seattle (almost 8 hours) was actually the best flying experience we have had in recent memory. First, the airline attendants are absolutely stunning! Seriously, if you haven't seen the ladies who work for Iceland Air, they are incredibly beautiful. Second, the plane wasn't sold out, so the seat in-between hubby and I ended up empty (and stayed that way due to my medical mask) so we were able to stretch out and get comfortable. I will never fly international again unless we buy that middle seat, it made all the difference in the world!

By the time we reached Seattle, I was so sick I thought I was going to pass out. My stomach was queasy and the fever was making my mind foggy. I was so incredibly lucky to have hubby there to negotiate our way back into the US because the customs and immigration process was way beyond what my brain could handle at this point. Gotta be honest with you all, getting back into the US was far more difficult than I expected for those born and raised here. I do remember the Border Protection agent saying "Welcome Home" after he stamped our paperwork. It felt really good to hear those words!

Once we got to Seattle, there was another 2-3 hour wait for our plane to Portland. We snacked a little while we sat in the hard plastic seats as I slowly believed I was actually going to die. When we touched down in Portland and my sister was there to pick us up, I don't know if I have ever been more relieved. From door step to door step, it took us 22 hours to get home. When I fell into bed that night, I had never been more exhausted in my life.

Step Count: 7,437

Total Miles Walked in London: 23.08

Total Miles Walked in Scotland: 46.46

Total Miles Walked in the UK: 69.54

When I told Hubby about this total, he was both shocked and mortified stating "I think you packed the trip a little full." I think he is right. Next time I drag him to Scotland, it will be far more relaxed and luxurious. 

UK Vacation: Day 10

Our final morning in Glasgow started at Rose & Grant's Cafe where Hubby and I both ordered french toast and coffee. Superb! Scottish accents vary from city to city and I found that the Glaswegian accent was very difficult for me to decipher compared to the Edinburgh accent. Hubby, luckily, seemed to understand the folks in Glasgow just fine! The rest of our morning was spent at Dumbarton Castle, the location suggested by the friendly owner of the Beinglas Farm Campsite. We took ScotRail west from Glasgow to the small town of Dumbarton. We had our first train mishap where we missed our stop and in a wonderful display of kindness, a local walked with us and gave us directions to ensure we made it to the castle safely. Missing the stop actually ended up being fine, as we got to see the town on foot. Dumbarton was a beautiful mix of an old city center with small businesses taking up residence in traditional stone buildings and neighborhoods of newer, single family homes with manicured lawns. After so much time in the big cities and deep in the country, it was nice to see how the suburban residents lived.

Dumbarton Castle was a vision to behold! The oldest stronghold in Scottish history dating back to the Iron Age had over 500 steps to navigate.

The Guard House

The French Prison

White Tower Crag - The highest point of the castle
You can't tell in this picture but Hubby was feeling quite sick at this point.

360 degree view!

After completing our tour of Dumbarton Castle, we hopped back on the ScotRail train and took it to Charring Cross where we (once again) walked to the the Tenement House Museum. According to their website: "At first glance, the Tenement House appears to be an ordinary middle-class tenement from the late 19th century, standing in Garnethill. However, when you step inside, the faithfully restored four rooms appear as if frozen in time and provide a rare glimpse into life in Glasgow in the early 20th century." This was by far the most expensive museum we visited during our stay but was wroth the price to see the beautifully curated items and talk to the knowledgable staff.

The Tenement House: Not my picture

Since we skipped lunch, we decided on an early dinner at Villa Toscana, an Italian restaurant recommended to me by one of my online acquaintances. By this time, Hubby had a raging fever and I had started getting a sore throat. Both of us were fairly certain that our time in the mold infested hotel room was to blame for this onset. The food was marvelous (I selected the gnocchi) but the portions were more than we could handle. Based on the sickness that was about to overtake us, we called it a night, opting to go back to the apartment to do laundry and pack our bags.

Villa Toscana, Glasgow

Step Count: 19,609

UK Vacation: Day 9

Day 9 started the exact same way as the day before, with complimentary breakfast at the Drovers Inn, this time I had the porridge which was far more satisfying than toast. We were done and checked out long before the bus was scheduled to arrive but it was better to stand in the rain than suffer one more moment in the room.

My "relieved to be done here" face.

The bus trip was uneventful and we arrived in Glasgow a few hours later. We had a different bus driver this time and he wasn't entertaining at all. Once again we walked to our hotel which wasn't far from the Buchanan station called the Glassford Residence. This time I picked well! The apartment was beautiful, clean and even had a washing machine. It was a welcome sight after Drovers, a bathroom with no spiders and all the amenities we could hope for! One downside was the wifi went out almost immediately and couldn't be reestablished until the next day (more on that later.)

Not my picture

We had lunch at the Beir Halle, this time I chose a vegetarian sandwich and while it was good, it could not compare to what Hubby ordered. We each had a cider this time and once again it was outstanding! Apparently, cider isn't a huge thing in Scotland so most of it is imported from Sweden. Swedish cider is known for being sweeter than usual and we both enjoyed that very much!

Hubby's Chili Cheese Dog

The remainder of the day was spent sightseeing. We walked by George Square which is usually quite lovely but was being utilized for the European Championship Games, so it was a bit hectic, overrun by tents and didn't look like its normal self. Next, we went to Glasgow Cathedral which was quite impressive!

Right across the street from the Cathedral was Provand's Lordship, the oldest house in Glasgow, built in 1471, which turned out to be far more interesting than I originally anticipated. Much like the Pittock Mansion in Portland, the collection shown is from the correct period of time but the museum acknowledges readily that they are uncertain exactly how the house looked or the items that were originally in it. It also wasn't a highly visited location, which was nice for us tired tourists.

Not my picture

The last major stop of the day was the Glasgow Necropolis which I think might have been Hubby's favorite part of Glasgow. The architecture and history of the area was humbling, there were people buried here long before the United States was ever created.

View from the Necropolis

Just a tiny view of the Necropolis

Hubby and I were desperate to eat something green and it was Friday night, which made our restaurant search more difficult. It felt like it has been awhile since we actually had vegetables or a salad. After hitting some of the souvenir shops, we landed on a restaurant called Avant Garde.  We both ordered salads, mine was the Caesar, and this time I was disappointed. The salad was so dripping in dressing, it was inedible. Luckily, I also ordered a cup of vegetable soup and it was delightful!

That evening, as we were showering and getting ready for bed, we received a call from my sister. I had told her to not call unless it was an emergency because the cellular cost was pretty high, so when she rang me, I knew there was something wrong. She explained that the plumbing in our house had ceased working and needed advice. I had Hubby call her back and he ended up staying up until 3:00 a.m. UK time to help her find a plumber and get the problem fixed. This was made all the more difficult because we didn't have wifi and sufficient cell service was difficult for us to come by in the apartment. I think this was officially when the trip became less fun. We were exhausted, there were problems at home and Hubby was starting to not feel well.

Step Count: 20,908

UK Vacation: Day 8

Day 8 started with complimentary breakfast at the Drovers Inn back across the highway. Hubby chose traditional Scottish porridge while I had toast (there wasn't a vegetarian option).

Before venturing out on a hike, we walked back down to the Beinglas Farm Campsite in hopes they might have an opening at the bed and breakfast for the night. The owner was very kind but informed us he was booked. He asked where we were staying and we informed him about the Drover's Inn which he referred to as a "tourist trap" and that he wouldn't wish that place on anyone. He insisted on calling around to the other bed and breakfasts he knew to see if there was an opening, which there was not. Scottish kindness at its best!

Determined to not stay in our mold-infested hotel room, we started our hike out to Loch Lomond which was approximately 3-4 miles away.

In typical Scottish fashion, it rained off and on for the entire hike.

Believe it or not, we ran into another couple out on this deserted trail who were from Phoenix.
Can you believe it? 

Scotland is the most beautiful place I have ever laid eyes on!

This was right before we got to the Loch and just before my energy plummeted.
The hike back was much more difficult for me. Hubby was a rockstar.

There is where the Ardleish ferry can take you across the loch. It is literally a fishing boat and
the way you get their attention is by running a ball up a flagpole and waiting for them to notice.
We didn't have cash on us or we would probably have gone over to Ardlui for lunch.

We hiked back to the Beinglas Farm Campsite, where we had lunch. This time I threw caution to the wind and ordered chicken fillets for lunch (in Scotland they are referred to as "fill-its.") I had had so little food that day, I knew I needed some protein fast. I also ordered by second cider since arriving in the UK and OMG, the cider in Scotland is amazing! More on that later. The owner who we met in the morning was running the pub in the afternoon and recognized us. He was concerned about whether we had found a place to stay or not, which we told him we did not but that we were leaving the following day and thought we could "survive" another night. After he took our order and served other guests, he came by our table and inquired about where we were going next. Once he found out we were headed to Glasgow he grabbed a paper and pen and started writing down all the places he thought we should check out. He grew up in the town of Dumbarton and suggested we take a detour to see the castle. I already had our Glasgow trip scheduled but when a local takes time to sit down at your table and give you advice, you take it! So we changed our plans for the next day.

After lunch we went back to our room and Matt took the hair dryer to our clothes in an attempt to get them somewhat dry before packing them away in a suitcase the following day. He also had to dry his tennis shoes, which I avoided by packing boots. Bless his heart, he sat there for hours with an underpowered blow dryer while I sat on the bed next to the window in my medical mask praying to not die.

That evening we went over to the Drovers Inn for dinner, where I ordered vegetarian bangers and mash with brown sauce and peas. I loved it! Hubby splurged and sauntered up to the bar to get us each a dram of whisky. The barkeep was a young man who was absolutely elated to help Hubs make a decision. This is when the surreal moment for me happened. There we were in Scotland, surrounded by conversations which were distinctly Scottish, in a 300 year old pub with squeaky wood floors, where dogs are allowed to mingle with guests, sipping a glass of whisky. My mind couldn't wrap itself around the experience. It still can't.

Step Count: 18,276