POST PANDEMIC DIARY

[A quick note to explain how it is I have not gotten off a blog over the past month. Adele and I have been so on the go, our schedule timed with movement from one town to the other, a morning tour of a city, a planned walk, etc. that I have simply not been able to think about writing. Therefore, I have decided to cram some highlights into a single blog to provide a taste of what’s going on this side of the pond. As always your comments are welcomed. Thanks.]

FALSE ALARM
September 18, 2023

We checked into The Clayton Hotel in Glasgow, a one-year-old contemporary hotel, the likes of which have caught on all over the world - a kind of jivey, cool, youthful vibe that blends well with traditional elegance and warm ambience. It layout is quite clever and extremely well thought out - the bar and lounge right up front so you cannot miss the happenings as you go to the elevators, nor can you miss the young and vigorous people gathering in their most fine threads drinking the latest cocktails, and laughing those uncomfortable, forced laughs that are sure signs or either boredom or desperation, There is lots of recessed seating that keeps you in the game buts adds a bit of privacy. Anyways, our room was quite nice, comfortable and also cool with cool grey walls and multi-hued grey duvet that gave you the impression you were spending the night in a cool hotel…which it was…really. Cool.

View from our room at the Clayton Hotel overlooking Glasgow rooftops.

Adele and I were out carousing the city in lousy weather just bearable enough for us to take our laundry to the laundromat and after three weeks of traveling unload half of what we started with into the wash, soap, rinse and dry cycles. Following this rather long, moist and inclement day, we had burgers and “triple fries” (a thing in Scotland) at the hotel. Sleep was welcome. And, sleep came quickly.

“What the hell”? The alarm was piercing, high-pitched, metallic, pulsing with brief intervals and accompanied by a flashing light. I bounced up from my slumber feeling a sense of urgency although I didn’t have any idea what was happening. Turning to Adele, I said, “Honey, get up”. She still needed a little shaking and a moment to get oriented. “We have to get dressed”. I checked my Fitbit – 4:14 AM – I was in my birth uniform but went to the door to see if it was only my room alarm that was persisting to bleat loudly enough to want to escape. I opened the door only slightly, peering out and initially saw no one, but in the few moments my door was opened other doors began to open with people already dressed and proceeding out of their rooms in quiet, orderly fashion.

Adele and I quickly dressed and like the rest of the retinue of evacuees looked as if the dress code of the day was “grab what you can and get the hell out”. Our room was on the 14th floor. We followed the steady flow of people on our floor directly to the stairwell. The stairwells were already filled, surging in a steady flow of people coming from the two floors above. We joined the stream of folks who were discharging in a most unphazed business-like fashion – some finding humor in the circumstance, some calculating their rest of days’ activities, or making phone calls to express love and possibly convey their last wishes.

Round and round we went until floor #7 when the current suddenly turned and some of the people downstairs began to walk upstairs. “False alarm”, they called to those of us above. The tide then shifted as everyone turned and started heading upstairs and back to their rooms. The next morning, I inquired about the cause of the false alarm and was told that sometimes, rarely, someone might be taking an extremely hot shower, when upon opening of the shower door, the steam is released and sets off the alarm. I know this is somewhat of a blah, disappointing ending. Just know, I too wanted something more dramatic in conclusion. Still, I have to be grateful that no one was hurt and all got to keep their belongings.

Fifty Shades of Green…and Counting

Remember when you were growing up your parents would say that “the grass isn’t greener on the other side” or in common parlance “all is not as it appears”. Except, in Scotland where the grass IS actually greener. Not only is it greener, it is thickly carpeted. It is dense and full and cushiony. And, most remarkably, is the diversity of color of meadow and lark, pasture and hills, mountains and forest - dark, almost emerald; it is light and dirty, almost mossy; it is reflective and neon bright; it is golden hued like straw; it is coppery like rusted metal; it is fruit colored like lime or green apple; and vegetable colored like kale or broccoli. One is endlessly discovering new shades of green.

The peaceful and perfect countryside scene…seen everywhere.

Inverary Castle

Mind you, all this greenery comes, well, I was going to say at a cost. But, Scotland is not like Seattle or Portland where suicide rates are the highest in the nation due to the consistently rainy weather and fewest sun days. No. The Scots seem fully adapted to the weather. Just the other day, we spent two nights at the Trigony House, set in rural Dumfries region. On the way, in the cold drizzle, we saw two older couples out on their lawn having tea, conversing in laughter, having a good old time in shorts, and short-sleeve shirts, as if in the Bahamas.

Weather, like all climates around the world, are subject to forecasts. However, forecasting in Scotland makes Americas’ inaccuracies seem like laws of physics. Scotland’s weather really requires, not day by day forecasting, not hour by hour forecasting, rather minute by minute evaluations. Oh hell. The notion of forecasting is specious. The whole damn thing should be scrapped. We have never experienced variations in the weather as we have here. We are not talking simply of clouds overhead clearing making way for the sun. We are speaking of nearly instantaneous changes from clear to sun showers to pouring rain in mere minutes. Sun that is followed by total cloud coverage that breaks and is sunny once again in minutes. Temperatures that require layers including scarves and windbreakers that must quickly be removed because the sun’s appearance raises the temperature making the incredibly chilling weather hot.

Trigony House Garden Suite

Our private sun room and access to private garden

We took a boat ride down Loch Ness after visiting Urquhart Castle that stands high overlooking the Loch. The castle itself is a ruin in the technical sense - no innards - but the remains are copious and tie together in a way that make the empty spaces come alive. You can imagine being greeted in the grand entry; dancing in the great hall, being imprisoned in the isolation of a stone cell hardly large enough to move. Then the view from the boat speaks to the grandeur, status and nobility of fallen stone.

Loch Ness

Urquhart Castle from Loch Ness

A Loch By Any Other Name
We have finally arrived in England’s Lake Region. Famed for its scenic beauty, the landscape is, indeed, gorgeous. We are spending five nights here to absorb the many towns, villages, falls and lakes. Then, on the fourth day, while a mere 1 1/4 miles from where we were staying in Ambleside, and while a huge double wheeler was passing in the other direction with its wide cab creeping over the dividing line, I veered onto the shoulder which, in this case and commonly, had a dip created by rainfall and drove over a rock or some such when we heard a loud gunshot like “POP”, and in that moment knew I had blown a tire. The car began to wobble as we were fortunate, in a very short distance, to find the generous private entrance to a gated home and were able to pull over.

This is a story of deliverance. We exited the vehicle and stood viewing our flat tire…and I mean flat. We had an emergency number to call and got through to an “AA”, a company partnered with Hertz, to provide emergency services ONLY. That is, they go to the car and bring you to the nearest affiliate garage throughout the UK. However, garages do not necessarily replace tires and they certainly do not stock tires. We were due in Chester in two days, so had this day and the next to solve a problem. We chalked it up without dismay to time lost and got down to business.

I contacted AA and were told that help would be on its way in about six hours. They suggested I drive the car the short distance to a garage I identified as able to get a tire within the day right there in Ambleside. He said that given the wheel’s alloys, there should be little in the way of damage if I proceeded slowly. Which is what we did. We arrived at the garage and put our order in for a tire to be delivered later that day and the vehicle handed over to us in that afternoon. But, then the real crusher occurred. We got a phone call from the garage saying that after the new tire was installed, the owner discovered that the wobble was not related to the flat tire. The wobble was being caused by the front end being damaged, possibly a strut or cross arm. That meant the car was not safe to drive.

Now began a journey of persistence and clever manipulation. Since we needed to replace our vehicle, we would need to take the car, on a Saturday, to a Hertz that was open and had a vehicle for replacement. And, AA would not take us any place without our having a replacement vehicle so that we would not be stranded. It was a Catch-22. This episode now has only begun and extends well into the evening and the morning. Suffice to say, the next day, we were able to persuade AA to take us to the Hertz at Manchester airport where we fortunately were able to exchange cars. Yes, and drive on to Chester a day earlier than scheduled. The owner of the B&B where we were staying even said that he would post the room and if let for the evening would return our charge. The lessen is, “When you journey, anticipate detours.” How fortunate were we to be able to proceed according to plans?

We were rewarded with this room’s view at the beautiful Chester Grosvenor Hotel in Chester.

September 26, 2023
In closing for now, our trip has been whirlwind. Not in the sense of having little time and failing to give due to our visits by scurrying through. Quite the contrary. Our “busy-ness” is having the time to do more and having to choose what not to do. I hope some of the photos below fill in to a degree a sense of the fullness and richness of our journey.

Speaks for itself

The port at Oban

Stirling Castle

Castlerigg Stone Circle - someties referred to as the “mini-stonehenge” - dating back to BC. Even touching ancient stones gives one the feeling of ‘back in the future’.

The magnificent views of hills near Windemere.

What the bloody hell! It rains everyday. Even if it rains for a minute, the clothes get sopping wet. OH well! I guess they can wait until a sunny day. Cheers.

The River Dee near Bala, Wales.

The Abbey in Chirk, Wales

Adele having a casual conversation with a Swan.

We wish you all good health. Until next time.

POST PANDEMIC DIARY

From England To Scotland
September 2, 2023

It is five o’clock in Hexham, England. We are at The Beaumont Hotel in the center of town. A small reception area is in front as you walk in. A small dark wood bar to the right. Casual seating to the left. The front is expansive, windows floor to ceiling looking out on the street where “two-top” tables, occupied by townspeople and visitors alike, line the street-side. Yesterday afternoon and well into the evening The Beaumont was reveling. A group of ten were drinking Champagne in celebration of a wedding to take place the next day. Other couples, deep in conversation, exchanged memories, hopes and laughter. The couples outside were people-watching, as Adele and I are often wont to do, a wordless exchange of quiet meanderings and sometimes fierce and unfair opinions of the passers-by - “He could use to lose a few pounds”; “The designer of the bare mid-riff should be strangled with his own excess cloth”.

A small fraction of Hadrian's Wall

Upstairs, on the first level, there is another wedding party taking place. I pressed the elevator for “1” on my way down, forgetting that Europeans have a “Ground” floor. The elevator opened upon the aforementioned party just as the bride and groom were passing by. I commented on their sartorial appearance, but paid additional attention to the bride who was beaming. Soon enough her husband to be walked away toward friends and the bride and I drew out more information about ourselves until a final embrace and wishes for her health and happiness. That interlude was such a delightful surprise. I went downstairs and raised an imaginary glass to her health and future happiness.

September 3, 2023
Hexham is poised near the Eastern start of Hadrian’s Wall. The construction began in 122 AD “to separate the Romans from the barbarians”. Does this remind you in some remote way of our immigration problem at this very moment? Walls. Walls. Walls. The Roman kingdom had expanded at this point to a population in Rome of “over 1,000,000 permanent residents; Alexandria was perhaps between 500,000 and 750,000. The cities of Antioch, Ephesus and Carthage had populations on the order of 350,000 to 500,000 residents. There were many more cities in the eastern provinces boasting large populations”…and reaching into the North of England. Although estimates vary widely, it can be said with some assurance that the total population was greater of the Roman Empire was greater than 10 million while some estimates put it at 50-60 million.

A Small portion of Hadrian’s Wall

September 5, 2023
In order to control their populations and prevent uprisings amongst its population, the Romans conscripted boys and young men from their families that resided in the countries within their kingdom, having them serve in their legions. Separated from their families, alone with other men in similar circumstances and living well - well fed, well clothed, and well cared for - they adapted to their surroundings and over years married, had children and grew communities. This system lasted for two centuries until the start of the Roman decline. However, of note is the fact that these servicemen were of all nationalities and races.

The extremity of a Roman Village bordering the River Tyne

The Roman Village

Hadrian’s Wall, aside from being an historical marvel, is also simply a pleasure to walk. The Scottish scenery, vistas, and colors are second to none. There are all sorts of visceral responses to the varied topographies found planet Earth - mountains are uplifting and inspiring; plains are vastly unifying…if boring; one stands breathing in the salty air of rocky shorelines - but the assortment of greens offered by the soft rolling hills of the Scottish Borders possess a motherly comfort, a generous, warm embrace that I favor. There feels a succor, a comfort, relief and refuge. A peaceful sense of flowing rhythms - boundless patterns at interplay with the shifting sunlight and, of course, the stone walls that criss-cross the countryside.

Walls distinguish one property from the next.

One hears of Scotland’s uniqueness. Indeed. It is not only the land, it is the people. I am aware of sensations and responses I do not ordinarily feel. I am now speaking of the whole of the UK actually. They are not merely hospitable. That would impugn sincere generosity of spirit. This goes across the spectrum of service folk and stranger. Met an older woman in the wonderful village of Helmsley just as she was exiting her home. She moved from her native home in Wales to this border town originally to work in their local theater. She loved the people and place so very much she stayed on and became active in the development and planning of productions. We walked and talked until she led us to a Saturday market, departing with advise and direction to the best cafe in town. Then, behind a stall of freshly made cakes and breads, scones and muffins, was a young lady with a proverbial bubbling personality. Incredibly sweet, she began to cut small pieces of the merchandise delights including her favorite Orange Almond Cake and a Sheep’s Milk Ricotta Cannoli with Pistachio. I want to make it perfectly clear that she was absolutely the sweetest of the lot.

Adele and I are fine. We have set a strict and active schedule for ourselves and so far are surviving. We have taken in a lot and there is much more in store. For now, be well and I will catch up with you later.