The Road Trip - Glasgow To Oban

I was very excited about the idea of hiring a car & driving around the Scottish countryside all on my lonesome. The idea of being able to pull up anywhere off the beaten track & stay the night where I fancied was titilating indeed.
At Giffnock I was introduced to my new friend, a Nissan Micra that I later named Betty. We would be hanging out for 2 weeks in a bonding ritual few people get to experience. Margaret (thankfully) led me out of Glasgow (following her in my car) & I was then on my way to the western highlands.
I drove past my first lochs & drove even further until the first night I came upon a wee country town called Oban. It was hosting a highland games festival (which I didn't get to see) & was absolutely packed out. The only accommodation I could get was at this dingy (& I mean really skanky) B&B. I was exhausted from driving - hadn't done a long drive for quite a while - & just needed to eat & rest. It was until a little later, when the sun had gone down, that I realised how bad it really was. There was no heat coming from the heater & when I asked if it could be turned on, it was, only to make a range of unusual noises (like indigestion) without producing any heater whatsoever. The woman host returned & exclaimed that I didn't need heat cause it wasn't that cold anyway. It was 8 degrees celcius! I was freezing my arse off under two doonas!! I was bloody cold & not at all amused by her comment!

Edinburgh Fringe Festival

I visited Edinburgh on two separate days when I was staying in Glasgow. It was soooo busy in Edinburgh, that accommodation would have been a premium. A one hour train trip was much less of a hassle, even though I had kids screaming both ways on both trips.
The first day I went was on a Saturday. I worked out what shows (mostly comedy) I wanted to see in the fairly limited time I had, knowing I wanted to get back to Glasgow before it was too late. I got to see only 2 shows that day & the 2nd show (Bad Things Happen in Trees) was simply magnificent - laughed most of the way through the show.
My second day was on the Monday & I was much more prepared having outlined the shows I wanted to see at which specific time. Only one of the shows (can't remember the name) was a stand out - hilarious!
The queue to get into Edinburgh Castle was at least 45 mins long, so waved that idea by. Edinburgh's a wonderful city - vibrant, a bit arty, & historically beautiful. Will definitely come back!

Hospitality & Sights in Glasgow

I stayed in Glasgow in a suburb called Giffnock with Margaret's family - her hubby Don, & grown boys Allen & Ian. It was a lively home with lots going on at all time. Ian just arrived home from a trip to Australia, & Allen was going off to California on a holiday with his mates. So, at times there was pandemonium with so many things that needed to be sorted.
I managed to get myself in to see Glasgow one day. Couldn't believe it though - I actually left my camera back at the house, so was forced to limit my photos to a few crappy ones taken on my mobile. Not happy Jan!!!
So I took a train into the city & walked over to the Glasgow Cathedral first, which was completed way back in the 1400s. Just behind the Cathedral on the hill was a cemetery called the Necropolis which has been a burial ground since the beginning of recorded history. The tombstones there were simply magnificent, overlooking Merchant City & the wider city of Glasgow.
Then on to St Mungo Museum of Religious Life & Art just across the road from the Cathedral. It showcased artifacts & info on on range of religions & cultures in the world - fascinating!!

Rendevous at Delmonicas

Finally I arrived in Glasgow - a few hours late, but better late than never. Margaret & Don (who I met in the Ice Bar in Stockholm) met me at the airport &, after a quick tour of a couple of local sights, ferried me to their home. Without a bag, there really wasn't much to unpack.
After numberous texts back & forth to arrange a time to catch up, Paul (lovely friend from Sydney who flew in to Glasgow the previous day) & I finally set a time & place to meet.
And meet we did, after several delays, at Delmonicas which I realised when I arrived there before Paul, is a gay bar. My 20 min wait was, therefore, an interesting one.
Then he arrived. After big hugs & kisses (purely platonic ones, I assure you), we headed in to the bar to start our catch up. Time whizzed by & after a few drinks we headed to another bar (quite swish really) to chat some more & have a few more drinks.
I really didn't have anything planned for that eve, so decided to head out with Paul & some Glaswegian friends of his for an asian meal.
So, a good feast of old friendship & goss was had that night. It was truly wonderful to see a friend from Sydney!

Bloody British Airways!

I checked my bags through from Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam) to Glasgow, even though I had a connecting flight at Gatwick. But by the time I reached Gatwick & turned my mobile on again, I'd received a text message that my flight to Glasgow had been cancelled. Bugger!!
I was really looking forward to catching up with a dear friend from Sydney in Glasgow that afternoon. BA said they could put me on a flight in to Edinburgh - no thank you! So a wait of a few hours & a coach transfer into London Airport & I finally boarded another plane to Glasgow.
Unfortunately, they either forgot or lost my bag, & after numberous attempts to get them to deliver it that eve, I was stuck without a bag till mid-morning the next day.
Thankfully, Margaret who I was staying with in Glasgow lent me some undies & a lovely long girlie nightie to sleep in that night. My friends would have loved seeing me in this nightie!!
I did get to catch up with Paul & received all the goss & more than a fair share of hugs. It was great to see a Sydney friend again. He even offered to lend me one of his g-strings. I had to decline - just couldn't see myself filling it out.

Wrapping up Amsterdam

I saw a few more bits & pieces in Amsterdam. There was a 1 hour canal cruise that went through the main canals which was a tad boring. But the houses lining the canal were nice to see, & we also went past a canal cleaning crew that were dredging stuff from the bottom like bikes & supermarket trolleys.
On my last day I visited this old house (can't remember the name) in the red light district that housed a Catholic Church in its attic back in the old times. This was because Catholicism was banned in the country & people could only worship on the quiet.
Just strolling around Amsterdam is really nice. It's got a relaxed feel about it. But even though most people think it's a tolerant place, me thinks this is only on the surface. Intolerance may lay just beneath.
I went out with Thijs, Joris, & Sjors on the second last night for dinner & drinks, which was lovely - more alcohol consumed. Then Thijs & I met up for a few drinks & a chat on the last night at a nice little gay pub somewhere near the Dam.
The weather had been great for the whole five days I was there. It started to rain as my plane lined up on the runway for take-off.

In Search of a Groovy T-Shirt

On my travels, space is a premium in my backpack. As such, the 'bulk' of my souvenir shopping has been purchases of stickers & magnets - light weight stuff. As far as clothes are concerned, if I buy something new, something old must be left behind.
So in Amsterdam, a place filled with a variety of fascinating t-shirt designs, I decided to take the plunge & make a new purchase. But after hours of trying on shirts (& messing up my hair in the process), I finally chose one that I was only semi happy with.
Nevertheless, it is an Amsterdam t-shirt & it's quite funky too!