I left early am by bus and arrived in a town that had books in every shop. Several made their way into my bag. An odd jumble of botany, cooking, fiction and more. I made various mental notes for what worked and didn’t for bookshops. Perhaps the one Mom and I would like to open some day will have been influenced by this visit.

There was also a lovely small farmer’s market. I picked up some gorgeous welsh cheeses.

All too soon is was time to head back to Cardiff. Important note: Always check the bus numbers as well as times. Almost missed the proper connection because I assumed that the buses I used to get to Hay would return me to Cardiff.

Early morning planning results in 1. Booking for two more nights 2. Finding bus route to Hay-on-Wye and back and 3. Finding bus route to St. Fagan’s

St. Fagan’s is a gorgeous open air museum. Lots of photos taken. One of the guides was a charming local gentleman who had lived in the area his whole life; raised his family and then retired. The younger generation should take notes from his lovely manners and compliments.

I crept out at dawn. Well not really dawn. The funny thing about daylight in the UK is that is starts early 4:30 and lingers late 9:30 or so. The long twilight allows for mental tricks of time.

At any rate, I caught the bus from the train station to the airport. Check-in and pass through security point. The plane is delayed and the customer service people not as desk or terrible unhelpful. Finally we troop onto the BMI Baby flight and fly to Wales. The first thing I notice in the Cardiff airport are the two policemen with guns. Not quite what I had heard about the coppers in the UK. I grabbed a map and a bunch of tourist brochures to orient myself. Then asked at the information desk about getting to Cardiff proper. As always they knew the best ways to get there. I hopped a bus, a train and then short walk later was at the hostel.

The Riverhouse Hostel was an amazing place to stay. It help wash away the bad Glasgow hostel.  I checked in, tossed everything down and went out to explore.

I hopped a double decker bus, after going once around I jumped out and went to the Dr. Who Museum. The city bus dropped me close to the hostel and to the Vue movie theatre. I ducked in and saw The Escapist.  Then it was time for the last of the online homework.

Tuesday:

Sightsee Cardiff. Museum, movie and more. Mental Note: Never get Mr. Whippy again. It tastes like oily Cool Whip.

Day trip was cancelled on account of homework. Alex was out from work at 2pm and we headed to the Royal Mile. We explored the Edinburgh castle and then went to other end of the long road to see the ugly Parliament House.

Sun 6/22/08

Last day. We took the double decker around Edinburgh and only got rained on a little. It was glorious cold, windy and overcast. We took in a free improv show at the Stand. I was instructed in the proper pronunciation of “yer ma” as a catcall.

We had a quiet dinner and then I packed up for the plane ride in the morning. Alex was an amazing host, tromping around the city showing off the university, the castle and the fun, local bits.  I can only hope to extend that sort of hospitality to friends who visit me.

Up and out early. Wrong turn at the Royal Mile, but I eventually get to the meeting place for the tour. We went head out and arrive at the Rosslyn Chapel just as it is opening. Pictures were taken as permitted.

Interesting facts:

The chapel was painted with a concrete slurry to preserve the building. (I think it made everything looks more blunted and blurry.)

The concrete allowed water to buildup inside the concrete so they have scaffolding and a “hat” that sits atop the Chapel that is absorbing all the moisture.

The almost diamond shaped boxes that line the arches at the front of the chapel were studied by a music scholar and translated into music.

After a quick trip around scaffolding and through the gift shop we were off to Hadrian’s Wall.

We stopped at the England/Scotland border and the proceeded one the better maintained section of the Roman wall. It was near the Sycamore Gap where the “Robin Hood” tree was.

We walked along a section of wall and down a sloping hill. Then we went up a damn cliff.

After struggling to the top, a couple of us enjoyed the (windy, cold, rainy) view and then headed back. The rest trooped dutifully over to see a tree that was in a movie a few years back.

My ankle and I came to the agreement that our guide’s idea of a wee “bit of an incline” and ours were quite different.

I returned back to Alex’s in one piece and we went to Monster Mash for dinner.  We watched some more Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps as well as Little Britian.

After taken a few (ha!) photos I head back to the train station and head off to Edinburgh.

Arrival was fine, figuring out where Alex was took a minute. We then took a hike up a steep hill to his place.

Edinburgh is a wonderful, gorgeous city with personality and charm. It’s hills can bite my butt.

Alex invited his friend over to say hi and meet the internet stranger (and to see for himself that Alex wouldn’t be murdered in his sleep as a result). I appeared harmless enough that they were willing to take their eyes off me and get absorbed into a video on the computer.

Fun fact: Glasgow residents are Glaswegian (like norwegian).

Realize internet is useless idea at hostel and figure to do it in Edinburgh rest of week.

Found poster with Tegan’s name on it, had to take photo.

The tour of Loch Lomond and Loch Ness is an all day trek complete with dour Scotsman who grumbles at the traffic, the weather and how long and stupid the trip is. Uncertain how much is character acting and how much is authentic I go with amusing and try to record as many new words as possible. There were many photos taken.

Scotland is where green and blue were created. The blue sky is a piercing color that seems to be every shade skillfully blended until the eye can’t perceive where one nuance begins and the other ends. The greens are more of a patchwork where every shade jostles for attention, spilling over the ground and through forests.

Arrive at small airport, hop the train to town and then walk to the BlueSky Hostel. Can’t recommend it. Granted the staff was friendly and helpful, but the facilities were lacking in many ways. No lockers (Travel Tip #2: always check that the hostel has lockers or safes), no power outlets in room, the free internet was standing at a terminal (not a big deal except that weary travellers who have been walking all day have painful feet), luggage storage was casually tossing your bag on the floor in the lobby,  and there was a toilet and a shower on the first and third floor–for the entire hostel. There were 10 people in my room alone, much less all the other rooms. 

I went on the sightseeing bus, saw an internet cafe, checked into hostel(had arrived too early for check-in before). Go out to find internet cafe–I think it was an optical illusion now. I walked for hours, blisters explode and new ones form. Finally I get some noodles from a Hong Kong express and head to hostel in defeat. 

I had hiccups 3 times today. I think my body is rejecting Glasgow.

I was only taking my backpack (as a carry-on) and I was slightly over on the weight. So I had to improvise that is I had wear most of my clothes all at once. I also had no way of getting the bottle of spray sunscreen past security so I had to dump it.

Metal detectors, grab water and newspaper, queue up at gate, cramped seats, garish colors, doze off and then aloft staring down at gorgeous greens and puffy whites.

Scotland is beautiful.