Trip Report - The Glenfarg Edition

David and I got a chance to visit Glenfarg, Scotland, in order to help David's brother and sister-in-law celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary.  We had a fabulous time, took some great photos, and I got to see the rest of the Macleod family for the first time (for most of them) since New Year's Day. 

Friday, August 15 - Just Because You're Married, You Want to Sit TOGETHER?!  The Day of Venting and Rants

I discovered to my great annoyance that when David went to check in online, we were placed in two different rows.  It was a full flight, and there were plenty of single people on it, i.e., traveling ALONE.  If two people book together, with the same last name, that means they'll be traveling TOGETHER!  This was done to us when we went to the States in March, too, and it never fails to piss me off.  Any one of these single people could have sat in one of our seats, but noooo.  We got another dose of this when we checked in on the way home and the clerk said "I've fixed it so that you can sit *together!* with that fake, drug-induced smile that the clerks have, as if she had done us the biggest favor in the history of the world.  You mean, I get to travel with my *husband!?  The man who booked the two tickets *together?*  Wow - thanks for doing YOUR JOB!

No sooner did I sit down and start to dig into my novel (a nice, trashy Sidney Sheldon -  tailor-made for flights), when a woman sat down next to me and proceeded to spew her germs all over me in a huge sneezing fit.  Not a tissue to hand (which sometimes happens), but she couldn't even be bothered to lift her hand to cover her mouth.  I looked at her with disgust I didn't bother to conceal.  Learn some common courtesy and hygiene, and perhaps I'll get a poker face.  Thanks to the liquids ban, I had no sanitizer to use on myself or my armrest.  She didn't bother even to say "excuse me."  Noxious little bint. 

We got to the Edinburgh airport and found it to be small and quite easy to navigate, which was a relief.  Since we didn't have any checked luggage, we were able to head straight out to the car hire stall and get on our way.  Well, I say "get on our way."  We hopped into the car and figured out how to insert the "key," and the car wouldn't start - as a matter of fact, a screen on the dash showed "illegal entry."  We were in the right parking space, but given that the car was an automatic, and they cost twice as much as manuals to hire, I was dubious.  Finally, after several failed attempts to get rolling, I checked the plate number against our paperwork, and lo and behold, we were in the car in the next space over.  Next we had to figure out how to actually *start* the thing.  Remember the old days when cars had keys?  I do - fondly.  This one has an elaborate system of partially inserting the ignition "stub" and then waiting for a signal from the gods, and then inserting it the rest of the way and then doing a little dance and spreading incense, apparently.  No booklet with the car, something that was especially important given the strange starting system and the fact that this manual vehicle has no discernible parking brake.  Turns out the brake is a button near the gear shift with text that would never lead you to believe that it's purpose is to keep you from rolling downhill.  We figured it out entirely by accident. 

So, the car is started and we get going to Glenfarg.  I say we "got going," but what I really mean is that we took a 90-minute scenic tour of the area of Edinburgh near the airport.  The computer instructions we had were absolutely useless.  The roads we were seeking didn't exist, and when I saw one that did, it went in a direction that David wasn't sure we wanted.  Turns out that was exactly where we needed to be, but we didn't figure it out until we had gone several miles out of the way to Lenlithgow.  I can now say that I have visited the birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots.  It looks a lot like a residential subdivision.  By this time I was so tired, and so hungry and so frustrated that it was only by sheer force of will that I hadn't complete broken down.  I was on that very narrow precipice between being "okay" and sobbing uncontrollably, and I was teetering.  We were supposed to be into Glenfarg by about 4:30, and it was now well after 6. 

We did finally find the right road, and got to the Bridge; us and every other car in Scotland.  You see the bridge a long time before you cross it, and you end up seeing the same cars over and over, as they pass you and then you pass them.  One woman was in a little Volkswagen convertible, and she had a vase with a daisy clipped to her dashboard.  That was *totally* cool and very much like what I would have if money and choice were no object.  It was bumper to bumper all the way across the bridge, and then it finally opened up just as we got to the B road leading us to Glenfarg.  Thank God - we were finally almost there. 

We pulled up to the Glenfarg Hotel and found our way into the parking lot, which faces a babbling brook.  Adorable.  Our room was tiny (the bath has miniature fixtures that make a normally-sized person feel like the Jolly Pink Giant), but the room had a fantastic view of the main street, and the food downstairs was AMAZING.  David had suckling pig, and after looking at the ten or so things that sounded fantastic, I settled on my old mainstay, fish and chips.  Then we had some delicious desserts and sat there saying "mmmmm!" for a while.   The hotel is just the kind of old country inn that I love - the rooms are all odd shapes and are put together in a higglety-pigglety fashion that only adds to the charm of the place. 

David had been asked to go to the Village Hall in order to rehearse for the next night's musical entertainment, so we took a stroll over after supper.  We found Kevin and Traci in full-on prep mode for the party, and Kevin was not a happy camper.  They were having sound problems, and while I have never seen Kevin lose his temper, I thought I was going to see it that night.  Traci, meanwhile, was turning the Hall into partyland, and I pitched in where I could because she was flagging, with a great deal more yet to do.  When they got into the hall to start decorating and setting up, they discovered that there is no fridge - and that the folks were surprised to hear that they needed one.  Um, it's a party, you know, with *catering?*  Very strange.  In any event, the band was finally able to get things more into shape, and they were able to rehearse a bit before the sound curfew.  We had a short visit before wandering back to the hotel and crashing. 

I'm Cold.  I forgot how chilly it is in Scotland, even in August, and everything I packed has short sleeves.  Oh well.  I'd rather be too cold than all hot and sticky. 

Saturday - August 16 - Exploring, and Partying (A MUCH better day)

We had told the hotel that we would be ready for breakfast at 9:30 a.m., but we overslept.  We wandered down at 9:45 and were told that "the chef has gone home."  The clerk whipped us up a little bit of something, but it was a hearty Scottish breakfast, which meant most of it was repulsive to me.  David ended up with two meals, and I had a bit of toast.  We had to steal cutlery from other tables because there hadn't been any clearing done yet.  It was so odd. 

After a bit of prep, we headed out to Perth to do some exploring.  We had quite a fun time and I fell in love with this little city.  I found a scrapbooking shop where I found some items for the Store, and then we hit a few charity shops.  We rested when we felt like it, and took quite a few photos.  One thing that amused me greatly was seeing a golden retriever several times.  The first time I saw him, he was soaking wet and very happy - having just emerged from a satisfying swim.  Each time I saw him after that, he was a bit more dry, and the final time I saw him in the afternoon, he was carrying that evening's newspaper.  Goldens are always happiest with a task.  We stopped for ice cream twice (the first time was delicious but the experience was fairly ruined for me by the presence of numerous and persistent wasps.  I have sprained my ankles, bruised my ribs, been slapped, had a few surgeries, and the worst pain I have ever felt was when I was stung by wasps.  I am deathly afraid of them and I've been told by my doctor that, as an asthmatic, I'm susceptible to allergic reaction to their stings.  I couldn't wait to get away from there.  Let me say here that I found this part of Scotland to be terribly "waspy" - I don't think I've seen so many of them since I left Wisconsin as I did in those 48 hours in Perthshire.  Later in the afternoon, we stopped for ice cream again, at a lovely place recommended by Kevin.  It's called Lick Wid and they had just about every flavor under the sun.  Everyone else in Perth loves it too, apparently, because there was a queue reaching out to the street and nowhere to sit.  That was okay though, because it was time to make our way back to the car or face a parking fine. 

Next stop was Balvaird Castle just outside of Glenfarg, where we parked the car and went for a mostly uphill hike to see my favorite kind of castle - the kind that is now mostly in ruins but left to be enjoyed for future generations.  We had so much fun wandering around what used to be the rooms, and taking photos of that phenomenal view. 

It was almost time to get back to the hotel in order to get read for the Par-Tay.  It takes a lot to make me presentable after a day of exercise and sunshine, so I wanted to relax a bit and ease my way into it.  David stretched out and had a little nap while I had a shower (God how I hate en suite showers - they're really just closets with a faucet), and got into my party clothes.  When I asked what we should wear, I was told that we were to pack our "dancing shoes" but that other than that, it was going to be very casual.  Imagine my dismay when I hear that the ladies are having their hair and makeup done professionally, and that most of the women are wearing dresses.  Little late to run back to London now....  Thankfully, I was wearing a nice pair of slacks and a pretty top, but had I known that others were going to be dressy, I would have gone that route, as well.  I don't often have the chance to get fancy.  Oh well. 

David and I strolled over to the Hall at the appointed hour and found Mumma, Catherine and her special guy, Graeme, Kevin and Traci and the girls, and several other people waiting for us.  It was a very sweet reunion.  I've missed Mumma so much, and she looked especially beautiful.  The surgery seems to have gone down a treat for her, and she was all ready to boogie.  We compared notes on how hungry we were (VERY) and there was some discussion of Spike, who is feeling better now; thanks to all who asked. 

The party was so much fun.  Great moments that I hope to remember for a long, long time.  There were "technical difficulties," such that about five songs in, on I'm a Believer, the mics went out.  Poor Kevin ran out into the audience to sing it un-miked to us directly, then made us sing it to back him up.  He did an hilarious pantomime of the chorus - Just imagine the moves that go with "Then I saw her face.  Now I'm a Believer!  Not a trace, of doubt in my mind!"  He had a move for each word.  I can't remember the last time I laughed that hard. 

Then they broke for the buffet "because my mother is Hungry," Kevin said, and I just about trampled people to get to the food.  Traci's mum put it together and it was scrumptious.  All sorts of delicious items, and a toffee sweet that should be sold on the street like crack.  I'm sure I made the most unladylike happy face when I had my first bite of it.  I went back for seconds, and then took another plate of food back to the hotel at the end of the evening because all the dancing had caused me to work up an appetite. 

Oh, the dancing.  When they went into the second set, David was singing with the band and having a great time.  Traci's mum dragged me out onto the floor, though I didn't really want to be there dancing alone.  On a break between songs, I got David's attention and, for the very first time, I was able to dance with my husband.  We didn't have music at our wedding, so I hadn't yet had the chance to be twirled around the floor in his arms.  It was well worth the wait.  We had such a nice time, and he's a marvelous dancer - he leads in a beautiful way that makes me know exactly what is wanted of me.  In this, as in most other things, we are a great team.  Once he took my hand, there was nobody else on the floor of whom I was aware.

When there was a short break for cake, we stepped outside for a cool breeze, and Graeme joined us for a little chat.  It was so nice to get to know him - he's a great guy and obviously he and Catherine are enjoying each other immensely.  After we cooled off, we wandered back in for a bite of cake, and then a friend of Kevin and Traci's played for them so that they could dance together.  They twirled around the floor to The Beatles' Here, There and Everywhere, and though Kevin did his best to be silly, I still cried.  They are so fantastic together - they have a lot of fun and are raising two beautiful young women, Hannah and Emily.  It says a lot that the four of them seem to enjoy each others' company even though the girls are now bona fide teenagers.  We were discussing their going to visit a family member for an extended time period, and they said "we don't want to be away from Mum and Dad that long - we'd miss them."  NOT what I would have said at age 14 - I couldn't have packed my bags fast enough.  ROFL 

There was a bit more dancing, and David twirled his mum and her new hip around the floor a little bit, and then we had to eliminate the amplified music for the sake of the neighborhood.  We relaxed and enjoyed each others' company until the wee hours, then strolled back to the hotel just ahead of the rainstorm that was coming.  We discovered that the Glenfarg Hotel locks its doors at a certain hour, and that they turn out their lights in the hallways.  That made getting in a bit challenging, but not impossible.  David barely made it to bed before he was sound asleep.  Still had his glasses on and wasn't even under the covers, but dead to the world.  I ate my plateful of leftovers and read more trashy novel before I finally slept, but I was wide awake at about 8am, and NOT happy about it.  I was queasy and panicky and not interested in food, so I sent David downstairs for his breakfast while I holed up for a little while, recovered and packed for the trip home. 

The drive back to the airport and the flight home were much less eventful than the trip up, I'm delighted to say, and it was nice to get to sit with David on the flight.  I finished the Sidney Sheldon about 20 minutes into the hour-long flight back to London, and I still had a 75-minute tube ride to get through.  I grabbed a free newspaper (unfortunately it was that fascist rag, The Daily Mail - what a load of right-wing, bigoted nonsense - I had hoped to leave that sort of stupidity behind in Milwaukee), and I had that to page through most of the way home.

By 7pm I was unpacked had had a good meal and was checking my emails - that's the way a trip should go.  I was in bed reading by 9 and sound asleep by 10:30.  I had so much fun (Friday's misadventures, notwithstanding) and can't wait to see more of Perthshire.

Here are some selected photos from our explorations and the party: 

David and Grace Go to a Party