21 October 2014

A Year In Scotland

21 October 2014

September

October

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
				25	26	27
28	29	30	1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27

Tuesday 21 October 2014--We drive to Crail this morning and have the walkabout we missed yesterday. Of all the pretty fishing villages in the East Neuk, Crail must be the prettiest. We're worried about the weather, as the remnants of Hurricane Gonzalo are supposed to be blowing through, but it's a sunny day, if rather breezy.

We intend to visit North Queensferry on our way to Edinburgh, but we miss the offramp and are on the Forth Road Bridge before we know it. Decide to go to Queensferry (or South Queensferry, if you prefer) instead. I've been there before, but Ron hasn't. Crossing the bridge, we can see the new cable-stayed bridge under construction, west of the two existing bridges. The current road bridge, opened in 1964, has for years been carrying far greater loads than were forecast fifty years ago, and has been showing signs of stress. When the new bridge opens, all road traffic will be shifted over to it, excepting buses and bicycles. Meanwhile, the original Forth Bridge continues to carry all train traffic, as it has since 1890. It is a very stout bit of 19th-century engineering.

* * * * * * * * *

Monday 21 October 2002--We are wearing down a little more each day. After ferrying from Westray back to Mainland, we spent a fairly leisurely three hours in Kirkwall, checking e-mail, shopping, and seeing a few sights. We just can't be bothered to run around anymore.

Thursday 21 October 2004--Had a nap at the B&B and came to the Port Charlotte Hotel for dinner. There's a session on, pretty good. I spotted a misplaced and mispriced Port Ellen at the bar, and when I ordered it, the bartender looked at it for a minute, and then at me. I shrugged, and he laughed. He poured me a double (at least) and said, "That's on the house."

* * * * * * * * *

Arrive at our B&B on Ferry Road at about 3:00, check in, and walk up to town. We have an early dinner in the Grassmarket, and stroll around the Meadows for a bit before heading up to the Bow Bar. Willie arrives shortly, along with his brother-in-law and Zok (known as Bud Light on the whisky forums). Mrs Willie pops in eventually, as do Gorm and Claus, last seen in Craigellachie. They are flying out early tomorrow and are staying near the airport, but made the trip into town to join us all. Good beer, good whisky, good company. Tonight will be the 365th that I sleep under a Scottish roof, and I can't imagine a better circumstance for me to mark a cumulative year in Scotland.

We break up around 10:00, and all go our separate ways. For Ron and me, that means the usual unnecessary (and seemingly obligatory) pint at the Cumberland Bar, on our way back to the B&B.

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