Scotland Travel Day: Days 0 and 1, July 31-August 1, 2022
Sunday, July 31, 2022 was an early day since I was playing with my Recorder Consort at church. Since it’s the summer, we hadn’t practiced for quite a while, so we got together quite early to decide what to play and to put it all together. In the end, we played offertory, final hymn and postlude.
After church, we came home and I took a nap while Tom packed. Finally, I decided I should pack – something warm and waterproof.
My mom noticed a flurry of activity and asked what we were doing. She claimed she didn’t know we were going to Scotland. I guess at almost-99, she can claim a bit of memory loss. I reassured her that we had someone checking on her and bringing in the mail, that there was enough food, jigsaw puzzles and Tivo shows to carry her through the week.
Finally, all the sweatshirts, fleece-lined jeans and such were packed and the Uber called. Dulles Airport wasn’t too crowded, at least the Icelandair area so we were on our way fairly easily.
I had gone back and forth about taking my growth hormone with me – it’s always an issue with travel. This time I had bought a new thing that had a USB-cable to keep the HGH cold. I actually used it with an external powerpack when our power went out last month and it worked well.
- ✔️ [Innovative Medical cooler] –>This new 4ALLFAMILY medical cooler is masterfully designed to keep your expensive supplies SAFE. The new USB lid can deliver an outstanding maximum temperature drop of 50 Fahrenheit compared with outside temperature.
- ✔️[ANTI FREEZE SECURITY]–>You CANNOT RISK FREEZING YOUR MEDICATION. The 4ALLFAMILY Cooler is built with some high tech features that allow it to safely detect temperature fluctuations, and thanks to the auto shut off / on option, it automatically adjust the power so internal temperature stays in 36-45F range all the time.
- ✔️[TEMPERATURE DISPLAY]–>Not only does the cooler works in silence to maintain the safe range, but also it is equipped with a display that shows the inner temperature in real time.
- ✔️[ High Capacity]–>Performance is not the only aspect this cooler shines. The inner tube has a large refrigerated space that has enough capacity to fit 7 insulin pens and other medications as well.
- ✔️[ Ensures a safe experience transporting medications]–>4ALLFAMILY COOLER is so practical and easy to use for long trips. It`s usb feature can be used in cars, planes, trains, car lighters, and powerbanks.
In the end, I decided not to take the HGH/cooler because I’ve had issues with security before and I wasn’t sure that there would be a USB port on the planes This turned out to be a good idea (see later).
After gathering all our stuff post-security, we found our gate. They started boarding the plane from the back (except, of course, for the small children and the people who had paid extra for “Saga class” aka business class). I had paid extra for more legroom, which was between steerage and the Saga people so we were almost last boarding. We were across from the restroom so there was a lot of activity nearby.
It turned out that these seats have the tv and tray built into the armrest and they were very hard to access. Tom tried the tv but couldn’t get it to be stable so he gave up – I didn’t even bother. I had also paid extra for 3-course hot meals. When they came, I found that my tray table, which folded in half, didn’t stay open so I was balancing it on my knee, not unlike a banjo. The meal wasn’t bad – lasagna, some kind of thing with cheese balls and fish(?) and tiramisu.
I was very cold and used 2 blankets – I had bought an interesting thing from amazon but, of course, it was in the suitcase above my head and too hard to get out.
Eventually, we got to Iceland and immediately got in line for the next flight. It turned out the line was actually for a bus to the next flight. We had to climb quite a few stairs, hauling our carry on luggage. I found our row and, of course, there was a woman sitting in the aisle seat. She asked me if I wanted her to move.
We got in our seats and actually had tvs and tray tables that worked. But no meal.
Leaving Reykjavik, Iceland:
Arriving in Glasgow, Scotland:
At Glasgow airport we found our luggage fairly easily and off to find the car rental place. Even though the website said it was “in the airport terminal”, that was kind of sketchy.
I had assumed being in the airport terminal meant it was inside the building but no! We walked outside (with our luggage, of course), then under a covered walkway to another building that housed some car rental places. Of course, ours was closed that day. So we walked further to a little outside shack-type structure where there was a person who held the key to our car. YAY
Because this is Scotland, the car was quite small – we got my medium size suitcase in the boot (trunk) and the rest in the back seat. A tight fit but we made it work.
Because this is Scotland, the car was a 5-speed manual transmission – and you drive on the left side. The roundabouts go around to the left. After a few false starts, we were out of the airport and on our way.
Our hotel had given us directions which read “Join M8 motorway heading east following signs for Edinburgh. On the outskirts of Edinburgh follow signs for Leith and Ocean Terminal. Hotel is situated opposite Ocean Terminal.”
That was a little bit optimistic. See the little circles on the map? Those are roundabouts where it was possible to take the wrong exit (while going the wrong way).
When we got to the roundabout in front of our hotel, the road was torn up for construction. We finally pulled into the Holiday Inn Express Waterfront. Hooray!
ASIDE: I am surprised that I didn’t write about this before but I guess that I was so angry that I couldn’t put it into words. Last time we were in Scotland we had arrived tired/exhausted/in a rental car driving on the left to an Edinburgh Airbnb only to find it locked with no one to let us in. We called the owner and he said “sorry, I changed my mind” or something to that effect. We found a nearby restaurant (with a bathroom!) and got something to eat – and started making calls to Airbnb. They couldn’t/wouldn’t help us. Not their problem. No refunds. The restaurant people told us there was a nearby hotel that might have openings. And they did. Because it was August – Tattoo and Fringe Festival month, the offerings were very limited but the Holiday Inn Express Waterfront gave us a place to stay for the night and I’ve been grateful ever since, which is why I chose them again. That, and they actually had parking. In 2015 we had been at a hotel with mostly on-street parking – and expensive parking tickets.
Back to the story: We got checked in and hauled our luggage up to the room only to find that there were no drawers or bureaus. Weird. Luckily, I pack in packing cubes so I was able to keep those intact on a shelf. When we had been here before there was no room for our luggage at all and it had to go to a luggage room. There had also been one door which closed either the bathroom OR the closet, which was weird. But we had a closet. Trade Offs! I was much happier with this year’s room, even if they had started charging for parking. The whole week’s parking was still cheaper than the ticket we got in 2015.
After a much needed nap, we had dinner at the hotel. When we left, we found that the lights go off automatically if there’s no key in a slot by the door – just like a cruise ship, but you couldn’t use any old key-shaped card. It had to be a room key. So, my growth hormone container would have stopped cooling every time we left the room – a good thing I didn’t bring it after all.
The hotel has a small range of dinner options. I had the bacon cheeseburger without the bacon or cheese. Tom had the cottage pie with “mixed green vegetables” which turned out to be peas. I guess they were mixed when put on the plate.
After dinner, I was flipping through the channels when we came across a show called Naked Attraction. This being a non-US show, it involved really naked people. Really. REALLY.
From that fount of all knowledge, Wikipedia: “Naked Attraction is a British television dating game show, broadcast on Channel 4. A clothed person is faced with six naked people who are initially hidden in booths. Their bodies and faces are gradually revealed through successive rounds, from the feet up. At each round, the chooser eliminates one naked person until only two are left, when the chooser also takes off their clothes to make the final choice. The chooser then decides which person they wish to go out with, and the two (or, occasionally, three) then go for a fully clothed date. The programme then presents their feedback after the date. It premiered on 25 July 2016 and is presented by Anna Richardson.
Numerous complaints about the programme were made by viewers to the broadcasting watchdog Ofcom due to the full-frontal nudity that is featured in the programme. Ofcom chose not to investigate as there was nothing that breached their rules: the show was purely a dating show and did not contain any sexual activity, and was shown after the watershed.”
Scrolling through tv and seeing 4 naked men (we got to the show late) was quite an eye opener. When the ones weren’t chosen walked away, the cameras focused on the <ahem> rear view.
Youtube has some samples which have been carefully edited to meet Google standards.
And so ended Day 1.
Boston, MA ~ June 3 to June 5, 2016
Just before I went to the ACS Conference in Baltimore, we found out that Tom’s youngest brother, Bill had died, which was a major shock to all of us. He’d had Polycystic Kidney Disease and been on dialysis for quite a while. He decided to go for a kidney transplant so he could spend more quality time with his grandchildren.
Tom and I decided I should go to the conference anyway and we’d drive to Boston when that was over.
At noon, I was waiting in the lobby of the hotel and Tom called. My ringtone is Scotland the Brave and the woman waiting near me couldn’t miss the bagpipes. She said her dad had been a pipe major. Small world!
Tom rented a big black SUV and, when he drove up to the hotel to pick me up, he was told he had to stand (park) elsewhere with the other Uber drivers. LOL
It took a little while to get used to this big, different car. The first day, I accidentally called OnStar once and had to convince them that there was no emergency – and they called me on my phone. I guess if it was a really emergency, that would be great but it was a little scary. The OnStar button was very easy to hit – it was directly on the rearview mirror so when we adjusted the mirror, OnStar was called.
We stopped at a Bagel place in Baltimore then headed out to Boston while Michael took the train from NYC. We both turned on our iPhone location services so we could all keep track of who was there.
Lots of memories driving into Boston. One I’ll never forget. It’s a Shaw’s grocery store now but it used to be a hotel in Newton. And it’s built straddling the Mass Pike. And, it used to have many more floors.
When Michael was very young we stayed at this hotel, probably Howard Johnsons, over New Year’s weekend. Tom was out visiting a college buddy and, around midnight, someone had some “fun” setting off the fire alarm. Of course, I couldn’t find Michael’s shoes, so I picked him up and carried him down about 1o or so flights of stairs, into the snow.
Ever after, we have had a “Shoes by the Door” rule, especially in hotels!
Construction began in May of 1969 on Newton which included a Motor Lodge, Red Coach Grill and Howard Johnson’s Restaurant. Plans called for a 12-story lodge with 271 rooms on the third through twelfth floors. Moreover the lobby featured 2-stories with a mezzanine floor for conference rooms. ~ from http://www.highwayhost.org/Massachusetts/Boston/Newton/newton1.html
And today, which brought the flood of memories:
Getting close to Boston, we could see the Citgo Sign in Kenmore Square.
I was always very proud of my paternal grandmother.
In the early part of the last century she had been living in Scotland with her husband and they had a young son – my father.
My grandfather was in the Black Watch during World War I, and he was killed in Peshawar, India.
My grandmother left her life and family in Scotland and sailed to the United States with my dad when he was only 5. We have pictures of him disembarking in his little kilt!
I cannot imagine having her courage, leaving home with a small child, and starting life anew in a completely foreign country.
Many years later, when I was a freshman in college, my grandmother died the week before Christmas.
I remember sitting in Waterman’s Funeral Home in Kenmore Square, Boston watching the Citgo sign cycle through its neon pattern. No one but our very small family attended her calling hours.
The funeral was a bit better. A few folks took the time to honor this brave woman.
A week later, we celebrated Christmas “because that’s what Nana would have wanted”. Even then, I thought that she probably would have liked to see more caring people around her, while she was alive.
~~~
From http://www.celebrateboston.com/strange/citgo-sign.htm:
The current beacon on Beacon Street is the giant Citgo Sign. It has been a Boston landmark since 1940. The sign had originally said Cities Service, and was changed to the new logo in 1965 (with nearly 6,000 neon bulbs added). The sign is visible from great distances on both sides of the Charles River, especially as one approaches the city from the west…
Meanwhile, Michael was already in Boston and he took the T (subway) to our AirBnB in Savin Hill and got Chinese food. He saw us arrive and try to park on the narrow, hilly street outside and came out to help us bring in the luggage.
It was an adorable place and I especially loved this reading chair.
The AirBnb was on Grampian Way and we stayed near the Grampian Mountains in Scotland last year. Small world!
Saturday, June 4
Saturday was a busy day. First up were the calling hours, where we saw friends and relatives we hadn’t seen in years. Michael hadn’t seen some of them since he was a young child. The funeral home parking attendant informed me that our SUV wasn’t black, but some exotic shade like granite. Fine.
We all drove to the Funeral at St. Anthony’s Church in Everett. It was a very touching, emotional service for everyone. When we left, the funeral home disbursed bottle of water to everyone…and left. There was no procession to a cemetery or anywhere.
We got maps to the Casa Lucia restaurant West Revere and a whole line of people followed behind us. Luckily, we didn’t get lost! The hall was upstairs, though, and my knee gave me a bit of trouble 🙁
After a very nice Italian buffet, one of Bill’s doctors (who had been sitting at our table) got up front and told us about how Bill had worked with medical students at Harvard for over 20 years, telling the patient side of Polycystic Kidney Disease. He had slides prepared and was very helpful with the hundreds of students he’d reached.
Michael said that he had to get back to New York to finish up some work so we left the restaurant and headed back to the AirBnb for his stuff, then to North Station for Amtrak.
On the way back, we stopped at the beach near South Boston. It was a chilly day but lots of folks were out enjoying the sun. Lots of memories there, too!
Off to the Stop and Shop to get something for dinner and snacks for the road then…nap finally.
Sunday, June 5
When we were leaving, there were lots of police around and they were closing off streets. Turns out it was the Dorchester Day Parade. Who knew there was such a day? Apparently, many people. This was the 112th parade, 53rd Continuous Parade since 1963.
I can’t find a video (yet) for 2016 but this is from last year.
On the way home there was pouring rain in New Jersey so we got home very late.
