Stu's Rusty Bucket

Monday, March 07, 2005

Journal Entry : Darlington to Glasgow

Journal Entry for 7/3/05

Darlington to Glasgow

Stu was kind enough to give me a lifet to the station, which was
great! Trail Magic straight from the house.

From Darlington I jumped a sleek and fast GNER (Great North East
Railway) express and pointed the driver toward Glasgow.

Once near Edinburgh I started to see snow was still layong on the
hills. Mmmmm OK I thought, then I started to notice it in the lowlands
in places. I guess I can expect some on my hike.

Somewhere on the ride I started thinking about pizza and luckily
enough there are 3 pizzabars near my hotel, but I ended up with a
turkey and cheese sub from SubWay… Bit of a letdown… (As I write
this, someone outside my hotel window has fired up the bagpipes to
serenade me and the throng exiting from the station in the rushour,
while I avail myself of a hotel supplied cup of tea and digestive
bikkie).

Tomorow morning I strike out alone, on my own, in solitude… Its
going to be very strange to be out hiking and not have Joy somewhere
in front or behind me.

My hotel is the Buchannan and is right next to the station and my room
overlooks the main street which is closed to traffic, but apparently
its a free as far as bagpipers are concerned.

Its hard to say exactly how I feel right now, I expected to be a
little anxious, but I’m not, I am a little lonely if anything.

I’m out here to tackle these two Scottish trails simple for the love
of hiking, so it will be interesting to see what sort of things go
through my mind. Tomorow I have to get out to Milngavie, which my
little guide says to pronounc “Mull-Guy” or nobody will know where I
wat to go…

Luckily the worst of this mispronunciated Scots will be left behind in
Glasgow…

(ps.. UHT milk and hotel water make for a piss poor cup of tea)

Its also good to see that even at 6pm this far north I have plenty of
light left to hike in. Time will tell if it holds the further north I
go.

I didnt take any photos of Glasgow, as to me its the same as any other
british city and looks like Edinburgh or London.