First day travels

Scotland
United. Flight 924 was uneventful, except for the fact that they still insist on using those gosh awfully uncomfortable seats even in business class.  Dendy seemed to be quite happily snoring away, but i must admit that I probably just should have pulled an all nighter.  On the bright side, the plane arrived half an hour early and we were speedily rushed into the fast track line, where we sat, and sat, and sat waiting while the economy passengers scooted through immigration.  Finally,with some prompting from YKW, they whisked us into the normal line, where we quickly made our way through immigration and the unstaffed, yes, unstaffed customs and out the door.

The Heathrow express was easily found by taking an elevator down to the bowels of the airport. We grabbed a cart an pushed the luggage through the cavernous tunnel JUST in time to catch the train.  15 minutes later we were at Paddington Station.  From there it was but a quick cab ride through mostly Westminster to Kings Cross.

Now, KC is interesting because it is actually two stations: the rather dirty, teeming KC, and the elegant St. Pancras International which is housed in a fabulous old turreted edifice abutting an enormous train hall.  

Dendy had already touched base with Johan, who is working in Colchester, and who had enthusiastically agreed to meet us for lunch.  Now we just had to scope out the right place.  First we went upstairs where we found two lovely but 'stuffy' (according to Dendy) white table cloth restaurants.  So, we lugged our cases back to the glass enclosed elevator and settled at a small table outside, well, outside the inside, so really outside the restaurant but inside the train station.  Our reward was a great cup of English tea for Dendy and a fabulous cappuccino for me!  Absolutely hit the spot!!  It was truly wonderful sitting in the middle of bustling humanity while looking up at the cut glass windows fragmenting the reflection of ancient turrets in the early afternoon light...kind of a three dimensional George Braque or Cezanne.

Now, after the coffee it became apparent that this brand new, 21st century station had been designed by a man.  Or several men.  It's really quite simple to tell....bathrooms....in particular, women's rooms. The line for the bathroom was almost as long as that we had seen in front of Madam Toussauds, which stretched for blocks.   It turns out that in the whole of St. Pancras, there are only 20 bathroom stalls for thousands of women.  I had asked Le Pain Cotidien if they had a bathroom but the answer had been 'no', which I still don't quite believe.  The little creperie also was 'sans WC', as was the other side of the hall.  It was really quite frustrating,especially after coffee.  There is no way that a female architect would have perpetrated this crime...had to be a man.

Johan found us with no difficulty a bit before 1. He looked wonderful! After a big round of hugs and hellos we found out that he is now heavily exercising, both by biking to work and by training in taek won do. We quickly settled into our meals as Johan enthusiastically told us about his job.  He seems quite happy with his employment at a small pr/marketing company which seems to appreciate his love of playing with words.  This past week he was in charge of the office while his boss was on vacation, and at the beginning of August, i.e. now, he has gotten a raise.  It is clear that he has fallen into a position which he finds interesting and where he is valued.  It was nice to see that he had inherited the Dendy Young saving genes and that he was both making ends meet and planning for the future.

We caught up fir a bit longer on family and then it was time to catch the train!  But not before Johan treated us to some hand made chocolates and a bottle each of his favorite ginger beer and lemonaide, made 'by botanical brewing' (have to look that up) by a company called Fentiman's in Newcastle England.  I must say, Johan, that it is a wonderful experience barrelling across the British countryside sipping this wonderful gingery brew.  

We finally persuaded Johan to leave us and go explore London a bit, assuring him that the old folks would indeed survive without his watchful eye.  And good thing too, for the train was late.  Finally we boarded our first class cabin which was filled with all manner of scruffy folk, so we felt right at hone!  The train left about 10 minutes late and pulled out into the London suburbs as Dendy tried in vain to make an jmportant conference call. But to no avail...the system dropped him over and over again.  There was nothing for him to do but watch the scenery, talk, and lay sedoku.

August is an absolutely stunning time for tooling through the British countryside, even one as dry and sunny, yes, sunny, as the one we encountered.  It seemed as though the earth had not seen rain for month, which was hard to believe.  The winter wheat had recently been harvested, leaving behind velvety stubble etched by the deep greens of perfect lines if hedgerows. The ubiquitous sheep grazed fat on the grass, ewes still gracefully accepting the anxious headbutts of suckling lambs far too big to still be mooching off their patient mothers.

By the time the train reached Berwick on Tweed the scenery had changed to the stunning holiday coastline along the North Sea.  Neat whitewashed bungalows spilled out their owners into postage stamp gardens as wisps of BBQ smoke curled into the bright evening sky.  Two things crossed my mind:  it was a lot later than I had thought (the sun wouldn't set until about 10 p.m.) and we were going to miss our connection to Inverness.  

Normally the second thought would not have bothered me, but today it did since I knew that our train was the last one out that night and I also knew that the Rocpool Reserve in Inverness was not cancelable!  I had booked it as a 'rewards' booking on hotels.com and would not have found last minute accommodations in inverness for free at any time let alone high season.

By the time we had reached Newcastle I had tracked down the ticket collector. It was a new Scottish crew that had just boarded. The ticket collector was a large, scowly man who stared at me as though I'd crawled straight out of the rebel colony.  "ay, ah duuno if thayrl hoeld thee trenn boot werl git ye deer sumha"
I looked at him for a few moments and then realized that he was telling me that we were actually going to miss the train. I asked how we'd get there and he sad "be carr". "So I said, we have to drive?" "No werl druv yer...the relrud".    

After a quick shake of the head and thanks, I slipped back into my seat and briefed Dendy. We decided it best to get some dinner. The buffet car was, however, devoid of food (had not been restocked in Newcastle since the train was late), but since we were in first the hostess rustled up a salad and sandwich, and a bottle of wine, which we shared with a young man who was a biochemist from Glasgow working in Newcastle.  He also was studying to be a pyrotechnician because he loved fireworks and blowing up things!

We did finally arrive in Edinburgh Waverly, 5 minutes late, with the next train leaving, without us on board.  The EastCoast rail staff trotted us into their main office at the side of the station.  At first the man behind the counter was quite dour and reserved, but then I suggested that he perhaps might not have the easiest job around and he transformed.  He told us how the rail companies had been privatized and now all competed with each other which, contrary to hope, caused massive backstabbing and self interest.  Ni one held trains any longer, no one coopeerated.  It was "all bout thee monee now".  It turns out that he was feeling it particularly keenly since he had been the one in charge of managing the station a few years back. "wooden hapnd on mee wotch" he growled under his breath.

We were put on the 8:37 to Perth ("Pearthth"). Thank goodness we had eaten dinner on the other train.  About 10 p.m. We arrived at the foggy, empty Peth platform, along with 3 other souls.  A lovely cheerful young station attendant wisked us to our taxi, and then quickly to the bathrooms, which had to be unlocked just for us.  It felt a bit as though we were running through a surrealist painting...curling fog dancing in the yellow lights of the station, deserted gray platform and bridges and odd little cubby halls before we reached the toilets.  We scooted as quickly as possible, and then wisked back go the station and our waiting cab.  

.......to be continues when I get Internet again. Xoxoxox

Off to Scotland first...and have located and spoken to all the children!!

How exciting! Dendy and I are off to Scotland in a few hours and the incredible has occured!!! We have actually spoken to all four of our children today!

I just want you to know that this is the icing on the cake. Suddenly I can relax, feel happy and comfortable, and know that I have peace of mind...

Thank you, girls and boys, for the wonderful gift.

XOXOOXOX Mom