Today can’t really be described as anything but a transportation day … we started in Ennis, finished in Edinburgh, and spent a lot of time en route.
After a very tasty Irish breakfast prepared by Nora, including some very tasty black pudding, we were on our way to the airport. One of the benefits of getting lost yesterday was that it made finding the airport quite easy. After dropping our car off at the Avis desk (no hidden charges and no damage … woo hoo!), we checked into our Ryan Air flight, and had time to spare. Ryan Air is one of Europe’s most popular discount airlines … they do things a little differently than most of the airlines at home — it’s more like riding a flying bus than anything else. No reserved seating, no particular etiquette when it comes to boarding, etc … it’s just a free-for-all. After a very evident landing on the runway at Glasgow-Prestwick, we headed for the buses. Turns out that Glasgow-Prestwick really has nothing to do with Glasgow — it took us over an hour of highway driving to even see the city. Another bus trip later, we were in Edinburgh. From euros to pounds, we were spending money quickly.
Generally speaking, I don’t like to spend money if I don’t have to (I have a different set of rules for computers, photography and biking …) … maybe I’m cheap, maybe I’m thrifty …. you get the point. If you know me well, you probably know that I was blessed with a bladder about the size of a thimble. Well these two pesky traits nearly came to blows in the bus stations of Scotland … they have turnstiles, and charge money to get into the bathroom. The cheapskate won, and I held it … waiting until I reached my brother’s flat to enjoy a free, well, you know.
All is well with Mark and Angeline … Bizzie their dog is good too. The terrible Scottish weather that I’ve heard so much about wasn’t too bad … a little cool, but sunny. We had a great homecooked meal, walked about the neighbourhood for a while, and then stopped at a local pub for a tasty beer. Michele has decided that she likes drinking half-pints more than full-pints … it’s a good thing that she’s so small, or else she might not be able to get away with it.
Haven’t seen enough of Edinburgh yet to really know what to think … the bus ride in gave us a glimpse of some of the famous sites. It is certainly an old and well preserved city. The streets were busy, but didn’t have crowds anywhere near the size of the ones in Dublin, which suits me fine. I’m sure we’ll see more in the coming days.
