Day One!!

Today has been crazy. We arrived two hours late to Glasgow because of a flight delay which was totally unexpected and random. First, they said they would delay 10 minutes for paperwork. Then, another 20 to fill up on gas for a new route. Then the gas displayed a discrepancy so they had to test it, making it another 40-45 minutes. It wouldn’t test right so they proceeded with a new computer in the pilot’s cabin, brining our flight from 9:15pm departure to 11:40. It was so much fun sitting on the plane for two extra hours! I had so much leg room and entertainment and easy access to a comfy chair for sleep.

Not! It was dreadful. We sat there, every moment thinking it would only be another 5 or 10 minutes. Finally, they announced everything looked good and we could take off. Everyone seemed happy… except the Glachans! We were exhausted, sore, cramped, grumpy and hungry. But once we took off, we were given meals with complimentary wine (which I could not even finish because I felt so sick) plus free headsets, and Skyfall began! I fell asleep on and off but got very little rest. At one point, I woke up in a cold sweat and felt like I was going to be sick… but I managed to get through it. Which brings me to… DO’S AND DO NOT’S FOR PLANE TRIPS.

DO NOT:

1. Do not eat your own entire meal, then your mother’s and your sister’s side dishes. This will end badly (cold sweats and nausea). The less full, the better. You probably already knew this but sadly I cannot say no to food.
2. Do not leave yourself without options for removing layers. I thought the plane would be freezing and I was left in a cramped and hot environment. Not to mention I was sitting in the middle of three seats with my fam.
3. Do not forget your trench coat which you want to wear to London!!! This one is a bit personal but could apply to you one day.

DO:

1. Do bring Gravol. And Tums. And Pepto-Bismol. And Advil. And even allergy and cold pills. I used all of these in the duration of my six hour flight. Not joking.
2. Do buy a travel pillow! This helped a lot and made my neck less sore after.
3. Do bring a small fleece blanket of your own in case you do get cold, my sister used hers the whole time.
4. Do bring your music and headphones, to block out babies crying and women with annoying laughter.
5. Do hydrate, but stop at least an hour before your flight or you will be joining leagues of other unfortunates in lines for the ever-occupied loo!

Stared at this for 2 hours during delay....

And now, the day of our arrival.

At almost 11am (local Glasgow time) we pulled into the airport tired and fed up with planes. My first view of Scotland was a plane terminal, but off in the distance I could see some mountains. Customs was quick and so was baggage return. Then my mom got our rental car and slowly but surely, we started off!

My mother driving on the right side of the car on the left side of the road was both hilarious and traumatic. I thought for sure I would not make it to our bed and breakfast. After a small adjustment to the driving laws of the U.K., and after getting lost many-a-times, and stopping for a little Scottish pastry, we made it to Kingswood Hotel and checked in. Our suite is a little old fashioned, but obviously I love it! It reminds me of Dundurn Castle/what I imagine a late 19^th century home might look like. My cup of tea!

We all wanted to sleep, but decided to go on what turned out to be a long walk up the very beautiful road and coast of the North Sea to the town next door, Kinghorn. Currently our b+b is in Burntisland, a small town where my father’s grandfather was born. The scenery was incredible and my pictures can not do it justice. Maybe my sister’s pictures will do the trick! Check out her blog, http://www.have-feet-will-travel.tumblr.com 

We walked back, rendezvousing at the b+b and changing to head up to the more commercial part of Burntisland to post something for Madison and to grab dinner. Another frightening driving experience later, we discovered that most taverns and pubs (which were hard to find in themselves) were either closed or not serving food into the evening. Apparently, like a Canadian Sunday or Monday, Thursdays are days where things close early. We ended up eating in a restaurant less ‘pub’ like and more coastal like; it was fitting because Burntisland is a very coastal feeling town. There are even palm trees scattered about! All of us are extremely tired and all we want to do is sleep, so I’m having some tea and maybe going to take a bath to soothe those aching muscles from the plane!

As an end, I want to say that Scotland is as beautiful as I thought. The towns are so quaint, the landscapes so stunning, and everything seems fresh and big and homey. Plus, the accents are awesome! A little hard to understand at times, but that makes it so much cooler (: I can’t wait for what the rest of the week will bring!

Cheers, from Burntisland!

P.S., wifi is so hard to come by! Will post when I can!