Going to Glasgow

May 2

Our free day yesterday was certainly relaxing but today we are back on the move. We got up relatively early again and had to pack up, we were leaving Oban today and headed by train to Glasgow. This will be our first time on a train here in Scotland and we have heard this is a great way to travel and see the countryside. 

We were out of the apartment just after 10 AM and went across the street to a restaurant that we just found out about. The restaurant was The Corryvreckan, named after a whirlpool. The Gulf of Corryvreckan is a narrow strait between two islands off the west coast of mainland Scotland. It is famous for its strong tidal currents and standing waves. The whirlpool which forms there is the third largest whirlpool in the world. 

Anyways, for as scary as the name implies, the restaurant was wonderful! They have a large range of menu items for every meal and cheaper than most places we’ve been to. They even have free refills on coffee, which in the States is normal, but not here. When we ate at the grocery store café in Fort Williams, we had ordered coffees and a little old Scottish lady approached Jason and I and whispered to us to just help ourselves to more coffee when we need more. So I did that and no sooner than it was in my cup when the cashier presented me with another bill for another coffee. 

We are finally learning that the full Scottish breakfasts are a lot of food so we are being wiser in our ordering. We only ordered two full breakfasts this time and a couple other small sides, like oatmeal, and then we shared the breakfasts. This way we can save room for Fish and Chips later.

The restaurant was adjoining the train station so after breakfast we went next door where the train was already waiting. We boarded, stowed our luggage and got comfortable for our 3 ½ hour trip. The best part of train travel of course is watching the terrain and the trip didn’t disappoint. We passed rivers and mountains and forests, which is nothing new to what we have seen in Scotland thus far, but here the landscape was very reminiscent of Wyoming and Montana. 

The ride was smooth and interesting and the only awkward part was that the train was going backwards. The entire trip our seats were facing the opposite direction from the direction where we were headed. Still the views were the same I suppose since even though we were going backwards the terrain all seemed to be facing the correct way. 

We passed several campgrounds and saw lots and lots of tiny houses. Of course we didn’t know if they were vacation rentals or if they were actually tiny home communities but the area was so pretty with the small homes nestled among tall beautiful cedars and mountains creating a stunning background. The area looked like paintings, almost too pretty to be real.

Between stops I was working on my blog and Bryan had his headphones on listening to some music. At one point as the train was stopped at a small station and all was quiet while we were waiting for a few more passengers to board, Bryan looked over and saw where I was trying to figure out the correct spelling for the word ‘clamoring’ and so to be helpful he spelled it out for me, but literally yelled out the word. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him. He was unaware of his volume due his headphones being on. I was stunned briefly and just decided to use a synonym. (In all fairness, the train was quite loud when he first put his earbuds in.)

There are certain times in life when things happen that remind you that you are aging. Well I had a doosy of a reminder today. I decided to make a quick visit to the onboard bathroom. I remember when I used to be the young one that just instinctively figured everything out, well those days seem to be passing faster than I would prefer. I found the bathroom and at least figured out how to get in, I even got the door closed but couldn’t figure out how to lock it. It was the only one I knew of so others would undoubtedly be coming soon. The bathroom was quite large, wheelchair assessable I suppose, with signs and instructions posted all over. I followed the directions to lock the door and it appeared to work yet a very soft voice kept repeating the phrase, “Door is unlocked, door is unlocked”. I was looking around and trying to figure out if someone was watching and what to do next. The door appeared to be locked. I tried it again. Same results. I thought, perhaps I’ll just get on with my business and hurry and get out. No sooner than I turned toward the commode when the door flies open and someone was there staring at me. In my most innocent expression and with a very stupid grin no doubt, I explained my dilemma, he showed me what to do and I was finally able to do my business. Luckily, I remembered how to get out. I was just thinking about the headlines had I gotten stuck. 

We arrived right on time in Glasgow and exited the station to find the taxis. Our apartment was a 30 minute walk so with our luggage we opted for a ride. The apartment is on the 8th floor and directly overlooking the River Clyde, a large river going right through the heart of the city. And city this is. Glasgow is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, and the 27th largest city by population in Europe. It has an estimated population of under 700,000 while the wider Glasgow City Region is home to over 1,800,000 people, equating to around 33% of Scotland's population.

After unpacking a few things we went back out to do what any good tourist should do in Scotland, we went out for Fish and Chips. And although that's the main thing we all go for, we have been seeing all sorts of things deep fat fried here. And yes while fish and french-fries make sense to us, they are just the beginning. 

"It’s practically a stereotype of Scottish cuisine that if it’s not made in a sheep’s stomach, then it’s deep fried. In fact, the scientists have found the average Scot’s diet has more fat and salt, fewer vegetables, and less fruit than the rest of the United Kingdom. Your ordinary chippy in a metropolitan area might resemble a food stand at an American county fair, with the oddest foods imaginable thrown right into the fryer with the cod and chips." (Quoted from some place I found on-line while trying to understand the odd fried food culture here)

Aside from fish and chips we've seen a few things that make sense maybe, like pickles and cheeses. But not just slices, the whole thing, whatever that might be. We've seen fried whole sausages, black and white puddings, chicken all sorts of ways including whole breasts, not just strips, pork ribs, meat pies, haggis, cheese burgers and even whole pizzas, battered and fried. After talking about it a while Jason finally decided to order a fried pizza. And yep, just as it sounds. A fully cooked pizza cut into quarters, battered and fried, and it still comes with a batch of chips (french-fries). And for dessert, fried Mars bars.