Carrie and I ate breakfast, packed up, and were out the door by 10 AM. Our flight was delayed, but we had nowhere else to go.
We backtracked past Stirling castle again ("Quick! Take a picture, Mike!") and hopped back on the M8.
We remembered to get a picture this time as we drove past the kelpies ("Quick! Take a picture, Mike!").
When we rented the car, we paid in advance for a full tank of gas. The rate Enterprise offered was lower than the going rate at all the gas stations we went by. The employee said it would pay off more if we came back with less petrol in the tank.
Challenge accepted.
When the gas light comes on, you have to have faith that's it's making an accurate prediction about how much gas is left. We were a little on edge, but we made it! It wasn't a record score, but I think we got a good deal!
It seemed like a fantastic deal for Enterprise. 1) They guaranteed a sale of gas. 2) Gas, I'm sure they weren't selling the gas at cost or a loss. 3) If anyone planned/gambled poorly, they'd come in with too much gas and Enterprise would fare even better in the exchange.
When we checked in at the airport, we were awarded with some vouchers, because of the delay! That paid for our lunches and some drinks as we settled down in a Costa outside our gate. I wouldn't have minded exploring the stores a little more, but the walkways were crowded and there was a chance Carrie would spot a deal.
I'm not sure how good a deal "rolly brushes" were, but the dispenser in the bathroom amused me enough to take a picture.
When we got on the plane, Carrie used synchronized button mashing so that we could finish Avengers Infinity War and watch Johnny English Strikes Again together. I tried to nap some to be ready to drive while Carrie watched The Crimes of Grindlewald.
We were the only international flight to land late in Dulles (I think). There were only a few customs booths open and we seemed to be the only people in the area. Carrie and I had powerwalked to make sure we were near the front of the queue, so that we could get home before we fell asleep!
It felt good to be back on the right side of the road (literally and figuratively). I had planned to drive, but Carrie insisted she wanted to before she was too tired to help. She ended up driving the whole way home.
Is that a burning man on the side of I-66?
No, just an odd crane. If Carrie had it seen it, too, I'd have suspected I was delirious from fatigue!
It was late when we got back to the house. We unloaded suitcases, went in, and crashed! Home, home at last!
I would have thought Carrie would have been vehemently against it, but it was her idea. We've seen a lot of hitchhikers around Scotland. It seems like hiking somewhere and hitching a ride back is a fairly common hobby.
There was a group of about 6 young adult hikers outside our room who were looking for rides when we went for breakfast. We discussed it at our meal and Carrie was ready to offer on our way back to the room.
This car offered them a ride as we were about to hop into our car instead. We ended up trailing them almost into they city before our paths diverged.
Glasgow was a newer city than Edinburgh and more spaced out. We drove through some suburbs before we detoured around the city center on the highway.
I was curious as to what the 'M' and the 'A' in the road names stood for. I know about US road name/number conventions, but it's a whole new world across the pond. Those minor knowledge gaps nagged at me a little (I like knowing how things work).
Carrie and I joked that the weather warning signs around Scotland worked by always saying "Heavy Rain Forecast."
We were lucky in that we never hit anything I'd consider heavy rain, but the warnings were ubiquitous.
Today was a dream come true for Carrie: We visited Moffat.
Grandma's maiden name is Moffat and the eponymous town is in the lowlands south of Glasgow.
Carrie has attended multiple highland games and hung about with the Moffat clan (and Frank!). Several years back there was a clan gathering and they all traveled to Moffat, Scotland together.
Carrie didn't get to go then, but we made it today! It was a cute little town. Unfortunately, we showed up the one day the local museum was closed.
We had plenty of fun poking around the local streets and stores (Fidget spinners....they've spread this far and they're evolving!?).
There were campgrounds nearby and the town seemed to cater to motorhome/caravans/campers.
We wandered into an old wool mill turned sprawling store in search of a Moffat kilt pin and tartan cloth.
It was the one type they were sold out of! We talked to an Irish woman who worked at the store and remembered the clan gathering Carrie wanted to visit (She'd worked at the hotel where everyone stayed!).
Carrie didn't find what she was looking for, but I got a book as a souvenir.
Then we went by a local bakery and grabbed a pair of pies for cheap lunch (Mine was chicken tikka).
Wind turbines and clouds were everpresent on our way back.
We pulled off to grab Carrie some caffeine and I picked up an Irn-Bru. I've seen the soda all over. It's called "Scotland's Other National Drink" and supposedly outsells Coke and Pepsi.
I'm not a huge soda fan, but I wanted to try it. When Carrie got her coffee, I picked up a bottle and took a sip.
Then, I encouraged Carrie to try it. She was adamant she did not want to. Nevertheless, I persisted.
I got her to at least take a whiff.
Which didn't help persuade her.
All I wanted was one tiny sip! I had a water bottle ready and as she protested, it occurred to me, "Maybe I should film this..."
I think Carrie could be a viral hit! One tiny bleep over the curse and we could be raking in the advertising money! This could have been the greatest moment of our whole trip!
We scooted back into Glasgow where I got to visit a friendly local game store. We got to talk with the employee there for a while, play Orc-Olympics, and we picked up a souvenir card game to play at home (Get the MacGuffin).
If we had more time, we might have gone by the Ikea. I had suggested finding a parking garage and walking the city center, but Carrie wasn't up for the walk.
Side note: People in Scotland parallel park without regard for facing on the road. I got a parking ticket as a kid for doing something similar near my high school in the states.
When we got back to the hotel room, I answered some of my own burgeoning work emails. One of them had been to supply a short video for an introduction to my upcoming Freshman Seminar class (I still was not sure what Freshman seminar was!)
Carrie played director. I wanted to do a single take and be done with it, but she started to develop her own vision and a sense of professional pride! We settled on two takes with some haggling over the details in between!
Then we were back to our old ways.
The sky opened up and it started to pour on us as we walked back to our room. I gave Carrie the umbrella and got to see how water resistant my coat truly was.
It didn't measure up to a good Scottish storm.
We had a pizza with chicken, bbq sauce, and haggis for dinner. It was noticeably cheaper to buy it for takeaway rather than eat it in the restaurant (~£11 --> £8!).
We ended our final night in Scotland watching the £100k Drop, packing, and munching happily. Carrie's been happy and relaxed ever since we moved the tour group along and isn't looking forward to flying tomorrow. I wouldn't mind more time in Scotland either, but I'm more eager to get back into the new house and establish a new routine, start my new job, and bring Shane home.
We said "Goodbye" to Kath and John in Inverness and took the A9 south again to head to our next room near Glasgow. I resumed my role as DJ as Carrie reprised her role as Driver.
We made a pit-stop at the House of Burar (near Pitlochry of the "pit-stoppy" fame).
I sat in a neat chair I joked would be great at a rural computer desk. I checked the price tag and popped up! I wasn't about to keep in a £2750 seat!
There were a wide assortment of items ranging from fairly priced to "Who'd pay that for that!?" We grabbed some ice cream cones and Carrie found a deal for a gift tucked in the "Sale shop" hidden behind the main area.
It's nice to have somewhere to go, but to not be in a particular hurry to get there. We decided to stop by Stirling castle.
We wound up a crammed road filled with parked cars and found a "Lot full" sign when we reached the castle. Parking seems to be in short supply all over Scotland. We continued on into town and found some street parking Carrie expertly paralleled us into.
From there it was a short jaunt up the hill to an information center and a 15th century church, the Holy Rude.
The church has been around for nearly a millennia and is where King James VI of Scotland was crowned as an infant.
There was no fee for entry. Instead, a bin asked for donations at the entryway. We were greeted by a volunteer who directed us to a wall of information brochures in numerous languages. We took some time walking around, reading, and enjoying the stained glass artwork.
We continued up the hill to Stirling Castle after.
Carrie was full of facts and talked about the battles of Stirling Bridge and Bannockburn.
In more recent history, the castle acted as a transit and recruitment ground during the Great War (WW1).
The grounds were beautiful and well maintained...., but also deadly defenses. The ditch we crossed over had areas for enfilade fire to make life short and unpleasant for attackers attempting to cross through.
We made it into the castle and heard it would be £16 a piece to enter. While that was not overly expensive, our pounds were dwindling and Carrie was eager to see the William Wallace monument and continue to our room for the night.
And wouldn't you know it, there was another long phone call?
We made our way back down into the city. Elevation changes in cities always amuse me.
Carrie was interested in some of the same thing, as me. "Are you taking another picture of my phone!" she asked.
"I'm taking a picture of the wall through your phone!"
I'm pretty good at dodging elbows.
We stopped at a coffee house and cafe for a small lunch. We have not had trouble finding reasonably priced food throughout our trip. There's no real way to expand your floor space when your business is in an ancient, stone building!
We stopped by a local game store (surprised?), but didn't stay long. We were on the road through more hills, pastures, and small towns by the late afternoon.
I learned that I had to be careful with how I used the zoom on my phone lest the camera switch to selfie mode.
We were scheduled to stay at the Oak Tree Inn in Balmaha off Loch Lommond tonight. Carrie promised me there would be time and space to play a game or two and relax together.
We put Carrie's new shoes to the test on a short hike.
We took some pictures and made some memories. We should have brought a blanket.
There was a much longer hike that scaled Ben Lommond, but we kept it simple. It's amazing how the grade quickly changes the difficulty of the hike.
I'm sure Carrie got some fantastic shots of the loch and the islands within it...., but I prefer my shots to have people in them.
We split a pizza with black pudding as a topping for dinner when we finished our hike.
Then we returned to our room...
...and talked with Nana, Pop, and Shane before watching some TV and calling it a night!
