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Published: August 12th 2007
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This weekend has been a lot of fun. We went into the city of Glasgow Friday and had a great time. Unfortunately we didn’t bring the camera, therefore, no pictures. We took the bus down from the corner of our street. The ride took less than 30 minutes. The ride down gives no indication of what’s to come. As you approach Glasgow it looks like most cities in the states, but when we got off in the city center it was as if you took a step back in time. Then you see The Gap and just realize they are really old buildings. We walked the pedestrian malls, watched some of a bag piping competition, went out to lunch, walked along The River Clyde, went to the Glasgow Museum of Modern Art and took in the sights of the city.
Saturday we met up early in the morning with Joanna’s dad. He drove us down to Androssan to catch the ferry to the Isle of Arran. We left the car in Androssan and headed out. Upon arrival Derek’s brother-in-law met up with us. He lent us a car to tool around the island for the day. We started by driving
out to Lochranza Castle. The remnants of this castle are on the water’s edge and appear rather surreal in its surroundings. After this we headed up to the Isle of Arran whiskey distillery. It started eleven years ago and just began selling its first bottles last year. I bought some of the 10-year-old single malt, but haven’t tried it yet. I’m saving it for a special occasion, visitors perhaps! (Although I doubt it will last that long) From here we headed to Brodick Castle, a fully furnished estate. In the 1950’s the owners donated the castle to the Scotland National Trust and it has been preserved in its original state. Unfortunately pictures were prohibited and my words could not do the grandeur of the décor justice. A must see for company. We had some lunch at the castle and then headed into the village of Brodick where we sampled various tastes from the island: whiskey, ice cream, chocolate and cheese. Just off Brodick is Holy Island. Here Buddhist Monks have set up shop and bought the island with the help of many Hollywood acting moguls. They have an eco friendly hotel and a meditation center. According to Derek, people sign
up for two-year meditation retreats on the island. Sounds perfect for Rich and Sally!
After dropping the car back off at Derek’s sister Isabelle’s house, we headed back to catch the ferry. The ferry ran a little bit late as it was responding to a distress call. It was another splendid day experiencing Scotland. Today is the last day of my summer vacation, as I will be reporting to work tomorrow. Today we will relax around the house and perhaps do some grocery shopping. I think that will be a good idea; Elizabeth and I had chocolate cake for breakfast.
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