September 15

First off, Alistair loved the Woodinville wine. He says he is now becoming more interested in the fruity wines of the New World over the more vegetative wines of the Old World. Even though he is more used to Australian and New Zealand wines, he now realizes the Pacific Northwest makes a fabulous product. He has long known about California wines. Since Katherine, the Rosses’ daughter, lives outside Christchurch, New Zealand he is very familiar with the Marlborough region of N. Z. wine. Another of his daughters, Susie, has a brother-in-law who is a wine maker in Napa. Not bad, huh?

We awoke, got beautiful, finished packing, and ate breakfast before seeing Alistair, Judy and Susie. Susie was to depart soon from the Islay airport for a flight to Glasgow then drive on to Edinburgh. The day was, using my new most favorite word, “dreich”. It completely describes a grey, drizzly, cold, windy day to perfection (A Seattle day to be exact).

Since Ann did not fare too well on the ferry over to Islay, she would not get onto the ship this time without a seasickness pill in her and several near her. Unfortunately the only pharmacist on the island closed at 1pm on Saturday (one hour after Ann realized she needed one) and would not open until 9am Monday – the ferry left at 9:45 that morning from Port Ellen. Alistair drove us down to the pharmacist before 9am; we waited, bought the magic medication and headed to Port Ellen in plenty of time for the ferry departure.

As it is with things like this, the ferry crossing was perfect with no high seas even with the inclement weather. Ann even had breakfast on the ferry! Arriving at the port of Kennacraig we got on the Glasgow bus for the three and a half hour ride to Glasgow’s Buchanan Street Bus Station. We stopped any place a passenger wanted to get off along the way, even picking up fares on this bus that I thought was a direct shuttle to Glasgow. Wrong. In Inverary the bus stopped for 15 minutes so we all could hit the restrooms (none on the bus) and also buy some food for lunch. We got back on the bus “relieved” (and I mean that) and ate our packaged sandwich, chips, sweet and coke. On we went to Glasgow. When we arrived, we got off the bus and headed to Queen Street Train Station. Although Ann “knew” how to do this on foot (lugging every bit of our luggage and carry-ons mind you), it did not turn out that way. Summoning the help of a cute, local lassie, she took us there in the, of course, rain. We made the train by 9 minutes and rode the two stops to the station near Jane and Ian’s house in Lenzie. This 12-minute, two-stop commuter train ride cost $7.50 for the two of us. Ann rode home from the station with Jane in her car completely filled with four children, and now two suitcases, two large carry-ons and Ann. Fraser was kicked out of the car. He and I walked home – in the rain.

As if that were not enough for one day: car, ferry, bus, train, we went out to dinner back in Glasgow when Ian got home from his day of doctoring. The restaurant, Café Gandolfi, was casual, in the Caledonian University area. The food was great. The waiter was a young lad majoring in economics at the university who had a multitude of interesting opinions that he needed to share with us.

Ann had a starter, Cullen Skink, smoked haddock made like a Boston clam chowder. I had Arbroath smokies in tomato and cream and/or cheese sauce baked in a little crock. Both were wonderful tried for the first time. A “G and T” for Jane and me (gin and tonic) started the meal but Ian, who was driving, was good. Ann was good too. We ordered a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc with the meal. Here it got weird. My dinner was a Spanish tortilla sandwich. In a baguette, I had an omelette of cheese, onion and potato with a garlic aioli. Good but certainly different.

Home we went to a welcoming bed to be awakened at 6am to get ready for the next day.