Leavin'

Well, attempting to! I flew to Glasgow today, not so much for a holiday as to look into some family matters, along with my sister Tanya (TMLHereandThere).

Boarding at Bristol was delayed, because our plane hadn't got back from Lisbon on time. The holidaymakers looked relaxed and happy as they de-planed, but when we were on board and all strapped in, we were told that the Lisbon flight's luggage was still in the hold, and ours was still in limbo, because all the luggage belts at the airport had broken!

Worse was to follow. Finally, our luggage was loaded, but the following announcement was that, as two of the people on our flight had changed their minds about going to Glasgow for a football match and had left the plane, the entire plane would now have to be searched!

No specialist bomb detecting equipment was used. Just eyes and hands, as row after roe of seats and overhead lockers were patted down and searched. I know it had to be done, for security, but there was something very amateur and comic about the procedure. Fortunately, we were all in a good mood, as the sun was still shining.

(Also, my inner critic says here, "serves you right for flying! You should have taken the train!"
To which my other self replies, " but that would have taken even longer, and it's SO expensive!")


Arriving at Glasgow an hour or so late, I found that Tanya had just beaten me by seven minutes, on an equally alarming flight from Heathrow, and that we would never have managed to catch the onward coach we had originally planned to take!

We had about three hours to kill, in Tropical Glasgow airport, where the temperature was 28 degrees. Tanya found it cool compared to Bahrain, but my clothes were sticking to the seats. I nearly became hysterical after Tanya ordered scampi and chips, which came with a small tub of tartare sauce and some salad, and was asked,
"would you like any cutlery with that at all?'

Ah, the joys of being middle aged...

The coach to Ballachulish, where we used to go to church and youngsters living in the Highlands, was scenic but drama-free. I was amazed to see people still bathing in Loch Lomond and Loch Fyne, late into the evening. Clouds and rain are more normal. Not complaining, mind!

Our mother and her husband, K, picked us up at Ballachulish and whisked us off to a hotel for dinner. I had sea bass. The hotel adjoins the old Kentallen station building, which was closed as a railway station in 1966. I'd like to go back to read the railway posters and view the ancient photos.

We got to bed about 1am, I believe. Asleep shortly after lying down. The Highland air is so clean, I always sleep well. Nothing to do with post- travel exhaustion, just the air quality.