At 1228, Sunday, the bus we were riding on drove past the sign greeting us back to England. We have been in Scotland since leaving Dover, April 12th.

This was our second day of traveling since leaving Mallaig. Saturday morning we headed for Haltwhistle with a planned overnight stop in Glasgow just to break it up.

After a 6 hour ride, we got off the train into this big city. Quite the contrast from the small villages and towns we've been staying in. Add to that, it was Saturday, at 1530, and the Scotland vs Ireland "football" game had just ended, with Scotland winning. So, on the short walk to our accommodations, we passed every imaginable type of celebration.

Bagpipes & drums, cheering & singing, in a slightly alcohol induced off-key kinda way, and every manor of dress and in some cases, less than dress...;) We also passed various restaurants, pubs, and shops all busy with wall to wall people. "We ain't in Kansas anymore"!

After checking in, we had a wonderful meal in a South American Tapas Bar called, La Iguanas. After dinner we chose not to join into the festivities but instead headed to our room. On the streets below our 5th floor flat, well into the night/morning, we could hear the "sounds of the city".

As we headed to Glasgow Central Rail Station Sunday morning the festivities of the night before had ended and the city was quiet. We had advanced tickets and knew there was track construction in progress. We would take a shuttle bus around it for the first leg of our trip, Glasgow & Carlisle.

Once in Carlisle we picked up a short but fast train to Haltwhistle. A 9 minute walk from the rail station, were the train dropped us at 1338, and we were at our next AirBnB.

Greeted by Madeline with a cup of tea we chatted for a few minutes about our trip. Then, a quick dash to the store to pick up our dinner, Stilton cheese & Crisps (crackers), before the only store open on Sunday, closed.

We have a guide booked for Monday. Peter Carney is retired History professor now giving guided tours of Hadrian's Wall. He also has a car which makes touring about much easier in the event of rain. With the forecast looking cool but dry, we are excited about exploring the, "Final Frontier"!

Fair Winds and Quiet Anchorages,
Jeff & Wendy