Bonnie Scotland

I spent 2 days in London before heading to Glasgow for the weekend. Whilst in London I went to the British Museum to check out the Rosetta Stone and the rest of the Egyptian collection, just for kicks. It was funny to see these items on display in a Western museum having just seen the real deal!

Visiting Scotland was lovely! I spent an unforgettable week in Scotland with Lizzy 6 years ago (holy crap! was it really that long ago?!) but I never made it to Glasgow which is the birth place of my paternal grandparents, and part of every story I remember. I've said this a few times here, but it's funny that Americans really latch onto their heritage. Sure, we're Americans, but we're almost all near an immigrant line, eh? In my family my grandparents were concerned that we would lose our Scottishness. So, I got a kilt every year, ate black pudding, and listened to bag pipes. We even have a china set with out tartan on it! This part of my identity is important to me and however removed it may be, being in Scotland brings it out.

My first night in the rain stopped for a bit to allow Heather, her family and I to take a walking tour of "Gruesome Glasgow." We visited the sites of all the best murders and suicides, lead by a man in a cloak. Beyond the witch hunts, Glasgow is really an interesting place. A once booming industrial town on the River Clyde, it has haunts of its past prosperity, though seems a bit gritty downtown. The night spots and university areas were fun to explore, aided by a double decker tour bus! One of the most interesting stops was St Mungo (no, not the Hospital for Magical Maladies) Museum of Religious Life and Art. It is small, but packs a punch with a comprehensive display of the major world's religions. It's appropriately across the street from the beautiful cathedral.

Kilt sightings: 19

Flight timing didn't allow a trip to the Unitarian church, unfortunately, but it is fun to know that it's there! It was great fun to catch up with Heather and explore her hometown with her.

Can't believe the trip is over! I am anxious to get back to the states and start taking care of my ever growing to-do-before-you-move list... yikes!