The First Adventures

I must confess now before I go any further with this post that I haven't slept in over 24 hours. Therefore, I apologize for the randomness and oddities of my brain, deluded from lack of sleep.

So, as a last lunch on Wednesday the 20th of February, my dearest progenitors took me to Cora's to partake in a "light" repast (though, this being Cora's, "light" definitely needs to quotations). We finished early, purchased some more gas, and then headed down the freeway to the Lester B. Pearson International Airport in Toronto. We were early. Very early. My flight was to leave at 7:20 and we were there at about 1:30ish...make it quarter after two. Fortunately, boarding started earlier then it was supposed to and I just went through security a few minutes earlier then I would have been otherwise.

Things were slow and boring from there right up until I actually boarded the plane and one of the flight attendants looked like a cross between whoever the guy is who plays Hamish in the Hunger Games and Viggo Mortensin (Aragorn, for those of you who don't know your actors...). So that was entertaining. However, the turbulence around Newfoundland/North Quebec was not so entertaining. It wasn't horrible...but then, it also wasn't particularly fun...

I couldn't sleep. At all. So I watched movies and read for a bit, and then watched the sunrise. It was spectacular. An inverted rainbow of colour growing brighter with each passing minute. It is so cool to fly into a sunrise like that at this time of year, especially when you're that far north. Even though you know in theory that the far north does not get much sunlight this time of year, it really sinks in when you see the sunrise fade into darkness along the horizon to the north.

Anyways, enough sentimentality! Onwards to the more interesting stuffs! I got off, went over the border, bought a latte and a muffin and then grabbed a taxi. I'm gonna be honest, the whole other side of the car thing didn't weird me out till I actually experienced it. It was odd. Also, the roads are sooo narrow, but I had a nice cabbie and his driving did not scare me in the least. Also, apparently Glasgow has some hills worthy of San Fransisco...

I took a train from the Queen Street Station to Perth. And on that train there was a ticket collector and he kinda looked like Stephen Fry, which meant that when he spoke with a Scottish accent it was a little weird. Also, there was an older/middle-aged gentleman with whom I chatted for a while. He was a true Scotsman, i.e. a true Nationalist. I learned a bit more about opinions on the Referendum that Scotland will/is holding. He also decided he was going to give me random bits of advice, like "make sure you eat porridge. Good and thick with only a wee little bit of sugar" and "don't drink too much whiskey...it's single malt...good but very fiery."

From Perth, I took the train to farther north to Inverness, and then on to Tain. (also, for those who care, the guy who was doing the trolley on the train looked like a cross between John Hannah and Nick Frost...)

Anyways, enough of me dragging on and on, here are a few pictures, and this time. . . captions!

The roof of the Perth Train Station

Ditto

Blurry trees and hills, with snow-capped peaks behind

Sorry for the blur....taking pictures from the train does that...even if the camera is on the sport setting

When we were coming through the Highlands the blue sky peaked out from behind it's curtain of clouds and the sun came out to brighten the dales

When you look across at the Southern side of the Cromarty Firth it almost looks like part of PEI. I realize this picture hardly does it justice but it really does look like the Summerside shore of PEI.

 

Many apologies for the out of order pictures....I am too tired to fiddle with them any more...