Travel Journal Entry June 12, 2012 Or Deep thinking on a train
When it was mentioned in passing that someone was their maiden name, Robbie gave this look. It’s been bothering me since. It’s not that I don’t think people identify with being their married names, but they are also their maiden name and sometimes they have been their maiden name longer. I was thinking about the males (of course) of the Scottish clans whose heralds are half their father’s and half their mother’s. Can’t that be something that happens when you get married? I am not a believer or fan of giving over your identity when you get married. I will never be a Mrs. Something. I am a Ms. and I will always be. People can be individuals within a couple. So a person would be both their maiden life and their married life. Both are a component of who they are.
Maybe that is the difference when one gets married later in life. One doesn’t give up an identity or one has time to develop an identity before being part of a couple.
Anyway – Duart castle from yesterday. They have done some excellent work on the renovation to the castle. It’s interesting that the clan had to buy back the castle from the Campbells. We could not confirm Robbie’s story, but we learned that Sean Connery’s mother is the same clan. And that the director wanted to tear down a tree in the courtyard during the Entrapment movie, but the chief said absolutely no. The tree had been planted for the chief’s father’s 100th birthday. It was both heartening and amusing to watch D. For someone who tosses possessions, it was like D needed something to connect with (like maybe a rock from the millennium woods of the castle – nope, wasn’t me!) D loved the castle. We stayed almost 4 hours. We had soup and soda bread for lunch and shared a lemon drop (a 2 layer cake with icing on top and in the middle.) (Editor’s note: as we were coming back from lunch, there was the sound of bagpipes coming from the courtyard. D went up to investigate and found a German biker who had requested permission to play his bagpipes there. He was good. )
We waked some of the grounds, spent a heck of a lot at the gift store, had a good conversation with a few of the staff and then back to Oban. Hindsight – we could have grabbed the train at 6 and been back in Glasgow or even Edinburgh by evening.
We did have some excitement. When buying a second stash from the gift shop, our cards were declined. We were not amused. When back at Oban, trying to make a call was impossible. We had to find a payphone and then the number on the card wasn’t working. We were trying to track down some more info when the guy at the hotel bar offered to let us try paying the hotel bill – which went through. OMG!!! My theory is their machine is not set to do anything under 10 pounds on credit.
It peeves me off that D can be such an arse/hypocrite. D tells me it does no good to get mad and then proceeds to get mad. When I pressed on this, D said it is because when I get mad, I cry and that doesn’t help. Like getting mad at me and the iPod touch does any good. I don’t know how one just accepts this trait in someone. Or how to respond differently to it. It’s a resentment builder.
Anyway, we are on the train to Glasgow and then Edinburgh now. We sent Robbie a message, but haven’t heard back yet. We have some ideas of what we want to do still, so we’ll see how it goes.
(Editor’s note: I did a bit of a future entry, which I will expand on later. It was a looooong ride.)
Dinner was at Deacon Brodie’s Tavern. D had boar and chorizo burger. I had half Scholthrope chicken (roasted chicken). For drinks, I had a mango and passion fruit and D had the Caledonan red ale. Dessert for me was Banoffee – OMG – this was delish. Utterly delish!
After arriving, we took a taxi to our hotel and then the bus back to Old Town – well, that was our goal. We had asked the bus driver to let off as close to Arthur’s Seat as possible and he forgot. Oops! So we got a tour of northwest Edinburgh and got to chat with the bus driver. He says we should walk along the banks of the Fife as it is beautiful. We made it back to Old Town and walked to Arthur’s Seat. After stopping for an ice cream and pop (me and D respectively), we started the walk. I made it two-thirds up before my fears halted me. Pretty good, I think. D went all the way up. I’m disappointed that I didn’t make it to the top, but still proud of how high I had gotten. Between a lack of faith in myself and my backpack, I just didn’t feel comfortable. But I sat at the nearest embankment and took pictures of the view – which considering my fear of heights, that’s pretty good.
Maybe that is the difference when one gets married later in life. One doesn’t give up an identity or one has time to develop an identity before being part of a couple.
Anyway – Duart castle from yesterday. They have done some excellent work on the renovation to the castle. It’s interesting that the clan had to buy back the castle from the Campbells. We could not confirm Robbie’s story, but we learned that Sean Connery’s mother is the same clan. And that the director wanted to tear down a tree in the courtyard during the Entrapment movie, but the chief said absolutely no. The tree had been planted for the chief’s father’s 100th birthday. It was both heartening and amusing to watch D. For someone who tosses possessions, it was like D needed something to connect with (like maybe a rock from the millennium woods of the castle – nope, wasn’t me!) D loved the castle. We stayed almost 4 hours. We had soup and soda bread for lunch and shared a lemon drop (a 2 layer cake with icing on top and in the middle.) (Editor’s note: as we were coming back from lunch, there was the sound of bagpipes coming from the courtyard. D went up to investigate and found a German biker who had requested permission to play his bagpipes there. He was good. )
We waked some of the grounds, spent a heck of a lot at the gift store, had a good conversation with a few of the staff and then back to Oban. Hindsight – we could have grabbed the train at 6 and been back in Glasgow or even Edinburgh by evening.
We did have some excitement. When buying a second stash from the gift shop, our cards were declined. We were not amused. When back at Oban, trying to make a call was impossible. We had to find a payphone and then the number on the card wasn’t working. We were trying to track down some more info when the guy at the hotel bar offered to let us try paying the hotel bill – which went through. OMG!!! My theory is their machine is not set to do anything under 10 pounds on credit.
It peeves me off that D can be such an arse/hypocrite. D tells me it does no good to get mad and then proceeds to get mad. When I pressed on this, D said it is because when I get mad, I cry and that doesn’t help. Like getting mad at me and the iPod touch does any good. I don’t know how one just accepts this trait in someone. Or how to respond differently to it. It’s a resentment builder.
Anyway, we are on the train to Glasgow and then Edinburgh now. We sent Robbie a message, but haven’t heard back yet. We have some ideas of what we want to do still, so we’ll see how it goes.
(Editor’s note: I did a bit of a future entry, which I will expand on later. It was a looooong ride.)
Dinner was at Deacon Brodie’s Tavern. D had boar and chorizo burger. I had half Scholthrope chicken (roasted chicken). For drinks, I had a mango and passion fruit and D had the Caledonan red ale. Dessert for me was Banoffee – OMG – this was delish. Utterly delish!
After arriving, we took a taxi to our hotel and then the bus back to Old Town – well, that was our goal. We had asked the bus driver to let off as close to Arthur’s Seat as possible and he forgot. Oops! So we got a tour of northwest Edinburgh and got to chat with the bus driver. He says we should walk along the banks of the Fife as it is beautiful. We made it back to Old Town and walked to Arthur’s Seat. After stopping for an ice cream and pop (me and D respectively), we started the walk. I made it two-thirds up before my fears halted me. Pretty good, I think. D went all the way up. I’m disappointed that I didn’t make it to the top, but still proud of how high I had gotten. Between a lack of faith in myself and my backpack, I just didn’t feel comfortable. But I sat at the nearest embankment and took pictures of the view – which considering my fear of heights, that’s pretty good.
posted by Taryn at 9:32 pm
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