It's raining in Glasgow. 60% was what weather.com predicted. Reykjavik and Glasgow are in the same time zone, but Glasgow is on British Sunshine Time so we have to advance our clocks another hour. Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland.
When we arrive, we have to go through passport control again. First time on a CIE Tour the lady asks me. First time here, I tell her. Did you bring an umbrella? She asks. I have a jacket with a hood. That's all you need, she tells me. I just wish the jacket was not so warm. My Dallas Cowboys stadium jacket is perfect for Alaska and Germany but is too warm for 65. I'll have to buy a light hooded jacket. As I walk up to the baggage conveyor, my luggage passes by and I snag it. Mary's luggage was not far after it. Everyone found theirs as well except for Bill. It's a little past 1100 and the last shuttle leaves at 1200, but we hang around and Bill's luggage eventually arrives.
Mary's cell seems to work. We had problems with it in Germany a couple of years ago. T-Mobile didn't set the service right.
Mary's cell seems to work. We had problems with it in Germany a couple of years ago. T-Mobile didn't set the service right.
We move out of the secured area where we are bearhugged by Peggy. Both she and Heather had been waiting for sometime. They saw Rod Stewart who just finished a concert tour in Glasgow. No photos since they don't like photos inside public transportation. We catch up with one another while we wait for a bunch from Heathrow who will also be on the CIE tour. It turns out they had missing luggage.
Wierd, but Peggy also had a leg cramp this morning but hers was behind her thigh. We all sync our camera times. I search the airport stores for Harry Potter stamps and leftover Saturday edition of The Scotsman which had a glossy map of Scotland.
CIE finally decides to drive us to our hotel - the Glasgow Thistle. We have a cold wet walk to our coach. After the heat of Houston, I welcome the cold, but I was hoping to avoid the rain.Our tour guide is Barbara who is English. Her husband however is Scottish. Our driver is Sidney who is Irish. Our group is so large that we have two motorcoaches (buses for us Americans).
Trees along the road provide noise abatement doesn't give you a good view of the city. It is hell for vacation photographers. Worse yet is the rain beading on the bus. I have difficulties focusing through a window on the other side of the aisle. My Canon wants to focus on the beads of rain. The bus windows are also pretty dark. You can't see in, but it requires a higher ISO on my part.
Barbara teasingly comments that they keep beginner pipers in the basement till they are ready.
