Trip Report : Scotland & England
Aug 22nd, 2007, 03:35 AM
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Trip Report : Scotland & England
First of all: a note of thanks. This forum makes trip planning fun and very informative and we are very grateful to everyone for their comments, advice and suggestions. Thank you all.
The flight was long and boring. We did manage to sleep some of the way, but not without the inevitable aches and pains the economy class exacts from those of us whose ageing bodies are becoming accustomed to the comforts of a lovely leather arm chair with 7 adjustable parts. They should stop serving food on planes as well. It is that bad. That way, they can focus on serving drinks.
Anyway – after surviving the flight, the wisdom of adding an extra day to our holiday’s start in Manchester became apparent.
We took a taxi to the Old Trafford Lodge and were greeted by very pleasant people, who checked us in promptly and took us to a place that had four walls and a roof. They called it a double room. They, of course, have to be complimented for retaining enough space around the beds such that you could actually walk around the bed (sideways only). Very clever. We weren’t so clever, because we had decided to bring some luggage with us. Other than the space, it really is a very nice place – neat, clean and efficient. The clincher, of course, being that the room had a balcony that opens into the cricket stadium. The stadium is just beautiful and steeped in history, if you happen to be a cricket fan (my son and I had a spectacular time just being there).
We ate at a decent restaurant close by and crashed for the night. In the morning, while the wife and daughter were slowly rising to the challenges of a bathroom where you have to plan your moves, my son and I went about the cricket club and toured the whole place. Fantastic! Breakfast was nice and generous. We then took off to the Trafford Center, which is a large mall. Got organized for rainwear, cell phone connections etc. and watched a movie.
I left to pick up the car at Avis and discovered that all the prior planning and booking had been largely fruitless. Simply put, if you want to rent a car in the UK which is automatic, has air-con and is a sedan, you’d better have lots of pounds to throw at it. Anyway, I managed to get one their select series, an Audi A6, at what they thought was a great deal. In hindsight, I’m glad I took that car, because for the next 14 days, it may not have been as comfortable in a smaller, manual car.
By the time I went back to the mall to pick up my tribe, they were already exhausted, so we had a round of the fast food beneath the nearest golden arches. One day my children will be sick of fried chicken, burgers and pizzas. I am sure of it. Back at the Old Trafford Lodge, stopped by at the bar for a pint of Britain’s finest (had to drown the after taste of a Big Mac). Met a nice couple, drank some more and crashed out for the night. Our planned holiday was actually to begin the next day, when we drove to Edinburgh.
The flight was long and boring. We did manage to sleep some of the way, but not without the inevitable aches and pains the economy class exacts from those of us whose ageing bodies are becoming accustomed to the comforts of a lovely leather arm chair with 7 adjustable parts. They should stop serving food on planes as well. It is that bad. That way, they can focus on serving drinks.
Anyway – after surviving the flight, the wisdom of adding an extra day to our holiday’s start in Manchester became apparent.
We took a taxi to the Old Trafford Lodge and were greeted by very pleasant people, who checked us in promptly and took us to a place that had four walls and a roof. They called it a double room. They, of course, have to be complimented for retaining enough space around the beds such that you could actually walk around the bed (sideways only). Very clever. We weren’t so clever, because we had decided to bring some luggage with us. Other than the space, it really is a very nice place – neat, clean and efficient. The clincher, of course, being that the room had a balcony that opens into the cricket stadium. The stadium is just beautiful and steeped in history, if you happen to be a cricket fan (my son and I had a spectacular time just being there).
We ate at a decent restaurant close by and crashed for the night. In the morning, while the wife and daughter were slowly rising to the challenges of a bathroom where you have to plan your moves, my son and I went about the cricket club and toured the whole place. Fantastic! Breakfast was nice and generous. We then took off to the Trafford Center, which is a large mall. Got organized for rainwear, cell phone connections etc. and watched a movie.
I left to pick up the car at Avis and discovered that all the prior planning and booking had been largely fruitless. Simply put, if you want to rent a car in the UK which is automatic, has air-con and is a sedan, you’d better have lots of pounds to throw at it. Anyway, I managed to get one their select series, an Audi A6, at what they thought was a great deal. In hindsight, I’m glad I took that car, because for the next 14 days, it may not have been as comfortable in a smaller, manual car.
By the time I went back to the mall to pick up my tribe, they were already exhausted, so we had a round of the fast food beneath the nearest golden arches. One day my children will be sick of fried chicken, burgers and pizzas. I am sure of it. Back at the Old Trafford Lodge, stopped by at the bar for a pint of Britain’s finest (had to drown the after taste of a Big Mac). Met a nice couple, drank some more and crashed out for the night. Our planned holiday was actually to begin the next day, when we drove to Edinburgh.
Aug 22nd, 2007, 12:19 PM
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Thanks guys - I am from Pakistan. A Canadian now, but well versed with driving on the "wrong" side of the road!
The travelogue continues:
My wife would never have become the ex-navigator, if she could issue clear, concise instructions, such as “in 400 yards, at the roundabout ahead, take the 2nd exit”. Well, OK I must admit the monotone of the GPS woman is a bit annoying and I do secretly miss the hysterical shrieks like “YOU MISSED THE EXIT – AGAIN”.
The Audi is a great car, but it’s GPS took a little getting used to. We navigated our way out of Manchester and on to the motorway, without much difficulty, other than the usual sibling battle in the rear seats. I did the usual daddy thing, asked annoying questions like “isn’t this great guys?” aren’t you excited we are finally on our trip”? Armed with iPods, kids these days don’t hear much of what I say anyway.
The Motorway didn’t offer much by way of traffic, so we pretty much sailed through.
The fun began when we turned off the motorway to follow the scenic route to Edinburgh. I know I was expecting a far spectacular scenery in the highlands, but maybe it was the monotony of the motorway, but oh my god – it was just beautiful. The drive on A-something-or-the-other was really nice – winding road, country coming at you. It was a really nice. On the way, we stopped at Moffat for a bite and coffee. Now that’s a place easy to fall in love with.
Onward we drove and reached Edinburgh. Navigated the streets and finally managed to reach our hotel, the Sheraton Grand. Next few days, we spent wondering what was so grand about it. Now I am a gold member with Starwood and stay at their properties all the time. This one was the pits. I wouldn’t recommend it to my enemies. Nonetheless, courtesy all the points accumulated with business trips, I was able to get two spacious adjoining rooms, one with a view of the castle. If you can call it that. You could clearly behold one side of the wall of the castle, from one little corner of the bedroom window. I did say wow. But the complete sentence wow, what’s going on here. For the rest of our stay, we used the window for light, not the view. My cribbing aside, it was a comfortable stay – rooms were spacious and breakfast was great.
Next day, we went on the pilgrimage to the Castle. It really is beautiful. We spent a fair bit of the day there and by midday needed to go and eat something. It started to rain so we just walked out on the Royal Mile and about a block and a half down, found a nice old pub with a restaurant on top. Had the most amazing fried fish.
Next two days, we just roamed the streets of Edinburgh aimlessly and had a great time. Went to the Princess theatre and watched Beauty and the Beast. The kids were fascinated – nice production and a really amazing theatre.
Edinburgh is just so beautiful. It seems that they haven’t put any new buildings for the past 200 years! And in such a picturesque setting. Had a lovely, easy paced time there. And were then well set for our journey to Inverness the next day.
The travelogue continues:
My wife would never have become the ex-navigator, if she could issue clear, concise instructions, such as “in 400 yards, at the roundabout ahead, take the 2nd exit”. Well, OK I must admit the monotone of the GPS woman is a bit annoying and I do secretly miss the hysterical shrieks like “YOU MISSED THE EXIT – AGAIN”.
The Audi is a great car, but it’s GPS took a little getting used to. We navigated our way out of Manchester and on to the motorway, without much difficulty, other than the usual sibling battle in the rear seats. I did the usual daddy thing, asked annoying questions like “isn’t this great guys?” aren’t you excited we are finally on our trip”? Armed with iPods, kids these days don’t hear much of what I say anyway.
The Motorway didn’t offer much by way of traffic, so we pretty much sailed through.
The fun began when we turned off the motorway to follow the scenic route to Edinburgh. I know I was expecting a far spectacular scenery in the highlands, but maybe it was the monotony of the motorway, but oh my god – it was just beautiful. The drive on A-something-or-the-other was really nice – winding road, country coming at you. It was a really nice. On the way, we stopped at Moffat for a bite and coffee. Now that’s a place easy to fall in love with.
Onward we drove and reached Edinburgh. Navigated the streets and finally managed to reach our hotel, the Sheraton Grand. Next few days, we spent wondering what was so grand about it. Now I am a gold member with Starwood and stay at their properties all the time. This one was the pits. I wouldn’t recommend it to my enemies. Nonetheless, courtesy all the points accumulated with business trips, I was able to get two spacious adjoining rooms, one with a view of the castle. If you can call it that. You could clearly behold one side of the wall of the castle, from one little corner of the bedroom window. I did say wow. But the complete sentence wow, what’s going on here. For the rest of our stay, we used the window for light, not the view. My cribbing aside, it was a comfortable stay – rooms were spacious and breakfast was great.
Next day, we went on the pilgrimage to the Castle. It really is beautiful. We spent a fair bit of the day there and by midday needed to go and eat something. It started to rain so we just walked out on the Royal Mile and about a block and a half down, found a nice old pub with a restaurant on top. Had the most amazing fried fish.
Next two days, we just roamed the streets of Edinburgh aimlessly and had a great time. Went to the Princess theatre and watched Beauty and the Beast. The kids were fascinated – nice production and a really amazing theatre.
Edinburgh is just so beautiful. It seems that they haven’t put any new buildings for the past 200 years! And in such a picturesque setting. Had a lovely, easy paced time there. And were then well set for our journey to Inverness the next day.
Aug 23rd, 2007, 04:12 AM
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ahmedhaff:
Sounds like your family very much enjoyed your stay in Edinburgh. It is a wonderful city to visit.
iPods and kids: does that mean you no longer hear "are we there yet?"
Looking forward to more - your writing style is fun and informative.
Sandy
Sounds like your family very much enjoyed your stay in Edinburgh. It is a wonderful city to visit.
iPods and kids: does that mean you no longer hear "are we there yet?"
Looking forward to more - your writing style is fun and informative.
Sandy
Aug 23rd, 2007, 11:08 PM
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Thanks Sandy.
Billy Joel could just as easily have sung “I’m in an Edinburgh state of mind”….. there have been few times that I have fallen in love with a city so much in such little time that I felt sad leaving it. But that feeling does serve to strengthen the resolve to return for a longer visit.
The motorway – again. This time, however, a lot more scenic. On the way to Inverness, we stopped for lunch at a place called the House of Bruar. It is apparently a famous country store – we didn’t know that, just stumbled upon it. It has a fabulous and large restaurant. Our B&B was a bit outside Inverness, in a place called Culloden Moor, close to the battlefield. The GPS refused to understand my needs, so we switched to the human navigation system, which mainly involves stopping at a gas station for directions. Had to stop at the local pub to fine tune the gas station directions and finally arrived at our destination : Tigh-na-Cread.
This is a lovely B&B in a beautiful setting. It is run by Karen and Barry, wonderful people. These guys have recently acquired the B&B from its previous owner who used to make golf clubs (hence the name : Tigh-na-ceard means house of the craftsman). We had a spacious family room and a large bathroom. Everyone loved being here – I would highly recommend this place to anyone heading to Inverness.
In keeping with our resolve not to turn the trip into a military campaign, we just went out to our friendly neighborhood gas station, picked up some supplies, went back to the B&B and ordered a pizza. The supplies naturally included beer which Barry and I polished off. He is an amazing guy – actually a doctor, who decided he has been doing the same thing for too long and should move out to the country before it gives him a heart attack (there’s Billy Joel again).
For the next 5 days, we explored what we could of Scotland to our hearts content. We only went into Inverness once for a visit to the Launderette and a meal plus the obligatory cruise on Loch Ness – which was quite nice. Drove to Drumnadrochit/Urquhart castle. Cawdor castle was a real treat as well, but the highlight was the Eilean Donan castle and the drive up to there. I can safely say that I have never been to a place so breathtaking.
We also drove up to Fort George and spent a few hours playing with a ball on its vast grounds! Such a spectacular place – didn’t get to see any dolphins, but was well worth the trip. One day we went to Bogbain farm, where they have quad bikes. Great fun – it’s interesting that while engaged in an activity not necessarily unique to a place (like driving, walking even quad biking) you are perpetually aware of your settings which is so hauntingly beautiful.
I am happy that we paced ourselves such that nothing was hurried and it wasn’t like we were ticking things off a list.
If leaving Edinburgh made us sad, leaving Inverness literally had me with a lump in my throat. I never thought it possible to be so enamored of a place.
We left for an overnight stay at Glasgow with friends. Didn’t get to see much of Glasgow, except for driving through the city, but I did encounter the greatest number of roundabouts ever! I’m OK with roundabouts, as long as they are round.
Next : back to Manchester, to see ManU play a friendly with Inter-Milan.
Billy Joel could just as easily have sung “I’m in an Edinburgh state of mind”….. there have been few times that I have fallen in love with a city so much in such little time that I felt sad leaving it. But that feeling does serve to strengthen the resolve to return for a longer visit.
The motorway – again. This time, however, a lot more scenic. On the way to Inverness, we stopped for lunch at a place called the House of Bruar. It is apparently a famous country store – we didn’t know that, just stumbled upon it. It has a fabulous and large restaurant. Our B&B was a bit outside Inverness, in a place called Culloden Moor, close to the battlefield. The GPS refused to understand my needs, so we switched to the human navigation system, which mainly involves stopping at a gas station for directions. Had to stop at the local pub to fine tune the gas station directions and finally arrived at our destination : Tigh-na-Cread.
This is a lovely B&B in a beautiful setting. It is run by Karen and Barry, wonderful people. These guys have recently acquired the B&B from its previous owner who used to make golf clubs (hence the name : Tigh-na-ceard means house of the craftsman). We had a spacious family room and a large bathroom. Everyone loved being here – I would highly recommend this place to anyone heading to Inverness.
In keeping with our resolve not to turn the trip into a military campaign, we just went out to our friendly neighborhood gas station, picked up some supplies, went back to the B&B and ordered a pizza. The supplies naturally included beer which Barry and I polished off. He is an amazing guy – actually a doctor, who decided he has been doing the same thing for too long and should move out to the country before it gives him a heart attack (there’s Billy Joel again).
For the next 5 days, we explored what we could of Scotland to our hearts content. We only went into Inverness once for a visit to the Launderette and a meal plus the obligatory cruise on Loch Ness – which was quite nice. Drove to Drumnadrochit/Urquhart castle. Cawdor castle was a real treat as well, but the highlight was the Eilean Donan castle and the drive up to there. I can safely say that I have never been to a place so breathtaking.
We also drove up to Fort George and spent a few hours playing with a ball on its vast grounds! Such a spectacular place – didn’t get to see any dolphins, but was well worth the trip. One day we went to Bogbain farm, where they have quad bikes. Great fun – it’s interesting that while engaged in an activity not necessarily unique to a place (like driving, walking even quad biking) you are perpetually aware of your settings which is so hauntingly beautiful.
I am happy that we paced ourselves such that nothing was hurried and it wasn’t like we were ticking things off a list.
If leaving Edinburgh made us sad, leaving Inverness literally had me with a lump in my throat. I never thought it possible to be so enamored of a place.
We left for an overnight stay at Glasgow with friends. Didn’t get to see much of Glasgow, except for driving through the city, but I did encounter the greatest number of roundabouts ever! I’m OK with roundabouts, as long as they are round.
Next : back to Manchester, to see ManU play a friendly with Inter-Milan.
Aug 24th, 2007, 03:39 AM
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Ahmed, great report, you write really well.
I'm glad you had such a good time so far - and it's nice to read an account showing people can still enjoy themselves & do lots of fun things without worrying about planning every second in advance.
I agree that the rooms & the public area of the Edinburgh Sheraton are nothing special, but the location is quite convenient I suppose. And did you visit the spa ? It is pretty spectacular, though you don't have to stay there to enjoy it. I stayed there once (girls' weekend) & I still had to pay £40 for a half day's use of the 'thermal suite', i.e. everything except the swimming pool.
Looking forward to reading the rest of your report.
I'm glad you had such a good time so far - and it's nice to read an account showing people can still enjoy themselves & do lots of fun things without worrying about planning every second in advance.
I agree that the rooms & the public area of the Edinburgh Sheraton are nothing special, but the location is quite convenient I suppose. And did you visit the spa ? It is pretty spectacular, though you don't have to stay there to enjoy it. I stayed there once (girls' weekend) & I still had to pay £40 for a half day's use of the 'thermal suite', i.e. everything except the swimming pool.
Looking forward to reading the rest of your report.
Aug 24th, 2007, 03:59 AM
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ahmedhfaff:
Do you have a website for the B&B in Culloden Moor.
How long is the drive from Edinburgh to Inverness? I would love to visit this area.
Lucky chap ManU vs. Inter-Milan. My husband is a huge football fan. How did you arrange the tickets?
Sandy
Do you have a website for the B&B in Culloden Moor.
How long is the drive from Edinburgh to Inverness? I would love to visit this area.
Lucky chap ManU vs. Inter-Milan. My husband is a huge football fan. How did you arrange the tickets?
Sandy
Aug 24th, 2007, 04:56 AM
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Ahmedhaff, I am really enjoying your report. You write well--I can see and feel the details, love your understated humor. always good to hear about travels in a place I love. Looking forward to hearing more of your report.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Aug 24th, 2007, 09:48 AM
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I'm really enjoying your trip report. I'm heading to Scotland next month (!) and though we won't be visiting Edinburgh, we will be staying in Glasgow, Isle of Skye and Ballachulish, with a day trip into Inverness.
We'll be doing the obligatory Loch Ness cruise as well, so I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. Loch Ness doesn't get many rave reviews on here as it seems there are far prettier lochs. But I can't not see it! So I feel better about that now lol.
Also, did you book your rental car directly through Avis or through a broker like Auto Europe? Mine is prepaid though Auto Europe so I'm hoping we don't run into the same problem.
We'll be doing the obligatory Loch Ness cruise as well, so I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. Loch Ness doesn't get many rave reviews on here as it seems there are far prettier lochs. But I can't not see it! So I feel better about that now lol.
Also, did you book your rental car directly through Avis or through a broker like Auto Europe? Mine is prepaid though Auto Europe so I'm hoping we don't run into the same problem.
Aug 24th, 2007, 11:05 PM
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Thank you all.
Caroline_edinburgh : thank you. You are absolutely right. The only thing going for the Sheraton is its location, which really is quite convenient. However, I do feel that a convenient location in a city like Edinburgh is not a particularly unique feature – there are many other choices. In any event, since Edinburgh now occupies a very high slot on our list of favorite cities, next time we will be going for longer and likely be renting an apartment.
We didn’t use the spa (which seemed quite nice) but did use the indoor pool. It was really quite nice, but the timing for kids was only between 3:00 and 5:00 PM (which is prime time sightseeing). The gods wanted it thus; it rained quite heavily during prime time, so we ended up in the pool for those two allotted hours.
Sandy : tigh-na-ceard was recommended by janij, here at the forum. Its website is http://www.king-of-clubs.co.uk/ You can tell by the URL alone that these simple, honest and wonderful people are new to the game! They hadn’t even heard of Priceline or Tripadvisor. The drive from Edinburgh to Inverness is about 3 hours. We spent an hour or so at the House of Bruar, so it took us about 5 hours (gas station directions are a bit more time consuming than GPS). I had booked the football tickets over the telephone before we left – but remember, this was a friendly match. Otherwise, it is nearly impossible to get one unless you are a club member. You might want to tap into your friends, friends-of-friends network to find out if there lurks a member, willing to get you tickets, among them.
Lifeofmytime : (I love your nick). The most omnipresent among the loch cruise providers is Jacobite tours (http://www.jacobite.co.uk/) They have a number of tours. You may want to avoid the one which includes the Caledonian canal – you’re gone for 4 hours. I would recommend the lake cruise which includes a stopover at the castle. Another option would be to drive to the castle, explore it at ease.
I do appreciate the lackluster views people have of loch ness, compared to some of the other lochs. For one, it is obviously famous and hence more touristy. That said, I suppose if I were a frequent visitor to Scotland, one trip to loch ness may suffice. For a first time visitor, I would certainly not skip it altogether. While there are more beautiful lochs, loch ness is by no stretch of imagination, a disappointment – it is quite beautiful. You must go see it and if time is a constraint, you can get a 1 hour cruise. Given that you only have a day in Inverness, I would suggest you call up Jacobite tours and plan your trip, such that you do not waste an hour waiting for your cruise.
I booked my car rental with Avis. Because I wanted a car that was automatic, had air-con and GPS, choices seemed to be getting limited. I even called up Hertz at Manchester Airport before I left, and the guy said to me that there is no GPS in Hertz cars in the UK and that I should check with Avis. When I went to collect the car at Avis, I saw 4 feet banners at the Hertz window next door saying they have GPS in every car! These guys (including Avis) could be better trained and informed – that’s the real issue I faced.
Caroline_edinburgh : thank you. You are absolutely right. The only thing going for the Sheraton is its location, which really is quite convenient. However, I do feel that a convenient location in a city like Edinburgh is not a particularly unique feature – there are many other choices. In any event, since Edinburgh now occupies a very high slot on our list of favorite cities, next time we will be going for longer and likely be renting an apartment.
We didn’t use the spa (which seemed quite nice) but did use the indoor pool. It was really quite nice, but the timing for kids was only between 3:00 and 5:00 PM (which is prime time sightseeing). The gods wanted it thus; it rained quite heavily during prime time, so we ended up in the pool for those two allotted hours.
Sandy : tigh-na-ceard was recommended by janij, here at the forum. Its website is http://www.king-of-clubs.co.uk/ You can tell by the URL alone that these simple, honest and wonderful people are new to the game! They hadn’t even heard of Priceline or Tripadvisor. The drive from Edinburgh to Inverness is about 3 hours. We spent an hour or so at the House of Bruar, so it took us about 5 hours (gas station directions are a bit more time consuming than GPS). I had booked the football tickets over the telephone before we left – but remember, this was a friendly match. Otherwise, it is nearly impossible to get one unless you are a club member. You might want to tap into your friends, friends-of-friends network to find out if there lurks a member, willing to get you tickets, among them.
Lifeofmytime : (I love your nick). The most omnipresent among the loch cruise providers is Jacobite tours (http://www.jacobite.co.uk/) They have a number of tours. You may want to avoid the one which includes the Caledonian canal – you’re gone for 4 hours. I would recommend the lake cruise which includes a stopover at the castle. Another option would be to drive to the castle, explore it at ease.
I do appreciate the lackluster views people have of loch ness, compared to some of the other lochs. For one, it is obviously famous and hence more touristy. That said, I suppose if I were a frequent visitor to Scotland, one trip to loch ness may suffice. For a first time visitor, I would certainly not skip it altogether. While there are more beautiful lochs, loch ness is by no stretch of imagination, a disappointment – it is quite beautiful. You must go see it and if time is a constraint, you can get a 1 hour cruise. Given that you only have a day in Inverness, I would suggest you call up Jacobite tours and plan your trip, such that you do not waste an hour waiting for your cruise.
I booked my car rental with Avis. Because I wanted a car that was automatic, had air-con and GPS, choices seemed to be getting limited. I even called up Hertz at Manchester Airport before I left, and the guy said to me that there is no GPS in Hertz cars in the UK and that I should check with Avis. When I went to collect the car at Avis, I saw 4 feet banners at the Hertz window next door saying they have GPS in every car! These guys (including Avis) could be better trained and informed – that’s the real issue I faced.
Aug 25th, 2007, 01:41 AM
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It’s my way, or the Motorway: Men generally believe that a graduate degree in electrical engineering is embedded in their DNA. I am no exception – in fact, I like to think mine has one in Computer Sciences as well. During our relaxed, overnight stay with our friends Glasgow, where we had a wonderful time in their beautiful house, I thought the GPS could use a little tinkering. You know, the voice could be a bit louder, the display could be a bit brighter, can I program the FM controls to work GPS commands? Little things like that. Men also believe that beer is great company during these little tasks which, like the weight of the world, befall upon our shoulders. Wives don’t understand these things. They say things like “don’t mess with it”. They are no help. Where would they be if it weren’t for our natural prowess with all things electrical? They must also understand that sometimes things go wrong. Minor things like having checked a box here or there. Boxes that enable the GPS to avoid motorways, or ones that program it to take the shortest, instead of the fastest route.
The football game in Manchester was scheduled to begin at 8:00 PM. We were supposed to drive to the Marriott close to the airport, park ourselves and take a cab to the game. The ingenuity of this masterful plan lay in its simplicity – no decent hotel in Manchester, on the night of a ManU game on home ground, can handle the embarrassment of actually having a room available. The airport Marriott, however, prides itself on its exclusive focus on tired, un-suspecting airline passengers. Game or no game. Hey, I thought, we could squeeze in!
The straight, simple and mostly on the motorway drive to Manchester was to take under 3 hours. Add a coffee break, I thought, and my sharp mental calculator said no more than 3 hours. So why not have an early lunch in Glasgow, leave in peace. No hurry. We have plenty of time. So we say goodbye to our friends who fed us lunch as well. Delightful couple.
It wasn’t until after 45 minutes of driving around Glasgow and not seeing any signs of the Motorway, that it occurred to me that I had done something horrible to my beloved, now all setup by me, GPS. I counted 22 roundabouts. At least 4 of these were not round. My DNA, of course, prevented me from admitting anything to the wife. Glasgow is one crazy place, was all I said to her. Finally, I see the Motorway and as soon as I am on it, one finger on cruise control, confident of my superior knowledge, ready to set it to 70 mph and cruise to Manchester – a truck decides to call it a day. We crawl for what seems like eternity. When the traffic starts moving, the heavens open up and pour their wrath without mercy. But I’m on the motorway and it’s moving and I am happy. Plenty of time. I generally love human beings, but not truck drivers. Especially the really ambitious ones who must change lanes and overtake their own slow poke colleagues – at what must seem to them as close to speed of light.
As we approach Manchester, the Motorway gets a bit serious. Lots of exits and cars. All of a sudden, the GPS woman tells me to take an exit – I am a little surprised, since I see signs for Manchester, but not the airport, which I thought would have been further ahead. Not to worry, I tell myself, GPS knows best.
I never realized that greater Manchester is so beautiful. I really saw a lot of it. Because I was on a GPS dictated shorter route. Not faster. After the OD on the sights and sounds of Manchester’s surrounds, we finally arrived at the Marriott – at 7:05 PM. The courtesy of the staff is exemplary. I know because I was witnessing it being extended to the 2 people in front of at the reception. They, of course, were killing time before their flight. I had a game to catch. Finally managed to check-in and discovered they have a little maze in the hotel. I was actually handed a map on which the girl proceeded to draw “you are here”. Rather than proceed to plot murder, I decided we need to go. “Could you please get me a cab”? “Don’t you want to see your room”? She was genuinely shocked that I didn’t want to check out their little resort.
Cab came, we drove to the stadium. 7:55 PM. Rushed to the box office to collect our tickets. Was asked to go to the end of the queue. Walked a mile, to take my rightful place, behind the 2500th person. There had been some transport issue in Manchester and everyone who had pre-booked tickets apparently thought they were the only ones. It was a pretty agitated queue. No more agitated than my little 10 year old bundle of joy, who had travelled thousands of miles to see this game. He decided it must be Daddy’s fault and promptly stopped talking to me. I wanted to cry out “no…it was the GPS’s fault”, but I held back. Men don’t do that. So I did the next best thing: bribery. Sent him off with mom to the store to get him a nice cap. By the time we got in, 25 minutes of the game was played. The rest was great fun and pretty soon we forgot the troubles of the long day. The stadium was filled to capacity and the ambience and the general mood was infectious. Saw a fair bit of Ronaldo and Rooney in action, although ManU lost the game.
After the game, grabbed a bite at, you guessed it, KFC! Can my lucky day be any better? Got the next available cab – cabbie turned out to be from my hometown, pretended to listen to his life story, while generating forced visions of the bar that awaited me at the Marriott. Pulled out the you-are-here map and navigated our way to the room. My victims wanted to go to sleep, but I had other needs. My famous last words of that night, pillow chatting with the smirking One Who Is Always Right: “I love beer, but beer doesn’t love me anymore”
Tomorrow: Alton Towers!
The football game in Manchester was scheduled to begin at 8:00 PM. We were supposed to drive to the Marriott close to the airport, park ourselves and take a cab to the game. The ingenuity of this masterful plan lay in its simplicity – no decent hotel in Manchester, on the night of a ManU game on home ground, can handle the embarrassment of actually having a room available. The airport Marriott, however, prides itself on its exclusive focus on tired, un-suspecting airline passengers. Game or no game. Hey, I thought, we could squeeze in!
The straight, simple and mostly on the motorway drive to Manchester was to take under 3 hours. Add a coffee break, I thought, and my sharp mental calculator said no more than 3 hours. So why not have an early lunch in Glasgow, leave in peace. No hurry. We have plenty of time. So we say goodbye to our friends who fed us lunch as well. Delightful couple.
It wasn’t until after 45 minutes of driving around Glasgow and not seeing any signs of the Motorway, that it occurred to me that I had done something horrible to my beloved, now all setup by me, GPS. I counted 22 roundabouts. At least 4 of these were not round. My DNA, of course, prevented me from admitting anything to the wife. Glasgow is one crazy place, was all I said to her. Finally, I see the Motorway and as soon as I am on it, one finger on cruise control, confident of my superior knowledge, ready to set it to 70 mph and cruise to Manchester – a truck decides to call it a day. We crawl for what seems like eternity. When the traffic starts moving, the heavens open up and pour their wrath without mercy. But I’m on the motorway and it’s moving and I am happy. Plenty of time. I generally love human beings, but not truck drivers. Especially the really ambitious ones who must change lanes and overtake their own slow poke colleagues – at what must seem to them as close to speed of light.
As we approach Manchester, the Motorway gets a bit serious. Lots of exits and cars. All of a sudden, the GPS woman tells me to take an exit – I am a little surprised, since I see signs for Manchester, but not the airport, which I thought would have been further ahead. Not to worry, I tell myself, GPS knows best.
I never realized that greater Manchester is so beautiful. I really saw a lot of it. Because I was on a GPS dictated shorter route. Not faster. After the OD on the sights and sounds of Manchester’s surrounds, we finally arrived at the Marriott – at 7:05 PM. The courtesy of the staff is exemplary. I know because I was witnessing it being extended to the 2 people in front of at the reception. They, of course, were killing time before their flight. I had a game to catch. Finally managed to check-in and discovered they have a little maze in the hotel. I was actually handed a map on which the girl proceeded to draw “you are here”. Rather than proceed to plot murder, I decided we need to go. “Could you please get me a cab”? “Don’t you want to see your room”? She was genuinely shocked that I didn’t want to check out their little resort.
Cab came, we drove to the stadium. 7:55 PM. Rushed to the box office to collect our tickets. Was asked to go to the end of the queue. Walked a mile, to take my rightful place, behind the 2500th person. There had been some transport issue in Manchester and everyone who had pre-booked tickets apparently thought they were the only ones. It was a pretty agitated queue. No more agitated than my little 10 year old bundle of joy, who had travelled thousands of miles to see this game. He decided it must be Daddy’s fault and promptly stopped talking to me. I wanted to cry out “no…it was the GPS’s fault”, but I held back. Men don’t do that. So I did the next best thing: bribery. Sent him off with mom to the store to get him a nice cap. By the time we got in, 25 minutes of the game was played. The rest was great fun and pretty soon we forgot the troubles of the long day. The stadium was filled to capacity and the ambience and the general mood was infectious. Saw a fair bit of Ronaldo and Rooney in action, although ManU lost the game.
After the game, grabbed a bite at, you guessed it, KFC! Can my lucky day be any better? Got the next available cab – cabbie turned out to be from my hometown, pretended to listen to his life story, while generating forced visions of the bar that awaited me at the Marriott. Pulled out the you-are-here map and navigated our way to the room. My victims wanted to go to sleep, but I had other needs. My famous last words of that night, pillow chatting with the smirking One Who Is Always Right: “I love beer, but beer doesn’t love me anymore”
Tomorrow: Alton Towers!
