Across the Pond

The blog has been silent for a few weeks because I just spent 12 great days vacationing in Scotland and England.  My son's decision to spend a semester studying at the University of Glasgow was the reason that my wife and I traveled "across the pond" to visit.  Our daughter also joined us and having the four of us together again on a family vacation was truly special.  We've got two grown children who actually seem to enjoy being with us so I consider that a blessing.

Four days in London were sandwiched between stays in Glasgow and the differences between Scotland and England were very apparent.  Neither country is known for its food, but London, with its many immigrants from all over the globe, has a distinct advantage.  A lamb dinner at a Lebanese restaurant near our London hotel was easily the best meal of the trip.  The Scots actually have a diet that seems to be higher in fat and contain more fried items than the American diet.  The relative lack of immigrants in Scotland also means that food choice is more limited.

But we didn't go to the UK to eat, and what Scotland lacks in cuisine, it makes up for in beautiful scenery and an interesting culture.  Edinburgh and Stirling castles are well kept artifacts of Scotland's violent past and we could picture William Wallace leading a charge on the plain below Stirling.  Loch Lomond's waters made me keep humming "You take the high road and I'll take the low road.....", and of course, we visited a whisky distillery for a "wee taste".  But the culmination of the trip occurred on the last day when my wife and I made the pilgrimmage to St. Andrews and got to walk on the hallowed fairways of the Old Course.  As a golfer, the only thing better would have been teeing it up, but that will have to wait and will be my reason to return.

London is abuzz with the royal wedding.  It was the primary news story two weeks ago and now, with the wedding three days away, things must be at a fever pitch.  More on "Wills and Kate" in a later blog. 

It was great to see my son who has embraced the Scottish culture and taken maximum advantage of his time in Europe with travel to several countries.  He's a more mature kid now than when he left in January and I really enjoyed letting him lead us around and share his experiences.  It's also a blessing to be back home in the USA and back to work and blogging.