Dumfries

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Dumfries to Glasgow By Way of Carlisle, England

9:25 am

I guess that the Scots’ definition of ‘early’ is different from mine. The earliest train to Glasgow is at 13:30 and won’t get me there till 4. The earliest bus is at 4! So I figure my best bet from here is to go back to Carlisle on the 10:20 bus (sigh). I should be there by lunch. Since it’s a big centre, there are more likely to be buses to Glasgow. At least I’ll be seeing something ‘new’, rather than ‘bumming’ around here all day. I’m not meant to see the transport museum, I guess! Oh well, as long as I get to New Lanark tomorrow, the pamphlet’s made me very curious to see it ! Besides, isn’t this what travelling’s all about? Changing your flexible plans?! Why even bother to have a plan ? ! I just hope I’ll find a place to stay when I get wherever I’ll end up tonight! The important thing will be to be in the vicinity of Glasgow tomorrow night! Heck, this isn’t really a ‘waste’ of time, where in Canada can I get ‘stranded’ in Scotland??!!

I very much enjoyed my stay at Inverallochy (the B and B). The bed was incredible! It felt good to have a place where I could get comfortable (you know, in leggings, tee-shirt, barefeet, no bra, etc.) and know that no one would walk in on me. I can’t believe how not ready I am to go home! I’m not fed up in the least bit. I have learned a valuable lesson: be careful where you end up on a Sunday! Of my three Sundays here, or was it four? Yes, four. Two have been ‘downers’

1)   Pitlochry, being a ‘tourist town’, everything was open

2)   Skye. Good thing there was lots of walking country!

3)   Perth. Scone. Need I say more?!

4)   Dumfries. Nothing much happening!

Oh, I have had the most incredible month of my whole entire life!!! I actually feel different, more brave, more adventurous. Life is wonderful, I’ve allowed myself so many opportunities. I’m in Scotland for pete’s sake! Yes, no one can take this experience away from me. It belongs to me. Maybe I could get back here next spring break…!

noon

I’m on my way to Glasgow!!! I got to Carlisle with 5 min to spare. This bus requires reservations, but since there was room, they made an exception, no fuss at all, and very courteously.  I’ll be in Glasgow at two rather than 3:45. I might still be able to catch 1.25 hours of the transport museum! Things do work out for me. I’m starting to think that I might have a guardian angel !

5:19

I’m home!!! (That’s Glasgow!) I can’t believe how ‘far’ I’ve come in the last month. I navigated myself from the bus station with a minimum of map reading and no detours whatsoever. The youth hostel costs a £ more/night in July and August, so it’ll be £25/  nights. At least it includes breakfast!

I did make it to the transport museum and I had almost 1.5 hours to explore. It was sufficient. I liked the recreated street (the museum invented a street and lined it with shops and businesses from, I think, the 1920s. It included a fascinating history of the underground), and I can’t believe just how fascinated I am with old cars! Of course, the model boats display (it was huge) was my favourite. An hour more would have been great, but this was better than not going at all! So, my day wasn’t a ‘waste’ after all. I just hope I won’t have a hard time getting to Lanark tomorrow (I didn’t get a chance to go to the rail station, but I figure there should be several on a weekday). One day left. Boohoo!

A final note on Dumfries (that’s Dumfreece (like ‘fleece’), not Dum-freeze): I go to Scotland to get away from the Americans (not true!) and they ‘follow’ me here for a 4th of July celebration in the town square ! A final note on Galashiels: their travel agency featured a display on Canada with special importance placed on ‘tourisme Québec’ !

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A Robert Burns Day in Dumfries

9 :16 AM

I had a great night, the bed was so comfortable. I even treated myself to the 10 o’clock news on the BBC. This morning was a little strange what with being the only guest and so getting exclusive treatment at breakfast. (At Yvonne’s breakfast is ‘self-serve’. It really was like digging through the pantry and fridge at home!) Somehow, it was different from going to a restaurant. The owners, Sheila and Arnold, are very friendly and helpful, but at the same time very discreet.

I’m probably not going to make it to Ayr. No buses run there from here on Sundays. I’ll try the train station later. I just don’t want to ‘waste’ all of tomorrow on the road. I’m seriously considering another night here (an excellent base for exploring Galloway) and going on a ‘field trip’ tomorrow. Monday, I could be in Ayr by lunch, enjoy the afternoon there and get to Glasgow (or somewhere near) by the evening. I’ll see once I’ve been to the train station.

3:42 pm

I’ve had a wonderful day! It began with a glimpse of the Burns statue under (or near!) which I wrote the first entry of the day. After, I went to the Burns house, the Mausoleum, the Old Bridge House Museum, and lastly, the Robert Burns Centre. Then, I went to a pub for lunch (they have cheap and excellent food) where I enjoyed a delicious vegetable lasagna washed down with what else but a half pint of Guinness?!

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I then spent all of (at most) 45 minutes in Carrutherstown! There’s NOTHING there! I couldn’t even find a church or graveyard! I did enjoy a pleasant stroll through Lowland countryside.

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All the museums were free, but I did have an almost £23 splurge: I bought three Wallace books! I couldn’t help it, I mean I had Reese, Gray, and Fisher’s books right there and I’ve been seeing them for the past month, ignoring them (to the best of my ability, resulting in much ‘anguish’!). I figure that with exchange rates and shipping and handling, I most likely saved some money.

I’m not going to Ayr. To do so on a Sunday, I’d have to go by Glasgow. That would be a waste of time. I figure I’ll get on a bus/train out of here early(ish) tomorrow and head northwest, trying to hit Ayr, but maybe Lanark. What’s frustrating is that one bus company won’t say what another one does and the trains won’t say anything dealing with buses so it’s almost impossible to coordinate! I figure, travel tomorrow and get somewhere near the airport so I can have a full day Monday. Good luck!

8:02

You know what? Why don’t I just go back to Glasgow? There are museums I didn’t get a chance to see and I like the city!

8:41

I’ve made my decision!!! I’m taking the ‘first’ train to Glasgow tomorrow and enjoying an afternoon at the transport museum. Early Monday, I’ll head out to (New) Lanark for the day and return to Glasgow. I’m a little disappointed at missing Ayr, but everyone I’ve met who’s been there (including locals) say that unless you worship Burns, if you’re going to Ayr for Wallacey sentimental reasons, you’d better keep your ‘medieval ideal’ of the city. Anyhoo, it’ll be for my next trip!

 

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Melrose to Dumfries By Way of Carlisle, England

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12:00 pm

What a day! 1st, the bus to Moffat came on the wrong side of the square, so I missed it.  So, I ended up in Galashiels (a lot ‘nicer’ than the guidebook claims). I came here since it’s supposedly the ‘hub’ of the bus system in the Borders. I enquired about how to get to Dumfries. ‘Very easily, go by Carlisle.’ Carlisle? EECHH!!! It’s in ENGLAND!!!! I just hope I won’t be stranded there for too long!

(Of 28 days in the U.K., I spent a long 45 minutes in England!)

3:23 pm

I just passed a ‘Welcome to Scotland’ sign. (There is no ‘Welcome to England’ sign. Further evidence of England’s desire to quelch Scottish nationalism, and Scotland’s desire to assert herself as a separate nation.) My ‘stay’ in England lasted all of maximum 30 minutes! It looks a lot like Scotland (!). I actually encouraged the local economy by buying something! I got to the stance from which a bus to Dumfries departs, and, to my delight, the next bus was in 22 minutes. I’ll be there in about a half hour. The Cumbrian accent (the little I heard) is actually quite different from the Scottish accent (speaking generally, of course, since there are so many different Scottish accents!) Coming into Carlisle, I saw a sign saying ‘Hadrian’s Wall’. I came this close to staying in order to see it!

6:58 pm

I made it to Dumfries!!!!!! Since I discovered I had a whole £100 extra in my account and there are no youth hostels here, I decided to treat myself to a B and B. It’ll cost me £16/night. I have my very own room!!! Boy does that feel weird! A B and B also means restaurants, so this will be an extravagant weekend. Hell, I scrimped and saved for the last month! Ayr youth hostel is full. I’ll see if there are any cancellations Sunday morning. If not, I might just stay the day and get something very close to the bus station in Glasgow. It’s too bad that today was basically wasted. Did you know I’m this close to Carrutherstown? I thought I might ‘pop in’ tomorrow, just to say I’ve been there.

Tonight, I’m definitely going to see a movie. I have an hour to kill before I leave, so I’ll enjoy the semi-quiet (lots of traffic) of my own room and get ahead with Wallace. I decided that if I find any other Wallace books, I’ll buy one with the money George gave me. Don’t ask how I’m planning to pack! I’ll figure it out Monday night! Tuesday morning! My last weekend in Scotland…