where was I ?

I've been tired. The tablet is used for tracking Deb's lost suitcase, we have no recharger so I keep tablet use to a minimum. Excuses, excuses. Time to post more holiday fun! So... where was I?

We are on the plane, non-stop from Perth to London Heathrow. PER to LHR. Seventeen hours in the air. It's as horrible as any other long distance flight but, I think, worth doing.

The gap between seat rows is slightly larger than in other Qantas flights, a couple of cm extra. I usually sit with my knees against the seat in front, not this time. Though if I drop something on the floor there is still not enough room to bend down and pick it up.

There are the usual airline meals (which I enjoy). Plus regular snacks. Plus a help-yourself stash of snacks, available anytime. I like that.

The entertainment system -- is excellent. Plenty of movies, tv shows, music. A few good games. And a touch screen that actually works...

I watch two movies: Captain Marvel and Deadpool. Both similar, both completely different, both great fun.

I don't listen, I use subtitles. Watching the movie and reading subtitles, I miss some of the words. If I were listening I would miss a lot more. Subtitles work well for me, rather than listening over the noises on a plane. I even appreciate it when the subtitles say, for example, "fast exciting music".

Deb does more channel hopping. She watches Frozen. A bit girly, she says, but enjoyable.

We both sleep. I suspect that I sleep sounder though Deb sleeps longer. The long flight -- effectively over a long night -- makes it more natural to sleep for a reasonably long time.

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The flight is running two hours late. We would miss our connecting flight but Qantas -- without being asked -- rebook us on a later flight. If they had asked I would have said, make it an even later flight, more time to connect, we are not in a great hurry.

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Finally... we land at Heathrow. Glad to be off the plane, glad to stretch our legs. Feeling more rested but more stiff than after a two stage flight. Overall, the non-stop flight was a good choice.

Our cases are booked through to Edinburgh (EDI). We follow the purple signs to flight connections... it turns out to be a long way.

Not a happy woman at the counter but she quickly issues our boarding passes for our new, somewhat later, flight to EDI. And then we rush...

More corridors. Stairs. Bus, conveniently ready to go, a longish trip, I count three sets of traffic lights. More corridors, we move faster, I'm hot and sweating.

We arrive at the gate as the plane should be taking off... there is a queue, boarding is not yet started. Phew! a quick detour to a nearby toilet. We join the boarding queue.

Boarding is slow. BA (our airline to EDI) is operating manually, their computer systems are down. It's so bad that flights are being cancelled. Our flight is okay but delayed.

An hour from LHR to EDI, a nice short flight :-)

Another long walk through an airport building, to baggage collection.

Deb's case has not arrived. Another four groups have lost luggage. We all fill in lost-luggage forms... to be entered later when the BA computer systems are working again.

Another walk, not too far... Finally, we are in the outside world. Not far to the car rental building, we get a Hyundai Tucson from Avis. A bit bigger than we ordered but at the same price. Less the cost for a GPS, we brought our own.

And we drive away! From EDI airport towards Killin, our first place to stay.

We are looking for a small town where we will stop, to break the journey. And to get lunch. And to buy a few items to keep Deb going till her case arrives...

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It's an easy drive. I drive, Deb navigates. Our GPS has the hotel as a waypoint, we have a printed map of the route we will follow. Deb watches map and GPS and tells me where to go. The GPS also tells me where to go but will not clarify directions and will not repeat things that I miss. Deb is much better.

We stop at the first town on the road. It's Linlithgow -- which will be the last place where we stay before going home again... An unexpected coincidence but fortunate, we use the opportunity to check out the town.

We miss a carpark, circle round the town, end up parking a few hundred metres from town centre. Which is lucky... As we walk to town we chat with a local, going the same way. She is off to lunch with friends, to celebrate the end of their school exams. She tells us where to find a clothes shop.

Deb buys a shirt, underwear, pyjamas, to get by till her case arrives. All quite cheap, very cheaply made. Deb later comments, she didn't realise material could be so fine.

Lunch in a slightly upmarket place. Restaurant rather than cafe. I ask the waiter about tipping in Scotland. I tell him that it's a demeaning master-slave attitude, then let him add whatever tip he thinks is appropriate. I suppose I could look, see what he charges...

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On to Killin.

Close to Killin there are signs -- the Killin Highland Games are on today! Drat! I had seen that when planning but forgot. I would have liked to get here on time for the Games :-( They are happening across the road but it is all winding down.

Traffic is heavy all through town, lots of cars already leaving. I hear a singer doing Elvis, with an Elvis accent. Then he announces the next song in his normal Scots accent. I see a timetable, the main parade was at one o'clock. I console myself by remembering that one o'clock was when the rain absolutely pelted down...

There is still occasional drizzle. The weather forecast is for storms and floods over the next few days. Welcome to Summer in Scotland :-) Temperature is 20-ish, pleasant but humid.

We are at the Killin Hotel. Old, clean, pleasant. Small room, very small bathroom.

I check my phone. there are several messages warning of the high cost of roaming phone calls. There is also a message from BA, that they were not able to load our case on our plane, it will be at EDI airport at 2:30. We were half way to Killin by 2:30. The case will follow us by courier... eventually.

We eat dinner in the hotel, I have chicken wrapped in bacon and stuffed with haggis... of course. Haggis has an interesting consistency, smooth and slightly slimy. It's the oats, the consistency is porridge, thickened with meat.

I believe that the bacon is really ham. I suspect that it was all cooked earlier and microwaved for serving. So I doubt the authenticity of the cooking -- but the meal is good. Also good is the dining area...

We eat in a glass conservatory attached to the hotel. Doors are open, weather is pleasant with only occasional mild drizzle. We have a view across lawn to the river. Several people are in canoes. One group appears to be setting off to camp downriver. All very peaceful, all very pleasant.

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My tablet travels with me but rechargers and adaptors are in Deb's missing case. We have hotel internet (no password required!) but just 28% charge. This is a good excuse for sleeping rather than typing a blog post.

So I sleep. Very soundly.

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In the real world, I am typing this several days later. Deb is already asleep. I finally set the tablet to local time -- and it is just past 10 o'clock. Time for me to sleep... More delayed posting tomorrow... or, whenever.

To hint at "the future": Glen Coe and Glencoe, busy tourist roads, Loch Tay and a carrock, a walk for (no) geocaches, eating, drinking and driving... I hope to post details, tomorrow.

====    Dr Nick Lethbridge  /  Consulting Dexitroboper
             Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
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"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." … Blazing Swan Survival Guide

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dying for you to read my blog: notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au :-)
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