A trip down Scottish memory lane
Last night, after hanging out downtown fielding drunken incriminations from Robert, stinky Derrick car bombs, and Steve inadvertantly getting on the Channel 5 news we went and watched Johnny Depp have very bad hair for 2 hours.
Five years ago this month, when I was living in Wales, Steve and I took a 12 hour bus ride from London to Edinburgh. We took a backpacking tour out of Edinburgh through the highlands to the Isle of Skye. This was one of the most amazing trips we took, in that first year of our relationship.
Before I write about that, first I want to give two examples of times when the British were being completely serious but all it did was make me laugh until my bladder muscles were weak.
We took a little yellow bus with a tour guide named Clare. Our group consisted of a few other couples, a gaggle of Asians, and one whacky Canadian. When we were making introductions on the first day, a big 6 foot Chinese man stood up and said “My name is *indecipherable Chinese name*.” “But” he added, happily beaming, “call me Wayne!”. Steve and I would have done so if we were not so busy ducking behind the bus seat, shaking and snorting with laughter.
The bus trip took us out of Edinburgh and through a windy road that cut through purple, yellow, brown hills and snow topped mountains.
Clare was driving and yakking away the whole time and of course I couldn’t make out half of what she was saying. Finally I found a seating arrangment that put me at the right sort of angle to see her face in rearview mirror and by reading her lips I was able to follow most of it.
Over the next few days we made various stops at castles, Braveheart filming spots, historic battle sites, Loch Ness, ruins, several sites of myths and legend, geological formations, quaint inns with Scottish fare, hairy coos (Scottish cattle), fairy falls
and stone huts built by prehistoric man. I was so enthralled that a worried crinkle appeared between Steve’s eyes. “Do you love me more than Scotland?” he asked hopefully.
We took the long bridge over to the Isle of Skye and explored the small, closely knit island community. We checked into the lodge and I called my parents and all I remember is laughing and laughing and them commenting on how happy I sounded. After dinner Steve and I walked to the bridge and watched the sunset.
This view is with the sun behind us:
I thought of all the sunsets that have passed and that were yet to come of my finite lifetime. I fully, completely immersed myself in this moment. Steve and I looked at each other and I knew we had gone from being in love to really being in love and it was palpable in the air between us. Before you are gagging too much to continue reading, I will just add that it is one of those memories that will sustain me if I live to old age.
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Mar 13th 2004Uncategorized