this trip's overview

San Francisco to Glasgow

Babbity Bowster, Glasgow

Babbity theme

Glasgow

George Square, Glasgow

Glasgow shopping

Glasgow for kids

Culzean Castle

Aberfoyle, Trossachs

Doune Castle

Sterling Castle

Ballachulish

Corpach, Ft. Williams

Loch Ness

Glenfinnan

Pink Guest House, Isle of Skye

Brae Ness, Inverness

Urquhart Castle

The Summer Isles

Ibis, Edinburgh

Omi in Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle

The Witchery

Craigmuller Castle

back to Glasgow

Edinburgh to Düsseldorf

restaurant recommendations

24 July 2003

I'm up at 0630, a quarter-hour earlier than the rest of the family. The alarm on the Palm part of my Handspring Treo 180 nudges me awake.

Time to leave the Babbity Bowster before most everyone else is even awake. The cook will have our two Scottish breakfasts, plus a porridge and a variety of drinks, ready for us shortly. The three suitcases are in the big blue van; only the small "Babbity bag" is in the room with us, and that only got half unpacked. I re-pack the geek bag, get Isaac dressed before he's awake, do most of the same with Lila (except for the shirt, which she absolutely refuses to wear), and chat a happy morning to Rose.

Then it's downstairs to breakfast. The night watchman serves us. The food is good. I don't get the deep morning relaxation hit for which I was hoping: I'm dealing with Lila and nervous about how I've timed the next few steps: finish breakfast, pay the bill, get to the M8, get to the airport, drop off the girls club and the baggage, drop off the car, return with Isaac on the bus, check in, and - of course - board the plane. The rest of the day seems less stressful by comparison: transfer to another plane at Heathrow, see if there really is a car for us to pick up in Düsseldorf, and figure out how to get to Münster.

With the exception of a slow lunch and a quick sprint to our plane in Heathrow, all goes well.