April 16th London

Five hours after yesterday's post...

"Mary are you ready to go yet?"

At 5:50 AM Tuesday April 16th after zero hours of sleep I departed with Kate to the train station. Today's travels would prove exhausting. However, it was also entertaining. As my life should be audience. Commence the UK chapter!

The train ride to Paris was perhaps the most relaxing leg of our journey. Both Kate and I had our Ipods enabling a smooth drifting ride to France's capital. I was a complete gremlin to the men who sat next to us. Remember how I don't like being woken up? Well I really don't like being disturbed mid dream. Least they recognized that they were dealing with a demon. The growling might have given that away.

Paris was the struggle. Kate was bringing home a huge chunk of her things from France which caused her suitcase to be painfully heavy. I had on my backpack and duffel (I resembled the pack rat poster child) as well as Kate's smaller case. The metros were fun. That actually isn't too sarcastic of a statement, maybe 45% sarcastic. Having piles of luggage in a tight subway train is amusing for twisted minds like mine. Especially when the man next to you suffers your duffel bag cutting into his leg and responds by grumbling frustrated French. My solution was to lean in his direction. Twisted was used for a reason.

Kate and I eventually surfaced and welcomed the streams of sunlight filled air. Freshness is so rewarding. We were once again early, eh such is life. We didn't mind though since it was fair and mild outside. Rather we loitered around the Brussels Megabus until it was time to board ours. Yeah Kate and I didn't feel like moving. Might as well adjust to it since that would be the rest of the day.

First Megabus was alright. In fact our initial driver was the same man who drove our bus from Brussels to Paris the day before. He was surprised to find that we were once more traveling, most girls don't hop countries that frequently. The only snag with our journey would be boarder control. Sadly France doesn't believe in the action of efficiency. Kate's checker word for word said, "I'm just taking my time today." With passport stamps and luggage scans for bus loads of people? And France wonders why we laugh/cringe at their idea of fast service. 

The English side was faster, obviously. Still although France was taking their time it wasn't as bad as O'Hare. Then again France wasn't handling even close to the number of people as O'Hare airport. Customs was quick enough. Once back on the bus I fell asleep immediately. It's a gift.

We arrived in London! Yes, two thirds of the way done with our journey to Scotland. James, Kate's brother, met us at Victoria station and escorted us to his home for some supper. It was a stupendous evening. The food was spaghetti which Kate and I engulfed with eager starving stomachs. That sauce, oh too good for words to describe. Crap, I just drooled all over Kate's notebook. Sorry Kate!

Victoria or Vic (James' wife) was perhaps one of the most glorious hostesses I've ever encountered. She was an English Lit major in college which gave us an immediate connection. Not only did her cooking rock but she was also hilarious. She kept feeding Kate and me wine insisting that it would make the bus journey more fun. Vic convinced us to have half a bottle of red wine. We were dizzy to say the least.

Time slipped too quickly at James place. Such happens when conversation is healthy and filled with laughs. I must give a shout out to their (almost) two year old daughter Jennifer for being a bundle of adorable shyness. Sweetheart you are going to blossom into something fantastic. Keep up the raisin and "Hungry Hungry Caterpillar" love.

Kate and I hugged everyone goodbye and waited at Victoria station for our next bus. I forgot that strange people hang around bus stations. Least none of them were trying to sell T-shirts with graffiti scribbles on them. Oh urban USA.

The second bus ride was cold. Yes the ice queen just used the temperature adjective in a negative way. Prepare for your reality to melt away into a dimension of madness audience. To your left you will find lakes filled with liquid leaves under a orange juice raining sky complete with animated metal platypi and walruses swimming around. Ah madness.

Uh where was I going with that? Oh yeah cold being a bad thing. Well sleeping on a stiff bus seat for eight hours is a challenge in itself but becomes harder when your thighs are constantly freezing. I used my purse as a blanket of sorts. Still not sure how I managed that but it kept me warmer. That and my Ipod playlist of Fun.

At 8:00 AM Kate and I arrived in Glasgow. Sweet haven we are here! Traveling is complete. Sorta complete seeing as Mrs. Appleby picked us up drove us to Kindrochet instantly after. We made it alive and feeling exhausted. Enough this post is finished! That's right I have that power. Til later audience.