Jon In England: I come down from the misty mountain...

I got lost on the human highway

Take my head refreshing fountain

Take my eyes from what they've seen

¬Neil Young

7/9/10

Got a better night sleep than expected, woke up and began to see Glasgow. Looking for breakfast we wandered around the plazas of Sauchiehall and Buchanan streets (also known as the style mile) until we found the Willow Tea Room. And what a good find it was. The Willow Tea Room is a member of the UK's prestigious tea guild and winner of the tea guild's award of excellence in recognition of achieving the very highest standards in the service of tea and complimentary foods. I ordered a pot of the Willow Tea Room blend and a toasted tea cake and later had a pot of Scottish Breakfast blend tea. We walked outside and it was overcast and pouring (but we didn't mind we wanted to see Scotland for what it really is). In fact it seemed that anytime we entered any store or restaurant by the time we left the weather would inevitably change. From there we headed to GOMA (Glasgow's Gallery of Modern Art). Many interesting works, not as overwhelming as the Tate but filled with great pieces and especially worth checking out for its works by Scottish artists. When we left GOMA it was no longer overcast but still raining. The weather here seems to change like the time.

Passing city hall we made our way to the Glasgow Necropolis a very peaceful hill/cemetery filled with thousand year old graves and mausoleums that rises to reveal stunning views of the city. Afterwards we headed down the hill to the Glasgow Cathedral (a church built in 1560 famous for its architecture and stained glass). The Glasgow Cathedral is also the only medieval cathedral on the Scottish mainland to have survived the reformation virtually complete. We decide to have lunch at the most famous of all Scottish restaurants McDonald's (just kidding). We head back to the car stopping for pizza along the way.

When we get to the car i took the first shift and drove from Glasgow to Ardvorlich driving along Loch Lomond (again the signage was just awful). The drive was so nice. As soon as you got passed the Glasgow airport you could see the scenery instantly change and it only got better from there. There was a bit of a delay due to the Scottish Open but after that it was smooth sailing (for now at least). The drive was so beautiful that it was a constant struggle to keep my eyes on the road. Crossing the Erskine bridge was particularly breathtaking because after that it was all Highlands. The roads became windier and narrower, with stop lights and roundabouts that seemed to come out of nowhere, not to mention the constant signs warning against falling rocks. After I had my fill I pulled over and Will took over the driving duties.

Turns out those signs weren't kidding...