Getting There Is Half The Fun (?) – Part 2
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| With a sign like that, how can you NOT go in? |
One of the questions we were frequently asked when describing our plans for this trip was “will you be renting a car?” Our answer is usually “we’re going to be on vacation; we’ll let someone else take care of navigation.” Seriously though, when one lives in LA, not having to drive is a welcome break. Not to mention that whole left hand side of the road bit to adjust to. Traveling in Europe, it’s never been an issue getting from place to place. So after we’d set our itinerary and booked our hotels, le Monsieur was dismayed to learn that on Sundays (our travel day between Oban and Windermere) that rail service was limited, and we wouldn’t be able to make a necessary train connection in Glasgow. No problem…he did some research and hired a taxi service at a flat rate for the first leg of the trip from Oban to Glasgow where we’d pick up the train for the remainder.
Had we been able to take trains the full way, it would have been about a 5-6 hour trip. Not long after we set off in the taxi, our driver Jim started talking about some of the local sights, including the Inverary prison. We didn’t pay much attention, until we hit the turnoff for Inverary, and he assured us that this was a more scenic route, one we wouldn’t have seen from the train coming in. As we neared Inverary, he became quite insistent that we stop and visit the prison (actually a former prison, now a tourist attraction) and that we’d have plenty of time to get to Glasgow to make our train. At this point, I figured he either had family that ran the place or was getting some sort of kickback from them. So alright, how bad could this be?
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| See? Dogs allowed, how civilized. |
The first part of the tour was the most lurid (as evidenced from the sign at top) with models and illustrations of various forms if torture and punishment. Then the tour wound through the various prison facilities with either wax models or illustrations and information in each cell and room. What became obvious and was sad was that a majority of people imprisoned became “criminals” due to poverty and mental illness. Even young children were imprisoned for crimes like stealing. (One placard made the point that for the most impoverished, prison life was an improvement over their usual circumstances.)
Many of the rooms had wax figurines to illustrate, and we were startled when we entered one cell and the “prisoner” spoke to us! Apparently there are actors in period costumes scattered about the place, including a “jailer” who kept popping around to see if we had any questions.
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| Outdoor “exercise” pens, one for men, one for women |
When we returned to the taxi after about 30 minutes, it became apparent that what Jim had really wanted was a smoke break. But he did get us to the train station in plenty of time.
However the rest of our trip would not be straightforward either. Due to work on the rail lines, we were to be put on 2 busses, and then a train for the last short leg. What would have been a 2 hour train ride now was to be a 5 hour road trip. But the countryside was lovely, we made all of the connections despite a late start, and ultimately arrived in the Lake District, a full 10 hours after we’d set out.
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| Castle ruin, now a public park across street from one of our bus stops. |
But the irritations of the day quickly wore off once we saw the view from our accommodations…
Have you taken journeys that didn’t go quite as planned?
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Sounds like typical British train service.I was in London for bank holiday weekend and was nearly 2 hours late getting back because of delays.
We have just bought a house in Inverary for when we retire – I can’t wait to move there.
Worst for me were some long-delayed flights. Once, coming back from a long-budgeted-for trip to Paris on a sketchy charter flight, waited all day at CDG before being sent to hotel for the night but having to be back at 6 a.m. . . Finally arrived in Vancouver at 2 in the morning, still an island away from home . . .
Glad your sense of humour is intact!
Ah, you ran into the joy of the Rail Replacement Bus. A term that strikes fear and loathing into those of us who live on these blessed isles and prefer not to drive.
Sounds like you’re having a good time here though, hurrah for that. Iona is one of my favourite places, I’ve stayed in the Abbey a couple of times.
Our worst experience was showing up at the airport 24 hours late, an expensive mistake, but Bill loved Chicago so much he said it was worth it. I learned to check the tickets myself!
It seems like the majority of our family vacations growing up did not go as planned!! Now, I look back on all of it and laugh. You were actually good sports to allow the driver to talk you into the stop. I have learned as I age to just go with the flow and find enjoyment there!!
Whenever I travel abroad, especially via public transportation, I always run into mishaps, some frustrating, others oddly amusing (such as your detour through the penal system). Even the frustrating ones sometimes end up being the best stories told back at home. And train delays seem an inevitable part of British travel (in Wales, it was often due to sheep on the tracks). But if the view outside is beautiful enough, as it sounds yours was, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. And now you’re in the Lake District. Heaven!
What a gorgeous view of the lakes, and a nice rest at the end of the day! We’ve had a few trips go awry. It’s probably more surprising how many go smoothly!
My whole life is an journey that never seems to go as I planned 😉
What a magnificent view. I hope you’re having a deliriously good time!
Spashionista (Alicia)
Definitely. On our train from Bruges to Brussels we were delayed several hours (tragically by a suicide jumper). We waited on the train quite a while and then were moved to a smaller train (across a make-shift bridge laid over the track connecting the two trains) all this while trying to catch our ticketed train to London. But, everyone regardless of language spoken, really helped everyone else–all the announcements were in Flemish, of course. We had great conversations with lots of folks. And Eurostar quickly got us on the next train to London without issue.
“Many of the rooms had wax figurines to illustrate, and we were startled when we entered one cell and the “prisoner” spoke to us!” — LOL, this could cause heart failure!
The museum looked interest. That’s something you wouldn’t have seen it you hadn’t had a hiccup in your plan.
It sounds like you are having a wonderful trip. I think the “quirks” are half the fun and what you always laugh about later if you even remember them. Somehow I had missed that you live in L.A. too. Love it when I find another local bloggers!
Gina