haggis...the breakfast of champions

Scotland...the final frontier...these are the voyages of the Americans abroad, to seek out ancestors and scotch...to boldly get into a car with a grandfather who can do no wrong behind a wheel...watch out sheep! he stops for noone!

Three weeks ago I returned from a glorious week in Scotland with my grandparents (father's side) and my cousin Sierra who lives in Denver. Grandma and Granddad were so generous in asking us to escort them abroad...their treat! It was a good thing they had us around too! We kept them out of trouble...ha (don't think I'm kidding either).

Sierra and I joined them when we flew into Glasgow Airport, they had been waiting for us, having travelled by boat from New York City to England with friends of theirs. They spent time in London and then drove up to meet us. After we got situated for about five minutes, I joined them downstairs in the dining room of the hotel for breakfast...and tried a traditional Scottish breakfast which consisted of sauteed mushrooms, boiled/steamed tomatoes, baked beans, haggis (loose, not in a block and sliced), two other kinds of sausage, blood pudding, and runny eggs. holy crap...I'm so not kidding. I tried a little of everything and made sure I got it out of the way so I wouldn't have to try it again. I was still jet lagged so I was a little more daring in my exhausted state. It was best that way because I don't really remember much of the haggis...thankfully. For those of you who don't know what it is...let's just say...take a sheep's stomach...and grind it up...yummy.

Our first stop was Lochwinnoch where the Semple ancestors made their claim to fame. It is the site of the Semple grounds where the Semple Castle used to sit. The town is situated in the countryside around Castle Semple Loch. The Semple castle was torn down when it was no longer fashionable to live in a castle and the Semple Castle House/Estate was constructed. Unfortunately the main part of the house burned down but there are still the wings which people now use as residences. There is a gate that still stands and the garden house where we saw the remnants of the walled gardens that once stood. The owner is in the works of rebuilding them and showed us the plans...which Grandma ate up...being a landscape architect. We also visited the Semple Collegiate Kirk, which is the church on the grounds, and we were lucky enough to go deep into the Semple grounds to the "grotto" where our tour guide gave us a gift of a tree and let us plant it on the grounds. I guess it has become a ritual for all Semples who visit. It was very moving. A major thanks the Len who helped us and without whom our tour of the grounds would have been incomplete. We stayed at the Beltrees Bed and Breakfast in Lochwinnoch and the owners (the Mackies) are some of the sweetest people I've ever met. My favorite part was on Saturday night, Mary opened all of the windows and blasted Scottish music and danced about...it was classic. I guess this had been a tradition in her house while she was growing up. Reminded me of "So I Married an Axe Murderer".

After one and a half days of Semple history we drove to Oban, a town on the water where we took a ferry boat (with our car) over to the Isle of Mull. Every minute was an adventure. Whether we were exploring on foot...or by car. Especially by car. Can I just say that curbs on the side of a highway is not a good idea, especially when you put a grandfather behind the wheel and put him on the other side of the car and road! We seriously almost died...but what doesn't kill us makes us stronger right? My favorite quote of the trip was when we were going through the small town of Tarbet on the way to Oban and he ran up on a curb to avoid traffic. My grandmother said "you're on the curb" and his response was..."well, yes, that's because the cars are in my way!". Did he know that there's a reason for that? It was a line of traffic waiting to turn left....oh well.

So once we were on the Isle of Mull we encountered what I can only describe as the road system from hell. The main "highway" consists of one lane...not one lane each way...one lane for both directions!!! Let's just say we had a few more encounters where our lives flashed before our eyes on the one hour trip to the port to Iona. When we arrived at the port, we took a pedestrian ferry over to the isle of Iona, where a very large, restored Abbey is located. It is said that some 70 kings from different countries are buried there. It was fascinating. We spent a couple hours there and then took the long drive on the crazy highway to Tobermory...a beautiful seaside town.

We spent a full day in Tobermory shopping and touring a distillery...grandma had my free drink of scotch at the end of the tour...got my grandma all liquored up! We had a very relaxing day and the architecture was beautiful! From Tobermory we left the Isle of Mull using the same ferry boat (and same crazy, sketchy man behind the food counter...ugh) over to Oban and then drove 4 hours to Stonehaven, another seaside town but on the East coast. We has spent most of our time on the West coast of Scotland. We stayed at the Arduthie House bed and breakfast which was the most beautiful house, with gardens out front. Sierra and I took a stroll through the town and they have great shops and great food! The breakfast in the morning was amazing. The owner of the bed and breakfast made his famous porridge which he had to soak the oats overnight to make it perfect...and it was perfect. The morning we left Stonehaven, we drove first to Crathes Castle...finally...we toured a Scottish castle. They had the most exquisite gardens. From there we visited the Craigievar Castle which at one time the Semple name was associated. Our family has since been separated from the castle through generations but it still held some Semple history....ok...by now, if you haven't figured it out, my maiden name is Semple...sorry for any confusion I may have caused so far. At the end of that long day we drove back to the hotel at the Glasgow airport where we had started this whirlwind trip...but, it's not over yet!!!

Friday was our last day there and Sierra and I took leave from the old folks (he he he) and took the bus into the city of Glasgow. We were like kids in a candy shop, released to explore every bit we could. This was finally my day to visit architectural gems by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, a world famous architect from Scotland. We started at his most famous building...The Glasgow School of Art. I can remember studying this building in my architecture classes at school but to actually be there was amazing. Sierra and I took a guided tour and then I bought basically the whole gift shop. Oops. From the art school we walked down to the McLellan Art Gallery that had an exhibition of Mackintosh's artwork as well as his wife's artwork. They had gone to the Glasgow School of Art and along with them, his wife's sister, and another friend, they were known as the "Glasgow Four". After the art gallery we walked across the street to one of the The Willow Tea Rooms that Mackintosh designed. It was not in it's original state but had been reconstructed to look as it did when it was first built. We were lucky enough to eat lunch there...it was amazing. The Lighthouse was the next destination after lunch. This is an addition to one of Mackintosh's buildings and is Scotland's center for architecture and design. They had a whole floor dedicated to Mackintosh's work...from his architecture, to furniture, to watercolors, all the art that he created. We climbed the 135 stairs of a tower (why they call it the Lighthouse) and had a panoramic view of Glasgow...it was like being just above the rooftop of the city...priceless. By the end of the day I had Sierra recognizing Mackintosh architecture and artwork! I guess I had been preaching and teaching...just a little! he he he.

This trip was an unforgettable adventure...one that could not have been the same without my grandparents. I'm so thankful that I have them in my life....and that they didn't kill me with granddad's driving...sorry granddad. I love you guys!!!