Farewell Faroes, back to Scotland.
The day started out nice and slow, and we tidied up and checked out by 10. We headed into town to grab something from a local bakery and a coffee for Elana, and then headed to the airport. The weather was good, and on our side for driving to the airport,with no rain or fog, and not too cool. The drive was nice and easy, and we dropped out car off right on time.
We had plenty of time to spare at the small Faroes Vágar airport, and boarded right on time. We even had the row to ourselves, so got some extra space. Whereas the flight to the Faroes from Edinburgh was direct, our return flight took us first to Copenhagen where we caught a second flight to Edinburgh. The trouble was we had only about an hour between flights and we landed a little late, due to turbulence.
Actually, by the time we landed our next flight was already boarding and due for departure in 30 minutes. After getting off the plane we had to walk what seemed like a million miles from terminal A where we landed to terminal E, pretty much, it seemed, on the other side of the moderately large Copenhagen airport.
But wait, we then had to wait in a huge line at border control for passport checks, but after asking for help as our flight was imminent, we got fast tracked through, jumping the line, and then had to walk some more. But wait again. With time tick tick tocking away, I had, for some reason, not been issued a boarding pass for this flight, with instructions telling me I had to instead check in at the airport. No time for that. I instead went directly to the gate, which we finally reached, among the last few passengers still boarding. I showed my passport, and happily it was no problem, although Elana and I weren’t able to sit together. Also no problem as we were just happy to have made the flight, which was only about 75 minutes. As it happened, I got a window seat, with no one sitting next to me.
We’re staying in Edinburgh for just this one night, as Elana leaves in the morning. But it was just too expensive by far to book a hotel in either Edinburgh or at the airport, so I booked a one day car rental and a small hotel in Burntisland, about 19 miles northwest of the airport, again on the other side of the Firth of Forth. After picking up the car, with some significant hassle over car insurance (but that’s another story), we headed to Burntisland, by now dark out, and pretty much packed it in for the night after we arrived. I’m glad this is a one nighter, as the place is essentially a dump, and way overpriced. One of the rooms was decent, but the other, also a “Deluxe Single Room,” was a crappy, small, and featureless room, and about as far from “deluxe” as you can get. It’s just for one night, so no big deal, and I’m fine with lousy rooms (even though this one was not cheap), but not a place I’d stay again.
That’s it. Day over. Tomorrow, I drive Elana back to Edinburgh airport and drop off the car, and then from the airport I take a bus to Glasgow, where I travel by train to Mallaig in the western highlands, via the West Highland Railway. Mallaig is a small coastal village on the northwest coast of Scotland, and about an hour south of Kyle of Lochalsh, where Elana and I visited a week or so ago. Why am I going back?
Because this is the train I initially wanted to take before I changed my trip so Elana could join me. It is rated as one of the most scenic train journeys in the world, and certainly Britain, cutting through landscapes completely inaccessible by road. So, that’s why I’m going back. I’ll stay just one night before returning to Glasgow, and from Glasgow back to London for a few days before heading to Morocco next week.
But right now, it’s just past 11 pm, and time to go to sleep. Good night.