What will be this trip’s indelible memories? What chance encounters and snatches of overheard conversation will become the basis for a new fund of dialect stories and feasts of local color? What’s more, what will David think of it all? Will he like the historic stuff, or be bored? Will he rant about wacky bathroom fixtures as I did, until I learned to accept hot water heaters that looked like toys?

Lots of people in our lives were curious about we’ll do and most importantly, what we’ll eat! I will hope for at least a couple of decent meals and try to keep David from making some of the mistakes I made on other trips, but then the meals that were the biggest flops made for good stories later. Not exactly stories to dine out on, but good for a laugh back home in a favorite restaurant with “real” food. At least the English are trying to produce edible, healthy lunches and dinners… but on the other hand, deep fried Mars bars are the dessert of choice in Scotland, so we may have a problem!

Although I had a lot of plans months ago, once again we’re off with a few things undone and some advance plans not made, although at least this time I have us mostly booked the whole time. I’m only really stumped about the first night in Scotland, but I should be able to get that sorted before we depart for Glasgow.

We fly in to London for the first 4 nights, then on the 10th of September we move on to somewhere in the Cotswolds. I thought I had that set, but about then I let the trip lie fallow for a few weeks too many. Anyway I don’t think it will be a problem. At least we will be out of London on the anniversary of the NY-DC attacks. I didn’t want to get caught up in any of the city observances, and I feel like it will be best to pass the day mostly unmarked.

DARN! I was going to print an email with the names of (my company’s) people whe died, but I don’t think it made it into the travel bag. Anyway, we’ll probably not do much about the day, but just be traveling abroad in a friendly country.

We’ll spend one night in Oxford or nearby – some internet friend of David’s may take us to dinner, and he’s supposed to own a 700-year-old house in Bucks (actually, it’s a rental) and a “London house” too, somewhere on the way to Oxford. Hmm. It’s a National Trust house, too. Anyway, after Cotswolds/Oxford, we’ll train up to York for two nights and stay at a nice B&B (closing in 2004) byt the river. Another Internet friend of David’s – Martin – promises a good meal there. Yay!

Then we fly from Leeds to Glasgow. Wish now we were leaving from Manchester, as there’s a direct rail link. But there’s some sort of transport to to get us there.

On arrival in Glasgow, minor crisis – we are picking up a rental car and driving north along Loch Lomond… to somewhere or other. Not sure, couldn’t find anything. Too many choices, something else to get sorted.

We hope to get to Skye for at least a night and hike around in the prettiest country. I’ve got guidebooks and walking books, it’ll work out. And it will be gorgeous – I’ve gotten into watching a funny Scottish soap opera on BBC America and the area they film in is spectacular.

While there I hope to get together with Jette Goldie and Elaine Nicol, two Highlander list friends. I met Elaine at the first HL convention – the same one David and I met at.

It will be a nice time. And I don’t think I’ll try the deep fried chocolate bars.

After hair-raising driving escapades a la “Amazing Race” we’ll return the car to Glasgow after 4 or 5 days and go south, probably to Carlisle to hike a bit along the wall. We may stay in a castle then, too- we’ll see. The problem with a lot of the online bookings is that few family owned places have secure online booking and (accept) credit cards, so I get frustrated after a while.

Anyway, we’ll end up with 6 nights in Grassington, where I stayed on my last trip. No escorted walking tour this time, couldn’t find one for the right dates. But with a good map and our reasonably good gear I should be able to show David some great views and get to some new places I missed before.

We’ll have one night in London at the end, this time in a big Thistle hotel near Tower Bridge, and with luck may get to see the Ceremony of the Keys, something that I should have booked by “snail mail” 2 months in advance.

Maybe playing the “American card” in the days before the anniversary? (not!) We’ll have a few days in London to try to set it up. If not, oh well.

And we’ll try to see a Shakespeare play at the Globe – by all accounts a magnificent theater done in the old, old way (plays in daylight, or torchlight?). It’s on the south bank of the river, reachable by footbridge.

RATS. I think my London map may be in a file folder at home — oh well. Maps can be had.

We fly home on a Saturday after three weeks, and have one day to recoup before work. Yuck – the backlog will be horrible, but will be dealt with. Meanwhile there’s this big adventure to be had, and new things to discover.

David’s asleep and I should try to get some soon. It’s an 8 1/2 hour flight and the seating on United is pretty cramped, although the LCD crystal screens on the seat backs are cool and fun to watch, with a GPS-based map display. I’ll try to ignore the movie and the people (at least we’re in the last row – NO seat kickers!) and try to get at least an hour or two (unlikely though).

They’re serving dinner now – thank goodness Steve got us sandwiches before driving us to the airport, as neither of us ate all day, and we never would have made it to dinner at, what, 1030pm ORD time.