Ratho Hall. My favorite place to stay in the U.K.
We woke up early because breakfast at the Jan-Da-Mar Guest House is from 7 a.m until 8:30 a.m. Bill and his wife were there to greet us. Despite Bill's best efforts, I avoided "the full fry" yet again. Bill regaled us during breakfast with tales of past visitors - sort of a Canterbury Tales, Scottish style. He also informed us that the Guest House was mentioned in Lonely Planet, a fact we knew because that's where we had found it. He said that they didn't know how they got in the book; but, they were grateful that they were in it because the reference brought in a lot of Americans.
After breakfast, we went up to our rooms and packed. The room cost £15/person/night. The room had a sink, a phone, and a television. However, the bathroom and shower were down a hall. It was a very comfortable place to stay, made even better by the friendly hosts.
We got to the train station just before the 10 a.m. train for Glasgow departed. The ride took about two hours and included a change over in Ayr. Along the way, one gets a glimpse of some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. You also pass by some of the most famous golf courses in the world, like Troon and Birkdale. The train is a great way to see the west coast of Scotland.
We got to Glasgow around noon. We had called Kelly and Denise from Belfast and told them the approximate time we'd be in Glasgow. We thought we'd be there around 1 p.m., so it didn't surprise me that they weren't there when we arrived. We took advantage of the delay to look around Glasgow Central train station. There are several shops and restaurants inside the station. They certainly have enough to keep the waiting traveler busy.
Kelly and Denise didn't arrive until 3 p.m. It turns out there was a major pile-up on the M8 freeway, which caused them to take several backroads. As a result, they were more than two hours later than they thought they'd be. We threw our bags into the car and headed off to what was sure to be a highlight of our trip: Ratho Hall.
If you've read my account of the 1997 trip, you know how much I love Ratho Hall. This is easily the best place at which I've ever stayed. It's not just theaccommodations, although they are very comfortable. It's a direct reflection of the peoplethat run it. Janet and Freddie Small are simply the best hosts in the world. They take great pains to ensure that you are not only comfortable; but, are also part of their family while you are staying with them. That effort was displayed the moment we arrived there this year. The Smalls were throwing a picnic for the family of their youngest son's girlfriend. This was intended to be an intimate gathering for both families to get to know one another. But, when we arrived, we were invited to join in. What could have been just a perfunctory check-in procedure turned into a wonderful gathering. It turned out that the son's girlfriend's parents were in the British Diplomatic Corps. So, thanks to the Smalls' generosity, we were able to ask enhance our foreign experience with someone who does diplomacy for a living. They didn't have to invite us into their function; but, their doing so made our stay much better.
After the picnic, we headed into Edinburgh. Most of the acts in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe had begun to perform. As a result, Edinburgh had taken on that exhilarating, maniacal energy level that it possesses in August. I can't image a better place than Edinburgh in August. It's just too much fun. Anyhow, we went to our first Fringe event; a comedy show called The Hannibal Lecture. We got there a little late; but, it didn't seem to matter. The comedian was dying (no pun intended) on stage. He was cracking joke after joke about murder throughout history; but, no one was laughing. Actually, the material was pretty good. But, his delivery was awful. It got so bad that 15 minutes before the show was supposed to end, he walked off the stage. That was the first time I'd ever seen something like that happen at the Fringe. We shook it off as just a bad performance and looked for a place to eat. Since our next show was close to the Pleasance Theatre, we ate at the Apple Cafe located in the theater's complex. The food was excellent. I had a vegetarian chili over rice that was spicy and good. The cost was £4 for my dish. The cafe is a little hard to find. It's at the very back of the complex. However, the food and the service were worth the hunt.
We next went to see a one-woman play about a British mother whose life was basically in the gutter. The play was interesting; but, it was a little too graphic for me. I really have no interest in watching a woman strip down to her underwear and simulate sex acts. Also, the humor was just a little too British for my tastes. But, you could tell that the actress was very talented. That fact was the only thing that saved the play for me.
After the play, we headed back to Ratho Hall. We were going to change
clothes and head back into Edinburgh for a night of dancing. Not that I
dance, mind you. I suffer from a great lack of rhythm in my feet. However,
I prefer to watch, as opposed to sex where I do not prefer to watch. That's
probably more than you want to know about me. So, let's get back to the
story. We were going to change but the smell of freshly baked cookies sent us downstairs into the study. We ended up sitting there with Janet
and Freddie talking about life and what their plans were for Ratho Hall.
A couple of other guests (from France) came down and joined the discussion.
It was a great evening of conversation and sharing. Before we knew it, it
was 11:30 p.m. We headed upstairs and went to bed.
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