Welcome to Scotland, Dearie!

Sue and her husband, Igor, arrived last night at nearly 11:00, after I had had a shower and was ready for bed.  We said quick hellos, but I was really, really tired, so we didn't chat.  At breakfast, Emma made us a HUGE meal, beginning with porridge, small pancakes, fresh strawberries, homemade raspberry jam, and toast.  Then we had our actual breakfast, which for me was scrambled eggs, bacon, tomato and potato scone.  Emma was unhappy that I "ruined" my egg by having it scrambled (that was after she saw my filthy, smelly blouse that I had dropped on the floor with my other filthy, smelly clothes from yesterday, and told me not to put it on the floor - just where was I supposed to put it, then?).  We were less than enchanted with her brusque manner, and actually talked about moving elsewhere after a couple of days, but Igor convinced us that it wouldn't be fair to her because she might have turned away other guests, and it wasn't that bad.  She is 82, and from the highlands, and Lisa says this is just their way.  Anyway, Igor and she got on well right away.  This is not so much a B&B as her actual house.  We eat jammed into her little kitchen, her bedroom is right next to mine, and I have the main bath (Sue and Igor's room has an en suite bath).

Anyway, it took us a little while to get used to her, but as the time goes by she is actually growing on us (though she keeps angling for gifts by showing us what her "regulars" have given her over the years - she's not getting one).  We find her quite funny because she says outrageous things, and follows that with a hug and a cup of tea.  More about her later.

After breakfast we walked down to a ship called The Maid of the Loch, which is currently undergoing restoration, but will be paddling its steamy little self around Loch Lomond again later this year.  We were actually not there to see the ship, but to find a geocache on her dock.  That accomplished, we decided to walk about 20 minutes to where Lisa and Donna live in Alexandria to chat with Lisa and get acquainted with Donna.  Regarding Emma, she was under the mistaken assumption that it was Lisa who had gotten married, and that Donna "would make some man a nice wife one day" because she went into the kitchen and washed the teacups.  Seriously, that's why.  It was actually Lisa and Donna who had gotten married to each other, but we saw no reason to correct her, since we already knew she is deeply Catholic, and did not like "the drink", English people or blacks, so we assumed she had other prejudices as well.

Anyway, Donna's cousin came by to take Lisa to work, so we bummed a ride with them to Hill House, a Scottish National Trust property designed by the architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh in the early part of the last century.  He was mostly famous for public building projects, and this was the only house he designed completely, even down to the furniture, textiles, and grounds.  I wasn't really expecting to care much for it, though I don't know why, but I really loved it.  Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife (she was an artist) were working in the same general time period as Frank Lloyd Wright, and Hill House instantly reminded me of his work.  With straight lines, stained glass, repeated motifs throughout the house, it was built for the Walter Blackie family to raise their family in.  It has a beautiful view of the Clyde River, and there is lots of symbolism associated with the design.  For example, the children's rooms were located on the eastern side of the house, and the master bedroom on the western side, symbolizing the beginning of life, with the rising of the sun, and the ending of it with the setting sun.  Light and shadow are big parts of the design.  Color coded stained glass squares in all of the doors indicate whether this was a masculine space (dark purple, as in the husband's dressing room) or a feminine one (pink or lavender, as in the daughter's room and the drawing room).  We were completely taken with it, and we stayed a couple of hours. 

Then we called a taxi to take us into Helensburgh (like with Edinburgh, the "burgh" is pronounced "burra").  We walked along the riverfront, then stopped for a drink at a place called The Commodore.  It was so pleasant sitting outside by the water, that we decided to eat there, too.  Eventually, we headed back to the train station, and arrived back in Balloch to another cup of tea, with shortbread, with Emma.  After the "cuppa", I went around the corner to use wifi at McDonald's but it wasn't working for some reason.  The wifi issue is settled for now with the purchase of a day pass from British Telecomm (so I have wifi at any BT open zone).  On returning to my room, I found that she had washed my pile of filthy, smelly clothes (she said they were crawling toward the stairs on their own), which was completely unexpected and wonderful of her!  It might have been in self-defense, since her room is right next to mine.   :-)

We have been walking everywhere, and becoming old hands at using the trains, too.  Tomorrow we will pick up our other Vaughantown friend, Leonie, and we will all go to the wedding reception in Alexandria.  Emma only has one key to her house, and she doesn't want to give it to us, so we aren't sure what to do about potentially coming in very late (not to mention the possibility of "the drink", in the bargain).  We don't want her waiting up for us because we have no idea when we will be back. I guess we will see how that works out by tomorrow night.

                                   Aird House, our little home away from home for five days.