Beattys Overseas

When we planned this trip months ago, we had Scotland on our list of places to visit in Europe.  Little did we know that there were so many O’Donnell relatives living there who we would be able to visit.  Many of the families in Donegal moved to Glasgow to find more work, as the port city in Scotland was a hub of economic growth during imaginably hard times in rural Donegal.  So, many of the O'Donnell cousins from Ireland are now actually Scots. As mentioned in a previous post, cousin Daniel O'Donnell was generous enough to house us for a few nights, and also pour upon us his wealth of information of family history. He made a few calls and arranged for a few of us to meet up after the devastating Celtic football club loss on Wednesday night. He also gave us our current favorite thing to repeat to each other at all times during the day: Aye.  It's the Scottish way of saying "Yes" or "Yep," and it's awesomely Scottish.   Aye.   Yes.   Aye. 

Thursday morning brought us to Auntie Mary O’Donnell, whose daughter Grace was in town from Dublin. We were warmly welcomed into her home and chatted for many hours about life in Culacrick and her large extended family. Grace, like Daniel, was a fountain of information, including the fascinating tidbit about the family photo that hangs in DenJohnny’s being a fusion of 3 separate photographs, as the family wouldn’t have been together to ever take a family photo (since the older sisters were in America).

Daniel, Grace, John and Aunt MaryWe brought our laptop to Mary’s and showed her the photos we had recently taken with Aunt Bridgie in Staten Island, with whom she speaks on a weekly basis. We also showed her all the photos we had taken at Culacrick, which pleased her very much (especially to see the great turf fire that had been built for our visit!). Aunt Mary’s stories about childhood in Culacrick were funny and poignant. As a girl, her parents had she and her siblings often working on the lands of neighbors to make money. A few times, her bosses paid her in sweets instead of money, which she brought home to give to her younger siblings. We discussed how much life changed for residents of Donegal in the late 1950s when electricity arrived (that’s not a typo; it was the 1950s), and how she enjoys visiting DenJohnny’s every summer when she’s back in Ireland.

Thursday night brought us out with a large group of the Scotland cousins. A few were in town from Ireland for the bank holiday (Grace [Boyle] Green and Grace [O’Donnell] McGeehan), but we were quite surprised at the size of the group who live in Glasgow. We were welcomed with plenty of hugs and kisses and stories of John’s mother and aunts from a their visits with the relatives in America.

It was a lovely night, full of laughs and wonderful memories. The photos included in the Scotland Photo Album should speak for themselves: it was a blast for these 'Yanks.'   Aye.

- Whitney

Cousin Daniel kindly delivered us to Glasgow's Queen Street train station this morning, and off we went for a train ride to Edinburgh.  We have read amazing things about Edinburgh, and it was recommended as a "should see" by a few folks ( bro-in-law Shane, The, the Wandering Walkers).  Well, the recommendations were right, it's a wonderful place.  For us, however, getting there was half the fun...

The rail from Glasgow to Edinburgh is about 50 minutes, and it was an EXTREMELY crowded train because the one before it had been cancelled.  The conductor made numerous apologies about everything, and by God we believe he actually meant it!  We sat separately, and gad to part from our luggage, which was stowed in any free overhead areas we could find.  John gave up his seat to an elderly woman (what a gentleman) after 5 minutes of the train ride.  We had booked a great little travel inn in Edinburgh for the night, which is a few steps away from the Haymarket train station.  When the train finally pulled into the station, we suddenly realized it was our stop and hurriedly tried gathering our things before exiting the train.  The Chief working the mobile coffee and food cart in the car simultaneously blocked the door with his bedroom bureau size table of biscuits, scones and newspapers while watching us scramble, and felt it his duty to proclaim that the station stop is short, so we should rush to get off.  However, with 4 individual pieces of luggage, it was chaos.

Trying to hurry to get off the train, we left one bag behind: John's precious garment bag of wrinkled shirts, sweater vests and a 6 year old blue blazer.  As we stood on the platform, John frantically fought his way through the departing passengers and turned to make a last grab at something on the luggage rack.  Seeing him turn back one last time, Whitney (thinking that John was in search of the computer bag) yelled "John, I've got it!" John stopped, turned to see Whit happily holding up the computer bag and then, with his NYPD crimefighting reflexes quickly turned again to the train, only to watch the doors close and refuse to re-open. He banged on the windows a few times, locking eyes with the poor souls inside the car, all wishing they could help but knowing we would instead forever share this moment of " Oh #&%*.    The 12:26 to Waverly lumbered slowly away while we cursed it and shook our fists in hurt and in fury. 

BTW, we don't recommend yelling out "%@$*" at the top of your lungs on a crowded train platform anyway. . . it's not only non-productive, but it doesn't paint Americans in a proper light.

We found and talked to some station patrolmen, who sent us to the station manager, who told us to go to a different platform to wait for that exact train to come back.  You see, Haymarket is the second-to-last stop on the rail, so the staff figured that the bag would come back on the train after just a few minutes when it returned to the station.  When it came, John jumped on the rail car - which, honestly, looked like a scene from a European spy movie, because he stealthily hopped on and off each car during its short stop at the station - but came out empty handed.  Grrr... We figured it had been stolen.

We asked another [amazingly nice] station staff member who had her boss call the main station in Waverly, who then went on to describe a lost 'suit carrier' bag.  The conversation went something like this:  (Please note; wherever the word "pause" appears, this would be where railroad girl asks John a question, then gives the info to her boss on the other end of the phone.  Each such pause lasted somewhere between 90 seconds and two minutes).

RR Girl (on phone with her Boss), speaking to John:  "What color is it?" 

John:  "Black.  And it's a Sampsonite."

pause 

RR Girl:  "And you say it's a suitcase?"

John:  "No, I said it's a garment bag."

pause 

Reunited!Girl:  "You mean a suit carrier?"

John:  "Yes, a suit carrier."

pause 

RR Girl:  "Does it have an airport sticker on it?"

John:  "Yes!  Ryan Air!"

pause 

RR Girl:  "From The City of Derry Airport?"

John:  "Yes!   The City of Derry Airport!  That's it!"

pause

RR Girl: "From a few days ago?"

pause

John:  "Yes!!!  From Tuesday!!!  Tuesday the 1st!!!"

pause

RR Girl (now cupping the phone with her hand, and whispering to John): "I think we might have it." 

pause for 2,000 seconds

RR Girl: "Wow. They have it, and will hold it for you!" 

She directed us to get on the next train that came through Haymarket and go the one stop up to Waverly.  Off we went, and the station manager in Waverly safely delivered John's suit carrier (aka garment bag).  Victory!!!

- Whitney and John

Yep, Ed-inn-Bud-uhh. That's how the Scots told us to say it! We kept trying to emphasize the burgh (like Pittsburg), and then got confused when we heard the Irish say something closer to Edinboro. So, when we had all the Glasgow cousins together, they set us straight: Ed-inn-Bud-uh. Aye.

Edinburgh has been the capital city of Scotland since 1437 and is as beautiful as we have heard, and even more friendly than we expected. Upon checking into our convenient little travel hotel near the convention center, we set out for an afternoon of sightseeing and maybe a bite to eat. We had a map given to us by the hotel, but had some trouble finding our bearings, so we asked two policewomen who were passing us on the sidewalk. Always a good time for John, talking to local cops. Plus, they were girls, so they were charmed and swooned over his "American accent." They showed us the locations on the map, and mentioned a few good deals in Edinburgh for eating and drinking.  Among them, a restaurant on the top of a department store that serves a 3-course dinner for 12 pounds, and a row of bars that serve 2-for-1 drinks during happy hour. Well, this was music to our ears, as the weak American dollar has been breaking our wallets of late... any chance to pinch pennies, we'll be taking it! Thank you to the ladies of the Edinburgh police!

Our first order of sightseeing was the Edinburgh Castle, which has a breathtaking presence over the city, being visible from nearly any corner of the city centre. Perched high on an extinct volcano, its an amazing example of a medieval fortress that provides a panoramic view of the land and shows dominance over the city just based on its looming locations above it all.  We tagged along with a walking tour, and stole some good info about the three royal gates that were strategically built to mislead any incoming forces who might try to overthrow the castle, as they zig-zag up the hilltop which would give the guards time to secure the upper gates while the intruders were trying to find their direction after storming the first gate. We went to the top of the Crown Square, where the Scottish crown jewels are kept (sorry, photos weren't allowed, but I promise you that they are amazing), and The Great Hall with its impressive hammerbeam roof built by James IV. I loved the mix of architectural styles at within the castle walls, as some buildings are as old at 1200s, and others quite recent.

After the castle, we were off to find this cheap-O dinner recommended by the cop. There, at the top of the Harvey Nichols department store, there's a restaurant featuring this great Prix Fixe deal. The view is great, as the perimeter walls of the building are full glass (imagine the Macy’s in San Francisco’s Union Square’s top floor, facing the park). After our big dinner, we went out to catch the 2-for-1 deals at a big pub that is housed in a gorgeous old bank. We met a few friendly Scots there who chatted with us about traveling, about American TV shows, and about the hospitality of Edinburgh. I know we keep saying this, but everyone we meet is so exceptionally nice.

We are staying just one night here, and leaving tomorrow afternoon for France.  But, Edinburgh is a place I’d like to come back to visit some other time.  We barely scratched the surface of things to see within the city, no less the retail and culinary adventures that are available. The city centre had a very cosmopolitan mode, with young people of many different races going out together and listening to rockin' bagpipe music.  After just one day being here, I already want to return.

- Whitney