Glasgow, 2.1 million in the metropolitan area, overwhelmingly White, but White as I've always said never counted fer much over here in a World where everybody was White. Glasgow is Irish Catholic and Scots-Irish Prod. Tough people there, the appelations "White and Nerdy"do not apply. Its tribal; Celtic. Tough people with pinched and stern expressions, where most of the men look like they've been around a fight or three and still could, and where the women look the same.
The Scottish are even more crazy about their dogs than the Brits, and I didn't believe that possible. Most everyone walking a dog here, and that universal marker of the dumb thug underclass, the pit bull, is much in evidence. Got in a conversation with a couple of pretty and tough women, Scots, mother and daughter with a pit on a leash, and told 'em about the problems here... "Och nooo!" they laughed "he wouldna hurt a fly!" I wanted to say "until he does" but just let it go.
But things is getting much better in Glasgow, formerly the "murder capital of Europe", the "booze and blades" culture.I credit the internet and travel with much of that. In the UK of my youth, travelling even a 100 miles was a big deal, you spent most of your life on your own street.
Seems like Brits travel now more than we do, I ain't been in any gathering where at least a couple haven't been to America. And for better or worse the 'net has gotten us all out of our regional funk.
Where savage hatred within Glasgow still goes, or so I'm told by the locals, is between the fans of Glasgow football. There are two teams here; Glasgow Celtic, supported by the Irish Catholics, and Glasgow Rangers, supported by the Scots-Irish.
At Rangers' Ibrox Stadium, the Union Flag and Ulster banner are often displayed, whilst at Celtic Park, the Irish tricolour prevails.
In the past decade the Rangers had declined to a lower league and so the two clubs played each other less often, lately however the Rangers are coming back up. Matches are still police-heavy events, be interesting though to see the effect of these moderating times.
Met a triathlete on the bike path through Glasgow, a Prod from Belfast who teaches overseas.we talked bikes and travel and politics for more'n an hour. He's had two bikes stolen in as many years and he's careful with his bikes, can't train as much in winter on account of danger of assault. But Glasgow didn't scare him he said on account of he was raised in Belfast.
I told him how I understood the slap in the face felt by the British Subject Ulster Prods when the Irish flag is flown on certain days over the Ulster seat of government. Yes, he said, but people gotta realize the world is always changing, and ya can't go though life trapped by the past.
Words to live by. Meanwhile I'm just grateful never to have been a part of it.
An easy day yesterday, getting out of Glasgow to the west was a whole lot easier than coming in from the east, and pretty Loch Lomond less than 25 miles from downtown. Easy ride too, along the Clyde and Forth Canal and then up the River Leven maybe five miles to the main lake. All the fishing I have see in the UK is catch and release, and there were fishermen along the Leven too, after salmon but able to keep sea trout if they caught 'em.
On the way I met Leon, a retired Royal Marine and a couple of teachers and a bunch of teenagers doing what called part of the Prince of Edinburgh challenge, in this case for cross country bike travel. Turns out you can ride that canal all the way across Scotland, which is only 60 miles 'tween Glasgow and Edinburgh.
We shared a congenial campsite, the kids as part of the test have to bring their own provisions, but us adults went to a fine restaurant where I had chicken stuffed with haggis (drossauch??? I forget the name), it was very good.
Eating a late breakfast here in Bollach, at the foot of the loch, surprisingly quiet being as its only 25 miles from a major urban center.
Into the highlands proper today, where the distances ain't that far but the grades are steep, the midges many, and the services few.
I learned that the ferry to Ireland from Campeltown ain't run in 20 years. Hence I will be forced to take the ferry from the Kintyre peninsula to Arran, past all them distilleries, and then across to the mainland by ferry again. 60 miles above the Belfast ferry near Stranraer.
I have been advised to stock up an everything I need while here in a reasonably supplied town.
So looks like the next few days I really will be off of the 'net.
Birdwatcher
