update #6

Date: Sunday

31 Aug. , 1997 10:29:06 (PDT)

Subject:

Update Number

Six-

Belfast

RTW Travels

Neolithic standing-stones and stone circles dot the landscape. A beautiful drive along the east coast brought us to a ruined chapel, an ancient Celtic High Cross, and, we believe, ancestors of the sheep Gary’s friends knew while in college at Texas Tech.

We said a tearful farewell to Gary and headed north to Glencoe - where the opening scenes of “Braveheart” were filmed. What wonderful country! (I know y’all get tired of hearing us say that, but we can’t help ourselves.) Hiking, picnicking,hanging out. Saw 2 movies. ML decided that instead of a spotted terrier like Nick and Nora’s, she wants a West Highland White Terrier. Big poofy head and small body - reminds her of me. Two days in Dunoon, near Glascow, allowed us to watch some highland games. Big strong men in kilts throwing stones and hurling telephone poles, women in pleated skirts dancing on stage - gee, do you think ML and I enjoyed this?

Now we are in Belfast. Will look up some long lost relatives in county Tyrone, a friend in county Armagh, and see what the bottom of a glass of Guinness looks like. We understand that you can tell the future from the way the froth hangs around the sides of the glass after you’ve finished the beer.

“Make fun of Victor” moment or “They don’t speak English in Britain": When a waitress asked me what I wanted for my “main course”, I thought she said “mangoes” and I said “I don’t want any mangoes”. When booking air tickets in London for SE Asia, the agent asked if we were going to Barley. I said “No, where is that? Never heard of Barley.” He said, pointing to an lsland on the map, “You know, BALI”. In Belfast, a guy giving us directions told us to turn left at “Coins”. I said “Coins? What coins?” ML translated that as Queens - as in “turn left at Queens College”. Similarly, in Prague, the station announcer was speaking in Czech and I swear to God I heard him say “Please don’t feed cheese to the roadrunners”. I didn’t even know they had roadrunners in the Czech Republic!