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I had high expectations about visiting Scotland, which came true, both for the places and the experiences. But also for Liverpool.
Oh my God! I am speaking in English!
As mentioned at the time the Interrail ticket was different. They change rules and systems from time to time, but I think it can still be interesting even now. On the first longer stretch to Edinburgh I found myself in a compartment with a Scottish biologist and a Sudanese doctor. So a native speaker and one who spoke good English while I felt inadequate.
I had studied it in high school rather poorly. My luck was being punctually put off. If nothing else with private teachers I got my grammar in my head pretty well.
But to know languages you have to speak them; it counts for nothing to memorize something in literature. To my advantage I have always been a jumper. So almost without realizing it I found myself talking about the international arms trade with two who even understood me, unbelievable!
Evidently, I was not that poor and anyway I improved it a lot over time by being abroad alone for a long time.
Party in the dance hall, the highlight of my visit to Scotland
I certainly can’t say I hadn’t enjoyed Edinburgh, but after London it was hard to live up to it; another thing I learned is that in travel it is always best to try to plan the itinerary in crescendo.
Glasgow is little regarded, not even comparable to Edinburgh in beauty, but I have the memory of one of the most enjoyable evenings of my life.
As mentioned earlier at the time it was very easy to make friends in the hostel, it all started with a guy who started asking people he met if they wanted to go to a party. At first it seemed like the beginning of a joke because we were like an Italian, a German and a French guy; then others joined in and eventually we were a small group of 6-7 all strangers and of different nationalities.
The party was on a barge moored in the river. We occupied a table and ordered beers, immediately amused by the extremely cheerful atmosphere, the room was full of locals and the males all in kilts. Soon the dancing began, and it was a hoot to see them prancing around in all-strictly group dances. We, of course, were just observing when someone dragged us onto the dance floor. It was easy to have fun, just follow the others, beautiful!
The next day on the bus I remember feeling a naive patriot pride. A fellow was reading a local newspaper and on the front page was a headline about Paolo di Canio, an Italian soccer player who played for one of the teams there and had played a super game the day before.
Visiting Scotland while neglecting the monster
I went to Inverness where there was a chance to take a trip to nearby Lochness Lake. I had my ticket already paid for when I gave up, it seemed silly to waste time going to see a monster that wasn’t there. Now I would go there, see things with more disenchantment, and accept even the silly or money-grabbing tourist stuff with more serenity; by the way, I later learned that beyond the monster, it is a very beautiful area. Maybe I would avoid going there by the overpriced torpedo and rent a car, which then would be the best way to get around in areas like that where it is nature and scenery that is the main thing. I will go back!
Something that has remained the same for me, however, is a passion for getting to geographically significant points, even if wanting to use only public transportation I was somewhat limited. A classmate of mine had told me about an epic journey with a friend of his, and a car loaded with salami and tuna cans; from Cesenatico bound for the North Sea to see seals on the beach. I didn’t see the seals, but for many years the really unsanitary bathroom at Thurso Station was for a long time the northernmost place I pooped.
Telephoning from the Penny Lane cabin.
I used to call home, from phone booths, every 4/5 days with collect calls. After the very high bill arrived, albeit very tactfully, I was told that for the next time it would be much less, just to let them know I had arrived and was on my way back.
From Liverpool I made one of the most mythical phone calls of my life. I was answered by a brother of mine to whom I tried to convey my enthusiasm for being right on Penny Lane, the street with the Beatles’ song title of the same name. One reason to be excited would also be the realization that they had written one of the most, in my opinion, beautiful songs in history, taking their cue from an absolutely anonymous street
Liverpool is a beautiful city, but I was mostly interested in what the Beatles were about. I went in front of the Cavern, the venue where they debuted but was closed. But especially in the museum, where I was moved in the last room where they reconstructed the setting of the Imagine video (with the song in the background): an all-white room with a white piano.
Home trip Making the Interrail: France, UK, Ireland
Previous stop Visiting London the first time: WOW
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Trips taken, travel stories divided by continent
Anecdotes, divided by type in travel narratives
Countries visited in my travel stories
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