Scotland Correspondence

Cher G, Bienvenue aux Etats Unis! Scotland...how exciting for you after two years. On Saturday evening I often catch "Monarch of the Glenn" on PBS. The Celtic lands look so charming and inviting. Before I leave the planet, I woud so love to visit Ireland at least once. However, bus tours and the like that they attract (similar to air passengers) deters me at the moment. Will be taking a day trip to Gloucester and Cape Anne this week. Wonderful sea-side lobster luncheon places with a bit of elegance - if you know where to look. Yes, the industry in the USA is in big trouble even before 9-11. Profits before empoyees and passengers contribute to the mess. I wish you luck and good fortune. However, having had the priviledge of meeting you, even in the face of forced change, you will do well. As they say in the secular world, you are a "maketable commodity"! A smile is sent your way. Charles ----------------------------------------- Hello, Charles... Futzing on the internet is a great to gradually wake up...along with hi-octane coffee... -------- used to do the Glasgow route out of Boston up until 1994 and I would STILL be working the flight if we had it...The Glesga folk were hard-drinking, hard-smoking...but man, were they FRIENDLY...not to mention the Scots from other areas of the country. That trip was like visiting family...The airport, the hotel, the whole country threw their arms open for us. The pullout was traumatic and seen as a kind of betrayal. As a matter of fact, Glasgow-Prestwick offered us five years landing rights GRATIS if we'd reconsider...Never discovered why we dropped that trip. Something to do with the impending LMN partnership, I imagine...(The official line was that we were losing money...although EVERY flight was packed...Sigh...) I did a one-week trip to Ireland YEARS ago. I enjoyed it. But I think it would have been more fun had I been drinking at the time or had someone to travel with. Or both. I felt like Kane from kung-fu...Wandering from town to town, having adventures... But I'll tell ya...Scotland speaks to me MORE... "Monarch of the Glen". A friend of mine loves that show...mostly because she's a hopeless Harlequin-Paperback romantic. You've heard of the British comedy series FRENCH AND SAUNDERS(Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders--the latter of ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS fame...) did a skewering parody of it. Come to think of it...they eviscerate EVERYTHING to be found on the airwaves...Good on them... Enjoy your trip, my friend...G--