Traveloteacher

Liverpool has always been the synonym for the Beatles. No wonder then that we rushed to the Beatles Story first, eager to feel the goosebumps for being so close to the legends. But what a disappointment it was. It's way too ordinary an exhibition for those extraordinary lads. Possible (and definitely subjective) reasons for its not living up to our expectations: We were told by the staff that 45 minutes were enough, so after having a Latte at Starbucks, we entered the museum at 5, which meant that we had a full hour for the tour. Imagine our surprise when the staff started rushing us towards the exit more than half an hour before the closing time. They were obviously in a hurry to close for the day. How could you enjoy it if they tap you on the shoulder and tell you to hurry up. Reason two: Graceland . Hadn't we been on the Elvis tour, we might have been happier with the Beatles. In Graceland, you are perfectly aware of the fact that it's a rip-off, that it's tacky and ...

We left Glasgow before six a.m. and stopped in Carlisle for a Wetherspoon breakfast. The Citadel, with its two impressive towers, dominates the centre of the Cumbrian capital. Carlisle Castle is also worth a visit, as well as the Cathedral, which is the only cathedral in Cumbria. Liverpool was our next stop. It took us quite a while, since the traffic got heavier as we headed further south. What the boys wanted to see first was Anfield Road. It was already two p.m. and there was no time left for dropping us at a shopping mall so we decided to join them on the tour of the stadium. But soon we were in a state of utter disbelief after being told that the tours were fully booked and there was no way we could get in. So what was supposed to be a leisurely spent afternoon, turned out to be an afternoon of bickering and squabbling over who should have booked the tickets up front and who should have known that the British kids were on Easter break etc, etc. Luckily, the shop and the Liverpool ...

The highlight of the trip for my boys was the match Scotland vs. Croatia. They were thrilled to be there and although the players didn't play as they hoped they would, it was spectacular. Sanja, Iva and I discussed possible ways of spending the evening without our football fans. Restaurants and pubs were out of question, since they don't let kids in, which came as a huge surprise to my older son, who's used to going to pubs and having a pint of beer occasionally, in spite of the fact that he's under age. It didn't take us long to decide what to do: shopping without haste in Ikea and the nearby shopping mall, the only place open till ten. It was not busy at all and we indulged ourselves with little somethings. After it closed, we waited for a bus to take us to the center, but almost missed it because we were on the (il)logical side of the road. Luckily, we got on the right bus that was to take us to the corner of Hope and Sauchiehall, where our guys were supposed to ...

Scotland

The lady at the Travelodge spoke Glaswegian. We could hardly make out what she was saying. She was nice enough, though, as to repeat three times until it dawned on us that in order to get to the centre, we should turn left at the third traffic lights. Or something along those lines. Anyway, we got to the center quickly and easily. During our stay it was drizzling lightly but incessantly. But we were fine with it, since Glasgow is such an appealing city, one of those cities you take a shine to instantly. I found out I wasn't the only one who struggled with the pronunciation of its streets, such as Sauchiehall or Buccleauh. (Come to think of it, many Scottish names give me a hard time, take Milngavie or Culzean for example.) We shopped on Sauchiehall Street, walked all round the city and saw many sights, such as the Cathedral, Provand's Lordship, which is the oldest house in Glasgow, the Hunterian Art Gallery, Kelvingrove, the Tenement House, George Square, the Armadillo, all of ...

And finally we reached the destination of our trip. Glasgow awaited us with a light drizzle and heavy traffic on busy motorways - or is it dual carriageways? How should I tell the difference? Anyway, whatever it is, it's full of ramps and entrances and exits on both sides, - and what's more - all the time you're above the ground, driving over bridges and viaducts, or at least it seemed so to me. It was evening when we finally got to our hotel. It was a Travelodge on Paisley Road, an unprepossessing little hotel, but who am I to complain for 29 pounds a night for the four of us. We never spend a lot of time in hotels when we travel anyway. Luxury is not an issue, what we need is just a clean place to sleep. And this was clean, although the sheets didn't have that fresh smell of being washed with a familiar soap powder. But as I said, the room was all right for the two nights in this modern city.

It was a short drive from the Forth Bridges to the Falkirk Wheel. That's a boat lift, the one that revolves, and it's really awesome. It connects the Union Canal with the Forth & Clyde Canal near the town of Falkirk. The level difference between the two canals is 35 meters, which suggests the hugeness of this rotating boat lift. Built in 2002, as part of the Millennium Link, it created an uninterrupted link between the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. I'm sure this would be a pleasant cruise. Mislav had a déjà vu experience on the spot. He was sure he'd already been there. He knew where the lift was, how it worked, everything. It was amazing. Back home, however, he was able to trace the sensation back to a power point presentation in a physics lesson. Perched high on a rocky crag, Stirling Castle is an excellent example of Renaissance architecture in Scotland. In the esplanade, there is the statue of Robert the Bruce, king of Scotland, who defeated the English army ...