Tuesday Travel Update – Glasgow, Scotland

After a enjoyable weekend on the Isle of Man, I’ve arrived in Glasgow, Scotland.

I think the Isle of Man would be a great place to take a short vacation in the summer. In fact the capitol, Douglas, it has all the feel of a seaside resort town. As with all resort towns, things slow down in the winter. I had a rental car and spent a fair amount of time driving around the island, but I didn’t spend too much time walking because of the high winds.

Driving around Mann was an experience. I’ve driven plenty on the left hand side of the road in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Fiji, so that wasn’t a problem. The roads on Mann are very narrow and often with stone walls on the edge of the road.

While I was on Mann I went to an ATM machine to get enough pounds to last me through my time in Scotland and England. I got about £200 which I thought was more than enough and put it in my pocket without looking at it.

When I was in Scotland, I tried to purchases a movie ticket with the notes I got from the ATM machine on Mann.

They wouldn’t accept them.

I knew that the Bank of England and the Bank of Scotland printed their own notes, but 1) I had no idea that the Isle of Man did too, and 2) I had no idea people in one area wouldn’t accept notes from another. Several people I asked in Glasgow said they can’t use Scottish notes in England either.

Technically they are all the same, but individual merchants are free to accept or reject any note.

I find it all very odd.

I’ll be here in Glasgow 2 more nights then I’m off to the UNESCO World Heritage site of New Lanark and then back down to London.

I’ll be attending the London Travel Massive meetup on December 13. Admission is free, but you should regster online before hand if you would like to attend.

What I’m Reading

Having completed all 15 books in the Dune saga, I needed something else to read. I have absolutely no idea why, but I downloaded Celebrity Inc. from the Kindle store. It is an in-depth look at how celebrities make money from selling baby photos, weight loss endorsements, reality shows, etc. Honestly, it is fascinating. Everything you read about celebrities is staged. Kim Kardashian’s wedding and subsequent divorce? All staged to maximize press. One of the most brilliant reality star manipulators of the media is Spenser Pratt. His on screen persona of being a jerk is totally for show.

I just downloaded this book and I’m not sure I’m going to finish it. It is extremely slow going and the set up of trying to use a lost copy of On the Nature of Things, by Lucretius just isn’t doing it. I like the Renaissance, I like old manuscripts, I like history, but for some reason it just isn’t clicking here.

Links

• The Ultimate List of Inspirational Travel Quotes
• Death to the penny!
• The top 5 regrets people have on their deathbed
• The Cognitive Benefits Of Chewing Gum
• Americans to forfeit $34.3 billion in vacation days
• The Mall of the World: The Chungking Mansion, Hong Kong