Sunday in Glasgow...

Eliza and I headed to my sister's church, Queen's Park Baptist Church, on Sunday, 26th October. Shirley dropped us there (she had to prepare for her open house/tea party later that day) and both Eliza and I enjoyed the service. Eliza headed off to Sunday School, while I pondered the message - how can I be Jesus in every interaction? How can I build this person up and not tear them down? How can I pause and 'take a beat' before going out into my day?

After the service we ate some treats in the church's basement and then Montassir picked us up again. The afternoon was spent at their house, where we shared in good conversations with new friends at the open house. There were lovely snacks and tea/coffee for all. :)

Shirley receives presents from her boys.

Eliza was a great little helper.

Lots of good conversations over tea/coffee and snacks. :)

Beautiful Bothwell Castle...

It was a gorgeous, sunny day on Saturday, 25th October, and we made the most of the weather by exploring beautiful Bothwell Castle, a short distance southeast of Glasgow. Construction on this impressive castle began in 1272 by Sir Walter de Moray (Murray), and while it is now in ruins, it is still magnificent!

Walking to the castle's entrance.

There is a small exhibit in one of the storerooms underneath the Great Hall. Eliza made a friend here. :)

View towards the southeast tower. The area here is all that remains of the chapel.

View towards the inner wall of the Great Hall.

With Shirley and Jesse in front of the keep/donjon.

The walls are 4.6 metres (15 feet) thick in places! 

Remains of the latrines.

Walking away from beautiful Bothwell Castle.

First Few Days in Scotland...

Our first few days in Scotland (Thursday, 23rd October, and Friday, 24th October) were punctuated by walks to Café Nero coffee shops and making use of Glasgow's subway system to explore various parts of the city. The photo here is exiting St. Enoch subway station.

We spent time at a nearby Café Nero for Thursday afternoon, and on the next day, after a foggy start to the day, we headed out and visited Hamleys (and other shops) at St. Enoch's Mall. We spoke to old soldiers and volunteers manning the Poppy Appeal stall (pictured here) and supported the appeal, being sure to thank them for their service.

We then went to the amazing Kelvingrove Museum, where we ate lunch at the café. The organ recital at 13h00 featured music from famous movies, including the James Bond theme. It was superb! I really appreciate the history of Glasgow. And the next day was even more exciting, but more on that in the next post. :)

Making use of Glasgow's brilliant subway.

Walking over the Squiggly Bridge. Eliza took this photo.

View looking east on the River Clyde.

Working at Café Nero.

Foggy Friday morning.

Hamleys is always exciting!

Massive artwork outside Partick subway station.

Picturesque view of the University of Glasgow.

Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery.

The 'Floating Heads' installation at Kelvingrove.

Nelson Mandela poster, signed by Madiba, from when he visited Glasgow in 1993.

Of course I had to take a photo of the Supermarine Spitfire!

Garden of Remembrance on the lawn outside the museum.

Surprising Shirley...

After arriving in Glasgow and clearing immigration on Wednesday, 22nd October, my brother-in-law picked us up at the airport and took us back to their house, where we rested for a bit. Shirley was at work at the time and not expected back till after 19h00 that evening.

Eliza and I headed out and caught the subway to nearby Govan, where we met up with my good friend Peter. We also walked over to see the new pedestrian bridge over the Clyde, pictured above. We then had a lovely meal with him and his family, and relaxed at their house - since we needed somewhere to hide until Shirley was back home. Peter and I go back to our time together with Mercy Ships in Liberia in 2008, and he is also married to an American nurse, Lindsay, whom he met on the M/V Africa Mercy. 

Peter plays the bagpipes, and I had asked him months before if he'd be willing to help with the surprise. At a little before 20h00 we received the message that Shirley was on her way home, and so Peter, Eliza, and I headed back that way. Peter rang the doorbell. "Special delivery for Shirley Crawford. It's a kerbside pickup." And while she headed down from her flat, he started playing the bagpipes. She opened the door and was amazed to see a bagpiper standing right there, but even more amazed when she saw Eliza and I standing just around the corner! Tearful reunions were had while Peter continued to play. And that was how we surprised my sister for her birthday! :)

Flights to Glasgow...

Earlier this year, I entertained the idea of hopping over to Glasgow to surprise my sister for her birthday in late October. Flights with Icelandair are quite inexpensive, and their service from Detroit to Reykjavik and then Reykjavik to Glasgow makes for a smooth, easy travel experience.

The surprise was extra special for my sister, since I decided to take our middle child with me. :) Eliza and I departed Detroit on Tuesday, 21st October, and arrived just after lunch the next day. Our travels went well and we were both so excited to be back in Scotland again.

Boarding our Icelandair Boeing 737 MAX 9 that would take us from Iceland to Scotland. 

A nice view of the fuselage in the late morning Iceland sun.

Climbing out of Keflavik, Iceland...

... And descending over Scottish scenery on approach to Glasgow. :)

Detroit Lutheran Singers...

Back in October we watched the Detroit Lutheran Singers perform their autumn concert series, Trinity. This is something we've done for the last two years in Michigan, and we love the peaceful choral music. You can check out their website here.

Fair Lane in the Autumn...

Two weeks ago, we visited nearby Fair Lane Estate on a lovely morning. There was a crispness in the air as we explored the area near the lake, enjoying the colours in the trees and falling leaves. We went to a place where the sun was shining through the leaves, dappling the ground with a bright yellow light.

The sun shines through the changing leaves.

Autumn's changing colours reflected in the lake.

October Date Night...

We had a lovely date night a couple of weeks ago. Volunteers at church watched the children, while the parents headed out to various places. Candace and I enjoyed Mexican food and then walked down to (what we call) Beaver Bridge. The sunset was quite special!

Riaan's Lego Nazgul and Fell Beast...

Hot on the heels of the hobbits cowering from the Ringwraith, Riaan has created another famous scene from The Lord of The Rings trilogy. This time, it's the fell beast and the Witch-king of Angmar. Watch out below!

This was also made from memory.

He even made a micro-scale fell beast and Nazgul!

He's so proud - and so are we!

Highest Point in Wayne County...

On Saturday, to continue our boys' adventure, Riaan and I went hiking at Maybury State Park. We had a lovely hike on a beautiful morning. We even made our way to the highest spot in Wayne County (the county where we live in Michigan), marked with this wooden sign at the top of the ridge. :)

Beautiful trail.

Selfie in the morning light.

Hiking along a ridge.

Large boulder by the trail.

Lovely to catch some autumn colours...

... And an elusive deer, camouflaged in the foliage.