It has been a year of unexpected travel bonuses. The 2023 Europa League final when we were in Budapest and now the UCI World Cycling Championships. It’s also been a year of wonderful travel experiences.
It was a good long journey to Glasgow. An uneventful 14-hour ferry ride followed by a loungy breakfast stop at Starbucks before boarding the 3-hour train to Glasgow.
When an early check-in was offered to us, we didn’t hesitate to take it. It was quickly apparent that many cycling teams were starting at the hotel and when we headed to our room, we realized we were right next door to the tan for China. We saw them on bikes, getting massages and just hanging out. And they bikes lined the hallways.
We were pretty exhausted by this point. All I wanted was a shower and to wash my hair. I figured I’d take a chance and dry it, hoping for a little more manageable hair than I’d had pretty much the entire trip. Nina decided to go out and explore a little and by the time I was done, she was back with some drinks and snacks. We toasted our trip which was almost at the end.
The under 23 road race was coming into Glasgow for the final stretch and we had seen the route as there were barricades everywhere. How fortunate were we to catch the last couple of laps! We found a corner and cheered our hearts out as the riders zipped by, especially when Canadian and Danish riders passed (and riders from England and Italy).
That night was truly our last supper of the trip. Burgers and Aperol Spritz seemed the perfect meal over which to discuss the highlights and talk about the weeks to come as we prepared to return to our lives. As usual, our selfie was an experience in itself, taking numerous shots before we settled on one that was “fine”.
Not surprisingly, we were in bed super early- it had been a busy trip, that’s for sure!
Packed and organized early, we had decided to go for an early breakfast to get the day started. Nina had some things to take care of so I took advantage of the few short hours I had before we had to catch our buses and went out to explore Glasgow.
It was the final day of the cycling championships so people were already on the course. The city wasn’t busy yet so it was a great time to be out.
Glasgow has some amazing street art so I made sure to include a couple of murals on my route. I wished I had had time for more. I also wanted to see the Lighthouse, St Enoch subway station (though I think I missed the boat on that one), Barras market and the river. Also bumped into some of the cyclists who’d be racing in the morning road race.
While out I started to think that I hoped if I ran late that Nina would just head to the station without me. We were heading to different airports and she had to leave before I did as she had a longer journey. Then I realized that we wouldn’t actually say goodbye if that happened so I got my butt moving so I wouldn’t be late.
We headed to the bus station, took more selfies and then went our separate ways. It’s always a bit sad saying goodbye.
Travelling isn’t always easy and not everyone travels well together. As I watched Nina’s bus pull away I thought about how grateful I was for the opportunity to travel together, grateful to have found a friend on that train 10 years ago who loved travelling similarly to me and who I could spend multiple weeks with and want to do it again. I am grateful that Nina is a part of so many wonderful memories and experiences. I can only hope we meet again!
Memoirs of a Wannabe World Traveller 