6.21.06
Trip Reports In Threes
Intriguing people
–the girl who showed us around the Glasgow School of Art. A blond 19-year old with a flip and bright red lips and pale Scottish skin, a leapord print dress pinned at the neck so not to be too revealing. Her stockings were seamed black fishnets, her shoes pink sparkle pumps. Her accent was Scottish, but not Glaswegian, I don’t think (but I could be wrong)and a diffident adorableness. She’s a photography student and was sure her photo would be terrible. As you see, it is not.
–our Normandy guide. A big, beefy Frenchman who spoke five languages, including (he boasted) Gaelic, which he learned while living in Dublin to teach Irishmen to speak French. He knew everything, loved everything, had strong square hands with black hair on the back, and spoke with great energy. His dream is to go to California and import French things.
–the Ancient Britons, the aged, spritely group of retirees in the retirement housing where Neal’ smother lives. The oldest was Joy, aged 96, who was thin and tall, and wore a blue dress with a spritely hat with flowers on it. Her pointed chin sprouted some hairs, and she was a bit hard of hearing, but she was an engineer for the airlines and never married, and when they were gossiping about one of the members (Tom, aged 82) escorting Anne (age unknown) to an event, where another of Anne’s suitors was, as well, Joy remarked, "She has two and I can’t even get one!"