A guest blog by Walk Team Member Kevin Murray
September 9, 2021
It’s almost time for us to begin our big walk. I’m here in Scotland, the first two days enjoying absolutely beautiful weather. According to the news, Wednesday was the warmest day in Scotland going back 110 years. I was able to get out and do some sight seeing today.
Most people who know me are very aware of my passion for riding motorcycles. About 4 years ago, I decided to stop riding due to balance challenges provided as an added bonus to my PD. Specifically, it was very difficult to stop, and make sure my feet were on the ground to support me. I’ve missed riding a motorcycle ever since then. On this once in a lifetime trip, today I put away that reluctance to ride, I rented a Suzuki 1050 V-Strom. I found a great dealer close to where we are staying, he lined me up with the bike, gear, and a helmet. It was like I was being set free, again.
For those that don’t ride, it’s difficult to describe the sensations experienced winding your way through the Scottish countryside, as I did today. It’s euphoric, it’s wonderful, it puts me in the right frame of mind. And, it was a blast! The Parkinson’s symptoms were definitely in play, but I sat back in the seat and just relaxed. The cool wind off the North Sea and the warm sunny temperatures combined for a very comfortable ride.
I took a left out of the dealer in Cupar (pronounced “Cooper”, thanks John) making my way east to the coast. Riding on the left side of the street is weird! I pulled up at St. Andrews Beach, yes, the same St. Andrews where they sometimes play the British Open. The tide was out, and people were working on their sea shell collections. Lots of dogs running around and going for a swim. The water temperature in the North Sea varies between 56F and 66F, that will make you turn blue. There were a few people wearing full body suits to go surfing. The waves weren’t that great, but they were having a good time. I went for a walk up to the point, going by the University of St. Andrews Scottish Oceans Institute. As I walked by, several people were leaving the building for lunch. I overheard many conversations in French, Italian, Finnish, and several others I couldn’t place. Like everywhere, it was a melting pot of passionate researchers building a better understanding of our oceans.
The University of St. Andrews is the oldest university in Scotland, and is ranked 2nd in the UK behind Oxford. The field hockey team was warming up on a field, those sticks look like they would do some damage. All these fair skinned Scots getting sunburn outside, like me!
I had something hanging over my head, the UK requires a second COVID test when you arrive. I spoke with a University of St. Andrews student who hailed from Washington D.C. She guided me to the right place, and I received my second test. It will take a day or so to get the results, but that task is off the list. It’s tough to have an entire government come after you if you might be spreading COVID. I’m confident this test will also come back negative, it’s just good to have it done.
After leaving St. Andrews, I made my way to our apartment in Broughty Ferry. Navigating down the roads between the towns was great fun. I wasn’t breaking any speed records, but I didn’t crawl through the turns either. Coming out of the turn while turning the throttle is such a satisfying feeling. I am in control, and riding becomes second nature like tying my shoes. I returned to the apartment, grabbed a cold bottle of water and put the phone/GPS on the charger. With rain forecasted for Thursday, I wanted to return the bike to the dealer tonight rather than wait until morning.
Part of the ride is crossing the Tay Bridge, a huge bridge, 3.2 km long (~2 miles) and is 38m (125 ft) above the water going across the bay. About half way across you get an appreciation of the size of this huge structure. You wonder, how long did it take to build? How many people worked on it? As I’m thinking about this, my feet and hands were doing the shaking bit, I just relaxed, and the ride came back to me. What an awesome feeling! When I rode previously, it was a stress reducer. This day was certainly a stress reducer.
As a Murray, my name is pretty well known here. There’s a lot of places with “Murray” in their name. When I give my name, they ask where my accent is from, and usually say, “that’s a great Scottish name”.
When I got back to Broughty Ferry, Bill and I went out for a great dinner, and now I'm sitting in the living room typing away. It was a truly great day, it would only be better if Helen (my beautiful girlfriend of 8 years) was here with me, but she’s coming at the end of the month when we finish the walk. A day to definitely look forward to.
We’re off to do some more exploring, and walk a few miles to try and stay in shape. We’ll be back with more updates and stories.