Visiting Glasgow

I've never been to Glasgow. I've never even thought about going to Glasgow. I've only started actually spelling it right, instead of Glascow (sorry!). Nobody in Edinburgh even talks about Glasgow. I asked a man at a ceilidh, who answered "why wouldya?". Oddly, he is someone of long flourishing sentences, but this was all I got.

Alexander McCall Smith (Ladies #1 Detective Agency) writes a very fun series that sweetly mocks life in Edinburgh called 44 Scotland Street. It's a really good read. His quip, I'm finding, is often spot on. One of his stories is about the Moray Place gardens which is near where I live and I have a complimentary key to. Since the circular two acre garden is completely walled by 7 foot high hedges, and you can't see into it at all, there must be some speculation. Anyways, McCall Smith's version is that is where the Edinburgh Nudist Society meets. It's the middle of June right now, and I'm in my fleece and jeans, so not so sure about this. But, one of his characters goes to a meeting of the Edinburgh Nudist Society inside the Moray Place gardens. However, it rains (happens a lot in Edinburgh) and all the nudists have on their rain ponchos. 😀

Anyways, 44 Scotland Street also pokes fun at the seemingly lack of love for Glasgow by Edinburians. No, I take that back, it's not lack of love, it's pretty much indifference. "Oh, really, there's another city, larger than Edinburgh, less than an hour away...had no idea." McCall Smith's version is there is a mafia in Glasgow, and you can't understand anything they're saying.

Well, he may be right in that one respect. Our spin instructor, Robert, is from Glasgow and I don't have a clue sometimes what he said. Of course, he's shouting over really loud music as we are gasping for breath and our hearts our beating loudly out of our chests as we pedal furiously on our bikes. He's also a national boxing champion. Did he mention the brain bleed and 3 concussions? I thought that's what I heard!

Regardless, Craig and I decided to check Glasgow out. I also need to add here that my husband, Craig, is an el-genius at train schedules, bus routes and generally getting you from one place to the next (as long as it doesn't involved cars, which he dislikes, but since we don't have a car right now, no worries!).

So, we take the train to Glasgow and emerge out of the train station onto this fabulous city!

And Glaswellians have a great sense of humor. (The first picture at the top of the post they have named the buildings "the armadillo" and "the cupcake".

The city council finally voted to quit trying to do anything about keeping a traffic cone off the top of the Duke of Wellington's head. It just became too much of an effort for someone the people of Glasgow have little respect for.

Craig and I visit the Kelvingrove Art Museum. I highly recommend this museum, especially the Scottish painters gallery.

Peploe's Evening in North Berwick

I fall in love with the Scottish Post-impressionists (also known as the Scottish Colourists), Samuel Peploe, John Fergusson, Leslie Hunter. It's a place you can lose yourself, for awhile, in these paintings. I feel it's a bit like my precious six months here in Scotland. Few times in my life have I been so very present-moment for a lengthy period of time. I've either been dreaming and fantasying about the future (well, as I did for the past year in planning for this Scottish adventure), or stuck in my regrets about the past. These paintings draw me in, and keep me there. Almost like a warm, happy hug. You know you'll have to let go soon, but that just makes it all the more precious and delightful.

Craig and I have some concert tickets for Glasgow this summer, so we'll be back. I find Glasgow very kind. They probably are very aware of their Edinburgh neighbor's aloof attitude towards them, but they laugh and smile and say it's all just "good craic!"

Next Craig and I are off to the Orkney Islands.

Thanks for reading!