5.Alas! a lass in my bed - Glasgow

(FYI the Edinburgh post and Highlands post have been updated)

The bus ride from Inverness took almost 7 hours instead of 3.5 due to road construction and traffic delays - the bus was late arriving and getting there. Nevertheless, I promised myself I would recognise the luxury of an open schedule and not fret too much about non-critical things like delays and such, which should almost be expected when travelling out of the ordinary. India will probably be worse in this respect - get used to it. Still, I got to Glasgow late, registered at the hostel, set up my bunk with my sleep liner for the covers and my USB charger, and went out for a bite and to explore.

I walked several kilometres (I needed it after sitting idle for so long) and reached Byres Road and quaint Ashton Lane (recommended by James) with their many interesting shops and pubs.

Ashton Lane

I stopped in at Grosvenor Cafe and had 3 starters: Grosvenor Scotch egg & cracklin' salt; Feta-stuffed roast peppers; and Crayfish, avocado and marie rose (see my Food & Drink page). A Scotch egg is a hard-boiled egg deep-fried. Very tasty.

Near here are several 'legendary' used bookstores.

Voltaire and Rousseau, where the books are pilled 3 deep in general categories but not discernable order. A control freak's worst nightmare and a browser's nemesis. I asked if they had Dante's Divine Comedy. They did. We found it.

On the way home, I was curious about all the people heading into a lit-up church late on a weekday. It was Oran Mor, a church convertevd into a pub. As this was Commonwealth Games week in Glasgow, I ordered a Scotch and came upon a couple of Canadian wrestling refs (no, they don't ref Canadian matches) and also spoke with a theatre director / Columbia prof from NYC.

Oban Mor outside...

...Oban Mor inside

(cribbed images)

When I finally got back to the hostel at 12:30, I opened the door to the pitch-black dorm room for 6 (what is it with all these young travellers visiting new places and going to bed by 11 PM?!), and gently lay my day-pack on the top bunk, and started to climb up the ladder to get into bed. Suddenly somebody jumped up and mumbled something Scottish in a thin voice - that's how I figured it was a lass. I whispered I had the receipt for that particular bed and asked also if she hadn't seen my stuff, she said, 'yes, I put it on that other bunk'. Frantic whispering and half-explanations ensued. Turns out she had been in that bunk the previous night and came back an extra day. It was a pain, but after getting the night watchman involved, it all worked out. OK, that was my second misleadingly provocative heading. Will you stop reading now? ;)

The next day I visited the Kelvingrove Museum. It's an interesting hodgepodge of random historical anecdotes, presented in an order I could not decipher, but I did learn a lot about Glasgow's rise as a global centre for shipbuilding and ironworks expertise, before struggling in the early 20th century as manufacturing rose elsewhere, until its slow resurgence as a popular and creative city today. 

Outside the Kelvingrove was one of several "Play-me-I'm-yours-Glasgow" pianos I saw around town. This guy played for a long time and it sounded plesantly like Coldplay and/or something Finn might play. I liked it.

Here is one thing that caught my eye as I really like spirals - these snails were hunted to (near?) extinction because of their beautiful sheels.

While I was there, Glasgow (and all the news) was totally about Glasgow hosting the Commonwelath Games.  I sometimes watched in the evening with others in the hostel, but mostly I was not in a sports tracking mood. In the Kelvingrove Gardens, the lawn bowling competition was being held.  I tried to be excited looking through the protective fence - people PAY to watch lawn bowling?? Will wonders never cease.

On my way home from Kelvingrove, I came upon the Botanic Gardens and found them beautiful, well tended and informative.

Panorama inside one entrance to the main greenhouse. All the plants are identified and many have context and/or explanations.

This is the big hardwood tree I dozed under and which sheltered me from a slight rain shower. Thank you tree.

I was too tired by the end of the day, and after being out late the previous night at the Oban Mor, that I went back to the hostel and watched Commonwealth Games with a Brit and 2 Aussies. I missed checking out James' recommendation for music, King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, and Glasgow is renown for music; it is the home of Simple Minds too, a fav band of mine from the 80s (most everything before their US hit "Don't you forget about me". Oh well, when I'm back in Glasgow? :(

The next day was travel back to Edinburgh and the Fringe before flying to Italy.  As I had 2 hours to kill before my bus, I walked over to the Necropolis.  I didn't learn much - I didn't really have the time to do so - but it is visually spectacular, and made what I think are some good photos.

Partly I wanted to see Glasgow Cathedral (AKA "The High Kirk of Glasgow"), built in the late 12th century (can you believe it? This working church was built 300 years before a westerner came to North America), and just near The Necropolis. According to what I learnt at Kelvingrove, it was basically the first permanent building in Glasgow, and was built by to try and establish the Catholic Church in the region.

The back / top of the entranceway (the Necropolis climbs up to what appears to be the highest hill in Glasgow, so the view is impressive), with Glasgow Cathedral in the background.

This is a monument for an important person. And/or a very rich person. I'm sorry I don't know more.

John amongst the tombstones.

Thanks Scotland, for a very wonderful time.  And thank you especially for such great people being ancestors to create who I am today, and so it continues.