And now we’re in Scotland: Arriving late in the afternoon, we found our Air BnB in the west of town, a bit further from the town center than we would like, but it’s a nice place. Our hostess met us and gave us the tour. It’s her home, but she’s staying now with her boyfriend. She was very helpful and friendly. We loved her accent. Then we found a local pub, Deoch & Doris, for dinner. They serve a good Fish & Chips.
Glasgow is a thriving working-class town, the most populous city in Scotland. Glaswegians are down-to-earth, friendly and so very welcoming. They’re proud of their country, that is, of Scotland, not the UK. Since more tourists frequent Edinburg than Glasgow, locals we met were grateful that we came to visit Glasgow.
On Day #1, we followed our proven strategies for taking in a new city. At the center of town, we found a Tourist Information Center. In addition to being very helpful, they had many quaint, and very Scottish souvenirs to offer, tartans and stuffed dolls wearing kilts. Just outside was a young Scottish busker, dressed in his tartan and kilt, playing bagpipes for an appreciative crowd.
In the afternoon, we “hopped on” for the Hop-On, Hop Off Bus Tour of Glasgow. It’s a great way to start, making us familiar with different areas of town and many sights that we’d never even heard of before. Later we discovered how Glasgow’s Subway system could get us easily around town.
As we retreated closer to our Air BnB, we stopped again for dinner at Deach & Doris. Sara pursued her taste testing of Scotch whiskey, along with a very good plate of Fish & Chips. The pub was crowded with locals here to watch a football game (soccer) between local rivals. The pubs in Glasgow are welcoming, friendly, and busy. And they serve good food. Elsewhere we found another favorite restaurant, Efes featuring a delicious Turkish menu.
Pub Music: On another night we were anxious to hear some “Trad” music. It was scheduled at Ben Nevis, a pub named for the highest mountain in Scotland, even in all of Britain. Ben Nevis may be big, but the pub was not. Rather it was small, cosey and very crowded. Nevertheless, we found a couple of stools, indulged in beer and conversation with locals and fellow tourists. And then “the band played” the kind of “Trad,” or traditional music with guitars, pipes, bagpipes, fiddles and percussion. This was a great evening.
Street Art: Throughout Glasgow, we saw hardly any graffiti but lots of very impressive street art decorating buildings. This was lots of fun, so we’ve taken some pictures to share with you.
The Duke: Just outside the Gallery of Modern Art in central Glasgow, stands an equestrian statue honoring the Duke of Wellington. Erected in 1844 to celebrate Wellington’s victories during the Napoleonic Wars, it’s like so many other equestrian monuments, a man on a horse. But since 1980 it’s become unique, and now an iconic sight in Glasgow. Despite efforts by the authorities to end the “vandalism,” Wellington is most often crowned with a traffic cone. Wellington is more of an English leader and hero, so it’s no surprise that Glaswegians might treat his statue with disdain. But most commentators view this as more innocent, simply reflecting the Scottish sense of humor.
Glasgow Cathedral. Founded in the 1200’s, as Roman Catholic, it became protestant 1560, and is now part of the Church of Scotland. Dedicated to St. Mungo (also known as St. Kentigern) it was built as a fitting shrine and tomb for the Saint, who was buried on the site in 612 CE.
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. While Sara and I tire early on our museum visits, this one was lively and entertaining. We enjoyed spending a couple of hours here.
The People’s Palace (below): When the Palace first opened in 1898 in the East end of town, the area was overcrowded and unhealthy. But the idea was to build a museum that really focused on the common people and how they lived their lives. This was well worth a visit to see history from a different angle, focused on how the common and poorer people of Glasgow made their way through 19th and 20th centuries.
During our time in Glasgow, we also took two tours north, to “The Highlands.” Find that in our next post.
