Glasgow, City of Saint Mungo

 

And so to Glasgow, where we stayed in the aptly named Z Hotel, just steps away from Queen Street Station and George Square. In this square we enjoyed our first breakfast in Wetherspoons, housed in a building originally owned by the Royal Bank of Scotland, designed in the Italian Renaissance style by JT Ruchead in 1867- 1870.                                          . 

Detractors may call it a ‘greasy spoon’company,  but we have always found all their premises we’ve visited to be perfectly good.  In this aptly named Counting House  we enjoyed good food, great servce by well-trained, cheery staff in this well-maintained, impressive building.

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 Incidentally outside in the square  you may spy a cone-bedecked equestrian statue  but this is a mere copy-cat horse – the authentic one of the Duke of Wellington stands out front at The Gallery of Modern Art nearby. This houses temporary exhibitions and Angeliki and I visited it some years ago.  

                                             

Ours was a short visit there as, on seeing an exhibit of underwear - soiled at that! - we left in disgust.  This time, thankfully Z and I saw no briefs but overall we found it uninspired and uninspiring. In fact, in modern idiomatic parlance, it really was pants !!  The best piece was the cone-capped Duke. :o    It bears no resemblance to the Athenian  National Museum of Modern Art whose exhibits  are topical and informative, and somehow are displayed to complement and enhance  the building’s features.

What really impressed us were the Glasgow City Chambers, designed by the Scottish architect William Young, the construction of this Victorian-style edifice began in 1882. This has housed various forms of municipal administration since 1889.

                                             

The entire building radiates opulence and speaks of the past glory of Glasgow as an international trade centre. There are amazing stained glass windows and the marble columns have the most magnificent rich sheen.                                 

On the floor we see the city coat of arms in mosaic form.  The design features - a bird, a tree a bell and a fish -are said to represent miracles performed by St Mungo, aka St Kentigern, Glasgow’s patron saint.                                             

The final shot is of Z enjoying Chinese food in the Zhima Brasserie, again close to George Square.

 We had a lovely sweet and sour dish, but all our memories of Glasgow are sweet – and there are more to come!!                                    

Revisiting Auld Reekie.

 

  I wanted to share some of our Edinburgh experience after the wedding anniversary celebrations.  Strange to think I spent the first six years of my teaching career in this area. It seems like another life now.                                           

After a leisurely breakfast we made our way to the Royal Botanic Gardens not far from the city centre - but we taxi-ed there and back! Here‘s the well-known skyline of the Castle ramparts from there – and a tourist enjoying the view and the warm weather!!

                                             

Now apparently the older gardens are known as Botanic whereas the more modern gardens are Botanical. How language changes! Certainly, we were lucky to have sunshine to enjoy the gardens which boast over 70 acres of landscape and were founded in 1670. We particularly liked the lily pond  ………..

                                           

………   and the most beautiful hydrangea blooms of delicate mauves and pinks.

                                             

After all that walking around, we decided to dine in the hotel on that evening -  our last in Edinburgh. A very pleasant meal in very pleasant company – all wearing comfy shoes. 😊

                                                 

Next morning greeted us with a grey cloud-covered sky - we had been so fortunate the previous day. As we took our taxi to the station, the kindly driver offered to drop us off at Haymarket Station to avoid the inevitable traffic congestion in the centre during festival time.

Z decided we should go ahead to Waverley Station as planned as he fancied seeing the sights there and a jolly good decision that was too!

Here we see the towering spires of the Victorian Gothic-style Scott Monument. Dedicated to Sir Walter Scott, it is the second largest monument in the world raised to honour a writer.                                                        

  I leave you the impressive façade of The Royal Scottish Academy of Art and Architecture. Those of you who have seen the film Sunshine in Leith will be familiar with it!

                                            

Sadly we didn’t have time to visit the gallery and enjoy the exhibitions – next time!

 So off we set for Glasgow – a short train trip to the other side of the country - the west and best!! 😊