Glasgow - Day 2
We woke up bright and early (mostly to make sure we got the car out of the car park in time). We then drove over to the West End and parked the car up before having breakfast in Antipasti on Byres Road. After a quick bite to eat we visited the Botanic Gardens which I’m very pleased to see have been fully renovated. Everything has been cleaned and the closed wings reopened. It’s still lovely and toastie in there on a cold day too.
We then wondered over to the Hunterian Museum. All that time I lived in Glasgow I never really appreciated how beautiful the campus was. I saw the elegant stonemasonry but I never really noticed it. I guess working in a ‘modern university’ has really highlighted the quality and history of Glasgow uni to me. I wish I was bloody well still working there in some ways.
After a bit of a mooch down Byres Road I then introduced Mark to the Glasgow Underground - I just knew he’d love it!! We then went in search of Tenement House (10 min walk from Cowcaddens underground station). This flat/house has remained largely unchanged since the beginning of the twentieth century and seemed surprisingly comfortable - apparently only people with a steady income could afford to live in tenements.
Mark then insisted we visit the Museum of Modern Art and was rather disappointed with it’s contents. I’m not keen on modern art so wasn’t in the least surprised by it’s pointlessness.
We then hopped back on the underground to Kelvinside and mooched along the rest of Byres Road - visiting the liquid deli at the top - what a fabulous idea!! Basically it’s a deli that sells spirits, liqueurs, oils and vinegars instead of olives, sun dried tomatoes and fancy pasta. I would love to run such a shop!! If only I had the faintest idea of how to go about it. I think I know of a place that would support such a venture but what do I know about running a business, off-licencing laws or product sourcing?? I do at least know about customer service and marketing though. I just wouldn’t know where to start with setting up a shop.
Anyway after that we realised we just about had time to visit the Tall Ship at Glasgow Harbour. This we did, but the attendant let us in for half price because we only had 25 minutes till closing time and we had to run round the ship at speed. There were lots of info-boards that we didn’t have time to read unfortunately and I think and extra 30-45 mins would have been good.
After dropping the car back off at the NCP car park we returned to Byres Road to choose an eaterie for our tea. After much deliberation we chose Bar Brel (because I used to go there a lot) and after a reasonable meal (but not a great one) we toddled off to the Aragon for a pint (also because I used to go there a lot). Mark has discovered a liking for Deuchars IPA.