Glasgow to Edinburgh

1 May 2009

Glasgow to Edinburgh

After Andrew and I parted ways with Bill, we made a game plan for how to spend our afternoon in Glasgow. It was pissing rain and damp cold, so we figured a museum would be the best bet for now. First we visited the beautiful Victorian museum called Kelvingrove. We checked out some of the famous oil paintings by a Scottish group of artists and then we saw everything from dinosaur bones, to old ball gowns, to an Egyptian sarcophagus. It was truly the most random collection of artwork and historical artifacts ever collected under one roof. We were also lucky enough to hear a live organ recital in the great hall of the museum before moving on to lunch. We ate at a modern looking pub across the street that had a pretty good lunch deal. I tried a salmon and fish pie and washed it down with a local Tennent beer. Right down the road, we found the Transport Museum and joined in on a guided tour by a chipper retired Scotsman. We learned some fun and historical facts about Glasgow and got to take a look at old trolley cars, steam trains and cars. There was an extensive collection of ship models. I never realized that Glasgow was such a huge center for ship building. In 1913 over half of the world’s ships were built in Glasgow. We also learned where the term “posh” came from. When the rich people booked a spot on a transatlantic boat they were choose portside on the way out and starboard coming home so they wouldn’t be in the glaring sun on the whole journey. So you have “Port Over, Starboard Home” which abbreviated POSH.

Now that Andrew and I knew all about Glasgow’s transport, we were ready to board the subway system after already walking onto a model at the museum. We took a short ride back to the center of town and had a 20 minute stroll to see Glasgow cathedral. The cathedral is impressively gothic in nature, which is accentuated by the black soot the covers the limestone structure. During the Industrial Revolution, Glasgow was incredibly polluted, in fact we were told you could barely see a few feet in front of you back then. The porous limestone absorbed the pollution over the years and is now blackened. They could sandblast it to clean it, but this would damage the soft limestone carvings. In a way, it is nice that the black soot remains as it tells a lot about Glasgow’s past. We explored this grand cathedral, including the crypts and underground white pristine chapel. We even got to see a Scottish bride and groom taking wedding shots within the cathedral.

After our look about, I said goodbye to Andrew who needed to go pick up his bicycle that he would use for the rest of the weekend. I stayed in the cathedral district and wandered around the old buildings. Behind the cathedral is the Necropolis, a cemetery on the hill. The sun was finally bursting out of the clouds as I walked through the rows of tall tombstones and Celtic crosses. From this hilltop perch, I had some great views of the city and Glasgow cathedral below. After I was satisfied with my stroll, I headed towards the river and happened to find a creperie along the way where I grabbed a quick dinner. I was the only one in the place as it was about to close up. The Scottish guy working there was really friendly and chatted away with me as he made my delicious crepe. He was from the north western Scottish islands which he said would take 12 hours to reach from there via train, plane and boat. I have to confess that I found it quite tough to understand his thick Scottish accent and had to have him repeat himself numerous times. After I finished eating, I completed my walk down to the river which I must admit was somewhat uneventful. I worked my way back to the city center, passing through the busy shopping and restaurant areas of Glasgow which were beginning to come alive with the Friday evening crowd. I picked up a few snacks at the Sainsburys near the train station before catching my 7pm train to Edinburgh.

The ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh is just a short 45 minutes. I arrived in Edinburgh just as the sun was starting to set. The train station is set down in the valley that runs through Edinburgh. As I climbed my way uphill to the old city, I was instantly taken by Edinburgh’s beauty and it wasn’t just because of the blues and yellows gracing the evening sky. Being in Edinburgh gives one the feeling they are stepping back into medieval times. The buildings in the city are mainly built of gray stone rising a good 10 stories up. The roads are cobbled and lined with lots of cute shops and pubs. Off of each road in the old city are lots of narrow alleyways called “closes.” Right off the Royal Mile, the main drag of old city, I found my hostel, Smart City. It’s very modern interior was a contrast to the medieval front. I was sharing my hostel room with three cute German girls and a couple. After taking a much needed shower, I ventured back out for an evening stroll. A few blocks down the Royal Mile I found Tass Pub which was advertising “the best singers in Scotland.” Inside this cozy pub I tasted a couple pints of local brew and enjoyed the music. There were four men playing traditional Scottish music, which is similar to Irish, but a bit more sublime. Anyone was welcome to join in, use the spare guitar and sing along with these guys in accompaniment. There were a couple locals who gave it a shot and even an American who came with his violin too. This was my first time ever going to a pub or bar alone and I have to say it was a wonderful evening. I sat there on a pub stool right in front of the music, sipping my beer and just taking it all in. I really felt the positive vibes of the men who clearly loved playing their instruments as well as the upbeat pub patrons. I figured I’d better call it a night around 11pm so I could do as much as possible in this beautiful city the next day!