In retrospect, we probably should have planned out what we wanted to see, and planned our time in each city accordingly. We are finding that there isn't enough time to see everything in each city... And we've only BEEN to one city!
Sept. 22 - Arrival in Glasgow
Our flight from Calgary to London was uneventful. I am glad that nothing dramatic or stressful occurred-- especially considering that the Air Canada flight attendants almost went on strike the day that we were supposed to leave. Our flight from Heathrow to Glasgow was equally uneventful. We took a shuttle from the airport and on the way, we stared out the window at all the old buildings thinking, "Wow! Look at all the history in this city!" and "Wow! Look at the size of that REALLY old, giant abandoned building for 'For Let'!"
We hopped off the shuttle which conveniently stopped about a block away from the hotel. We took in the lobby of the hotel... It's amazing! We rode the fuchsia pink elevator up to our room. It's amazing! Now that I think about it, fuchsia was really a key colour to the hotel's colour palette. See for yourself!
Our room at the Hotel Indigo in Glasgow.
After settling in, we took a quick walk around to gain our bearings, and had dinner at a restaurant that Jeff recommended called "Two Fat Ladies." We ate scallops, sea bass, mussels clams, and waddled back to the hotel, stuffed and sleepy. By then it was only 8pm (although, 1pm at home) and we promptly called it a night. We hadn't slept in 36 hours... We were out for the count.
Sept. 23 - Road Trip to St. Andrews
Tom and I perused our guide book and decided there wasn't too much we wanted to see in the city of Glasgow. So we tracked down a car rental agency so we could DRIVE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD!
I say, "we," but it was really Tom who did the driving. He got the hang of it really quickly. Granted, our first right turn brought us on to the right hand side of the road into oncoming traffic, but driving over the median remedied that problem! If anything, it was good it happened early-- we never had an incident like that again!
Also... I declare Tom and myself, "King and Queen of Roundabouts." That is all.
In St. Andrews, we visited the ruined cathedral and castle, and took a walk along the beach. We also saw our first rat in the rocks of the cliff! At least... We think it was a rat. It was big, and had a rat-like tail...
Ruins of the St. Andrews Cathedral.
Tom and I near the beach in St. Andrews, Fife.
Ruins of St. Andrews Castle.
Sept. 24 - Last Day in Glasgow
As our last day in Glasgow began, we realized there were a few things we wanted to see. We made the walk out to Glasgow Cathedral. What a spectacular sight! It's amazing to think how long the cathedral has been standing, and how it could have been made without modern-day technology.
The exterior of Glasgow Cathedral.
The interior of Glasgow Cathedral.
Since our previous road trip was so successful, we rented a car for a second day and drove out to Stirling Castle. In addition to a castle, the town of Stirling also contains the National Wallace Monument. Stirling is the site where William Wallace (think Braveheart) fought the famous battle for freedom in 1297. Can you imagine? This castle has been around for over 700 years!
The exterior of Stirling Castle.
I was a little disappointed with Stirling Castle. The castle has been restored (unlike the ruins in St. Andrews), and has been doctored up to entertain tourists. Although they have done their best to maintain historical accuracy, it's just not the same!
Scotrail train to Edinburgh.
Now our time is up in Glasgow. We'll be boarding the train to Edinburgh shortly!
No comments:
Post a Comment