Back in Glasgow
After our day trip to Edinburgh, we returned to Glasgow to continue our visit to this beautiful city. As I have mentioned, we have walked over 13 miles in Edinburgh, and to say that we have not suffered consequences, would be a lie. Apart from our blisters, our leg muscles also hurt from all the walking, but we still decided to go on exploring Glasgow the next day, telling ourselves that we'd take it easy; spoiler alert: we did not.
This day was the coldest we have experienced on our trip, and since staying outdoors was a bit challenging, we decided to visit Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, another stunning piece of architecture inside and out.
Prior to reaching the museum, we walked through Kelvingrove Park, a Victorian-style oasis. It was in full bloom in spite of the dark and cold weather. We walked a good portion of it before heading to the museum.
Oh, did I mention that in the UK, or at least in Glasgow and London, major museums are free of charge? Instead, they ask for a voluntary £5 donation. Don't let the "free" keep you away from visiting -- the museums are mind-blowing.
We thought that the Kelvingrove Museum would be an easy walk and we somewhat expected it to be rather small. Once again we were fools to believe so, as we could have easily spent the entire day there. The museum has extensive collections, starting with art, animals, and even Ancient Egyptian artifacts, which include real mummies.
I have to say that we have seen a few Ancient Egypt related exhibitions in our lifetime (mummies included), but the "rawest" mummies we've ever seen were here. Some of them were exposed and so well preserved that you could see the hair and other details-- it was a bit too much for me to handle. I didn't take photos out of respect -- after all, these were real human beings, even if thousands of years ago.
The museum was quite busy and we spent more time here than intended, as there was plenty to see. When we realized how late it was, we left as we wanted to visit another incredible place - The University of Glasgow. I say incredible because this university was founded in 1451! and the building itself is a step back into the medieval era: it's immense, old and grand and, quite impossible to get into a picture from up close.
We walked around it a bit and headed to the Hunterian Museum, located within the university, which is the oldest museum in Scotland. Here's where I found the answer to my wondering about the Roman influences I've been seeing all over the city, and especially in the Necropolis (maybe I skipped that history lesson?). Romans have lived on parts of the land that is now Southern Scotland and built here the famous Antonine Wall, parts of which are preserved and displayed in this museum, along with an extensive collection of ancient Roman items.
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum from University of Glasgow
After visiting the museum and a part of the campus (definitely worth a visit), we went towards the hotel as, once again, the cold became unbearable.
The next day was supposed to be the last "nice" day of our stay in Glasgow before the rain took over. We decided to visit the Glasgow Tower, which was a bit of a walk from where we were.
Before we reached the tower, we found ourselves in a different city -- a modern-looking Glasgow. We crossed the river and walked alongside it until we reached the Science Centre, from where we entered the tower. After purchasing our tickets (£6.50), we went up the elevator until we reached the top. It was a windy day (just a usual day in Glasgow), and we felt the tower swing. It wasn't bad at all though and we enjoyed the 360-degrees views of the city.
Here's the best description from the website, so you decide that it's worth the visit: "Glasgow Tower is the only structure on earth capable of rotating 360° into the prevailing wind and holds the Guinness World Record for the tallest fully rotating freestanding structure in the world. At 127 metres high — the equivalent of over 30 double-decker buses — Glasgow Tower is the tallest freestanding building in Scotland".
Once we got back on the ground, we walked along the river to reach Glasgow Green, the oldest park in the city, which houses several monuments, as well as People's Palace, a museum about the social history of the city.
Doulton Fountain
We strolled through the park and then walked back towards the city center to visit Merchant City and spend some more time in the Style Mile.
The next two days, and our last in Glasgow, it rained constantly, and since it was cold and we were a bit tired, we didn't do much. We did, however, follow The Mural Trail, which was worth getting soaked for, and visited The Platform, where we had some amazing vegan burgers from Freddie and Hicks. These events concluded our stay in Glasgow, the first city we visited on our 4-months trip through Europe.
If you never heard of Glasgow before, or you have but was unsure if it's worth the visit, I absolutely recommend it. There's plenty to see, do, and eat there. While we have not explored a lot of the food there (Scottish food is heavily meat-based - especially beef, and while we're not fully vegans or vegetarians, we prefer eating this way and do not eat beef or pork), there are options for everyone.
I'd say that, to explore this city and what it has to offer, you need about 5 days, if well planned. Do keep in mind that rain is a frequent phenomenon, and the wind is almost always present. It can also be cold even in the summer, so be sure to have warm clothes.
We chose to walk everywhere, as I simply can't imagine visiting a city by driving or even taking cabs unless specifically needing transportation from one place to another. We found so many things just by walking, but of course, you ultimately decide your travel style.
We didn't do much planning in regards to attractions or even food - I'm impatient like that, but I think we did a great job in seeing what we needed and wanted to.
Overall, Scotland has won me over, and I know it's a country we will be returning to in the future.
Have you been to Glasgow or Scotland yet?
Until next time.
xoxo,
Em
