Dear Readers,
I am happy to report that there were no hiccups (or glitches) today; just a fun, very busy day.
We started at the Glasgow Cathedral. Founded in the 1200’s, it was originally a Catholic place of worship. However, following the Protestant Reformation of 1560, it became a Protestant church (kirk) which it remains today. It is the only medieval cathedral on the Scottish mainland to have survived the Reformation virtually intact.
Next door to the Cathedral is the Necropolis – one of the most significant cemeteries in Europe. I thought the gate to enter was especially beautiful.
Across the street is Provand’s Lordship – Glasgow’s oldest house. It was built in 1471. It was originally built for use by the Cathedral personnel. Then it became a private home and then a wide range of shops. In 1980 it became part of Glasgow’s museums.
As we walked to our next destination, we passed this shop. I guess it’s like a tuxedo shop in the USA.
Our next destination was the City Chambers which was built in 1888. One can only visit the first floor which features a vaulted ceiling and marble & alabaster staircases. Quite gorgeous.
Our next stop was the Gallery of Modern Art (or GoMA as they say here). The building itself was finished in 1829 as the Royal Exchange which was a meeting place for merchants & traders. Later, it became Stirling’s Library. (Remember the name Stirling; there will be a quiz in 2 days!!)
I was not familiar with the artists whose works were displayed with one exception: Niki de Saint Phalle. Again, there was an exhibit of her work in Paris when we were there which we didn’t get to so I was happy to see a few pieces here. (Ellen: we saw some of her work at PS 1 in Queens several years ago.)
At this point we took a break for lunch which we rarely do when we’re sightseeing. But how can you not go to a tea room in Scotland?! We went to the Willow Tearoom which has been restored to its original, archetypal Charles Rennie Mackintosh (more about him tomorrow; no quiz!) art nouveau design, right down to the decorated tables & chairs. Marty had the high tea special (including finger sandwiches, a scone & cheesecake plus tea, of course); I had Scottish (not Welsh) rarebit & hot cocoa with marshmallows. Everything was delicious.
Fortified with food, we continued onward to the Tenement House which is reminiscent of the Tenement Museum in NY. The tenement is the traditional form of urban housing in Scotland.
Lastly, we walked over to the Scottish Jewish Heritage Center which Marty had discovered, but we couldn’t get in.
A word about the weather. The forecast before we left home was cool & wet on many of the days. It’s been cool which is good for sightseeing. Up until this evening it’s been dry. It rained as we walked back & forth from dinner. The forecast is for more rain Thursday & Friday. Send good vibes our way for dry days.
Dinner tonight was at a local pub. We may have been the only tourists. Marty had their specialty: steak pie. We thought it would be like a pot pie, but the puff pastry was separate. It was delicious. I had fish & chips, because it felt like the appropriate thing to eat there. It was tasty. We had beer with our meal. It was a fun experience.
So, all in all a good day. See you tomorrow for another day in Glasgow.
❤️
Irene