This week we took a day trip to Glasgow to visit Jacob’s sister, who has a flat in the city. It took us an hour and a half to get there by ScotRail from Edinburgh Waverley train station. As with any good trip, the primary focus of the day was food. We started off at a cafe and bakery near the flat, enjoying the sunshine streaming in through the windows. After fueling up, we walked through town to the Glasgow Cathedral and Necropolis. The Necropolis is a massive graveyard, apparently home to fifty thousand deceased people. We wandered through the grounds, looking at the various gravestones and monuments. There was a wide range of memorials to see, from simple plaques and headstones to large statues and ornate mausoleums.
Glasgow Necropolis
After looking around, we went back down the hill to the Glasgow Cathedral, a medieval cathedral which is the oldest building in Glasgow. There were some lovely stained glass windows, ranging from traditional to modern. Building on my photography course from last week, I tried to take some photos of the windows with the surrounding stonework, but I struggled to get the light levels correct. Below is my best effort.
Glasgow Cathedral
A breezy twenty-minute walk later, we reached the hustle and bustle of Buchanan Street, a pedestrian-only street full of shops and pubs. We stopped in at the Willow Tea Rooms for their afternoon high tea, which is something I’ve been looking forward to since we arrived in the UK. It did not disappoint! The scone with cream and jam was heavenly, as was the lemon meringue tart.
Tea at the Willow Tea Rooms
No trip to Glasgow is complete without a stop to see the statue of the Duke of Wellington atop his noble steed, so we snapped a photo (see the top of the post) as we wandered further through town. Yes, the traffic cones are basically a permanent fixture!
To cap off our day, we went to the West End for dinner and drinks. First up was Cafe Andaluz for some Spanish tapas - the perfect choice given how much food we’d already consumed! One street over is Ashton Lane, which is a cobbled backstreet full of cute bars and restaurants. We ended up at The Gardener, a laid-back bar with a coffee shop vibe. I loved the decor, and there was great live music as well. The perfect way to end our visit before catching the train back to Edinburgh!
Mural at The Gardener in Ashton Lane
Van preparation update for this week: we spent this afternoon visiting every charity shop (aka thrift store) between Morningside and the Grassmarket (13 in total!) to find things we need for the van. We were successful in finding all the dishes and cutlery we need, as well as a duvet cover. We still have quite a few things on our list, though, and only two weeks to go until we pick up the van!