Day 18 Glasgow (final day)
The morning started foggy and cold but by 10:00 was full sunshine with clear blue skies (I think we’ve only had two days with rain since we arrived). We were on the streets early looking for a breakfast spot and found the perfect place at the i-café on Sauchiehall Street- really good pancakes and strong coffee…ready now for six hours of city walking.
First stop, the Glasgow City Chambers at Royal Exchange Square. We timed it perfectly for the 10:30 free tour of this magnificent building with is four stories of Italian marble, gold leaf covered carvings, Wedgewood ceilings, mosaic tiled walls and painted murals. Dating back to 1889 and officially opened by Queen Victoria, it had a construction budget of 150,000 pounds but came in at more than 600,000 pounds and today would cost an estimated 40 million pounds. it is absolutely magnificent in every way. Best of all, admission and the tour is…free!
From there we made our way to Glasgow Cathedral in the north east of the city to view the magnificent windows. This cathedral, like many others we have visited, is a historic museum and also free to the public. This one in particular has fascinating catacombs under the cathedral filled with ancient treasures all well marked for a self-guided tour. Next to the cathedral, are the burial grounds called ‘The Necropolis’. High on a hill, one gets a sweeping panorama of Glasgow while enjoying centuries old monuments to the city’s famous and less-famous dead.
From the necropolis, we made our way south to Glasgow Green to see the People’s Palace, a one acre glass conservatory filled with plants and trees that the people of Glasgow can enjoy all year round. Also on site is a museum of the history of Glasgow, the Nelson Monument (love that) and the Doulton Fountain dedicated to the four continents that Great Britain colonized in the 1800’s, i.e. the British Commonwealth: Australia, India, South Africa and Canada.
Time to start heading back toward our hotel, we strolled along the pedestrian-only shopping district of Argyle and Buchannan Streets (known as the Style Mile) passing notable landmarks like the Clock Tower and Central Station along the way. Thousands (mostly a young crowd) milled about on this very cosmopolitan part of the city. What good fun we had people watching while strolling along.
Dinner was terrific at ‘Thairiffic’ restaurant just a block from our hotel. And finally we retired to our room for a nightcap of Bushmills Whiskey (we had bought two drams a week ago on the Causeway Coast) which went wonderfully with Irish Whiskey Chocolate. That’s a perfect end to a perfect vacation. Tomorrow we are homeward bound for New Brunswick. Thanks everyone for coming along with us on this trip of a lifetime. Slán.
- pancake breakfast at the i-cafe
- walking down Sauchiehall Street at 8 am
- City Chambers at Royal Exchange Square
- arriving in time for the 10:30 tour
- the salmon are a significant emblem in Glasgow
- the ground floor of city chambers – covered with mosaic inlay
- hanging with Nelson Mandella – waiting for the tour to start
- white marble lion at the stairs
- City Chambers logo etched into all the glass doors
- I’m sitting in the Provost’s Chair
- The Great Hall
- mural depicting the story of the salmon and the golden ring
- Wedgewood ceiling tiles
- four stories of Italian marble
- Queen Elizabeth at Royal Exchange Square (the sun was in the wrong direction for a face-on shot)
- arriving at Glasgow Cathedral
- inside Glasgow Cathedral
- detail – the salmon
- one of several windows at Glasgow Cathedral
- detail – again with salmon (a very important icon in Glasgow history)
- coat of arms window at Glasgow Cathedral
- details – the Lamb of God
- The Scottish coat of arms
- monuments at the Necropolis
- the Necropolis at Glasgow Cathedral
- Glasgow panorama from the Necropolis with clear blue skies
- The Lord Nelson Monument at Glasgow Green
- The People’s Palace at Glasgow Green
- Passion Flowers blooming at the conservatory
- the conservatory at the People’s Palace
- The Daulton Fountain at the People’s Palace on Glasgow Green
- The Tollbooth Steeple (clock tower)
- beautiful glass walls and ceiling of Central Train Station
- dinner around the corner from our hotel at Thairrific
- ‘Golden Bags’ appetizer for Mon
- prawn cakes appetizer for Nelly
- we shared the red curry chicken and green curry pork
- the sun is going down on our last day in Glasgow – tomorrow we go home
- an Irish night cap