Tueday, 6/29 Glasgow

Photos: The People's Museum and Conservatory, the Grand staircase from ground level to first floor in People's, the Conservatory where we had lunch, the Hunterian Art Museum and Charles Mackintosh house gallery.

Tuesday June 29, 2010


Got up in what seemed like the middle of the morning as usual. Breakfast, clean up, dishes, organization, and finally at 9:30 or so out the door. The first stop was the nearby model shop. It is a hobby store with very interesting items including many specific British products that would not fit in, in the states. Marked out some things for possible future purchase and moved down Bell Street to the square to pick up the red bus. We intended the bus, still using yesterday’s ticket, to be transportation, but the guide was so good we were tempted to ride all the way around with him, but we didn’t.

First stop was the People’s Museum on the green. This is a museum of social history with exhibits on dance clubs in Glasgow, the problems of alcoholism, crime and punishment, living in tenaments, and the obligatory exhibits on World War I and World War II. They also had exhibits dedicated to the manufacturing base of Glasgow, but not just the Clydeside shipyards, other manufacturers old and new were included—and to the organizing spirit of the city, anti-war, anti big business and so on. It was all very interesting. As we wandered downstairs we noticed it was lunch time, and there was the conservatory tea room close at hand. We had a bowl of potato and leek soup, a cheesy baked potato, one piece of carrot cake and drinks. All this in the presence of date palms, banana trees and assorted cacti. Back on the bus headed for the next destination.

We debussed at Glasgow University to see the Hunterian Gallery and the Mackintosh House. The Mackintosh house is a recreation of the only home in Glasgow of the famous designer. The original house was demolished for a rail line or a roadway or something, but the interior and the floorplan were preserved. One corner of the gallery is the reconstruction of the house with the original furnishings—many built-in bookcases, mantels and so on, plus the original furniture. There were pieces missing and other bits added from other houses he designed. The effect was very nice. The remainder of the gallery was also neat, lots of work Whistler—the guy who painted his mother—as well as older stuff English portraits, Italian Renissance, Flemish masters, all in a very modern gallery.

Back on the bus for a ride back to city center. It's 4:00, and the museums are closed (budget cut backs and all). We went looking for inexpensive postcards and came up empty. No, we are not being cheap, but 50p or about 80 American cents per card makes them expensive for a piece of paper. We looked in the Kilt store again, less trouble as we were dry today, and went to the posh Princess Gallerywith lots of pricey stores. The only store we spent any time in was the pen store. Wow, can writing instruments be expensive. I did find a Cross fountain pen that was not too expensive, but the Mont Blac’s and the Waterman pens were just to be looked at. Quickly back downstairs looking for postcards, with a stop at the Whiskey Store---lots of fire water some so expensive I wouldn’t want to drink it—179 pounds for one bottle. Finally, we decided we should get back to the flat in case Jess needed in early. So we went to the grocery store bought the needed supplies from our list from the morning, and headed home. Stopped at the little store less than a block from the flat for the pop—it’s very heavy you see—and went home. Made pizza’s for dinner and collapsed.

Dinner is eaten quite late by Midwest standards. The biggest dinner rush seems to be around 8:00 PM.

Pictures: The pictures of the insides of the museums seem to be fewer because in many of the sections visitors are requested not to take pictures. Me being me....I respect the request. I take pictures where I can. However, there are so many people that do not obey the rules that I would really like to chew them out.

13,374 steps—much of it with heavy groceries. A bit more than 5 miles