14th - 16th October

On Saturday morning, Annika and I took the bus to Glasgow, on a mission to find food and art. We arrived around lunchtime, and headed directly to The 78; a vegan resturant and bar. The walk from the subway took a little longer than it should have, as we took a route through the park. The trees are in full Autumn glory, and we kept stopping to take photos. The city is known for it's architecture, which poked above reds, oranges and yellows. We walked along the canal, where the walls were covered in murals and the trees still had all their green leaves, overhanging the water.
After indulging in lunch plus a ginger lemon cake, we found the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. In Glasgow, the people own the galleries, and there is free entry to all (with a donation recommended). With twenty two themed exhibition galleries, it's easy to spend an entire day inside. The building itself is one hundred and fifteen years old, and the architecture is every bit as impressive as the exhibitions. A giant organ, high, decorative ceilings, curving archways and sculptures in every conceivable place, the Kelvingrove is bigger than big, once you get going inside.
We spent a good two hours

trying to squeeze as much in as we could, moving from French Impressionist displays to Scottish colourists, Dali, and more modern collections. It's amazing to think you can just walk in off the street, and find Christ of St John of The Cross, just centimetres away. We found artworks by Renoir, Monet, and a Van Gogh self-portrait, with none of the line up and crowds you'd find at the Louvre. Hanging from the ceiling are a series of busts, all with different facial expressions, and changing coloured lighting. In the Scottish history section, we found a cylinder used for secret messages between Jacobites, with a distorted face reflecting through the glass. Two hours was not enough, and I'm going to have to find a way to return and see the rest of what the Kelvingrove has to offer.

From the Kelvingrove, we walked towards the University of Glasgow. It was too late in the day to see the Hunterian Art Gallery or Mackintosh House, but there were other things to see. The university itself is over five hundred years old, and for that reason alone, it's worth a visit just to walk the grounds. We met a red squirrel, admired the golden tipped gates and old buildings, and sat in the rain, before returning to town to meet Jay; Annika's boyfriend.
Jay walked us to Stereo, another vegan resturant, where I had a

strange fusion meal of udon noodles, fresh herbs, satay sauce and beer battered tofu. The chef had added in a slice of fresh bread for good measure, and so I finished a bowl of Japanese-meets-Thai-meets-Italian-meets-Glasgow. The cardamom and orange brownie for dessert made up for it all. Brownies always make everything better.

The night was still young, and so Jay took us to a local pub, where I was introduced to Caol Ila and Macallan whiskys. Contrary to the many photos taken of me that night, I only drank one and a half serves, followed by a cinnamon fireball back at Jay's house. The Caol Ila is a single malt whisky. It's very peaty, and at first I was unsure about it's taste. The longer it sits with you, the more you realise how smooth it is, and despite it's peatiness, is actually quite a mellow drink.
The Macallan is aged in sherry seasoned oak casks, and its darker colouring comes with a sweetness I wouldn't have expected. I'm well aware that this sounds like I almost know what I'm talking about, but apparently whisky is a very personal thing, and I'm not really a seasoned drinker. Jay's brother claims "I like whisky you can chew".

My own experience, is that I like whisky followed by large quantities of water. Call me soft, at least I drink it neat.

Sunday began with a big sleep in, and a late start heading into town. We arrived at Steak, Cattle 'n' Roll around lunchtime, where I seized the opportunity to indulge. A classic V burger, followed by a giant sized biscoff smoothie, with all the soy cream trimmings, and I was full, and floating on a cloud of oil and sugar. We walked back towards the Gallery of Modern Art, while I reminded myself for the umpteenth time that indulgence always comes with a cost.

The Gallery of Modern Art is much smaller than the Kelvingrove, and interesting in it's own way. A lot of the artwork is interactive, in the form of films, with other pieces focusing on texture, colour and space in our daily lives. We watched poignant videos of sisters with genetic muscular disorders, and a couple interviewed after their wedding and marriage consummation were very publicly aired on live television. All very confronting. The second work was displayed with typography which forces the viewer to think about the role media plays in our personal lives, and how publicly we live now.
The Gallery is built with four galleries, and two balconies. The balconies are oval shaped, and the rooms around them create an artwork in themselves. One balcony has a doorway built into it, giving the illusion of a long, wooden tunnel, leading into another room. Front on, the doorway leads about one metre backwards, to some carved timber patterns; more a tree hollow in the wall, a clever visual trick.

Near the Gallery is George Square, where the iconic City Chambers stands. Home to the city council, we missed the free walking tour, but again, admired the detailed architecture from outside. Large columns, high domes, gold plates and general grandeur stand in front of a series of statues and memorials. Perhaps the most poignant part of our visit, was a peaceful protest in front of the Chambers. A group of people in solidarity with Aleppo, holding banners saying "believe it or not, we bleed too". Politics entirely aside, it was incredibly touching to see these people standing in the rain, asking people to recognise the loss of civilian life.

Tired from the sugar crash, we headed back to Edinburgh, where I'm updating this journal before we leave again tomorrow morning. The Outlander fan in me is about to be indulged!