We stayed in a small guest house about one mile from the city centre. After a short walk round the city centre on the Thursday evening we had an early dinner at a small Italian restaurant.
First thing on Friday morning we walked back into the city to visit the Banksy Exhibition at Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art. Our phones were locked away in pouches when we entered but a member of staff was taking pictures with a Polaroid type camera. The quality was appalling but I’ve managed to scan it and improve it a bit.
The exhibition was superb. Banksy makes fun of the establishment and uses his graffiti to highlight injustices and social issues. We enjoyed it very much.
When we came out of the art gallery it was pouring with rain. Thankfully we had booked an early lunch at the Willow Tea Rooms on Sauchiehall Street. The building and interior was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
It has been looked after and although the interior furniture isn’t original it has been carefully maintained.
The lunchtime menu started at 11.30 am and we sat down at 11.27 however the waitress wasn’t going to give us the menu until it was time. Helene explained that by the time we had chosen it would be 11.30.
Despite this minor irritation lunchtime was wonderful and beautifully tranquil.
We didn’t savour going out into the rain but lunchtime came to an end and we had more to explore.
On a visit many years ago in a previous life I had a tour of Glasgow School of Art. Unfortunately there was a fire and during the restoration after the original fire there was yet another fire which was even more devastating.
The building is now wrapped in protective plastic.
With the rain gradually soaking into our very souls we walked on down to the Clyde to see Glasgow riverside.
On our grand (drenching) tour we came across many interesting buildings and paid a visit to a synagogue (closed) as well as the cathedral which sits high on a hill and has several levels, as the hill slopes away.
After walking nearly 11 miles and being on our feet since 9am we eventually sought sustenance in the form of a curry at Mowgli.
It was the perfect end to a busy, exhausting and memorable day.
The following morning we headed south, visiting this delightful building on the outskirts of Glasgow.
It used to be Templeton’s carpet factory but looked like a temple to some obscure religion.
The Porsche (parked left) performed really well on the 1,000 mile round trip. We stopped for lunch on the A66 at Cross Lanes Organic Farm Shop which I highly recommend if ever you are passing.
