A wee pause in Glasgow

Glasgow from The Lighthouse

We are thoroughly enjoying our stay here, just south and west of Glasgow. The house is beautiful, overlooking the river, lovely gardens and the beautiful cats who are both so sweet natured. As brother and sister they don’t look at all alike, Mr.T big and tabby and Mrs.P petite and grey. You certainly know which one is walking on you in the night!

They are indoor cats, but they like a little bit of outdoor life, Mrs.P wanders about a bit, attempting the fence to go to next door. This is quite usual, but I did scoop her off the fence when she was going over on our first day, too scary for me... Mr.T doesn’t seem quite as adventurous but enjoys sitting on the step sniffing the air. They have an exciting range of indoor cat trees, scratching posts and sleeping areas all over the house. 

Olympics for cats. From fridge to shelf to balcony

Three beds, for two cats, on the landing sounding a little excessive but they use them all in rotation. When they are not disco dancing in the night! There is a motion sensitive nightlight on the landing, helpful when going to the loo in the night, not so when cats are wandering, or dancing! The most exciting thing they have though is a mezzanine in the kitchen, accessible, for humans, through what looks like a loft hatch, though we haven’t been shown a pole, but accessible, for cats, via the dining table, fridge freezer, and for Mr.T a shelf in the wall, though Mrs.P does it in one! Return is via the top of the kitchen cupboard!

Glasgow Central railway station

Macintosh styled Willow Tea Rooms, Buchanan St. Glasgow

Aldi is within walking distance, but we haven’t really needed to stock up much yet. Nicky and Tony sent us off with a lamb joint and lots of fruit and veggies, and the comment it was a shame we weren’t coming straight here as we could have been fed for the fortnight and helped them clear some freezer space! Unfortunately with a two night stay in between we felt we could only take what we could eat once defrosted! So trying to get back to our normal eating habits, the lamb joint has done us four meals, a roast, two portions of biryani with a mushroom, spinach and chickpea veggie curry (I’m really getting into my veggie curries) and a salad with broad beans, rocket from the garden and spinach and feta. Tonight is a risotto using turkey stock (that I have to confess I did re-freeze) and some chicken that was left. The risotto will be a challenge, B wants me to recreate the one he had in the local Italian before our arrival here which he really enjoyed. Do I need that sort of pressure?

Glasgow cathedral

And inside the cathedral

Friday we ‘touristed’ in Glasgow. Going in by train and visiting the cathedral, necropolis and oldest house, all within spitting distance of each other, with a diversion into a Charles Rennie Macintosh Willow Tearoom, and the Lighthouse. A building designed by Mackintosh to be used as the offices of the Glasgow Herald, now Scotland’s centre for design and architecture. The view from the top of the ‘Lighthouse’, or water tower as it actually was, is stunning. I have a soft spot for the designs of Mackintosh, coming to Glasgow on a day trip, with mum, when Brian and I first bought our house together to look for inspiration for our 1930’s house. I cut stencils for what I thought was a great mural up the stairs. I was really pleased with it, though I gather this is a view not shared by everyone. The tenants asked permission to paint over it not long after moving in!

The cathedral and Glasgow from the Necropolis

It appears Dr. Who was around, we saw his Tardis in various places

Yesterday we went back into Glasgow, it’s not far, to meet up with Simon and Diane from Edinburgh, further for them, but still only an easy train journey. We had a lovely afternoon, a long slow lunch, followed by B acting guide and taking them up the lighthouse, and a last drink. We spent a very happy five hours catching up and talking travels past and future. Today? Just waiting for the rain to stop before heading off to the ‘House for and art lover’ the car will be driven for the first time since our arrival!

The Provands Lordship - Glasgows oldest building, built in 1471

Glasgow City Chambers building from George Square

Inside the City Chambers building on our free guided tour

Looking down the spiral staircase in The Lighthouse building. This is the only way to the highest viewing platform, but there is a lift to a separate lower viewpoint, but not such good views

Another view from The Lighthouse, this one looking up Mitchell Street and W. Nile Street, Glasgow

The only photo of Mrs P cat we will show. The rest of her is just as cute as her paw

Mr. T cat relaxing in his bed