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July 26, 2015

Scotland Day 0: Glasgow

I call this “Day Zero” because, while it took place in Scotland, it wasn’t actually part of the archaeology tour. It was just the four of us (Mom, Dad, Erik, and me) hanging out and exploring Glasgow while we waited for the last of our jet lag to work itself out of our systems. (Well, that goal might have been a bit optimistic. Jet lag is a tenacious beast, and it hadn’t helped that whenever I woke up during the “night” in Iceland, it was always the same sort of half-light out the window whether it was 11 PM or 3 AM. Super helpful, Icelandic midnight sun!)

After one final and sad farewell to skyr in the airport shop, we took the relatively short flight to Glasgow. After the alien volcanic beauty of Iceland, the rolling green of Scotland’s farmland felt surprisingly… homelike. I also couldn’t help but feel nostalgia for the flight I had taken over ten years ago – my first overseas trip – when I was coming to school in the UK. That first glimpse of emerald fields, framed by dark hedgerows and drystone walls like a stained-glass window…that feeling of wonder and excitement…it all came rushing back as we dropped through the clouds.

Which is, of course, why I forgot to take any pictures of it. You’ll just have to imagine how lovely it was.

Promptly upon arrival, we stowed our bags in our hotel rooms. There was a brief kerfuffle over the room for Erik and me, which resulted in sending a poor housekeeper into a panic when they gave us a room she hadn’t finished yet. I felt really bad for her, but I also feel a bit guilty for paying more attention to her accent than her words. Apparently Glasgow residents (called Glaswegians – rhymes with “Norwegian”) have a very distinctive and fast manner of speech that even other British folk have a hard time understanding. It’s called “The Glasgow Patter,” and somehow I had forgotten or missed it the first time I visited the city ten years ago.

Embarrassingly, there was one other thing – something rather large and hard to miss – that had completely passed me by the first time.

But more about that in a moment. First, some cool stuff from the streets of Glasgow, which Dad took with the smaller camera (i.e. not the FANCIEST):

Something delightful about Glasgow: it really loves the arts. As we learned later, all the art museums are free entry, and there are TONS of them. Plus, you could hardly walk a block without encountering another art gallery.

And of course there is Charles Rennie Mackintosh, famous architect/designer/artist of the early 1900’s Arts & Crafts movement, who has tea rooms, museums, and buildings all dedicated to showcasing his work. (I’m a big fan of his graceful Art Nouveau designs, but for some reason I don’t have any pictures!)

Next, we went to the Glasgow Cathedral, which is quite beautiful. The stained glass in particular was even more rich and vibrant than I’d remembered:

So. Now it’s time to reveal a deeply embarrassing story.

First, remember how I have been to Glasgow before? In fact, the whole family had been there, during the two-week tour of Great Britain that was the culmination of my year of study in England. Given that it was ten years ago, maybe it’s understandable that all I really had was a memory of having tea in Mackintosh’s Willow Tea Room, and visiting the cathedral. Maybe.

Now. Rewind to a month or so before the trip, when Erik told me about this thing a patient had told him was a must-see in Glasgow. He said it was called the “Necropolis,” which sounded awesome. Our whole family agreed that we needed to go see this. Since Necropolis basically means “City of the Dead,” I thought maybe it was underground, like catacombs, or a really cool graveyard tucked away into a corner of the city I hadn’t explored last time.

Nope.

Turns out, the Necropolis is not only smack-dab in the middle of everything, but also right behind the cathedral (which, if you’ll recall, I definitely visited previously). And it’s huge.

Oh, hi. Why yes, I have been RIGHT HERE this whole time!

Oh, hi. Why yes, I have been RIGHT HERE this whole time!

An entire hillside covered with rows of elaborate Victorian gravestones, monuments, and mausoleums. HOW THE HECK DID I MISS THIS?

It is only a very small consolation that my parents also seem to have no memory of it. Obviously none of us will make that mistake again.

It was so delightfully Victorian Gothic – ostentatious, overblown, and yet still managing to be solemn and atmospheric. I can’t imagine a better spot for a ghostly photoset – maybe one of Ariane’s Gothic Lolita shoots or something else evoking Victorian mourning. Or perhaps a figure in wispy white garments, drifting among the gravestones. Or, you know, maybe a Vampire Hunter or other character straight out of a paranormal/urban fantasy novel. The mind boggles at all the marvelous possibilities! Ah well, maybe in another ten years.

After thoroughly enjoying the Necropolis, we found a superlative Indian Restaurant called The Dhabba. We ate a lot of Indian food on this trip, since we all love curry and it also offers the most vegetarian options. This restaurant, hands down, was the best of the lot. Also the service was incredible.

Then we spent maybe another hour or more trying to figure out the bus back to the hotel at the airport. A lot of walking to the wrong stops. Not really the Brandts at their finest.

But you know what? It was worth it.

2 Comments on “Scotland Day 0: Glasgow

Patty Klipple
July 26, 2015 at 7:49 PM

Thankx Alex- I loved it= especially grave city.

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Alexandra Brandt
July 26, 2015 at 8:33 PM

It’s so cool, isn’t it? Glad you’re enjoying!

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