With one day in Glasgow, we grabbed the hop-on hop-off bus for a general tour and easy access to the areas we wanted to see.
Glasgow is full of iconic architecture from several eras. Much of it is still standing and there is restoration work being done all over the city. However, we've learned they also tore a lot down in the 1960's to 70's in an effort to make the city more modern. As the tour guide said, "Luckily they ran out of money and now we've more sense." There are still many examples of gothic, Victorian, and art nouveau around Glasgow.
The university was started in 1451 with many of its original buildings built in the 1600s. Sadly, most of it was demolished and rebuilt in its current location in the 1800's to make way for the rail system. One wall of the front of Old College still stands along High Street.
We hopped off to visit the Glasgow Cathedral, the Riverside Museum, and to wander around Byres Road and Ashton Lane. We spent too much time at each and ran out of day. Glasgow deserves more than a day for sure!
The Glasgow Cathedral was built in 1136-1484 as an to honor to St. Mungo, patron saint of Glasgow from the 6th century. He was buried on the site in 613 and his tomb in the "lower church" was the destination for medieval pilgrimages. St. Mungo's presence is depicted all around the city.
All the museums in Glasgow are free, and the Riverside museum was full of local families. It's a great place for kids with easily digestible bits of the history of Glasgow. Good for tired Americans too!
We hopped off at Byres Road and Ashton Lane, which is a busy couple of streets full of good spots to eat and loads of vintage stores and "charity shops." We wandered in and out of shops, walked through the Botanic Gardens, and had a tasty toasted sandwich at an Italian deli. Glasgow had a large Italian immigrant population in the late 1800's, and they dominated cafes and eateries in the 1900's. Still good!
We realized we had walked around for hours, so we hopped back on the bus for the rest of the tour.
We checked out the train station and viewed the hotel and bar from inside the station. So cool! The station was alive with travelers and commuters as the rail system is efficient and well-used. Steve was jealous and longs for better train travel in the US.
After a long day, we got room service for dinner and packed up. Ready to journey home!
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