I have always kept a record of my travels. It used to be with a pen and paper and 35 mm film. Now it’s all digital. On Flashback Fridays I reflect back on some of my past travels and travel mishaps before I started this blog.
The Scotland tour brings me to Scotland’s second city. Nobody likes to be called the second anything, but Glasgow does it in style. It may not be the capital, but Glasgow has many things working for it.
First impressions
The city is filled with cool cafes, fancy bars, boutique stores, vintage clothes cafes and a heap of culture and beautiful buildings.
As soon as I stepped off the train I realized there was something really familiar about the city. It felt a lot like Liverpool, a city I have been to a few times already and has an equally mixed reputation. There was something immediately comforting about somewhere that felt so familiar.
The streets are similar to Liverpool with long, thin roads and steep hills with old, imposing buildings that tower above. They’re the kind of buildings you don’t really notice unless you’re a tourist; everyone whizzes by without glancing up or seeing how grand and beautiful they are. I’m no architect, but when you’re in a new city, or even in the city you’ve lived all your life, just look up at the buildings and you’ll be amazed by what you see.
Looking down one of Glasgow’s many impressive streets.
Glasgow University is the fourth oldest English speaking university and one of Scotland’s Ancient Four. It was founded in 1451.
The university’s main gate
The Royal Exchange Square is very similar to other public squares except in one regard.
Duke of Wellington statue with a traffic cone on its head
Those Glaswegians are a funny bunch. I feel right at home here.
