CATHEDRALS, BIKES, & the WRONG INN


Today is our last day in Glasgow, tomorrow we start our first day of hiking the West Highland Way. We decide to see the eastern side of the city today, heading to the Clyde River  along a nice walking and biking path. Our first stop is McLennan Arch and Glasgow Green. 

                                                   McLennan Arch at the Glasgow Green

The Green is a huge city park and today it is almost completely occupied by the starting area of the World Cycling Championships. In fact we have seen the cycling course spread out over much of the city with endless closed and barricaded streets and tens and tens of thousands of spectators. We are fortunate that we booked our hotel almost eight months ago!

                        We believe these are the lead racers but it is hard to know for sure

From the Glasgow Green we move on to the People’s Palace and the largest terracotta fountain in the world. The carvings around the base of the fountain are outstanding.




                                 The People’s Palace and Winter Garden Greenhouse

We continue our morning with visits to the Barras Market, a small cathedral, and then the grand Glasgow Cathedral which was built starting 1136 and was “finished” 298 years later! Adjacent to the cathedral is the Glasgow Necropolis with a magnificent location atop a hill overlooking the city. 









Next we walk to Tiso Cycling and Sports in search of Smidge, a product that will hopefully repel the dreaded midges that we know are awaiting us ahead. More on those little buggers later. Tiso also has nice loft cafe where we enjoy coffees and tea and some GF blondies….some type of brownie like thing but not chocolate— ingredients unknown, but very tasty. Then back into the masses of people where we find a great lunch spot called the Alchemist. Almost no one is there even though it is prime lunchtime. Everyone is on on the streets watching for the cyclists to zip past.

Finally it is mid afternoon and we slowly work our way back to our hotel to retrieve our luggage. A taxi is called and we drag our wheeled suitcases a block or so to where a taxi is able to pick us up. With the race, no vehicles can reach our hotel. The cabbie has no meter which is a bit disconcerting but the fare is reasonable and he drops us off at the Premier Inn in what we assume is the town we told him. And then he drives off. We attempt to check in only to learn there is an identical inn in the adjacent village. He dropped us off in the wrong village! We have no choice but to return to the street and slog our luggage into the next village. Fortunately it was not far and we are there in minutes!

Today was a no rain day…so far, the forecast is for rain soon.

Tomorrow we actually start hiking!!

EVERY ADVENTURE REQUIRES A FIRST STEP. TRITE BUT TRUE, EVEN HERE.

             American McGee





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