A Taste of Glasgow in the Rain

April 2

I was up and packed and on my way to Glasgow at 630am. 3 ½ hours later, by lunch time, I was in the city center!

First sight? A group of roguish, rugged Scottish men in tan kilts. My heart melted. My jaw dropped. I would’ve given anything to run up and ask for a selfie to enrage the jealousy of my boyfriend but my pride (and my huge backpack) stopped me. I need to live here.

The tune of bagpipes accompanied me after I dropped my bags off at the hostel and I wandered through the city center, picking up odds and ends and running errands before we left to hike the West Highland Way the next day. Aka: picking up keen supports and insoles because somehow I managed to forget the most important elements of packing for a hike. My old lady knees would not manage without them!

Once Sylvia arrived we did a little exploring. The weather dampened but we managed to hit a few points of interest.

• The City Chambers were stunning! Guarded by stone lions, the sleek columns supported a seemingly plain looking stone building. Upon closer inspection though, intricate details began to emerge. Arching over each tall window were detailed scenes and figures.

• The Merchant Square – a warm haven of bustling restaurants and arts and crafts market! Beautiful photography and jewelry! Definitely somewhere I need to come back to!
• The Raven – a busy Scottish smokehouse with a fantastic, knowledgeable waitress who got me hooked on Loch Lomond beer. Oh, and the food was pretty fantastic too!

Sylvia and I spent the evening drying off and catching up at the pub, before heading back to the hostel to get a good night’s rest before the grueling 155km ahead of us!

Oh. One other thing I forgot? Contact case. Try finding one of those at 10pm at night. I’ll never forget it again…