Glasgow, Scotland

Yes, I'm alive and well despite the car bomb that went off at the airport. I caught the train and not the plane to Glasgow.

Glasgow smells of soup! I was later told it was malt from the beer factories. First impressions, the place reminds me of Brisbane with older buildings and a bigger Queen St Mall.

The train ride was quite pleasant from Edinburgh's Waverley station and the pre-booked ticket worked like a charm. I had four seats around the table all to myself and had a breakfast of a smoked salmon bagel and a hot cup of coffee while looking out the window of the green pastures of the Scottish countryside.

As soon as I got off the train I could see Fuz waiting at the gates to greet me! Two years ago when I said my farewells in Shizuoka she said to go visit her in Scotland. I didn't think I would make it here so soon. Fuz has not changed a bit and is still the fashionista. You should have seen the glittered ballarina flats she had on to match her gypsy sequined skirt! Very cool indeed. We walked around the city centre for a bit and I did a bit of shopping for family members. It was also good to have Fuz to translate Scottish into audible English for me.

For morning tea we stopped by the very chic Willow Tea Rooms designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1904 and had Scottish tea in the White Dining Room. If you like art deco, it's the place to go to soak in the the clean lines and forms of Scottish design with oriental influence.

We walked up the mall in Buchanan Street and what do you know we see a couple of Glaswegian Neds sitting on some steps. Fuz had warned me not to associate with any if perchance I had met one on the train. Her description was that they wore a baseball cap at 45 degrees and had their trackies tucked into their socks. They were exactly that! I took a photo from afar because Fuz said if they were authentic Neds I could have my face smashed in.

We then met up with Fuz's Nan (an octogenarian who doesn't look a day over 60) and Omar (Fuz's beloved) for a bit of sightseeing at the Kelvingrove Museum and Art gallery. The museum had a little bit of everything and it was free! It was not a bad way to spend the afternoon because it started to pitter patter. The museum had a wee bit of everything. From fossils to modern art. The stuffed animals were my favourite though. If I was not a lawyer, I would have become an artist and if I was not an artist, I would have become a taxidermist with an adversion to reptiles.

After our Saturday afternoon of culture, Fuz took me to her favourite restaurant in Glasgow called .... I've been looking forward to lunch because that's where I had my first taste of haggis in Scotland. It just tastes like blood sausage that hasn't been fried. It went well with the neeps and taties. Fuz (very well versed in Scottish history and melodies) and her Nan gave me a brief run down of parts of Scottish history and then they would burst out into song. If I have have the opportunity of directing a musical, I would cast them both. Her nan had some great war-time stories and they both taught me Scottish words. Mental note: I need to buy myself a Scottish phrasebook because they have gone in one ear and out the other and I should haven't taken notes. My main course was Scottish fish and chips, beer battered of course. It was very crispy and for the first time I didn't feel I had to be near the beach for it to be tasty.

I had to make it back to the train station to catch my train back to Edinburgh by 4 o'clock so Omar had to speed back to the train station. We got there about a minute before 4 but the train had already left the platform and the next one was 15 mins away. I bid Fuz goodbye and hopefully I'll catch up with her again in Japan/Hong Kong.

Miss Fuz: Thanks for a great half day in Glasgow and the delicious lunch. I couldn't have asked for better company and it was so great to catch up with you. Your nan is Tops! Goodluck with your driving test!

Photo of the Day

Fuz with our self-invited lunch companion