Wow! What a change in the weather. The sight of highschool chum at the arrival gate in Glasgow was wonderful. And to be whisked away in her red roadster to The House for an Art Lover within minutes was like being in a movie…..and not a B grade movie. This building dedicated to the design work of Rennie Mackintosh and his wife Margaret MacDonald was completed in 1990. It was built after a number of architects wanted to make the design drawings submitted in a competition come to reality. Such a superb memorial to the ovals, rose motifs, embroidery, perspective and furniture designs of two amazing talents.
The delights of art deco RM design were continued with a decadent High Tea at the Willow Tea Rooms in the heart of Glasgow. Delicious gluten free delicacies and the subtleties of design even flowed from the light fittings, to the chairs and in to the rest rooms. What a treat! Meeting J’s friend Linda, and seeing the chocolate mousse melting in the Scottish heat was fun. 🤣 Followed by a drink at the very stylish salon at the nearby hotel, and catching glimpses of the CBD gems. Yarning with J’s Irish friend Una capped off a day of delights.
Of course that meant an early morning walk to partially justify the calorific overload from the previous day. From J’s 5th floor stylish Templeton Court apartment overlooking Glasgow Green, I meandered past the People’s Palace collection; the world’s largest terracotta fountain – ornate Wedgewood carvings; the soon to be demolished huge glass house; and watched as wisps of water vapour steam puffed up from the Chivas Pernod distillery.
The strolling continued along the River Clyde, over the St Andrew’s suspension bridge to Gorbals where one of my great great grandfathers was born. Being a sleepy Sunday morning I virtually had the place to myself to explore the quiet and the quirky. Neither dog walkers nor exercisers.
The various styles of architecture and the familar family names were fun to explore. J whipped up a heart pumping vegetable juice with enough ginger zing to see me through the upcoming day’s adventures and the searing heat of a sizzling Glasgow’s summer day (Aussies will see the irony in this when they hear it topped 29 degrees). Then came second course of yummy scrambled eggs and Scottish salmon.
The hostest with the mostest!
So to The Kelpies at Falkirk. What an amazing structure, and canal boats and crowds. The folklore and symbolism is well worth a visit to Mr Google!
Of course the mighty horse heads are a sight to savour, as was the icecream, but the time at the site was made so much fun by meeting up with special McGrath friends from home who are also playing tourist in Scotland, as well as the chance to catch up with locals – mother Jackie and daughter Kirsty from our tightknit group in Mexico 5 years ago. What a glorious sunny day made even more so by this gathering.
And the top came down! The air conditioning went on! Icing on the cake…..
A pleasant lunch at The Boardwalk followed by a quick look at the Falkirk Wheel which slowly moves the boats up and on to the canals, still left J with time to continue the drive on to Edinburgh to show me the new Forth Bridge and the views around Queensferry. The size and simplicity of design were awe inspiring.
An all round amazing day! Slept like a log too. Thank you so much Janette.
Molly B travlyn 
It was wonderful to have you visit, Lyndall – a delight 🙂 Wishing you lots of new adventures – travel safely . . . J xx
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Had a whirlwind couple of days and loved every minute.Thank you so much for your choices of activities, the luxury of your car and beautiful home and food and the fun chats and catch up. See you at Christmas time xxx
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Your blog is a springboard to Google, and there’s lots to google here.
Firstly, Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret MacDonald. I had not known of them. An interesting couple. I do love Roses and Teardrops, but Margaret’s work is so highly original, I like her work better. (In my humble opinion.)
The Winter Gardens glasshouse is certainly huge. I read about how the People’s Palace Museum was closed earlier this year for repairs, and that the glasshouse is at the end of its life cycle. Such a magnificent ageing structure that is actually quite pretty. I wonder if it’s the biggest glasshouse in the world? Google to the rescue again – the glasshouse at Kew Gardens is the largest in the World apparently and it has just had major restorative work. Come on, Glaswegians. Sign the petition to SAVE THE WINTER GARDENS.
At the opening of the St Andrews Suspension Bridge in 1855, about eighty police constables marched over the bridge, two deep (says Google) “and the steady tramp of the men most effectually tested the stability of the work — the bridge slightly undulating to the tread, but showing no signs whatever of oscillation.” The constables would have been hoping the “stability of the work” was thoroughly tested beforehand. Im not going to try to do the Maths, Lyndall, but would your gggrandfather have walked the bridge? Was he a police constables by any chance?
Kelpies – water spirits (not dogs then). Genius idea to also represent horse power in this location. But it has been described as “the latest misbegotten “masterpiece” of public art. It is big. It is bold. And it is rotten. […] The Kelpies is just a kitsch exercise in art “for the people”, carefully stripped of difficulty, controversy and meaning.” I wonder what they’d think of the street light installation welcome sign on the M1 at Yatala. Interestingly, the sculptor of the Kelpies has an installation at Broadbeach: http://www.andyscottsculptor.com/sculptures/arabesque.
That’s enough googling.
Now I will have decadent High Tea at the Willow Tea Rooms, but pass on the vegetable juice with ginger.
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You have been a busy Googler! You would have loved being in Wigtown yesterday……Scotland’s booktown. I took lots of notes re Clunes in May and had a ball. In Schipol airport , Amsterdam atm waiting to transfer to Malta, so will blog soon. I found a great little book on The Scottish Clearances, so I am set for the next few hours, though had to catch the taxi at 3.20 am this morning, so will probably snooze …..lol. No police constables in my tree. Merchant (butter and timber) between Ireland and Glasgow, then a farmer in the Fassifern Valley. Xxx
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What a wonderful array of Celtic experiences you’ve had…food, family, friends, fairies! Thankyou for sharing and letting me live vicariously through your words and images, I loved them all.
My how the weeks have flown. All the best for the next leg of your adventures. Really looking forward to hearing about Malta, I know very little.
Slainte ☘️💚☘️
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Thanks Jenny. Malta will be a whole new ball game for me too! Xxxx
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