A Grrret Dee in Glasgow

Hiya! Yes, its a strange little greeting that the Scots always seem to give. Although Sophia has started to use this on a regular basis, I make a point of sticking to "Hey", or "Hello there". I might even try "Howdy" one of these days.

Anywho, this last Saturday, we rode the train and spend the day in Glasgow. Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland, about 1.2 million compared to the 450,000 in Edinburgh. A much different feel to the city, but we had a great time. Definitely not as much to see of historical nature, but we had a great time exploring the city. The city seemed to have a lively vibe to it, and it was interesting seeing old picturesque buildings adjacent to new shiny buildings, not far from decrepit abandoned buildings. We spent some time down by the beautiful River Clyde, an area that our guide book clearly advises NOT to visit past dark (due to thugs and people of ill repute). We wandered up into the city and took in the lively George Square, where people were hanging out, watching bungee jumpers dive off a crane platform, and generally having a good time. Interestingly, there were very few shops catering to the souvenir hunter or tourist. This was actually quite nice! We happened to visit on an "open doors day", where numerous cathedrals, city building, and galleries were open for free public visits. We enjoyed visiting the Glasgow City Council building, the beautiful stonework, staircases and woodwork inside reminded me quite a bit of our own Parliament buildings in Victoria. We also walked up to the highest point in Glasgow to look over the city from their Necropolis - a grand old graveyard on the top of a high hill. Many impressive memorials to people - mostly merchants - but the largest by far was a beautiful tribute to John Knox, the Scottish champion of the Reformation. We also enjoyed visiting the huge Glasgow cathedrel and several smaller museums, including the oldest house in Glasgow, from the 1400s.

Enjoy the photos below!

Me sitting in an important desk in the City Council chambers (would the mayor sit here? or just the "speaker") Who cares - I plan to make my desk area at school look like this.


Just a funny shot of the family. Remind me of a Norman Rockwell picture, where everyone is doing their own thing in a strange manner.

Emma walked out the wrong door and oops... how do I get down from here?


A nice view of a quiet area close to one of the universities.

A cool statue with a cooler hat!

Isaiah outside the back door of the oldest house in Glasgow. Did he grow, or is this door a little small?

Okay - I guess the door is a little small. But this actually was the back door!

On the left is the Glasgow cathedral; behind it is the Royal Infirmary.

The John Knox monument in the Necropolis.

Craig is buried here.

See you soon!

Jimy Macjohnson