So, we set off into downtown Glasgow yesterday. We thought about taking the bus just to avoid dealing with any traffic, but I found a free parking lot about 3 kms from the center, and of course we don't mind the exercise.
Ruth had marked off a few things to see, and the first was the Doulton Fountain.
The Doulton Fountain in front of the People's Palace.
Built for the 1888 International Exposition, it is the largest terracotta fountain ever made.
Unfortunately, it wasn't operating!
The statue of Queen Victoria at the top was struck by lightning and damaged in the 1990's. The entire fountain underwent a $2M restoration in 2005.
The Glasgow Tollbooth Steeple was built in 1634.
Merchant Square now contains several restaurants and bars.
There are a lot of building murals in Glasgow!
Scenery along the way.
Amazing.
We then stopped in to Glasgow's oldest house... built in 1471!
Free to visit the inside, with a donation box.
Kind of odd with the model guy sitting in the chair!
Yes, that step looks like it's about 700 years old!
The back garden at the house.
The back garden contains the 13 Tontine Heads.
The heads were originally on Glasgow's original town hall, built in 1736, but they have been preserved here.
This one looks a bit grumpy!
Next stop was the Glasgow Cathedral. Again, it is free to enter...
The bell tower is under renovation.
This graffiti was carved into part of the exterior stone in 1834.
Lots of beautiful stained glass.
Glasgow Cathedral was built between 1136 and 1486!
The "lower church" is the oldest part of the building.
This room has been painted white.
I think I like the original stone better.
We went up to the necropolis for the view.
View looking back at the cathedral.
Glasgow doesn't have many tall buildings.
From there, we walked back to the main business district and the city hall building. They normally have free tours of the city hall, but we got there to be told that the tours had been cancelled this week due to building maintenance and that we were only allowed access to the first floor.
Glasgow City Hall.
There is also a huge renovation project of the main plaza ongoing in front of the city hall.
Wish we could have seen the rest of the interior!
Looking up.
Entrance floor.
Click the photo to make it full screen.
Back in the 1800's, not everybody had access to a ruler... the weights and measures were standardized, and this guide was installed so that everybody knew what was what.
Interesting building.
In the old days, if you needed the police they could be found at one of these blue boxes.
Main pedestrian street in Glasgow.
Some odd art on this building.
This is supposed to be a peacock, but it's a little tough to see in the photo.
More murals.
Well done!
The was the ticket office for the original subway system.
Scenery along the way.
The Scotia is the oldest pub in Glasgow, it has been serving drinks since 1792.
Overall, a very good day. Glasgow certainly doesn't have the number of attractions that Edinburgh does, but it's still worth a visit for a day.
But, we've had enough of the cities, and we are heading into the countryside today to find some castle ruins!
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Our granddaughter Holly is living and working in a restaurant in Glasgow...thanks for the tour!
ReplyDeleteThat is nice, we hope that she is enjoying herself here. We are glad that you enjoyed the tour.
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