I like to match up songs to where I am, so the
one currently going round in my head is “Good Good Good Vibrations”, not
because of any Beaches, or Boys, but because of the bone rattling double decker
bus ride we took down to take a cruise on the Firth of Forth. Most of the trip seemed to be on the old
cobbled roads, that I would normally call ankle turners when trying to walk on
them, but I think they should be thought of as a physiotherapist’s dream, when
riding them as I’m sure many backs have been shattered or at least put out of
alignment! That aside the cruise to view
the three bridges that now cross the Firth was good. There is the original red Forth Railway
Bridge that still takes over 200 trains a day, the Forth Road bridge built in
the late 1960’s and the brand spanking new Queensferry Crossing road bridge
opened by Her Majesty 3 weeks ago (which we got to drive over on our return
from our wee car trip last Thursday).
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| Forth Rail Bridge painted in Forth Red |
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| 3 Bridges |
On
Saturday we had a cultural and family day in Glasgow. My cousins John and his wife Linda, Karen and
Mhairi showed us some gems of renowned Glaswegian architect/designer Charles
Rennie Mackintosh in the Lighthouse Gallery.
Climbing to the top of the old water tower in this building gave a view
over Glasgow. There is an honesty and a charm to this view - no Trump like towers (thank goodness) but
rather, a grittiness that reflects its hardworking history.
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| Pam's cousins John, Karen, (Pam) Mhairi, Linda |
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| Part of the Glasgow skyline |
But Glasgow is indeed a city of universities,
art colleges, modern meeting old architecture that fits like glove. We had time to look around the Kelvingrove
Art Gallery too. Here I found myself
looking at paintings by Renoir, Cezzane, Rousseau, van Gogh and my new
favourite Henri Matisse.
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Art installation at Kelvingrove
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Following a rather nice meal at an Italian restaurant
we saw a one woman show at the Tron Theatre.
She took us on a journey in a show called “All the things I lied about”,
making it at times a sobering, amusing, political look at ourselves and others.
Our culture fix was to continue as we made our way back to Edinburgh on the
train amidst some fervent, well liquored football supporters. I have no idea what they were saying as their
accent by this stage in the day was unrecognisable. Dear Edinburgh still has a
special place in my heart. It looked
after us 12 years ago and did so again this week. We spent the last full day
soaking it all up, visiting old haunts and giving thanks that we were able to
see Old Reekie once more.
Pam
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| Edinburgh Castle |
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| Queen Mary's bathouse at Holyrood Palace |
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| Pammy found a wee friend at the Museum of Childhood but clearly they fell out! |
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| Evening walk Holyrood Park at the end of our street |
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| Track up to Salisbury Crags |
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| Everyone should have one of these in their castle! |
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| Glaswegian humour - best sign we have seen yet for facilities - and we have seen a few |
What a lot of work would have gone into those heads and to hang them at the Art installation in Kelvingrove. Queen Mary's bathouse at Holyrood Palace looks interesting if only walls could talk. It was most likely in a paddock to begin with.
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