Quick Stop Through Glasgow

Me in Kelvingrove Park

Hitching from Edinburgh was far too easy and I arrived in less than 2 hours. I was picked up by two highway patrol guys that took me half way and then an airport shuttle driver took me the rest of the way (And totally gave me two free beers!). Once I arrived in Glasgow, I hit the tourist center for maps and then jumped into a wifi zone to catch up on some emails and CouchSurfing requests. A city with lots of potential to really enjoy, but my stay was disrupted because I focused entirely too much on trying to CouchSurf rather than just jumping into a hostel (Epic fail). I gave up and once I arrived at the hostel, I caught up on some sleep. I had breakfast with a German guy that was staying in the same room and turns out he was hitching through Scotland for 10 days on a holiday break. I gave him some tips about Edinburgh and we went off in our separate directions. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to pay another 18 pounds to sleep in a hostel, so I checked out and explored the city on foot. I walked around for a while but never really went anywhere specific.

City Centre

Somehow, I came across the Blue Sky Hostel. I really wish I found this place on Friday. It was 12 pounds for a weekend night and I met a great mix of travelers there. I fired up some stir fry for dinner and sat around chatting with a few guys from Scotland and a few girls that were working as au pairs in Scotland but on holiday. The lot of us partied a bit over some flip cup (Ah… how I miss Mutt’s) and then tried to go out. A few of the girls were a bit tossed and couldn’t get into the bars, so we ended up back at the hostel for our own dance party. The next morning, I checked out and took a stroll up to the Kelvingrove Park and Museum. A pretty sizable collection with a number of galleries, I’d recommend a stop if you make it to Glasgow. After a couple hours of browsing, I made my trek back across the city to my Sunday night CS host, Hareesh.  On my way, I came across a couple Lithuanian guys that were definitely NOT Polish.

Adamantly... We are Lithuanian, NOT Polish!

I took the evening to relax and recover from the previous night while getting to know my host and his flatmates. An incredible group of guys with such graciousness, I felt extremely fortunate to have met them and only wish I could have spent more time with them in Glasgow. Sitting at the table discussing the world with Ahmed was extremely enlightening. I had a good bit of Monday to explore more of the city before catching my bus. The guys were kind enough to let me leave my things and head out to the Glasgow Cathedral and Necropolis.  I know it goes without saying, but the cathedral has such beautiful stained glass windows. The necropolis was cool because I think it might actually be the highest point (That isn’t a building) in the city itself. It’s always enjoyable to catch a bird’s eye view for free!

Glasgow Necropolis view

My departure from Glasgow was via coach to Stranraer where I caught a ferry to Belfast. It was far more expensive than just flying to Derry, but I have to say it was totally worth it. The bus follows the Scottish coast and since it was towards the end of the day, I was able to see the sunset over the Irish Sea. Of course, I left my damn camera under the bus and can’t provide a photo of how beautiful it was, but I have a mental snapshot that means so much more :)

2011 Europe - Glasgow