Take Me Out
Trip Start
Dec 04, 2005
1
41
45
Trip End
Jun 16, 2006
Glasgow,
United Kingdom
Monday, May 22, 2006
E: I DID IT! I GLECKEL-ED! And I survived ... barely. All I can do is reiterate and exclaim how joining jessie and missy really was the greatest trip to have. Though only for five days, three of which i still had to work through and at least two just to catch up on lost time, it was one of the most fun and exciting adventures I have been on
"Sexy"! on the Train
. I will have to let them use their storytelling skills to give the trip justice, but it was pure quality and fun. I tried to show them both a small taste of Glasgow (in food and atmosphere), but inevitably the trip was all about us and our own world that is so fun be a part. i don't know how Evie ever was able to walk away in Thailand, and I did my part to make them stay with me forever (sorry Pammy and family, but it is true).All I can say to the rest of the followers of the adventure called gleckeling ... you must try it as they continue to go all over the world and back (can you believe they have so much more to see!). The stories are great and the photos are sensational. I hope you enjoy it as much as I ever will.
M: Ah, our little Eri. She is the absolute best. Anyway, we got to Glasgow realizing that we had been separated from our camera again. Plus, we hadn't slept much on the trip from Delhi to London and London to Glasgow and Jessie's bag was covered in some kind of alcohol. (J: So gross and smelly. You know, I thought it was all quite smelly from India, but it smelled additionally bad after the alcohol coverage.) But as soon as we saw Eri, it was all ok. We all talked, stumbling over each other's words and telling story after story trying to catch up
Erica Knows Us Best -- Live Music in Glasgow
. Jessie and I kept marveling over things like drinking the tap water and the lack of trash on the street. We walked around Erica's neighborhood and had lunch. Erica had to scoot back to work for a bit and Jessie and I had aspirations of exploring a little more. Instead, we fell asleep in Erica's comfortable apartment. Eri cooked us a delicious dinner of vegetarian haggis and salad (raw veggies!!!) and we talked for hours more. (J: We did feel quite bad about being so lame and tired. But really a night in having salad and a typical Scottish meal was a perfect entry into Glasgow and a perfect way to have some QT with our Eri.)Jess and I had a slow start to our second day. But we eventually made it out and walked around Glasgow. A really adorable little city, Glasgow reminded us a bit of Seattle. Much colder and grayer than any place we had been in months, it was a welcome change. We got to walk around all day and weren't dripping with sweat. Lovely. We ended our walk at the Gallery of Modern Art, which was filled with some fun and nutty creations. Erica met us there and the three of us went to several of Glasgow's bars having snacks and beverages before we went to a show. Erica had picked out a venue that she loved and really wanted us to see. It's a great little venue. Tiny and intimate and the bands that were playing were excellent. The perfect thing to take us to
Erica, How Do Those "Flowers" Smell?
. (J: How well does Erica know us?!)On Saturday, the three of us stayed in our pjs almost all day, chatting, telling stories, catching up. It was wonderful! Finally, we got dressed and went out to meet some of Erica's excellent friends for a drink. They clearly love her a great deal (with good reason) and were warm and engaging with us. We went out for a delicious dinner at one of Erica's favorite restaurants and then had some tea at a cafe that Erica's firm had designed. A wonderful evening out.
The next morning, the two former architecture students organized our trip out to see Hill House, a creation of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. We took the train out of the city to an estuary of the River Clyde, walked around enjoying the sun, had fish and chips (not as good as the ones in New Zealand) and went to Hill House. Going to these places with Erica and Jessie is fun because they reminisce about school and comment on things I wouldn't notice. (J: Will comment on all below.) The house is really beautiful and has some incredibly interesting fixtures. On top of which, the gardens are really lovely, except the one really overgrown part that looks like a dying jungle. It was a wonderful day in the countryside followed by watching a movie together at Erica's
First Night Out with Our Eri
. Perfect bonding day.Our last day we went on a tour of the Glasgow School of Art, another building designed by Mackintosh. I can see why it would be an excellent place to be a student. (J: I kept thinking about that. How weird it would be to be a student in such a famous building and having people touring through your school every day. Crazy.) The details alone... Maybe Jess should comment on this. (J: It was kind of surreal being inside a Mackintosh building. I mean I guess this happens each time I enter into a place where I have only ever seen slides. But the thing about Mackintosh in particular is that there is so much incredible detail in his work that the slides never do his work justice. So being inside a building of his where you can walk up and see and touch the stained glass or small mosaics is totally unreal. The outsides of his buildings are kind of unassuming and fit almost too well into the gray of Glasgow on a gloomy day, but once inside they brighten up completely and around every corner there is a touch of color to remind you of the natural beauty that exists in gardens. Amazing!) We had lunch with Erica and had a sad farewell. Erica is such a great friend and we really miss her being around all of the time in Seattle. She's so generous and fun and we both feel very lucky to have someone as special as her in our lives. We love her, she's the best. (J: Ditto. It was a perfect close to the traveling around part of our trip. Erica is an amazing friend - warm, caring, giving, everything you could want in a friend that will forever be part of your life.)
It's very odd to think about the next flight landing in the US. And how fast time has seemed to go, especially lately. (J: It keeps coming up, but really it is quite bittersweet. There are so many things to look forward to upon our return, but I already really miss pieces of Asia, especially India right now.) But there are adventures to be had on the East Coast, so we gleckel on...
Comments
so good!
i think that was a great description of a trip around glasgow. so true and so complete. the only bad is it was tooooo fast.
can't wait to hear how your transition to 'normal' life is again!
miss you even more since i have seen you!!
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Thanks for the wonderful experiences.
Thank you J and M, for a most glorious half of this year. Letting us ride on your coattails to experience a real insight to the world you visited has been full of thrills. The 2nd half of this year will not have the excitement or anticipation of our travels with you. Have a very safe completion to your gleckeling, looking forward to getting the chance to have a coffee break with you J. Pancho, your huggable friend.