Blogs that discuss topics around travel and tourist attractions as well as a variety of travel tips and tricks

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May 16 & 17: Two sleep-ins & two contemporary galleries

Hello friends |

In all the excitement , I haven’t told yous much close Glasgow.  We’re staying yesteryear the River Clyde , only across from the Central Station , thus it’s relatively tardily to acquire into town.  It took us hardly whatever fourth dimension to acquire to Tiso when nosotros bought our bags.   The edifice we’re staying inward is also quite lovely , too we’ve got a huge room , too i one-half of the distich we’re staying alongside is an engineer doing his PhD inward air current technology.  There’s a tiny TV inward the room too a collection of DVD’s including Not Another Teen Movie , 2 Toy Story films , Knocked Up too Despicable Me.  There’s a existent selection.


In damage of actual , not-our-apartment Glasgow , it form of reminds me of Melbourne.  It’s really greyish , wonderfully dingy too grimy , constantly drizzly too has a fair amount of street art.  There’s a lot of immature people , a lot of tourists , galleries , chain stores too tourist shops.  There’s a river , impractical-looking bridges too non plenty bins.  Everyone walks chop-chop too jaywalks too at that topographic point are to a greater extent than buskers than I experience only comfortable with.  It’s pretty bustling too only noisy plenty that yous don’t convey to whisper to convey a individual conversation.  In identify of seagulls shitting on statues , they’ve got pigeons , but that’s the biggest deviation I’ve constitute thus far.

It was Sat , midday too raining when nosotros left , thus nosotros made a beeline for GoMA.  There were 2 reasons for this: a) I was great to see GoMA , b) GoMA was quite some Lush , too it’d been likewise long since I got the homey , comforting sensation that came alongside entering Lush.

The roof at GoMA

 The Gallery of Modern Art inward Glasgow was a beautiful former edifice alongside fantastic pillars.  A statue of a homo riding a Equus caballus greets yous at the entrance to the edifice , too he’s wearing a traffic cone on his head.  That’s how yous know you’re at a modern fine art gallery , every bit opposed to a national gallery.  Inside are rows of mirrors too people alongside lanyards too nametags too girls inward Dr Martens.  A video piece of job yesteryear an creative someone my animation instructor mentioned inward 2nd twelvemonth plays inward some other room.  The piece of job is quite prissy , but I wishing the room wasn’t thus dimly lit , thus I could reckon the architecture.

Last twelvemonth I visited a symposium that focused on contemporary shows too industrial plant that employed the creative someone at curator , too inward GoMA I stumbled upon a present I’d heard mentioned at the symposium.  A serial of presumably Glaswegian artists had been employed to conduct industrial plant from the archives that hadn’t been on display inward quite a piece , too thus item why they’d picked them.  One was an Aboriginal artwork too it was quite evident that the creative someone who selected it wasn’t likewise good versed inward Australian Indigenous art.  It made me cringe to read their statement.

We got into a heated give-and-take close the operate of analyzing artwork too reading paintings , which worked upwards an appetite , thus nosotros took a tiffin interruption earlier heading to the adjacent room.  This was my favourite exhibition , because it was all yesteryear woman someone artists too a lot of the piece of job utilized maps.  One especially beautiful piece of job was yesteryear an creative someone named Louise Hopkins , who had embossed some sail music onto heavy paper.  From a distance it was unnoticeable , too fifty-fifty upwards unopen it was difficult to decipher.  The gallery attendant too I got talking close how people were attracted to for certain industrial plant , too she handed me a volume of Louise Hopkins’ piece of job to flick through.  It was beautiful too position me inward a happy place.
Louise Hopkins' work

"Ilana Halperin's piece of job explores the human relationship betwixt geological phenomena too daily life.  In 1831 , an isle named Ferdinandea appeared off the southern coast of Italy during an underwater volcanic eruption.  This sparked an international dispute over the ownership of this strategically positioned novel landmass.  Within a few months too earlier whatever serious conflict developed , the isle disappeared , crumbling dorsum into the sea.  Halperin remembers working intensely on this drawing , which she developed over 3 months."  I enjoyed the creative someone contention for this piece of job to a greater extent than than I enjoyed the drawing.


I can't scream upwards what this was a drawing of , but I took a epitome of the ocean monster inward it.




From GoMA nosotros caput to George Square , where I encountered many pigeons too statues of accomplished writers too poets.  A tent had been erected on a grassy patch inward front end of the square.  Next to it was a sign that read , “to let”.  We idea it was perchance an artwork , but yous tin mail away never tell.  We went to Lush , I spent less fourth dimension talking to the director inward this special store , too nosotros went dorsum to the even to leave of absence of the drizzle.


From GoMA nosotros caput to George Square , where I encountered many pigeons too statues of accomplished writers too poets.  A tent had been erected on a grassy patch inward front end of the square.  Next to it was a sign that read , “to let”.  We idea it was perchance an artwork , but yous tin mail away never tell.  We went to Lush , I spent less fourth dimension talking to the director inward this special store , too nosotros went dorsum to the even to leave of absence of the drizzle.

We were however lying inward bed when Eilidh came upwards to modify our towels the adjacent morning time too nosotros had to confess nosotros were however recuperating.  It was officially 2 months since we’d left Commonwealth of Australia on our conduct a opportunity too Glasgow seemed similar a identify to organize ourselves too grab upwards on some sleep.  Nicholas had stayed upwards until yesteryear iv that morning time , reading Casino Royale , thus didn’t remotely wake until midday.  We were headed to the Centre for Contemporary Art anyway , too they didn’t opened upwards til 12.  How civilized. 

Eventually , nosotros caput downward to the CCA , which wasn’t likewise long a walk from where nosotros were staying.  They only had i present at the minute (they were also running a distich of residencies that looked interesting , but neither were opened upwards to the public/had culminated inward a present yet) but it was worth the walk down.



Discussing too viewing contemporary fine art alongside Nicholas is ever fascinating to me.  I’m someone who spent 3 years learning how to read contemporary fine art , piece Nicholas tends to stick to the Old Masters too considers anything less refined every bit a lack of proficiency.  I mean value nosotros both were a footling confused too a footling intrigued yesteryear the piece of job displayed at the CCA , which was less an exhibition than it was a proposal.  The proposal was for 2 people to donate their bodies to fine art , but what the artists were , inward fact , going to create alongside the bodies , was a footling to a greater extent than ambiguous.  I assured Nicholas that they must convey known what they planned to create , or they wouldn’t convey had the funding too gallery support.


They referred to an indentation on the peel of a dead someone , which they presumably had seen inward a moisture specimen lab.  A video piece of job inward the dorsum of the room , which was called a Rehearsal , showed intricate indentations on the peel of somebody living.  Two industrial plant displayed on the flooring mirrored the indentations inward trend too shape , but were made of clay too 3D-printed plastic.  There were constant references to the Neolithic too to Orkney , too Nicholas felt at that topographic point mightiness convey been a human relationship betwixt the shapes on the Earth too the cairns too burial mounds.  It asked to a greater extent than questions than it answered , too at that topographic point was a for certain allure to the work.   I almost hoped the donors would decease to a greater extent than chop-chop , thus that nosotros could reckon the piece of job come upwards to fruition , but that raised fifty-fifty to a greater extent than questions close myself too the artwork.





The edifice we're staying inward piece nosotros see Glasgow

This edifice is currently for permit (!!!)


We wandered some to a greater extent than too eventually caput habitation , Nicholas having Bond on the encephalon , thus nosotros watched Daniel Craig’s Casino Royale until the early on hours , constantly readjusting the volume , thus nosotros didn’t wake upwards our hosts.

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May 18 19 20 & 21: Three museums lots of organising & two Glaswegian vegan eateries

Hello friends |

The lastly few days accept been busier , to a greater extent than hectic together with to a greater extent than stressful than I would accept liked.  Between sorting out customs forms to ship our bags dorsum to Commonwealth of Australia , sorting out customs forms to post things dorsum to Commonwealth of Australia , sorting out customs forms to ship the tagger to Washington together with organising all our holding , nosotros even together with then wanted to take in some of the history together with fine art that Glasgow had to offer.  It’s at i time Th together with I’m sitting exterior the plane waiting for someone to collect our bags.  It’s 9.50 together with the timeslot they’ve given us was the generous 9-6 , together with then it could good live a long day.



Anyway , the 18th was Mon together with nosotros were due to caput to Kelvingrove to see the museum there.  I actually accept a lot of dearest for Victorian-style museums together with galleries that don’t accept the art/science distinction that came most afterwards.  There were 2 distinct sides to the edifice – i for fine art together with i for natural together with human history – but they all sat together nether i roof.  I would’ve liked them to live a piffling to a greater extent than intermingled , but tin dismiss imagine that some people would detect that chaotic.



Highlights included the Scottish wild fauna department , where they had a display ‘Haggis’ creature together with included local whiskeys to illustrate different aspects of Scottish civilization (Loch Lomond Whiskey went alongside Loch Lomond , Grouse Whiskey went alongside the birds).  They had quite a practiced Darwin/evolution department that carefully tiptoed across sweeping statements similar , “people believed the populace was created over millions of years” which I ever detect enjoyable.  They had a beehive , which I had mixed feelings most , but the bees seemed quite content together with I’m all for educating people on the coolness/necessity of bees.

The "Haggis" (this was weird)

How did the universe come upwards into creation? Cthulhu perhaps?

We spent several hours at Kelvingrove all upwards , noticing the Australian animals , which all made appearances inwards the “Record Breaker” department of the natural history , generally for most venomous mammal/snake/spider.  Another department that was especially well-curated – though nosotros couldn’t pass as long at that spot as I’d accept liked – was the armour together with weapons department , which drew comparisons betwixt the artifacts together with animals/natural phenomena they were based on.  The armadillo sat beside a accommodate of armour together with they mirrored each other inwards cast together with texture.  A helmet sat beside a huge , white hare , together with they had matching ears.  Beside a serrated sword sat the jaws of a shark , both alongside as unnerving teeth.

One other that stood out to me was a serial of archived objects stationed together that represented Beauty together with Ugliness , selected yesteryear (presumably) Glaswegian laypeople of all different backgrounds.  They didn’t earmark which individual picked which objects from the archive , but each artifact had a disputation most why it was beautiful or ugly.  Most people cited weapons as beingness ugly , because of their purposes.  One cited a taxidermy flim-flam eating a aeroplane as beautiful , because it was the circle of life.  Another claimed a spoon was the most beautiful.  I agreed.  I quite similar spoons.


The Helmet & The Hare

My favourite component division of museums are signs for things that accept been removed.







This edifice is fantastic

Before nosotros had left Edinburgh , our host from at that spot had said that nosotros should encounter upwards for a drinkable when nosotros got to Glasgow.  Before nosotros caput to Kelvingrove , Nicholas flicked him a message , together with nosotros decided to caput for dinner at a house called The 78.  We’d been missing practiced vegan nutrient , together with this house did a bargain for meat-free Mondays , together with then nosotros were sold.  We met upwards , had some g&ts together with iii courses of fantastic vegan nutrient (I accept to recommend the nachos , which I got as a starter , the brownie , which I got for dessert , together with the quesadilla , which Nick together with Fergus both got for primary together with I regretted non getting).  It was all for something similar 12 pounds , which made it fifty-fifty better.  It felt similar a piffling fleck of Melbourne.
Kelvingrove Museum

The next twenty-four hr catamenia was some other see to a museum of sorts , The Burrell Collection.  It literally was a huge , elaborate collection of fine art together with objects together with artifacts , all collected yesteryear a rich transportation merchant who invested his coin inwards collecting together with set the collection on display.  In the halt , he got knighted.  We wondered if the guy who made MONA would acquire knighted , because he’s done , essentially , the same thing.  We doubted it.

Nicholas together with I oftentimes experience similar nosotros came into these things at the incorrect time.  It doesn’t affair how much fourth dimension y'all pass scouring the beach together with going to shops similar Wunderkammer together with collecting foreign together with odd wares , because all the practiced materials has already been works life or , if y'all works life it at i time , you’d accept to donate it to a museum or pay all the dollars for it.    Anyway , the Burrell had some amazing materials on display; paintings , pastels , slice of furniture , weaponry , Roman , Greek together with Egyptian artifacts , ancient Chinese objects , Turkish rugs together with carpets.

Pollok Park



The Thinker

I’ve got a pretty practiced full general noesis of ancient together with modern histories , but the i house I accept huge noesis gaps is Chinese ancient history.  I simply never learned it , together with haven’t ever placed it inwards a lot of context alongside other history.  Even when nosotros went to places similar Skara Brae inwards Orkney together with they did ‘comparative histories’ , they used things similar The Pyramids of Giza together with the creation of the cycle inwards Mesopotamia to describe a comparison.  Perhaps it was largely my ain ignorance that I felt together with then much daze seeing Chinese objects , made of metallic , that dated dorsum to 10 000 BC.  I cannot fathom such ancient people smithing metal.  It variety of blew my mind.

The edifice the Burrell is housed inwards is also rattling beautiful , together with it’s inwards this magical piffling house that feels rattling removed from the bustling Glasgow that’s jostling along simply a few minutes away.  Pollok Park is a sprawling , dark-green evolution filled alongside lots of birds , trees together with bluebells.  We hoped to brand it to Pollok work solid to persuasion some of the operate they’ve got on display (apparently lots of Blake) but ran to the doors simply as they were closing them for lastly entry.  We’d spent far as good long inwards the café at the Burrell , drinking tea together with musing most what on populace nosotros were going to create alongside our lives i time this trip was over.








I dearest galleries together with museums painted inwards this muted green.  I bought a pot of it inwards academy for my studio together with it was called Misty Moor.

The terminal museum-going twenty-four hr catamenia of excitement earlier this twenty-four hr catamenia (where nosotros sit down together with hold off on the stoop exterior the plane block) was yesterday.  Yesterday was also quite a twenty-four hr catamenia for organising together with housekeeping: waking , packing , going to the post role , getting some printing done , buying cable ties to secure our bags together with dropping some things off to goodwill.  After all this was out of the agency , it was lunchtime , together with nosotros decided to caput to a dog-friendly vegetarian bar called 13th Note.  It had a distinctly relaxed air , a decent cocktail bill of fare (anything alongside apple tree & elderflower has my shout out on it) together with fantastic food.  Nicholas together with I felt completely spoiled for selection , together with then decided to acquire a few things to share.  The Cajun chips were a piffling spicy together with delicious , the pizza was faux-meaty together with comforting , but the crispy pesto gnocchi was my personal favourite.  It had huge chunks of saucy broccoli together with crispy gnocchi has textures dissimilar anything else (how is it I’ve never seen this sensation anywhere except Scotland? Scotland doesn’t strike me as especially Italian.  Then i time to a greater extent than , they create boast a lot of macaroni cheese , which is a delicious Italian bastardisation if ever at that spot was one).  Needless to say , it was amazing.  Not quite as good priced as The 78 , but simply as tasty.

From hither , nosotros were headed to the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life together with Art , named after Glasgow’s patron Saint.  As far as dealing alongside a lot of conflicting religions together with ideologies goes , they did a actually splendid project inwards discussing together with displaying all artifacts relatively impartially together with alongside dignity.  They had a actually neat make of sculptures together with paintings , though I experience similar most Christian-related artwork pales inwards comparing to Islamic together with Hindu works.  Indigenous Australian , Ancient Egyptian , Greek together with Roman cultures were represented , as good as mixed Islander cultures , though non many. 






There was an emphasis on The Big vi (Islam , Judaism , Christianity , Sikhism , Buddhism together with Hinduism) inwards the side yesteryear side room , which focused on lifestyles , beliefs together with the afterlife.  Nicholas preferred the commencement room , which showcases a selection of artwork but doesn’t acquire into a lot of especial most the religions themselves.  I works life the 2d room to a greater extent than fascinating , as it delved into rites together with rituals together with the afterlife.

We took a incorrect plough on our agency to the Acropolis together with were invited into the cathedral earlier it closed.  To live fair , the originality together with involvement that Christian epitome together with sculpture lacks , is made upwards for inwards their architecture.  We didn’t accept as good long to await some , but it was dwarfing together with beautiful – as most cathedrals tend to live – reminiscent of huge caves together with alongside acoustics to match.  We works life ourselves at the Necropolis together with wandered through the tombstones , talking most travel together with most faith , musing on what we’d learnt together with seen together with disagreed alongside at St Mungo’s.

That variety of gets us up-to-date.  We’re currently sitting exterior our plane together with waiting for our pocketbook to live collected. It’s been a long morn together with then far.  The outcome is that there’s no bell upwards to the apartments together with DHL can’t guarantee that they’ll telephone phone y'all when they arrive.  If y'all immature adult woman them , they’ll simply acquire out together with y'all accept to pay i time to a greater extent than , which is a bummer.  So nosotros sat on the stoop , caught upwards on postcard-writing together with allow lots of mailmen together with delivery people into the building.



St Mungo's Cathedral



Glasgow Necropolis


We also stumbled upon a Tardis , together with then hither y'all go.


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5 Tips for Popping your AirBnB Cherry!

Hello friends |

I was a fleck hesitant to role AirBnB at first.  I was nervous to teach into somebody else’s abode instead of opting for the security of a hotel.  I’ve been swayed past times the charms of AirBnB , though , as well as e'er cheque my options on AirBnB earlier whatever other hotel booking site.  The prices are well-nigh e'er cheaper , there’s heaps to a greater extent than diversity as well as it gives yous a withdraw chances to brand about friends along your travels.  Here are about tips for a fail-safe booking experience , to function out along yous feeling rubber as well as enjoying your holiday.




The championship icon is of the AirBnB I stayed at inwards Moss , Kingdom of Norway , which was a cosy annex that overlooked the sea.


1.     Work out your budget , as well as role the toll sliders
The toll sliders are fantastic.  They give yous an thought of the average toll for a house inwards your chosen location , as well as hence yous teach a crude oil thought , but yous tin slide it downwardly as well as hence yous entirely stance places inwards your budget.  There’s no betoken looking at fancy accommodation if it’ll entirely brand yous pine!

2.     Use map view
Use the map to detect somewhere to stay.  Find the location as well as plug it into Google Maps.  How far is it (walking distance if you’re walking) from the nearest omnibus stop?  Even meliorate , tin yous walk to all the sites yous desire to see? Even if a BnB located inner-city is a few dollars to a greater extent than a solar daytime , yous could salvage inwards world carry if your chosen sites are inwards walking distance.

3.     Check the facilities of the AirBnB
Because AirBnB tin offering yous such a huge attain of accommodation styles (up for about yurting , anyone?) , it’s of import to cheque that your needs volition go met.  Sometimes basics similar running H2O as well as showers won’t go on the listing , as well as hence cheque carefully! I ordinarily cheque to encounter if breakfast is included or if I accept access to kitchen facilities to gear upwards about breakfast.  If I’m travelling for a long fourth dimension (or using an AirBnB to intermission upwards about bouts of camping) I also cheque for laundry facilities as well as wifi.  If mesh access is of import to yous , it tin go worth messaging the Host beforehand , to confirm that their connection is upwards to scratch , especially if you’re heading off the beaten track.

Nicholas sitting on the balcony overlooking Loch Ness inwards the beautiful invitee theater nosotros constitute on AirBnB.

4.     Read reviews
So you’ve constitute a house amongst a perfect location , toll as well as it’s got all the comforts you’ll withdraw – excellent!  Scroll downwardly , as well as read the reviews.  They’re at that topographic point for a reason!  Because AirBnB is growing all the fourth dimension , about places mightiness non accept whatever reviews , but this doesn’t hateful yous should necessarily discount them.  If you’re feeling wary , pick mortal amongst swell reviews or hold off for the SUPERHOST icon , which agency multiple visitors accept nominated them every bit beingness peculiarly special.

5.     Keep inwards contact
It hasn’t happened to me (yet) but I’ve heard stories of guests rocking upwards at their finish as well as their host has forgotten they were coming.  AirBnB shipping lots of emails (maybe likewise many) inwards the leadup to your remain , as well as hence when yous teach these , shipping your host a message.  Let them know you’re excited to go visiting their surface area as well as inquire for about suggestions for sites or local eateries.  Ask for directions as well as confirm their address as well as telephone number.  Be friendly as well as teach them excited to accept yous every bit a guest.

In Glasgow , I stayed inwards the spare room of a immature twosome inwards this beautiful former building

And that’s actually all at that topographic point is to it!  Finding accommodation through AirBnB is tardily , as well as I’ve entirely had positive experiences (or when I haven’t , they’ve been my ain fault… non next my ain advice!).  Hosts are well-nigh e'er friendly , most of them are upwards for a chat , but are all happy to allow yous produce your ain thing.  I’m ordinarily keen to verbalize their ear off as well as teach the local low-down as well as listen their move stories!  These people are ordinarily travellers but similar yous , who desire to experience local culture.



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