Glasgow: another look

  Twenty years ago, Glasgow was a grey industrial city but the last decade this has changed a lot. Scotland’s second city showed itself to be to a highly cultural city. Musically there is a lot living in Glasgow and not only because of the dozens of pipe bands who are based in greater Glasgow. Did you know that Glasgow offers the biggest variety of shops after London? Even English cities such as Birmingham and Manchester have a smaller amount of shops than Glasgow. Gladly, we give you a few tips to make your visit to this city an unforgettable one.

What about the nightlife?

Up to the beginning of the previous century the ship-building in Glasgow made it a grey city with a lot of poverty. These industrial buildings started a totally new life as loft, restaurant or club. Concerning the restaurants it’s a fact that the Scottish kitchen cannot be compared at all to the English kitchen. Most of the time you have the possibility to choose between several delicious dishes such as lamb and the renowned Scottish salmon. The Scottish kitchen is mostly like the French one. Because Scotland had, in its glorious past, good links with this country it so happens that the best things were copied.

At night the Scottish nightlife comes on pace. Just like the English the Scots like to sag firmly. And they do have a big choice. Students like most of all a “Belgian Beer house” with the sounding name Brel in Ashton Lane. (Called after the Belgian singer Jacques Brel). In the Scottish supermarkets one can find more and more Belgian beers such as Duvel, Westmalle and other trapist beers. The trendier place to be on the spree is located in the West End.
Also Scottish folk music is very in. For a jam session the Ben Nevis in Argyle Street is the place to be. Would you rather like live music then the cultural centre Òran Mór (great melody of life) in Byres Road is the place to be for you. Whipping céilidhs both on Friday and on Saturday get everyone up and dancing in the Riverside club in Fox Street. The Wintersgills in Great Western Road are more for informal actions whereas the Star Folk club on St. Andrews Square is the most prominent spot for acoustic music with the best that traditional folk and blues have to offer.

However the place to be in Glasgow is Sauchiehall Street, a long chain of clubs and pubs. Scotland’s oldest cinema in art-deco style is situated in this street and recently the ABC which is the newest concert hall of the city, can be found there as well.

If you want to know more than you should go and see www.myglasgow.org.


Football?

You must pay attention with what you say concerning the popular ball game in Glasgow. Everyone there is without doubt a football crazy person. The city has the two best teams in the Scottish football competition, Celtic Glasgow and the Glasgow Rangers. The rivalry between these two top teams is so big that if you marry a supporter of one of both teams the best thing to do is to adapt your football preference to give the marriage a chance to succeed. The fight between the two teams is called The Old Firm. Celtic has a catholic background and was founded by Irish immigrants. Rangers are Protestant. With the Rangers Red Devil Thomas Buffel is a player on the team. (Caroline Van Geeteruyen’s exclusive interview with Thomas will be on this web for you to read soon).

 What do you know about Mackintosh?

What Gaudi is for Barcelona, Mackintosh is for Glasgow. In the city there are still twelve buildings of this renowned architect. The art nouveau style of Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928) can be recognised from the tight vertical line and crammed decorations. Still more beautiful than the buildings perhaps, are the decorations with a lot of flowers that have been devised by the Glaswegian.
If possible you should visit the bests of the best in the House for an Art Lover with a lot of pieces of furniture devised for himself. In every tourist shop you can find a large offer of plates, cups, greeting cards and other souvenirs of Mackintosh. For everyone who wants to drink their tea in a typical Mackintosh interior, we can recommend The Willow Tea Rooms in Sauchiehall Street. However, mind the opening hours because they close earlier than you would expect.


The Willow Tea Rooms

Hand luggage? No Way! Large luggage case!
 

As mentioned before, Glasgow offers an enormous amount of shops. On a weekday you can shop at your ease. On Saturday and also on Sunday, because most shops are also open on Sundays, it is a very busy place.

The Scottish heartiness as well as the Scottish pounds will accompany you here by.

These pounds have their own design and have been launched by, amongst others, the Royal Bank or Scotland. Beside the traditional shop chains such as Guess, Mexx etc. fashions lovers will also find exclusive stuff like Frasers and Urban Outfitters. The most important shopping street is Buchanan Street where one can find the very beautiful and famous art nouveau gallery Princess Square. That gallery is for the jewel lovers. Scotland wouldn’t be Scotland without the kilt. People who want to buy a kilt can have their own family tartan devised (tartan = square aim) in one of the many specialised shops. If you are of Scottish origin, it’s easy to have your family tartan traced.


Outside Glasgow!

Hardly half an hours drive away from Glasgow the splendid Highlands start.

One can visit lake Loch Lomond which is very beautiful but busy and the road around the lake of not one of the safest. Loch Lomond is the homeland of the two competing clans: the McGregors and the Colquhouns. Nowadays there’s no war or anything of a kind anymore but don’t express your preference for any of them, that is always and still the safest. You wouldn’t get a dagger under your nose but it could cost you a considerable amount of whisky. A wee dram always solves a lot of problems in Scotland and especially if it is a single malt.
Film actor Ewan McGregor is a distant descendant of the clan McGregor.

If you have more time then a splendid world lies open for you but you can read more about that in a later travel tale.

 Copyright © 2007 Martine Maryns. All rights reserved.