We are not shopping today for once but have postponed it till tomorrow which is a bank holiday. To start our day, we set out for the deli, only to find it…

The deli – closed

…closed! That was rather a surprise and we wonder what the reason is.

Exmouth Market

So we walked along Exmouth Market and…

Caffè Nero

…entered the branch of Caffè Nero there.

Strawberry Jam Croisants and coffee

For a change we had strawberry jam croissants with our coffee. They are definitely moreish!

Aboard the 63

Next we boarded a 63 bus. Buses are supposed to be on strike today but it appears that some at least are running. (In fact, we had no trouble catching buses throughout the day. If the strike is taking place, it isn’t obvious on the routes we travelled.)

Down by the Thames

Mudlarks under Blackfriars Bridge
Photo by Tigger

We left the bus at Blackfriars Bridge and walked east along the Thames, passing under the bridge where we saw mudlarks in action..

Bankside Gallery

We visited the Bankside Gallery which is a retail art outlet.

Art for sale

I don’t know how “affordable” the art is (I didn’t look at the prices) but we were not buying in any case, just looking.

The Tate Modern

We next visited the Tate Modern art gallery in its dramatic recycled building.

Entrance at the Turbine Hall

Entry is through the Turbine Hall which, as the name suggests, held the turbines when the building was a power station (designed by Gilbert Scott).

Inside the Turbine Hall

We entered this huge space which is bigger, I think, than most cathedrals.

Projected art

We went into a gallery called The Tanks where all the exhibits were projections. I captured this snippet to give you an idea.

A view from the 4th floor

Seen from the fourth floor, the turbine hall looks even bigger than it does at ground level.

Collaborative art project

At the far end is a interactive art project in which the public can take part. It’s by Yayoi Kusama and is entitled The Obliteration Room.

You are probably expecting some photos of art works so I include a few below. As a sceptic where modern art is concerned, I couldn’t be bothered to hunt down the labels. If you want details, you’ll probably find them on the Tate Modern website.

Random artworks

I did what I usually do in an art gallery which is to let my eyes scan over the artworks until something grabs my attention (if it does). On this occasion, nothing did. To my mind,, it was a very dull and uninteresting slew of meaningless lumps of material. I had difficulty believing that someone had spent time and effort putting these constructs together.

Hopton’s Almshouses

We started for home, passing by the Grade II* listed Hopton’s Almshouses.

Bus stop on Blackfriars Bridge

We hurried to the bus stop on Blackfriars Bridge and just missed a bus. Fortunately, it wasn’t ling before a 63 turned up.

King’s Cross Station

The 63 carried us to King’s Cross Station where we changed to a 73.

Aboard the 73

The 73 brought us nearly to Chapel Market where we hoped to have lunch at Cafe Sizzles, one of our favourites. Unfortunately, it was closed.

Chapel Cafe

Instead, we went to the Chapel Cafe. The food was OK but the service was rather slow, for which they apologised. Whether or not we go there again remains to be seen.

Going away on a trip brings with it the pleasure of returning home and finding oneself back in familiar surroundings.

Coffee in familiar surroundings
Photo by Tigger

We went to the deli for our usual coffee and sat outside. The weather in London is much warmer than it was in Glasgow and I have shed three layers of clothing!

The pub vine

We walked along Myddelton Passage and visited the pub vine. It’s looking a little dry in places but is still producing tiny grapes.

Rosebery Avenue

We continued into Rosebery Avenue and..,

Aboard the 341

…there caught a number 341 bus.

Waterloo

We reached the terminus of the 341 at Waterloo when I realised that I had left my bag on a chair at Myddelton’s deli!

Waterloo Station

We went into the station for a pitstop and Tigger phoned the deli. They confirmed that they had found the bag and would keep it for us to collect.

Lemon iced tea

Before staring back, we went into Marks & Spencer and bought a bottle of iced tea each for the journey. The sudden change to warm conditions after the coolness of Glasgow makes us thirsty! Ice tea is good for quenching your thirst, better than coffee (in my opinion, anyway).

Back on the 341

We boarded a 341 back to the Angel.

Second visit to the deli

We returned to the deli and recovered my bag. What I need is something such as a Blue Tooth device which rings an alarm on your phone when you are a certain distance from your item but do such things exist?

Trees in blossom

On the way home, we spotted these trees in flower in Claremont Square. They make a pretty sight but I wonder: are trees “supposed” to blossom in August or is this another effect of climate change?

We have checked out of the hotel but left our bags with them until later. We have the morning to spend in Glasgow.

Cloudy and damp

It’s a cool, damp and cloudy day today but we have had sunshine too during our stay so I won’t grumble about it.

Caffè Nero

We came to Caffè Nero in Sauchiehall Street for breakfast. (By the way, Sauchiehall is derived from Gaelic meaning “willow grove”. Hence, too, the name of the Willow Tea Room.)

Breakfast
Photo by Tigger

We had our usual coffee and croissants.

Mackintosh high-back chairs

At Mackintosh at the Willow there was an exhibition and a guided tour. We went along. The exhibition comprises a film, a lot of information panels and a few actual exhibits such as the above.

The tea room today

The tour lasted about 45 minutes. I had difficulty understanding the tour guide because of her accent and high-pitched voice, ill-suited to my hearing loss. That means I won’t bore you with an account of the tour. You can read about the history of the Willow Tea Rooms designed by Mackintosh here.

The upper tea room

The Salon de Luxe Tea Room

Mackintosh chandelier
Photo by Tigger

Earlier, I had tried to top up my phone as I was running low on data. Something went wrong so I had to go to a Three shop to sort things out. As we had to go back to the hotel to collect our bags and then go to the station to catch our train, this meant we were in rather a rush.

Aboard the 17

I pick up the story where we had left the hotel with our reclaimed bags and boarded a number 17 bus to the station.

Glasgow Central Station

We arrived at Glasgow Central Station with some time to spare. I looked after the luggage while Tigger bought things for a picnic lunch on the train.

Queueing for the Euston train

Our train was to leave from platform 1. There was a queue for the train and we had to join it – a form of rehimentation I have not encountered in any other station.

Aboard the Euston train

We had reserved seats but it turned out that the seat reservation system was not working so there was a free-for-all for seats. Fortunately, there were enough seats for everyone.

Hurrying south

Our train departed from Glasgow at 13:35 and is due to reach Euston at 18:34, a five-hour journey.

Arriving at Euston

Five hours is a long time to be cooped up in a train but we arrived in London at last and set foot on terra firma in Euston Station.

The next question was whether the buses would be on strike. We checked the dates of strikes (thank goodness for smartphones and the Internet) and found that buses would be on strike on Sunday and Monday but not today.

Aboard the 30

We clambered aboard a crowded number 30, dumped our suitcases in the luggage rack (that’s Tigger’s orange suitcase front left) and found seats near the back.

A few stops later, we were home, bringing to an end our Glasgow adventure, at least for this time around.

When we set out this morning…

Sunshine!

…the sun was shining! Not quite a record, perhaps, but welcome. (The thermometer is registering 14°C.)

Lucky cats
Photo by Tigger

We passed this window of lucky cats. A good omen, perhaps.

Black Sheep Coffee

Breakfast
Photo by Tigger

We went to Black Sheep for breakfast.

Over breakfast, we installed the First Bus app and…

Bus day ticket

…bought a day ticket each. You place your phone on the ticket reader when boarding the bus. It reads the QR code and emits a satisfied beep. (The word in capitals is different each day and provides a quick visual check that the ticket is valid for that day.

Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery

A number 3 bus brought us to this wonderful institution, the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, seen here across bowling greens.

Entrance Hall

The building is magnificent and worth seeing for itself alone.

Below are a few exhibits photographed in passing, items that caught my eye for some reason or other. The museum is huge and no small selection does it justice.

Tyger, tyger…

Albatross

Though I deprecate the collecting of animals for exhibition, I photographed the (rather discoloured) tiger and the albatross, two animals that I admire.

Venus disarming Cupid
Ludwig von Scheanthaler

Queen Victoria
Francis Williamson

Spitfire over animals

We left the museum en route for our next of call.

Rear entrance

We left by the rear entrance which is almost as impressive as the front.

Crossing the Kelvin

Our way took us across the river, also called the Kelvin, after William Thomson, Lord Kelvin.

Otago Lane

After a walk through streets, we came into Otago Lane.

Tchai Ovna

This brought us to Tchai Ovna, another place we visit when in Glasgow. It is a tea house with a staggeringly long list of teas and it also serves food – all vegetarian, of course.

General view
Photo by Tigger

Tchai Ovna is a place of low tables and chairs, alcoves and cushions.

Tea and Eastern Delights
Photo by Tigger

We shared a platter of “Eastern Delights”. I had Russian Caravan Tea and Tigger chose Lavender Tea.

Crossing the Kelvin again

Leaving Tchai Ovna, we took to the streets, crossing the Kelvin again.

A bus to town

We took a bus back to town.

The Clyde

The bus took us further than we wanted to go (there was s long gap between stops) and we had to walk back. We crossed another river, the Clyde this time.

Bar, Motel One

We stopped off at the local branch of Motel One for refreshments.

Tea

Tigger had coffee but I ordered tea though it was not Russian Caravan but plain old English Breakfast (the “vin ordinaire” of British teas).

After our tea and coffee break, we caught a bus back to the neighbourhood of out hotel. This time, our electronic keys worked and let us in. We went up to our tiny room where we are resting. We plan to go out later for our evening meal.

Aboard the 77

At 7 pm we went out and caught a number 77 bus.

Central Gurdwara Singh Sabha

Leaving the bus, we looked around for somewhere to have supper. We passed this Sikh temple and not very far away, found an Indian restaurant.

Mr Singh’s India

The restaurant is called Mr Singh’s India.

Supper arrives
Photo by Tigger

The servings were generous but I found the food so-so.

At the bus stop

It was dark by the time we went out to the bus stop.

Aboard the 77

The bus came within a few minutes and took us back to our hotel. This time, the electronic keys worked and let us in.

Back in the room

Here we are back in our poky little room. All being well, at this time tomorrow, we should be at home and this room will be but a fading memory, an experience not to be repeated.

Apart from the hotel room, the rest of the trip was a success. We renewed our acquaintance with the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh and found them as welcoming and fascinating as ever. Glasgow has always been our favourite, though, and still remains so.

The rain has returned though this is not unusual for Glasgow. After yesterday’s expedition, we shall probably stay in town today.

Black Sheep

Breakfast

We went to Black Sheep Coffee for our usual breakfast.

Sauchiehall Street

We walked down Sauchiehall Street, looking at the shops and buildings.

Willow Tea Rooms shop

We had a look in the Willow Tea Rooms shop.

We have decided to spend the day in Glasgow. This is just was well because one of my shoes has sprung a leak and so we are touring the shops, looking for vegetarian shoes.

Buchanan Gallery

We entered the Buchanan Gallery shopping centre and looked in a few shops without success.

Tea at Whittard’s

We made a pause at Whittard’s for tea before continuing.

Success at Schuh

We were finally successful at Schuh. The new shoes are not strictly veggie but are of manmade materials, not leather, and should keep the rain out.

Proud lion on guard

This proud lion is one of a pair guarding the war memorial in George Square.

Blue Lagoon Restaurant

For lunch, we went to the Blue Lagoon restaurant. Yes, it is a fish ‘n’ chip place but they have veggie items on the menu.

GoMA
Photo by Tigger

Afterwards, we paid a visit, as we always do, to the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA).

Gallery 4, general view

We started at the top in Gallery 4. I include a specimen pair of exhibits.

Untitled (Yellow Foot Sofa)
Nicola L

As you may remember, I am a sceptic as far as modern art is concerned. If I like a piece, so well and good; if not, then I ignore it and pass on. If I do like a piece, then it’s for my own reasons and not for the (often overblown) description supplied by the artist or gallery.

Houses for the Holy
Rabiya Choudhry

I actually quite liked this piece though not at all for the meanings set out in the label. My feelings were quite other.

Stairwell – looking up

Stairwell – looking down

GoMA has an impressive stairwell which, like all stairwells, both attracts me and makes me nervous. I have yet to find a work of art that affects me as strongly as a deep stairwell does!

The gallery library

Had the gallery cafe been open, we would have gone there for a while but it was closed. So instead, we went down to the library, which is a pleasant and peaceful place, and sat there for a while.

Duke of Wellington, coned

In front of GoMA, the Duke of Wellington sits on his horse wearing a traffic cone on his head. The city has tried many different ways to prevent this happening but whenever the cone is removed, it is speedily replaced. Requests and threats have been equally incapable of keeping the Dike’s head unconed. The figure, complete with whatever is the cone du jour, now appears on postcards, in artworks, on teeshirts and on souvenirs of all kinds.

Caffè Nero

One of our favourite branches of Caffè Nero occupies this sweet little building, complete with clock, in St Enoch Square.

Coffee and frappé
Photo by Tigger

We came here today from GoMA. We ordered a black americano for me and a white chocolate and strawberry frappé for Tigger.

Halloumi Greek Restaurant

From Caffè Nero, we started the long, uphill walk back to the hotel. Along the way, we noticed a Greek restaurant half-hidden behind scaffolding. It had the promising name of Halloumi, one of our favourites. Although it was a little early for supper, we thought we could make the exception. We went in and, although the place was busy (a good sign), were able to have a table.

At this point, Tigger realised she had left her shoulder bag somewhere, possibly at Caffè Nero. We telephoned them and they confirmed that they had found the bag. They would be open this evening until 7 pm if we wanted to collect it.

Our Greek supper
Photo by Tigger

Having had our supper (which included a Greek version of Mac ‘n’ cheese which I will leave to your imagination to construct – it’s the middle item in the above photo), we set off once more down the hill to reclaim Tigger’s bag.

Aboard the 61

Having collected the bag, we were faced with a long uphill walk back to the hotel. One of Tigger’s many skills is the ability to understand the bus routes of any town we happen to find ourselves in, even if for the first time. She determined that bus number 61 would take us nearly to the hotel – and it did!

Arriving at the hotel, we found that our electronic keys didn’t work. We had to ring reception to be admitted. Nor would the keys open the door of our room. They had to be taken to reception to be reprogrammed – one more piece of ineptness perpetrated by this bad hotel.