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.