Glasgow is Boring

Those of you with a short attention span will be pleased; this is going to be a short post.

Even though I'd loved every minute in Edinburgh, I was ready to move on to a new city. I guess I've gotten used to moving to a new place every few days, because my wandering foot starts to itch once I feel familiar with the city I'm in. I took advantage of the train's wi-fi to do some research about Glasgow; the scenery between Edinburgh and Glasgow couldn't compete with what I'd seen on the ride from York to Edinburgh, so I didn't feel too guilty about being plugged in.

After about twenty minutes of Googling, however, I was a bit apprehensive about my next destination. Apparently there aren't any free walking tours in Glasgow, which seemed a bad omen. The only other recommended attractions that I came across in my internetting were the cathedral, three museums, the library, and the graveyard.

I'm sorry, but if a graveyard is one of a city's top-rated attractions, it can't be a terribly exciting place. You might even say it's dead boring.

I know. Sorry.

So I wasn't feeling too optimistic when I arrived in the central train station in Glasgow. My spirits dropped even lower after my navigation app revealed that my hostel was a 45-minute hike from the city center, right next to the highway. Still, I didn't want to write the city off entirely--I'd only just arrived after all--so I cinched the waist strap on my backpack and strode off.

My evening only went downhill from there. Rather than detail every single thing that went wrong--I did promise a shorter read this time--I'll give a thirteen-word summary: sweaty walk, nonexistent wi-fi, mean staff, disgustingly dirty kitchen, and a broken adapter. Sounds like a great time, right?

At least the bed was decently comfortable, and after a fairly good night's sleep, I was ready to give Glasgow another chance.

But after visiting four of the six recommended attractions before noon, culminating with the Gallery of Modern Art, I arrived at two conclusions:
1. I don't get modern art. I just don't.
2. Glasgow is boring.

Admittedly, neither was a very original conclusion.

That afternoon, I hiked to the other side of town to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, which was actually fairly interesting. It had a mix of everything, from suits of armor to Impressionist paintings to a stuffed giraffe. However, it only took me two hours to explore the entire museum.

I spent the majority of the next three days holed up in the public library, reading The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling.

photo courtesy of Wikipedia

I also sampled that Scottish delicacy: haggis. According to Wikipedia: "Haggis is a savoury pudding containing sheep's pluck [whatever that is]; minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, traditionally encased in the animal's stomach." 

Luckily I didn't actually Google it until after I'd eaten it. Though honestly, I can't say I would have recommended it even before I knew what it was made of. 

The most exciting thing that I saw in the city was actually on my way out, when I spotted an old blue police box. My fellow Whovians will understand.

See you never, Glasgow!