Monday 29 March 2010
Why on earth did i book the 8.30am Ryan Air flight to Glasgow?!
Crawled out of HL's bed at 5.30am, trying to not to wake her, and headed out in drizzling darkness (15min) to take the tube (30min) to Liverpool Street Station (6.30am) for my Stansted Express connection (45min) to Stansted Airport (7.15am).
Holding a piece of google map printout in my hands, i found my way to Corrine's place, via railway to Glasgow Central and changing trains to arrive at Cathcart Station, pictured below.
So here i was freezing at 11am in the morning when i arrived absolutely clueless which direction to head. Heh luckily the only way out was via an opening in the platform with steps leading down and out. My trusty google map printout led me right up to Corrine's door where i was greeted by a sign that said "Do not ring bell. Baby sleeping. Come to the back to knock". This must be it. Sweet.
Corrine's backyard, with Jaime's toys left behind from summer presumably. Loved the scattered jolts of colour. Before i could knock, a familiar face appeared through the glass panels of the kitchen door and it was (a six-month pregnant) Corrine indeed! I was glad to see her after so many years! You look the same :)
Out came running a bouncy 2.5 yo chatty Jaime from behind Corrine and we were friends immediately! I totally enjoyed talking with little Jaime.
Mr Cat, on the other hand, didn't seem to wanna make friends. Not yet, at least. I hope.
Jaime processing security control with a thorough check of the contents in my bag. Teehee!
Glasgow School of Art
The last guided tour of the day was fully booked so i only got to check out the artwork at the Mackintosh Gallery which was the only facility open to public. I later crossed paths with the tour group on my way down the stairs where they had gathered and wondered if anybody would actually notice if i tagged along. Then again, i would be the only asian, jet-black hair and all. Excuses began flying about in my mind in anticipation of the possibility of being caught in my masquerade. I chickened out.
Buchanan Street, main shopping thoroughfare in Glasgow's city centre. It is connected to Glasgow Central Railway Station via Argyle Street and on the other end, Sauciehall Street which was how i found my way to the Glagow School of Art.
Was one day too late to check out Scotland's National Art Fair at George Square. Headed there enthusiastically only to realise today wasn't 28 March when i saw movers carting planks out of the huge tentage.
The Lighthouse, Centre for Architecture, Design and the City, off an alley way along Buchanan Street. Today wasn't my day cos i got there at 5pm and it closes half an hour earlier at 5pm on Mondays. Apparently you can get uninterrupted cityscape views of Glasgow from the Mackintosh Tower inside this building.
Headed back to Corrine's place and checked to see if Mitch the Cat was friendlier in the evening.
Hahahahaha... fei mao...
Later at night while catching up with Corrine in the living room, her husband Andy came in and pointed to the curtains and whispered "it's snowing". Like, seriously?! I pulled back the curtains and the cars were covered in what looked like a soft powdery layer of icing sugar. And from the glow of the lamp posts i could see tiny snowflakes falling from the sky and floating about in the cold night air. First brush with snow. Well, kinda. Think i slept with a smile on my face that night.
Tuesday 30 March 2010
Of course the first thing i did when i woke up was to check if it was still snowing haha. It wasn't.
Toast with cheese, raspberry jam and home made marmalade with Corrine and Jaime was especially yummy this morning. Same for the homecooked lunch and dinner, and fruits! It was really nice hanging out with you guys, thanks for having me! :)
Leftover sludge from the snow the night before as i left Cathcart.
Freezing outside the Central Railway Station with the pigeons while waiting for my bus to the George Street Station for my train to Edinburgh.
Bye-bye Glasgow, hello Edinburgh!
Arrived at Edinburgh Waverly Station around noon and it was even colder than it was in Glasgow. It was raining and my feeble umbrella caved under just one gust of extra strong wind. Climbed uphill Cockburn Street to Edinburgh Backbackers' Hostel where i had a reservation.
Tucked into a hot potato jacket lunch opposite the hostel to escape the cold.
St Giles Cathedral along the Royal Mile
Walked all the way down the Royal Mile away from the Edinburgh Castle in the rain in search of Miralles Parliament Building to arrive at closing time - 3.30pm.
Didn't quite like the building but the trellis at the foyer was pretty signature of Enrique Miralles' style, reminiscent of his Icarus Pergolas i remember seeing in Spain 10 years ago.
Hot pea & ham soup and tea in a cafe on the return route from the Parliament Building, again to take cover from the cold rainy weather. While inside, i saw several people pass by in search of the Parliament Building and some came in to enquire its whereabouts. Like me, little did they know it was already closed.
I was freezing my ears, nose, fingers, toes off walking back up the Royal Mile and decided to forget about visiting the Castle since it was already close to 5pm. The rainy weather made me just wanna hide indoors but i refused to retreat to the hostel so early. I didn't really plan to search for that little dog statue at Greyfriars Bobby's the guidebooks recommended but walked there anyway just to see a bit more of Edinburgh, despite the rain. Had to slip into a shop midway to buy a hat so that my ears wouldn't fall off from being frozen.
Walked down Victoria Street to check out the colourful shops, most of which were almost closing, but i'm glad i did cos i came across this one shop, The Red Door Gallery, that had really nice artwork and posters for sale. Fell in love with the Belle and Boo series of really nostalgic illustrations - the kind i love to look at for hours.
My favourite little shop in Edinburgh!
Chance Encounter - i couldn't take my eyes off this particular print no bigger than A4 that was selling for 35 pounds and settled for a couple of buttons that Nicky, the super sweet & kind shopowner fished out by the same illustrator. She even emailed me a thumbnail image of this illustration i loved so much! And then it was like affinity or something cos on the last day of my entire trip as i was leaving Paddington Station for Heathrow in London, i passed a random postcard stand and almost couldn't believe my eyes when i saw these Belle & Boo postcards! Very pleased.
A peek inside my 8-bed female dorm at Edinburgh Backpackers' Hostel. Pretty neat huh.
Trying to photograph myself with my bruschetta dinner on my bunk bed.
Wednesday 31 March 2010
Hostel Reception from the second floor where my hostel room was, just before check-out at 9am, which means i had to spend the morning walking along Princes Street to the Edinburgh Castle while carrying my backpack.
Entrance to a shopping mall next to Edinburgh Waverly
The Scottish Monument
It started to snow suddenly and i was more than delighted to walk in the snow for the very first time ever. I wasn't sure if my eyes were playing tricks on me until i saw the green lawn almost covered fully in white. Freezing but happy.
Princes Street in the New Town flanked by all the shops and the Edinburgh Castle in the Old Town on the other side of the road.
St John's Church on Lothian Road
Saint Cuthbert's Graveyard
Edinburgh Castle from the Castle Terrace
I like how the city is made up of layers and layers of building and you can catch glimpses of roads and traffic between the layers. I was making my way around the back of the castle and will eventually emerge on the Royal Mile back in the Old Town.
Junction along Bank Street where i was trying to photograph people walking in the snow. It's pretty hard to photograph snowfall actually.
A wet St Giles Cathedral
Hot mocha in BHS cafe while admiring the snowfall outside Princes Street
View of Edinburgh Waverly Station from Princes Street
Tiny snowflakes resting on my jacket
Edinburgh Waverly Train Station
My pre-booked East Coast Rail back to London King's Cross was cancelled due to a landslide from the freak weather it seems, so got re-routed via a Birmingham-bound train and had to change trains at Carlisle to a train heading to London Euston instead.
View of snowy landscape outside my train window. Beautiful.
Return to London or Munich & Brussels.
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