Glasgow, again and Edinburgh

May 22-23:  Sunday was mostly a lazy day in Glasgow with outings to a unique 'kinetic' display gallery, followed by a look at the Glasgow School of Art (GSA).  However, the first trip out was to an electronics store for a camera battery charger.  I was using the charger built into the camera, but it was less than reliable, so I purchased a dedicated 'universal' charger.  The contact pins are slid sideways to line up with the battery terminals (which allows any battery size to be charged) and it even gives the percent of charge on the battery.  This is a very nice addition to my growing collection of electronic support equipment, which is quite an heavy bag.  On the way to the store, we walked next to a large women-only charity run (for cancer).

Race along the pedestrian mall

Our next stop was the Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre (sharmanka is Russian for hurdy-gurdy).  we walked around the displays consisting of sculptures or automatons made from found objects, scrap and hand carved wooden figures and the like, crafted by a Russian immigrant to Scotland, Eduard Bersudsky.  He worked for many years for the Glasgow Parks Bureau carving animals from fallen trees in parklands.  "Set to haunting music, the figures perform humorous and tragic stories of the human spirit."  For a modest price, we watched a 30-minute show of one collection of sculptures.  It was fun and quirky.

The collection of sculptures we watched

Biking to the Moon

We next returned to Drygate which has a Sunday market on the first and third Sunday's of each month.  After arriving and figuring out that the 22nd was the fourth Sunday of the month, we sat and had drinks on the terrace of Drygate Brewpub, enjoying the sunshine.

As Varis says - 'we are hydrating' at Drygate

Next door to Drygate, there is a huge Tennent distillery/brewery, with the following pronouncement:

Tennent's

After the break, we walked across town to the Glasgow School of Art, which has a main building designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.  The guide books say it is his "greatest building" and the library, "designed as an addition in 1907, is a masterpiece."  It was damaged in 2014 by a fire that started in the library, and building access is now restricted.  We arrived well after tour times and within 20 minutes of closing of the information center.  We sat across the street and studied the exterior, half wrapped in scaffolding for repairs.  We had an early, tasty dinner at the nearby Red Onion before walking back to the penthouse.

The entry to Mackintosh's GSA Building

On Monday, Leslie, Dennis, Kathy, Mark, Betsy and I rode the bus to Edinburgh, which took an hour and 15 minutes.  We were dropped off below the castle.

Edinburgh Castle from Princess Street

We walked up to the Castle, which is built on a volcano, known as Castle Rock, and according to our introductory tour guide, has been a site of habitation since BC, though the first castle walls were not erected until the 11th century.  There have been many destructions and reconstructions of the years.  On entry, we saw the 'changing of the guard' band march out onto the Tattoo area - they are already constructing the temporary stands for the annual Tattoo performances that take place in July.

Changing of the Guard Band

The points of interest inside the castle are numerous and varied, ranging from the oldest structure (St. Margaret's Chapel), multiple Gates, two approaches to the central heart of the castle, military barracks, the Great Hall, the Scottish National War Memorial, Scottish Crown Jewels including the "Stone of Destiny" (what all British monarchs sit upon during coronations), prisons, Mons Meg (a medieval siege-busting cannon that weighs 15 tons and shoots a 300 pound ball - not very accurately), and the one o'clock gun.  We had pre-purchased tickets and did not have to wait in the queue to get inside.  

We followed a tour guide around the outside areas and listened to his introduction to the castle.  Just as he was concluding, there was a changing of the posted guard, which was much abbreviated compared to what happens at Windsor Castle or Buckingham Palace.

Changing of the Guard at the National War Memorial

We then toured around on our own.  

Stained Glass to William Wallace and Robert, the Bruce

Ceiling of the Great Hall

We saw the crown jewels and Scottish royal insignia, and learned about how they were protected from the English and later discovered buried in a church.  Photographs were not allowed of them, nor inside the War Memorial, which is quite impressive.  It is built like a church with chapels to various regiments, including a section for women and even a small commemoration to the animals that have "served."  The guide told us the story about an ensign who captured a French Eagle, a standard or imperial banner, at the Battle of Waterloo.  It is on display in the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards museum.

Museum to the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards

The captured "French Eagle"

We met up after an hour on our own and walked  as a group down the Royal Mile.

the meet-up

We stopped for lunch at the St. Giles Cafe, partway down the Royal Mile.  After lunch, we completed the stroll downhill to Holyrood Palace, a royal residence that is currently occupied by a high commissioner of the Anglican Church of Scotland, in town to attend the General Assembly meeting this week.  The guards posted at the castle and the Palace were in place because of the commissioner's (Lord Hope) residency.

Holyrood Palace

Since the weather was splendid, we then hiked up Arthur's Seat, another volcano that overlooks the city.  We took a circuitous route to the 750-foot summit, giving us great views over the city and Firth of Forth to the north.

Proof of something

View from the summit of Arthur's Seat, 254 meters

Looking back to the summit

More proof

We moseyed back toward 'New Town' by way of St. Andrew's House, the seat of Scottish Government, and couple of grand hotels.  We walked the length of George St. that runs through the center of New Town, a section of the city built in the 18th century of Georgian design, like Bath,  England.  We stopped at the Rose and Crown for drinks - inertia captured us and we stayed for dinner.  We caught a bus back to Glasgow, arriving around 8 pm.