A special section on travel and adventure by local people. ■ October 29, 2008 SECTION 2 A LSO INSIDE C ALENDAR 28 | R EAL ESTATE 31 | C LASSIFIEDS 36 y husband, Dan, travels to some A tag-along interesting places Mfor work — France, Scotland, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and Germany among them. So last vacation May, when, with about a week’s notice, Dan asked me if I wanted Glasgow — the best of Scotland without tourists to tag along to Scotland and France for 10 days, I readily agreed. I spent most of my time in Glas- gow while Dan worked in nearby Greenock and I ended up falling in love with Glasgow, which is not usually a tourist destination, but perhaps ought to be. Glasgow met all my criteria for the perfect spot for a tag-along vacation — a place where I felt safe alone, could travel easily on foot and find lots to photograph. The city (which has about 600,000 residents within its limits and 1.2 million in the urban area) has a long and varied history, interest- ing buildings and architecture, beautiful and extensive public Barbara Wood and Dan gardens, vibrant shopping and Fitzpatrick rest at the top commercial areas, 13 city-owned of the Conic Hill in front museums, and some great restau- of Loch Lomond on a late rants and pubs. afternoon in May 2008. Plus, a real bonus in these days of the weak dollar: almost every- Photo courtesy of Barbara Wood thing I did was free. We did have some luck on our side — in the city where the Mackintosh, as in waterproof raingear, was invented in It was a treat to be able to stand and look, unjostled and A quote from the menu: “If you read the menu all the way 1823, we had perfect weather; mostly sunny and mild for as long as I liked, at paintings by famous artists. One of through and still find you are alive, and if there is nothing with some overcast and not a drop of rain. It turns out museum’s prized possessions is Salvador Dali’s painting, you like, then let the kitchen know and we’ll call you a taxi May is the month with the lowest average rainfall (1.3 “Christ of St. John of the Cross.” A local history section or we’ll phone in a pizza for you or make you something inches in Glasgow, according to Wikipedia) yet warm helped me to understand Glasgow’s history. you want.” enough for just sweaters in the day. Also, since Scotland And just how unused to hordes of tourists is the muse- My dinner, a “Mushsmallroom burger,” was a sauteed is so far north, it does not get dark until nearly 9 p.m. um? Unlike almost every other museum I’ve ever been in, Portobello mushroom served on a bun with fresh greens, in May, leaving Dan and I plenty of time to do things cheese and chips (French fries to us Yanks). It cost, with together after he returned from Greenock. By Barbara Wood drink, only about $10. I also had a little help in choosing what to do in Glas- Special to The Almanac Our favorite pub was The Drum and Monkey, where gow. A local friend who grew up there gave me a list of we had dinner twice. The old bank building has comfy things to be sure to see. leather chairs, fireplaces and a big central bar. The food My favorite place, which was not on that list and I’m sure menu is small but includes some traditional Scottish might not enchant everyone the way it did me, was the The perfect spot for a tag-along vacation — favorites. We tried Cullen Skink, a chowder of smoked Necropolis Cemetery — a massive graveyard perched on a place where I felt safe alone, could travel haddock, green beans and potatoes and Arbroath a knoll overlooking the city. I suppose it shows how safe I Smokie fishcakes. Perhaps the best part was that it was felt in Glasgow that I spent hours wandering around the easily on foot, and find lots to photograph. only a 20-minute walk from our hotel, so we didn’t have extensive grounds, admiring and photographing the grave to worry about transportation. markers; many of them poignant works of art, dating back Other of my favorite destinations included: to 1831. Some were elaborate little buildings, some impres- it allows photos; even with a flash. “Maybe just don’t use a ■ The Botanic Garden, which, in addition to acres of sive monuments; others were small, simple markers, a few flash on the more fragile things,” I was told when I asked. outdoor gardens, includes two massive glasshouses; one of which had tumbled to the ground. Evenings, Dan and I tried pubs or restaurants marked houses mostly orchids, begonias, succulents and other I also loved wandering around Kelvingrove Park. The “inexpensive” in our guidebook. Dan began a probably small plants; the other, called the Kibble Palace, was moved rhododendrons were all in bloom along with hundreds of impossible quest — trying every single malt whiskey to the site in 1871 and restored in 2004, and houses large- other spring flowers. The River Kelvin meanders through produced in the country. He developed a great technique, scale tropical plants and art works. the 85-acre park, which also has lovely fountains and however; he asked bartenders for their recommendations, ■ The Hunterian Art Gallery on the University of statues around every corner. which resulted in a number of free “wee tastes” of whiskeys Glasgow campus, where I was one of less than two dozen When I tired of photographing the flowers and foun- he didn’t have to pay for. visitors. It boasts a large collection of the works of James tains, I visited the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum One of our favorite restaurants was The Butterfly and McNeill Whistler, 17th and 18th century paintings by on the edge of the park. I had coffee in the museum foyer The Pig, an eccentric basement eatery furnished with many major European artists, and 19th and 20th century coffee shop while being serenaded by someone trying out mismatched antique furniture and dishes, and featuring works by Scottish artists. Inside the museum is also a re- the massive second story pipe organ. There is also a base- the strangest menu I’ve ever seen. The food was great, made ment cafe. with ingredients from nearby farms. 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