Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Glasgow Smile


You either love or hate Glasgow - and there are certainly more haters than lovers, fuck knows why. Tourists might feel a bit intimidated by this rough yet real version of The Great Scottish Experience they seek during hopefully perfect holidays. There are many junkies, yes. Some areas are to be avoided, of course. Post-pub food looks grotesque, from fried pizza to fried black pudding... and a lot of other deep fried things. But hey, why would you want a city like Glasgow to be perfect? If you want prim and proper, go back to wherever you come from. Glasgow is much bigger than I expected but the subway (the third-oldest underground metro system in the world!) is simple and efficient. I love the fact that this is not the most tourist-infested place in Scotland so you can actually interact with locals; the slogan "People Make Glasgow." lives up to the reputation - Glaswegians are friendly, helpful, down-to-earth and great fun. I loved Glasgow so much that I really want to come back when the weather's more... welcoming. Atmospheric nightlife in Ashton Lane, thrift shops in the West End, cheeky squirrels in Kelvingrove Park, the coolest street art, unforgettable dining at the Hanoi Bike Shop (if you like Vietnamese food, dinner at this little restaurant would be a life-changing, tastebud-teaser experience), nocturnal fox spotting after one too many wee drams, a distinctive underground vibe present in the youth culture, me and Dani getting lost on our way to the creepy Necropolis in the twilight (beautiful, eerie Victorian cemetery with a view over the city - but please don't go there at dusk, in the rain, like we did)... I could mention many other things that could convince you on how cool this industrial, cosmopolitan city is, but you should go there and see it/feel it for yourself. Glasgow, like Dublin, is all about what people make of it.

12 comments:

  1. Gostei imenso das tuas fotos, dado o que escreveste acho que captam essa atmosfera bastante bem. Por acaso tenho colegas a estudar lá agora. Claro está que nunca ouves a parte "má" da coisa e as pessoas descrevem sempre tudo como se fosse super perfeito. Nunca tive essa ideia de Glasgow, sempre achei que era uma cidade muito industrial e foi mesmo isso que mostraste, the real city, sem embelezamentos, tal qual como é.
    Não tenho vindo aqui nos últimos tempos mas tenho visto que andas por esses lados. A passear ou não, a verdade é que fico com muita inveja e espero que estejas a aproveitar tudo! :)

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  2. Oh I love this post! I adore Glasgow too and am super fond of lots of the places you mentioned, especially the necropolis and Kelvingrove. There are always so many cool things going on in Glasgow and I think the city is one of the most darkly beautiful. Also one of the funnest to get drunk in. :D xo

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  3. Really lovely photos - especially that first one. I have never been to Glasgow but I would love to go. I have honestly never really heard much about Glasgow one way or the other so I am surprised to hear it has a lot of haters. But being somewhere that doesn't feel too touristy sounds awesome.

    Rae | love from berlin

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  4. Glasgow has never been on my radar but it looks interesting - I'll make a point of visiting when I'm next in the UK!

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  5. Uau, adoro! E tu estás linda demais :)

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  6. Belas fotos! Estás linda, e a Dani, também!...Pena que aquele YES não tivesse vingado!...
    Para além dos monumentos e do tipo de paisagem totalmente diferente daqui, gostei de ver
    as azeitonas! E o gatone com orelhas de lince. :-)
    xx

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  7. I once lost me hearrt to a Wallace whose family hailed back frae Galsgow... oh well, never really made it there, nor to Inverness as we were supposed to...
    http://bloglairdutemps.blogspot.pt/

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  8. I am a lover of Glasgow, one of those really enthusiastic ones that gets offended by the haters of Glasgow... I lived there for 3 years for university and it is such a special and interesting place. You are right about the people, it's the best Scottish city for people. I am so happy that you loved it! I hope you didn't go too mad in the Vintage guru!

    Em x

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  9. Bonitas imagens...não me importava nada de ir visitar.

    Isabel Sá
    http://brilhos-da-moda.blogspot.pt

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  10. adorei as fotos do jardim botânico, tenho uma queda por lugares desses, especialmente os fechados e essas fotos, opá dão-me cabo do juízo x)

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  11. You have made my day by featuring Glasgow on your blog, Nancy! I'm so happy to see my dirty big city featured on your wonderful slice of the internet.

    I think the amount of hate directed at Glasgow makes me love it even more - even within Scotland people criticise the city for being 'rough'. It's definitely not the tartan and shortbread vision of Scotland that perhaps some tourists expect, but I love it for how lively and creative it is. And, of course, the people - Glaswegians really are a special sort.

    Although perhaps being born in Derry means I am predisposed to prefer cities which are a little rough around the edges!

    x

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  12. I never knew that there was hatred towards Glasgow. From what you've said I guess with this city people have a love it or a hate it relationship. I am now more curious about it for sure :)

    http://chamomiledealer.blogspot.com.tr/

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