Glasgow. The Celtic name is Glas Cu which means “dear green place.”  
That is how we will remember our time here.  

No global warming, neither drought in this dear green place.  This has been the chilliest summer of our lives while our family and friends in the Pacific Northwest have suffered through the hottest summer of recent memory.  (We aren’t complaining; just stating the facts.)  

A beautiful bridge along the Kelvin River Walkway. Look for the Glasgow Seal between the tree branches.

There is no fee to visit the botanical garden. One of the conservatories .

A massive glass conservatory building houses huge collections of plants from around the world. It was interesting to see plants we had seen while traveling in South America.

We stayed in the West End and daily walked along the Forth & Clyde canal and Kelvin River.

Glasgow Cathedral also known as St. Mungos.

David Livingstone, missionary to Africa, was a native of Glasgow.

Flowers thrive in Glasgow’s cooler, moist weather.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh was Glasgow’s most celebrated designer. He entered Glascow School of Art at age 16, became a leading figure in the Art Nouveau movement and developed his unique style borrowing from Gothic and Scottish Baronial designs.  Although unrecognized in his lifetime his work is now widely imitated.   

The Willow Tea Rooms are authentic reproductions of the tea rooms Mackintosh designed and furnished in the early 20th century.

Mackintosh believed a building and all its furnishings an integrated work of art. This reminded me of the work of American architect designers Mary Coulter of Harvey House fame, and Frank Lloyd-Wright. All three are of the same era. The high-back chairs are signature Mackintosh design.

Queens Church – the only church designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Interior of Queens Church.

After spending so much time in hostel rooms we really enjoyed having a home with comfortable furniture and not just a bed! We didn’t even mind that the weather was cool and rainy; we were happy cocooning and cooking. Besides relaxing and reading I was able to get caught up on writing and social media as well as travel planning.

We will miss one wee dear dog!

We are now in England. staying with Fred, a 70-pound lab, and the weather is, surprise, stormy, cool and gray! 

Coming next week:  Hadrian’s Wall, York, London, and East Anglia.

Cheers!