Gorgeous Glasgow - Part Two

Hello again, I hope you're ready to be taken on the second part of our Glasgow adventure? 

A surprise highlight for me was our visit to The Riverside Museum Of Transport which is located a little out of the town centre but still accessible by subway or the tour buses. I had an Alice In Wonderland moment on this very comfy sofa outside! The striking modern architecture of the building is the first surprise, the huge array of 3,000 objects inside is the second! Wow, I am no petrol head but I had the best time wandering around the cars, trains, bikes, trams and more! There is even a recreation of a Victorian high street with a photography studio, pawnbrokers and even a pub. Take a look at the pictures to see just a glimpse of their amazing collection, it would be the perfect rainy day trip as little ones would love climbing on all the trams and trains....(I know I did!)

Next stop was the Botanical Gardens which is in the west end of Glasgow, we took a taxi from the museum because it was raining but it is walkable too. Founded in 1817 by Thomas Hopkirk is provides a tropical green oasis in the busy city, separate glass houses for differing collections of plants, the carnivores ones (below) for example, and a more rainforest type environment with towering banana leaves and palms. It was lovely and quiet when we went so we could have a  calm wander, but it would be a great place to bring a picnic too! The orchid and cacti collections would get any botanical enthusiasts drooling, lots of varieties to enjoy. 

The last museum of our trip was The Hunterian which is housed on the University of Glasgow campus. Founded in 1807 the collection is Scotland's oldest public museum and has been recognised as a Collection Of National Significance. There is a huge selection, plenty of pickled anatomical delights (so perhapes not for the squeamish!) as well as fossils and taxidermy. In their own words:

"Built on Dr William Hunter’s founding bequest, the collections today include scientific instruments used by James Watt, Joseph Lister and Lord Kelvin; outstanding Roman artefacts from the Antonine Wall; major natural and life sciences holdings; Hunter’s own extensive anatomical teaching collection; one of the world’s greatest numismatic collections; impressive ethnographic objects from Captain Cook’s Pacific voyages and a major art collection."

We toasted our final night in Glasgow with delicious sake martini's and sushi at Nippon Kitchen (the one on the left is green tea and the right one was lychee, mmmm!) It really was a fabulous few days exploring this city, everyone was so friendly and I really felt at home, don't let past stereotypes put you off spending time in gorgeous Glasgow!

Next we're off to the lochs!

Thanks for reading,

Katie

Gorgeous Glasgow - Part One

Ahoy there! I have just returned from a brilliant Scottish adventure week, which we kicked off in gorgeous Glasgow! Despite hearing mixed reviews from people initially, I really loved this city and would highly recommend a visit to all, a couple of days at least. There are plenty of lovely independent shops, cafes and restaurants to suit any taste or appetite. The museums were so wonderful I could have been lost in them all day, and none felt too packed full of visitors so you could happily meander in your own time. The Subway (otherwise known at the clockwork orange) is tiny but efficient, cheap and absolutely impeccably clean - on the whole Glasgow made London look rather grimy, fact! We stayed at the Apex Hotel which was right in the centre of town, making it a great hub to easily to get around day tripping. The staff were friendly and the rooms were very comfy, our city view room gave us a great view across Glasgow and meant we were away from street noise.

This GINORMOUS pile of food from from our first dinner at Bread Meats Bread - definitely one for the meat lovers among us! The beef brisket was amazing (no i didn't eat it all!) and Dave and the Lamb Shank Redemption burger, also a hit! Why bother with Five Guys or other chains when you have a friendly, passionate place like this! A very good start to proceedings! 

The first day was spent wandering the amazing Kelvingrove Art Gallery And Mueum  which was the favourite part of the trip for me, such a wide range of fascinating exhibits from ancient Egypt to taxidermy, dinosaurs to Mackintosh panels, planes and floating heads (scroll down to see what I mean!) Compared to how hectic some big museums can be in the summer holidays, this was a delight! you could get up close to all the exhibits, and they even had a recital on an organ in the main hall to set the scene! 

It was a brilliant morning, we stayed for lunch and then headed off to The University of Glasgow (4th oldest University building in the world!) We hopped on The Clockwork Orange (Look how clean!!!) and was there in 10, the University's architecture is absolutely stunning, hence why it was chosen to be the setting for Hogwarts in scenes from the Harry Potter films - do you recognise it? The cloisters are a world famous feature, they are imposing and I couldn't resist striking my first day at Hogwarts pose! It was a Uni open week so the guides were very friendly in helping us find our way around - I was very jealous of those freshers! 

Thanks for reading and I hope I'm doing Glasgow justice! Back for Part Two very soon!

Katie

Trip To Milford On Sea

We always try and have a seaside escape before the Easter break, and as it came early this year our trip to Milford On Sea could be the same week as my 27th Birthday, which made it a great excuse for some rest and relaxation! We often visit Lymington which is the next town across from Milford On Sea, but I found the lovely Beach House Hotel online and as they are both dog friendly AND right next to the beach, it was the perfect choice for us. The suite was beautifully furnished in a nautical-meets-shabby chic style and we even had a little lounge with a sofa. The hotel has a beautiful bar and lounge where dogs are welcome and the food was always good, I really highly recommend a visit whether you want a pet friendly holiday or not! 

The beach has a promenade which made it easier to walk along than just the pebbles, and some lovely traditional beach huts, although these are only the few which survived the bad storms a few years ago. They have a  rejuvenation plan to build a whole new beachfront so in a few years it will be looking very different.  There is a view across to The Needles and The Isle Of White on a clear day, this can be spotted from the hotel too! 

I had a scrumptious Full English birthday breakfast which was quite a treat, I don't usually cook it myself as I don't like all the washing up! I had some beautiful cards and presents from my family and friends which had been smuggled along as a surprise, and it was a very sunny beautiful day! We took a leisurely beach side stroll and visited the wild bird sanctuary which lies back from the beach, taking in the first proper springtime day! Mia still isn't quite used to the beach, she runs about like a mad thing and was so excited by all the birds she was shaking! Crazy little werewolf! She did very well considering she has never (I assume) been in a hotel environment before, she liked all the waiters (especialy one who was also from Romania and she loved hearing someone speak the language again! Seriously!) but she just wasn't too sure of the sound of the hotel owners high heels on the wooden floor - my trainers never make that much noise so she isn't used to it! 

 

We found some Alpacas at the nearby Motor Museum who were tucking into a tasty looking veggie feast, which reminded us we hadn't eaten in at least three hours to returned to the hotel for lunch and a birthday Gin and Tonic in the sunroom, it felt much more summery than March! If you fancy a short break in Hampshire I really recommend a stay at The Beach House, you will be very well looked after!

Thanks for reading, have a great weekend!

Katie