Category Archives: travel

Glasgow: family, fog, and ferris wheels.

we touched down in Glasgow among a sea of mist, the clouds stretching from heaven to earth and everywhere in between.

in a manner of minutes, we were warming our hands by the stove fire and drinking hot tea with our beloved Scottish Family. sommkid was overwhelmed with joy.

while munchkins reunited, we walked along the muddy alleys and gazed at golfers and robins and stray cats and centuries old homes.

we stopped at the local pub to have a cider and catch up on the last year’s events. the liquid was cool and somewhat sweet and had just enough alcohol to induce a short nap.

trains run into the city on the regular, so we hopped down to the Glasgow Market to give the girls a view of George Square from the ferris wheel.

the award winning city council building built in 1882 was nothing to scoff at, either.

high street was stacked full to the brim with holiday shoppers, overflowing with bags of goodies for loved ones and mothers and stalkers alike.

we ate Cadbury’s and drank IPA and walked the streets of Glesco with apathy. the historic stone buildings glittered in the mist as we wandered, lighting a path for us to the Modern Museum of Art, and then on to the train station.

tomorrow is another day, and perhaps another adventure.

saor-làithean saor, y’all!

 

Dublin: exploring the banks of the River Liffey

souls move quickly in Dublin, their gaits shortened by the pace of their day or the stoutness of their stature. it’s a chore to move between them as they zig zag along O’Connell Street, their faces surprisingly not buried in their phones, but usually in clustered conversation with others.

it is forever spring here, the dampness protruding like veins across the moist earth. it’s too warm for snow, too cold for sun. the pewter skies permanently hang in the ceilings of schoolchildren running through the greens.

we ourselves wandered through Oscar Wilde Park, stopping to swing with our hair in the wind, and to pose with flirting statues. across the street, parsnip soup and the National Gallery of Ireland beckoned.

gliding through the rooms depicting Irish artists, sommkid found herself immersed in Jack Yeats, displaying street life and country customs. the vast European collection included Vermeer, as well as Caravaggio’s “The Taking of Christ.” artwork just doesn’t look the same these days. we gawked in awe.

a breezy stride through St Stephens Green offered fresh air and proper playtime, a break from the cultural immersion.

we traversed north to Trinity College, and while ultimately entering, we bypassed the exquisite library and it’s Book of Kells, and opted for Dublin Castle instead.

because castles of course is what sommkid is all about.

we danced in the drawing room and twirled in the throne room. our hairs stood on edge in the viceroy’s rooms; the darkness of air protruded from the walls like thick mist. tragedy happened all around here. for such a long time.

the sommelier, who has been down for the count, met us for an early dinner full of leeks and venison and Irish borne steak.  it’s Christmas time in Dublin, so the lights and trees and tinsel parade the glistening streets.  the dew is constant and slickens the pavement beneath us as we walk back to the hotel.

Nollaig Shona, Baile Átha Cliath!