I had just a day to spare in Glasgow. So I had to contend with a quick tour of the places in and around the Glasgow central station.
The station, I must say is in itself a tourist attraction with its high ceilings and iconic clocks.
I started with a quick breakfast at Cafe Nero’s. while I browsed through its long and rich history.
In the 6th century AD Rydderch Hael, the king of Strathclyde, invited St.Kentigern to bless his kingdom. The priest set up his congregation and built his church around the river Clyde. The community that hence developed came to be known as Glasgu. Slowly with time this small rural settlement became the largest seaport in Scotland and by the the 18th century it became the centre of Scottish enlightenment.
Today Glasgow boasts of being the largest economy and the most populous city in Scotland.
After breakfast, I strolled into the beautiful George Square and stood gawking at the life-size statues of famous Scottish personalities like Robert Burns, Walter Scott, Thomas Campbell, Sir John Moore and several others.
The site is currently used for political meetings and other gatherings, music events, light shows, ceremonies or as I found out when you simply want to laze around feeding the pigeons on a lazy Sunday morning.
Exiting the square from the north side I crossed the Queen Street station and marvelled at murals adorning the walls on my right.
On my left, I was awed by the imposing facade of the University of Strathclyde.
As the gulls fluttered around me, I walked into the impressive precincts of the Glasgow Cathedral. A huge gothic structure, it is located opposite the Cathedral square. It was built in 1136 and was dedicated to St. Kentigern who was also known as St.Mungo, Glasgow’s patron saint. The Cathedral took about 350 years to build.
Wooden arches holding up the high ceilings towered above me as I entered the cool interiors. The silence was a soothing and helped to bring a smile on my lips. The Stained glass windows captured images from the life of the saint and narrated the rich history of the church.
St.Mungo’s Tomb is located at a lower level of the church.
Adjacent to the Cathedral lies the Necropolis, the city of the dead. Located on a lower hill on the east of the Cathedral, The Glasgow Necropolis is a victorian cemetery that encloses beneath its lush green lawns 50,000 souls. However, only 3500 monuments depicting the names and details of all those buried here, exist.
It was opened in 1833. Earlier to this in 1832 a Jewish Burial ground was built but was soon said to be filled up. The burial ground still exists in the western part of the Necropolis.
The area is a vast green patch with the monuments towering above you. As you walk beneath these huge structures, you can feel you are being watched by the dead. The place has a surprisingly relaxing effect on you.
When you enter the Necropolis, you must walk through the Bridge of Sighs. It is named thus because this was the route the funeral processions would take to bury the dead.
On entering the gates you will come across three modern memorials. One is the memorial dedicated to still born children.
There is one remembering the Korean War.
The third is to commemorate the citizens of Glasgow who received the Victoria Cross, the most prestigious honour bestowed for valour on British armed force personnel.
Soon it was time to take my leave of this beautiful city.
While waiting for my train there was just one thought that crossed my mind, it is indeed commendable that a city steeped in history as deep and rich as Glasgow has displayed an incredible agility to adapt to the pace and dynamism of the new age.
Kudos to the city for that!
Take a look at this video to experience the sights and sounds of this beautiful city.
Please Note: You might need to switch on the subtitles in English.
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