GLASGOW
Glasgow proved to be an incredibly memorable evening, unexpectedly so. I never imagined Glasgow would etch such a vivid memory in my mind; perhaps it was the moment we successfully conquered the entire cocktail menu for the first time. I do have to say though, if I could summarize Glasgow, as Scotland’s largest city, in 2 words, it would be… rough and rigid.
Here are some highlights:
MacTassos food truck that fulfilled my day before I wander around the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
A tour around University of Glasgow, which filmed the famous Harry Potter scenes
Xingfu Tang Bubble Tea shop
A meal to fulfill my Asian food desire, Wagamama chain restaurant
Strolling near the city center
The Absent Ear Speakeasy bar
Gallery of Modern Art
The Ivy restaurant
We didn't spend much time in Glasgow, probably just around a day at most. We caught the morning LNER from London to Glasgow, arriving around one or two in the afternoon. The weather in Glasgow was cloudy, giving off a Gothic city vibe.
𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕡: 𝕂𝕖𝕝𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕣𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝔸𝕣𝕥 𝕄𝕦𝕤𝕖𝕦𝕞
While planning my Glasgow itinerary, I was deeply drawn to the art museum adorned with various mannequin heads. Since my friends weren't too keen, I took an Uber alone to Glasgow's West End.
Five days into my UK trip, I was particularly craving Chinese cuisine. Across from the art museum, there was a Chinese restaurant. Initially, I thought it was a regular ordering kind, only to discover it was a hotpot and barbecue joint. Inside, many Chinese students were dining, and for a moment, I forgot I was in a foreign land. The manager, seeing me alone, reluctantly exchanged a few words with the waiter beside her as I waited for a table. In the end, I didn't opt to dine there because, truth be told, I couldn't finish a whole hotpot and barbecue by myself!
Perhaps due to everyone being at work, Glasgow felt particularly quiet that day, giving off a serene vibe. The atmosphere around the art museum was quite pleasant. If I were to bring a child along, they would probably enjoy running around on the grassy area next to the art museum.
After doing some research on Xiaohongshu (a social media platform), I discovered that there was a highly-rated food truck called MacTassos parked by the side of the art museum. The wraps at MacTassos were delicious and reasonably priced. I grabbed a wrap and sat at the entrance of the art museum, enjoying my meal while observing the people around. Most of the visitors at the museum during this time seemed to be elderly folks and students (probably from nearby universities), I assumed.
Kelvingrove Art Museum is a museum and art gallery in Scotland. The museum as a whole may not be particularly grandiose, but it certainly has its own style and character. Rather than calling it an art gallery, I'd describe it more as a Baroque-style church with just the right amount of artwork.
Originally, I didn't have high expectations for this art museum, but I was pleasantly surprised to come across several artworks that I genuinely liked inside. If you have the time, I highly recommend spending over an hour here. My favorite piece in the entire museum is a sculpture where you can truly feel the father's profound love for his child.
While wandering around the art museum, two girls approached me and asked if I could take photos of them. So, we ended up taking photos for each other. BTW, did you see that chandelier I’m staring at in the photo above? I absolutely fell in love with that chandelier; I wish I could take it home with me!
𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕡: 𝕌𝕟𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕠𝕗 𝔾𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕘𝕠𝕨
Glasgow University is right next to the art museum, just a 15-minute walk and we got to the very famous Harry Potter filming location!
Glasgow University ranks among the top 100 universities globally and is the fourth oldest university in English-speaking countries, established back in 1451. Despite its several hundred years of history, the university doesn't look outdated at all; they must be doing maintenance and renovations regularly.
One interesting observation I made along the way is that there are many Chinese students in this university. Seriously I felt like I was back in Vancouver for a moment there. While walking, I accidentally bumped into a girl, instinctively saying "Sorry." To my surprise, she replied in Chinese, "It's okay”, lol!
The university definitely is giving Harry Potter vibes from the get-go.
The entire campus feels like I stepped into the Wizarding world. It’s so beautiful and magical at the same time. I’m seriously jealous of the students who study here!
THE CAMPUS
I must say, the campus is truly a splendid fusion of nature, modern art, and historical architecture. I also feel like the students here must study philosophy of some sort!
𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕡: 幸福堂奶茶店 (Xingfu Tang)
I haven’t had bubble tea for so long!
Remember I was craving for Chinese food? Well, that desire evolved into a craving for bubble tea as I explored. Perhaps because of the significant number of Chinese students around the university campus, there were quite a few Chinese restaurants and bubble tea shops nearby. After a quick search, I was delighted to find “Xingfu Tang” nearby! And just like that, I had my first and last cup of fresh milk tea with pearls in the UK. The feeling of taking the first sip with pearls, longing for Asian cuisine, is indescribable, haha.
𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕡: 𝕎𝕒𝕘𝕒𝕞𝕒𝕞𝕒
By the time I returned from the university campus to Glasgow city center to meet my friend, it was already around 3 PM. We found a Japanese fusion chain restaurant nearby. It felt like a budget version of PF Chang's in the US. The menu offered various Asian dishes, with their ramen being the most famous, alongside many Indonesian and Malaysian options. If you're craving Chinese cuisine but want something quick, this place is a good choice. I ordered a glass of their freshly squeezed green vegetable juice, and it was quite tasty!
After dinner, we wandered around the vicinity for a while. Many shops in Glasgow close between 5 and 7 PM, so you can definitely feel a significant decrease in foot traffic in the city center during those hours. There’s nothing much to do after that.
𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕡: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔸𝕓𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝔼𝕒𝕣
The highlight of my trip to Glasgow this time was undoubtedly The Absent Ear, an underground bar (it surpassed my experience at the underground bar in London). The Absent Ear showed me just how dull Glasgow can be during the day and how wild it can get at night.
The Absent Ear is incredibly mysterious. So much so that you only get the address after making a reservation. You descend down some stairs from a certain spot in the city, where you first encounter Van Gogh's famous painting. As for what comes next? Well, that's for you to find out!
The waitress who greeted us was a very beautiful and friendly young lady. Each drink here has its own theme, and some might even require a "doctor" to prescribe them for you!
The cocktail menu offered 12 different cocktails, each with the option to add your choice of hard liqueur. We tried all 12 cocktails, and it ended up being my first experience of getting drunk and vomiting, all thanks to Glasgow. Thankfully, my friend is an emergency nurse in downtown and has seen many patients like me in the ER, so I felt super safe LOL!
My favorite cocktail was related to "confession." I had to write down a secret that I didn't want to tell anyone on a piece of paper. Then, the waitress gave me a box to put my secret in, and at the same time, I could also draw someone else's secret to read. I picked two, and let me tell you, the contents were quite spicy! I also received a good gift from the drinks, since one of the drinks require us to mail a post card. My husband received it a couple of weeks after I came back from vacation. I have no idea what was written as both my friend and I are half drunk already by then.
As we wandered back from the bar, my friend insisted on taking a picture of himself imitating the Matilda poster in George Square, lol!!
𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕡: 𝔾𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕣𝕪 𝕠𝕗 𝕄𝕠𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕟 𝔸𝕣𝕥
The Modern Art Gallery is located right in the heart of Glasgow, and admission is free. If you're interested in this type of artwork, I highly recommend paying a visit. The gallery isn't very large, with several floors to explore, and you can usually see everything in about an hour.
𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕡: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕀𝕧𝕪
The Ivy is a modern British restaurant with several branches across the UK. The ambiance of the restaurant is exceptional, giving off a feeling of dining in a tropical rainforest. It's known that many high-profile individuals are regulars here! It's recommended to make reservations a few days in advance, as it's easy to end up without a table or having to squeeze in at the bar. My friend and I happened to pass by and decided to dine here that day, and luckily, there was one last spot available at the bar for us.
English Benny :)
Overall, the dining experience was okay in terms of food and services. I can get a better Benedict back home. The bartender also was too busy so didn’t have much time to greet us or take our orders promptly. We randomly selected two lunch items from the menu.
Oh Glasgow, I'm not sure when I'll be back here again, maybe in 10 years, maybe after I retire, or maybe there won't be a next time. Perhaps my stay here wasn't long enough to fully appreciate the beauty of this city. Farewell!
