Glasgow

I had a great day out in Glasgow today, although getting there through the traffic seemed to take for hours. I met the artist formerly known as 'podge-alot', a leading member of lengendary Solihull five at Central station. It was great to have a few hours free with an old friend, and as neither of us had brought our kids we actually spoke to each other!

His father-in-law, (a full-time raconteur and part-time arhcitect) had recommended that we have a look at the Glasgow lighthouse a striking redevelopment of an old building with various exhibition spaces within it. Some of the exhibitions were just odd (either I have the conceptual-art part of my brain missing or the emperor has no clothes. I suspect the latter), others quite interesting, especially some of the architectural history stuff, as well as the obligatory cafe and gift shop. The best bit of it (that was almost worth the entry fee by itself) was the tower and viewing platform at the top, with huge views accross the city. Excellent stuff.

We'd been highly recommended to try a Mongolian restaurant in the merchant city, which was shut when we got there, so we settled for a pizza and chatted through the afternoon as the heavy rain lashed George square outside. We had originally planned to go hillwalking today, probably on Beinn Chabhair at Crianlarich. It's a good job we didn't, hundreds of roads in the hills we closed this afternoon due to flooding an high winds and the police we advising people not to travel!

Starbucks coffee is vile. Remind me never to try it again - even if they conveniently have an outlet in Borders books.