5/27 Newcastle Upon Trent & the Ocean

Newcastle Upon Trent is really not very far from the ocean, so when I wanted to find a place for this night, I decided to drive the extra few miles and stay in a typical English seaside hotel. This one was directly at the mouth of the Trent river. 

First, the Newcastle Millenium Bridge.  It is for pedestrians only and ties the businesses and hotels on one side of the river with the other side.  The result is a lot more business for all.  These people were celebrating the bank holiday. 

The bridge looks a little strange, with a series of cables connected to an arch holding the bridge up.  

However, to let boats go underneath, it tilts.  It has become such a tourist attraction that crowds gather several times a day to watch the posted bridge tilts.  No boats, just for fun.

Passengers removed and time to tilt. They sound a loud siren to warn you to get off.

This is the height of the tilt. 

Headed back down.

This hotel does not look impressive, but it was really quite nice.  Only problem was there was a very big, very loud wedding going on, and it was a bank holiday, meaning people had a three-day weekend.  Nicer on a weekday, I suspect.

My very large room with a sea-view.

Glad I went for a short walk this day, as the next, it was cold and rainy.  Well, actually, it was cold this day, but at least sunny. These were funny people! 

Very long and very nice seaside walk.  Too cold to be on the beach, even on a bank holiday.

5/26 Glasgow

I spent two days in Glasgow and this posting is a compilation of those two days.  This is the hotel I stayed at.  Was told there was free parking, which technically was true--there was free street parking if you could find a spot!  (Need to ask more detailed questions next time.) Anyway, I was lucky to arrive when someone was pulling out, but i really do not like street parking.    No photos of my tiny room, but it was a single, has a single bed, and hardly any room to put all of my stuff.  At least it was cheap. 

 

The hotel was right across from the botanical gardens.  Lots of people out on this sunny day.

Just some general photos of the city taken from a double-decker, hop-on, hop-of bus tour. 

Provand's Lordship

 This was one of the best places in the city--the oldest standiing house in Glasgow, built in 1471!  Amazing.

This tells you a little about the house.

 

I love to look at the beams and the stones in the walls.  None are perfect because they used what they had.  Considering how old this place it, it worked. The furniture is not original to the house, but it is of the 16th Century, so similar to what might have been here 550 years ago. 

I found this interesting because the top row of plates were pewter and the bottom rows were made of wood.  

 Carving over the fireplace mantle in one room.

Quite a window seat.

Look at the stones in this fireplace.  FYI - the photo is NOT tilted. 

Glasgow Cathedral

 I was a little disappointed with Glasgow, but this cathedral was also one of the best sites.
 

This cathedral was lucky.  Most churches and cathedrals were destroyed during the Reformation in the 16th Century.  This one was protected by the townspeople and so survived. 

When I first saw all these patched holes, I thought it might be from disintegrating stones.  Actually, there were dozens of things such as images and candle holders attached when it was a Catholic church, but after the Reformation, it was all pulled out, leaving holes that had to be patched.  It is now Church of England.

 

Love to look at roofs, but I was told this one was not original. 

Heading down to the lower level.  I have more photos, but this is enough for you to get an idea of what this church looks like.

5/25 Glasgow Tenement House

This is an apartment which was occupied by a woman and her mother for over 50 years from 1911 to 1965.  Built in the late 1800s, it was not changed over those years and did not even have electricity installed until 1961.  Thousands of these apartment buildings were built as solutions to housing for the lower-middle class, with three or four tiny rooms.

(Construction materials here are not relevant.)

 

The kitchen had a built-in bed.  Incredibly, the never-married daughter and her mother slept in this bed together!  Must have been the warmest room, and the one bedroom was rented out to a boarder.  There was another bed in the parlor, but it was never used. 

Both the kitchen range and all fireplaces burned coal, which was deliver twice a week.

 This was the parlor.

And the bed in the corner. 

This was the piano in the entrance hall.

 The bedroom rented to the boarder.

Interesting toilet!