There’s a lot to do in Glasgow if you have
the time and the means to get to places. I have a lot of time but a strict
budget which limits my participation to certain events. However, free things
are great and if I can get to it by train or walking then count me in. Last
Sunday myself and Lux headed out to a craft fair located in Merchant Square near
Trongate which is an indoors covered square thing (no shit) that’s meant to
feel like it’s outdoors with lots of restaurants and a club called El Barrio
that features a parrot wearing a sombrero as its logo - “Hey amigos, SQUAWK,
come inside for fun times and reasonably priced drinks, SQUAWK”. As squares go
it’s alright but there’s an air of Butlins about it all and by that I mean it
feels a bit fake. Still, the restaurants are busy so good for them.
For some reason I was under the impression
that the craft fair would be a bit more, well, crafty. What I discovered was
that the majority of the stands consisted of very expensive artwork or very
expensive artisan food or very expensive jewellery. Sure, it was all very nice
but not in my price range and not particularly to my taste either. There were a
few stands though that caught our eyes and we ended up having very pleasant
chats with the vendors. Now would probably be a good opportunity to promote
said crafty people but I can’t remember what their businesses were called and have
reached a level of comfort on the sofa where moving would disturb the delicate
equilibrium so what I can tell you for now is that we came out with a lovely
rose and geranium soap, a note pad with the Glasgow School of Art on the front,
some strawberry and black pepper jam and a small bottle of caramel sauce. The
intention was to buy a few things as gifts for the impending Jesusmas but ended
up getting things for ourselves. Oops.
Deciding that we should perhaps resist from
spending any more money in the square we head out and initially visit a nearby
Italian cafe that has the most amazing food and cakes but the prices are not as
pretty so we venture further afield towards a tea room we remembered seeing on
Glassford Street a few weeks previously.
We find ‘The Glasgow Tea Room’, it’s open
and the prices are a lot more within budget. Time seems to have whizzed by and
it’s already 4pm so we don’t have much time to drink the enormous pots of
herbal tea we’ve ordered (see picture – that’s Lux making the gang signs – even
people from the hood like herbal tea – deal with it). We also order some bagels
which are great except for the copious amounts of mustard. I’ve never had that
much mustard before, the feeling of my sinuses and cheeks burning was a new
experience and, whilst we both found it hilarious, it’s probably something I
don’t want to experience again. Our fits of laughter were then escalated when
the sound of pounding feet came from above us and the chandeliers started
wobbling. “There’s a group of ladies have a reiki meeting upstairs. I think
they’re doing a rain dance, like we need it” says one of the waitresses. By
this point I am convinced that I’m on some kind of mustard fuelled high, the
world is now in soft focus and Lux is telling me a joke that has something to do
with the three bears, a drunk mouse and Frank Sinatra.
Time for home. On our way back towards the
train station we stop outside the Glasgow Museum of Modern Art. The Duke of
Wellington statue has his traffic cone hat on, something I had yet to see in
the flesh. The last time I had seen him he was sporting a Brazil football shirt
and a little family of traffic cones were nestled at the bottom of his plinth.
I’m not sure of the story behind the traffic cone tradition but I think it’s
cool and totally represents the spirit of Glasgow.
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