it's not everyday you happen to be in scotland, so when you find you are, and you get an invite to the rainbow palace from your very favourite sparkly scot, well, you go. while in edinburgh over christmas, i packed up my strawberry backpack, and headed to glasgow for the night. i'd been before - even then we only had twenty four hours to fit it all in, but this time i had but one purpose: i wanted some quality time with my soul sister and her beau, in the pastel house of my dreams.
after a quick pit stop in the palace for diet cokes and a bite to eat, we were off for a walk to local leafy refuge, queen's park, for a chat with the swans, to say "ey pal" to clyde the commonwealth games mascot, and to check out the wildlife in the glasshouse at the other side. as we walked, we gossiped, all in the hopes that the more we talked, the less we would notice how grey and cold it was turning. storm frank was on his way in, and we were keen to avoid it as best we could; when we reached the bottom, we stopped in for a quick cuppa in the glad cafe before heading in for the night.
might sound dull, but we had gary's homemade vegetarian burritos and the property brothers to keep us plenty busy, not to mention more adorable nic-nacs and kitsch memorabilia than you could poke a mint-painted stick at. seriously, you don't need pinterest when decorating your next house, you just need these two,
after a fitful sleep (thanks frank) that saw me move from the comfy spare bed to the comfy couch and wake everyone up in the process (and get a scare of my own thanks to eye masks and ear plugs and lynsay walking into the room in the total dark), we were up at a reasonable hour because: plans. we had brunch plans with the babe'n ayden, once again back at the glad cafe (it's a fave!). we chilled and chatted and gossiped over french toast and coffee, before saying our fond farewells while the pastel kids and i headed back into town to take in some sights before my train back to the 'burgh.
we stopped off a wee bit early on the bus so we could catch klingatron's tiger mural on the banks of the clyde. i'd seen it as i came in on the train the day before, and lyns had promised me we'd go and check it out. it's so much grander than any piece i've seen in the "wild" like that before, so i was pleased as punch we'd taken the scenic route. from there we ambled along the river, commenting on "the bridges" (because: "who names a bridge?" - gary), before snapping up that money shot of the finnieston crane that everyone no doubt vies for when the come to glasgow (do they? i dunno).
with departure time looming, we headed back into the city to queen's street station for my train home. it was a whirlwind of a trip (again)(always), but there's absolutely nothing i'd change from it. i got to spend some quality time with some quality people, and see some new sights and scenes of a city i already feel like i know so well. edinburgh might have my heart, but glasgow certainly makes a fine mistress of a city.
