39

- years married today!

We have moved up to this rather 'posh' (very) hotel on the Great Western Road for our anniversary tonight. This is a present from daughter Grace and son in law John as a thank you for their wedding last year.

We left our bags this morning and took the tour bus around the city to see some of the sights we hadn't yet seen. This included the East End; the Merchants city and the River Clyde as well as the city centre. We got off at the Riverside Museum of Transport for a browse and a coffee;a great eclectic collection of transport old an new. The tall ship is worth the visit alone but there is much more and a super place for kids.

Most of the industry is gone now of course so very little of the Clydeside ship building that made Glasgow the empires second city in Victorian times is visible. Whilst it's good to see the redevelopment it is a little sad, not least to see that before the industrial revolution Govan (probably the oldest part of the city) was a salmon fishing village with thatched cottages down by the river.

We returned to the West End on the tour bus and went to the Botanical Gardens for tea and cake. As we wanted to be inside we didn't choose this refreshment cabin by the main gate but I thought it well worthy of a picture. Many Italians came from the poorer areas of Tuscany to Glasgow to set up businesses in the last century, in particular ice cream parlours. Here Jaconelli ice cream is being promoted (famous in Scarborough too) amongst other things. Mangia, it says, is Italian for eat.

We went round the glass houses. The Kibble palace, once an entertainment centre, houses the national collection of tree ferns - just like being back in New Zealand!
Other glass houses had orchids and a steamy palm house among other things. Lovely to be in Glasgow but oh to be in a tropical rainforest!

We are in our hotel now and at first we thought there had been a mistake with our booking as we have a four poster bed with red drapes ( a bit like a boudoir) but apparently they have upgraded us! Need to have a bit of indulgence from time to time and I think after 39 years it's probably the time. Had a glass of Merlot in the room and now we are off to dinner.

Thank you very much G & J. Cheers! X