Dundee, and no cake to be seen anywhere

So after St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Tina and I took ourselves off to Dundee.

On arrival the first thing we saw was the Discovery, heroine of Scott's Antartic expedition. Always fascinating to see a three-masted ship's rigging which often appears like a mare's nest of confusion.

We then took ourselves off in search of the Speedwell pub (also known as Mennies) which I'd read as being one of the few left in Scotland with an original Edwardian interior; all wood and partitions. After a loongggg walk we found it. Much smaller than I was expecting and not what Tina was expecting at all (a wee pub at the end of a country lane). Lovely woodwork, friendly staff, and a vast range of spirits to boot.

We then headed in to the city centre and I have to say we just didn't take to Dundee. From the outskirts it is all very modern, angular and uncomfortable to look at. For instance, half-way up Perth Road we stopped at a purpose built, steel and chrome set view-point that took in the Tay Rail Bridge, the Tay itself, and the river-side Tesco superstore, parking lot and all. Bizarre.

Eventually we made it to the city centre and visited the McManus Museum. One of the best museums I've been too with spacious galleries and informative displays. On show in particular was a Titian painting 'Diana and Actaeon' which apparently cost £50 million. Shame you couldn't view it properly without light reflecting of the canvas. We were both more impressed by the quality of Carl Millner's 'Mountain Scene in Tyrol'.

And so we made our way back to the rail station, through the main high street, and still not eanamoured with Dundee. Nor had we found any cake shop selling its namesake either. And then I spotted one of my child-hood heroes strutting his stuff through the afternoon shoppers. Desperate Dan, he of the cow-pies and indomitable strength. What a flash-back that gave me to a youth of waiting for the Dandy and Beano to arrive. Champion.