It has been some time since I have been to Glasgow. The last time was a single day (plus or minus a few hours at an airport) in 2018. Went out to see the Sister-in-Law (A) and her husband (D) and to celebrate their wedding. I was officiating said ceremony. It never made it to the old Dickens-of-a-Blog because it would have been in the down years. Had it been in up years, it would have been one of the Posts All Time, no doubt.

I have no photos of my time in Glasgow at that time, for some reason. Perhaps I did not want to seem too touristy. We took the train in, ate at a vegan restaurant that was a poster child bespoke gentrification [that seems to no longer exist in 2025] and then had to take a stupidly hot bus back because the day was so hot it stopped the trains from running in the afternoon.

Here’s a photo I took walking to the train to take into Glasgow Central:

I will say it is not indicative of the actual nice quality graffiti you can see around the city. This one just made me chuckle the most.

I did take more photos this time, including this one showing off much higher quality wall art near St. Enoch:

Now, as to who exactly that is? I have no idea. My one working theory is that had the Christmas Market (Winter Wonderland, I think it was called) not been there, it possibly lined up with something in the distance. My second working theory is that there had once been something in the upper left corner of that wall for him to be holding up. This is above the Hootenanny. I probably should have just asked.

That is near the front of Adagio Aparthotel. Where we stayed this Christmas trip. It was nice. I am not one to get too hyped for any sort of hotel but I will say I would stay there again. Great location. Lots of shops. The Winter Wonderland (at least, for a couple of weeks a year). Glasgow Central station in walking distance. Several bus stops. Pharmacy and grocery stores. Waterstones. You can spend a week barely breaching a square kilometer and have a full experience.

Turn right and cross the road to see the river and you can visit some more higher quality graffiti. Cats seem to be a theme. Some QR codes. It perhaps is corporate, I have no idea.

The only two negatives were a) my brain spent a lot of time reading it as “Apartheid Hotel” (as opposed to “Apartment Hotel”) and b) there was a fire alarm test on Tuesday that I had failed to note which meant I had to make my way down multiple stories just to realize the note about it was in the elevator (aka, lift, aka the thing you do not take in the case of fire).

We took the train in. It is virtually impossible to make train rides proper exciting (on par with reviewing hotels). Passing through the Chunnel is a bit fascinating because it is so relatively dark that it makes the windows of the train look like a long row of mirrors. And it makes your ears pop.

We also took the train back which was just about as pleasantly boring. Except I tried, and failed, to snap a photo of the Angel of the North. Every time the shutter would do its shutter-type thing, a building or tree would intervene.

This was post-holiday travel which meant folks were a bit more tired, grumpy, and sick. Added some spice. Some. Never a lot.

In between was Christmas with the extended family, some shopping, and far too much eating. I also got to spend my first Boxing Day in Britain. Pull my first Christmas cracker.

Of all the too-much-food we too-much-fooded, Buck’s Bar probably wins for most memorable. American style chicken restaurant with some strong vegan options. Went to the Mount Florida location and had a Nashville Hot Vegan (aka, the Vegan Hot Cock) with extra pickles. B made out with a huge vegan not-milkshake + Oreos. Right amount of spicy. Mine, not hers.

Also in the Mount Florida // Cathcart Road area we hit up Three of Cups (astounding vegan treats and good tea) and Mount Florida Books which, as a huge book nerd with all sorts of interests in queer and odd books, I can highly recommend.

Seriously, if you find yourself in Glasgow then trip out to that section of town and look around. Worth it.

There is, in the way of things, a hundred more things I can say (and five or so more eateries and shops I could shout out) or I could have cut out half of it.

I’ll leave with this for now, though. The first three or so days, there, through Christmas, Glasgow had been on its best behavior. Then, on Boxing Day, walking back from St. Enochs I saw two guys fighting with police intervention. Only the police left to see to a wreck and the guys were going their separate ways.

Right as I was walking up, guy #1 turned around and went back to guy #2 and all I heard was… “You want my name? Here’s my first name: Fuckoff!”

Ah, hungover Glasgow was healing.