Saturday, April 20, 2024

A 9/10 croissant .


Some 'red squirrel' wall art in a Glasgow car park.


A quick Google search shows there are a total of 185,000 students in Glasgow. This number seems improbably high so I check it again. Having three major universities goes a long way to explaining why the town is full of bars and eateries.


The students  seem to be getting up at about the same time as we're thinking of heading home for the night.


After some half hearted overnight drizzle the new day dawns sunny and warm. Glasgow has some of the worlds  best Victorian and Edwardian architecture. Much has been torn down but enough grandeur survives to give a hint of what the place was like when it was known as ' the second city ' of empire.


The coffee bar to the side of Queen Street Station  has an electronic departure board  inside. We allow ourselves three minutes to get from table to train ( although you could do it in under a minute ) .  The cafe  also serves good coffee and makes a croissant that could almost be French in its quality. At seven am we are the first and only customers but shall return again to savour the croissants. They get a 9/10.


The train back from Glasgow is on time and comfortable. As our train  arrives in Dundee the connecting express to Leuchars glides in on the adjacent platform. You couldn't time it better if you tried. The journey takes exactly two hours door to door . The next time we go we'll stay in the Dakota and try to get a table at The Gannet.

Back here on the coast the sun is out and the wind is almost, but not quite, balmy. We speak to Cabbages owner. She hasn't , despite her families 'it'll be good for you' prompting,  got round to accepting that a move into a home would be a good idea. We'll stay in touch. Some decisions shouldn't be rushed. We, and Cabbage, can wait.




This clip is remarkable for the fact that the actors who play the audience don't laugh once :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86qKgK0asGo


14 comments:

Coppa's girl said...

A 9/10 croissant - did you take some home with you?
The car park mural is spectacular - what incredible art work.
I can quite understand Cabbage's owners reluctance to let her go - it's the worst decision any pet owner has to make. Going into a home means the loss of not only a much loved pet, but a loss of complete independence too.

Linda said...

Will seek out that cafe next time I'm in Glasgow. Last weekend we had an excellent brunch in the West End, which is much more vibrant than the city centre. Is the last photo of your "instant garden"? Looks lovely.

WFT Nobby said...

A beautiful mural and a 9/10 croissant. Well done Glasgow!
A couple of years ago, having carefully studied the evidence available, I decided that it would be a good idea to take vitamin D tablets in winter in Aberdeen. Several of my friends here, who like me don't take any other nutritional supplements, have come to the same conclusion. Good to see it's supported by today's first link.
My heart goes out to Cabbage's owner.
Cheers, Gail.

Angus said...

Coppa G - I think it's also a recognition that you're no longer in control of your own destiny - with all that entails. We're in no rush and Cabbage is unaware and happy.

Angus said...

WFT - We thought our doctor was mad to suggest taking vitamin D when we moved back from France. He's proven to be absolutely right.

Lisa in France said...

Edinburgh and St. Andrews may have a bigger buzz, but Glasgow does seem to be a great city for students. My son would happily stay on if any of the three universities there offered the program he wants, and we'd be happy if he stayed so we could spend more time there. The only problem seems to be housing for those 185,000 students. We had a very hard time finding a place for our son last summer and ended up spending way more than we expected. It seems that some kids ended up taking housing in Edinburgh. My son is applying to Stirling as well as the performance psychology program in Edinburgh, so he may end up staying in Scotland if not in Glasgow.

Thank you for the link regarding the meteor shower. I've tried twice since moving here without much success, but maybe the third time will be the charm.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
...and for those of us over 50, consider adding some extra VitB12. Digestive absorption starts to decrease as we age and this vitamin in particular suffers for uptake; it's important for nerve and cell repair, and there have been several studies on it's decrease being one of the causative factors in impaired cognitive functions (one example).

Glasgow for croissants? Whod've thunk it?! The garden looks 'proper'. YAM xx

Pam in NH said...

Lovely post, thank you. Your garden is swoon worthy, you and the Font must be thrilled with it. My heart aches for Cabbage's mistress.

Stephanie said...

Your garden is wondrously beautiful. Enlarging your stunning (rather dreamlike) photo, I'm quite impressed with the selection and placement of plants. Your gardeners have done well. And thank you for the reminder of the Lyrids meteor shower.

Camille said...

As YAM suggests and as it turns out, my physician started me on B12 and D3 supplements two years ago. Well worthwhile. Very charming garden photo. I like it very much. Having helped parents transition during their later years, my heart aches for Cabbage and her owner. It's a comfort to know you'll both be there when the day comes that you are needed.

Travel said...

I miss the daily croissant reviews, we need to visit Scotland.

Jake of Florida said...

Even here in South Florida, I take a daily Vitamin D supplement. Fair skin. Burn easily. Not a fan of high sun.

rottrover said...

Your garden is so beautiful and calming. I hope it is outside the Font's cabin so she may sit inside and enjoy it. I would imagine that knowing you and the Font are 'in place' will ease Cabbage's owner's mind as she makes the transition to her new residence. My friend is looking into a retirement/assisted living place nearby which takes dogs! BTW, I take vitamin D here in Southern California. I had not heard about the B's as YAM reported, but they are also good for helping the body deal with stress.

The Life of Riley said...

Your new garden looks great and look forward to seeing more photos of the gardener's work taken from other angles. I love your weeping cherry. With your and The Font's wonderful sea view, is your cherry tree a dwarf or standard?