Touristy-ness!

Today didn't start until on the later side, so we didn't actually leave the dorm till 1:30 or so. Camila, Mita, Karin, and I took the bus into the city centre and went to the Glasgow Cathedral and to St. Mungo's Religious Museum. Not going to lie, we went to St. Mungo's purely because of the name (for non-Harry Potter literate folks, that's really just you Nana and Papa, St. Mungo's is the name of the hospital in HP). Factoid: St. Mungo, also known as St. Kentigern, apparently is known for finding the fish that had swallowed the ring that the queen had given to her lover. The ring apparently ended up in the fish because the king discovered the affair, and threw the ring into the ocean. Way to go St. Mungo?

The cathedral has been standing for over 800 years, is built in a high gothic style, and is the oldest/only pre-reformation catholic building in Scotland. There was a voussoir in the corner, which is cool, because it implies that Arabic influences made it that far north. Wooden ceiling, not stone. Oh, and really really gorgeous. Elegant and graceful. Apparently the right wall of the nave actually lists to one side, but oh well. It's stood for 800 years, right? It'll be fine.

St. Mungo's religious museum was interesting. Little, but committed to representing every religion they could, with the ambition of communicating a message of tolerance and equality. They chose interesting display topics- everything from "birth rites" to "the religious profession" to "concepts of afterlife."

So, productive day of tourism! Pictures:

Love this dude. He's a clock. Running. Sometimes time flies, and sometimes its sprints.

Prettiness.

Cool glasgow architecture.

In front of the cathedral. The symbols represent "the fish that never swam, the bell that never rang, the bird that never flew, and the tree that never grew." Yes, most depressing thing EVER.

Mita and Camila and Karin in front of the cathedral.

Stained glass-ness.



Karin. With Camera.



Camila. With caffeine.

A monument in the graveyard.

Tree. In case you couldn't get that one.

Glasgow Cathedral.

These windows are actually the result of a modernist reconstruction from 1980 or so. They're gorgeous.

These ones are older, I think.

It's all about the details.

There was an organist playing in the background, as well.

From the transept. I semi just made that word up.

That's me in the corner.

No Die Llewyn Ward in there. Too bad.

Pooh quote: "Pooh hasn't much Brain, but he never comes to any harm. He does silly things and they turn out right."

Much love,
Erin