May 22: A dérive in Glasgow & The Hunterian
Today is Friday and it’s the last full day
in this strange city, with its grimy buildings and its lush greenery and its
eclectic mix of people.
Nicholas was still following up the animal tracker we found in Hoy, and I needed to pick up a pair of pants from the tailor (I’d busted the zipper somewhere between Orkney and Tongue). We went our separate ways, I picked up my clothes from the old, bespectacled, toothless man who’d mended my pants (who was, funnily enough, Norwegian) and head off to spend my last day exploring.
Nicholas was still following up the animal tracker we found in Hoy, and I needed to pick up a pair of pants from the tailor (I’d busted the zipper somewhere between Orkney and Tongue). We went our separate ways, I picked up my clothes from the old, bespectacled, toothless man who’d mended my pants (who was, funnily enough, Norwegian) and head off to spend my last day exploring.
When we arrived in the UK, Nicholas was
designated as The Keeper of the Phone, because we only bought one UK
simcard. Mapless, with 10 pounds and a
debit card that didn’t work, I set off to find the Hunterian I quickly got very lost and wandered for the
better part of two hours. I found myself
walking through parks and over bridges and past statues of people I’ve never
heard of. Occasionally I caught glimpses
of the tall, spindly gothic spire I had come to associate with the Hunterian,
but could have been any part of Glasgow University. I kept heading towards it until I hit
university grounds. It was almost
lunchtime by now, and I kept walking until I found a bar that offered all day veggie
breakfast. They also sold Hendrick’s,
which was an excellent bonus. For about
an hour, I ate mushrooms, sipped gin and continued reading my book.
Some very ominous clouds creeping over the spire
Kelvingrove Park
Walking through Glasgow solo reminded me a
lot of when I had first moved to Melbourne and I could wander through the town
at my own pace and pop into bookstores whenever I liked. It turned into this comforting silent
meditation, even though the books were feeling heavy in my backpack by the time
I found my destination.
Wandering alone and silent made me feel at
home and made me feel a lot less homesick than I had in a while.
Meandering back toward the Hunterian I came
across various access points up to the university, including elaborate spiral
staircases, still in use. It was all very
Hogwartian. The Hunterian has an air of
being from another time, and feels much more like a strange curiosity shop than
a museum. The ceilings are high and
curved, with ornate detailing and pale blue pillars holding up the old
building. I beelined for the natural
history section, came face-to-face with a plesiosaur and felt immediately
welcome. Museums are one of the places
where I feel genuinely at home.
There were some monsters on this Medieval-era Chinese map
A bone spoon! I love spoons.
Nicholas met up with me sometime after, and
we explored Roman artifacts, dinosaurs, fossils and meteorites. They have a wonderful collection of
scientific equipment and medical anomalies, just like the Hunterian in London
did, but also historical and zoological objects and specimens. We were in awe for hours and only left as
they were shutting the door and turning out the lights. Our museum-visiting days tend to end on this
note.
We head back to our apartment, walking
through Kelvingrove Park and patting as many puppies as we could, even the ones
wet from a dip in the river. We were then
faced with the mammoth task of packing our bags so they were ready to go the
following morning. We were headed on a
brand new backpacking adventure in Norway and a stint in beautiful Oslo.
A last look back at the museum, as we were ushered out of the building
??? This is the best, though.
Please let me live here.
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