The Journey and First Day

I left Nashville at 6pm on Friday night and flew on AirCanada to Toronto then to London Heathrow.  (had an empty seat next to me on both flights so it was a good start)  Once in Heathrow I had to take the tube (Picadilly Line and Victoria) to London Euston train station so I could catch my train to Glasgow.  I had some time to walk around that area and liked what I saw so far.  The architecture was nice and European looking and the people were from all over the world.  No one was a minority, cause everyone was.  My train left London at 4:30pm and took me through the countryside all the way up to Glasgow (4.5 hrs).  There was a group of people speaking Spanish on my car, making it feel strangely more like home. 

I arrived in Glasgow and my flatmate, Gregor met me at the station.  We had a couple hours to chat and start to get to know each other before we both crashed for the night, at his friend's place.  On Sunday he took me on a brief tour of some places in the city.  We walked around our neighborhood (we move in on Monday afternoon) which is residential with a good variety of restaurants, bars, grocery stores and several large parks nearby.  The flat is on the Southside of Glasgow in a neighborhood called Pollokshields.  Afterwards we walked to the city centre and through some of the popular streets toward the Royal Concert Hall and the conservatory.  There is an interesting blend of old architecture, modern style, and industrial buildings and a lot people out and about, even for a Sunday.  We took a short stroll through the West End, trendy neighborhood by Glasgow University, and the Botanical Gardens.  

I really liked what I saw so far.  The city is quite cosmopolitan considering how far it is from the rest of the world and there is a lot of new construction and cultural happenings around.  I learned that every museum in Glasgow is free so I will have plenty to visit while I am here.  I look forward to moving into my flat and exploring more of the city.  

 busy London train station

nice pub, double decker bus, and the word "Royal"...stereotypical London from my first view

 my train to Glasgow

 beautiful English countryside

 31 Nursery St. my new flat

the River Clyde, crossing over into Glasgow city centre