Hello everybody!
I know, I know, I’m late to the blog party. There’s just been so much to explore, and I haven’t yet wrapped my head around the astonishing beauty of Scotland.
Thus far, with word for getting into schools only being returned a few days ago (first day is gonna be the 30th! Whoot whoot! Stay tuned for a post all about that in October.
In the meantime, one of the first things I got around to doing was exploring some of the nearby museums in Glasgow. They’re all free to enter, which is amazing, especially since there are so many. I’ve only been to a few as of yet, but there will be more to come.
Firstly would be the Gallery of Modern Art, right in the middle of Market City, which is a fascinating compilation of shops and pubs unto itself! As an artist, I found the installations quite lovely, and (this will be a reoccurring theme;) pictures just don’t do justice to each display. There was even art from Andy Goldsworthy, an artist that myself and a fellow student teacher had previously shown to our students in practicum to help them learn about the principles of art. I’ve also included another image, a part of a much larger printmaking installation by artist Ciara Philips, which was probably my favourite installation of the gallery.
Next, albeit not in the same day, came a trip to the local Govan Stones. This site is historically significant to the area, mainly in that its a cemetery ground from ages past that survived even despite the surrounding air being turned mostly into shipping yards. There are also huge portions of the cemetery that have never been excavated, until now! They are in the middle of an excavation outside right this instant, after unearthing a stone that was thought to be nothing special until it was left just long enough in the rain to reveal the carving underneath. Inside, the small church is no less spectacular than so many others, but the real gem of the site is the Govan Stones themselves, especially the Hogbacks and Sarcophagus. They are said to date back to the Kingdom of Strathclyde that used to be here long before Glasgow, with kings and vikings buried at this very site. While the Hogbacks resemble viking longhouses, the Sarcophagus depicts runes and knotwork, plus Norse based mythological symbols and lore, and even some additional Christian ones. There was so much to chat about with those working on the site, this doesn’t even begin to cover all the things I learned about there! They even gave me some possible teaching resources 🙂
That particular day I finished off with a long and lingering time at the Riverside Museum, just a bridge away across the Clyde from the Govan Stones. I would call the museum a dedication to transport, with a few other bits and bobs alongside. There is so much in a seemingly so small building, complete with train engines, trolleys, model boats, and an entire car wall (pic included). It was so interesting to learn about the progression of life and transport here in Glasgow and beyond.
I finished off the day with a stroll by the Clyde, where I came across a beautiful pair of mute swans and their juvenile, who struck a gorgeous pose.
I’ve already been exploring more of the rich history and areas here, but I’ll add them in another post!
Cheers all! <3
Alina
