Why doesn't EVERYone live here

OMGYOUGUYS. Glasgow's West End is ABSURD. My friend Dianne - a supremely talented, darkly funny, creative individual, and an old hand at Glasgow - gave me a list of places to go and things to do, and her tips did not lead Lyndsey and I astray.

Breakfast started at Old Salty's, which was a terrific Scottish diner that had - I kid you not - a huge Scottish fry-up for a fiver and a bacon butty for £1.50 (add black pudding, tattie scone, or egg for 80p). We sat in a booth similar to a classic American diner booth, except upholstered in Scottish wool. The stools, cushioned in tartan. It was the best possible combination of old and new worlds, and not so hipster you couldn't eat your fill for pennies. Please to go to there next time you're in the area:

All they need now is to be open for 24 hours and they've nailed it. 

Then...the River Kelvin walkway. YOUGUYS. This river walk. Those colours. It's so gorgeous you'll want to punch yourself in the face. Di said it was lovely this time of year, but obviously she lied because 'lovely' doesn't even COVER it:

Between these points, there *may* have been a stop at Inn Deep, where we built up our stamina with a refreshing pint of *cough* water. 

 Canal on the left, river on the right, and all the wet benches you could ask for. Five minutes beyond this when the path connected with another and it temporarily widened, we encountered a group of crew-cut men running up and down the path in a loop wearing brightly coloured parkas, like a really festive boot camp. Their turning point was marked not by a cone but by a guy wearing brown fatigues and a dapper beret with some fancy plumage. He broke his serious glare at the men to give us a side-grin and a wink, so clearly he owns them.

More benches, this time trying to hide by covering themselves in leaves.

 I absolutely loved the circle of red leaves under the tree. Doesn't it look like it's bleeding?

The rain tried to drown us way more than the river did.

I can't wait to come back to hit the rest of Di's recs - The Hunterian, the Sparkle Horse, The 78...Lyndsey, you're never getting rid of me now.

Tomorrow's plan: camp out on MumBetty's sofa with my kindle, my Netflix, and a bottomless cup of tea, stockinged feet hanging off the end, and to keep things exciting, perhaps an occasional doze.

There's gonna be loads to blog about.

Big hugs and lots of love,
Esss