Carlisle, England to Glasgow, Scotland
Today was a well earned rest day after covering 260 miles and 12,000 feet of elevation while riding five of the last six days. My hotel in Carlisle was conveniently located right across from the train station, where I boarded a 10:00 a.m. train to Glasgow.
I arrived in Glasgow just before noon and headed to my hotel, which was also conveniently located around the corner from the train station. Check-in wasn’t until 3:00, but they were able to accommodate me early, which was very helpful. Every hotel I’ve stayed at so far has been able to store my bicycle somewhere, but I knew it would make for a difficult day of exploring Glasgow if I had to keep the bike with me until late afternoon.
Once I got to my room, I decided to do a quick load of laundry in the sink. My $20 portable clothes dryer has really come in handy. It’s about the size of a soda can and is basically a low powered hair dryer attached to a garment bag. After washing clothes in the sink with a Tide packet, all I have to do is hang them in the garment bag and plug it in. The bag fills up with hot air and dries clothes pretty quickly. It’s been nice having a clean cycling kit, underwear, and socks throughout the trip.
With the cleaning chores complete, I walked down Buchanan Street, the main shopping area in Glasgow. From there, I decided to take the subway a few stops away and make my way back toward downtown on foot in search of dinner.
My first stop was Mootz for a sandwich. It was honestly one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. It was a very pleasant surprise considering I only found the place by walking past it. I went with a mortadella and porchetta sandwich with mozzarella, chimichurri, tomatoes, chili oil, and hot honey on homemade schiacciata bread.
Next, I walked through Kelvingrove Park to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. The stop was absolutely worth it, especially since admission was free. The museum had a wide range of interesting exhibits, from Scottish history and Dutch art to prehistoric animals and ancient Egypt.
After my bit of culture for the day, I headed to Inn Deep for a couple of beers. It was an interesting spot on the edge of Kelvingrove Park, with cave-like seating tucked under a bridge along the River Kelvin. The beers were good, and the stop gave me a chance to get off my feet for a while. My legs are definitely sore from the riding, and the walking tour of Glasgow probably wasn’t helping prepare me for the additional riding days ahead.
After the beers, I decided to head back to the hotel for a quick rest before heading to Rosa’s Thai for dinner.
Ramblin' Dan: Bike Touring Adventures 