Raphael Kessler

It took me a long time to getting around to visiting Scotland. A big part of the problem was that it is too close. I can always go, so don't ever get around to it. Also the insurmountable language differences. When I finally made it north of the border, I was driving a truck full of flowers and Moroccan furniture there for a birthday party. Why else would I go?

My destination was Glasgow, where I visited the majority of the worthwhile sites within a day. Firstly, I went to the Burrell collection, which was nice, although my favourite things there were the Highland Cattle in Pollockshaw Park where it is situated.

Glasgow Cathedral (St. Mungo's) is nice though not spectacular. I did like some of the stained glass inside though.

I went to see some of the buildings designed by Charles Remy Mackintosh, Glasgow's famous twentieth century architect. When I did find them, I was completely underwhelmed. The Glasgow Art School which is supposed to be one of his greatest achievements was uninspiring on the outside and when I went for an uninvited wander inside all I could think was, how it looked like the service area to a national health hospital in the seventies, just a bit more dilapidated.

At the museum of religious art, I went to see a photographic exhibition on the Klu Klux Klan and happened to see that Salvador Dali's "Christ of St. John", widely regarded as the most famous crucifixion painting in the world hanging in front of me. I had no idea I would find it there. It is still showing the scars of the vandalism it suffered, unlike the Jesus figure who is blemish free, despite his trials and crucifixion. There was also an intriguing piece of modern Islamic art, made up of cuneiform Arabic script.

Between Glasgow and Edinburgh, one can find the impressive and attractive Falkirk wheel. A mechanism which transports canal boats from the upper to the lower canal and vice versa, without the need for locks.

En route to Edinburgh, I stopped briefly to see and smirk at the Wallace monument and the statue there, modelled on Mel Gibson, because of his utterly convincing portrayal of the man in his film "Braveheart". I also liked the old bridge I passed on the way.

Edinburgh had been hyped to me by so many people, that by the time I got there it was a bit of an anti-climax. It was nice, with the quaint, but too touristy royal mile and the exorbitantly expensive Edinburgh castle that only foreign tourists will fork out the money to visit. It was nice to see the colour of the castle change colour as the light faded. Thankfully there was no charge for observing that.

I was back in Scotland, more specifically Glasgow for a weekend, these are the photos that were taken during that visit.