Philosophical Coos

Gradually I've been working my way through a list of "Things to do before I leave Glasgow." Including random items like: eat at an Indian restaurant (they are everywhere!), explore the Uni, see the Armadillo building (apparently it looks like an armadillo?) and visit the Burrel Collection. Out of the ones I just mentioned, I managed to cross of visiting the Burrel Collection this Wednesday!


We thought it was just an art gallery. After taking the train (I started out the day at the wrong station... opps, you have to leave from Central, not Queens Street!), we suddenly ended up walking through the country... There was no way this was just 20 minutes outside of Glasgow. Inside Pollock Country Park, no hint of the city remained, instead we followed a path alongside the bubbling, meandering river. Greens of every possible shade were all around- bright neon grass, dark forest undersides of leaves and then brighter emeralds lit by the bright sunlight. Plants everywhere, birds singing along and the smell of flowers all around. Why hadn't we come here before? we kept asking ourselves... not sure, but I highly recommend visiting in the spring! It was like stepping into another world, one I was quite familiar with, it reminded me of parks back home.

Outside the Burrell Collection

But this was Scotland- and with Pollock Country Park came the Burrell Collection! All donated by one man (Burrell) to the city of Glasgow, the collection is essentially his life's work, starting when he bought a painting at age 18. Over the years, through the sinking of the Titanic, world wars and more, he amassed an enormous collection of objects, ranging from artefacts from ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece, to Chinese porcelain, Anglo-Saxon and Germanic armour and weaponry, huge tapestries, furniture, and an impressive amount of artwork. Among this artwork were pieces by Manet, Degas' "The Rehearsal" and sculptures by Rodin. I didn't expect going into the gallery to see Rodin's famous "Thinker" in person. It's a lot smaller than you think, or rather than I thought!


The architecture of the building housing all these works was stunning in itself, the back entirely made of glass looking into the green depths of the forest, with wooden columns and struts making it seem nearly a part of the woods, artefacts displayed in sharp glass cases, reflected the outdoor greenery. On the opposite end of the building lies the hall of stained glass, where numerous stained glass windows are mounted in front of the clear windows, allowing sunlight to stream through and illuminate their colors. Another fascinating part of the building was the incorporation of old doorways, arches and windows. Some French, others with a different origin, it was intriguing to start to walk into the next room, and realize that while doing so you passed through an 18th century stone archway.

example of an old gate in the wall

The Thinker!

Rear of the building facing the woods, Egyptian artefacts 

Degas "The Rehearsal"

One of my favorite parts of the collection was a temporary exhibit on China through photography: "China through the Lens of John Thomson, 1868-1872). First of all, any and all pictures Thomson took are pretty impressive, because back then he had to lug around heavy glass plates for negatives and a ton of equipment. But I also loved how the exhibit was set up, displaying all the prints and then telling their story beneath, who the subject was and why this scene or image was important. Every single photo had a story- and I definitely tried to read them all! From portraits of the fat and wealthy, to beautiful boat women, a small school boy and a still-beautiful, but wise and worn old woman. They all have stories behind them. Or provide a brief insight into China in the 1860s and 70s. Perhaps it's just because I've now taken a photography course that I find it so interesting. But I'm sure anyone can appreciate the intriguing pictures.


That pretty much sums up the Burrell. But since we were in the Park, we discovered the Pollock House the park takes its name from- an old-fashioned country manor home, famous for its kitchen. So after a tasty lunch there, we decided not to pay to see the rest of the house, but instead went outside to stroll through their gardens. Pretty massive gardens too! Full of different types of flowers in bloom and leafy green plants. It was beautiful.

Main entrance to the Pollock House

walking around back

Back of the Pollock House- pretty impressive, eh?

The Gardens!

All too soon we had to leave to catch the train, but before leaving, we made some new friends...

BABIES!! aren't they cute?

Adult highland coo

Highland Coos!! Shaggy coats and all- quintessential Scotland! And not only where there highland cattle, but little baby calves! Just laying there innocently. Really adorable. 
So we took in the fresh country air, rolling fields, trees, coos, flowers and splashing creek while walking back... and then it was time to go home to Glasgow proper.