June 15 - Arrival in London, transfer to Glasgow

Had an easy transition from plane to train; hit the Gatwick Express and got off at London Kings Cross station. Right across the street from the other Kings Cross station where I was to get my train to Glasgow. I had booked a long connection here, in case I had trouble finding the other station; I needn't have worried. So here I was at Kings Cross, at 9:30, and my train to Glasgow wasn't due to leave until 12:00. But I noticed that there was one leaving for Glasgow at 9:40. Quickly, I asked at the information booth if my ticket was good on that train, and they said it was. So, after only 20 minutes at the station, I was on my way to Glasgow.

Kings Crossing Train Station - London

That's my train, the Flying Scotsman, on the right.

It was a lovely ride to Glasgow. This train (GNER's "Flying Scotsman") goes mostly through pastoral countryside. Very pretty. Newcastle looks like a pretty neat town, at least from the train. If it is a neat town, it would be quite a change. Newcastle, as the center of the old coal mining region, used to be a nasty city. I'll check it out someday.

All in all, I had a very easy journey to Glasgow. Rail travel in Britain is light years ahead of ours.... I'm so jealous.

Didn't feel like trying the subway system just yet, so I just caught a taxi. The subway system is nicknamed "Clockwork Orange" by the locals, because it is made up of one large circular route, and it is painted a bright orange color. It's old, kinda clunky, but it works. It is supplanted by a huge suburban train network, called Strathclyde Public Transportation, which runs commuter trains by the hundreds. Hey, it works, and keeps thousands of cars off the roads.

I was pretty hungry when I got to our overnight accomodations, so I headed across the street to check out the neighborhood pub. Though it was pretty smoky, it was a cool place. Good beer (Tennant's would become my libation of choice), and tasty food.

Pub in Glasgow