h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hotels...presumably the Ibis and Novotel are full? Holiday Inn Express? Jurys? Bewleys? Or there's a decent place on the Southside whose name temporarily escape me. (near Queens Park...think...) Ah! The Ewington: http://www.laterooms.com/en/hotel-reservations/91560_ewington-city-hotel-glasgow.aspx

And my sister once stayed in an OK B&B in Strathbungo (fairly sure it was called The Mackintosh...but then most places in Glasgow are).

Or...The Boswell Hotel, Shawlands. Used to be my local boozer (and used tom serve excellent beer). Now changed hands. Probably not much of a place (but OK), but just uphill from a train station. http://www.theboswell.co.uk/ (actually...those rates look OK!) Is the match @ Hampden or Ibrox? Hampden is walking distance.

As it is from The Ewington.

But trust me on the Indian. We're not talking bog-standard curry house here!

You kiddin'? I'd be there in a flash. It's just that most Spanish people I've met don't actually like Indian food (go figure).

az

I'd go with Edward's hotel suggestions.


We started married life in a tenement flat in Shawlands

But maybe they've only had a pale imitation? This stuff's near-as-dammit home cooking. Anyway - I insist that you tell them about the rave review I've given it.

Apart from that - I'm not sure I know of any restaurants that are good enough for Spanish people. (I'm sure there must be one or two - but out of my price bracket)

Oh, Az, you must remind them they can't have beer in Mc*****s.

Oh...George Sq history. It was almost the site of the British Revolution, in 1919. Churchill sent the tanks in. I think it was 5 people who were killed.

For Spanish history...there's a statue of La Passionara on the Clyde - a monument to the International Brigade. Glasgow sent more fighters to Spain than any other city.

Ooh! Where in Shawland, T? We lived in Cartha St, off Tantallon Ave, then Norham St, behind the Co. (and then in Pollokshields)

Waverley Gardens. We had friends in Cartha St and in Norham St - and I worked in Pollokshields for a while.
We lived in Muirend before we moved to Englandshire.

My theory is that every soo'sider has, at some point, lived in a flat in Shawlands.

Well, yes. Mention of The Granary brings a tear to many an eye. (although we prefered The Country Club...ie The Boswell Hotel that I mentioned to az) We live not too far from Muirend now - Clarkston.

We're practically related

as too answer the hotels question, it really does depend on what sorta hotel experience they might be after.... theres a few nice poshish hotels along bath st, and when ever anyone from my h.o. comes to glasgow, they stay at the thistle.... cant really make any recommendations though, never actually stayed in a hotel in glasgow since i've got a flat here......

>aside - i've got a feeling glasgow will be pretty crazee-spaneesh-ed up though, i dont follow the footie, but i noticed its espania vs madrid or somesuch.... at hampden, which isnt too far from where i stay, in Denniston. - aside>>

advise them to think very carefully about drinking in the pubs near the grounds, or on duke st.... not generally pubs for tourists.....

Near Hampden is pretty desperate for pubs anyway...a legacy of the Southside's presbyterian past. But the nearest one is good for beer...The Clockworks, a microbrewery. Footie colours are banned, mind. (But that's more an Old Firm thing). But the place is badly let down by its food.

This looks useful: http://wikitravel.org/en/Glasgow ...although it's maybe a bit paranoid about the dangers of Sauchiehall St at night. (but it's a wiki. i can fix it)

....a bit of paranoia can only be a good thing though surely, common sense;
stay away from loutish loud drunken folk (unless they're your friends, in which case, guide them safely to the nearest taxi), think twice before giving anyone 'the time' if they come too close, don't give any jakeys 'two bob' if you see them foaming at the mouth etc etc...

same rules, any city

Advise them very, very strongly against Duke Street, period.

Presumably, being Spanish and visiting Scotland, they want to sample Scottish food and see all things Scottish. Although Glasgow is the curry capital of Britain with superb curries, (although I'd argue that the curry from the Nicolson Sq Mosque in Edinburgh is by far the best. Simple, plentiful and CHEAP), it rather misses the point for a Spanish visitor.

The Ubiquitous Chip in Ashton Lane, Glasgow is fantastic. An attempt to put cordon bleu into Scottish Ingredients.

In Edinburgh, the Doric in Market Street is darned fine too.

There's lots of good suggestions for things to do so far, but there's nothing wrong with the obvious touristy stuff. Edinburgh is far better for that though, with a lot of history in a small space. The Royal Mile, the Castle, Holyrood, the Museum of Childhood, the Galleries, the theatres; where do you stop?

Don't bother with a car if it's a short trip. Use the trains between Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling and you'll see a heckuva lot of nice things very quickly. Driving in Edinburgh and Glasgow is fraught and getting parked is difficult.

If in Edinburgh I would recommend seeing the Camara Obscura, up by the castle, and getting Afternoon Tea in the Balmoral Hotel Until later....
BCNU - Crescent

yip, cars are more of a nuisance than a convenience. unless you go and see some of the rural scotland. personally i think it'd be a shame not to try and 'do' some touring, but it's all down to personal taste.... a day in edinburgh and the nights in glasgow with a days hire of a car and head for the hills would be the way i'd do it.... tyndrum is only a couple hours drive, the road up to crainlarich is 'braw' and from tyndrum either road will give a rare example of some lovely scottish scenery. However, the east neuk of fife is also fabulously lovely, and wee villages like culross and elie, crail etc (mostly 16th century national trust preserved) are soooo picturesque.....
Culross has a beautiful palace and abbey you can visit, lovely place to wander about for a day..... again, though, it all depends what type of break theyre after.... culture and history off the beaten track, tourist attractions swarming with americans, or pubs footie and food.......

The travelwiki article advises avoiding S'hall St after 10pm and 'At costs' at closing time. Nonsense. Avoid getting into situations with drunken people on S'Hall St after 10pmm and generally act sensibly definitely - but I'd say it's a lot safer than the main thoroughfares in some towns. It's well policed. And mouth-foaming jakeys need our money just as much as the non-foaming ones! Again - just be sensible - but hand on heart I've never had any trouble with beggars.

And, yes, The Chip is wonderful, but Mother India's a damned sight cheaper! And, no, not missing the point. I know many a foreigner visitor who's insisted on a good old British Ruby.

Another Glasgow favourite:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/brunel/A536546
(Mother India's not a formica table joint like that one. And I'd say that MI's better - unless it's kebaby things you're after. Mind you...you get a good show from The Village's kitchen flamethrowers.)

>>Afternoon Tea in the Balmoral Hotel Until later....

Yes...or Maison du Chocolat, down the Royal Mile towards the parley.

And I've mentioned the Real Food Cafe at Tyndrum, haven't I? You need to go further north on that route to see a bit of Rannoch Moor. Some of my favourite Scottish scenery, except for Assynt. (But Assynt is about 9 hours drive away).