Glasgow is a battle-scarred yet delightful and compact city that is easy to explore. The city is basically on a grid and a good map will get one around quite fine. Take a 2 hour guided bus tour of the city; it was only 9 Scottish pounds sterling. Transportation is very cheap.... so cheap that I only used taxis while there. Their public transportation system is nice and clean. British and Scottish pounds can be used interchangeably; the Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC are major banks there. Everything is cheaper in Scotland than in England (especially London). Stay at any hotel EXCEPT the Alexander Thomson hotel . It is the most disgusting hotel I've ever stayed at in my entire life. The Holiday Inn Glasgow, where I switched to after leaving that horrible hotel, is pricey but worth the money. For good comedy, go to The Stand. In addition, mid-October to mid-November is Glasgay, the month for lesbians and gays. The Scottish in general are a feisty yet delightful and funny bunch. And boy can they drink. Women, be careful going outside alone at night. A drunk man tried to accost me in front of a restaurant right next to the disgusting hotel. (I wound up having to dodge inside the restaurant and ate, much to my chagrin. Didn't want to spend extra money. But the food was good - Thai Orchid restaurant.) I'd love to return to Glasgow and hopefully get to Edinburgh while there.

If you do go to Glasgow in Scotland and enjoy art, you must see the Burrell Collection. It is a train ride out of the city and it looks like a glass house in the middle of a cow pasture. I do not know how they protect they prceless works of art they have there! Once you walk inside it is amazing! They have the great Impressionist masters. Degas, Monet, Manet, Renior. They have the Renior Ballet dancers, Rodin's the Thinker. I was amazed at the famous works of art in the middle of nowhere. I have to say, that at the time I was travelling in Scotland, I was doing this solo and was amazed at the ideas the men had that a woman dare to travel alone. Even at the above museum, an older gentleman looked at me and said, :Och ain't you got a mon wit you." I said, "No, do I need one to enter the museum?" Even at a Mexican retaurant they wanted to know where my "mon, or mawn," was and where thrown for a loop when I dare say I didn't bring one. It was almost as if you needed one for admission into Scotland!? Odd, I thought but later found out that it is not only the rolling rrrs that they have in common with the Spanish. I guess the Spanish Armada must have wrecked close to their and given them a dose of machismo. Can be easily handle if you are used to it, but parts of Glasgow when I was there where very colorful and exciting, especially at night. This means every girl should know keys in fist as brass knuckles and NOSE - Places to hit, Nose, Other region that is always sure fire get away, Solar Plexius and Esophogus. At least that's how I remember it! I am sure I murdered the acronym and the spelling but I am sure you get my drift!