I’ve had tickets to see Cirque du Soleil for ages and have been waiting patiently for May to come along so we could see for ourselves the stage show that’s supposed to leave you amazed. Our tickets were for the Hydro in Glasgow so I booked us in for an overnight stay at the Hilton Garden Inn to save us having to drive home afterwards.
When we checked in we were given a riverside room which was lovely. Not that the view was any great shakes but OH loved sitting watching the Clyde flow by whilst I used the i Mac to Google the route from Finnieston Quay to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. YES! There was a flipping computer in the room! It was also a tv and music player. It was great!
Moving swiftly on, the Bon Accord is a great pub on North Street which I’ve been to a few times already. It has a good atmosphere and serves an excellent pint of Guinness. OH and I have been toying with the idea of hiring a Harley Davidson and riding Route 66 next year so, as the pub is next door to a Harley Showroom, we decided to head that way for a quick pint and a bit of bike spotting.
I had planned to eat in Ashton Lane but when we arrived in North Street OH was too hungry to make it all the way around Kelvingrove Art Gallery and then up the Byres Road so we decided to eat in the Bon Accord. The menu was good old fashioned pub grub and very reasonably priced. I went for the
lasagne and OH had a Rib eye Steak (rare). 
2 meals and 2 pints was under £23 so there were no complaints on price. OH enjoyed his steak – I thought it looked a bit thin but apparently I know nothing. My lasagne came with salad and garlic bread and hit the spot. Saying that I wouldn’t have minded some chips with it too but then I’m probably just being greedy.
From there we headed along Sauchiehall Street to Kelvingrove Art Gallery. OH had never been in before so he was taken aback by the amazing building and its contents; his highlights being the Spitfire and Dali’s Christ of Saint John of the Cross. If you’ve never been before put it on your Things to Do list.
Across from the art gallery is a Brewdog Bar. So, thinking that it would be a good thing to do, we popped in for a drink. I don’t know if you’ve ever been in a Brewdog Bar before but it’s a tad confusing as all the pumps boast the same blue Brewdog logo sticker and look the same. Plus, there’s nothing you would recognise like Carling, Guinness or Magners. There is however, a large blackboard behind the bar with a list of the beers on offer. I stood and tried to study the board as a very disenchanted barmaid waited impatiently for me to make my choice. I looked at her for some guidance and she looked right through me. I looked at OH for some suggestions but he was busy trying to make up his own mind. I got pissed off and asked for a red wine. OH had a pint of Fake Lager and thought it was rank.
When you’re trying to be a new and exciting bar you’ve got to have bar staff that are friendly and willing to help all the customers not just the young trendy ones. What could have been a great experience turned out to be crap and we won’t be back (and don’t you go there either!).
After the downer we walked up Byres Road and along Ashton Lane. First off we went into the Grosvenor for a drink and then into Jinty McGintys for another couple. They were both great but to be fair anywhere on Ashton Lane is brilliant.
We knew we had to head back to the hotel to get ready for Cirque du Soleil and I also knew I needed to eat something if I was going to see any real acrobats that night.
It turns out there is a lovely chippy on the Byres Road and they do a great haggis supper. There is also a handy step to sit on that the sun hits just right on a late afternoon in Glasgow. Pure class. Yes I know, some people strive for it and some are just born with it.
Haggis and chips devoured we hailed a taxi and headed back to the hotel. I won’t bore you with the taxi driver’s referendum chat but suffice to say he was a No.
I had been told that Cirque du Soleil is something to see before you die and therefore a definite on your bucket list. However, If you’ve only got room for another 1 on your list and you’re deciding between Cirque du Soleil and a trip to Ashton Lane on a sunny day – don’t go for the paid performers.
Don’t get me wrong – it was great. My highlights were the trampolinests (is that a word?) and the patsy from the audience. The acts were so talented, strong, precise and lithe it was hard not to be impressed but I thought I wasn’t going to know where to look as there would be loads happening all around and above me but that wasn’t the case. I think maybe I had over hyped it in my head so do go and see it just don’t get too excited about it before you go.
What was fantastic about the end of the night though was walking back to the hotel, having a drink in the bar before retiring to bed with a glass of wine and sitting with the windows open so we could both watch the Clyde flow by.
The vintage car museum in Malaga is definitely worth a visit – even if you usually hate that kind of thing. The collection is stunning and they have cleverly added fantastic outfits from throughout the ages next to each car so you can picture exactly what kind of women would be sitting alongside the driver (yes I know that was sexist but so was history!)
There was also interesting anecdotes about the cars and dresses, which kept me interested as I wandered past Porsche, Bentley and Rolls Royce models. The wall art and furniture were picked to perfection and were a magical mix of modern and art deco pieces.
It was €7.50 each to get in and worth every cent.
DEAR LORRAINE 