Sunday 3 April 2016

Glasgow. Springtime by Day and Night. A Gallery of Colours.

                                                 ALL PHOTOS CLICK FULL SCREEN
The world has always existed in full vibrant colour for me and "Spring" has always been the biggest celebration of that colour splurge, especially magnificent and welcome after several grey drab months of rain, storms, snow, and bare trees. A chilly landscape reduced to black and white austerity.
Snow drops are the first sign that the always miraculous "change" has occurred. Still black and white though... but welcome, with a splash of green leaves.
For me the real joy starts with the "Crocus." Persephone's painted fingernails and you know she's with you again... smiling down through the rejuvenated sun... forever and always a part of me.
The Eternal Feminine reborn each year. My Kingdom- instead of Heaven. Arria  "The Angel of the Nauld." above.
The fields of glory already on Earth. How can we destroy this wonderful planet that we have painfully learned over centuries we can enhance and improve... yet we repeatedly still do make the same mistakes... over wars, money, stupidity, religious beliefs, ideology and greed.
A snake or the yellow brick road? You choose.
Crocus Lawn.
Mellow and Yellow.
Glasgow City Centre at Dusk.
With out of town shopping centers and retail malls appearing in the 1990s in almost every suburb the need to go into Glasgow City Centre itself, especially at night, is much reduced if you don't work or socialize there, yet it used to be a common occurrence during the darker nights in winter and most folk my age have fond memories of being dragged round the shops on cold evenings staring up at the street lights, the Christmas decorations, and listening to the sound of thousands of starlings roosting in the buildings for warmth and security from predators until they were chased off with improved technology and new methods several decades ago. Am I trying for the longest sentence on the blog  here perhaps? Bothwell Street business district, above.
Glasgow's business and financial district running along the River Clyde.
When you haven't been into Glasgow at night for a while you forget how beautiful it is. Early evening in winter is the best time for visitors, while the shops and offices are still open, and before the crowds depart, leaving the empty streets for the usual assorted predators, creepy people, and others that stay behind.
A night time Frasers lit up in Buchanan Street. A top Glasgow department store for many generations of city dwellers.
Still Buchanan Street. Princes Square and part of Glasgow's Style Mile. A geometric grid layout of shopping streets that reputedly inspired early New York to follow suit. Two cities that have always had a natural instinctive affinity, or so it feels sometimes. Reputedly, this is the largest city centre shopping district in the UK outside of London but Manchester and Birmingham might have caught up in recent years as both English cities are growing fast.
Great Western Road. The finest highway into Glasgow. The yellow flying carpet in Spring 2016.
Carlton Place at Night. An empty City Centre. Tranquility... yet serious stillness.
The Spectrum Building. Financial District.
Our world is an irreplaceable, amazing treasure... Let's keep it that way.
As any rainbow can disappear so easily.


An English tourist view of Glasgow. (filmed over six years ago judging by the info) As I never stay in top hotels... or any hotels... and my idea of a night out these days is a visit to my local chip shop then a good film indoors this 4 and 5 star luxury look around Scotland's largest city was as big an eye opener for me as any foreign tourist. I've cycled past most of it though but usually only entered the free attractions and never thought of hiring a personal tartan clad guide to show me around. Every penny still a prisoner!














8 comments:

Kay G. said...

It's the flowers I love the most, your shot of the daffodils and the close up of the blue flower, it is a crocus? Just gorgeous.

Linda W. said...

Love all the flowers! Spring is indeed glorious where ever you live!

Carol said...

I didn't know what that flower was with your unusual photographic angle! And haven't you any orange crocuses (crocii?) ? I like those best as I think you need the brightness at this time of year!

blueskyscotland said...

Hi Kay, Thank you. It is a crocus close up and as you probably know the orange part in the centre is dried as saffron in certain parts of Europe, The Himalayas, North America etc where special varieties grow.

blueskyscotland said...

Hi Linda,
Can't beat the return of colour every year.

blueskyscotland said...

Ah, Carol.
You should know every photograph on the blog usually tells you what it is and where it was taken if you click on it full screen. Not seen many orange ones up here except in gardens,so maybe it's too cold and damp for them this far north to last longer than a couple of seasons? Never seen them in parks or open spaces in Scotland that I can remember.

Carol said...

I thought the orange ones were the original, sturdy ones?

blueskyscotland said...

They may be but I've never seen many in Glasgow and certainly not a dominant colour in the parks and open spaces here. White, pink, mauve, purple and a few scattered yellow ones sometimes. There's Orange Monarch crocus in some posh gardens I know but they look proper deep orange colour whereas the park ones are what I would call yellow and they are few in number compared to the rest. Why not take a photo of any orange variety cluster you see down there and post on your blog to show me what you mean by an orange carpet of crocus as we don't have that up here sadly.
I await the proof :o)
P.S. there are 90 different varieties of the wee buggers and about ten shades of yellow and orange. I looked it up.