We are all under the same sky...

The best things about our move to France has to be meeting new people, guests at our holiday rental Les Balcons from different parts of the world plus all the new friends we have made among the ex-pats and our French neighbours. We have a few things to tie up here before returning early next month but it is somewhat reassuring to know that we are all really close and under the one sky wherever we are. A good example of this is yesterdays photo of our sunset in Ayr and Colin and Elizabeth's who took their shot while visiting Colin's mum in Clitheroe.

In search of the bard...

Friends Mike and Liz will be attending their first Burns Supper soon  (Burns night is 25th January) so we had to take them along to his birthplace and scene of  one of his most famous poems in nearby Alloway 

His humble origins were probably not as nice as this but they have tried to show how the house might have looked and still have some original pieces of his and his parents furniture on display in the nearby heritage centre.

 While we were there the BBC were filming an interview with Ricky Ross (Deacon Blue) on the poet. He insisted on being photographed with me!

We also took them along to the brig o' Doon which features in Burns' 'Tam o'Shanter'

You can read more re this neck of the woods on a previous post here

 Plus more on Rabbie here

Mackintosh house...

On Mike and Liz's 'Mackintosh tour' we took in the re-creation of his house in the Hunterian Gallery within the Glasgow University complex.The original house was demolished in the early 1960s but the fixtures, including windows, doors, fireplaces & staircase, were preserved and reassembled,the attention to detail is impressive - the man was way ahead of his time...

...so much so that when he and his wife Margaret tried to sell their house the buyers of the time could not appreciate his genius and a benefactor had to come to their rescue.

There is a free guided tour of the house by a very knowledgeable guide. You are not allowed to take photographs so the ones above are courtesy of  t'internet'. 

The Glasgow 'Lighthouse'...

Image courtesy of Univercity of  Strathclyde

Heading up Buchanan Street after our coffee break in Princes Square we nipped down Mitchell lane to visit Glasgow's 'Lighthouse'. The building was originally designed by Charles Rennie Macintosh (his first public commission) and was formally the Glasgow Herald (newspaper) building.Sadly today you don't really get to appreciate the facade of the building due to some poor urban developments such as a  NCP carpark. Its corner former water tower has been developed as Scotland’s Centre for Design and Architecture,spread over six floors.

There is a permanent Mackintosh exhibition Interpretation Centre or ‘Mack’ Centre which celebrates Glasgow’s most famous architect and explores his life and work. After viewing this with our visitors Mike and I hiked up the 133 steps to the top of the tower to take in the views over the city. 

This is the glass roof of Central Station...

...and this is the roof of Princes Square.

Looking down on the viewing platform on the sixth floor which you can reach by an elevator...

...the four of us did just that. This is the view looking back up to the top of the Lighthouse tower viewing platform. The views here are good but not nearly as good as the 360 degree views from the open air tower.

Coffee break...

Took a coffee break during our Glasgow trip under glass at the impressive PrincesSquare.

Tomorrow we'll see a different view.

Lunch with CRM...

Took Mike and Liz up to Glasgow yesterday on the trail of Charles Rennie Mackintosh which included lunch at the delightful Willow Tea Rooms in Sauchiehall Street.

You enter through a small gift shop ...

...with this dining room behind it.

We had lunch on the tea gallery.

One floor up is the delightful  'Room deluxe' but we were discouraged from dining there as they said it was not heated sufficiently - think it may have been to keep us on one floor thus making it easier to serve us!

It is a stunning room.

Up another level is a room that has the original doors to the tearoom on display.

You take the high road...

and we'll take the low road... Mike and Liz arrived yesterday for a short visit (their first) to Scotland.

After picking them up from the airport I took them north and we were lucky enough to get a break in the weather to get some nice shots of Loch Lomond .

Blue house under red sky...

Hard to miss this house on Ayr seafront.  

Wee dug...big stick

On Prestwick beach

Hit the beach...

Took Pauline's mum down to the seafront at Prestwick yesterday, a bit breezy but it was interesting being there as it had been years since we'd all been there. It is only a few miles along the coast but having the very good beech at Ayr makes it unnecessary to visit here. 

This is the outer wall of what used to be an outdoor salt-water pool where I can remember jumping into bitterly cold water even in the height of summer. It now contains a low level kids play area.

Too far...

Nothing wrong with a little Christmas cheer over the festive season...but consider this a step too far - devalues Santa somewhat!

Happy New Year...

All the very best to everyone for 2015...from Jim and Pauline