Ahhhh, back in Glasgow. I like Glasgow because there are loads of free things to see and the atmosphere isn't as snooty as Edinburgh. I revisited some old favs of mine, and recalled my last visit with my brother Nick. Nick nearly killed me as I dragged his jetlagged ass through the Necropolis. I actually just read it was modeled on my other fav cemetary, Pere Lachaise in Paris.

Anyway, on my last visit to Glasgow, Nick and I attempted to find the museum where the famous Salvador Dali painting of Christ of St. John of the Cross was. We walked RIGHT by the place without even realizing it. This time I found it, and I was so glad I did. The museum is free (always a plus) and is very open minded and non-judgemental about all sorts of different faiths. But then the kicker was seeing this incredible painting in person. I'd seen it in books before and I even knew I guy who had a poor copy tattooed on his back. Nothing compared to this. It is now quite possibly one of my favorite paintings ever.

The painting was so controversial when it was done and eventually bought by the St. Mungo Museum that some guy slashed it in 1962. The damage to the canvas is still very visible. THe museum seems to have a problem with closed minded people messing with their pieces because recently another lunatic attacked a huge bronze statue of Shiva and damaged it. People need to just CHILL OUT!!!!!!

As I was in a cemetary/cathedral mood, I decided to visit Stirling the following day. When I got into Stirling, I ditched my bag in a locker, and headed off to the Church of the Holy Rood. Rood or Rude is another word for cross. This is the only surviving church in Scotland that had a Scottish coronation in it. James VI (and later James I of unified Scotland and England) was crowned here when he was 13 months old, in a ceremony preached by John Knox. The church itself is from the 15th century.

An added bonus was the cool graveyard that is attached. Some of the oldest dates go back to 1597, but there are older undated stones that just have symbols on them.

After all that history, I am heading to Edinburgh for some modern retail therapy. :)