Later that day

Well we're back, been back for some time actually. The day was not really what one would call a roaring success, but at the same time it also wasn't a complete wash out (pun intended). As I mentioned at the end of my last post we were heading out to the farmers market in Partick. Well we headed out around 12, we had read that the market was held between 10-3 every second and fourth Saturdays of the month. After wandering around for a bit, getting some lunch, then getting the subway off to Kelvinhall, we arrived at the farmers market at about 10 to 2, plenty of time we thought. Rounding the corner, we look up at the banner sign for the market to read that it's from 10-2. So with 10 minutes to go, we dash up to the market to see that most of the stalls (all the fresh fruit and vegetable ones anyway) were closed up and driving off. Some of them were still open though, we got some fresh strawberries and rasberries (very nice) some hand made chocolates, and I picked up a present for Paul. I won't put up what the present is in case he reads it (don't want to spoil the surprise) but it is tragically apropriate (tragic both for me buying and for him, tee hee).

After wandering around for the brief 10 mintues (we were told that the market used to run till 3, but most people sold out well before that so the closing time was changed, our info came from a book published earlier in the year), we headed up towards the botanic gardens. Along the way, we were looking out for a couple of nice shops that were supposedly in the area along Hyndland Street/Road. One of those, called Delizique is a really nice little deli (and I do mean little). They have a really great range of your typical deli kinda food (cheeses, olives, breads, meats and sausages, and fruits and vegetables) as well as some more unusual like prawns and mussles and other seafood. We kept heading up Hyndland Road till we found one of the outlets of a deli kinda shop we quite like in town called Peckhams. The Peckhams in Hyndland Road is quite a bit smaller than the one we go to in Glassford Street and just basically has the deli counter and but it has fruit and veg. There is another one not too far on Byers Road which is much more like the city one (but not quite as large an alcohol section ;-).

After poking around in these shops for a bit we continued up the road towards the Botanic Gardens. That was about the point in time that the rain suddenly bucketed down. Although quite used to fact that it can rain at any minute in Glasgow (pretty much year round from what we can tell so far) this particular rain shower was quite a bit heavier than most. Being the only one of the group with no real rain protection (I don't even think my jacket was waterproof) I got the most soaked of the group. But we battled the rain running from tree to tree until we got up to the gardens, at which point the rain had died down. We had a wander round the gardens and took some pictures (and one or two in the rain) and then headed up Byers Road (the enterence to the gardens are at the top of Byers Road, for those who don't know it's meant to be one of Glasgows more interesting shopping/entertainment streets of Glasgow, but we don't really think it's much on something like The Parade or Unley Road back in Adelaide, maybe close to Jetty Road. So we walked up Byers Road, looking at some of the shops and came across a French styled bakery called La Patisserie Françoise and had cake and coffee (or hot chocolate). Looking it up just then, I have discovered that they have a shop just round the corner or two from us, I'll definately have to look them up.

Then it was back off home. I also popped up some pictures from the day are here.

Cheers.