I've decided I like Edinburgh more than Glasgow. Don't get me wrong, Glasgow is worth a visit, and has its own personality which is interesting to pick at. But I like Edinburgh more than Glasgow.
I kinda figured that out already, but I was (in a back corner of my mind) entertained by the fact that when I arrived and was slogging my way up Castle Rock in a very determined sleet I was also relaxing in a way I hadn't in nearly six months.
I never quite got to that level of easy breathing in Glasgow.
Something I found odd on a purely personal level, and nothing to do with whichever city I was in. Just the fact that I was in a city.
I had to get used to people again.
That? That really wigged me out. I'm a city kid, and I've been getting progressively more and more antsy over the past year in a village. To the point where it's just a constant itch that there's nothing I can do about, and then I hit city.
A city I absolutely love. And at the same time there's a tension knot that I've started to just get used to relaxing, there's an extra, all new tension coming up that I haven't had to deal with before going "Woah. Crowded. What...?"
And my brain is going, "Why is this a problem?! You love this! I'm so confused...?"
To be fair, I've got a level of ongoing fatigue from work that is probably contributing, but the fact remains that I'm having to relearn 'city'. Not just learn a new city, but actively relearn the basic heartbeat of city.
And that makes me.... I'm not sure. I feel a little annoyed? Maybe sad? I think it's mostly disgruntled or annoyed, or possibly a mix of both.
Especially because I keep getting hit by random moments of sheer relief that I'm somewhere normally busy, not tourist busy. Or not primarily tourist busy, anyway.
I'm beginning to think that cities have to be a certain size before their personalities start really showing themselves.
You don't get the quirky to downright gorgeous street art until the neighbourhoods have started to grow their own opinions and 'looks', and that is (as far as I'm able to tell so far) usualy after the city as a whole has settled on a specific (sometimes rather nebulous) idea of self.
That's when you start finding things like this.
I was walking up by Greyfriars when I saw that. That cheered me right up.
Inverness has a few 'personality' bits kicking about, and Glasgow has attitiude practically seeping out of every bit of it, which makes it hard to miss.
Edinburgh, at least my impression of it, is "will probably pass as elegant in the right frame, is actually quite quirky".
Although if you're heading up any of the hills after dark? It's flipping gorgeous.
Edinburgh is a funny combination of officialdom and university town, and as the university is right smack dab next to Old Town, if you're a tourist it tends to smack you in the face with the juxtaposition every time you turn around. But if you pay attention, look at all the twisty little streets that are a fact of life because of all the ruddy hills, you can see the older personality. It's almost like hearing echos of snickers from people who think the pomp and ceremony is a bit ridiculous.
Inverness is very young when it comes to cities, and it shows it. It's on the cusp, and still trying to figure who it is and what it wants to be.
Glasgow? Glasgow is nothing if not in your face. Glasgow is where the industrial money came in, and it still has that stamped all over it. Glasgow is anything but quiet, or understated, and everything about its personality is big.
Which means it can get overwhelming, or wear on you after a while depending on your personality.
God damn I've missed this.