Dundee - jute, jam and journalism

To Dundee by train for a day out with a difference.  The difference was, most of it was spent on the train.  Much as I love train travel, five and a half hours to get somewhere only to spend two hours there before a four hour journey back wasn't an equation I was happy with.

But listen to me! Moaning on!  The journey might have been too long for a day trip, but we travelled in 1970s-style British Rail carriages so it wasn't cramped. And it did pass some beautiful scenery, taking in a ride across the rail bridge of the Firth of Forth and the Tay Bridge too.

Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

And then to Dundee - the city of jute, jam and journalism.  Sadly the first 20 minutes were spent gaining my land-legs as I was feeling somewhat discombobulated after such a long journey on the train.

We knew we only had two hours to explore Dundee before the train left for the return journey.  So it was straight to see the DC Thomson's comic character statues of Desperate Dan, his dog Dawg and Minnie the Minx.

We then headed to the McManus contemporary art gallery and museum where there was a fantastic photographic exhibition that just about made that DVT-inducing five and a half hour train journey to Dundee well worth it. 

The exhibition was called "What Presence! The Rock Photography of Harry Papadopoulos" and showcased photos of many of the 80s rock and pop stars I grew up listening to and loving.  A lot of the photos were of Scottish bands, and I've had this tune by The Associates in my head ever since.

After a quick drink in a nice poky pub, it was time to board the train back home, but not before a mandatory look around the visitor centre beside the train station where Dundee cake was bought. Also bought was a slice of Ma Broon's butter tablet, as I'd never had it before (it tastes just like fudge) and a bottle of Scottish real-ale called The March of the Penguins, to tie in with the exhibit of the RSS Discovery which was the ship that the Captain Scott sailed to the Antarctic in.  I didn't know that.  I found out a lot about Dundee that day. It's quite a decent place.

And so back to the train for a four hour journey home.  Was it a good day out? Undoubtedly.  Would I travel five and a half hours to get there again? Not by choice, my knees are still sore.

So there you have it, Dundee in a nut shell. It was only a two hour visit but I came away with a smile and a desire to visit it again to see more.

View my Dundee photos on flickr.

See also: A day out in Glasgow

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I'm on twitter @flaming_nora

Fun with funiculars

Being a fan of funiculars, I went quite giddy with excitement when I found out that there was a song about funiculars. Mind you, I've only ever been in the ones at Scarborough but there's something special about a tram that goes up and down a hillside. 

When I win the lottery I'm going to travel the world and ride all the funiculars I can find, both up and down, and tick them all off in a little book.

The train to Spain

I'm more excited than a grown-up should be about going on holiday soon. We're travelling between European countries on an overnight train and do you know what? I can't wait. I've got a vision in my head that it'll be all very Brief Encounter, black and white and romantic. I'll let you know when we come back if it turns out to be a) just like the deluded vision in my head or b) nothing like that at all.

I like trains, me and the funniest book on the subject I've ever read is Ian Marchant's Parallel Lines (aka Every Girls' Big Book of Trains).