THE BURELL MUSEUM

           One  of Glasgow's Great Museums

The Burrell Museum in Glasgow, Scotland sits just six miles out of the city. I was looking forward to visiting the Burrell as I’d heard a lot about it.

En route our guide told us, “Sir William Burrell made millions as a merchant and shipping agent. After his retirement in 1928 he started buying art and artifacts. He was particularly interested in porcelains. He was the first person to bid at an auction by telephone.

“In the 1940s he summoned the city to send someone to go look at his collection. The 17-year-old who was sent was stunned by the quantity and quality of what he was shown. The next day someone more qualified was sent to peruse the collection. Burrell was willing to give the whole collection, of over 9000 pieces, to the city with the condition that it remain in the city, be placed in a country setting, where it would be out of the inner city pollution, and be free to the public.”

The many boxes were stored for years unopened. Then in 1967 a fellow by the name of MacDonald left his large wooded estate, Pollack, to the city. The farmland of the estate was sold saving 65 acres for the museum. And of course after the clean air act of 1967 pollution has ceased to be a problem. A large glass building dominates the museum which the Queen opened in 1984 saying, “No city ever received a greater gift from one of her children.”

         Only the Frick collection in New York exceeds the Burrell collection in size. Burrell owned the Hutton castle and died in 1958 so he did not see his collection displayed. It is so large that only 20% of it is shown at any one time. Parts of the mixed collection including art, porcelain, tapestries, and wood dates back centuries. One could visit numerous times and still not see all of the spectacular collection. We spent so much time enjoying  the museum that we cut our lunch time very short, and  I had to add ice to my lentil soup to cool it enough to gulp it down

            The forest seen through the back glass wall is a wonderful backdrop for this museum. What a wonderful collection! The huge hanging tapestries were unbelievable and from the second story we had an excellent view of them. It probably took some one a whole lifetime to make just one.

Driving out of the museum grounds, our driver stopped the van so the guide could explain the rather strange but familiar animal grazing nearby.  The Highland cow, which is referred to as the Heeland coo, looks like a cow, has short horns, and a long shaggy amber brown coat. We were to see many of them later in our travels.

RUSSIAN TEA

An Important  but Tedious Process

            I was familiar on how the English brew their tea, but it was nothing like the time consuming and involved brewing of Russian tea, to say nothing of the equipment needed. However, the Russians are as taken with their tea as are the English. In fact tea could be the national drink of Russia. A good tea warms the mind, body, and soul.

            Universal rules for making real tea dictate forgetting about tea bags and never cooking the tea leaves. Large tea plantations are located in an area of the Caucasus range on the shore of the Black Sea in Georgia, but the origin of tea is of little importance. Expensive tea can be mixed with cheap tea and actually is encouraged.

Making Russian tea is a two step process. First one makes the zavarka, then waters it down by adding boiling water known as kipyatok. Water is first boiled in a samovar, a large tank whose literal translation would be ‘autobrewer’.  The samovar is not only an ordinary household item but a hallmark of the Russian way of life and hospitality. Tula, a city south of Moscow, has been the major samovar manufacturer since the 18^th century. Originally charcoal burning, it was not until the 1950s and 60s that an electric version came into being and popular use.

The teapot, called a chainik, should be warm before starting the process. Only a ceramic or glass chainik is acceptable for making tea. If hot water has been used to warm the pot it should be emptied before adding the tea leaves. Boiling water is poured over the tea leaves, the lid replaced on the pot, and the pot covered with a towel to keep it warm.

When all the leaves have sunk to the bottom, the zavarka is ready. It is very strong, and is dangerous to drink directly from the pot. The strong narcotic effect can cause a rapid heartbeat, hallucinations, and restlessness. Generally the zavarka is diluted 10:1 with boiling water in a cup or mug. A chestnut color is perfect. The cup or mug is nearly always placed on a saucer before pouring the zavarka or kipyatok. The softer the water, the better the tea.

Tea is brewed with black tea and served after a meal or at tea time; 5:00 PM  is a popular time of day for tea. Generally one teaspoon of tea per person plus one for the pot is used to brew the tea. Thinly sliced lemon slices, not wedges of lemon, are served with tea. Arguments on the pros and cons of adding anything to the tea can go on forever. However, it is common to add sugar, but never more than three teaspoons. Jam or honey is often added to tea instead of sugar. Milk and cream are not used in tea. If tea is served at tea time rather than after a meal it is accompanied by various sweets and like the English high tea sort of becomes a meal.

Making Russian tea is a time consuming process, but the Russians have an old proverb that says: if you rush, you make people laugh. Today tea is served in porcelain cups vs the old traditional glass  held in a decorative metal holder with a handle.

Our ship always had hot coffee and had become modern with a variety of tea bags and hot water available for those who preferred tea. That was just fine with us Americans.