It's a Pleasure to Meet You, Mr. Goat

Fortunately, this blog has many supporters. Some of these supporters don't only read the blog but place in their valuable input each and every week. For example, this week my flatmate and I were discussing weekend plans. When asked what I was doing I responded with a "Oh, I don't know.. I really don't have much planned." This answer received a very, very serious look and the response "Think about the blog!" Now this was a lot of pressure! What was I going to do to "think about the blog!" I really didn't have much planned for the weekend, certainly no trips. The next day I met with Stuart and just to add to the pressure he asked me "So what are you going to write about this week in your blog?".... This was too much, I had nothing to write about, I hadn't gone anywhere and it was Saturday, time was running out!

As we sat in Stuart's car deciding where to go, I finally asked him to just take me "somewhere I could write about." After a short drive behind some achingly slow driving individuals we arrived in New Lanark. New Lanark is a restored 18th century cotton mill village. The village was created by David Dale, however, it is Dale's son-in-law, Robert Owen that made the village famous. Owen was a social reformer who put into action many social reforms within the village. Most noteably he provided the village workers with better living conditions, medical care, education, etc. The village is now one of five World Heritage Sites in Scotland and is beautifully situated along the river Clyde in a wooded area.

A year ago when I was looking into Universities in the UK I began talking to Stuart. Because he worked at the University of Glasgow it was, of course, his hope to convince me that Glasgow was the most appealing location for my studies. Knowing that I have a strange affection for goats (yes, they are my favorite animal) he sent me a video documenting a goat on a farm here in Scotland. Amazingly enough, we stopped at a small farm on our way back into Glasgow.. a farm that has one goat, the goat and I recognized it!

This goat has to be the friendliest goat ever. It liked us even after it figured out we had no food to give him.

In addition to visiting New Lanark this weekend, I attended another play at Tramway. Some of you may recall the first production I saw at Tramway.. the play with the astronaunts and monkeys? Well, have no fear this tramway production also lived up to the bizarre nature of the first. This time talking vegetables, dance numbers with parts of the digestive tract and characters eating one another were involved. And, of course, this will be the first play that I review for The Journal. After the review is published I will be certain to provide a link on the blog and you can read what I thought about "Pass the Spoon." Let's just say my flatmate was lucky enough to read it pre-publication and stated.. "Well, reading between the lines you can pretty much gather you were not a fan of this play... at all"

I have been asked by numerous people about the pubs, restaurants and coffee/tea shops in Glasgow. Because of these questions I had toyed with the idea of doing a blog post just about all the various places around the city that I've been. Instead, I've decided to divide it into sections and combine it with a few weekly blog posts. This week's section is the West End:

Oran Mor- This is one of my very favorite, if not favorite, places to go in Glasgow. The church has been converted into a pub, restaurant and club.  In addition  to a great pub Oran Mor has a program called "A Pint, A Pie and A Play" over the lunch hour each day. I have yet to go but am hoping to review one of their plays sometime soon.

Ashton Lane- Is a small hidden lane behind the University and Byres Road that is absolutely packed with places to eat and drink. The cobblestone streets and small white lights hanging above the street make for a very picturesque evening out.

Brel- On Ashton Lane is a Belgian restaurant. This is where I had my very first mussel! Situated right behind the University there are plenty of great lunch specials and the beer garden is absolutely packed on a sunny day. I've also heard that the live music is fantastic.

Grosvenors- On Ashton Lane is a cinema. I have not been to the cinema but heard it's really very nice. The Loft is above the Cinema and is a nice restaurant and pub. The loft is great for parties ( my birthday party will be there!) because it has really nice drink specials and is a wonderful venue for gathering with groups of people. They also have board games on the tables!

Hillhead Book Club- This place quickly wins over any visitors. In addition to a witty menu and a beautiful venue, the food is delicious! And, just so you don't have to embarrass yourself like myself and my flatmate a Hillhead Book Club sandwich is really just a club sandwich... seems to be a question they get often!

Green Chilli- Glasgow has been named the Curry Captial of Britain multiple times and there are many reasons why. One of those reasons is Green Chili cafe. Their curry is absolutely delicious! However, don't be fooled by the sign proclaiming 1 pound Indian tapas. They do have one pound tapas but you have to buy a set amount and it is so much food and of course ends up being much more expensive than a couple pounds!

The Goat and Grill- More than anything this restaurant has served as a great meeting place. But, after meeting at here over and over to head off to other places, a few friends and I finally have started going here for drinks. The atmosphere is very nice and the loation is absolutely unbeatable!

The Hidden Lane Tearoom- This has been featured in my blog before! I love this place. As the name states it's located in a hidden lane. It's extremely charming and reasonably priced. I had my first high tea here this weekend and it was a lot of fun.

Beanscene- There are an abundance of these coffeehouses throughout Glasgow. I personally, love the one located right across from the Kelvingrove. The views from this particular shop are fantastic and the coffee delicious. This is a common meeting place in Glasgow, I've had to meet here for quite a few meetings myself!

Montgomery's - This place is so hidden it's difficult to find a picture! Tucked away across from the Goat and Grill and down the street from the Kelvingrove, Montgomery's is a really nice place for a Saturday morning cup of coffee... my flatmate and I can certainly attest to that statement, seeing we go every Saturday morning. Although, fairly well hidden it's becoming relatively well known and the small restaurant fills up fast!

Ben Nevis- Is a great little pub. The warm stove, traditional music and pub dogs make Ben Nevis extremely inviting. The pub is small but very cozy and is a nice place to grab a quick drink with friends.

These are just a few of the numerous places to eat and drink in the West End. Most of the restaurants have something for everyone. There is only one place I would advise avoiding at all costs... and that place is Barbeque Kings.. red onion rings just are not very appealing!

The upcoming weeks have much instore and the blog will be thought of often! There are many, many exciting travel opportunities in the upcoming weeks and I look forward to sharing!

Scotslish Lesson: Firth- Estuary..... The Firth of Forth for example!