Glasgow's Spring Thaw

Rain is falling once more in Glasgow as I write this short post and cringe at the impending 10cm of snow we might get tomorrow. This past week, and two weekends, though, we've seen what I've been told is abnormally warm weather for a Glasgow spring. We had nine days straight of sunny days. It was amazing. Flowers and trees were in bloom, and everyone in Glasgow was out in any patch of green space they could find to lay out and get their yearly dose of Vitamin D. People were out running, biking, walking their dogs, and eating and drinking out at little cafes everywhere around town. I even got to wear shorts!

Last week, there were a few days were the British Isles were nearly completely cloud-free! (very rare!)

Because I am in both my brother's and my sister's summer weddings, I had to get measured for a tuxedo somewhere in town. Last Saturday, I took the subway to the City Center and got measured at a huge men's clothing store where there were probably about 30 men helping others get measured and fitted properly. In the corner were I was getting measured, there were a bunch of kilts on the walls and a few guys being measured for those. I'm not going to lie, I want one. I don't care if I only wear it for sporting events and formal occasions, but I want one! And it's time to dispel the portrayal of men in kilts as men in skirts or dresses. NEVER IN YOUR LIFE walk up to a Scottish man in a kilt and say something about his skirt. You will not live to see another day (especially if it's at a rugby match)!

I spent the rest of that Saturday walking around the City Center, meandering up and down streets I hadn't been to before and scouted out lots of neat stores, cafes, restaurants, clubs, pubs, and markets I plan on exploring more in the future. Instead of taking the subway back home, I took advantage of the weather and took the footpath along the River Clyde all the way back to Partick.

Throughout the rest of the week, I couldn't not be outside. I ran 8km last Monday to burn off some steam from an unproductive Sunday through the Botanic Gardens, along the River Kelvin, and through the Kelvingrove Park where I'm sure I passed at least 2,000 people out enjoying the sun. On the run, I also passed a pub called, The Big Blue, that was perched up on a bank over the River Kelvin, next to a beautiful bridge, and had a few picnic tables and chairs along the footpath. Definitely was going to check that out later in the week.

Tuesday afternoon, one of the postdocs invited people over to her flat where she had a grill and large patio and a number of us enjoyed a fantastic barbeque with burgers, beer, wine, crisps, chips, salad, and the best desert ever: chocolate-stuffed, grilled bananas (see photo below). They were delicious and it was suggested that I try these out on a beach in a fire-pit. A must-do for this summer in Muskegon!

The next afternoon, though not the warmest of the week, was so nice, I wore my shorts and flip-flops. I couldn't stand being stuck inside, so I left work around 4 and headed to The Big Blue, got a beer and a table and did a bit of reading work out along the river. On the way home, I was also determined to check out another beer garden in this church-turned-restaurant/pub/theater. It was fantastic.

And then on Friday, after work, a few of my friends and I went to the pub next to our building to enjoy what might be the last bit of sun for a while. Pints in hand, they helped me decide to go outside and do something nice on Saturday, which I did, in Edinburgh. And I'll write about that tomorrow :)