cafe hunting in glasgow

When I arrived at the Buchanan bus station at 6am after a 7 hour stop-start journey from Liverpool, coffee was the last thing in my mind. I needed sleep. Night buses aren't necessarily the most comfortable way to spend your sleepy time. I’m pretty sure I learnt that the last time. Ah the life of a traveller.

I walked about 2km to the Glasgow youth hostel up in west end (quite a swanky area for a hostel really!) and despite my lack of sleep, I was excited about the blue skies over head and the day that was to unfold. Of course, I started off with a wee nap in the hostel lounge.  Waking up an hour later, refreshed and sporting a solid bed head (or couch head) I set about my day. The idea of hanging out inside grew on me as grey clouds grew over the blue sky.so I went on a mission to find some funky cafes.

 I was surprised to pass several cafes that would class as funky-independent, artisan, third-wave (whatever hipster name you want to use) by Australian standards. In a mere half an hour I found more places in Glasgow than I did in 4 months in London! I had a fair way to go along great western road before making it to byres road so I decided to pick and choose. The first stop was Papercup. A very simple coffee house that had an open plan bench and fantastic coffee. I browsed through some of the coffee table books, which were ironically about coffee making.  I felt I came out a better educated barista. Cold War Kids were playing in the background and although the barista seemed a little lost without a bench to stand behind, he managed to punch out a few random notes every now and then. 

I walked further to byres road where I was told where the gold mine was. In terms of cafes though, I think the other road had it all. Byres road seemed a little touristy for me and had a lot of the chain shopping stores. Like Glasgow's version of oxford street. I did however stumble across Ashton Lane, a cute cobbled street with bars, a small cinema and fairy lights hanging overhead, which I'm sure would have looked the part at night.

I then found a cool little place near the university on Gibson st with the best cafe decor or I've seen in a long time, Artesian Roast . I had a lovely 3 pound leek and potato soup and sat and watched as the uni students poured in for their caffeine hit. This place bordered on perfection, except it didn't have wi-fi. It had a nice lounge area at the back and more seating upstairs so you really wouldn't notice if half the people sat on one coffee for 3 hours to tap into a little technology.

You could probably spend a good while at places like these, I only went to two. These streets have a few good vintage and second hand shops as well and there a lots of pubs nearby.  I opted out for second coffee coz I needed another nap.

beatlemania in liverpool

Mania: Described in the English Dictionary as

1. Mental derangement marked by excitement, hallucination

2. Excessive enthusiasm

The concocted word Beatlemania entered the English language on 5th November 1963.

Liverpool is a must for any Beatles fan. Mai had already gone back to Japan at this stage so it was my first trip as a true solo traveller, and probably a good thing because I imagine the in depth Beatles experience would have bored her!  I heard the nightlife was pretty good in Liverpool too, with lots of small independent bars, which is right up my alley. 

I set about my evening on an Elise style bar/café crawl (inspired by bar chick of course and random wandering). At the hostel, I got talking to two Mexican guys fresh out of high school and only 2 days into their trip. Somehow they managed to latch onto my night of exploring. I was a bit harsh and found a way to ditch them after an hour but I wasn't really looking for a career in babysitting. I wasn’t after a big night, just a night alone, enjoying a few drinks while taking in the surrounding bar settings. It’s something I really enjoy, and I find when you’re with new people, they feel obliged to create meaningless small talk whereas I’d rather sit and be part of the furniture. It really depends on the night obviously. This night was a furniture night. 

The first beer was at Salt Dog Slims, a hip little hang out with interesting décor. After wandering over to El Bandito, which had a unique and relatively cheap cocktail list, I stumbled across a place called Mellow Mellow. Very cool, very mellow. What seemed to be an independent community based bar/café; this place really does have it all. From poetry nights to open jam sessions, locals obviously come here to hang out for a good few hours, if not days. Great coffees, beer on tap and live music, plus they run their own little weekend festival. It’s a welcoming creative space with lots of charisma. 

I got up early the next day and set about feeding my brain with Beatles facts and paraphernalia.  Visiting museums alone is the best, you don’t feel like you have to rush through because the other person is bored, you can just peruse at your own pace. So I planned to spend a good part of the day immersed in The Beatles Story. I have to admit; if you’re a Beatles fan (even if only a little) I would recommend it one hundred percent. Having read May Years from Now (Paul McCartney’s story) and one of the many Lennon biographies, I already knew a fair bit but it was still fantastic to have it all laid out in an interactive, visual timeline. You felt like you were a part of it almost. Some areas had the café or bar they used to hang out at, the audio tour was really informative. An interesting fact; the boys used to hang out at The Grapes (a bar that still stands on Matthew Street today) and they sat at the same table every time without fail. Purely because it had a great view of the ladies bathroom where all the girls would get changed after work for a night out. Cheeky sods.

The tour ticket also included free entry into a temporary photo gallery and since my bus for Glasgow wasn’t until 11pm, I had a bit of time to waste. Afterwards, I had to check out the legendary Cavern Club.  It really is as sweaty and as dingy as it sounds. These walls have seen some things! The Cavern has live music every day from 4pm, mostly Beatles cover musicians. I learnt that the next night they had their full cover band playing, which was a shame, but that afternoon they had an older solo guitarist. Instead of playing a set list, he shouted out to the audience to request songs. It was amazing how many he knew and how well he played them. I pulled up a seat near the front and stayed there for about 3 hours, by the end I felt like I had had a guitar lesson. The only song he didn’t know was one I requested, Wait.

Later that night, I ended up at Mellow Mellow again. I fell in love with the menu the previous night and had to eat there. I had a yummy haloumi burger with these delicious hand cut potato chips with fresh rosemary. I sat here for as long as I could, just chilling out, drinking coffee and scanning the internet, preparing myself for the long night bus ahead.


If you’re ever visiting the UK, Liverpool is a great little city to check out.

weekend in wales, part II

I've said this previously, but I love combining exercise with another purpose; whether its getting to work, sightseeing around town or something a little bit more extreme like hiking a mountain. There’s no way I’d get Mai to hike up 3000 feet, so I'm glad Joel is as crazy as I am (or at least willing to be dragged along).

Admittedly, we may have underestimated how cold it was in a tent. A storm front rolled in across the south-west coast of Wales that night and we were hit with a cold snap and strong winds. It was a harsh winter in the UK and it was hanging around like a bad smell.  I was so sick of it! But we soldiered on and woke early to drive to the Llyn Gwynant campsite in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park. I'd totally recommend camping here!

 

We were hoping to hike up Snowdon Mountain that afternoon but it was “blowin’ a gale” (haha) so we decided to hike the next day. Joel and I (mainly Joel) awkwardly assembled our little tent that was flapping around like nobody’s business. We went for a pub lunch and some more Guinness at a town called Beddgelert and got talking to a crazy old man who was a Mountain Guide. He had to be like 80 years old, impressive! We managed to get a fire going that night and huddled around our camp watching the kids of the campsite play a game of football.

We woke up early again the next day and set off on the hike up to the peak of Snowdon, a 3560 foot mountain and the highest point in the UK outside of Scotland.  We followed (or attempted to follow) the Watkin path. (By the way, the http://www.visitsnowdonia.info website is great!)

Distance: 8 miles (13Km) (there & back).
Ascent: 3,330ft (1,015 metres).
Time: About 6 hours (there & back).
Grade: Hard Mountain Walk
Start/Finish: Pont Bethania Car park, Nant Gwynant, off the A498.
Grid Reference: SH 627 507.

When we left it was cloudy, the visibility was poor and we were following instructions that seemed a little vague. Now that I’ve got those valid points down I can admit that we got lost. Quite lost. For at least an hour.  After realising we were more rock scrambling in almost freezing conditions rather than hiking we turned around to find the landmark where we thought we took a wrong turn. And wrong turn we did! The clouds blew over and the sun shined down on a more-than-obvious stone path as if we were being led by a higher power.  It was there where we caught our first glimpse of the mountain we were meant to be hiking. It was waiting for us.  The relieving feeling of finally knowing where to go was soon replaced with the dread of having to continue! We were buggered at this stage, but we are both stubborn so we pushed through.

The last 20 minutes was the most difficult, the gradient was steep and the surface was very loose underfoot. The view from the top was totally worth it. The view was unreal! The sun came out and as we looked down through the valley, we had this overwhelming sense of accomplishment.  The hike back was more enjoyable. The sun was shining and we knew where we were going!

Despite our shakey, fatigued legs, we drove north up to Angelsea that afternoon through the stunning mountainous region of Wales. Helen (a ‘whale’ friend) was waiting for us and took us to a pub to get a nice big feed. It was great to talk to her about some of the research she is doing on cleaner fish and just catching up with a familiar face, reminiscing about the field work we did in Noosa.  Joel and I took a few back roads to avoid a massive traffic jam and my lead foot and I roared down the highway back to London late that night.

Although a little rushed, it was a nice weekend getaway; challenging moments and all!

Plus, it’s not travelling without getting a little lost in the clouds...

weekend in wales, part I

I was determined not to too caught up in London scene (like a lot of people do) and I wanted to see as much of the UK as possible. Wales appealed to me as a little outdoor exploring getaway. Also, an old friend of mine, Chris (who was my old Boss from the restaurant scene in Perth) moved over there a few years ago with his Welsh wife, Nadine. They opened a little pub in Pembrokshire and I had to go visit! Another ‘whale’ friend lived up in Anglesea in the North too so Joel and I did a little coastal road trip through Wales over a long weekend stopping at  Cardiff, Little Haven, Snowdonia National Park and Anglesea.

We hopped on a late train to Cardiff on Friday night after work and stayed in a cheap hotel.  There was an extremely overactive EXIT sign that sounded like a swarm of killer wasps boarding a jet rocket about to take off to the moon. We ended up moving rooms. One of our better choices.



The next day we picked up a hire car and drove straight to Little Haven, which is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a gorgeous little coastal town situated in a small bay in the south-west of Wales with a population of about 50 people serviced by no less than two pubs. 

Chris and Nadine were exactly as I remember. It was probably a good six years since I’d seen them but they hadn’t changed, both are warm and welcoming and could talk your ear off about anything. The Castle Inn is situated overlooking the bay of Little Haven. It is an old heritage pub with an excellent selection of beers, hearty seasonal food and a great outdoor patio. Chris and Nadine live upstairs with their two young daughters and are loving it. We had a beautiful pub lunch and a few Guinness and chatted about travelling and things going on (or not going on) in Perth.

The great thing about this area of Wales is that they now have hiking trail along the coast called the Wales Coast Path. You don’t even need to be an experienced hiker as there are short stretches for quick walks as well as longer challenging hikes.  Joel and I went for a walk along a section of this path. It was cold and windy but crisp; the trail took us through lush green fields atop of coastal cliffs overlooking the blue ocean, dotted with shrubs boasting vibrant yellow flowers. It was absolutely stunning.

We hopped in the car and made our way towards Snowdon Mountain, but ended up stopping at a town called Fishguard to set up camp for the night.

 

local music scene > phonoma

While I lived in London, I worked at a bar in Soho, and a couple of my Irish work mates were in a band called Phonoma. It was always a competition to see who could get the night off first to go see them!

Joel and I went to see the band in full swing at Plan B in Brixton one evening and they were fantastic live. You could almost describe their sound as folk-electronic, with rock roots and melodic vocals. Another work mate, photographer Ivo Pauls always works hard to capture Phonoma in action and has made some fantastic videos (see below).

Some of the band members played a few weeks later at a Jam Session at the Hideaway. It was a classic BBQ afternoon in a London beer garden with a few guitars and good company, which turned into an electronic show downstairs later in the evening. Brilliant night!

Lazy Summer Jam Session by Chasing Thunder from Ivo Pauls on Vimeo.

soho date circuit

Soho is what I had always dreamt, and so much more. It's probably the most true to original London of all areas and it’s managed to keep its integrity despite the Oxford street madness around the corner. It's grungy, edgy and trendy all at the same time. A long established entertainment district famous for is sex-shops, film industry and night-life. You can get your hands on anything your heart desires whether it’s a world class cocktail in a secret lounge bar, delicious food from the newest upcoming place or a spot of class a’s in a dingy alley (although I wouldn't recommend it). 

The Soho Date Circuit (I stole the name off a friend who took me on his) is a list of my favourite Soho secrets that aren't so secret. It has been chopped and changed and added to and takes it form mostly because I worked around the corner. Soho was my backyard and I would spend hours wandering around during my breaks exploring what the streets had to offer.  A fine example of its quirkiness; I found an awesome little window in 'stripper alley' that served the best 2 pound tom yum soup. I went there at least 5 times, the guy recognised me as I walked to work and then, it suddenly disappeared. The streets are full of vintage shops, independent retailers, record stores, theatre and cinema, little cafes and daily markets that do fantastic lunch time street food. Plus is the gay centre of London, which isn't surprising considering the funky, hip vibe that Soho oozes with, that heteros surely couldn't pull off. 




During the night is when it morphs into different beast. Party goers frolic in funky underground bars and businessmen (and women) come out to play, in search a little something after work to take the edge off that will surely slow their productivity the next day. Soho is a place where you are guaranteed to have a good night, and you would be shunned upon if you didn't consider stopping off at the strippers on the way home. 

So take a date or take a mate. Just don't take your grandma, it is Soho after all.

The best area to wander is within an imaginary triangle between Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus and Tottenham court tube stations. Try walking down Berwick Street as a starting point but also walk down Wardour Street, Dean Street, Poland Street, Kingley Street, Soho Square and Shaftsbury Avenue.

• Cafes - Flat white, Foxtrot and Ginger and Yumcha all along Berwick St
• Healthy organic bites - try Beatroot for fresh vegetarian and Vitao for an amazing vegan buffet style lunch
• Gourmet Burger Kitchen - you could almost find it in every london suburb, GBK is one of the only 'chain' restaurants I'd support coz its pure deliciousness. Its a little pricey but amazing and make sure you get a milkshake! Its made from real chocolate. Just don't admit it's a kiwi joint; do what we do best and claim its Australian
• Shopping – beyond retro and absolute vintage shops (for other shops read timeout article)
• Busaba - CALAMARI. Get it or get out! It's the f*cking bomb-digitty and everyone in London ould agree. Busaba is the type of place where you share a big table with a bunch of strangers but in no way can you hear their conversation. It's great to go with friends, especially when you're a bit boozed. Inexpensive meals that are well above average. Do it.
• Theatre and Cinema - soho is full of it
• Record shops – sister ray and bm soho
• Feel - a top London hairdresser in the heart of Soho. Seriously one of the best I've been to, ask for Stellios, he's the man!
• Soho House - apparently quite famous although I was naive at the time I went. This place isn't cheap though and it's kind of a private members' club
• Two bars right next to each other on Frith Street; Ceviche (a peruvian kitchen/pisco bar) and the Arts Theatre Club (a cozy underground bar that also does great cocktails)
• Experimental Cocktail Club – classic 'speakeasy' in the middle of china town, good luck finding it and go well dressed, with a ‘I’ve been here before’ attitude is all I can say
• The Toucan – near soho square, this place serves THE best Guinness in London without a doubt. Even the Irish think so!
• La Bodega Negra – think of a normal Mexican restaurant with a grungy underground version below it. Don’t go asking the main resuatnt where the entrance is either , they’ll pretend they don’t know what you’re talking about. Its around the corner from Singing in the Rain, through what seems like a peep show/sex shop. It's a way to keep to the geeks out I guess
• LAB bar – arguably the best cocktails in Soho (try the Solero cocktail) 
• for more bars read BarChick's article Soho Safari

do london like a local

The experience you have in London depends on how long you have there and what time of the year/week it is, but there truly is something for everyone. I always try to keep away from lists but sometimes they're just so damn good, you can't help but share. So here's how to do London like a local. Pick and choose, or do 'em all, you won't be disappointed! note: in no partiular order

Abbey Road – any Beatles fan would appreciate a good re-enactment and best of all, it’s free. Be careful of traffic though because it’s still an operating road. Mai and I took the different coloured suits and did a photo shoot. Pretty fun! Be sure to write on the wall at the Abbey Road Studio

Brick Lane - salivate over the infamous curries, banksie street art and the funky vintage stores, Brick Lane is a London must-see. check out the website, there's bound to be an event

The Borough Market (Fri/Sat) – one of the oldest food markets in London, it’s a foodies heaven. Visiting with n empty stomach is a must and do try the haloumi burgers and the salted beef rolls.

The Portebello Road Market (Fri) - full of little souvenirs and trinkets, Portebello Road is classic London.  

The Camden Stables Markets (daily but best on weekends) - a bit more eddy/hippy with great local handmade stuff. Camden is a great place to wander around and is famous for it's music. 

Camden Canal ride - I never go thte chance to do this but if the weather is good, apparently this is a really nice outing for under 10 quid!

Soho - this is seriously London at it's best! Vintage shops, cafes, records stores, funky desinger shops, street food, you name it. Just wander around during the day or bar hop at night. Read the Soho date circuit for more tips or check out Timeout's Soho Area Guide

Picnic in summer – I didn't get a chance to do it myself but told it is a must on a warm summers day! Hit Primrose Hill or Regents Park with a bunch of friends 

House party in winter - Space in London is pretty hard to come by, but house parties are a fantastic way to save money and stay out of the cold

Go to a Theatre show - look at last minute tickets online for the best deals, or you can just rock up and ask for the cheapest tickets

Oxford Street shopping – maybe more for the girls, Oxford Street is a shoppers heaven of high-street fashion but be warned; it’s always packed and as always, watch your bag.

Take a stroll down Carnaby Street – One of London's most iconic shopping streets full of independent boutiques, global fashion brands and restaurants. I’m told there’s a great burger place and coffee shop here too.

Museums – are free! ‘nuf said (Timeout article: Free Museums in London) 

Tate Modern - London art gallery housing the UK's collection of modern and contemporary art

Park it up - head to one of the many royal parks (try Richmond park or Hyde park),  go for a run, ride or a wander. These parks are huge! Also if you fancy spotting deer, check out Richmond park.

Piccadilly Circus-  it’s always packed but go by night, even if it’s just to take a photo of a red bus passing those beautiful buildings  

Monopoly Pub Crawl - a DIY pub crawl stopping off at every street on the monopoly board. You can find all the locations online

Ain't Nothin' But – an awesome little blues bar in Soho. Go any night of the week and they'll surely have some live music on. They also sell coopers pale ale stubbies…

Find a gig – London is full of music, there’s bound to be something on while our in town. Check out Songkick and also my other article, london live

Southbank – stroll along Southbank either by day or night, most of London's icons are here (St. Pauls, Big Ben, London Bridge, the London Eye etc). Be sure to stop at the Founders Arms for a pint looking across the Thames at St Pauls.

Fulham and Chelsea – get on the tube to Fulham Broadway, it’s a great neighbourhood (it's where I lived). Check out Manuka Kitchen (an excellent little cafe specialising in brunch) and all the charity shops along Fulham Road, where the rich people donate hardly worn designer clothes.

The Cafe scene - London's cafe scene is definitely up-and-coming (thanks to good ol' Aussies and Kiwis bring over the culture). A few years ago you had to settle for Starbucks and Costa Coffee, but now the independent 'third wave' coffee culture has exploded. You can read about my fvourite cafes here

Sunset chasing - one of my favourite things to do, anywhere, any time (when the sun goes down). Head to one of London's many rooftop bars (weather permitting obviously) and watch the sunset over the city

West End Lane in west hampstead – the upper part of west end lane is great fr charity shops and little bars/cafes

Notting Hill - where the famous Notting Hill Carnival is held, there are lots of funky places for a good night out, just walk around. Oh, and I guess if you're a Hugh Grant fan you could go to the blue door featured in the film

Special occasion dinner (for the 'flashpacker') – try one of the Michelin Star restaurants. I’ve been recommended the Ledbury, but book way in advance

Breweries - Like beer? Believe it or not, London has some great local boutique brews (list of breweries). But do try Brewdog Brewery (one near Shorditch and Camden), which isn't on the list....and I think its Scottish but myeh, it's good!

Electric cinema – Australia’s version Gold Class but ‘em, a little classier. I’d suggest going a little earlier and dining at the Electric  Diner. Try the Scottish Stout is on par with Guinness and has a lovely choclately flavour 

Plastic People -   If you'd prefer small independent clubs over the super clubs sprawling with drunk teenagers, this is right up your alley. PP is is a tiny basement club in the heart of east London's Shoreditch. With world famous sound system (all the walls are made up of giant speakers) and dim lighting, you'll surely have a great night with heavy bass oriented tunes pumping through your body. 

Bars and nightlife - There are SOOOO many good places in London, and it really does depend on the area. I wouldn't do it justice trying to list them. Good job someone else has done all the hard work....If you have an apple device, download the BarChick app. London is the most extensively covered city on this app, so do what I did and work your way through the list. Flick to the map page and see what’s near you, in most cases there’ll be something around the corner! You can also read about my favourites in soho or for live music