Two Weeks of Fun! | #troon #lochlomond

I have had a wonderful two weeks here in Glasgow. Here are some highlights!

HORSEBACK RIDING  |  STEPPS

A family from Poland took me horseback riding in Stepps (a small town north of Glasgow) last week. I rode "Dude", a retired cart horse. He enjoyed walking backwards and snack breaks. It was great, but next time I'm bringing appropriate shoes...

"Dude"

TROON

I had an enjoyable day visiting friends in Troon (about 30 minutes south of Glasgow) for the afternoon and evening. With only 12,000 residents, Troon reminded me of a New England seaside town. It has a beautiful beach, sheltered by nearby islands. On a really clear day, you can actually see Ireland from the shore.

Troon Beach, looking toward Ailsa Craig and Arran

Troon ScotRail Station at night

GLASGOW ATTRACTIONS

You can get a $10 hamburger at this 1960's-style diner.

Provan's Lordship, Sweets Shop

This past week, I went to the 800-year-old Glasgow Cathedral. This was the first time I had been inside. I also visited the Provan's Lordship across the street. It is the oldest house still standing in Glasgow (built in 1471). Its first residents were in charge of the Cathedral. Now, it's all decked out with antique furniture from different time-periods.

Glasgow Cathedral

Provan's Lordship, Dining Room

LOCH LOMOND

A family from church took me to Loch Lomond today. It is the largest body of water in the UK. We took a boat tour of the loch, then drove around the area, and finished the evening with dinner. It was cold, a little rainy, and absolutely stunning. 

Loch Lomond

Loch Long

Loch Lomond

I am so thankful for the good friends I have made here.

Until next time, God bless!

Zacchari

#jutocogc

Newspapers and Funje | #AngoAmerican

Crown Street

Good morning everyone! I want to share all that has happened the past two weeks here in Glasgow.

Mr. Zach Gale - Jacksonville University

Last week, I attended a black-tie dinner/award ceremony (the Glasgow Business Awards). Throughout the evening, I got to know some of the college staff better. And I am very happy that my JU professor, Dr. Pordeli, prepared me to talk intelligently about the economy, because I got to talk to local businessmen about Jacksonville and its recovery from the 2008 Recession. I also met a cool journalist who works for the Evening Times and two other newspapers. She and I talked about life, school and music for most of the evening - especially music.

And, to finish my experience, I got to try Irn-Bru from a glass bottle. Talk about Scottish culture at its finest!

Sunday Herald - October 5, 2014

Oh, and my picture was in the Sunday Herald, a Scottish newspaper. It was in the Social section. That blew me away. I was on TV and in the newspaper, in the same week! The other two gentlemen in the picture are City of Glasgow College staff Roy Gardner and Alex Craig.

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Fancy a game?

Another cool thing happened on Monday. I took my first swings at a golf ball at Clydebank Golf Course in the West End. A local fish-and-chips shop owner, John, took me in the afternoon. I am so grateful to him; it was fantastic! We caught some rain when we first got there, but the skies cleared after about twenty minutes. With his instruction, I made it through all eighteen holes with some great strokes.


I ended up staying for dinner at John's house. Born and raised in Italy, he knew how to make great spaghetti and expresso. His family was very kind, and we enjoyed conversation throughout the evening.

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Since I still have a lot of free time, I can wander the city almost whenever I want. The Web Lounge is still one of my favorite places, though. Today, I had the best milkshake ever in my life, Kinder Bueno (shoutout to Sadia!). So thick and creamy...absolutely delicious.

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Two weeks ago, I found an amazing bistro in my college. An acquaintance of mine from Barbados pointed it out to me. The chef students make meals in a little cafe as part of their coursework, and they call it "The Bistro." I promise, nowhere else in the city can you find so much good food for 2.95 pounds. 

The meal in the picture below, from the Bistro, was delicious (crab and salad). One of the lecturers, supervising the students, helped me choose out the best lunch on the menu that day. "Have you heard of dressed crab? ...Give him a lot of beet salad, it's really good!"

I have eaten there almost every afternoon this past week. My meals have included a Scotch Egg (boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat and fried in a crispy shell - I'll take two please), and the best macaroni and cheese I've ever tasted.

Dressed Crab, Salad, and Beet Salad

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I also got to go horseback riding with a Polish family I have befriended. After the morning ride near Stepps (just outside the city), we went to their house and mother told me about Warsaw. I even got to do a random photoshoot with the youngest daughter that afternoon inside a Burger King!

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This past Saturday, I tried funje. I think you need a little boldness to put something pronounced "foon-gee" in your mouth. Some friends of mine were hanging out in their flat, and I saw them as I was walking. The four of them are from Angola, in Africa. They saw me and invited me up. We talked about their country, my country, food and music, life and God. I can still hear them rapping in Portuguese!

Angolan Beef Stew and...Funje

I was surprised, but happy, when they asked me to stay and eat dinner. It was Angolan fish stew and....funje. 

Now, what on earth is funje? I was thinking the same thing. Turns out it is cassava flour and water, heated and beaten together. The flavor and texture are somewhere between mashed potatoes, cornbread and tofu. 

Yes, it sounds weird. And yes, I love it!

Though funje is an Angolan staple, very few people outside their culture even know what it is. So, I am pretty confident we made the first AngoAmerican funje on Thursday. And, as I stood there, holding the bag of cassava flour, my friend randomly started laughing. He said, "I will never forget this day - the day an American helped me make funje!" It was definitely one of the highlights of my trip.


It is truly amazing to me how many experiences I have had on this trip.

Until next time,

God bless!
Zacchari Gale

#jutocogc

I Was on TV! | #stvglasgow

Yes, you read the name of this blog entry right. I was interviewed for STV Glasgow's The Riverside Show yesterday! How cool is that?

I was exploring the north part of the city and came to Sighthill Park, which is a slightly-rundown forest and field area. The park was effectively founded in 1979 when a stone monument, almost like a mini-Stonehenge, was built on top of a hill. The monument is an astronomically-aligned stone calendar, with the stones aligned to solstices, sunrises and sunsets, etc. Really, really neat stuff!

Photo Credit (c) Linda Lunan

Back to yesterday. Wandering through the  overgrown monument, three people approached. I thought they were just tourists. Much to my surprise, one was Duncan Lunan, the man who designed the monument! Next was his amazing wife, Linda. And last was Ian, a field cameraman from STV Glasgow. They all came at the exact time I did, to film the monument and record its history. It will soon be either relocated or destroyed (hopefully the first), when the city repurposes the park into new housing.

After talking with Linda and Duncan for a while, Ian asked if I could answer some questions, to give a "tourist perspective," as he called it. I said of course! That's how I ended up on STV Glasgow's The Riverside Show.

Duncan and Linda graciously asked me to join them for drinks and lunch afterwards, which I was more than happy to do (they are amazing people). I was also told I was welcome to attend the live broadcast that evening, when Duncan would be interviewed on the show. I said yes to that as well!

After a delicious meal and relaxing time at Bon Accord, a reputed pub and restaurant in the West End, I went with Duncan and Linda to STV Glasgow's beautiful headquarters on the River Clyde. There, with some tea and cookies, I enjoyed watching my television premier on The Riverside Show! I also had an opportunity to meet two local businessmen, who were waiting to go on the show as well.

I hope to visit Duncan and Linda soon - I owe them a round of drinks! What a wonderful day!

Here is the video from STV Glasgow. Duncan does an amazing job in the video, so be sure to watch the whole thing!

So until next time, my awesome friends and family,

God bless!

Zacchari Gale

P.S.  Check out Duncan Lunan!

http://www.duncanlunan.com/

#jutocogc

#stvglasgow

#riversideshow