Cocktails & Sleep(the Kindness of Strangers)

UK Road Trip
Glasgow
The Kindness of Strangers
Well here I am folks no need to remind you that I am on a road trip. So today is 18/08/2010 and I have made it through one night safe and sound, thanks to a very friendly couple. But before I get to that lets start from where I last left off, shall we?
When I last left I was in search of a cocktail bar. Anybody who pretends to know me knows about my love for cocktail. In fact if you pretend to know me you should know what I consider the three most important things in life, which are:
A love for food, alcohol and sex.
and while I’m at it I should probably include this about alcohol, I don’t want to be accused of encouraging binge drinking, I have already been accused of that enough in my job. The thing is this when you drink alcohol, no matter how slow or fast your consumption is you are going to get drunk, the whole point of the invention of alcohol was to drink get drunk and be merry. Most people believe that it’s the invention of bread that made nomads settle down into towns and cities because they had to grow the wheat to make the flour etc....
Bullshit what forced people to settle was the invention of alcohol, the fermentation of beet that’s what forced them to settle. But in discovering the fermentation of beer they discovered how to make better bread. Suffices to say alcohol is not a bad thing you just have to enjoy it without abusing of it. Know your limits and don’t push yourself over that limit, you have nothing to prove. That said seeing that you going to get drunk anyway you might as well enjoy the ride, right? So for my love of alcohol it’s mostly cocktails for me.
So I went i9n search of a cocktail bar here in Glasgow, and I heard that Moda is one of the best. If you ever come to Glasgow here is the address:
Moda
58 Virginia Street
Merchant city
Glasgow city centre
G1 1TX
Anyway I went searching for Moda, but when I got there it was closed, it seems that they only open much later in the evening because they are a club as well as a bar. But never fear right next to Moda was a bar that was open called Delmonico, Dels for the regulars.
So Delmonico is a chick young and hip bar catering for a young crowd in their 20s, up to the 30s. The crowd is pretty divers as well, straights, gays, lesbians, and let’s not forget the metros, my favourites loll heheheh. Lots of sofa seats small upper deck with tables and chairs, this place could easily fit 150 people when it gets busy. There is a very nice DJ booth at the back of the bar that kind of makes the DJ the star of the place, I thought that was cool. There were a few TV screens on the wall as well as a massive projector showing pictures of the patrons.
First surprise about the place, how cheap the drinks are; the most expensive cocktail is 3.95 and the most expensive shot is 2.50. Cheapest cocktail 1.95 but that’s for a non-alcoholic drink.
I was surprise to see the French kiss on the menu, and god knows how much protection I gave my recipe, I knew I should have copy write it. Of cause there version of the French kiss has all the wrong ingredients, lol. I guess that’s what happens when you don`t get the original recipe.
I tried 2 cocktails and 1 shot, the forbidden fruit, really come on, with a name like that you know that I am going to try it for god sake. Then I tried the pink passion and finish with a shot called Alice in wonderland. Which by the way I am going to steal. If they can take one of my shots I sure as hell can take one of theirs. Because of the music playing the place reminded me of the G.A.Y bar on old Compton street Soho London, except it was not as lively, but that’s only because I got there really early, I suspect that Delmonico get pretty hot in the night and could rival almost any London bar. In my expert opinions the staff needs a little training in cocktail making but they are friendly and if you have some company with you, then you have all the setting for a good time.
By 7:30pm I left Delmonico’s with a little buzz. Headed off to queen station where I bought a ticket to Stirling, a Scottish town that’s like 30 to 50minuts from Glasgow by train. A gay couple had decided to put me up for the night. They are both from Spain and have been working and living there for ages. Now we all know my love for the Spanish, but I wasn`t about to try anything after all this was a couple and they were kind enough to put me up for a night. Between nodding off and forcing to keep my eyes open because of the alcohol that I had consumed, my trip to Stirling left me dreaming for more adventures. I mean all I could see from the train’s windows was open plains of green fields, farm houses that are miles away from each other. I could have died. My soul ached, I felt the calling for packing my bags and telling the world go fuck itself while I wonder the earth in search for that holy grail of illusion one only finds at the end of a quest realising it was in him all along. I wanted it bad, I felt my body rejuvenating, and I was coming back to life. Come what may adventure straight ahead.
Anyway I got to Stirling and found the guys with some help from the kinds hanging about. A young boy about 10 asked if I was a girl or a boy, I thought it was funny, I told him I like to think that I am a bit of both. And he and the other kids laughed. At the guys place we had long conversation I stayed up talking to them until I finally decided to have a shower. When I came out of the shower I was just in my towel and let’s just say me who was thinking of being on my best behaviour, well they had something else in mind. I`ll just say this, VIVA ESPAGNA. Lol
After all the excitement they left me their bed and they both slept in an air mattress in the front room, I was surprise that they had given up their bed to me, they were so kind, I could have never gotten a bitter sleep. The next day when I work up took the train back to Glasgow. In all I must have spent no more than 60 pounds so far for my stay here in this city and that was for food taxi, train, and cocktails. Next stop Edinburgh. I had planned on going latter in the evening but there is the fringe festival going on right now and that is why I have not found a couch, everyone is booked the hostels are booked or the prices are jacked up. I heard there is a hippie camp not far from the city centre that welcomes people so I think I’ll try to stay there for the next two days before I leave.
So as I leave for Edinburgh I can here old Wendy from the movie hook saying, `so your adventures in wonder land is over boy?` and as peter pan replied to her, `to live...to live is a much greater adventure.`
So saying good bye to Glasgow
This is Luke Jno Charles
See you in Edinburgh.