Home "Suite" Home

Our Scottish home!  Here is where we have lived for almost a month now, come on along for the tour.

Flat 1. 18 Park Circus Glasgow G3 6BE.  Front door is in front of the white car.

Front door - I think there are 6 apartments in here.

Entry Way ceiling

Entry way that is shared and not this clean!  It is full of LIFE - including bikes, prams, mail and packages.

The living room is huge with at least 18 foot ceilings

Jackson's bedroom.  Up a floor from the kitchen

Master bedroom - down a floor from the kitchen.  In the basement.  All bedrooms are en-suite, meaning they all have their own bathroom.  There are 3 bedrooms in total here.

The kitchen is massive.  Same tall ceilings and the water dispensing fridge, which is our favorite part.

This is the kitchen looking back to the living room.

Private garden shared by the building, but nobody goes in here, I've weeded it once.

Kitty:   When we arrived in Glasgow, I was really keen to get to the house.  It was beautiful in the pictures, but that is all we had to go on. One of the places that I saw in March when I visited, was the one we really wanted.  It was .3 miles from Levi's school, had 4 bedrooms and it seemed like the perfect fit.  We filled out the application, had a Glaswegian friend call them to vouch for us, and we got excited about our move.  After filling out the application and waiting about 4 days, we were summarily turned down.  WTH?!?!

(and that was just the beginning, I was starting to realize how the rental properties in Glasgow really work.  I had a LOT to learn)

I was completely shocked!  I even offered to pay 6 months of rent in advance in a 'hail mary' email to the letting agency, but it did not even garner a reply.  After my initial hurt, confusion and sadness set in... I started to panic.  I soon realized that finding an apartment is a tough and competitive market, especially for non student, 3-4 bedroom accommodation.  

What I started to realize is that the rules here are HUGELY in favor of the renter.  The biggest one being that you don't have to sign a year lease.  You can, at any time, leave the property with 28 days written notice.  WOW - I'd hate that if I were the landlord.  But the laws go on and on in favor of the renter.  Great for us, but it means that the landlord is really picky on who they rent too.  And since the market had been shut down for so long and there was a plethora of people bidding on these places, it meant that we were up against some stiff competition.  Not to mention that I don't have renter references from anywhere in Scotland, a Scottish bank account or even a big corporation behind me.  This was going to be work, but thankfully, I like a challenge.  Even if it does keep me up at night!

Offers of tenancy are what you need to proceed, and flat after flat, we weren't getting any.  That's when my Tony Robbins friends stepped in and made it happen.  I love having such an awesome network around the globe.  Without their help, there is no way we would have gotten an apartment to start out.  

Park Circus was an airbnb that was being converted into a rental (since nobody is traveling), so we scooped it up, ever so quickly and hoped we would like it upon arrival.  I mean why wouldn't we, as the pictures are lovely!!?! 

Jackson: Our house is located on a big hill beside Kevlingrove park. The park is quite large and has a skatepark and other cool statues in it. Whenever I go on a run I run through the park and around the skatepark. Inside, we have a large living room and kitchen. My room is located on the second floor. Levi originally said that he wanted that room but when he saw that it was smaller than the other room he decided he wanted the bigger room. We also have a park across the street from our house that is gated but its nice and quiet inside. (when you jump the fence).

The garden is opened with a key, similar to 44 Fitz in Dublin.  Yet, the gates are low (very different from Dublin), so it isn't too hard to get in if you really want too.

The door to our house.

It doesn't seem very highly used, but every once in a while people (who have keys) with their dogs are in there.

 Levi:  We also have a door on the lower floor or the house that leads into a back sitting area outside with a table and four chairs. The house is really cold though and I don't think the heating works exactly as it should. We have a lot of blankets though so it's all good.  (side note - the room he turned down and gave to Jackson is the warmest in the house!)

So there it is, our home in Glasgow.  Stay tuned....because we've given our 28 days notice....

kitty crocker's cooking korner

Yup, that's me - Kitty Crocker.  And if you want to know the background story to that moniker, then just ask Oma, Ruth Ann &/or Pennie!  (my Verlinden BFF Beth will know too). It's a good one.....if you want a laugh at my expense!

Thanks for all of the recipes friends!  I am loving this huge kitchen and putting it to good use.  I started with the Mahi Mahi recipe from Cindy Brannan and it is a winner!  Cindy, the salsa is FABULOUS and because we eat salsa like it's going out of style, it was not to much.  I did marinate the fish overnight, but I couldn't find Mahi Mahi, so I used cod and I don't even know what else.  It worked and still tasted great.  I also cooked rice for the first time EVER!  I swear I am in Cooking 101 here and if it weren't for Google and Oma, I'd certainly fail.  Right now I'm giving myself a solid C+, but remember, I'm up for the challenge and I like to get A's.   

Jackson has been an excellent sous chef, because it seems like all you do is chop for hours!  This one I even started with corn on the cob, and squeezed 1/4 cup of lime juice (that is A LOT of limes, lesson learned).  In the end it was all worth it as Jackson and Levi both liked it and joined the clean plate club.  Cindy for the win!!!  

Next up is white chicken chili - recipe from Paul Stabile!  I can't wait.  

Until then, keep your dishes clean and your pots boiling,

ciao

KC