Since we've been camping, our culinary adventures have been somewhat limited to cold sandwiches, Beanie Weanies, and what we can heat up over a disposable BBQ or camp stove. We have managed to hit a couple of pubs on the way and sampled a couple of the local delicacies. Tim was brave and had haggis with neeps and tatties one night. We still are not sure what exactly was on the plate, but he said it was quite good. I had fish 'n' chips with mushy peas. Around here you can not get fish 'n' chips without mushy peas, but they're not half bad. Imagine very thick, cold pea soup, and that's close to mushy peas.
Our favorite food so far has been the curry. It's warm, it's spicy, and there is always a ton of it. After a week of cold sandwiches, we can always go for a round of curry. Looking forward to eating much more curry in London.
Showing posts with label Scotland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scotland. Show all posts
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Camping Through Scotland - Part 3
The weather was awful as we drove around Loch Ness so there were no sightings of Nessie, but we did get some photos of Urquhart Castle. Tim dropped me off at the campsite in Nairn while he went to look for fuel for our stove. It was the first time we set up the new tent and I had no idea what I was in for. A nice gentleman from a couple of pitches down took pity on me and helped me set it up after I struggled with it in the rain for a while. I never would have been able to set it up on my own.
A note on the people in Scotland. I think the people in Scotland are some of the friendliest we've met on our trip so far. Everyone is pleasant and always willing to help us out. Even the lady at the toll booth was nice when we showed up lost, with only Euros, and had no idea what to do. She helped us sort it out and sent us on our way with a smile. When was the last time you had that kind of service at a toll booth?
The weather was still being typically Scottish so we did not get to hike around Nairn. Instead we spent a long day driving south to Scone ( pronounced scoon ), past Balmoral Castle ( one of the Royal families' private residence ), and on to our next campsite. Since we had our spiffy new porch area, we decided to make smores over our camp stove using chocolate covered digestive biscuits and funny colored marshmallows. We got marshmallow all over, but they tasted so good.
On the drive from Scone to Motherwell, we stopped off at Scone Palace where we made quick work of the star maze. Next stop was Doune Castle which was featured in Monty Python's Holy Grail. Of course I had to torment Tim with horribly misquoted one liners from the movie for a while after that. Then on to Tullibardine distillery for another tour and a sampling of whiskey with absolutely no peat influence. It's amazing how many variations there are given everyone starts out with the same three ingredients and follows essentially the same process.
In Motherwell, we stayed with some friends for the night where we were treated with an honest to goodness bed and true Scottish hospitality. Thank you so much Fiona and Robert for everything. We will absolutely return the favor next time you are in Seattle.
We are now in Edinburgh for a couple of nights before heading back out on the road and back into the tent. Once we start camping again, I expect we may be offline for a little while. We are scheduled to arrive in London on June 28 so if you don't hear from me before then, I'll try to get a post up as soon as we arrive.
A note on the people in Scotland. I think the people in Scotland are some of the friendliest we've met on our trip so far. Everyone is pleasant and always willing to help us out. Even the lady at the toll booth was nice when we showed up lost, with only Euros, and had no idea what to do. She helped us sort it out and sent us on our way with a smile. When was the last time you had that kind of service at a toll booth?
The weather was still being typically Scottish so we did not get to hike around Nairn. Instead we spent a long day driving south to Scone ( pronounced scoon ), past Balmoral Castle ( one of the Royal families' private residence ), and on to our next campsite. Since we had our spiffy new porch area, we decided to make smores over our camp stove using chocolate covered digestive biscuits and funny colored marshmallows. We got marshmallow all over, but they tasted so good.
On the drive from Scone to Motherwell, we stopped off at Scone Palace where we made quick work of the star maze. Next stop was Doune Castle which was featured in Monty Python's Holy Grail. Of course I had to torment Tim with horribly misquoted one liners from the movie for a while after that. Then on to Tullibardine distillery for another tour and a sampling of whiskey with absolutely no peat influence. It's amazing how many variations there are given everyone starts out with the same three ingredients and follows essentially the same process.
In Motherwell, we stayed with some friends for the night where we were treated with an honest to goodness bed and true Scottish hospitality. Thank you so much Fiona and Robert for everything. We will absolutely return the favor next time you are in Seattle.
We are now in Edinburgh for a couple of nights before heading back out on the road and back into the tent. Once we start camping again, I expect we may be offline for a little while. We are scheduled to arrive in London on June 28 so if you don't hear from me before then, I'll try to get a post up as soon as we arrive.
Camping Through Scotland - Part 1
We have not had an internet connection for a while so I will post what we have been up to in several parts.
It has been quite an adventure since we landed in the UK The ferry ride from Amsterdam was a bit stormy, but did not bother us too much. Unfortunately, in our rush to leave the ship, we left our jackets in the stateroom. Four hours, one phone call, and one appeal in person later, we recovered Tim's jacket, but my jacket was never "turned in" by the staff. Someone on the DFDS Seaways crew has a a brand new Patagonia rain coat to enjoy. While we were waiting for the ship to get back to us about our jackets, we found an outlet mall nearby so I was able to buy a cheap replacement. With the wind and rain we've encountered lately, I sure do miss my nice coat. Needless to say, the crappy customer service from DFDS did not start us off on the right foot here in the UK.
Our first night, we stayed in South Shields. Our room turned out to be located above a pub and was actually quite cute. More importantly, we discovered Asda next door. It is part of the WalMart family and has become our new best friend. Whenever we need supplies, we look for an Asda.
From South Shields, we drove west and found a 7 mile long hike along Hadrian's Wall. It was our first experience hiking through pastures with sheep right next to us We learned how to follow trail markers through open fields, climb over fences in the approved manner, and not to worry the sheep. The visitor center in Once Brewed has tons of info on the area, Scotland, and the UK in general.
We spent two nights in Glasgow where, as true idiots from the Pacific Northwest, we decided it would be neat to camp our way through Scotland. The weather had been in the upper 50's, raining occasionally, and windy as often as not so why not? We loaded up at Tiso (Scotland's version of REI right down to the ice ax door handles) with the "festival package" camping set and have been augmenting our gear ever since.
It has been quite an adventure since we landed in the UK The ferry ride from Amsterdam was a bit stormy, but did not bother us too much. Unfortunately, in our rush to leave the ship, we left our jackets in the stateroom. Four hours, one phone call, and one appeal in person later, we recovered Tim's jacket, but my jacket was never "turned in" by the staff. Someone on the DFDS Seaways crew has a a brand new Patagonia rain coat to enjoy. While we were waiting for the ship to get back to us about our jackets, we found an outlet mall nearby so I was able to buy a cheap replacement. With the wind and rain we've encountered lately, I sure do miss my nice coat. Needless to say, the crappy customer service from DFDS did not start us off on the right foot here in the UK.
Our first night, we stayed in South Shields. Our room turned out to be located above a pub and was actually quite cute. More importantly, we discovered Asda next door. It is part of the WalMart family and has become our new best friend. Whenever we need supplies, we look for an Asda.
From South Shields, we drove west and found a 7 mile long hike along Hadrian's Wall. It was our first experience hiking through pastures with sheep right next to us We learned how to follow trail markers through open fields, climb over fences in the approved manner, and not to worry the sheep. The visitor center in Once Brewed has tons of info on the area, Scotland, and the UK in general.
We spent two nights in Glasgow where, as true idiots from the Pacific Northwest, we decided it would be neat to camp our way through Scotland. The weather had been in the upper 50's, raining occasionally, and windy as often as not so why not? We loaded up at Tiso (Scotland's version of REI right down to the ice ax door handles) with the "festival package" camping set and have been augmenting our gear ever since.
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