the friday feed: stonehenge with a side of ketchup

Last Saturday, on a very blustery day (compliments of Hurricane Amy) we visited Stonehenge, known as "The Stones" to the locals. The winds weren't as pronounced in the city of Salisbury as they were when we arrived at the historic site. (Tidbit: Salisbury's population is 47, 236, perhaps what you think would make it a town, but it has a cathedral, and that what gives it the city designation). We asked a taxi driver what he would charge to take us to Stonehenge. He proceeded to tell us about the strong winds and intermittent rain, already figured we wouldn't roam around for too long, and worked out a deal to drive us to and from The Stones. Wise man, lucky us. Stonehenge filled us with awe. It was constructed in stages starting in 3000 BC to 1500 BC with some of the stones being transported from Wales, 140 miles away. Stonehenge's purpose is a mystery, but the stones' alignment with the summer and winter solstices suggests it was a ceremonial or religious site. 

After our visit to Stonehenge, our driver took us back to Salisbury, and we had a little over an hour before catching our return train to London. We walked around looking for a place to eat and settled at a fish and chips restaurant. The food, fresh out of the fryer, hit the spot after battling the fierce winds. My son-in-law got ketchup to put on his chips and after squirting a generous blop on his plate, he nudged me and said, "Look at the ingredients in this ketchup. No additives." 

We arrived home from our wonderful holiday on Thursday, 11:00 pm (23:00), tired with bodies trying to figure out what time zone we're in. I couldn't sleep for a while so in the wee hours of the morning, I thought about England's Heinz Ketchup and went to my fridge to look at the American label. The Heinz ketchup sold in Great Britain is generally considered healthier than the American version due to stricter food regulations, resulting in a simpler ingredient list, higher tomato content, and no high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). It's a less processed product. The US relies on HFCS and corn syrup as sweeteners, which are cheaper but highly processed ingredients. The American public is beginning to make noise about the unhealthy additives put in foods which then transfers to our bodies which then can cause all kinds of health issues. It's time to cut out the junk and keep with just the good stuff.

You must be thinking how did she manage to pair these two totally unrelated topics...

Stonehenge to ketchup?

Ancient stones to processed food?

Blame it on jet lag.

monday's mulling: american football and the harvest moon

Along with our 45th wedding anniversary, this was another reason for our European holiday. The Cleveland Browns, my family's favorite football team, and the Minnesota Vikings played an American football game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London. Our daughter joined us for the London portion of our vacation. 

A big glitch before the game...the app crashed. Apparently this was a brand new app and had not been tested properly. Tickets in Apple Wallet did not scan. We got in a long, long, LONG queue to show our ticket confirmation and to get paper tickets but that was an absolute disaster. People were cutting in line, yelling, and fights broke out. Todd went to one of the gates to see if we could get in by showing our confirmation email and was told he needed a bar code or QR code to enter the stadium. After the opening ceremony performances, the singing of the national anthems, and fireworks were over, we got a message that we were able to get into the stadium by going through security and showing the staff our confirmation. Todd had expressed that idea a couple hours before as we were waiting. 

Once we settled into our seats, the Browns scored and the crowd went crazy. As the game progressed we realized that there were more Europeans there than Americans in the stands. Two French lads sat by me and they chanted and cheered the whole game. Four Irishmen sat behind us and told Todd that they come to the US to watch college and NFL football games. Such a fun atmosphere only to watch our team lose in the last 30 seconds. It's going to be a long season...again.

We got back to London around 8:00 pm (20:00) and as we walked to our hotel a beautiful full moon peaked from behind a building. This is the Harvest Moon and it's a supermoon as well. City lights and an iPhone telephone are not the combination to get a good photo. I hope wherever you are, you look to the sky and will be able to see this heavenly sight. So for now, I share this poem with you.

 

The Harvest Moon

The flame-red moon, the harvest moon,

Rolls along the hills, gently bouncing,

A vast balloon,

Till it takes off, and sinks upward

To lie on the bottom of the sky, like a gold doubloon.

The harvest moon has come,

Booming softly through heaven, like a bassoon.

And the earth replies all night, like a deep drum.

So people can't sleep,

So they go out where elms and oak trees keep

A kneeling vigil, in a religious hush.

The harvest moon has come!

And all the moonlit cows and all the sheep

Stare up at her petrified, while she swells

Filling heaven, as if red hot, and sailing

Closer and closer like the end of the world.

Till the gold fields of stiff wheat

Cry `We are ripe, reap us!' and the rivers

Sweat from the melting hills.

~ Ted Hughes

the friday feed: haggis and irn-bru

Haggis - a traditional Scottish savory pudding made from sheep's offal (heart, liver, and lungs), mixed with oatmeal, onions, suet, and spices.

I've heard many stories about haggis, made from offal ingredients but my curiosity got the best of me and on our first night in Edinburgh we tried it. On the menu under the Starters was a Haggis Croquette and I thought why not? It was a small offering so if we didn't like it, there wouldn't be much food waste, and our main courses would be arriving shortly.

The presentation was lovely. It looked like an oversized meatball with fried leeks on top, sitting on a neeps and tatties (turnips and potato) puree. Todd said, "You first." So I did. The texture was chewy, the flavor savory, and the neeps and tatties with its gravy were the best part of this starter dish. We ate most of it and that was it for our haggis adventure.

At the hotel breakfast buffet, haggis and black pudding were placed side by side. My sister has traveled a lot in the UK and told me that black pudding was one of the most inedible foods she has eaten. She's adventurous trying different foods. I took her word for it and passed on that. Didn't want to start my day out with a big yuck factor.

Neeps and tatties served

with this savory, earthy dish.

Scotland’s offal meal.

I had also read about IRN-BRU, a carbonated soft drink, known as "Scotland's other national drink.” The A.G. Barr company created IRN-BRU in 1901 using a secret recipe of 32 flavors. It has a distinctive bright orange color and took me back to my youthful days of drinking red cream soda. I don't drink many carbonated beverages, especially the full sugar ones, but I did enjoy this taste of Scotland.

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

Edinburgh (pronounced "Edinbro"). 

Edinburgh Castle was built on the remains of an extinct volcano. Originally Din Eidyn (the stronghold of Eidyn) became Edinburgh.

A view from the castle walls of Scotland's capital city and there are no skyscrapers to be seen. Edinburgh is a very walkable city, flat and hilly, with so much history on the wall plaques, fountains, monuments, clocks, and statues. Scotland's history is old and ancient compared to the "youthful" United States' history.

A favorite statue in Edinburgh, Greyfriars Bobby. John Gray joined the Edinburgh Police Force as a night watchman in 1850. To keep him company through the winter nights John took a partner, a diminutive Skye Terrier, called Bobby. Together they became a familiar sight on the cobbled streets of the city. The years on the streets appear to have taken their toll on John, as he was treated by the Police Surgeon for tuberculosis. John eventually died of the disease on the 15th February 1858 and was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard. Bobby soon touched the hearts of the local residents when he refused to leave his master’s grave, even in the worst weather conditions. The kind people of Edinburgh took good care of Bobby, but still he remained loyal to his master. For fourteen years the dead man’s faithful dog kept constant watch and guard over the grave until his own death in 1872.

Bobby’s headstone reads “Greyfriars Bobby – died 14th January 1872 – aged 16 years – Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all”.

Tourists believe it is good luck to rub Bobby's nose but the City Council and locals prefer people to avoid touching it as it causes special cleaning and damage to the statue.

Day trip to St. Andrew's. 

Lobster creels looking out to the old pier.

Walking along the old pier to its end and back was a bit unnerving. There are no hand rails to keep people from falling off. If this were in the US, there would be some sort of safety barrier. And to think that there's a tradition where the freshmen at St. Andrew's University wear their red gowns and walk along the pier and harbor walls to mark the beginning of the academic year and foster a sense of community.

The remains of St Andrews Cathedral, which was Scotland’s largest cathedral and most magnificent church, show how impressive it used to be. These ruins are from the 12th century.

The Old Course at St. Andrew's. We were there on Sunday and the course was open for the public to walk on it before a tournament started on Monday. It was a humbling experience to step on the turf of one of the golf world's mecca. I don't play golf but this was cool. See the building on the right, the one with the bleachers in front of it? Last year someone bought an apartment there for $10 million with the expectation of having a personal viewing spot of the golfers playing the 18th hole during the tournaments. Welp...that plan didn't work.

Catching the train from St. Andrews to Edinburgh at Leuchars Station. A faint crescent moon was rising over the village. Sunset and moonrise. What a peaceful sight.

 

edinburgh "ed"venture

After a glitch with Swiss Air - we flew from Zurich to London, missed our flight to Edinburgh, and arrived around dinnertime in Edinburgh. 

Our first full day in Edinburg we grabbed our trusty paper map and headed out on a walking adventure, no plan in mind, just stroll to see things and get a feel for the city. We trekked up the hill to Edinburgh Castle, caught our breath, and found ourselves in the throng of humanity on the Royal Mile. Lots of people, lots of shops, and lots of little nooks and crannies and side streets to escape the crowds. We took a very steep side side street and ended up on a quiet block where there were signs pointing to The Museum on the Mound and on that building was signage for The Bank of Scotland.

Todd saw an official looking elderly gentleman standing at the back door. He came outside and all at once we were chatting about the banks in Scotland. There's The Bank of Scotland, The Royal Bank of Scotland, and Clydesdale Bank, all of which are authorized to issue Scottish bank notes. 

This gentleman wasn't affiliated with the bank. He was there to open the door as people exited from the Museum on the Mound. After the "bank talk," he told us about the museum and encouraged us to walk through to see the history of money and banking and economics in Scotland. Admission is free and we saw coins dating from the 1100s all the way to today's King Charles coins, saw artifacts tracing the history of the Bank of Scotland since its foundation in 1695, and learned about the rise of banks and building societies and the lives of the workers that kept them running. 

Back to the the gentleman with whom we had a 30 minute blether. Gordon is 75 years old and volunteers his time at the museum. He enjoys being around people and giving his time to an organization of his choice. "You have to stay active or you wind up below the dirt." 

the friday feed: cream of mushroom soup

The week before we left for our vacation, it was my goal to use up as much food as possible that was in the refrigerator. For one of the meals, Todd suggested a good ole comfort food, Broccoli Rice Casserole. I have made this casserole since the beginning of time and it really is an oldie but goodie. 

The basic casserole ingredients are rice, cheese, broccoli, milk, and Cream of Mushroom Soup and I usually add more ingredients to make it a more rounded meal. This was a good way to empty the veggie bin of broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, and onions, there was brown rice in the pantry,  and three raw chicken thighs in the fridge that Todd could grill. But...no mushroom soup in the pantry. Ugh. Quick trip to Kroger to get a can of that gloppy goop.

I just wanted to run in, grab a can of soup, and bring it home. It used to be that Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup was right at eye level in the middle of the soup display. Not any more and there are so many variations on the soup: 98% Fat Free, Heart Healthy, 25% Less Sodium, and finally on the bottom shelf, the original stuff. I had to hunt for this. All the different mushroom soups weren't grouped together. Oy. 

My quick trip wasn't as quick as I hoped but the casserole sure did help my goal of not wasting food.

Gray soup in the can,

A mushroom’s creamy spirit

Gives life to casserole.

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In Switzerland we ate a lot of traditional Swiss foods: 

Rösti: a flat, hot cake made of grated, cooked jacket or raw potatoes and fried in hot butter or fat. I love potatoes and ordered rösti a couple times.

Zürcher Geschnetzelte: a veal dish, sometimes also containing veal liver and mushrooms, served with a cream sauce. Todd loves liver and onions and after our server explained this dish to him, it was a done deal. I took a bite and it was quite tasty.

Birchermüesli: a breakfast dish of rolled oats, fruit, nuts, and yogurt or milk. It reminds me of the refrigerator oats I make at home. I love the European breakfasts with their variety of meats and cheeses, vegetables, yogurt, fruit, and breads.

I drank some Swiss white wines and they remind me of German wines. The Swiss wines are high quality but are limited in their international availability. Darn. But when in Switzerland...

Can't forget the bratwursts, Swiss chocolates, and Emmental cheese. Yum, yum, and yum. One good thing about this vacation is that we are walking a lot!

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

Such a beautiful sunset over Dayton, Ohio. It was a busy week with trip preparation and my birthday got pushed to the side. A couple days later Todd said, "We're going out to dinner. Where do you want to go?" It was a lovely fall day and I wanted to find outside dining. The AC Marriott is a new hotel in downtown Dayton and many friends have mentioned their rooftop restaurant so off for a new dining adventure. We caught a beautiful sunset and had a lovely, relaxing meal.

We departed from Cincinnati to JFK, where these travel quotes greeted us before catching our trans-Atlantic flight to London's Heathrow Airport. At Heathrow we scanned our passports electronically and I was disappointed not to get a stamp on my passport.

But Heathrow wasn't the last leg on this trip. On to Zurich, Switzerland, where I got the first stamp in my new passport. I was so exhausted but so excited when I heard the ka-chunk from the passport agent's stamper.

Zurich is a global center for banking and finance, which is right up Todd's alley, it's located at the northern end of Lake Zurich (Zürichsee) which has many lovely parks and a promenade along its edge, and the picturesque lanes of the central Altstadt (Old Town), on either side of the Limmat River, reflect its pre-medieval history.

We walked and walked around Zurich, just exploring and wandering without any plan. It was a good first day to get acclimated after the previous long day of travel. Todd noticed this bar sign. It's his philosophy than any place that has a sign that says "BAR," must be a good place to walk in to have a drink. And it was. Our server, Felipe, was from Portugal, and was absolutely delightful. He asked where we were from and we told him Dayton, Ohio, where the airplane was invented and is known as the Birthplace of Aviation. Felipe enthusiastically proclaimed, "The Wright Brothers!" A bond was instantly forged. He then shared that this establishment, The Old Fashion Bar, is the oldest bar in Zurich and has been in business since 1886. All the woodwork is original and it's ambiance is lovely. It's not a dive bar, like many of the bars we have explored just because of a sign that says "BAR."