Out West

Friday we loaded the National Express from Victoria to Penzance, yes as in the pirates of, and rode out west. After five hours of reading guide books we were ready. Got off at Plymouth and found out way to National car rental. While waiting for our car to be freed up chatted with a man who used to work in the famous tin mines in Cornwall. After they were flooded he opted out of mining. "The people were good, the pay was unbelievable, and it was relatively safe- lost a few- but they were well compensated." Then to our dismay we were upgraded. Already nervous about driving around the windy roads and roundabouts but in a brand new Mercedes? Uhhhh. Guess we should be grateful, probably made 100 GBP.  Went to a pub and searched out the cheapest local room price on lastminute.com. Tried out a couple other B&Bs, just to check out prices. They were all empty and desperate, but couldn't match our 38GBP double on lastminute, decided this would be our tactic for the rest of the trip. Unless we do end up sleeping in the car, luckily the rumors of snow and success in finding cheap rooms has kept us in the warm. Headed out to 'The Hoe' to find where the Mayflower set sail to the states in 1620. Not as magical as you would have thought, an arch and a plaque. There were many other plaques dedicated to other ships that were launched from the same harbor, notably a ship in 1584 that landed in Virginia, and named & claimed it for the Queen. Who knew?

Polished off fresh fish and chips and headed to a pub for some local Tribute brew. 

The next morning we got our stomachs churning to a nice "full English" (toast, baked beans, sausage, bacon, egg, and cooked mushrooms). Perused the bowling green where Francis Drake outwitted the Spanish Armada. Then hopped in the Mercedes and took a ferry on chains across the harbor and up to the Eden project. Mediterranean and Rainforest biomes, not a major highlight. Back on the road to Lizard, the southern most point of England. Here many lifeboats were sent out to save people in peril. Also where pirates would lure boats onto the rocks and rob them blind. Rounded the peninsula up to St Ives. A beachy/surfing town full of artists and a Tate outpost. Really neat old city but fairly crowded. Gobbled up some local fudge and wandered around eyeing the vacation houses on the market- due to the downturn. Decided to go for it and pushed up past the surfing town of Nuke to Padstow. Found a 40GBP place on a surfing beach and went to get a nice fish dinner in Padstow. When I mean nice I mean Chef Rick Stein style. Delicious fish and beautiful restaurant at The Seafood Restaurant. I 'm surprised they let two scrubs like us in but money is money. Chargrilled Seabass in Tomato Vanilla vinaigrette- delicious. Looking forward to checking out the waves tomorrow and testing out these 'Cornish pasties' tomorrow ending up the day in Bristol- hope we make it!! 

An Ol' Fashioned Road Trip

Tomorrow morning we are setting off. Only the road in front of us and about 2 GBP to our names. We've decided to go on a road trip. The goal is to see as much of the UK as possible in a little over a week while staying with friends and generally having a good time. 

There are a couple of things that concern me:

1.) I don't really know how to drive in the UK, and my husband cannot drive at all.

2.) Sleeping in the back of the car, especially because its winter.

3.) The questionable map reading skills of my husband.

4.) We didn't get in touch with friends until yesterday- so we are hoping they will be around- mainly so we wont have to sleep in the car.

Here is our general plan.

Friday 1/30: Take a bus to Plymouth, and pick up the 'Vauxhall Astra'.

Sat 1/31: Drive around Cornwall, and stay with friends in Crewkerne.

Sun 2/1: See Bath and stay in Bristol wit h friends.

Mon 2/2: Driving in Whales

Tues 2/3: Make it through Liverpool to Preston, stay with friends.

Weds 2/4: See the Lake District

Thurs 2/5: See the Yorkshire Moors

Friday 2/6: Driving in Southern Yorkshire

Sat 2/7: Arrive York and stay with friends.

Sun 2/8: Take the bus from York to London

I'm hoping to take you all along for the ride. So sit tight and I should be posting some pretty pictures. (I hope!!) 

Drive by 'Crisp List' #1

I really like potato chips. It was always a treat for us to get the Cape Cod kind when we were teens- delicious.  Salt and Vinegar yes! Cajun, allllright! How many flavors do you need in one chip- I mean what do you have against dips. Obviously you haven't tried the plain chip and onion dip combo. I've been pitching to Subway for years. Contact my sister, she'll probably send you a sympathy chip n' dip kit

. 

When I first 'moved here' last September I have been haphazardly starting 'crisp lists'. Today I was armed and ready (with my intern gear- oh I didn't tell you- I'm currently an economic downturn IN-tern) so I got it all down...

THE CRISP -flavor-LIST #1:

'Prawn Cocktail'

'Tangy Cheese'

'Lightly Salted'

'Ready Salted' -- must be slang

'Cheese and Onion'

'Salt and Malt Vinegar'

'Smoky Bacon'

'Flame Grilled Steak'

'Thai Sweet Chili'

Usually the list goes on, but as this was a mini mart Tesco I was slightly disappointed.

UNTIL.... I found that Walkers (a UK chip co.) had a flavor-off. This was EXACTLY what I was looking for. Buy one and vote online for your favorite. And the contestants are.......

'Fish and Chips'

'Crispy Duck and Hoisin'

'Chili and Chocolate'

'Cajun Squirrel'

'Onion Bhaji'

'Builders Breakfast'

We personally tried the 'Squirrel' and the 'Bldrs. Breakfast', guess which won. "You. can really taste the eggs." Was a comment I remeber hearing and I have to admit, it was true.  Here are some pictures- and if you really don't believe me go to Walkers website ( and vote for the Bldrs. Breakfast).

www.walkers-eathappy.co.uk

Gie her a haggis!

Happy 250th birthday Robbie Burns! It took me a while but I finally got up enough strength to try haggis. I think it was the reciting of the 'Address to a Haggis' at the pub the other night. Taught to me by a tried and true Scot, named Scott. I've been told you really only need to know the first verse.

 Fair fa your honest, sonsie (cheeky) face,

Great chieftan o' the puddin-race!

Aboon (above) them a' ye tak your place,

Painch (stomach) tripe, or thairm (intestine):

Weel are ye wordy o' a grace

As lang's my arm.

Went to Selfridges to get a haggis of our very own (it was recommended that we go there, I am not obsessed) and threw it in the oven for 2 1/2 hours as directed. We marched it to the table- no bagpipers- but alas it had popped open in the oven. The address seemed a little weak after that. It was delicious with 'tatties'/mashed potatoes  and well we substituted the 'neeps' /turnips for broccoli (probably a big no-no) and washed it down with nothing other than Scotch whiskey. Next year I might get some bagpipe music. My mother in law did decorate the table with a little tartan- as you may see in the photos. Now I just have to find a recipe for leftover haggis... hmm sandwiches?

Department Stores

I do like the department stores in London a lot. Selfridges, Libertys, John Lewis, Harvey Nichols, Harrods. They are one stop shopping at its best- wasn't that the point of a department store in the first place? You can get anything from an egg to a sofa. I don't know when or why the US and UK department stores became such distant cousins. Went to Selfridges today . Lock me in and throw away the key. I'd have everything I'd ever need forever.

In the US now that most of our local homegrown departments stores have died out- the Daytons, Marshall Fields, Wanamakers, ect. The ones that are left have taken a 'vanilla' Target or Walmart like feeling. Stores like Macys, Bloomingdales, Neimans, Saks, Lord and Taylor, JcPenny, Nordstroms, Sears, that are left all kind of blur into each other. Regardless of their price points department stores in the states just don't feel special anymore. Even the one-offs the Barneys, Fred Segal, Henri Bendel's have lost their luster. 

Here in London each store seems to have its own speciality. Selfridges & Co. for cool items/brands and a fab food hall. Libertys for its printed fabrics and  haberdashery and up and coming fashion labels. John Lewis for reliability, Harvey Nichols for expensive things, Harrods for brand name bags and touristy items (kind of like Macys or Bloomingdales I guess).  I would love it if a department store in the states had Music, Books, Key cutting, Wines/Spirits/Cigars, Confectionery, Foodhall/Grocery store, Stationary, Alterations, Hats (this is really British), Salon, Optician and Pharmacy departments in addition to the regular Mens and Woman's Fashion, Jewelry, Beauty, Home, ect. as Selfridges does. For some reason having it all under one roof really elevates the store into a brand- that people trust and keep going back to- not to mention the convenience... 

(more about dept. stores at this website http://history.sandiego.edu/GEN/soc/shoppingcenter4.html )