Today marks the end of the first week of our travels.
We were met at the airport by Andrew Kevan, Millenium Executive, the man who drove us to the airport on our return to the United States in January 2006. Andrew drove us to Glasgow's West End where we were met by Bill, one the of associate's at Nancy Smillie's shop. Our flat is directly above her wonderful home goods/decorating shop.
The flat is absolutely fabulous. The location is perfect, or "pair-fect" using a touch of the local argot. We are a block from Waitrose, a supermarket, and in the other direction, Marks & Spencer. Think Dean & DeLucca's. We are also a short distance away from Hillhead station on the subway route. The station itself is directly across Byres Road from Oddbins. Oddbins specializes in adult beverages.
Our first day was spent in getting our flat together. Visits to Oddbins, the grocery store, getting the lay of the land. We unpacked our five bags and found a home for all our items. While unpacking I remembered that I had not packed the mic and headphones for our Rosetta Stone French language program.
The Internet provided the location of the nearest Rosetta Stone kiosk, Silverburn Shopping Centre, and young Owen, the computer whiz at Nancy Smillie's shop gave us the public transport directions to get there. When we arrived we discovered that the kiosk had been closed since January. We were then directed to Argos.
Argos is an interesting operation. Limited seasonal items are on display with the vast majority of the inventory behind counters. Using a laminated catalog you select your item, fill out a wee order sheet, stand in a queue to pay, and then wait for the items to be delivered to the counter. We purchased the needed headset and also a coffee pot. The coffee pot, on offers (read "on sale") cost £7.79, about $10.00. Not exactly a Cuisinart but it makes coffee. (Our French press was a bit wobbly, and I admit to not being the best barista when the French press is my only tool.) With success on the retail front, we celebrated with a dinner at Cafe Andaluz, a tapas restaurant across the alley from the flat, and the scene of our best dinner in our previous visit to Glasgow.
On Monday we settled in to do some sightseeing. This required mastering Glasgow's version of the Tube. It was fiercely complicated. Essentially it runs in a circle, with an Inner and Outer route. No matter how bad things get, you'll eventually reach your destination. Painted with autumnal hues reminsicient of the 1960s, the system is dubbed The Clockwork Orange.
During the week, we visited The Glasgow School of Art, the Tenement House, the Willow Tea Room, the Lighthouse Building, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, and in Edinburgh, Gladstone's Land and the Georgian House. With the Royal High Commissioner in residence at Holyrood Castle, we were unable to tour the Royal's home away from home.
Glasgow's favorite son (though he became that only after his death) is Charles Rennie Mackintosh, architect, artisit and designer whose work predates the genius of Frank Lloyd Wright. (While Wright might not have been accused of cheating he was definitely looking over Mackintosh's shoulder for inspiration.)
Our neighborhood boasts a large number of coffee shops. I'd wager that we might have the most concentrated collection in the world. We have Atrium, Beanscene, S'mug, Starbuck's, Tinderbox, Cafe Nero within a stone's throw of the flat. This caffeinated confluence has led me to my quest to find the perfect shortbread. So far the front runner is the wonderful shortbread served in the Willow Tea Room. A close second is that old standby, Walker's.
We also met with our friends, Lucy and Callum, at their home pub, Jellyhill, in Hyndland, a ten minute walk from the flat. We joined them and a group of their friends for a three-hour conversation that included a few jokes, a few stories, and more than a few laughs. Lynn did her best to empty a bottle of merlot, and my evening was a 5 whisky event. Bunnahabhain. I walked home like a soldier.
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2 comments:
what the heck is Bunnahabhain?
from warm in the desert johnson...
Sorry it took so long to get back to you. Have fun in France and try to get to Giverny.
About the shortbread:
My Lass Mary; remember she has roots in Maybole not Doune, says that there are usually four ingredients in the beloved shortbread. Salt, Flour, Sugar, Butter.
Now, there is not much you can do with salt. Maybe a sea or a kosher but pretty much it all does the same thing. God forbid you use an iodized salt. Same for the sugar and flour - subtle differences. Sure there are variations but not much difference. Some use rice flour to add a crumbly and lighter texture, but that might be called “cheating.”
Now about the BUTTER. This is the key to perfection. Seek it out and behold. Seek the best butter fat content you can.
Here in the USofA they seem to add water (or there is too much water content, not enough butter fat content) to the butter. Something to relieve bovine stress, or a marketing plan, or sale by volume ploy is my guess. Remember, it is not the water; it is the fat.
When you get back to Scotland, from your jaunt to France, you should see a lot of butter makers walking around in the tall grass. Mary suggests a nice looking Guernsey. I suggest you get familiar with one or two of the locals and forget about - dump that Monkey on your Shoulders. But you will need Lynn’s permission for all of this. I think these butter makers will be able to direct you to the happiness you seek, much like the Holy Grail which you will find in Doune.
Maybe if the butter makers are willing to share, you might be able to concoct your own perfection and test my theory. I hesitate to mention that Mary uses an Irish butter, but never mind that, please ignore that during this trip.
P.S. She is a little miffed that you even mentioned Walkers; that made to be shipped, hard, and not even in the running, substitute for perfection.
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