Category: Food

A case for better weather – 16 March 2016

Posted on by Zogman

P3160679- flickr--76Today we spent our afternoon in Livingston selecting a case sufficiently large for Scamp to pack for our next holiday although it’s not even on the horizon yet, in fact we haven’t even decided for certain where we’re planning to go. That’s forward thinking for you. I did manage to get myself a waistcoat in a sale, so it wasn’t a total loss for me.

The day started with high cloud and although the east seemed to have better weather than the west, contrary to what the forecasters said, the sun never really got through the cloud. When we were on our way home, the cloud just seemed to get thicker and darker and the light got gloomier.

I went out to get basil to make pesto for dinner and there was just a glimmer of golden light appearing between the cloud and the land, so I took a detour from the road home and grabbed a few shots. Saw some geese flying north, another sign that winter is on the way out for another year. Further on, I saw a field full of geese. I’d have stopped to grab a few shots, but I was on a really narrow, almost single lane, road and couldn’t find a passing place. Another day maybe.

That’s about it for this Wednesday.

Last full day in the sun – 11 March 2016

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combo bMaking the most of the last full day. It started with grey skies, but by the time we headed off after breakfast, the sun was breaking through. We were headed again for Corralejo town. Basically it’s north to the town or south to the dunes. East is the Atlantic and there is no road west. We wandered round an open air market and I was thinking about buying a Rolex watch, but I couldn’t decide between it and a Breitling. Both were €35. I decided to think about it. Scamp was taken by a woman’s scam, selling wine bottle openers.  She had a slick pitch, but was no match for Scamp.

So we are now sitting in La Cantante in Corralejo having a mojito after another of their excellent tuna pizzas. On the walk back to the hotel. On the way we passed a wee shop selling souvenirs and I got two shirts for €6. A bargain at twice the price. Ok, they were so thin you could spit peas through them, but bright cheery colours to match my sunny disposition.

When we got back, there was just enough sun left for an hour or so on the sun beds. Then it was back to the room to pack. 🙁

As you can see there were a lot of photos taken today.  To get a better look at them, visit my Flickr page by clicking on the mosaic.

Another day in the sun – 10 March 2016

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combo bToday started like yesterday with a search for a couple of sun beds together. We found them by the pool just outside the flat and that is where we stayed most of the day. The day began earlier with a sensible preparation for the sun. Rather than be caught out like yesterday we got thoroughly covered in sun cream. Then it was off to breakfast before we faced the sun.  The sun was not so constant today which was a blessing really because it was too hot yesterday.

WARNING!  MAY CONTAIN TECHNOSPEAK
After lunch we rested for a while beside the pool and then Scamp decided it was time for a walk. I’d said I wanted to do some painting on the dunes, so we headed up the road to the mini Sahara again. I didn’t get any painting done, but I did confirm my suspicions that this end of the dunes is a nudist beach. Couldn’t settle on a suitable spot for a painting and was getting exasperated with the camera occasionally overexposing. So started off back when I hit on the idea of doing a complete factory reset. I’d just done it when I realised that the over exposure only happened with the old kit lens. I checked it and sure enough, no matter what aperture setting I set on the camera, the lens aperture was stuck wide open. That would explain the overexposure. At least the overexposure in the camera. The overexposure of the blokes in the bushes was another matter entirely. Anyway, the reset seems to have made the E-M10 useable again.

Dinner tonight was in the Spanish restaurant where we had tapas to start with and then I had shoulder of lamb that simply fell of the bone – delicious and Scamp had salmon which apparently was quite good too. Pudding was banana flambé which was good, but with little evidence of any flames. Not like mine at all!

Tonight’s show was billed as Radio Gaga, but announce as We Will Rock You. Actually, it was better than the full length show we went to see in The King’s in Glasgow. The cast were all miming, but that didn’t affect our enjoyment. Sometimes enthusiasm is better than ability.

More pictures of the architect’s house, a desert shot and a cat for Hazy!

Hoodie – 7 March 2016

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combo bToday I gave in and bought a hoodie. It was another cold grey day. We did have an hour of sunshine around midday but that was it. In the morning we walked to the start of the dunes saw a strange (artist’s?) house with lots of icons on the walls. Just begging to be photographed.  Next door was what we think is a nudist hotel. High industrial looking metal walls and a name that hinted at naturism. We must go back and investigate.

Once I’d decided to bite the bullet and go for comfort over fashion, we walked half way into town and had a look in lots of shops, even venturing into Zara!!  Couldn’t find what what I wanted at a sensible price (€85 for a hoodie? I think not). With that in mind we walked back to our local shopping centre and got one there. Not in the shop where the Indian woman asked “You like it. You not going to buy?”  “Eh, naw”. Finally got one. A bit dearer than the Indian one, but from a much more pleasant seller. The squeaky wheel doesn’t always get the grease.  Just been to the Rambutan restaurant for dinner and it was great. Not the best hotel in the world, but the food is exceptional.

Sunday Stroll – 6 March 2016

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combo bToday after breakfast we walked all the way in to Corralejo. It took us some time.  We passed through a shopping arcade where there was an open air craft market and a group singing folk songs.  Further into town I got a cheap, but really comfortable shirt after waiting in a long, long queue. We saw the most amazingly customized bikes, cycles, not motorcycles, covered in shells and goatskin!

We walked down to the harbour and saw painted fish statues, like the cow parade, but fish!  On the walk back we stopped at a bar where we could have danced last night, had we known. Instead we had a pizza, Scamp had a glass of wine and I had a beer while we listened to a jazz guitarist playing Jimi Hendrix covers. Good guitarist, good pizza and the drinks were very welcome because it was starting to get warm.

Back at the hotel we watched a volleyball game in warm sunshine for an hour.

At night we watched the show – Cabaret and then got to dance salsa and bachata in the disco. Knackered now.

Lunch, the highpoint of the day – 4 March 2016

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combo bNot a lot to say about today again.  Lunch was at The Cotton House where I bumped into a former colleague who worked part-time for us for a while, but who retired a couple of years before me.  Lunch was good as usual.  Barbecued spare ribs are great, but very messy to eat!  I would probably have been better with Scamp’s choice of spring rolls.  Both of us had the same main – chicken chow mein.  Simply superb.

After lunch we drove in to Glasgow, to Staples for me to get a bigger SD card for the new camera.  It was a lovely day with great views of the hills on the way back.  Unfortunately I was driving, so I didn’t get the chance to take any photos.

When we got back, I went out to post a parcel to Hazy (Incoming Hazy!) and break in the new card on the way back home.  I had to wait for about 15 mins while a rain shower made its way swiftly across us.  There were some nice sprinkles of sun across the pond at St Mo’s, but a fair amount of cloud too.  Thankfully the rain stayed away.

That about wraps it up for Friday.

Endorphins – 21 February 2016

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combo bbSometimes when we come out of the salsa social on a Sunday, I feel it’s a duty done. Scamp usually wants to go to The Garage to the Sunday Social and I don’t usually mind. Today when we came out, I was buzzing and could have stayed until closing time. Yes, I’d have been knackered and yes I’d have been starving, but I don’t think I’d have minded. Apparently it’s all to do with Endorphins. If you haven’t heard of them, I’m told they are little smiley faces that bubble round your bloodstream and do happy things. You can read all about them on Wikipedia if you aren’t a sciency type like me. What they don’t tell you on the revered Wikipedia is that the little endorphins like dancing, especially salsa dancing and that’s why I was feeling much better coming out of The Garage than I did when I went in.

Made the rest of the pakora when we got home and although the chicken stuff was ok, the veggy pakora was much too thick and stodgy. Version 2 will be better when I get round to making it.

It’s been a dismal day with constant rain. The temperature is supposed to drop considerably over the next couple of days with ice and snow forecast. Much nicer than constant rain.

Stirling in the Rain – 20 February 2016

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combo bStirling in the rain is like anywhere else in the rain, it’s a bit dismal. We’d only come here because we couldn’t face going to Glasgow again, we’d been to Embra yesterday and let’s face it Hamilton, Airdrie and Motherwell are pretty depressing. Not as depressing as Cumbersheugh, but nowhere is really. We couldn’t be bothered going far, but wanted to get out the house for a while and Stirling would be better than anywhere else within the 30 mile limit we’d kind of set.

When we got to Stirling the rain actually stopped for a while. Did some shopping, Scamp got some Euros to celebrate Big Davie Cameron’s Battle for Britain. Nah, she got them for going to a sunny place next week. I’m not going, I’m not invited. This is a girls only do. I’m going to stay home and paint and maybe fix the battery in the Mac Book Pro. I might even go out a run in the car, but not to Stirling and not in the rain.

There was a break in the clouds when we got home and I ventured out to St Mo’s to get some foties. Got soaked on the way back, but that was ok because I had a few shots in the bag. Well, to be pedantic, the photos were on the card, in the camera which was in the bag.

Made chicken and prawn pasta with rocket pesto, and made it better than that tasteless Brown’s concoction. If they want my recipe I’ll sell it to them. Had a first attempt at chicken pakora tonight. It tasted ok, even Scamp agreed. Maybe veggy pakora tomorrow, but deep frying in a wok on a gas hob is a bit scary.

Sit an infinite number of morons at an infinite number of smartphones – 19 February 2016

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combo bThis blog starts with us sitting in a nice wee French restaurant in Embra next to a loud american who must be important – to himself at least. He rambled on about the wonderful food in this, his favourite restaurant. When his companion asked if the French onion soup was served with cheese he replied after a pause “It’s served the way it is in France.” (fancy that eh? In a French restaurant, now that’s a surprise). “I don’t know” would have been more honest, but then again he was american. Our soup, Scamp’s salmon and my pork chop were really excellent, especially after Wednesday’s disappointment at Browns. We will be back to Petit Paris in the Grassmarket.

On the train home we were stuck in a carriage with the six morons and their smartphones from the title. Three of them were discussing the merits of Twi’ur (sic!). One of them was explaining that she had a created the Genyus Bar (sic again! Although most of the carriage were sick by this time.) and emphasized her spelling of it. She then went on to create an on-line personna for one of them who then found that he had two followers. After that, there was no stopping them. They were hashtagging this and re-tweeting that. Then one of them got her jacket down from the rack. She had an EIS badge on it. Educational Institute of Scotland union. Teachers. Loud, opinionated and terminally stupid. I can say that now, I’m not a teacher anymore. I discovered the error of my ways and got out early. When we got off the train I pitied those left behind with the morons away from their lessons.

In between paragraph one and two, we just wandered down the Royal Mile then down The Bridges, through JL and then headed for the train.

Before paragraph one (are you still following me or do you need a map?) we got some tea in a new-to-us shop just off the Grassmarket as my usual tea shop was SHUT. Not closed, but SHUT. A very Scottish expression I always think. Maybe next time he’ll be open and we can discuss the world, its problems and ways to fix it.

Sit an infinite number of morons at an infinite number of smartphones and they will eventually … discover Twi’ur – well what did you expect? The entire works of Shakespeare? Remember, they were teachers.

Only the sphinx with the surprised expression came from today. The abstract was from Tesco carpark in a hailstorm yesterday (other supermarket carparks are available).

Weatherwise it’s such a lovely day – 18 February 2016

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combo bWe’ve had just about everything flung at us today. Woke to a light covering of snow and temperature of 0.6ºc. Soon after that the snow melted and the rain started. No wind thankfully, for a change. Went to the gym and had a quick swim. I went on the VR bike to start with and cycled on Elba. I now know how Napoleon felt. What a place to be stuck on. Every hill seemed to be about 1:4 and it was constant uphill after uphill. I kept wondering if there was a button on the bike that would let me have a 360 degree view, like Google Street View. I’m sure somebody will be burning the midnight oil somewhere inventing it. If not, then they should be! I was totally knackered after that and did some easy treadmill stuff and some arm exercises because my legs felt like jelly. The worst thing is, that was level 1. Heaven knows what level 4 is like. I don’t think I’m ever going to find out.

When we came out it was still raining, but the sun was shining too, a common occurance in Scotland. It’s what we call “Summer”. This wasn’t summer though. The wind would have cut through you. After lunch I made a Thai Green Curry paste and watched the sleet battering against the window. I kept waiting for a break in the weather to let me get out and get some foties, but every time it looked promising, five minutes later something wet was falling from the sky again.

I eventually gave up and went out in the car to Tesco. The black clouds in the west looked ominous but the sun in the east looked promising. By the time I got to Tesco, hail was drumming on the roof of the car. I decided to sit in the warm and the dry and wait it out. I waited and waited and then there was a respite from the hail and I got to the shop nearly dry. When I came out, it was snowing – large fluffy flakes of the stuff and underfoot was treacherous with slush. Drove home and by the time I got back the snow was off and the sun had come out again. Went down to Broadwood Loch and got some photos of the ducks and geese.

Four seasons in one day? Oh no, we get much, much more than that in Scotland.

By the way, the Thai Green Curry was very nice. Needs a bit of tweaking, but then doesn’t everything?