The Whistle Stop on Dalry Road

A new cafe just went in where the French baguette sandwich place went out of business on Dalry Road. I run past it on my way to the Dalry Swimming Pool several times a week. It caught my eye initially because the window has a list of "American Foods" available on the menu. What luck! I thought. Finally a place where I can get some real BBQ, maybe TexMex, a great hamburger or a slice of apple pie. What American delicacies would they offer? Imagine my disappointment upon reading:

-Sloppy Joes (one of our lowest culinary moments)
-Hot Dogs (do Americans eat these more than the British?)
-"American Cookies"

American cookies? There was hope yet! I peered into the window to get a closer look of what that might be. Maybe some Mrs Field-esque melty chocolate chip monster cookie cakes? Better yet, would they get creative like this Ruby Snap place I hear of in Salt Lake or those long lost Texas wonders from Tiff's Treats? Oh what dismay filled my heart when I looked in and saw a crinkly bag with a stars and stripe flag (worthy of an Eagle Court of Honor clip-art invitation). Across the bag read "American Cookies".

Not even Oreos? Nor E.L. Fudge? Not even some waxy Mother's Cookies?!

I shouldn't complain. There truly is too many good sweets for me to take in here (thank goodness I have to walk to get everywhere!). Just last night I finally got my chance at the famous "Banoffee Pie".

That's right. Bananas and Toffee! With a substantially thick digestive biscuit crumb crust (a la Millionaire Shortcake). Brilliant really - a revelation to be sure. No, indeed there is no need to mourn the Whistle Stop on Dalry Road. But still, sloppy joes...really?

An Anniversary in Edinburgh...

Yesterday Matt and I celebrated 4 years of marital adventure! We commemorated the day with a feast at the ever-popular "Nando's" on Lothian Rd. Yeah, it is a chain restaurant rather than the fancy local places where we have celebrated in the past in Austin and SLC. Still, we decided that splurging our small luxuries fund on a restaurant are for the times when we don't have the novelty of living in Scotland. Indeed, we do have a several day holiday planned through Isle of Skye coming up in just one month time. Best save the wee fund for that this year! And to be sure, this year's celebration was the best I can remember really.

Can you see the excitement on Matt's face about to dig into his Peri Peri chicken, chips and mushy peas as he rolls up his sleeves?

As good as the meal was, I have to confess that the best thing about it was their BOTTOMLESS fountain drinks (with ice nonetheless!). It is a real rarity in these parts to have such free flowing soda fountains, as abundant as you would find in the ol' U.S. of A. I felt like singing The Big Rock Candy Mountain.

Would you believe our blustery, rainy spring Edinburgh lit up with sun for the hour after our dinner? Just long enough to get a picture of us in front of the Princes Street fountain that we pass so often on our walks to campus this year.

That was an event in and of itself as we happened upon three elderly Basque women on holiday to take the picture. We exchanged picture taking services with them since they hadn't gotten one of them altogether and explained with Spanglish and wild hand gestures (turns out that Basque and Argentine Spanish is not as comparable as one might think) our story of being in Edinburgh as they were interested in us being Americans. It was the perfect encounter for the occasion as it added yet one more memorable event in our year long stint here in Edinburgh.

I have to say, when I look back on my 4 married-to-Matt years, that in spite of the fact that they still haven't "hung the jerk who invented work", I have good reason to be singing "The Big Rock Candy Mountain". Truly, life has proven to be "a land that is fair and bright".

Oklahoma folk drink tea too...

The Sweeneys have arrived! Well, Mama and Papa Sweeney that is and we are already partying this Caledonia pretty hard. We hit up Kleofas Cafe last night for some delish Polish cuisine. See previous post to get more of the details of what a place like this has to offer. And today was High Tea at The Caledonian (indeed, the 5* place where Sean Connery stays when visiting Edinburgh). True to Sweeney form, many of these parties have revolved around great food. What is better than great food and the best company afterall?

And great, high fa lootin' food it was! Check out this spread...

Lori was the most refined of us all, I think. She catches on quick to high class culture it seems. Check out that pinky action...I swear it was unintentional.

We all had different votes on the best delectable of the day. Mine went to the above pictured meringue. Billowy with a marvelous mix of sticky, chewy and crunchy. The bite with the raspberry and cream was absolute divinity - no pun intended:)


I have been pining to take tea at The Caledonian for a while now after walking past it on Lothian Road regularly for the last few months on our way into town. Lothian Road is normally such a roulette of foul smells (I'll spare you the details on the types we have encountered on our walks). But there is incredible moment that hits when you pass the one 10 metre stretch along The Caledonian. It is pastry pleasure for about two good inhales and it takes me to the kind of happy that I have only gotten in places like Great Harvest during a Christmas shift and the shortbread came out of the oven with pools of butter....you know the serene joy I mean.

So did it live up to all I hoped? In the words of Kurt, "I will remember this until the day I get dementia". I am in accord. So a big thanks to Kurt and Lori who sponsored such a marvelously fun and memorable afternoon tea!

Smacznego (or "Bon Appetit")

Before coming to Edinburgh, I would think about all the different, new experiences I expected to have.  I wondered whether haggis really would be as unappealing as everyone made it out to be (turns out it is actually quite nice). I wondered if I would be able to make friends with Scottish people or if there would be cultural barriers that would prevent it. Among the things I wondered about, there was also a fair amount I expected to experience. For example, I expected going to the supermarket would be even more loathsome than it is was with a car (this indeed turned out to be true). I anticipated that it would be hard to find a lot of the ingredients and foods that I am used to cooking with (this has been the case sometimes but not always*). Etc etc.

One of the great things though about exploring a new place though is that there are loads of things that are great which you don't even expect. One of the biggest ones for me in the Edinburgh chapter of my life is getting to know Polish people, culture and food. When I first interviewed for my housekeeping job, I was asked very matter-of-factly if I knew how to speak Polish. "What a random language to know", I said. "Why no, I don't know if I have even met a Polish person before." The duty manager, a kind but humourless fellow, followed up by telling me that there are a lot of Poles in the Edinburgh area and that half of the housekeeping team was Polish and a handful of the kitchen help were as well. At the time, it didn't matter to me one way or the other (I just cared about getting a job). I had no idea what a cultural adventure I was about to have.

My second day on the job I was paired up with this spunky, wee Polish lass who in spite of having learned English only a couple of years ago could chat it up more than anyone I had ever met. Ever. From the start, we "got on like a house on fire". I don't know how you couldn't with this girl Aneta. Within the first couple weeks of work, we were already swapping favourite cultural dishes with each other. I made her chile con carne and cornbread. She brought me potato dumplings, meat stuffed cabbage, and Polish herbal teas (she is fascinated with me not drinking leaf tea as a religious thing). Even today I have come home with a 15 bags of "Malina + Granat - Herbata Owocowa" (Raspberry and Pomegranat Herbal Tea judging by the pictures on the box) and a handful of Polish biscuits and wafer candies. Her teas and biscuits have yet to disappoint as they have an unrivaled grasp on how to best espouse the wonders of marshmallow.

Last night sealed the deal for me though. For a couple of weeks, Aneta and our Latvian co-worker/friend Agnese and I have been talking about going to Kleofas Cafe, a wee Polish restaurant over on Gorgie Road. It took some scheduling acrobatics to get us all there at the same time but oh was it worth it!

The wonders that the Poles can work with beets, potatoes, cabbage and the like. Never thought to saute pickled beets in butter to make a warm salad but it is one idea to remember.

Though the potato dumplings were unbelievably moist and soft and my pork medallion impeccably savoury with a mushroom sauce they made, the award of best dish would have to go to the dessert cake I got. "Sour Apple and Dark Chocolate Cake". What an inspired combination of  melty bittersweet and sour with the most stimulating texture. I have never eaten a cake that accomplished so much without any frosting. What a delight!

How had I never heard the raving reviews of Polish food before? Surely with the contributions they make to the culinary world, there would be more restaurants around and aisles in supermarkets with their ingredients. I will say though, that this experience is probably a template for something much bigger that I will encounter as I go new places, meet new people throughout my life. I imagine that there are a wealth of people and cultures (and food) I have never really thought about before but has something magnificent to offer.




*Foods I expected would be difficult to find but are not
-Cummin
-Mexican food (there is little variety and not as great/authentic quality but it is there)
-Cinnamon sticks (I didn't expected these to be difficult to find but they are so super cheap here compared to the States)

*Foods I expected would be easy to find but are not
-Ground pepper (they usually only have the peppercorns?)
-Diced green chilis
-Popcorn
-Chocolate chips
-Tofu
-Dried Beans (Black and Pinto beans are the most difficult to find; they can be found but they are quite expensive and only at the biggest supermarkets.)

Afternoon Cuppa at Loopy Lorna's

A social has been in order for us Girlguide leaders of the 166th unit for a while now. We decided on a meeting for High Tea yesterday afternoon at Loopy Lorna's. It was my first time having a proper afternoon tea and to be sure, it did not disappoint. Just look at this spread...

Highlights of this particular tea house are the delightfully mix-matched dishes and cooky knitted cozies of different animals. Mine was a duck...as you can see.

Louise and Signe shared a pot of "Blooming Amazing" which was a whimsical tea that budded open as it steeped to reveal a Lily inside. The wonders of British tea artistry!

My favourite were the scones with clotted cream (life changing it was!) and fresh raspberry preserve. Heaven. The preserve was stunningly tart and with just the right balance of sweet I couldn't help myself but shamelessly dish up rather unlady-like portions of it for nearly everything I ate. Luckily I was among friends so I don't think they judged me. Needless to say it was one of those cultural flavours I was glad to sample during my time here.

Holiday in London Town

4 stellar, adventure-filled days in London for under 200 pounds? Yes please. Matt and debated about taking the trek down over and over. "There is so much Scotland you can see for the amount you would spend for London." I think we were underestimating the fun we would have and over estimating the cost though. I will say we cheated a bit as I my ever-lovin' friend Ruth got us the "hook-ups" for a place to stay, as her parents live in South Kensington. They are at the centre of everything! Well, that is not true, they are at the centre of lots of things. The thing is, it turns out that London is so so enormous and dense that it is really impossible to be at the centre of everything. Still, being a stone's throw from Hyde Park, the Victoria and Albert Museum (we sounded like proper locals and were calling it the "V&A" by the end:) and just a few blocks more from the most incredibly life-changing French bakery as "Paul" (the sell those delectable macaroons!), and Harrod's! Oh Harrod's! I get ahead of myself though. Let me get oriented here. Always the best thing to do when exploring a new place.

Here is London:

Here is the area where we stayed:

Yep. London is so so big. There is no way to wrap your mind around it. You really have to think of it as something like multiple cities all pushed together. As overwhelming as it can be initially, the Tube is slick and efficient and there is just loads to do there.

So what did we choose to do with just the 3 1/2 days we had? After a leisurely 5 hour train ride along the West Coast of England, stopping in idyllic places like "Berwick Upon Tweed" and the historic York, we found our way from King's Cross Station to South Kensington. Our gracious host mum, as I will call her, got us oriented and turned over all of her maps, Rick Steve's travel guides, and membership passes for us to use over the next few days (she had her hosting down to a science!) then led us in the direction of Hyde Park to start our exploring.

Hyde Park was marvelous in spite of the cold, windy greeting it gave us (still warmer than Edinburgh afterall - it was snowy sleet when we left). Highlights included the intriguing sculpture they had by the Serpentine Pond,

and a crazy fast and nimble skateboarder who was showing off his mad skills with cones he wove in and out of in the centre bicycle path. It was mind bending.

With the wee bit of exploring time we had left, Matt and I headed over to this "Harrod's" we kept hearing about. Afterall, it seems that everything in the UK, aside from Boots pharmacy, supermarkets, and apparently Harrod's are closed by 6pm. What to say about Harrod's?

That's marzipan, mind you, not real fruit!

But these are all dates.

Luckily, taking pictures at Harrod's is free, because everything else is like a billion pounds. Turns out I could afford a cupcake with some tip money I made from housekeeping though!

The next day brought an interview for Matt at the Lincoln's Inn library.

He looked smart. I was proud of him in spite of the fact that he doesn't think he will get it. What will be will be. In the meantime, they "reimbursed" him for his 80pound train ticket - like I said, we kinda cheated on keeping our funds unbelievably low for the holiday. PS If you want an explanation on what the Lincoln's Inn is, you will have to go to Matt, I don't understand the difference between a barister and a solicitor in the rest of the law system in the UK. Apparently you do need to understand what all of these are because I have had things explained to me like 5 times and I still don't get it.

Onward we go! Lunch gave me the opportunity to change Matt's life with his first taste of a French macaroon, pistachio flavoured. We made the mistake of only buying one and we kinda fought over it a bit. Next time we were sure to buy 2.

Then a quick stop and the nerdy-fun museum on 221b Baker's Street.

Not sure what was more fun, Matt trying on a bowler in the gift shop

or seeing all the campy set-ups in the museum.

Who needs Madame Tussaud's when you have waxy re-enactments of Sherlock Holme's stories?

And somewhere in there we found our way to the Tower of London.

The next day brought a much anticipated trip for me to the Tate Modern gallery.

It was everything I hoped for too! Matt was a sport and let me share all of my "insights" and wandering thoughts about any of the pieces that struck me in there. A couple of times he even would add, "is that a Georges Braque over there?" or "This must be an earlier Pollock, don't you think?" And to think he told me "I am pretty dense when it comes to art" when we first started dating. Visiting this museum may have been just about my favourite thing of the whole trip. Such a playful collection of modern and contemporary pieces, no snobbery needed to appreciate it.

My favourite piece? Could have been the blocks of wood carved into trees and then place in the gallery space. Clever concept, don't you think?

Then it was lunch in Borough's magnificent Market. Oh the wonder!

Hot Raclette cheese sandwhiches anyone?

I am still amazed I was able to make a decision in time to catch our ferry around the River Thames. Do you see the remarkable selection of Turkish Delight? Can you believe those billowy magnificent meringues?

Indeed our boat ride kept us on track with our time. A good thing too because there was much to see while cruising around the Thames. Thank goodness the weather was a wee bit more forgiving that day. Such fun using our new camera on the sites too.

Our big splurge of the trip was forgoing the 16 pound entrance fee to Westminster Abbey. Afterall, the outside was cool and the gift shop is free to wander and filled with loads of "William and Kate" paraphanelia to keep the tourist crowd occupied. Instead we opted for a go up the London Eye with some Austin friends of yore, who are now proper London, UK folk. We all agreed it was a great way for us Sweeneys to end the London adventures.

So yeah, if you have the notion that somehow London shouldn't make it on the travel itinerary whilst living in the UK, you would be wrong indeed. In spite of the 8pounds a day for the Tube (just traveling in Zones 1&2 of the 5!) and the fact that many ticket kiosks say prominently and unappologetically says "THIS MACHINE DOES NOT ACCEPT SCOTTISH POUNDS", London is one swell place indeed. In fact it is like a dozen swell places, all in one. It is so huge! I already said that I know but I thought I should drive the point home. Huge and perfect for a March holiday, it turns out.

Nigella Wisdom

I liked Nigella Lawson before I came to the UK but after getting a bit of flavour from her general neighbourhood, I have to say that I love her good and proper now. I love her ideas about food and indulgence, her rich desserts and literary descriptions of why they are beautiful, how impulsive and impatient she gets to eat what she is making, her full figure that reflects her passion for good food. What I think I love most though is how she articulates and truly lives all that I feel about cooking, eating and enjoying good food.

A couple of my favourite quotes of hers:

"I absolutely love this dessert [I think it was a lemon pie she was doting over]. You know when it is finished when you shake it and it gives you a cheeky wiggle."

"What I'm doing here is seeking to offer protection from life, solely through the means of potato, butter and cream... there are times when only mashed potato will do."



There is nothing more comforting to me than an episode of Nigella Lawson. So many things in a daily routine can be unpleasant. Life can demand so much sometimes. But, as depraved as it may seem, really good food can make up a lot of the difference for me. Nigella understands this the same as I do. She understands that when I have to wake up to an alarm to get me ready for a day of housekeeping and rainy weather, it is the thought of a thick piece of toast smeared in an unholy amount of Nutella that gets me up without complaint. There are a handful of other things that get me out of bed (luckily one of them is a good hard swim/run that can help counteract such excess). Still, I feel unappologetic about enjoying good and, at times, unforgivably superfluous food.* I am surprised that it is the gaunt ndrew Bird who coined the phrase "I am all for moderation but sometimes it seems moderdation itself can be kind of extreme". My hat off to this British lady who taught me that the way to become a domestic goddess is to embrace the rich bounty this earth yields in all kinds of great baking, cooking, recipes, and of course eating. I can't think of a healthier way of life than this philosophy really.

My one lingering question though, and at times frustration, is how she finds such unique ingredients in a British supermarket? I have yet to find chocolate chips (only exorbitantly priced "chocolate buttons") or a tin of diced green chilis in a store here....

*Don't get me wrong, I relish a colourful salad with restrained amounts of dressing or a well roasted trio of veg. These are nice parts of my day as well. But, for my temperament, they can never make up for a missed "pudding".

When Scotland Wins...

Foods that are better in Scotland...
-Almost all dairy products. The whipping cream, yogurt and butter here are shamelessly rich and thick. The cheddar is kick-in-the-pants strong when it says "sharp" cheddar. An important culinary (and budget friendly discovery) that Matt and I made recently is that super sharp, white cheddar is the perfect replacement for a parmesan in a pinch. Why do I say "almost" and not "all" dairy products? Not sure about the cream cheese here. It's texture is a bit troublesome for cream cheese frosting on say...well a carrot cake. That is unforgivable in my world so I have to qualify dairy products as not entirely being superior.
-Eggs. They are all free range which does result in occassionally having to pull off wispy feather attached to the egg or bitty beaks floating in the yolk. This is unnerving at first but then you realize that it is so much more normal to have a slightly imperfect, organic experience with a brown egg than a completely sterile experience with a white egg. Plus it encourages me to be true to the recommended method of cracking an egg in a bowl before adding it to wet baking ingredients, etc.
-Bacon. This is a very touchy subject to some Americans and Scots as the bacon here is distinctly different from what you would buy in the states. Many Americans say that it isn't "crunchy" enough and that bacon needs to have a certain texture to be true to itself. Indeed the bacon here isn't the striped fat, crunchy bacon but let me tell you something. It is so so...well...bacony. The flavor beats the hell out of American bacon. So smokey. It is like the dark chocolate of bacon. I can understand you wanting to have something familiar and comforting at times like a bar of cheap milk chocolate. All cravings have their place but I submit that when all is said and done, bacon here is more sophisticatedly tasty. In the meantime, there is always the argument that bacon here has more food for what you pay - less fat content in the price you pay. So touche all you crunchy bacon advocates.
-Candy. No doubt this is to be expected with chocolate. Americans always get a bad reputation for waxy chocolate and rightly so. That said, these Brits really are our superiors on all things confectionary. For one: gummies. I give you Rowntree's Randoms or Haribo's Tangfastic or Sour Strawberry Pencils as exhibit A, B, and C. These are so so good in such different ways. Randoms are utterly gummy-y in a way you never thought possible. Now some smart-a might challenge that "Oh Haribo is a German brand of candy. Not British." To that I would respond it is more accessible here in the UK and it is much much cheaper. Ha! That's right. And might I add that only those who have read even a few Roald Dahl books would know not to trifle with the Brits and their confectionary. Can I also throw out there that the Skittles here have blackcurrent instead of grape in their original flavor packs? And also candy bars include delightfully romantic and creative renditions of mint and chocolate (Aero Bars) as well as fake honeycomb (Crunchie Bars). Heaven! This just scratches the surface but you get the idea.
-Digestive Biscuits. Most especially those blessed HobNobs. How do Americans compare? They don't. There is no subsitute for a Hob Nob. Enough said.
-Hummus. This has always been a staple but it is taking on a new level of importance for us while we have been here. It is better in all ways here. It's cheaper. There are more choices. The texture is always spot-on better and all the flavors have been so so perfect.
-Curry. There are so many good curry and falafal places here in Edinburgh. It is cheap and spicey good. Britains own Tikka Masala, Chicken Vindaloo (for all you Red Dwarf fans) and much much more. It is some tasty spice that is great for heating you up in cold weather.

Foods that are better in America...
-I expected this but the variety of choices (most especially in the way of produce - how I miss a good avocado!) in an average grocery store in the States is really superior. Then again, that is the American way - have more choices! Have a bigger selection! Even a head of cauliflower or a kilo of brussel sprouts are bigger in America. How could this be? They last longer and somehow they fit in your ginormous fridge (ours is the same size as the average local which makes it just bigger than something you would have in a hotel room).
-Mexican food. I knew this would be my main culinary trial here and so I prepped for it. It was so much harder to deal with after having lived in a TexMex capital of sorts but I am coping. Somehow eating more curry helps curb my cravings.
-Bread. I don't think that Americans really have the best idea on bread. I think that would have to go to the French and their baguette wonder food or maybe the Italians with their Ciabatta bread. Still, there is no place to get a thick slice of some Great Harvest whole wheat or Dakota-style bread in these parts. It is a bit fluffy for my taste. The best substitute I can find is Polish bread. It is chewy-delicious.

*Thanks to Andreas Gursky for his photograph "99 Cent". Truly a document of American culture.

Other things that are better in Scotland...
-Healthcare. Let the debates begin but seriously guys, it is such an accessible and intuitive system to use here. Need I mention that it is free?! It is free to me because I have a job that I work 3 days a week at and free to Matt because he is at Uni. We have been trying it out by force as Matt's ol' gallbladder is giving him trouble these days. Is the quality good? They have the same procedures and tests that they gave Matt in Texas when he was having problems with it. So far, the conversations and advice have been comparable. Is it taking forever? In the last 3 weeks, Matt has registered for a General Practioner (where all NHS users must start), attended an initial appt/check-up, gotten a chest x-ray, had a follow-up appt about his x-ray, attended an appt for blood work. Pretty impressive. I have this sort of ridiculous idea that hey, if either Matt and I are going to get sick, need a gallbladder out, etc we best do it this year as we won't be able to afford to do much about it come next fall!
-Mystery tele programmes. No one matches the Brits on their ability to churn out series after series, programme after programme of compelling, quality mystery shows on television. It is remarkable. Matt and my favourite programme right now is New Tricks. We stumbled on it one night when we first moved into our flat. With a boiler that didn't work, no friends, no job and a kitchen that was hard to use, it was more than a luxury to find as it reminded us of some of the great things that we loved about this culture.
-Accents. Let's face it. Scottish people have such a great way of expressing themselves. Their terminology holds it's own but their way of speaking is really something great too. I would acknowledge that Texans, Bostonians and New Yorkers are up in the running but I think they still may be beat. Which brings me to a point, why is it that DreamWorks had all their supposedly Norwegian Vikings talking like Scottish people in How to Train a Dragon?

Lovely Linlithgow.

Matt and I had a much needed planned* adventure in what I guess you call the Scottish countryside this last Friday. Perhaps it wouldn't be considered a proper country trip by some but it certainly was pastoral and the town itself was wee. That said, we had a grand time taking a 20 minute train ride North West of Edinburgh to a town called Linlithgow. What attracted us to go to Linlithgow in particular was a chance to see this site:

It was marvelous and a true gem to have so close to us that it only took 8 pounds for us both to go and see.

What is the background of this place you ask? Well, Matt and I probably don't have the full story as it would have taken another 7 pounds to learn about it by going in the castle. What we did figure out is that it was the birthplace of Scotland's own Mary Queen of Scots. The loch (or lake) by which the castle was built gave much help to town in the early days in terms of fish and water for crops, etc. Also, the area was so scenic and relatively nice in terms of the climate that royalty often took their holidays here.

Matt and I took a grand tour around the castle and loch.

Saw some ducks braving the white capped windy waters of the loch.

Got a stellar view of the castle with some full on rainbow action.

Ate a delicious lunch of smashed PBJ sandwiches and a wee mint tart.

Got caught in the rain during our canal walk and decided to head back to the train station when my umbrella broke beyond repair due to the wind. The highlight of the day came when Matt kept insisting that I use his umbrella and he could put on my rain jacket that I didn't want to wear. I assured him over and over "No no. I promise. I am fine with this umbrella. It works well enough for now." After dodging a few locals on bicycles, Matt tells me pleadingly "Please Cate. Can you just put that busted umbrella away? I am embarassed for you."

And the truth comes out! That set me off laughing so hard for several minutes I could barely walk through the mud. It just was so so perfect as I really feel like that is what happens so often with the dynamics between Matt and I. "No no...I don't mind this crazy outfit I am wearing at all...No need to buy me matching socks...etc." Finally Matt comes clean and tells me his real concerns. Good man to know when I am embarassing myself. He really does help me "get on" in this world.

But can I just pose one lingering question that remained on our way back to the train station? Is my busted umbrella look any more embarassing than Matt wearing my TJMaxx rain jacket? In some funny way, I think he looked great in it. What a guy to be willing to don my sub-par rain jacket to help save me from myself. Love that fellow of mine.

*There are no shortages of opportunities for adventure here for Matt and I. The problem we often encounter is that our adventures are more along the lines of taking the wrong bus to the wrong side of town, almost getting hit by a car because we forget what side of the street people drive on, etc. Indeed, we have found that it takes a fair amount of effort to have the pleasant sort of adventures sometimes. Thankfully, Linlithgow was one of these moments.