Our Last Day in Scotland…

This was our last day in Scotland during our combined Scotland and Ireland adventures…

Appropriately enough, it was a dark and rainy day…with a touch of gloom added in.  Even the beautiful drive back up headed east through Glen Coe seemed to sum up our feelings about our upcoming departure.  It was still beautiful but it was a much more subtle beauty. 

I can’t even remember where this building was along our route.  It was or is a pub or restaurant…but it was the amazing stone work on this big structure that drew our attention.  Click on the photo to see what I'm talking about!

When I planned this trip for us, I’d marked up my map (an actual paper map) showing where we were staying, a number of attractions and every little town along our route that was listed as the most picturesque, charming or scenic.  Killin, located along the River Dochart at the western end of Loch Tay in Stirling (Perthshire) was one of those villages. 

We decided that we deserved a break…some comforting refreshments…before we drove the rest of the way to our hotel near the airport in Edinburgh.  We dropped into Shutters Restaurant on Main Street to relax a wee bit before moving on. 

Some of us had tea and the rest just a bit of coffee.  The surroundings inside Shutters Restaurant were cozy and very clean.

Killin has a population of about 700 residents.  The MacNab Clan used to dominate the area.  Their ancient burial ground is on an island in the River Dochart just below the Falls of Dochart.  Just north of the village, you can find the ruins Finlarig Castle, the former stronghold of the Campbells of Breadalbane.

To learn more about the Clan MacNab, you can go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Macnab.  

Of course, the Campbell Clan was one of the largest and most powerful of the Highland Clans.  As for the Campbells of Breadalbane, John, the tenth Earl died childless in 1995 and the title has become dormant.  There are those who are trying or have tried to claim the title, to no avail at this point.  To learn more about the Campbells of Breadalbane, just go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_of_Breadalbane_and_Holland.

The bakery counter was well stocked and we all snacked on something shown above…but I didn’t take any photos.  We were happy to have stopped here along the road to Edinburgh.  Shutters does not have a website but their reviews on Trip Advisor are very positive…

Check them out at https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g551940-d3387894-Reviews-Shutters_Licensed_Restaurant-Killin_Loch_Tay_Loch_Lomond_and_The_Trossachs_Nation.html.

As we drove east, some of the towns grew a little grittier and the rainfall increased…adding to sort of a downer of a day!

As we worked our way east and a bit south along Hwy. A84, we passed through the town of Callander.  Unfortunately we would miss the local Jazz and Blues Festival because we would be in Ireland… 

If my research is correct, this 19^th Century Gothic style church was named after Saint Kessog, an Irish missionary who is said to have preached in the area back in the sixth-century.  The church closed in 1984 and it served as a visitor center between 1990 and 2006.  It’s now the headquarters for The Claranald Trust for Scotland. 

Notes:

·         To learn about St. Kessog, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kessog.

·         For information about the interesting work of the Claranald Trust for Scotland, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Clanranald_Trust_for_Scotland.

·         Rob Roy MacGregor, a popular folk hero who has had movies made about him and who has a cocktail named after him was from this area.  To learn more about the ‘real’ Rob Roy, just go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Roy_MacGregor.

Laurie just liked the architectural look of this corner facing sandwich shop.  We didn’t stop at Apple Jacks but they are on Facebook if you’d like to learn more.  https://www.facebook.com/APPLEJACKScallander.

Do you see that big castle sitting on the bluff looking down on the green field full of sheep?  That is Castle Stirling.  This is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland.  It’s positioned on top of Castle Hill and it’s surrounded on 3 sides by steep cliffs, which offer a strong defensive position.  Until the 1890’s, it was located at the farthest upstream crossing of the River Forth, a true strategic position. 

We were running short of time so we didn’t stop…this time.  Laurie and I visited Stirling Castle on our last trip to Scotland, ‘only’ 31 years earlier! (The next 4 photos are from that visit) Most of the key structures of Stirling Castle date back to the 15^th and 16^th centuries while a few buildings remain from the 14^th century…700 years or so ago!  The first actual record related to the castle dates back to ca. 1110, when King Alexander I dedicated a chapel here.  It must have been an established royal center by this time as Alexander actually died here in 1124.  

There have been at least 8 sieges of Stirling Castle.  Several of them took place during the Wars of Scottish Independence.  The last siege took place in 1746 when Bonnie Prince Charlie (Charles Edward Stuart) unsuccessfully tried to capture the castle.   The nearby town surrendered but the castle’s governor refused to and his cannons destroyed the artillery set up by the attacking Jacobite forces…

Prior to Scotland’s ‘union’ with England, Stirling Castle was used as a home by many members of Scottish royalty.  It was a palace as well as a fortress.  Several Scottish Kings and Queens were crowned here, including Mary, Queen of Scots back in 1542. 

The statue is of King Robert the Bruce, one of Laurie’s ancient Scottish ancestors.  Over the centuries, the castle changed hands many times, but Robert the Bruce captured it in 1299 when King Edward I of England failed to reinforce the English garrison. 

Edward’s forces took it back in 1304, but by 1307 Edward had died and Robert the Bruce was now the King of Scots.  At this point, the English only occupied Stirling and 3 other Scottish Castles.  The castle was retaken by King Robert following the Battle of Bannockburn which took place within sight of the castle.    

I ‘borrowed’ this aerial photo of Stirling Castle from the Internet.  It’s easy to see why this site was chosen as a location for a fortress!  It’s naturally well protected on 3 sides! 

Today Stirling Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument…a major tourist attraction managed by Historic Environment Scotland.  To learn more about visiting the castle, go to http://www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk/.

As we rolled along the 4-lane M9 limited access highway toward Edinburgh’s international airport, Laurie took this photo of one of the pair of “Kelpies”.  

The Kelpies are horse-head sculptures that are 98.5 feet high and they were completed in 2013.  They form a gateway at the eastern end of the Forth and Clyde Canal.  They are a monument to horse-powered heritage across Scotland.   The Kelpies name reflects the mythological transforming beasts (water horses) possessing the strength and endurance of 10 horses…

So much for the most interesting portion of our day.  We arrived at our hotel, the Hilton Doubletree adjacent to the airport and checked in.  Then Laurie and I took the rental car back before relaxing and getting ready for our flight to Ireland the next morning…

I ‘had’ to include a photo of the hallway to our room at the Doubletree.  I’ve stayed in hundreds, if not thousands, of hotels and I’ve never seen a brick inside corridor.  It’s a little narrow too… Weird!

The room was nice…modern and very spacious too!  Of course, given its proximity to the airport and Edinburgh and its overall facilities, it wasn’t a bargain either.  However, it was extremely convenient and I earned points toward a 'free' room somewhere on another trip!

This was the bar/lounge area of our hotel…warm and comfortable.

This was the view from our table in the Doubletree’s restaurant, which is named “The Space”.  Service was friendly and efficient and our table was against a wall, allowing us a quiet place to recap our adventures.

Laurie took this photo of yours truly.  I was sort of smiling…an unusual photographic occurrence! 

Then it was my turn!  I captured this rather nice photo of my better half.  She looked happy even though we were leaving Scotland in the morning.

Then Bonnie joined us for something to eat and I took a photo of the sisters.  Where’s Bill?  As it turned out, he came down with the 12-hour crud and was down for the count!  No dinner for him…

This was the Warm Cheese Flatbread...after a few pieces had been consumed. (5.65 PS/$7.35 US) It came with a trio of dipping sauces.

This was the soup of the day with a nice ciabatta roll…but I don’t recall what kind of soup it was. (5.75 PS/$7.50 US) I do know that it was well received.

This was the Club Sandwich…a triple-decker with French Fries. (13.50 PS/$17.55 US) I had to help finish it and it was good…but pretty pricey for a club sandwich!

What can I say!  I wasn’t in the mood for fish and chips, soup or a sandwich.  This was my entrée… It’s the Steak and Caledonian Ale Pie with mustard mashed potatoes and green beans. (14.95 PS/$19.45 US) The meat was nicely flavored but the crust over the top was too crispy…

All in all, it was a decent meal…if not up to the quality of most of the local restaurants that we dined in as we explored Scotland’s countryside.  To learn more about The Doubletree by Hilton and its restaurant located at Edinburgh’s international airport, you can go to http://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels/united-kingdom/doubletree-by-hilton-hotel-edinburgh-airport-EDIAPDI/index.html.

Well…that’s about it for our adventures in Scotland!  My first blog from Ireland will be published on January 12, 2018. 

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for sticking with me for our tour in Scotland!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Basketball and Lunch in Elkhorn Nebraska

…continuing with our visit with our son and his family in the Omaha area over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Whenever we’ve visit them, the boys always have had sporting events going on that we could attend.  David III, at 17 and with a girlfriend, now has more important things to do…and Emmett Lee is the reigning sports figure in the family!  He’s dropped soccer from his repertoire and he’s into track, football and this time of the year, basketball.  Here he’s sitting on the bench watching his team in action…

…an action photo, “poised for a play”.  On this day, his team was in a tournament and they had 2 games scheduled.  They won one and lost one.

SCORE!!  Emmett is congratulated by a teammate after sinking a 2-pointer!

I took this photo just prior to Emmett’s team’s second game as he was poised to take a practice shot.  He’s a very good basketball player, quite aggressive, fast and with great reflexes.

Lots of parents and family members attend these games.  Emmett had his own cheering section!  Back row: Laurie, Amy and David II.  Front row, David III, Shelby, Dalton and Dianne.  All 8 of us tried to be good sports and not boo the umpire or the other team.  It’s harder to behave for us old folks who weren’t always as polite at kid’s sporting events!

The times have changed that’s for sure!  Back in our youth, sports were pretty much limited to high school.  When you were home, you went out to play and maybe there was a pick-up game of baseball, basketball or touch football in the neighborhood on the weekends.  Later on, summer playground systems offered baseball and softball…and even kickball.  Soccer was pretty much unknown in the Midwest.

After the second basketball game, it was time for dinner!  So we were off to historic downtown Elkhorn Nebraska…now just a part of Omaha Nebraska.  The family’s choice was Maximo’s Cantina. 

It was warm enough that some folks were eating out on Maximo’s patio by the time we finished with our early dinner.

The interior of Maximo’s Cantina is bright and colorful with enough spaces between tables so patrons don’t feel crowded.

Here’s our basketball star Emmett Lee with his debate champ brother David III and their cousin Dalton.  He and his mom Shelby from Indianapolis were also visiting David II and Amy’s family over Thanksgiving. 

We really like this photo of our son David II and his better half...Amy!

Our table at Maximo’s Cantina…Amy, David II, Laurie, Shelby, Emmet Lee, David III and Dalton. 

Where’s the food!!?

A number of Margaritas were consumed by the ladies…and they were pretty decent.  This was one of the appetizers, Maximo’s homemade White Queso Dip with chips. ($7.99) Most of those that indulged in this dip thought that it was pretty good but the green peppers in it kept me away from it.

Two orders of these Stuffed Jalapenos graced our table. ($6.99 each) They were described at cored jalapenos stuffed with chorizo, Oaxaca and Chihuahua cheeses and then wrapped in bacon. 

“Cored” would indicate that all the seeds and most if not all of the jalapenos’ membranes were removed…right?  The bad news was that these stuffed jalapenos were blazing spicy hot!  The good news is that I was the only person to eat more than one…and I ate most of them!  I will admit that they were even a little too hot for me…

A total of 4 Quesadillas were ordered around the table. ($9.20 each) Diners ordered different options based on their personal taste.  These flour or corn tortillas were stuffed with cheese along with your choice of chicken, chorizo, beef or vegetables.

The quesadillas were sided with sour cream, lettuce, corn salsa, chipotle sauce and guacamole.  Laurie said that her quesadilla was OK but nothing special when compared to many others that she’d had around the country. 

David III went for his Enchiladas smothered with verde/green sauce…and French Fries as his side instead of rice and beans.

He wasn’t the only one who ordered Enchiladas…but this entrée was more traditional.  These were covered with queso/cheese sauce. 

Maximo’s Cantina offers a variety of enchiladas.  They range in price from $10.99 to $16.99.  However someone at our table ordered Cheese Enchiladas ($9.50) but they aren’t listed in the on-line menu.  David III ordered the Enchiladas De Res ($11.99) which are filled with shredded beef.

Amy wasn’t very hungry so she ordered a single Short Rib Taco. ($2.99) It looked pretty good and who doesn’t like short ribs… Looking back at this meal, I would have liked about 3 of these for my entrée.

Instead of those short rib tacos, I ordered the Pollo Rostisado, a half slow roasted chicken topped with quajillo sauce. ($14.99) It was a decent meal but nothing special. 

All in all, Laurie and I think that Maximo’s Cantina was about average with nothing that would cause us to seek it out if we craved Mexican cuisine while we were in the Omaha area.  The family had eaten there previously and apparently they like this restaurant.  It is convenient to their home.

Maximo’s Cantina is located at 2613 North Main Street in Elkhorn Nebraska.  They are open for lunch and dinner Tuesday – Saturday and for breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday.  Maximo’s is closed on Mondays.  Phone: 402-289-4062.  Website:  https://www.maximoscantina.com/.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Dinner at Loch Leven Hotel – North Ballachulish Scotland

After our round trip following a circular route from Ballachulish to Oban and returning via Tyndrum, the Rannoch Moors and Glen Coe, we came out of the West Highlands down along Loch Leven.  It was approaching time for dinner…

After passing through the historic village of Glencoe, site of the infamous “Glencoe Massacre”, we arrived in Ballachulish, which was just across the water from North Ballachulish and our hotel.  FYI, in Gaelic Ballachulish means “Village of the Narrows”…referring to the width of Loch Leven at this point.

In any case, I’d had the Laroch Restaurant and Bar on my list of places to dine but I failed to have our hotel make reservations for us.  Consequently we were unable to experience dinner at this restaurant that is operated by a Michelin Star Chef… If you’d like to see what we missed, their website is at http://thelarochrestaurantandbar.co.uk/index.html.

Note:

I can’t very well mention a massacre and not provide any information about it… The slaughter that took place on 2/13/1692 was not a clan feud between the Campbells and the MacDonalds per se but it did lead to centuries of bad blood between the 2 clans.  In fact, although Campbells comprised a significant portion of the troops involved in the action, it was actually a government operation based on the MacDonalds ‘failure’ to promptly pledge allegiance to the new Monarchs, William III and Mary II. 

After billeting their forces with the MacDonalds of Glencoe for several days, and posing as ‘friendly guests’, one winter morning the government soldiers rose up early and slaughtered 38 men from Clan MacDonald.  Another 40 women and children later died of exposure after their homes were burned to the ground.

To learn more about this incident…politics and rivalry at its worst…you can go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_Glencoe.

Moving on from the story about the massacre and beyond my failure to ensure that we had a reservation at the Laroch Restaurant and Bar, we returned to our hotel…the Loch Leven Hotel in North Ballachulish…where we ended up having dinner.  

As I mentioned in a previous posting, our hotel (as well as its bar) both date back to the 1600s when it was a busy place due to its proximity to the ferry crossing at the narrows of Loch Leven.

This is the main dining room at the Loch Leven Hotel.  After our long day of exploring the countryside, we were getting hungry!

Laurie and I ordered the Home Smoked Gin Cured Scottish Salmon. (7.95 PS/$10.35 US) This appetizer featured Outer Hebrides salmon, horseradish cream and brown bread.  It was very nice as well as being a nice change from the lox type of salmon that was the norm in many restaurants.

This was the River Leven Ale Braised Beef Shin. (14.75 PS/$19.20 US) The ale braised beef shin, (better known as beef shank), was served with oak smoked mash, and glazed root vegetables with ruby port jus.  No complaints here!

Another choice at our table was the Scottish Lamb Rump. (18.25 PS/$23.70 US) This well received entrée with ruby port jus was served with pommes rissoles, black pudding and minted pea puree.

I think that the terms 'shin' and 'rump' could be modified a just a bit to make them sound more appetizing...just my opinion...

Bonnie decided that she wasn’t all that hungry so she just ordered the Prawn Cocktail as her ‘entrée’. (7.25 PS/$9.40 US) It was much larger than she expected!  There were plenty of shrimp/prawns and they were served with baby gen lettuce and avocado with a creamy mustard based drizzle.

If you’ve been following our journey through Scotland, by now you know what this entrée is!  It’s Loch Leven’s Innis and Gunn Battered Fish Chips. ($11.25 PS/$14.60 US) This version of fish and chips came with hand cut chips (French fries), tartar sauce, lemon wedges and some ubiquitous peas.  That was one big hunk of fried fish and it was all good…

Laurie and I were the only ones to order dessert.  This was the Banana Tarte Tatin. (5.95 PS/$7.75 US) It was very tasty and we made short work of it!

The restaurant at the Loch Leven Hotel serves lunch daily from 12 Noon until 2 PM and dinner daily from 6 PM until 9 PM.  A sample dinner menu can be found at http://www.lochlevenhotel.co.uk/downloads/Dinner-menu.pdf.  

While we missed the opportunity to dine with a Michelin Chef, we certainly couldn’t find fault with our meal at our hotel!  It was very competent indeed… FYI, the hotel’s bar won the Scottish Hotel award for ‘best bar dining’ in 2016 and for ’best bar’ in 2017!

For information about accommodations, Loch Leven Hotel’s web site is found at http://www.lochlevenhotel.co.uk/index.html. 

The next posting from our Scottish adventure will be the last… In mid January, I will begin an accounting of our adventures in Ireland!

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

A Blast From the Past!

To begin…

Happy New Year!

May 2018 bring health and happiness to all…

Peace in the world would be nice too!

The fact is that I’m still writing posts based on our terrific trip to Scotland and Ireland in September of 2017.  In between, I’m posting accounts of our family visits to St. Louis and Omaha over Thanksgiving week or some of our more recent dining or home based experiences here in East Tennessee.

In this instance, it’s all about the St. Louis area.  Laurie is from there, most of her family lives there and that’s where we met on a blind date almost 40 years ago!  St. Louis is also where I had my first job in Retail Loss Prevention with Venture Stores, a division of May Department Stores.  

Both retail entities no longer exist but my relationship with the fellow in the photo standing in front of BC’s Restaurant in Lake St. Louis Missouri actually dates back to a bit before I met my better half.   We worked together at Venture and Bruce not only once helped save my bacon but he was instrumental in making me look good on many occasions!  We’ve stayed in touch over the years.  I can remember when Laurie used to give him haircuts at our house… Time flies!

BC’s Kitchen is a bright, clean and cheerful place.  We were seated in a semi-private corner which worked out best for us and for those near us.  Lots of stories and humor dominated our lunch!

I actually got so caught up in our conversation and camaraderie that I forgot to take photos of our food!  Laurie had a nice French Dip (sliced roast beef with Swiss cheese and crisp fried onions) sandwich on a toasted French roll with potato chips.  It was accompanied with sides of au jus and horseradish cream sauce. ($14.75)  I ordered an All Natural Niman Ranch Beef Burger topped with Pepper Jack cheese along with a side salad. ($10.75) The burger was cooked just right and it was nice and juicy.

BC’s Kitchen is located at 11 Meadows Circle Drive in Lake St. Louis Missouri.  Phone: 636-542-9090.  Their website is found at: http://www.billcardwell.com/bcs.html.

After our lunch at BC’s Kitchen, we joined Bruce and his much better half, Margaret, for further conversation and humor at their home in Lake St. Louis.  Bruce recently retired and he’s getting used to the idea.  It turns out that he’s a big model train buff…while I’m into more about the full size railroad version. 

This photo was taken by their handsome and intelligent son Andrew.  He promised to ensure that his dad’s computer was set up so Bruce would be a ‘follower’ for my blog site.  Are you really reading this posting Bruce?!

This was the other member of Bruce and Margaret’s family.  Tillie is a pretty cat and since our cat J.D. is now playing with his toys in cat heaven, Laurie was able to get a quick ‘cat fix’ during our visit.

The same night…continuing with my “Blast from the Past” theme while we were in the St. Louis area, we decided that we should return to Lou Boccardi’s, an Italian restaurant on “The Hill” that we had frequented many years ago. 

Lou Boccardi’s hadn’t changed at all since we last dined here!  This restaurant has been around for many, many years…

“The Hill” is an Italian American neighborhood located on a hilly area south of Forest Park.  It was settled in the late 1800s.  The area is home for many Italian businesses and restaurants.  Baseball greats Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola, Sr. grew up here, with their boyhood homes just across the streets from each other.     

Lou Boccardi’s is located in a house with a store front at street level.  The restaurant is a 3-story affair.  We were seated in the back right corner in this photo.

Even the murals on the wall hadn’t changed.  The restaurant is a little shabby but it has a ton of character.  In this photo Laurie, Bonnie and Bill were ready to depart after our dinner with a take home box but I had to take a photo first!

Laurie and I went for our old standby at Lou Boccardi’s…a 16” pepperoni and Italian sausage pizza. ($14.90) This is the way that Laurie likes her pizza, cut into little squares so it’s easy to eat. 

FYI, this proves that you ‘can go back’ to experience what you remembered from the past!  The pizza has a very thin crust, just like we enjoy most.  While it isn’t the best pizza ever, it is very good and it brought back a lot of memories… The last time that we dined at Lou Boccardi’s was with our mothers…and that was about 36 years ago!

This was Bill and Bonnie’s pizza.  This is a 16” Godfather Pizza. ($22.50) This creation includes just about everything except the kitchen sink.  It was loaded with Italian Sausage, hamburger, bacon, black olives, ham, salami, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions and green peppers!  Bill loved it but it wouldn’t have been Bonnie’s choice.

Thanks for the memories!  Lou Boccardi’s is located at 5424 Magnolia Avenue on The Hill in St. Louis Missouri.  Phone: 314-647-1151.  This restaurant doesn’t have a website but they are on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/boccardis/.

That’s it for now.  Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave