Vippa, Oslo

 We have departed on our mini European tour!

First stop - Oslo

We stayed with Dr Mick who moved to Oslo a few years ago and who is now a seasoned local (seasoned with salt and pepper) and so therefore knows some good places to get some grub.

He took us to Vippa, a food hall which offers many different types of street food in one big shed.   The long tables reminded me of a school canteen, but in a good way, and you had to clear up after yourself too - putting your dirty cutlery and glasses is a designated area for washing and making sure your table was clean.

It was great to see that each food stall had their own arty storefront to showcase their delicious food.  There were many options available, including a bar where we bought some local beer - the name escapes me but it certainly was good.

Thai food, Chinese dumplings, a stall which specialised in any thing chili related, oodles of noodles, pizzas, Ethiopian cuisine, spring rolls, all sorts of Mexican food, ramen, curries...and those are just the ones I can remember!

Predictable as ever, I had a sushi bowl by a stall called Bowls by Trio who, from what I can work out, serve food in bowls.  Simple as that.  It was delicious, but (to us non-locals) expensive, as is everything in Norway.  It's all relative, I'm told.

If I remember correctly, Michael had a curry.  If I don't remember correctly, I have only imagined this because of the frequency with which Michael consumes curries.  He loves a curry, that lad.

I was kindly gifted one of Alan's chips (the smallest one he could find!) that he bought from Duck It, who sell pulled duck burgers and chips, the chips being fried in duck fat.  The burger looked and smelt amazing.  I'll admit to having been a little jealous of him.

Why the duck don't we have a similar place in Aberdeen?  Or anywhere in Scotland?  (Correct me if I'm wrong!)  Someone sort it out!

Carluccio's, St Pancras Station, London

This was just around the corner from the flat we were staying in.  I generally prefer to stay away from chain restaurants, especially when we're away from home, as there's so many lovely independent restaurants that I haven't tried.  However, we were hangry.

We needed fed and we needed fed NOW!

We had previously had brunch in Carluccio's in Aberdeen and enjoyed it so we were hopeful that the fare here would be of similar standard.  

We had the Grandioso Board to start.  Alan doesn't normally do well with sharing food, however, it seems I have whipped him into shape somehow.  Who would have thought that would have been possible?

The chicken liver pate was fantastic, (maybe even better than my own!) as were the garlic and mint green beans - something I think I'll try at home.



Speaking of trying things at home...

Even since we visited I've been trying to recreate the main course I had here - Penne Giardiniera.  Penne pasta with courgette and crispy spinach balls in a chilli/garlic/parmesan buttery sauce.  It was so delicious.  I've not quite mastered it yet, but I'm getting there.  

For pudding, Alan had Fudge and Rum Cake, which he was happy to learn didn't taste like rum...why pick a rum cake if you don't like rum?  Eejit.  Sadly, I didn't have space for pudding.  I've always had my eye on the amazing looking meringues that seem to grace the windows of all Carluccio's restaurants.  Maybe another time though.  The coffee I had was good though.  

It's been good, London.  

Wheatsheaf, London

After a wee trip up The Shard, we headed to Borough Market, where we saw all sorts of delicious things to eat.  We chatted to a lovely chap, who worked there selling Borough Market shopping bags, about the recent terrorist attack there.  I was pleased to see that it seemed to be thriving once again after this atrocity.  It could have happened anywhere.

It was busy and full of people and we were really just looking for somewhere quiet to sit down, have a pint, and satisfy our rumbling bellies.   Right next door, we stumbled upon the Wheatsheaf.  I'm glad that we did.  This quirky wee place has a lovely hipster pub vibe to it.  It has tire swings and old car seats to sit in the covered over outside area.  In the end, we settled down inside, which has slightly more of a traditional pub feel.  Long wooden tables with benches to sit on - that would do us nicely.  

We each had a pint of the local beer, the name of which escapes me, and it was very good.  Since it was Sunday, I ordered a roast.  Slow cooked brisket - yum!  Alan had roast chicken.  

Before long our food had arrived and our eyes lit up.  What was placed before us was way beyond our expectations.  The Yorkshire pudding was unreal.  I can't stress enough how good this tasted.  The brisket fell to bits, the veg was perfectly cooked and buttery and the gravy.....oh the gravy!

I like to go to new places each time I'm away from home, however, this place will definitely be on my list of places to return to.  

Giuliano's on the Shore, Leith, Edinburgh

By the time we reached Giuliano's, we were rat arsed.  We had a few drinks at Malmaison and then a few more at The Ship on the Shore.  Both places were lovely.  We were well oiled and in need of some tasty food to soak up the alcohol.  On our way to the restaurant we had a wee wander around Leith and spotted these cute cygnets with their parents...

When we arrived, they were fully booked but we decided to wait for a table to become free.  Luckily, after only five minutes, we were shown to our table.  The restaurant is larger than it seems from the outside, and is decorated just as you would expect an Italian restaurant to be.  Our waiter was friendly and welcoming.  

We shared Antipasto Misto (£9.90) to start.  Everything on the platter was delicious. I love a platter!  

Alan had Lasagne (£9.90).  I knew he would.  He has it whenever it's on the menu.  I love lasagne but I feel that I could easily make it at home so it feels like a waste of an opportunity to experience something new if I choose it when I'm out.  I had Paccheri di Branzino (£10.50) which was delicious.  I was surprised, but delighted, that it came with a with a great big prawn.  The pasta was the best I've ever tasted.  It did a fantastic job of soaking up the alcohol and although the dish was fairly small, it was filling.  

I was glad to have left some space for pudding though.  I ordered Tiramisu (£5.50) and it was massive.  I must admit, I like a little more alcohol in mine and a bit more of a coffee flavour too but it was still really good.  

I would return here.  It had a nice atmosphere and the staff were really friendly.  

The Newsroom, Edinburgh

We have visited The Newsroom a couple of times now, it's conveniently located just off of Princes Street.  This time we were here for a late lunch, a pint, and to escape the torrential rain.  We sat near the window and enjoyed watching the people outside get soaked as we were cosy inside, drinking beer and listening to the great soundtrack which was being played.  The guy next to us kept over-enthusiastically singing into his wife's ear, much to her annoyance and to our amusement.

Alan, as ever, had trusty old fish and chips (£12).  I must admit, I struggled to find something on the menu that I fancied.  A lot of the dishes on the menu just seemed a bit heavy for what I was after, considering we were eating quite late and would have supper in a few hours.  These are the sort of things Alan doesn't worry about.  He's always hungry, no matter what.

I settled for chicken wings (£6) with a side of chips (£3.50).  Neither of us were disappointed.  Our food arrived quickly and was hot.  The wings were tasty and juicy, covered in sticky sauce.  The chips were fat and fluffy, just as you would expect in a pub.  Good old 'pub chips'.

The cocktail menu looked really good with lots to choose from.  Next time I think we'll treat ourselves to a tipple or two.  We'll be back.

Ee-Usk, Oban, Argyll

This is a place I've been wanting to visit forever.  As I previously mentioned, we are fairly frequent visitors to the Oban area.  This restaurant is in the heart of Oban, right on the waterfront with beautiful views from the floor-to-ceiling windows of Kerrera and Mull.

I'm a seafood fan.  Alan isn't.  This is the reason we have not visited before.  I had actually convinced him to dine here last time we were in Oban but I had underestimated the popularity of Ee-Usk (NOTE TO SELF - MUST ALWAYS BOOK A TABLE IN ADVANCE).

We nipped into the restaurant prior to our wee jolly to Kerrera to book a table for when we came back.  As Monster in Law is vegetarian, she was a little apprehensive about eating here, worried that they may not have anything to offer.  In order to reassure her, we checked as we booked the table that they can cater for a hungry herbivore.  Yes, they can.  Great!

We returned from Kerrera roasting and ravenous.  I already knew what I wanted.  Seafood Platter, of course.  The £19.95 one, not the Grand Platter at £100.  I was hungry, not rich.  Although I'm sure it's probably good value especially if you get five times what I got on mine.  Also, it serves two people.  Totally justifiable.  I will bear this in mind for our next visit.  

I've never had an oyster before but had wanted to try one for years.  I was quite nervous about puking it up in front of the whole restaurant...but I managed not to!  Woohoo!  I enjoyed both oysters without either of them making a reappearance.  A great sense of achievement was felt.  

I already can't wait to go back.

Kerrera Tea Garden, Isle of Kerrera, Argyll

Today we went for a jolly to the Isle of Kerrera, which is just a very short ferry journey away from Oban.  There's not much on this wee island, but thanks to my Monster in Law's obsession with scones, she knew there was a wee cafe at the other end of the island and so we made this our objective.

The ferry itself was, I felt, quite expensive at £4.50 each for a return journey, however, the two chaps running the show were friendly and welcoming and I really enjoyed the short trip.  It seemed busy both times, mainly packed with folk like us, aiming for the cafe.

Oban from the ferry

The journey was quite spectacular.  We had been blessed with a temperature of 22 degrees, which is rather unusual in Scotland in the month of May...or actually, any time of year.  We got a few lovely photos of the scenery.

I had been assured that the cafe was roughly two miles from the ferry.  I enjoy walking, but I do prefer to be on the flat.  Unfortunately for me, the journey seemed to be mainly uphill.  In the heat, I was struggling!  I would normally be able to walk two miles in roughly half an hour, but this took us quite a bit longer, I think it was roughly an hour, even the dog was flagging.

The tea garden itself was nicely set out with quite a few tables in the sun, surrounded by beautiful plants and flowers.  You can't actually go inside the bigger house as this seems to be a staff only area.  Luckily it was a nice day, otherwise, I'm not sure where all of the customers would sit.  The inside area, in the steading-like building, only had three small tables, all occupied.  

I ordered a lemonade and a lemon drizzle cake, both sounded refreshing - I was clearly in need to some zing!  Monster in Law ordered a scone, but unfortunately they had none left.  The friendly hap who served us explained that this was due to a walking group having ransacked the place earlier.  Alan said that he thought that some staff members and many of their customers looked 'a bit vegan', and 'as if they might wear hemp shoes'.  As terrible as this is to say, I must admit, I knew what  he meant.  

The lemon drizzle cake arrived.  It was a good sized slice and very tasty.  I was pleased that it was, as I felt it was quite expensive at £2.50, however, I can understand that not only do they have a captive audience, but also have to struggle with the logistics of getting ingredients to stock the kitchen from the mainland.  We had a wee nosey in the bothy before we left.  It was nicely set out and looked well equipped with everything you might need.  Monster in Law vowed she would stay next time she visited, although I think she'll maybe bring ingredients for scones with her as a backup plan.

I was pleased that our return journey was shorter due to it being downhill, because I could feel I had been sunburnt on our way there.  I hadn't been prepared for sun in Argyll seeing as Aberdeenshire was a cloudy 13 degrees.  Lesson learned.  

Scottish Sea Life Sanctuary, Oban

We were lucky enough to receive a 'Breakfast with Seals' experience at the Scottish Sea Life Sanctuary near Oban as a wedding present from an old school friend,, David, and his lovely lady friend, Claire.  We have both been very excited about this.

We visit this neck of the woods a few times per year as Alan has family near Oban.  Granny Marie lives in Benderloch, and Auntie Mo and Uncle Colin are in Taynuilt.  Mo and Colin kindly let us stay at theirs when we visit.  It's a beautiful part of the country.  Unfortunately, the past few times we have visited it has been a bit dreich.  However, this weekend was a scorcher - 22 degrees at one point!  It was great to have such lovely weather as it meant we got a few good pictures of our wee trip.

There are four seals at the Sanctuary, three ladies, Lora, Pippa and Macey, and one gent, Boo.  Each of them have different conditions which mean that they would not manage to survive in the wild.  We were able to feed them their breakfast of herring and they did some wee tricks for us, including giving us both a big smooch on the head.  Alan likened them to 'sea slug dogs' and I think this summed them up quite accurately.  

We had cereal and a bacon roll for breakfast in the cafe, and then had a wee wander around the rest of the Sanctuary.  The whole experience was fantastic and I'd definitely recommend a visit.  The staff seemed very informative and it was mentioned to us that they are currently refurbishing many of the zones.  I'll look forward to seeing the progress on our next visit.  

Thanks David, Claire, Mo and Colin!

Breakneck Comedy, Blue Lamp, Aberdeen

We were lucky enough to receive a Breakneck Comedy gift card as a wedding present.  We go as often as we can.  It's a fantastic gift to receive and will be renewing the card when it expires, although we have no idea when that is, sometime soon I would think.  It's a bargain, £99 for a years worth of laughs for two folk.  £50 each.  The shows usually cost £10 per person so you only really need to go  five times, as a couple, within a year, to make this card worthwhile.  It's a steal.

Waaaay better than the rip off Cineworld card we used to have!

A Cineworld Unlimited Card is £208.80 per person per year so £417.60 for two people.  Please correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't this mean that you would have to visit the cinema roughly twenty times each to make it worthwhile?  There's no way Alan and I would agree twenty times per year on which films are worth going to see.  It just wasn't worth it for us, but I'm sure it works for loads of people.  I'm sure it doesn't help that we live outside of the city.

Anyway, back to business...

We love our Breakneck Comedy gift card.  It gives us a great opportunity to perhaps organise a date night, or to just get off of the sofa and into a more sociable atmosphere, as well as giving us the chance to see some fantastically hilarious people.

Headlining at the Blue Lamp last night was Dana Alexander, and she was great, She lit up the stage as soon as she came on and made one lady, sitting behind us, fall off her chair laughing.  I really loved the way she dealt with a woman near the front who kept speaking over her - there's always one!

However, there was a young chap who was on stage prior to Dana, a guy called Andrew Sim, who really did it for me.  Both Alan and I agreed that he was our favourite of the night.  He's a local lad, apparently from Lumphanan, who has a fondness for NECR, so he immediately won a place in my heart as I am also a fan of this top quality radio show.  (Honestly, they should be paying me here.)  He took them off to a tee and really the only thing he missed was a mention of the 'Lamb Bank', a regular feature on  the station around this time of year.  If his career in stand up doesn't work out, I have no doubt they will gladly take him on as a presenter!  I really hope we see more of him at Breakneck nights.

Aberdeen Country Fair, Belmont Street, Aberdeen

I've been wanting to try Little Squares of Heaven for ages.  This a a local, family run business based in Aberdeen and they make brownies using almond flour, which I am led to believe is the best flour for the job!  Today I picked some up at the Belmont Street Market.

"One of each flavour please...oh wait, can we have two of the caramely ones please?"

They are delicious!  It's awesome that they can send them to you by post too!  Look, LOOK, LOOK!

Next to their stall was Keith Brewery.  The chap selling the goods pushed the hard sale on me,
"Can I tempt you with some beer to go with your br-"

"Aye, of course!"

Poor guy.  I've not actually tried it yet, it's on my to-do list for today.  What a tough Sunday eh?