Istanbul: delicious sesame-crusted bread called simit
The HMS Fish Sandwich
All aboard!
sky rockets in flight
we tried some home-cured olives in turkey that were amazing. these aren't them.
a two-thousand year old oven in Pompeii.
grain mills in a bakery in Pompeii
two-thousand year old restaurant.
Cumbrae oyster, served roadside
The perfect fast food: no wasteful packaging, no cutlery, minimal chewing required.
Be careful though, as too many oysters too early in the morning may cause a nasty case of post-oyster malaise.
To get to Inverness from London I took an express train to Gatwick airport, costing roughly $60 return. As soon as I got to the airport and sat down with a latte and croissant, somebody triggered the fire alarm and the entire airport was evacuated. We were herded out on to the tarmac en masse. I had to abandon my latte.
Confusion
Delayed-Delayed-Delayed-Delayed-Please Wait-Delayed-Delayed
Eventually I made it on to my flight and an hour and a half later landed at the charmingly small Inverness airport.
The river Ness
Dinner at Rocpool. I had venison with black pudding.
the evening started out civilized....
The next morning (or early afternoon…okay, mid-afternoon) we packed up the rental car and set out to Loch Ness and the Isle of Skye.
things got misty
My feet were wet for three days straight. I never have proper footwear. Ever.
rocks.
memento mori
Durness
We never made it to a whiskey distillery but we did drink our fair share of the glorious malt. We sampled Fraogh, an ancient Pictish beer infused with heather. Allison also introduced me to the wonders of haggis,as well as square sausage, potato scones, scampi fries, prawn cocktail crisps, and the king of all snack food, the Scotch egg. And then we went for a walk.
"No point in mentioning these bats, I thought. The poor bastard will see them soon enough."
That's curried goat, rice, beans and plantain.
Jerk chicken.
"I was a relatively respectable citizen — a multiple felon, perhaps, but certainly not dangerous."
I think I’ve contracted food poisoning from the Jamaican patties pictured below. Either that or the coconut cream and chili peppers I’ve been eating have finally pushed my stomach over the edge….
Portobello Road, 6:15 pm. My mini harmonica was put to good use.
"I hate to say it, but this place is getting to me. I think I'm getting the fear."
"Just another freak in the freak kingdom."
"If I were you I'd leave the Doctor alone until after he's eaten his breakfast because he's a very crude man."
"Wear some golf shoes, otherwise we'll never get out of this place alive."
"Impossible to walk in this muck. No footing at all."
More to come.
Quotes from Fear and Loathing by Hunter S. Thompson
expensive flower-water
what I didn't eat for lunch
pan-asian cuisine at Tanpopo in South Kensington
like the English, Canadians take beer seriously
Tomorrow is Notting Hill Carnival, which I will be documenting in a post in the next day or two, depending on how the party goes.
Londoners discussing cheese at Neal's Yard Dairy
Graffiti by Banksy
Liverpool Street Station
Battersea Park
shop 'til you drop
nothing could deter me from buying the tiny harmonica on a chain
or the 2nd century AD Roman coin
is it real, who knows? do I love it? yes!
