With a full night’s rest behind us, we were able to rouse ourselves for a Granville breakfast, which was just as expected: beans, toast, eggs, sausage, hashbrown wedge, mushroom and tomato. It was quite a full breakfast compared to what I usually eat, and Dad too isn’t accustomed to eating in the morning so when he was asked what he would like to eat, his statements about not wanting much somehow translated to two soft-boiled eggs (which were tasty but confusing).
Fortified for the day, we thanked our hosts and launched from Granville to the nearby pharmacy, where Dad was able to get his emergency prescription fill. We also dropped by the newsagent across the way to pick up some sundry toiletries, and by the time our miscellaneous shopping was done, we got back to the room just in time to greet my dear friend Erik, who is studying in Cambridge and came to meet up with us for a few days. We briefly swapped stories and got Erik settled in our room, then went to catch the bus downtown.
For day two on the Royal Mile, we split up; Erik and I went to explore the Scotch Whisky Experience while Tasha and Dad went to visit the shops and get a cup of coffee. The SWE is part hokey Disneyland ride, part excellent primer for whisky appreciation. The former involves visitors climbing into a half-cask amusement park car and rolling along a track while a goofy ghost floats around describing the distillation process from mashing to bottling, while the latter involves an orientation (including tasting) about the various whisky regions of Scotland and what scents and flavors define each type. Guess which part I preferred. ☺
The Experience concluded with a viewing of the Diageo-sponsored private collection of Brazilian whisky collector Claive Vidiz. The 3480 bottles on display ranged from some very rare specimens from distilleries no longer in operation to some far more common, and while none had been opened and none were available to taste, the sight of all the bottles together was incredible. I took quite a few photos and here are some that stood out:
As we stood in the bar area marveling at some of the more unorthodox promotional bottling in the collection, we realized that it was time for us to meet back with Tasha and Dad, so we made our way to the front of the exhibit and the four of us then proceeded back to the bus stop to head back to the hotel. Oddly enough though, the bus stop was now obstructed by a large protest/parade which seemed to have just begun. The issues being raised ranged from the need for more women architects to Scottish nationalism, but the parade seemed to be going strong so we wandered back to an alleyside cafe for some cake, beer and coffee (with whisky of course).
After a half hour or so we made it back to the bus stop and the coast was clear. Tasha and Erik still felt up for some exploring, so Dad and I caught the bus back to Granville for a rest. I took a brief catnap, then went walking the streets around our guest house to see if I could find an Internet café or access point. Sadly I failed, save for a random free hot spot outside a church a few blocks away, but that was enough so that I could post to the blog (as you saw). Satisfied enough for the moment, I went back to the room, then Dad and I caught the bus back downtown to meet up with Erik and Tasha for dinner.
The tenth was Erik’s birthday, and Erik’s mom had sent a card with Tasha to give to him for the occasion, but along with that card was a card for the rest of us (as all four of us have October birthdays) that contained money for us to treat ourselves to a nice birthday dinner. So the Wee Windaes was selected as the dining location of choice, and after a long walk, we made our way there. The restaurant was perched high and looked out over a section of the Royal Mile, and since it specialized in traditional Scottish fare, I ordered my first full taste of haggis, neeps and tatties (i.e. mashed turnips and potatoes).
Now, haggis has become an obvious joke or “dare” food thanks in no small part to ‘So I Married an Axe Murderer’, but I swear, it really is quite delicious. Far be it from me to look down my nose at what goes into a processed meat (being the hot dog enthusiast that I am), but if you’re able to look past such things, you’ll find that haggis is really no more weird or funky than a richly-flavored sausage…and served as it was with neeps and tatties, I was hooked. Between that, a pint, local steak, sticky toffee pudding and whisky, I can’t think of a better dinner to have for our first REAL Scottish dining experience.
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