Travel – Page 33

Scotland (2022) – Breakfast at Port Charlotte Hotel, Bunnahabhain and Bowmore Distilleries, and Lunch at The Lochside Hotel & Restaurant (Islay)

October 2, 2022 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Distilleries, Scotland, Travel

On our first full day in Islay, we got up early, and decided to take a short stroll around Port Charlotte.

It was a charming town.

We headed back to the hotel for breakfast.

I saw something that I've always wanted to try on the menu.

It's hard to go wrong with any smoked fish in Scotland and the Missus ordered the Loch Fyne Smoked Salmon with Poached Eggs.

There was a bread, dairy, and cereal station available. The salmon was quite good and the eggs perfect.

I had always wanted to try Kippers and here I finally had a chance. I ordered the Loch Fyne Smoked Kippers.

Man, with the fried potato scone, this was so good. Deeply savory, wonderful smoked fish flavors, perfect salt. A squeeze of lemon to help cut the richness and we were good to go. The Missus had a taste and was sold. In fact, She would order this the next morning for breakfast!

Port Charlotte Hotel
Main St.
Port Charlotte PA48 7TU, Scotland

As usual Sean was on time for our pick-up. One of the benefits of having a private driver/tour is the flexibility. We found that doing three tastings in a day was a bit much for us and asked Sean if he could cut it down to two for this day. Which was no problem.

The first stop was just a quick one. Ardnahoe Distillery was fairly new, opening in 2019. Sean had never been there so he asked us if we'd like to take a look.

It was very modern and sleek looking. It was a nice stop to stretch our legs a bit and the Missus enjoyed all of the portraits of Her favorite animal; the Highland Cow….which they call "Heilan' Coo".

The next stop was Bunnahabhain Distillery. It was quite a drive to the distillery.

Our visits on this day revolved around tastings, though we were given an short walking tour of the distillery.

Bunnahabhain Distillery is known as the most remote distillery on Islay. We were told that the village of Bunnahbhain was created to actually house the distilleries employees! Their Scotch is also unique as they are known for their unpeated Scotch Whiskey.

When it was time for our tasting were were each given an impressive "tasting kit"!

There was no way the Missus and I would finish one each; so we split one and brought the other home, which I gave to "FOY" JeffP.

The Missus thought this a bit on the overly "sweet" side; while I really liked the 18yo and the Amontillado Cask versions.

We had quite the drive to our next destination; Bowmore and Sean made a stop at a wonderful ceramic shop named Persabus Pottery which the Missus loved.

She ended up buying a beautiful looking cup

And it looks like cats are loved and most welcomed here!

It was about a half hour drive to the town of Bowmore. Which, after staying in Port Charlotte, and visiting the distilleries and villages seemed like a big city (it's the Administrative Captial)….with a population of…..700!

We made a quick stop at the pharmacy, before heading off to Bowmore Distillery.

The Visitor Center seemed a bit more fancy than the other tasting rooms. And instead of a tour there was a video presentation. Bowmore was the first "legal" distillery on Islay, founded in 1779.

Which came with 2 free tasters of our choice.

It's nicely balanced, with nice fruity tones.

After this tasting we stopped for lunch at the The Lochside Hotel & Restaurant. We'd eaten quite a bit for breakfast, so the Missus and I went with some smaller, starter items.

The Missus enjoyed Her Stornoway Black Pudding.

Which was fairly crumbly, but pleasant to eat, quite moist, not overly "iodiney", and nicely seasoned, perhaps a bit on the salty side, which made it go good with the poached egg.

If you noticed; I've been looking for dishes I'd read or heard about during my meals on Islay. And here I got the Cullen Skink.

Basically a smoked haddock cream soup….think of it as a less thick smoky chowder if you will. Actually, I enjoyed the rustic bread the most! This was nice and filling.

The Lochside Hotel & Restaurant
20 Shore St.
Bowmore, Isle of Islay PA43 7LB, Scotland

Sean had noticed that we took a bit on interest in the rather unique looking church in the town. So after lunch we drove on up to Kilarrow Church.

It's quite an eye catcher to be sure. Built in 1767, Kilarrow Church is still used to this day, making it the oldest church still in use on Islay.

There's a cemetery right next to the church that caught my eye.

This is a Commonwealth War Graves site.

I was rather shocked to see many "Unknown" tombstones. According to this website there are:

"36 unknown seamen of the Merchant Navy"

Buried here. Very sad.

We started heading back to Port Charlotte, taking in the views….

Because it was still rather early in the day; Sean had one more stop in mind before dropping us at the hotel!

Stay Tuned!

Scotland (2022) – Ardbeg, Lagavulin, and Laphroaig Distilleries. Dinner at Port Charlotte Hotel (Islay)

October 1, 2022 mmm-yoso British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Caffeine Fix, Distilleries, Scotland, Seafood, Travel

After a nice day in Oban, we headed off early the next morning to catch the ferry to Port Ellen on Islay. It was a bit of a drive and I was quite fascinated with the whole thing as I hadn't ever been on a ferry this large before. I mean the ferry could hold buses and semi's, heavy construction equipment. It let cars in first, then had the cars lifted to the ceiling. I'd ridden the Washington State Ferry several times; but this was much larger.

We were entertained by this pup while waiting to get our van onto the ferry.

It was drizzling a bit and the pooch just wasn't into going to do his business or even a walk. He refused to move until finally; his "Dad" let him back into the car! It was pretty funny. We knew who ran things in this family!

The ferry was quite spacious and well equipped and had several designated areas.

Sean our driver told me to meet him back at the van a few minutes before docking; so we headed out to relax.

We saw the pooch sitting with Dad and eventually napping away in the pet friendly area. It must have been a pretty tough morning! The seats and sofas there were quite comfortable.

After a while, we headed off to the coffee kiosk for a caffeine fix.

There was some pretty comfortable seating here as well.

And the coffee decent as well.

Soon enough we had arrived at Port Askaig…..

Sean had arranged for three distillery visits and we'd be hitting them right in a row.

But first, we stopped here…..

What in god's name is this you might ask? Well, this is what gives Islay Scotch Whiskey its unique character. It's peat, basically an accumulation of decayed organic matter.

The peat is dried, then slowly burnt to give Islay Scotch it's smoky flavor.

And then it was time for our stops. Like many of the tours we do these days…most private or small group, there's just so much information…..I'll just do quick recaps of our visits.

First stop Ardbeg Distillery.

Most of the distilleries we visited had a similar look; the white washed buildings and some had wonderful views as well.

We loved Ardbeg's "mascot"!

We did a tour of the grounds and got a nice history; Ardbeg was established in 1815! We then got a tasting.

Quite peaty; though a good amount of sweetness came thru.

Lagavulin was next. The setting was amazing as there are ruins of a castle right in the bay in back of the distillery. This is Dunyvaig Castle.

We got a nice rundown of the machinery here; some of it unique and almost one of a kind.

The tasting here was quite diverse; everything from really strong with a "bite" to quite peaty. We were told that the pot stills are filled to the maximum at Lagavulin; thus the contact with copper is lower than most other brands creating a unique flavor profile.

The Missus's favorite Scotch is from Laphroaig, so She was looking forward to our visit. And overall, the Laphroaig tour was the most comprehensive as well.

We actually got to go into a malting room.

Saw peat being "burned"…..

And was basically walked thru much of the process.

As for the tastings….well, the Missus still likes Her Laphroaig 10! And perhaps the Quarter Cask. I'm more of a Sherry Oak kind of guy and I had a taste of the 16…oh my!

Looks like some other folk like Laphroaig too!

Perhaps our favorite part of the tour were the "opinion tiles" which detail the love-hate polarizing opinions of the Laphroaig. These are at the entrance of the distillery.

It details at the bottom of the tile details what the person tasted.

My favorite one was…..

There were a group of Frenchmen….wearing kilts and all the gear on a Scotch pilgrimage! Sean went and took photos of them.

You gotta love this place!

Islay was indeed beautiful; the folks warm and welcoming. And the scenery……

But man, we were bushed. Sean dropped us off at out accommodation, the very comfortable Port Charlotte Hotel.

And after doing a bit of research before our trip; I figured that the most suitable meals for us would be in the hotel.

And it would turn out to be a good choice.

We started with 6 Loch Gruinart (local) Oysters.

My goodness; these were so good! Not overly briny; with a sweet-cucumbery aftertaste. We ended up ordering another half-dozen.

The Wild Mushroom Salad was also quite good.

Good earthy flavors; loved the addition of pine nuts added that unique, almost sweet flavor. The truffle oil dressing didn't hurt things at all either.

The Seafood Chowder was interesting; tomato based.

Really couldn't taste much other than the broth.

The Chips were ok.

A bit too dense for my liking.

The Islay Scallops were good, but not seared enough.

Really enjoyed the beets though! Very sweet and perfectly cooked.

And of course, an encore of oysters.

Port Charlotte Hotel
Main St.
Port Charlotte PA48 7TU, Scotland

After dinner we took a stroll.

Port Charlotte was like something from a postcard.

Something that I only thought existed in movies. It was peaceful, relaxed, and we were enjoying things.

Thanks for stopping by!

Scotland (2022) – Oban Distillery and Coast Restaurant (Oban)

September 29, 2022 mmm-yoso British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Distilleries, Scotland, Seafood, Travel

After starting in Edinburgh and making our way past Loch Lomond and Luss, we arrived at our destination for the evening, Oban. While I had read that Oban was quite touristy, we really enjoyed the laid back atmosphere of the town.

Of course, since we were on a private whiskey tour, the first stop was Oban Distillery.

Just to let you know how relaxed Oban was; check out the pooch sleeping belly up in the window across the busy parking lot of the distillery.

Sean guided us in and got us on our tour.

Our guide was a hoot…..with a great sense of humor. He went over the five major Scottish Regions that make Scotch Whiskey and then the Flavour Map.

And then we were off into how Oban makes their whiskey. I won't go into that detail, but you can find a good outline here. Scotch Whiskey uses copper stills. We were told that the copper binds with the sulphurs released during the fermentation process. Thus the liquid produced has a cleaner taste. We were also told during our tours that each distillery has its own design for pot stills.

As for Oban….you gotta love our guide, who photobombed me when I wanted to take a photo of the stills.

At the end we had a sampling. The Missus prefers a more peaty-smoky Scotch; the versions here had a nice bit of almost citrusy-fruitiness to it.

This was a fun first stop for us!

Oban Distillery
Stafford St
Oban PA34 5NH, Scotland, United Kingdom

After freshening up at our hotel we set out to explore a bit and then find some dinner.

Oban was a charming town and we enjoyed the views.

We saw an interesting church from the harbor and decided to walk on over to the Northern side of town past the main road to check out Saint Columba's Cathedral.

St Columbas Cathedral - Oban

If you're interested, here's some good info on the Cathedral.

We then headed back into the city. We went thru a more residential neighborhood before getting to Dunollie Road.

Which turned into George Street where I had a place on my list named Coast Restaurant, which seemed to have the type of menu we enjoyed so we headed on over. It was exactly at opening time; 530pm so we easily got a table.

The service was warm and welcoming; typical of all the service we had in Scotland.

The Missus started with some wine. I got a Isle of Jura 10 Year Single Malt.

The menu itself was divided into two parts; the Light Bite menu, where you could even have some of the starters as mains, and the A La Carte menu. We chose items from both to make out dinner.

The Missus wanted to try the mussels, so we ordered that off the Light Bites menu as a main (£15).

I believe mentioning how amazing the seafood was in Scotland and this was no exception. Sweet, tender, not a gritty bite found anywhere. This was so good.

We also got the Crab Pot (£9.5).

Wonderfully sweet and briny crab claw meat, with a refreshing, if a bit too sweet creme fresh, we enjoyed the baby chard and arugula which helped develop a textural contrast and add earthiness to the dish.

And also the starter of "Hand Dived Scallops" – £10.95.

So sweet, tender, perfectly rare in the center. The smoked bacon added another layer of flavor and smokiness. The tempura samphire tasted like asparagus. This was quite good…and look Black Radish, more than one scallop for almost half the price!

This was a nice dinner. We'd gladly eat here again.

Coast Restaurant
104 George St.
Oban PA34 5NT, Scotland, United Kingdom

After dinner we went for our usual stroll.

There's something about the pace of life here that really made one relax.

Though many places seemed to close early. Folks would pass us on the street and greet us.

We returned to our room and settled in. Tomorrow would be quite a day as we'd be taking the ferry to Islay and visit not one, but three distilleries.

Thanks for stopping by!

Guanajuato (2022) – Museo Casa Diego Rivera and a Revisit to Mestizo

September 24, 2022 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, San Miguel de Allende/Guanajuato, Travel

After doing a good bit of walking earlier in the day, we relaxed and took a short siesta. Upon getting up, we decided to head on out. Guanajuato was a fine place to stroll and just take in the different plazas. Like Plaza de Los Angeles.

We needed to grab something from Oxxo, so we went down the stairs onto busy Avenida Benito Juarez and enjoyed the colorful buildings on the street.

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We had made very early dinner reservations with one stop in mind before our meal which was almost right across the street from the restaurant.

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Artist Diego Rivera was born in Guanajuato and though his family only lived there for a few years, the home he lived in has been made into a a museum.

IMG_2017 (2) Since we had already visited La Casa Azul earlier on the trip, I thought a visit here would be a nice "bookend". The building's restoration and conversion to a museum was initiated by Diego Rivera's daughter, Guadalupe Rivera Marin. As to how many children Diego Rivera had, well the numbers vary based on the source….

The museum is fairly small, but we enjoyed seeing the scope of Diego Rivera's work and the different styles he embraced from Cubism to Impressionism, to Post-Impressionism, and Muralism.

To be perfectly honest, before this trip, while I had read (and seen the movie) and seen the works of Frida Kahlo, I really did not know much about Diego Rivera.

Visiting Casa Azul, Museo Diego Rivera, and reading the various tales like how Leon Trotsky lived with the pair while in exile (Trotsky was assassinated in Coyoacán in 1940).

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IMG_2012 (2) According to this wonderful website Rivera feared for his life (it was uncovered in the 1990's that he was a informant for the US) and went the the American Embassy and ended up in San Francisco. During that time Frida and Diego got remarried and he lived out his life in Casa Azul.

Man, talk about real life being more interesting than fiction!

Museo Casa Diego Rivera
Positos 47
Zona Centro, 36000 Guanajuato, Mexico

Even though Mestizo is basically a few buildings over from the museum, it was still a bit early, so we decided to drop off the stuff we got from Oxxo at the hotel.

We noticed that the Basilica Guanajuato (full name – Basílica Colegiata de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato) was open as we exited the hotel, so we decided to take a peek.

And then headed off to dinner.

We had enjoyed our previous meal at Mestizo so much that we had made reservations for a follow-up dinner on our last night in the city.

Service was just as friendly this time around and we ordered our favorites from that earlier meal along with one addition.

We did notice something different on this visit.

The flavors and presentation for the Tartar de Atun en Chile Viejo and the Chinchulines con Guacamole weren't quite as on the mark as on our previous visit.

We tried the Carpaccio de Pulpo con Xoconostle y Polvo de Chili Secos. Basically octopus with prickly pear and chili de arbol powder.

As before the tortillas were up to the task though not outstanding. The pulpo was on the tougher end of things and we thought more citrus/sour tones were needed as well. We enjoyed the lemony-peppery-slightly anise tones of the epazote.

The one saving grace was that the Tuetano was just as wonderfully buttery and beefy as on the first visit.

So, while it seems that perhaps the "B" team was in charge on this evening, things ended on a high note for us.

Mestizo
Positos 69
Zona Centro, 36000 Guanajuato, Mexico

We then headed to La Clave Azul for a nightcap.

Since this was our last evening in Guanajuato and we had really enjoyed ourselves, we decided to do a little victory lap…starting with Jardin de la Union.

Where folks were out in full force.

We ran into the sweet gal selling cheesecake and we ended up paying for two and asked her to "pay it forward"!

As we got back to the hotel we noticed an interesting "scene"…..

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Hmmm, this fella looks familiar, right?

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There seems to always be something going on in Guanajuato!

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We slept well, got up, packed, and had breakfast at the hotel. The Nopales con Huevo were quite good.

After breakfast, we checked out, and met our driver Aaron, who as always was right on time and got us to the airport. It was time to head on home……

But….I'm sure we'll be back someday!

Thanks for stopping by!

Guanajuato (2022) – Breakfast at Santo Café

September 23, 2022 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, San Miguel de Allende/Guanajuato, Travel

On our second full day in Guanajuato, we stretched our boundaries a bit and ended up going from the Southeast side of the city to the Northwest side.

While doing my research on Guanajuato, I noticed several posts on a charming looking café with seating on a bridge overlooking a cobbled street named Santo Café. We had enjoyed walking in this wonderful city and even though it was a bit of "a truck" to the restaurant, we decided to head on over to Santo Café.

It was a pleasant walk, past places that were now familiar to us, Jardin de la Union, Teatro Juárez, and Templo de San Francisco.

We came across the street where Santo Café was located and walked up the stairs and crossed the bridge to the restaurant. It was fairly early and none of the three tables located on the bridge were taken.

We placed our order and took one of the tables on the bridge. The Missus got a Cortado ($32/MX – $1.55/US) and I got an Americano ($30/MX – $1.50/US) which were decent.

We got the Chilaquiles Verdes agrega dos Huevos ($117/MX – $5.80/US) to share, which ended up being more than enough for the Missus and I.

The eggs were perfectly done, crisp edges, runny yolk. The chips maintained a good crispness, the queso wasn't intrusive, and the Missus loved the tangy, mildly spicy green sauce. The beans were creamy and earthy. A decent breakfast that would hold us until dinner.

And for some reason, we enjoyed the view. A few folks even waved at us as they passed!

Santo Cafe
Del Campanero 4
Zona Centro, 36000 Guanajuato, Mexico

From here, we decided to head on out to of all places a cemetery. One of the most visited placed in Guanajuato is the Museo de las Momias, the mummy museum. The Missus wasn't interested in visiting, though during our walking tour, Susana mentioned that the cemetery where the mummies were found was actually next door to the museum. We decided to get some steps in and visit the cemetery.

So we headed on out.

One interesting tidbit about Guanajuato. Miguel Cervantes is quite popular here and Don Quixote even more so.

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There's even the La Casa del Quijote, the Don Quixote Museum.

IMG_1988_2 There's a Cervantes Festival in Guanajuato. And the Wikipedia page on the festival also mentions some of the background of why Cervantes is such a big part of the city.

Walking past Teatro Juárez and Iglesia de San Diego during the day provides a different view of things. At night, this is a bustling, lively area of the city and it's easy to miss things.

Like the two statues below. The one on the left is called "La Giganta". The one on the right is of a Rondalla Singer.

IMG_1996_02 From the center of town we made our way Northwest, past Mercado Hidalgo, then up the one of the hills that surround the town. Right past the Mummy Museum is Panteón Municipal Santa Paula, the cemetery.

Which was quite large…..

It was in this cemetery that the mummies for the museum were found. Apparently, there was a "burial tax" that had to be paid for perpetual burial. When taxes were not paid, the bodies were disinterred and stored in a nearby building. The environment of Guanajuato is conducive to mummification.

While walking amongst the graves we noticed this pooch…..

Who seemed to be on a mission. So we followed…..

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Apparently, this pup has a favorite spot in the cemetery where it just went and took a nap.

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All in all, an interesting visit.

From here we headed back into town.

Down the colorful streets of Guanajuato.

It was time for a nice siesta. So we could enjoy our last afternoon and evening in this colorful city.

Guanajuato (2022) – La Table de Andrée and La Clave Azul

September 10, 2022 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Cocktails, French Restaurants, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, San Miguel de Allende/Guanajuato, Travel

After our walking tour and lunch at La Vela, we did a bit of shopping, then returned to our room for a short nap. Soon enough it as dinner time. On the evening we had dinner at Mestizo, there was a restaurant we noticed across the street named La Table de Andrée. It was a French restaurant….in Guanajuato……we looked over the menu and decided why not? After our dinner we strolled over and made dinner reservations.

We had early reservations and were the first customers in the restaurant. The staff was really friendly and accommodating.

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The Missus got a glass of wine which She enjoyed and we placed our order.

The baguette was interesting; it was super light almost like banh mi.

The amuse was bacon wrapped dates…..not a bad start.

We ordered the Pate de Cerdo al Cognac – pork pate.

This was not bad; porky, slightly sweet, boozy-winey, nicely chilled and moist, a bit on the crumbly side. It went well with the whole grain mustard which added a bit of pungent-spice. The portion size was quite generous as well.

The Missus got the Camarones a la Persillada – shrimp with parsley sauce.

The shrimp was a tad overcooked and the risotto was on the hard side. The sauce was nicely flavored though.

I went with the Hachis Parmentier, a classic French dish that uses leftover Beef Stew topped with mashed potato and baked.

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This version used a very flavorful leftover Beef Bourguignon, super tender and beefy, and I believe there was come chorizo as well in this. It was topped with buttery mashed potatoes and cheese which was nicely broiled adding a wonderful texture to things. his was quite good!

The Missus enjoyed Her dessert.

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Overall, the dinner was better than we thought it would be. I'm thinking that being a college town, there might be a diverse clientele……as we noticed some French speakers, a German couple among the other customers.

La Table de Andrée
Positos 66
Zona Centro, 36000 Guanajuato, Mexico

After dinner we decided to head on over to the bar Susana recommended and we were glad we did.

It was somewhat divey, the bartender was super friendly, the decor was quirky and eclectic. The music was what I often call the Unites States' greatest export…rock 'n roll.

I enjoyed my Victoria and chased it with some local Mezcal. Guanajuato is one of the nine states within Mexico that have DO (Denomination of Origin) to produce Mezcal. This was a nice Espadin the bartender picked out for me.

We really liked the bartender and the vibe and would end up returning here the following evening.

La Clave Azul
Segunda De Cantaritos 31
Centro, 36000 Guanajuato, Mexico

We then headed on over to Jardin de la Union….all cities have their central plaza, where folks gather during the day (and night). For Guanajuato it's Jardin de la Union. Things were bustling and alive.

Folks walking and chatting….Mariachi working the crowds. We ran into a young lady selling cheesecakes who walked up to us and spoke perfect English. She is from Texas, but returned with Her Dad to Guanajuato. She helps out the family by selling the dad's cheesecakes, which were terrible, but of course we bought some. I wish I could remember her name; she was so sweet.

It was a lively scene.

We were enjoying our time in Guanajuato.

Thanks for stopping by!

Guanajuato (2022) – Doing a Private Walking Tour and Lunch at La Vela

September 9, 2022 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, San Miguel de Allende/Guanajuato, Seafood, Travel

When planning to visit Guanajuato the Missus and I realized that we really didn't know much about the city. So, I did a bit of research and scheduled a private walking tour of the city. It would turn out to a be a highlight of our trip.

We started out the day by having breakfast at the hotel – Chilaquiles and fruit.

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After breakfast we headed off to our designated meeting spot near the Hotel Real Guanajuato. Our guide Susana was a treasure; born and raised in Guanajuato, she gave us a in depth history, as well as local insights. There was just so much that I'll just provide a mild outline. In fact, I recommended Susana to FOY "RonR" who also did a tour and from what I understand enjoyed it as well. Susana took us to all the main sights, went thru the history and significance, gave us some recommendations.

There was a bit of research that I did before the tour. I knew that Guanajuato was once the home of the most productive silver mine in the world. And that combined with the obvious wealth which in turn created some wonderful structures has gotten Guanajuato a UNESCO listing. I also knew that the city played an important role in the Mexican War of Independence. In fact, the first stop was the Alhóndiga de Granaditas, now the Regional Museum of Guanajuato. Susana wove a tail of how the royalist barricaded themselves in the building, which was a granary. A battle ensued ensued and the building by the insurgents lead by an unlikely hero. More on that later. Sadly, I was so taken by the story that I forgot to take photos of the building! I thought I took photos, but sadly did not.

Next stop was the ever busy and huge Mercado Hidalgo.

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Here we were introduced to the most important item in the market; the shrine of Mary.

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As we walked among the food stands Susana said hello to a gentleman. She then told us, "he is the chef for my favorite restaurant in the city" and the we should eat there. The name of the place? Mestizo! We had a good laugh when we told her that we had dinner there the previous evening! Susana seemed to know quite a few people. She told us that her grandfather ran a bakery in town for many years. She then pointed to the church across from Mercado Hidalgo….

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And told us; "I was baptized here…." This is the Parroquia y Templo de Belén.

We strolled thru several plazas and there were stories……

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Susana recommended that we stop by this place for a drink and we ended up returning twice.

Susana was great when we inquired about various monuments we saw.

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The statue above is of Enrique Ruelas Espinosa who founded the University of Guanajuato Theatre and also established the Cervantes Festival…..yes, Guanajuato has a "thing" about Don Quixote.

There were just so may interesting places and stories.

We walked down one of the side streets and came to a point where two buildings were a mere two feet apart. This was the scene of a tragic, "Romeo and Juliette" story. Thus giving the spot the name "Callejón del Beso" (Alley of the Kiss). To quote the story in Atlas Obscura:

"According to local legend a wealthy family lived in one of the buildings that helped create the alley, and their daughter, whose bedroom window looked out onto the alley, fell in love with a young man from the wrong side of the tracks. The young man rented out the room in the building across from hers with a window that was directly across from her own as well. Then they would secretly meet and kiss across the tiny alley. Unfortunately, the girl’s father found out, and in a fit of rage, stabbed his daughter to death. Most accounts of the story end it there, but some go a bit further, saying the young man then threw himself to his death in the alley below."

More versions of the story here and here.

We got there and watched a couple walk up to the steps, their three children cheering them on, taking photos, and giggling until they kissed!

In my previous post I mentioned that much of the traffic in Guanajuato is diverted underground.

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We left the colorful streets of Guanajuato and went down stairs.

And into the underground tunnels.

Naturally, the first thing that came to mind was that this was a product of the silver mining days of the city. Which was incorrect. These tunnels were actually created in the late 19th century to divert the Guanajuato River which had flooded the city several times. In fact, Susana went and showed us markers of the height of the waters of several historic floods in the city's history.

I guess expert miners would be pretty good with creating tunnels, right? When it was decided that traffic should run under the city, another deeper set of tunnels were created to divert the river.

As we got to Teatro Juárez, the last leg of our tour was set to start.

We were given the choice of taking the funicular or walking up the hill to the statue of El Pipila.

Well, you know what the Missus chose, right? Actually, it was a fun walk, especially checking out all the pooches along the way.

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And at the top was a spectacular view of the city.

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And above it all was the statue of El Pipila.

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El Pipila was of course a nickname. The gentleman's real name was Juan José de los Reyes Martínez Amaro. It is said that he was given the moniker "El Pipila", which means "the turkey" either because he had a certain complexion or more popularly, because he was born with a birth defect that affected the way he walked. So, what did El Pipila do? Well, El Pipila was a miner, who during the siege of Alhóndiga de Granaditas, when things were at a standstill, El Pipila tied a stone slab to his back to repel arrows and bullets and rushed the door of the granary. He carried with him a torch and tar. He coated the door with tar and set fire to the door. The smoke from the fire meant the garrison in the granary could not accurately aim, folks outside gained entrance to the building and the garrison was defeated. And the Mexican Independence movement gained momentum. And the legend of El Pipila was born.

We enjoyed the street art on the walk back down.

It was a wonderful walking tour. Susana bade us farewell at Teatro Juárez and we did a bit of shopping and decided to grabbing some lunch. Close by was a place I had on my list….a Mariscos shop named La Vela.

One of my favorite things was what I believe is the shop pooch? He started inside….

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And then when he saw us. he decided to "hang" with us and get some sun.

Of course things soon got pretty warm out on the street so he grabbed a spot near us.

As for the food….well, from what I had read, one of the specialties of La Vela was the "marlin", smoked fish. And you know how the Missus loves Her smoked fish.

We started with some Flautas de Marlin ($80/MX – $4/US)

Loved the greens, but the tortillas were too chewy and the marlin really dry.

I was curious about the Caldo de Pescado ($95/Mx – $4.75/US) having had my share of mariscos "consomme" over the years.

Man, this had a greasy tongue feel, and was very bland.

The highlight of the meal was the gigantic Empanada de Marlin con Queso ($60/MX – $3/US)

Nice and crisp exterior, the smoked fish was really the star of the show here. It was moist, smokey, not overly salty, with great savory tones. The queso was used sparingly, which was actually a good thing. Look at all that smoked fish!

So, perhaps not the best lunch we've ever had. But it ended on a high note. Plus, that pooch entertained us. Now, if only that Asian dude at the other table on a call, telling folks he's from "Irvine" and went to "Xxxx University" and how he knows everything could have used his inside voice….well, it might have been a nicer meal.

La Vela
36000, Constancia 6
Guanajuato, Gto., Mexico

Well, I know this is a rather long post. So thanks for reading!

Scotland (2022) – The Kelpies and Lunch at The Drover Inn

September 1, 2022 mmm-yoso British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Scotland, Travel

We felt that we had lost so much time due to the pandemic. During our trip to Scotland, I decided that we'd do a private Scotch based tour with our own driver. Sean, our wonderful driver picked us up at exactly 9 am And we were off. We'd be spending the night in Oban, then two nights on Islay, visiting several distilleries.

But first we had to get there. Sean made a couple of stops on the way to Oban.

The first was outside Fallkirk at a huge park between two canals. There stood two huge and magnificent sculptures of horse heads called the Kelpies. These 100 foot high metal sculptures represent mythical shape shifting creatures called Kelpies which often take the form of a horse or pony. They can also take the form of a human, often a young woman to lure young men to their "fate". More often it would be in the shape of a pony to lure children.

These statues were quite large. To the right is the Missus standing under the nostrils of "the Kelpie". Just think, what a simple booger from that nostril would do!

From here we headed to Loch Lomond considered to be the largest lake by total area in all of the UK.

We took a short break to stretch our legs and admire the picturesque village of Luss.

Luss is a Conservation Village and is quite charming and beautiful.

We walked thru the village and over to the pier which had many memorials on it.

I can imagine how many loved sitting and standing looking out into the Loch or over to the shore…..

We then headed back out……

Our stop for lunch was at a place in Inverarnan, said to be once be the home to outlaws and even the ghost of a small girl named the Drovers Inn.

The Drover Inn, a "drover" is a cattle herder has been here for over 300 years. And while we stopped for lunch….well, many of the "creatures" on display would surely have enjoyed having me for their lunch.

It goes without saying that there was indeed a certain "vibe" to the place.

The pub had quite the menu of comfort dishes and I got to choose something I've always wanted to try. Folks of Scottish heritage that I know or knew would always make fun of the dish.

You basically ordered at the bar….this is very much the pub and soon enough, I got my Haggis, Neeps, and Tatties…..if you need a translation, sheep's "pluck" with oatmeal, onion, and spices, cooked in a casing. Served with "neeps" (turnips) and "tatties" (mashed potatoes). This was quite delicious, even the Missus thought so.

The offal flavor is quite mild, it's quite earthy and savory, tasting like a milder version of morcilla. I really enjoyed it.

The Missus ordered the Venison Stew which was really tough and quite bland.

So, I guess the Haggis won out!

There was a certain charm and sense of humor we found in Scotland that we really enjoyed. It is said that Rob Roy himself stayed here at Drovers Inn…..perhaps he enjoyed the Haggis too?

And hopefully, I'll be getting some good haggis again one day soon!

The Drovers Inn
Inverarnan North Loch Lomond, Arrochar
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park G83 7DX Scotland

Guanajuato (2022) – Estacion Gelato and Dinner at Mestizo

August 27, 2022 mmm-yoso Cocktails, Desserts, Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, San Miguel de Allende/Guanajuato, Travel

Our Uber picked us up right on time in SME and we headed off to Guanajuato. Our driver was fantastic and the hour-and-a-half drive came out to around $30/US! Our hotel, the Casona de Don Lucas was located on Plaza de la Paz and our room, which had two floors also had a small balcony with a view of the Plaza.

Our room was ready when we arrived so we quickly dropped off our bags and headed out to do some exploring. We quickly took to Guanajuato as it was less touristy than SME. We loved the everyday hustle and bustle, the city seemed just a colorful and vibrant.

The first thing we did was head off to the Mercado Hidalgo. Much of Guanajuato is not car friendly; in fact, the main arteries are located underground in tunnels. There are many alleyways, no grid pattern, we were told that much of the city center was built along the walls of the canyons which surround the city. So, we'd often be walking down an alleyway, which would then open up onto a plaza!

The Mercado is located in a huge building. According to legend, it is said that the structure was initially designed to be a train depot. We just took a quick look since we'd be exploring a bit further the following day when we had a private tour scheduled.

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After our short visit, we decided to check out some possibilities for dinner and also walk past the University before settling in for a short break. We ended up walking down one of the many winding and narrow streets.

At the curve in the alleyway stood a little gelato shop. The Missus and I decided to take a short break here.

It turned out to be a good choice. The service was very friendly, the gelato refreshing, and the Missus and I enjoyed sitting on the small balcony.

Estación Gelato
Cantaritos 29
Zona Centro, 36000 Guanajuato, Mexico

Once refreshed and relaxed, we strolled over to Positos and looked over the menus of two places I had on my "list". We'd end up eating a both of them on this short trip, but we'd end up returning to one for a second meal!

We strolled on over and took a quick peek at the University of Guanajuato. The University has over 30,000 students……which is why I kind of consider Guanajuato to be sort of a college town….with a ton of history.

We then headed back to the hotel for a short break before heading out for an early dinner. Since we didn't have reservations; we decided on an early dinner and got to Mestizo at 430pm and easily got a table.

The chef at Mestizo is the son of a well known ceramic artist, so the decor of the restaurant is quite lovely.

While perusing the menu, the Missus had the house version of Sangria, while I had an Old Fashioned.

First thing we noticed was how inexpensive items were versus San Miguel. And as is our MO, we found items on the Entrada menu the most interesting and ended up ordering 5 starters for our meal.

Things started out rather auspiciously with the Tostada de Pato ($180/MX)

While the presentation was very nice. The duck was bland, stringy, and dry.

The Ceviche de Robalo ($280/MX) was a slight improvement .

The marinade was bursting with wonderful citrus flavor, the overall seasoning was nice and complex. The fish however had not been marinated long enough and was overly chewy. Still, this was not bad.

Things turned around in a big way when the Chinchulines con Guacamole ($170/MX) arrived.

Perfectly fried and crisp pork intestines; wonderful porky-mild offal flavors, offset with a creamy-mildly sweet guacamole, with pungent onions and cilantro. Not only was this texturally wonderful, the melding of tastes were fantastic. Why haven't I seen this on menus everywhere?

Next to arrive was the dramatic looking Tartar de Atun en Chile Viejo ($200/MX).

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A nice tuna tartare nestled in a smoky, mildly spicy toasted dried chile, this was quite good. The tuna, was of decent quality, nice and meaty with no off flavors, the flavors counterbalanced with clean and briny cucumber and pungent onions, the nutty-sweet pistachios added a nice layer of flavor as well.

And then the show stopper arrived; the Tuetanos Mestizo ($190/MX).

Good lord, this was so delici-yoso, perfectly roasted, the bones were bursting with buttery-beefy marrow, which just melted in your mouth. A perfect amount of salt and the herbs added layers of flavor. This was so darn good, that we immediately made reservations to return on our last night in Guanajuato.

We really enjoyed most of the meal. Service was friendly and professional and the prices were quite reasonable. The tortillas were decent and up to the task of handling the food.

Mestizo
Positos 69
Zona Centro, 36000 Guanajuato, Mexico

We strolled back to our room, feeling quite satisfied. As we got to De Paz, we decided to grab a nightcap before heading off into dreamland. We saw this doorway and headed down the stairway from the sidewalk.

And walked into almost a speakeasy like bar bathed in greenish light.

The super friendly young woman manning the bar spoke perfect English. There seemed to be an interesting mix of older folks and students having drinks. So the Missus and I each had a nightcap…..

Along with some gratis chips, before heading back across the street to the hotel. I'm still not quite sure what the name of his place is….I'm thinking it was Don Beni Taberna, but am not certain.

Regardless, we really enjoyed our afternoon and evening in Guanajuato. And of course I had bone marrow dancing in my dreams…..

San Miguel de Allende (2022) – Dinner at The Restaurant and a Revisit to Lavanda Café

August 26, 2022 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, European Restaurants, Fine Dining, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, San Miguel de Allende/Guanajuato, Travel

We headed out for dinner on our second (and last) night in San Miguel. As with our previous dinner I had taken a recommendation and made reservations for the meal. It was a nice, short stroll to dinner, just a short distance from the main square.

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Located in a restored mansion, The Restaurant apparently created quite a buzz when it opened in 2008, and has been credited with changing the food scene in San Miguel.

The dining room is situated in the lovely courtyard (so many beautiful courtyards in SME) and the menu is somewhat globally focused.

Since we had a late lunch we would stick to one of our favorite strategies and go with several appetizers and one main to make our meal.

We started with the Beef Carpaccio – $300/MX.

The beef was tenderloin and quite lean, the truffled ponzu was quite pronounced in flavor and to be perfectly frank served better as a dressing for the nice crisp veggies and potato strings. Loved the addition of mint and cilantro on this.

The Charred Octopus ($300/MX) was indeed quite charred and a bit more chewy than we prefer.

The overall bitterness of the charred Cephalopod marred the dish, though the tomatoes were sweet, with the perfect acidity, and the avocado puree helped balance out whatever heat that was provided by the habanero sauce.

I was intrigued by the Shrimp and Scallop dish ($510/MX), which featured curry dusted scallops and shrimp, and a cauliflower puree, with lentils.

This was pretty good as the shrimp and scallops were perfectly cooked, the curry flavor was tempered and really harmonized with the creamy, nutty-lightly sweet mashed cauliflower. Loved the lentils which added a nice earthy flavor and textural contrast to the dish.

The most interesting item we ordered was the Cheese Plate ($285/MX).

Yes, that's right, the cheese plate. Why? Well, it's all local/regional cheeses and except for the bleu cheese….I'm thinking that it's basically based on the type of edible mold from the area, all the others were pretty good.

The Missus enjoyed the wine selection and the service was professional and accommodating.

The Restaurant
Diez de Sollano y Dávalos 16
37700 San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato Mexico

After dinner we strolled on over to the heart of SME, the Jardín Allende. The Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel looked lovely as the sun slowly set.

And unlike when we visited earlier, the church was open and wasn't having any special event going on, so we went to take a peek inside.

After taking a quick look into the church, we crossed the street to the Jardin and had a seat and enjoyed the passage of time.

It was a nice evening for us.

The next morning we slept in for a bit. The owners of the B&B sent me a text and asked if we wanted them to make us breakfast. Since we were the only customers staying in the place we told them to not go thru the effort. Plus, the Missus wanted to try another pour over from Lavanda Café. So we headed on over a bit before they opened and were the first customers on this morning.

The Missus got Her pour over which She enjoyed.

And we shared a Salsa Verde con Chicharron which the Missus enjoyed.

IMG_1840 (2) The eggs were perfectly cooked, nice tanginess, a bit of heat, a nice, hearty breakfast.

Lavanda Café de Especialidad
Calle del Dr Ignacio Hernandez Macias 87, Zona Centro,
37700 San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Since we were the only folks staying at our accommodation, we were told to just take our time, and that we could check out at noon instead of eleven. This would make things work out better for us in terms of getting to our next stop Guanajuato, which would take around 2 hours via Uber.

It was a pretty quiet morning around the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel.

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Since the clock was just striking ten, we decided to check out the Museo de San Miguel de Allende right across the street that opened at ten.

Most of this museum is dedicated to it's former resident; Ignacio Allende, who became a hero of the Mexican War on Independence. The Allende family was a wealthy family and the museum is housed in the family's former home.