Castles and Chickens

So, I've been on holiday to the sunny and several times stormy sands of Spain, which is why there wasn't a post last week. However, I'm not going to talk about that this week. Nope, instead I'm going to talk about my weekend trip with Alison, as promised in the perhaps forgotten about last post (and there will be chicken as promised).

So after a rather long drive, we went ended up basically overlooking Arthur's Peak, which we could have done with a 10 minute bus trip in a slightly different direction. However, we hadn't come to look at the view! Nope, we instead had come to explore Craigmiller Castle, where Mary Queen of Scots was when she found out about her husband had been killed. Yup, that's what it is famous for, I don't think there are any castles without a morbid history (and let's face it, no-one would visit them if they didn't either).  The castle itself was built in the 14th century and then extended over the next couple of centuries and was closely associated with Mary, Queen of Scots.

The castle itself is well-preserved for the most part and has some information dotted around the place to give you an idea about it, but there was not masses of information, so if you're expecting a reading session, then you may want to google it first. However, it is fairly easy to work out what the different rooms are due to small items such as fireplaces or lavatory cupboards.

What always interests me about castles, and particularly with cellars and basements, are that they are fairly well insulated and can be really warm. Well, I suppose that's what two feet of solid stone will do for you. I can only imagine how warm they are in winter when there is a roaring fire and a roasting pig. Bliss.  It makes you appreciate the skill that went into the building and how they survived without central heating.  As you might have imagined, you get to explore the cellars, wine cellars and old kitchens within this labyrinth like castle, and it's fun trying to work out what some of the rooms might have been used for, and what certain bits were for, then seeing if you're right when you find a name plaque.

One thing that I really liked about the castle is that once you paid your entrance fee (and to be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if you could walk right in - we almost did.  Pay though!!!), that's it. You're free to roam and explore the castles as much as you like. There are no set paths, no locked off rooms and no exhibits behind ropes. It's a really refreshing place just to wander around and explore from the basements to the battlements, in any order. It's an added bonus that you have a great view from the towers as well.

After exploring the castle and perhaps pretending to be a knight for a while, we headed back to the modern day and into Livingstone shopping centre, where we had the fun of trawling all the different stores for some last minute swimming shorts and sunglasses (though it turned out I actually had some in Spain already...idiot that I am). Pro-tip: do not expect lots of shops to have either in September. 

However, after surviving the hells of shopping, we then headed to a place I had never been to: Nandos! Yes, I appear to be slightly behind the times having not visited this South African chain of restaurants but I certainly did enjoy the experience with my chicken burger. It's quite nice that you can have a variety of different sauces and levels of spiciness on your food, though their garlic sauce isn't exactly garlicy.

After the meal and then picking up my shopping, it was then time for the nice meal that I promised Alison, as I was heading off gallivanting. Except that:

• I didn't have the correct cooking utensils for her number 1 choice
• I bought the wrong type of ginger that was unusable
• We had the wrong type of flour
• I then let the cream and chocolate split (something I've never done before)

Whoops, so much for a suave and romantic goodbye dinner and hello to scrambled eggs on toast!  Better be prepared next time!

Pick of the Week

Crumpets with fruit and honey - Yes, you might be thinking to yourself 'why are you recommending a food, Robbie?' and I will admit that it's pretty unusual. However, it's actually a really nice breakfast. Toast some crumpets, get some fruit (slice kiwi/apple, grapes, berries etc) and dry fry the fruit for a couple of minutes with a bit of cinnamon (it brings out the sweetness). Once done, serve with some honey and/or yoghurt. Stolen from the Hairy Bikers but absolutely delicious and easy to make.

Music of the Week

Another favourite and one that has been covered by Johnny Cash.  However, it's time for the original by Nine Inch Nails - Hurt.

That's it from me this week!  I've actually got the next three weeks of blogs written up already, so will be able to ensure that I can keep blogging even when abroad!  See you next week.