anyone past 50 on here?

[Guest Jetsun Milarepa]

OOh Curved Air, I had some veggie haggis at a Burns supper and it was amazing. Yay! Another veggie Scot! the tides are turning... :P Great link as well.

Skycaptain, yes, we thought it was an odd reaction too. It was at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel on the West Highland Way, my daughter and I were there in 2004. I remember us downing cutlery just to observe. Maybe the German Blutwurst is much nicer?

Timewarp, have you tried black pudding or blutwurst then? Never having had them, I just wonder if they're an acquired taste. Mind you, I was spotted surreptitiously buying prawns the other day, but they were for my cat... :D

[Skycaptain]

Black pudding is an essential part of a fried breakfast.

I know the filling of haggis is mainly oatmeal, but what do you use for the skin on a vegetarian one?

[Guest Jetsun Milarepa]

Hey Pickles McGhee, there's scope for a subdivision of the Ace orientation. I can just see the posters 'Veggie and Vegan Aces for Equality' !! :D

[Guest Jetsun Milarepa]

Skycaptain, I think some veggie haggises (is that the right plural?) have those plastic casings on, some are canned, so they just come out without any casing, but the one I had at the Burns' supper had been made fresh and was ladled out. It had a lentil base but the seasonings were the same as for the traditional type. Yum.

[timewarp]

Yes, chandrakirti, I've tried. You could say it's an acquired distaste. :D

I do like the Spanish version, morcilla, though for some reason. I think it's mainly due to the way they fry it. Chances are I'll eat, depending on the quality of the oil, almost anything fried, and Spanish olive oil, especially down in Seville where I lived for about a year, is incredibly yummy.

[Tystie]

Tystie, you do know what's in a haggis, don't you....

Oh, yes, I know. But I like it anyway. Although perhaps not swaddled in Yorkshire pudding.

[Decaf]

Hi, Pickles and Chandrakirti.
I've lived in Scotland for 30 years (over half my life), but I'm originally from The Wirral in Cheshire.

[Tanwen]

Me too curved air - from Wirral not living in Scotland...unless Banbury has moved :D

[daveb]

Another beautiful day in the UK. I also suspect you all are having us tourists on, as the expression goes in the vernacular of "the green and pleasant land".

:p

[BobRossRules]

timewarp: I indeed have a Nessie photo, she was spotted on our jouney back to Inverness on Tuesday!!

The tour of sky was quite nice. The castle was delightful! Although we had a wee bit of rain, it was no fuss, and no need even for an umbrella. But sadly no heela coo. :( I may see some on our way to Stirling or maybe while in Ireland. Otherwise I have some back in Idaho.

Don't think I'll be trying the haggis or any of the puddings during my visit. I'll stick to chocolate, thank you.

[Tja]

Gosh, I wish I was there with you, daveb & Faraday!

[Skycaptain]

The first time I ever visited Scotland, it was with my parents and sister. We stopped at a chip shop in Coldstream, and I had battered haggis. It was about the size of a giant sausage, and my look of disappointment as I was expecting something the size of a football was plain to see. Very scrummy though

[Semisweet]

Many years ago when a friend and I were visiting Europe, we found ourselves in a train car filled with a group of Scottish men. Some of them chatted us up and asked if we’d ever tried haggis, to which we innocently replied, “What’s haggis?” They looked stunned, and the news spread through the car like wildfire: “Can you believe it, those women don't know what haggis is!" Years later when I finally got to Scotland, I must admit I passed up the opportunity to try it.

Last night I went to an “older singles” meetup as part of my ongoing efforts to expand my social circle, and for the most part met some friendly, down-to-earth people. So I’d probably try it again. On the other hand, right after I walked in, I was cornered by a guy who, after three minutes of banal exchanges of the “what do you do for fun” kind, declared we had lots in common and should meet for dinner on a forthcoming day. Just the situation I was trying to avoid! :o Although I responded that I prefer to know people better before making social plans with them, he insisted that dining together was the best way to get acquainted, and he stepped away to find a pen so we could swap contact info. Whereupon I made a quick escape to another part of the room, started chatting up other folks, and successfully eluded him for the rest of my time there. I seem to be just as bad as ever at knowing how to handle such awkward situations.

[pickles.]

Semisweet, I think you handled it perfectly. I would have stammered something out, then wished later I had said, "I prefer to know people better before making social plans with them." Brilliant. It was him who was dim.

[Muledeer]

Gosh, I wish I was there with you, daveb & Faraday!

Me too! I would love to visit the UK and Ireland more than anywhere else in the world! I just don't enjoy explorations and adventures by myself. It is so cool that you put this trip together and are sharing it with all of us.

[Tanwen]

Don't think I'll be trying the haggis or any of the puddings during my visit. I'll stick to chocolate, thank you.

I used to go to AVEN meets in London (before crippling social anxiety grabbed me) and the 'traditional' pudding was sticky toffee pudding. Scrummy, if you get a chance try it :D

On another note...I was woken up this morning by my next door neighbour putting his wheelie bin out - he has a little path down the side of his house so he can get from back garden to front. I shot out of bed wondering why my alarm hadn't gone off, flew down stairs to let the dogs out and make John's sandwiches then sat down to give him an alarm call as his hadn't gone off either. It was a this point I looked at the clock on the mantle piece and realised it was only 5.45. Explains why my alarm hadn't gone off at 6.15 :lol:

Oh well, had plenty of time to feed the dogs and have a cuppa, then log on here :)

[daveb]

In my travels as an adult I have almost always traveled alone. This trip it has been nice to meet friends here and there along the way and to do some exploring with a fellow AVENite. Recommended, if you ever get the chance. :)

Well, this part of the trip will soon come to an end. :(

Then I'll have a few more days on my own before getting back to the comforts and sanctuary of home. :)

[Tanwen]

I would have loved to travel but my mother struggled after dad died, I almost escaped by going to university but failed chemistry (I did a 2 year A Level course in 9 months so did well to get 3 out of 4) and after that I was gripped by the whole 'adulting' thing. NOw I have the dogs and it would be too expensive to put them into kennels...would probably cost more than any holiday I chose to go on. There's an additional problem in that I'm finding new situations more and more difficult to cope with. I'll make arrangements to go somewhere and go into panic mode on the day and cancel. The only time I can overcome it is when I'm going to a dog show and I have Barney with me :)

[Myssterry]

@ Tanwen I do travel, sometimes with Dog and sometimes he is in kennels, which is expensive. It puts a limit on my travels, but he is so worth it. Travel v. dogs - dogs win every time. ;)

And the anxiety thing - I had a spell of that in my youth, and the little creature that got me over that better than anything was the little sheltie I had at that time.

[Decaf]

I used to hitch-hike a lot in the 1980s, but I don't think it's as common now.
My travelling around the UK was mostly to go to things like Stonehenge Festival etc.

[teatree]

Oh my, sticky toffee pudding is awesome!!!! When I was in Scotland about three years ago (traveling with my sister and a friend), we tried to eat it every night, if it was on the menu. Well, we had to do some comparison eating, now, didn't we???? Scrummy, indeed!

But why is Yorkshire pudding called pudding when it is most definitely not? Just wondering.... And I have never eaten haggis or blood pudding and am pretty darn certain that I never will.

I love to travel and if finances allowed would do way more of it. But yes, having to deal with arrangements for the animals can be challenging. Usually my son will come stay at the house to take care of the cats, dog, and chickens, but sometimes I have enlisted the help of friends. In fact, he's staying over this weekend so that I can get away to the coast.

I haven't hitchhiked since the late '70s!

[Tanwen]

Yorkshire pudding was originally eaten before the main course - a way of 'filling up' on cheaper stuff so the meat would go further. I believe some Yorkshire folk eat them with jam in the middle - and the basic recipe is the same as we mix up for pancakes :)

[Myssterry]

My dad was a fan of Yorkshire pudding with jam, and it is surprisingly nice. :)

[Decaf]

I do like a Yorkshire pud :D
It's been tricky to veganise them, but I think I've got the hang of it now.

[Mocha Jo]

I have to say, I'm not much of a traveller. Good thing, since it is way expensive to get horses babysat! I get motion sick on most modes of transport, and it would have to be really tempting to get me on a plane.

[Skycaptain]

I like travelling, but it's difficult with two jobs at the best of times, and now I have the furries even harder. Hence I do lots of AVEN meet-ups as I can do those in a day.

I'll have to look into it but I think puddings were savoury before sweet ones came in, and certainly before the word became a synonym for dessert

[BobRossRules]

Gosh, I wish I was there with you, daveb & Faraday!

Me too! I would love to visit the UK and Ireland more than anywhere else in the world! I just don't enjoy explorations and adventures by myself. It is so cool that you put this trip together and are sharing it with all of us.

Me three, we should start a travel group!!

Arrived in Stirling today. It was a sunny day (of course). We were delayed a couple of hours due to the train strike. Unfortunately we didn't have time to visit the castle, but checked out a super high tower instead. After that, a nice walk through town and more chocolate!! :d Tomorrow I'm off to Ireland, sadly without daveb. I enjoyed my travels in London by myself, but it's much funnier traveling with someone. :)

@Tanwen Malaprop: yeah, I hear you about the kennel cost. It cost me pretty penny to board all 3 dogs.

In the US many folks with severe anxiety have service dogs that they can take with them in public and during their travels. Someone I used to work with had one. It was lifesaver for her.

[pickles.]

...but it's much funnier traveling with someone.

Is it funnier because daveb cracks jokes?

[BobRossRules]

...but it's much funnier traveling with someone.

Is it funnier because daveb cracks jokes?

Yeah, that too!! But I meant "funner" as in more fun. My autocorrect doesn't like it when I use bad grammar :lol: :p

[pickles.]

I assumed you meant funner; I was just giving you a hard time. ^_^

And I think it's only Americans that say "funner." The first time I said it around an Aussie and a Brit (two teachers at the school my husband worked at when we lived in Japan), the Brit said, "Funner? You can say funner??," and the Aussie assured her, "Well, Americans can say funner."