Mayochup

The trip down from Glenlivet to home was too much to do in one trip with a young baby so we chose York as the city to stay overnight in to break up the journey. York boasts some city walls and Roman ruins as well as great architecture. However, this was all ruined by Yorkshire people.

The overpriced cathedral

 Let me explain. We booked a table during our drive down for dinner at the Lysander Arms in York and we turned up 30 minutes late due to traffic and plus we had to stop periodically to feed little Tamara to keep her on the right side of the meltdown. Turns out last orders for the kitchen was at 20:30 and we arrived at 20:30. The duty manager at the time looked at his watch and pointedly told us it was 20:33 and we're late. So we were refused service and told to go elsewhere. Note, he also turned down a 6 month old baby who needed feeding too. So if you're ever in York, DO NOT go to the Lysander Arms.

Small but overcrowded streets

Still, we scrambled and managed to find somewhere else to eat but even then the service on the next place was not great. So safe to say that York was not off to a great start.

Well preserved Tudor buildings

Buildings in close proximity

The next day we went to the town to have a look around and it was jammed full of tourists but as it was August, it's to be expected. To our astonishment, they were charging about £12 per adult to go into the Cathedral, which isn't that big, whereas Chester cathedral was free. This kinda set the tone for all attractions in the city so needless to say we didn't enter any. There was even an enticing chocolate factory tour but even that was a small fortune to get in.

Day 4, 5 and 6 of the road trip is a stay in Glenlivet which is based in the north of Cairngorms National Park in Scotland and is about 3.5 hours drive from Edinburgh. Beware, the signal is not good so best to download the maps before you set off.

Welcome to Cairncorms National Park

The drive up is very scenic with little towns dotted around the place. We did stop a few times due to the baby and we found the people very welcoming, especially towards baby Tamara.

Our residence was courtesy of Airbnb and this place we found was fantastic. A two bedroom cottage based in the grounds of the hosts residence which can sleep up to 5. Comes with a fully equipped kitchen, a log fire, TV and a range of dvd's, plus all amenities you can think of. The best bit about it are the hosts. They will bend over backward to cater for your needs and will help you plan your trip with their local knowledge.

Whilst we were there, we went to the local Glenlivet distillery however, we couldn't go on the tour due to the little one but we sampled a few drams ranging from 12 year to 18 year plus. We also learnt that when a whiskey bottle says 12 years, it means the whiskey in there is at least 12 years old meaning it could be older.

Glenlivet whiskey factory and tour

You don't have to travel far from the Airbnb to see areas of outstanding beauty so these pictures below will help you understand.



The next day, we went across the country to the famous Glenfinnian Viaduct which is, apparently, part of the opening credits to the Harry Potter films. We met the owner of the land whilst he was out on one of his drone hunts (they are not permitted in his lands) and we had a good chat about the scene and Warner Bros studios. Only twice a day does a steam train go over so if you want "that shot" then best to check out the times.

Glenfinnian viaduct

For food, there's plenty of places to eat but some aren't very accommodating with the little one. As we were in an Airbnb with a fully fitted kitchen, we found a local butcher and bought a whole roll of haggis to enjoy. It's cheap and as it's from a butcher, it was full of flavour and extremely delicious. Well recommended should you wish to partake in their local delicacy.
We shall end the post with a picture of baby Tamara who clearly enjoyed her trip.

Day two and three is a trip to Scotland's capital, Edinburgh. This city boasts architecture dating back mainly from the 18th century although some are from the 17th century around King James VI era where he united the crowns of Scotland and England.

Centre of the Royal Mile

The most famous street is the Royal Mile and is full of tours, tourist shops, little eateries and Spanish people as the tours advertised are in English and Spanish. It seems the Scottish tourist board is targeting Spain or have a partnership.

Entrance to Edinburgh Castle

At the top of the Royal Mile stands the magnificent Edinburgh Castle where it looks as though some of the roads and alleyways could have been in Harry Potter. Alas, we didn't go in properly as it is quite a princely sum to enter but the outside and surroundings are great.

We were given a Groupon voucher for a 5 course tasting menu at Galvin at Windows located in the Hilton at Park Lane, London. Based on our experiences at Ormer, we were very excited and looking forward to tucking in on some amazing food.

Galvin at Windows lies on the 28th floor which offers great views of London at night. Upon entering we were shown to our table but as it has been a very hot day, it seems the air conditioning was struggling a bit and the restaurant felt very hot and stuffy.

We were offered a Bellini and some bread whilst we were waiting which was a mix of brown and onion bread. The onion bread was really nice but the brown bread was tough and a little dry.

Onion and brown bread

An aperitif soon followed which was soft cheese and tomato on crusty bread. The cheese overpowered pretty much everything but it was quite nice anyway.

The aperitif

'Vichyssoise', truffle cream & gougiere

Still, on to the next course which was 'Roasted pollock, brandade croquette & watercress veloute'. The fish was very delicate and very subtle in flavour. If mixed with the croquette and the veloute, you couldn't taste the fish at all so best to eat that separately. The croquette was nice but seemed an easy option for the chefs to compile the dish.

Cornish pie "feather blade", mustard emulsion & pickles

Chocolate fondant, caramelised bananas & banana ice cream

The food served here would be befitting of a gastro pub and not what you would expect of a top class restaurant. When comparing the food to Ormer who offer a similar tasting menu at a similar price, this falls way below their standards. Even the presentation of the dishes could have been better.

After a 4 hour drive, our first stop on a weeks tour of England and Scotland is Chester which is situated in the north west just below Liverpool. Chester is one of the few walled cities that is still standing when built by the Romans all those years ago and as a result, the city centre is stunning which combines Roman architecture with Tudor buildings.

View of Chester centre from the city walls

Chester city centre

After a slow stroll around the centre, we toured around the city walls which takes around 45 minutes to complete. As it so happens, it was Chester race weekend so when passing the racecourse, it was busy with the local Chester wildlife in various states of soberness. Still, this made the city colourful and buskers were out aplenty playing either Oasis or Beatles songs. The really talented ones play both Oasis and Beatles!

For tourist attractions, there are many. You have the remains of an old Roman ampitheatre, Chester Cathedral which is free to enter (they ask for a donation but not mandatory), two tiered shopping centre with tudor architecture, city walls, Chester zoo, the famous Eastgate clock. It's best to Google to find out what you want to do.

We found a place for lunch, situated just below the city walls, called Porta which is a tapas and wine bar. The place is tiny but the food is amazing and just what we needed. Most pubs are baby friendly and little Tamara enjoyed all the attention.

The tiny kitchen area. Chefs have nowhere to hide

Small service area

Prawns, croquettes and calamari

Pastel de Nata - a Portuguese dessert

More shops later, it was time to find somewhere for dinner and Chester boasts a fantastic amount of out-of-town gastro pubs serving excellent food so we opted for The Chester Fields which has wonderful views of the countryside on a lovely sunny evening. The only downside is if you choose to eat outside, you'll have to contest your dinner with the local wasps which was off-putting. Still, we moved inside so we can enjoy our dessert in peace.

Steak and chips. Meat was so tender and cooked perfectly

Lamb cooked three ways. Just fantastic

Odd combination this one. Dark chocolate tart with strawberry ice cream. Didn't quite go and the tart was a bit dry

Creme Brulee. Just amazing.

Chester is well worth a weekend visit with its stunning architecture, city walls, great food and warm and welcoming people. What's not to love?

Situated on the edge of the South Downs national park is Marwell Zoo and is a lovely place to visit. Unlike most zoos where they try to cram in as many animals and enclosures within the space they have been allocated, Marwell is expansive with animal enclosures dotted here and there. This does mean a lot of walking however, there is a mini rail that links one end of the park to the other for those who are less inclined.

Marwell doesn't have the same variety of animals if you compare it to London Zoo; no elephants for example but the ones they do have are well worth visiting. The giraffes in particular are a highlight.

Took a while to get this shot

We also managed to get a photo of the leopard which was difficult to spot. Luckily it came right to the window.

Had to be quick to take this one

Right at the start, or at the end, of the zoo is the penguin enclosure. Marwell put on a public feeding spectacle three times per day on set time schedule and we managed to catch the last performance.

Penguin feeding time

Our little one is full of surprises and sees the funny side of doing a naughty deed!

Out of the blue, my brother-in-law proposed to his long term girlfriend and to celebrate, we were invited to a pub outing and dinner at The White Horse in Harpenden.

The pub is situated on the edge of Harpenden next to idyllic houses and greens and fits in nicely in the area. The garden area is extensive and well looked after. The inside blends modern with rustic giving it a homely feel so it suits all seasons. As it was a warm evening with a bright blue sky, we opted to eat outside.

So after the chinking of the champagne glasses filled with prosecco, it was time to order dinner. The weather put paid to the availability of the menu, not because it was spoiled, but due to the pub being extremely busy over that weekend.

We both opted for the pork roast with crackling and all the trimmings. As you can see, the portion size is good and you definitely get your moneys worth.

Pork Roast with all the trimmings

My mother-in-law is a little fussy when it comes to ordering restaurant food and not all that keen on English/European food so she had Halibut with Asparagus and vegetables which isn't on the menu but the The White Horse was more than willing and capable to tailor a dish to her needs. 

Halibut with Asparagus and vegetables

Even though we managed to polish off our mains and feeling quite full, there is always room for pudding and we were enticed by the Rhubarb and Almond Pie which was amazing. The almond pie was warm and soft which complemented well with the strips of rhubarb and the dollop of clotted cream.

Almond and Rhubarb pie with clotted cream