An upstate New York phenomenon?

Someone please tell me if this is common in other states- it was not in Eastern Massachusetts. I have been surprised to discover the high quality of some products in GAS STATION shops!!! In several communities around Boston where we used to live, you could get a soda and a slim jim while paying for gas, and in later years, maybe a slushee and a hot dog. In Germany, it was about the same in regular gas stations.

The military “shopettes” in Europe were known for a huge selection of food, beverages, magazines, and more, which was a nice convenience unless you just wanted to pay for your gas and had to wait in line behind people doing a larger grocery shopping trip! Just kidding… sorta.

Anyway, I didn’t pay any attention to the gas station shops in our new community until I was enlightened by Mr. Ice Cream. He was thrilled that the “Stewarts” near our house has fantastic ice cream. We have on occasion disagreed about the quality and flavor of some foods, but I regret that this time he was spot on! I don’t like ice cream in the winter but I was convinced to give this place a try, and it was the best ice cream I’ve had in New York state, and in the USA in general for a long time.

My favorites so far have been gelato in Europe, moosetracks ice cream in Swampscott, Massachusetts, and peach ice cream in Texas. The following week I gassed up at Stewart's for the first time, and I noticed that inside the clear cover of the gas nozzle handle was a frequent ice-cream buyer card!

Anyway, someone else referred me to the “Dexter Market” in the next town over, so I decided to give it a try. Guess what? It is a gas station mart! And it is phenomenal! After the usual suspects of dry goods, beverages, and frozen items, there was a nice selection of local cider, fruits/veggies and a huge deli section. I got maple bbq sauce that was tasty and a few freshly made items. They even had the right light bulbs that we needed for 3 different fixtures in our new house!

Now I notice when I drive past most gas stations in the area that the signs feature the retail store larger than the type of gas sold. According to Mr. Ice Cream, some of them have “good” pastries, others feature dairy/deli, etc. etc. 

More Missing Boston

The first time I returned to Boston after moving to Germany, I had some reverse clture shock, even though it had only been a few months since the move. For example, in Germany speeding tickets are issued by cameras placed at the sides of the roads, so people tend to follow the speed limits much more closely than Americans. I was surprised that people were blowing past me on the Mass Pike like I was standing still (I was not!). Also, the speed limit in Maryland seemed so slow (55 MPH), which I tried really hard to stick to in the interest of avoiding a ticket.

outside my doctor's office in Germany (1 of 4 parking spots)

Most of my posts go on and on about the wonders of Europe, but I’m grateful for many things in our former home state. Today I was reminded how much I liked the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. I also like really huge American parking spaces, which you all take for granted. Most of us over here can barely fit our cars into the spot, and then the door doesn’t open all the way so you are doing the limbo to get out without scratching the neighbor’s car.

I miss the salty air in Boston and Salem. The woods in Germany smell fresh, but the breezy brine is just something else. I get all sentimental when I hear a seagull here in Norway or see the ocean in the Netherlands. I don’t miss waiting around for the T in Boston. Near our house in Europe, they apologize if the train is one minute delayed!

Kelly's Roast Beef, Saugus, MA

I also miss the seafood in New England, especially lobstah! You can get fried fish filets in southern Germany (sometimes frozen), and plenty of seafood in the north of Germany, which is 7 hours away by car. My favorite in Hamburg is teeny tiny shrimps in mayo on a fresh roll (Nordseekrabbensalat). The last time I was in Massachusetts, I was like Forrest Gump: lobster roll, lobster salad, lobster pizza (meh), lobster bisque, whole lobster with butter, etc. etc. Too bad the prices are pretty high, but once per year or every other year, I can blow the budget on my favorite crustacean.

Dubuque, Iowa

The food in Europe is outstanding, but you have to make an effort to find healthy choices when dining out. I used to get Schnitzel all the time, but am definitely eating less meat, and the portion sizes are usually too big. Pretzels taste wonderful, and in the region where we are now, they are cut in half at the bakery and slathered with butter between the pretzel halves!!! Pastries here are ok, but French pastries are way better. I can’t really eat American baked goods any more because they taste way too sweet.

If you've ever had these, you know where they are from!

OK, more to come after some summer travels!

Perth & St. Andrew’s, Scotland

Our final location in Scotland was Perth, which we used as a base to visit St. Andrew’s on a day trip. The tour dinner in Perth included the option of haggis, which I passed on. Others at our table said that the way it was presented made it taste like shepherd’s pie (not too bad). The “Haggis Ceremony” included a bagpipe march around the room with a chef carrying the platter of Haggis, and a reading of a poem about haggis.

St. Andrew’s was chilly and windy but beautiful. I missed the ocean while living in Germany, so it was wonderfully sentimental for me to see sand and waves. The golfers in the group were thrilled to see such an elegant golf course and could have played as guests for 200 Pounds. 

There were lots of souvenir shops and thankfully a lovely used book store. If you have time for an extended tour of Scotland, I would recommend a day in St. Andrew’s.

Sticky Toffee pudding in Edinburgh

Perth was an interesting city. We got a tour of St. John’s Kirk, which blended the ancient stone walls with useful and pretty wood additions inside to subdivide the space. We passed interesting shops and cafes but did not have time to go into any of them.

Smoked Fish Stew on Iona

Overall, the food on the trip was good. Some was better than others, but it was no hardship dining in Scotland. There is an increase in vegetarian restaurants and understanding in traditional restaurants. Some of the dishes had unusual-to-me flavors, but it's more than worth trying something new.

Inverness, Nairn, and Culloden, Scotland!

The natural beauty of Scotland is remarkable. I couldn’t capture the photo I really wanted: dozens of wooly sheep on acres of green hillsides, wandering around to their hearts’ content. Maybe I can find a calendar of sheep grazing on the hillsides of Scotland.

After departing the Isle of Mull for the ferry to Oban, our bus was off to the highlands! Our first stop was at the interesting visitor center in Glencoe. We learned of the history of the area and had outstanding mac’n’cheese made with local dairy.

We continued on to Inverness, where we had a few hours to walk around and have dinner. Both the vegetarian places were closed for dinner, but we lucked out with a table at Mustard Seed and enjoyed a delicious and healthy meal. I wish we had more time in Inverness, but that is the hazard of taking an 8-day tour of a beautiful country including 2 islands on the west coast.

We stayed overnight in Nairn at my favorite hotel (except for the segregated/pathetic breakfast there, just for our tour group). The hotel room was huge and the bathtub was huge and there were 3 resident “hairy cows” on the property! We couldn’t find them in the morning on the meadow, but lucked out as we were returning to the hotel: 2 other group members had bought a basket of hay to feed to the cows, and the hotel staff told them where the cows were likely “hiding” (sleeping), and we tagged along. Adorable (IMHO) photo above.

The Highland Folk Museum was comprehensive and interesting! There was a sign asking guests to please keep the door to a house shut because the chickens liked to go inside. As I was admiring the chickens, someone else opened the house door and this is what happened (see video). Guess where the chickens were going?

Culloden was a sad battlefield that felt somber. Always good to learn about political conflicts that end in bloodshed- why do we keep repeating history? A short presentation by a highland clansman warrior was interesting and entertaining. The museum was comprehensive and the gift shop yielded us our Christmas cards!

We continued on to Perth… stay tuned!

Off the beaten path in Scotland: Isles of Iona and Mull, Oban

There are many islands off the west coast of Scotland, and we were thrilled to have the chance to return to Iona. Our tour itinerary had us depart Edinburgh in the morning, stop in Glasgow for the cathedral and a rest room/café, and then continue on to the port of Oban. 

The cathedral in Glasgow was lovely! I wish we had more time in the city, but by the end of the day, I understood why we had moved on so soon.

After enjoying a hot chocolate made with oat "milk" at the Oban ferry terminal, we boarded a car ferry along with many passengers who were bringing their groceries and small pieces of furniture onto the ferry! They left all their bags and wheelie carts in the lobby of the ferry without concern.

We stayed at a hotel on the Island of Mull for two nights. The first morning we rode the bus across Mull to another ferry, which brought us to Iona. Spending part of a day on Iona is quite a different experience compared with being there several nights. However, it was a lovely experience, and for some tourists might be the only way possible. 

We strolled along the lanes and made some new discoveries. A wonderful smoked fish stew hit the spot for one of us, and we learned that there is now an Iona tartan pattern. I asked the clerk if I had simply missed it 20 years ago, and she honestly replied that it had been created since then.

I wish we had been able to participate in a service or group meditation/prayer/song, but we did that at other times, not on Iona. Another hot cocoa and a glimpse of our first “hairy cows” of Scotland completed the day. We returned on the short ferry to Mull, and took the bus back to our hotel.

The following morning we rose early for the ferry back to Oban, then off to the highlands!