No, it’s not a horrid skin disease, although the name “Cullen Skink” definitely could fit the bill. Actually, it’s a fish soup—cream based with potatoes and smoked fish. It was quite toothsome.

I’ve eaten so well this trip. Our first dinner was at a pub, but the food was not any kind of pub-fare I’d ever had. It was possibly one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Red pepper risotto topped with goat cheese, cullen skink, and a chicken/ham/leek pie. There are no words.

I feasted yesterday morning in the hotel room on the brown bread and homemade blue cheese from the farmer’s market as well as some figs and granola. And instant coffee (but we’re not talking about that). Perfect. Then lunch was my first fish and chips in Scotland—pretty delicious (even without the beer I was drooling for). Served with a mushy paste of green peas and mint. Sounds weird—it was. It was interesting, but don’t look for it at my next party.

We’re at a Bed & Breakfast in St. Andrews currently. I had my first Scottish breakfast. More on that later.

When we left for this trip, I had a feeling that it would go pretty much the way it began.

 

Brief synopsis:

Dad: Where would you like to go for a graduation trip?

Me: Hmmm…that tough, but how about Greece and Turkey?

Dad: Great idea. Scotland and England it is.

 

So even though Dad said that I would make all the decisions, I knew better. Not that I want to be the Dictator of the Trip, but some input would be nice. Enough said. Now that we’re trapped in a tiny car, hurtling down the wrong side of the road (we hit a curb so hard I thought that there was structure damage) the differences between my father and me have all become so real. While I want to yell SHIIIIITTTT when we taunt death in the face (as he drives), he just murmurs “thank you Lord Jesus.” And then I thank the Lord Jesus that I didn’t yell shit or we might have really run off the road, then. It’s funny—now that I can’t say anything remotely off-color all I want to do is blurt out the most random, horrible things. I’ve had to restrict my conversation to topics of food, foliage, and frequency (or lack of) fueling stations. Not kidding. I’m afraid that something monstrous will just tumble out of it’s own accord. I’ll keep you updated.