Thursday
5 July
Barbara
has spent her Edinburgh days mooching around the museums, and today got to wave the
Scottish flag in front of St. Giles' Cathedral as the Royals gathered for the
meeting of the Order of the Thistle.
In the past three days of "Holyrood Week," when the Queen is in residence here, we have seen more men in kilts and more women in
silly hats than in our entire previous lives. (Note for the future: wearing a tiny "fascinator"
hat makes anyone whose butt is bigger than a twinkie look ridiculous. Get a rear view mirror, ladies, and
reconsider.) Even Kate M. wore a
reasonable-sized hat that didn't quite match her yellow coat for the ceremony,
and Princess Anne looked very dashing despite the enormous feather. The Queen, unfortunately, didn't hove
into view from this aspect.
But in
the meantime Holt has been conducting serious business at a conference on Roman
popular culture. Tonight was the
obligatory conference banquet, so we gathered at a restaurant called Spoon near
the university. It's the sort of
place where the tables, chairs, plates, and cutlery are all unmatched - typical
university boho vibe.
For a set
menu, the Scottish-style food was good, and there were always three choices,
including a vegetarian option, which we, of course, avoided.
For
starters we had Cullen Skink, a thick creamy smoked haddock soup with potatoes;
and a clod of Dingwall haggis (again, unobnoxious - and now we've even had
black pudding with it as a Full Scottish Breakfast) on a potato and apple rosti
with some greens and mustard dressing.
Mains
were venison stew with carrots, neeps, and potatoes; and a little tranche of
grilled salmon with "spring cabbage" (apparently there are also
summer and winter varieties), thyme, and lemon dressing.
Desserts
were cranachan (a little pot of lightly flavored cream with raspberry jam at
the bottom) served with a stick of shortcake; and a rich dark chocolate and
coffee walnut slice with Campbelltown (whiskey) crème fraiche.
It was great to chat with the conference organizers
and participants at Spoon (rhymes with "Scone," as in "Stone
of").
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