We continue our tour of the English countryside

Comments! I never get comments so I am eagerly responding to Alyssa's request for more things to do in England for her future trip there...

Amidst news of terror attacks in Glasgow and a failed terror attack in London, we continued along on our trip. Albert successfully mastered driving stick on the left side of the road:


while Abby sat in a contraption resembling an infant car seat with none of the safety benefits:


We took a pit stop in a small town called Durham where our visit coincided with a graduation. Durham was a cute college town with a beautiful minster. It was nice to stop somewhere before we continued on our journey to York which took another hour or so. York is one of the "must sees" according to Rick Steve. This is a town you could definitely spend a full day exploring but we wouldn't recommend the 2 nights Rick Steve does. In general, there are 2 highlights in this town.

York Minster
First is the York Minster - which in all honesty was the most spectacular church/cathedral we saw in England (including Westminster Abbey). We enjoyed Westminster for all of the famous buried inside the minster but it made it feel more like a spectacular cemetery and took away from the enjoyment of the building itself. The York Minster did not have those distractions and so you could truly enjoy the beauty of the building itself. We would have liked to stay for the evensong but we felt that Abby's screaming could potentially ruin the experience for the whole town of York so we chose to go home instead.

York Castle Museum
In the Rick Steve's guide, this is literally listed as one of the top museums in all of Europe. Now, with this description in mind, Albert and I envisioned a serious competition to the Louvre, Prado or British Museum. Indeed, this was perhaps one of the most entertaining family oriented museums we have ever been. However, do not go expecting art by the grand masters. This museum portrays life in Britain in various periods and does it incredibly well. There are fake storefronts with people who work as "storekeepers". It's incredibly interactive and fun to see with lots of educational value. We enjoyed it thoroughly and recommend it highly for any families with kids.

Saffron Desi
105-107 Micklegate
York
YO1 6LB
Tel: 01904 659999

As far as restaurants go, this was a solid Indian restaurant we really enjoyed. Prices were reasonable and the naan was very good - even Abby agreed. We ordered far too much food but got the Rogan Josh, the Chicken Tikka Masala and the Saag Paneer. We enjoyed all of the dishes.

Betty's Tea Room
6 St Helen's Square
York YO1 2QP United Kingdom
+44 1904 659142

This Tea Room was the typical English tea house with amazing scones, clotted cream, and great tea sandwiches. We ate lunch here. The line was incredibly long to sit in the ground floor room (with pretty views of the square) so we headed downstairs which actually wasn't too bad.

In search of Braveheart (Edinburgh)

We continued our trip into the "nicer part of Scotland" by escaping the confines of Glasgow and moving on to Edinburgh. Since we rented a car, we headed north briefly to take a look at one of the famed Lochs of Scotland (Loch Lomond).


As you can see, it's a pretty lake but to be honest, the scale just doesn't compare to something like Lake Tahoe. We were a bit disappointed and decided to skip the full lake tour and head to something we don't have in the states... castles. Stirling Castle was very cool. Albert particularly enjoyed seeing the William Wallace monument which literally looks like another castle in the distance. After imagining having our faces painted in blue and white stripes, shouting "FREEEDOM!!!!" we explored the castle which was quite pretty from the outside but didn't have that much to offer on the inside. We still got to pretend that we were a queen and king observing our vassals:


We wanted to continue exploring the town of Stirling but Abby put her tiny little foot down with a loud and long scream. We made a hasty exit and continued on our trip out to Edinburgh. We got there early enough to take a walk around the city. We got to stay at the Sheraton which was a nice hotel with a beautiful view of the castle. Edinburgh really made Glasgow look like the industrial stretch of New Jersey. Edinburgh is a spectacular city with beautiful buildings that surround the castle.

After our walk down the Royal Mile, we decided to eat at a restaurant that came highly recommended in one of our guide books:
Howie's
10-14 Victoria Street
T: 0131 225 1721

This was by far the best meal we had in the UK. We were obviously limited by the weak dollar in going out to lots of fancy meals but this was just too good to avoid. Abby also appeared to be in good spirits so we wanted to take the opportunity to have a really nice meal. Everything was delicious and Abby loved the bread basket.

The next day we headed to the primary attraction in Edinburgh: the castle. It was full of tourists but we got a great view of the city from up high.


We walked down the Royal Mile where I got grumpy from lack of food. We ducked into a tea house on the left hand side which was perfect. We had tasty sandwiches for lunch and headed to the Queen's royal residence. It was closed off because she was coming the next day so we couldn't do the tour. We walked around for a while and appreciated the beauty of the city. All in all, if you get the chance to visit Edinburgh, we would rate it very highly.

A Tartan Greeting!

Hello from the Scotland. Home of the Highlander and William Wallace. The whole family made it out here safely without really driving anyone around us too crazy. We had a 10 hour flight from San Francisco to London, a 5 hour layover and an hour flight to Glasgow. Abby was so well behaved and slept for more than 6 hours on her flight to London. We had a bassinet which she barely fit. There was even a belt above her head which prevented her from lifting up her head too much - poor girl. It still helped her sleep for a long time and we were really happy. Other than that, there was a guy behind us who snored so loudly - I've never heard a guy snore more loudly sleeping upright.



We got to Glasgow pretty late and settled into our hotel which is very close to the conference center. It stays very light until quite late at night (10PM or so). Still, we were quite tired and went to sleep pretty quickly. The next day, we went to the city center where we explored some of the shopping district. We found a Marks & Spencer where we bought some desserts for later in the day. We also got some basics for Abby including baby food. One comment on British baby food - they feed their babies things Americans would never dream of feeding their baby at 4-6 months... like "Grandpa's Sunday Lunch" - a combination of carrots, peas, potatoes and chicken or "Shephard's Pie" - veggies and lamb or chocolate pudding or egg custard for that matter. We're embracing the British baby food and letting Abby go crazy with the meats.

In other news, Abby has not only mastered sitting up pretty completely, she is now rolling both from front to back and from back to front (the latter took a while). She has also finally discovered a consonant. After months of "AAAAAAAAAA!!!!", we now have "bababababababababa". It's quite cute (purely objectively speaking of course).

Food:

1. Random hole in the wall British eatery

Here I had fish and chips and Albert had a beef casserole. It was good but too salty and greasy for our taste. I think we've had enough British food for a few days.

2. Wagamama's

We went twice to make sure our assessment was correct. I went to Wagamama's many times in London many years back and loved it... so much so that I asked Albert to get me a T-shirt when he was there. We eagerly anticipated touching down in Glasgow to get our first taste of Wagamama's in a few years and was very very disappointed. The ramen was too salty. The rice was too sticky. The curry sauce was lacking. The rice noodles were al dente. To top it off, the price was nearly $20 a head! I still bought a T-shirt but that's because I love the name - in Japanese it means "spoiled brat". My parents used to call me this all of the time when I was a kid.


3. Mrs. Majhu's

41 Byres Road, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, G11 5RG
T. 0141 339 1339
Lunch here was actually very good and fairly reasonable. For a prix fixe lunch, we were able to share 4 small plates plus some rice and naan all for 8 pounds per person. We had saag paneer, chicken curry and two lamb dishes. All were spiced very well without being too overwhelming. The restaurant was also clean and inviting. Abby slept through the entire meal so Albert and I were able to really relax.

Sights:
1. Kelvingrove Museum

This is one of the most eclectic museums I have ever been to! We loved the fact that over the stuffed elk and moose, you could view an old WWII Spitfire aircraft. In the same museum, there were Matisse paintings as well as a neon Elvis. There were some really pro-Scottish statements in some of the commentary on British history which we also enjoyed.



Beyond our general sightseeing, I am here for a more important purpose - the ICC 2007 conference where I am presenting a paper. I will be spending most of my time at this conference and am limited in my sightseeing for Glasgow. All in all, we thought Glasgow was a lot of fun but we're excited to be moving on!

Pork Lau Lau hear my cry

Ever since I can remember, I have planned most of my vacations solely around food. I remember planning an entire itinerary to Japan based on where I wanted to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. Albert has only served to reinforce this obsession. Fortunately for you, we not only love to eat, we love to share the wealth of knowledge we accumulate along the way.

Before we begin, we ought to share with you our rather simple rating system. For those of you who really just want to know if we liked it or not, just look at my face. Any questions? For the nuances, check out our comments.


Here are the highlights and lowlights of our trip to Kauai:

Plantation Gardens

Cuisine: Hawaiian
Hours: Daily 5:30-10pm dinner (open at 4pm for pupu, pizza, and cocktails)
Website: http://www.pgrestaurant.com/
Address: 2253 Poipu Road across the road from the Kiahuna Shopping Center in Poipu
Telephone: 808.742.2121

What we ate:
Dungeness Crab Rangoon
Garden Isle Bouillabaisse with Mahi Mahi, Prawns, Bay Scallops, Mussels, Potatoes, and a Kamuela Tomato-Saffron Broth
Kiawe Grilled New York Strip Steak with Goat Cheese Potato Gratin, Broccolini, Caramelized Maui Onion and Shiitake Mushroom Jus
Virgin Lava Flows

Second Meal:
Kiawe Grilled Tiger Prawns with Coconut Infused Thai Black Sticky Rice, Baby Bok Choy, Mango Salsa and Thai Red Bird Chili-Garlic Beurre Blanc
Seafood Lau Lau with Mahi Mahi, Shrimp, Jumbo Scallops wrapped in a Ti Leaf
Local Lilikoi Cheesecake
Iced Tea
Mango Smoothie

IMG_0036
Originally uploaded by amiura.

Our friend Geoff gave us this recommendation and a good one it was. We liked it so much we went back again - a hallmark of a good restaurant we find while on vacation. My personal favorite was the Bouillabaisse and the Seafood Lau Lau. If you're a dessert person, the Lilikoi Cheeseke was divine. The food was so good, Albert couldn't wait for the first photo and insisted on taking a bite of his steak.





Koloa Fish Market

Cuisine: Fresh Fish, Plate Lunches
Address: 5482 Koloa Rd., Koloa, Kauai, HI 96756
Average Price: $7-9
Telephone: 808.742.6199

What we ate:
Kalua Pig and Pork Lau Lau Deluxe Plate Lunch
Ahi Poke

I love Pork Lau Lau and this place knows how to do Pork Lau Lau. It's crowded with locals around lunch time which means it's not only good, it's cheap. I think it's a close call between thi place and Fish Express but if you're staying in Poipu, Koloa Fish Market is really close by.

At the risk of obliterating any credibility we have built up to this point, we need to point out one of our Hawaii favorites:
McDonald's

Believe us when we tell you that you need to try their pies. They deep fry them the way they should be served on the mainland. They also have creative fillings. In Oahu in January we had Taro Pie which was unbelievably delicious. We went to almost every McDonald's in Kauai to inquire about this elusive Taro Pie with no success but did discover the Red Bean Pie which is a close second to its Taro Pie cousin.

Hanalei Gourmet

Cuisine: Sandwiches, Burgers, Salads
Address:5-5161 Kuhio Hwy
Location: In downtown Hanalei close to the Bubba's Burgers
Phone:808.826.2524
Hours: Open Daily 8a.m. - 10p.m.
Website: http://hanaleigourmet.net/
Average Price: $7-10

What we ate:
Fish and Chips (Mahi Mahi)
Chicken Salad Sandwich
Oregon Bay Shrimp Sandwich

We came back here twice because we liked the food so much. Prices are reasonable expecially for lunch and you can have something other than a burger. Albert liked my Chicken Salad Sandwich so much that the second time around he got it. Then he woefully looked at my delicious Oregon Bay Shrim Sandwich which I quickly scarfed down - just to guard my territory.

Smith Family Luau

Address: Wailua Marina State Park
Location: Near the Wailua River outlet in Kapaa
Telephone: 808.821.6895
Hours: Imu ceremony starts at 6. You can tour the gardens before hand (only 20 minutes required)
Price Range: $60

The more we think about this luau, the more we hate it. They lost all credibility when they decided to add "dances" from "our beautiful and humble Japanese friends" - mostly 5 girls walking around stage in cheap fake kimonos opening and closing fans. If you want to talk food, we had to wait for probably half an hour before we even got to the buffet line. This place attracts tour buses which means that it's way too crowded, lacks any semblance of intimacy, and is totally cheesed out. If you want cheesy in a good way, go to the Princeville Luau. We were there for our honeymoon and I got to see Albert on stage shaking his thang...