5.26.2010

Nutella & Weekend Tales

I might be a little bit behind the game, but I just tried Nutella for the first time and wowers, that's good stuff! I knew it was made of some kind of nut but I didn't know it involved cocoa, resulting in a heaven-made rich chocolate-y taste. It's a health hazard that they sell the stuff in massive gallon-sized jars.


For now, I'll limit it to my small jar size.

Otherwise I run the risk of overeating it and turning into a chocolate hazelnut.

And then I wouldn't be able to update this blog, and you'd all be sad.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.


Besides my adventurous Nutella-tasting, we've had a couple exciting weekends that I've neglected to include on the blog. Shame on me, I know.

Let's dig in, shall we? Please pass the Nutella.

Our first foray into fun was trying out the Mexican food at La Bamba. We hadn't been there before, but since there's only two places to choose from when it comes to Scotland's "authentic" margaritas and fajitas, we were in. (We've already tried Chiquito's and after their wierd sour-cream-that-wasn't-sour-cream, I was done. And don't get me started on the guacamole!)

Apparently if you order a two- or three-course dinner, you can get the "party pack," which involves a shot of tequila and, well, a party pack packed with balloons, hats, leis and facial accoutrements.


The guys apparently loved it.

Especially the stick-on moustaches. Si señor!


Meanwhile, I was busy sipping my strawberry margarita and piling chicken into a tortilla. It's the closest thing to On the Border I'll get until August 6. That's day we return to the US. And no, no one's counting. Okay, maybe we are...


The next adventure involved an outing to the Perth Races. It also happened to be Ladies Day, and so I knew I'd be competing with all the ridiculous lavish hats and flowers that women deem necessary to stick on their heads for said event.


Let's get something straight - I am not a girly girl.

I don't wear bows, pink, dresses or flowers. Unless it's hot pink nail polish in the summer time. Or a sundress I bought for Italy. But other than that, those are the rules.

Wouldn't you know I ended up in a peachy pink ruffled top with a big white flower-embellished headband. It was the best I could muster and was, in my opinion, a solid effort!



We had tons of fun at the track - Mike loves betting on the horses and he won back everything he spent that day. There were many drinks consumed on the bus ride there, many more during the races, and many, many more afterwards. It would be a lie to say no one was inebriated. So I won't lie.

The following weekend, and the most recent, involved a leisurely afternoon at Duthie Park. It's Aberdeen's main park attraction, 44 acres of lush green grass, beautiful landscaping and gardens. In 1881, Lady Elizabeth Duthie of Ruthrieston - who purchased the land for £30,000 - donated the park to the city council in memory of her uncle and brother.


The park's pièce de résistance are the David Welch winter gardens, a spacious set of tropical and arid houses that apparently contain Great Britain's second largest collection of  bromeliads and giant cacti.

And here's a picture to prove it.


The greenhouses were originally opened in 1899 and celebrated by a giant parade on Union Street. Plus, the day was declared a local holiday. They must not have had many parks, or this one was just a reaaaallly big deal.


Unfortunately severe storm damage demolished nearly the whole thing in 1969, so the gardens were rebuilt and reopened. Several of our Scottish friends said they went recently and that, on a sunny day, it is "absolutely roastin'" inside the greenhouses. When Mike and I went, we realized they were mistaking the humidity for heat. It felt like a spring day in Houston. Wonders!


I just love hydrangeas. Sigh. I want to plant some when we move back to Texas.


To conclude the weekend, it was time for some cocktails with the ladies so we headed out on the town (aka Union Street) for girl's night. It was loads of fun and I even managed to avoid dropping any cash at the casino. Because I opted not to go, despite the strong desire to hold a stack of chips and pick out my favorite numbers.

Beer and roulette really gets me going.

Here I am at Soul with the gorgeous gals.


This coming weekend won't be so eventful. Or at least I'm hoping not. I'm managing a 400-person dinner in Fraserburgh for work - my first big event! It's a black-and-white ball. Should be fun.

I'll have to eat some Nutella before I go.

You know, to stave off those hunger pains and all.

2 comments:

  1. SAm's has amazing and HUGE hydrangeas right now for $19. They are HUGE and would totally survive until you arrived back in the states. We planted them in mom's front yard and they are doing great. Let us know if you want some.
    Also, try the nutella in ice cream.
    The dinner sounds fun!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like you are getting every last bit of enjoyment from your adventure in Scotland that you can get!! It is ACTUALLY 71 days and a wake up until that adventure is over and you will be BACK to Texas!! I am happy you got to go....and I, along with the rest of your friends and family, have TOTALLY enjoyed sharing these travels with you via your blog and Facebook! Really looking forward to being able to SEE you with my eyes and having you back as a very real part of my life! Bottom line...I miss you!
    By the way...your frilly peach blouse and white hatband looked great on you!

    ReplyDelete

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