Tag Archives: scotch

Schwarzwald

Baiersbronn in the Black Forest– Bareiss Style! Part seven

Ah Sunday… our last full day at the luxurious Hotel Bareiss in Baiersbronn. Once again, I wondered if we might be able to venture to the waterfalls. Once again, I was disappointed by wind, rain, and the occasional teasing from the sun. Oh well. Now we have a reason to come back to Baiersbronn, or some other fancy resort in the area.

So what did we do on our last day? That was another pool day for us, and since I’ve already posted my pool photos in part four, I don’t have much to write about that, other than we discovered that the Bareiss has a really cool swimsuit dryer that wrings the water out of your bathing suit in eight seconds flat. I hadn’t noticed it during our first visit. Also, this was the day that I saw the nude lady in the jacuzzi, informing me that the sauna and steam room area at Hotel Bareiss is obviously clothing optional. I didn’t see any signs about that, although it’s well known in Germany that you don’t sit in a sauna or steam room while wearing a swimsuit. You will be properly bitched out for it, if you do!

Bill and I weren’t really interested in the saunas or steam rooms, anyway. After a few more turns in the indoor and outdoor saltwater pools, we just enjoyed the awesome outdoor hot tub in the sauna area, which we had all to ourselves. The sauna world also had a Kneipp walk pool, an icy cold plunge pool, foot baths, and an exit to the outside, where I assume one could walk around au naturale if they wanted to. I’ve heard being nude in public isn’t necessarily illegal in Germany, although it certainly would be noticed and frowned upon. But I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong. 😉

After we came back from the pool area, we decided to walk into town and have lunch at a restaurant at Hotel Lamm, another lodging facility located across the street from Hotel Bareiss. Hotel Lamm isn’t as fancy as Hotel Bareiss is, but it does have a pretty nice restaurant. As we were walking in, we noticed a large group of young folks in Trachten– traditional German clothing– and they were obviously headed to the Volksfest in Stuttgart. Or maybe they were going somewhere else, but they sure looked like they were going to party, and they could get the train and enjoy themselves safely.

The restaurant at Hotel Lamm is called Wipfel (Treetop), and it is staffed by young folks dressed in traditional Trachten. Our waitress switched to English as soon as she heard us speak, then apologized for not having a menu in English. It was okay, as we both speak German restaurant lingo pretty well.

I was still perturbed about the unpleasant reactions to my trout dish on Saturday, so I ordered another one! That one didn’t attract as much attention. Bill had beef with horseradish sauce. We shared a bottle of locally produced Riesling, a bottle of mineral water, and more farmer’s bread. I was impressed by the Wipfel, and the hotel itself looked nice. I’m sure it is a hell of a lot less expensive to stay there, too!

Farmer’s bread, honey drizzled butter, and amuses from the kitchen!
A less surprised looking trout cooked in the Müllerinart style…
Bill’s horseradish covered beef.
I had Black Forest cheesecake for dessert. It was plain cheesecake topped with cherry ice cream and garnished with chocolate.
Front doors.
I’d go here again. Food and service were good.
A view of the weather.
Baiersbronn-Mitteltal is nice.
A shop with classic bikes…
Obviously restored.
I would have liked to have tried this gastropub, but it was only open past 8pm.

We walked around Baiersbronn a bit after a late lunch, then walked back to the Bareiss, gawking at all the Porsches, Mercedes, BMWs, Teslas and Volvos… I never thought we’d stay in such a place. When we married 20 years ago, we never went anywhere for fun, because we were broke. It wasn’t until we were married 3 years before we finally went on a trip that didn’t involve staying with family. We’ve come a long way.

Dinner at Bareiss on Sunday night was a more casual affair. I didn’t visit the buffet, but I believe vegetables was the theme. As it was, I just had one course from the menu, a filet mignon with roasted potatoes, and dessert. I wanted to try another steak, and was pleased that this time, the temperature was right. I also loved the dessert, which was a pistachio parfait.

Delicious pumpkin soup…
Salmon tartar. I tried this and it was good, but I was still full from lunch.
Mushroom encrusted beef for Bill.
A medium cooked mushroom free filet for me.
Perfect roasted potatoes.
Herb butter.
Pistachio parfait with oranges.
The heart signified that it was our last night.

Because it was our last night, and because I was thinking of Arran, who was named after a Scottish island in the Hebrides, Bill and I visited the bar one last time. I drank a couple of drams of whisky, while Bill had a cocktail and a wee dram of scotch. I was glad to see they had Glen Scotia from Campbeltown, but they didn’t have any Springbank!

This was nice, and reasonably priced.
Bill joined me in a toast.

The bartender, who had been a little aloof, was genuinely kind when we said we were going home. It was nice to hang out in her bar for a few days. But going home is better for the wallet! And, to be honest, as much as I enjoyed our visit, I was ready to come home. I think long trips are kind of hard for us, especially when things are structured, as they tend to be in resorts. I don’t know if or when we’ll be back to the Schwarzwald “on holiday”, but I would love to find a really nice self-catering house with great views of the mountains and the freedom to try different places for dinner.

On the other hand, of course I would also love to go to the Bareiss again. Stay tuned for part eight, which will close out this series.

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Whisky distilleries I have known…

Although Bill and I usually make a point of going places on the weekends, he had to leave for Africa this morning.  Fortunately, I happened to be inspired to write today’s post thanks to a thread in one of the local Facebook groups.  A woman wrote that her husband loves scotch whisky and was interested in visiting some in Scotland while they are living in Germany.

Bill and I have so far been to eight whisky distilleries, entirely thanks to our sailings on Hebridean Island Cruises‘ Hebridean Princess.  Since Hebridean Princess mostly sails around Scotland and only occasionally ventures to other lands, there is a heavy emphasis on Scotland’s national drink on that ship.  Each of our four voyages on Hebridean Princess has included at least one stop at a whisky distillery.  We have even been to two of them twice.

Last year, Bill and I signed up for “The Spirit of Scotland” trip Hebridean was doing.  It was a whisky themed cruise, which meant we would be visiting different distilleries every day.  Last month, we cruised to Northern Ireland and Ireland and that trip also included a stop at a distillery in Scotland.  Although I don’t expect my readers to visit whisky distilleries via cruise ship, I thought today’s post could be a “one stop shop” for a look at the ones Bill and I have seen.

One thing you will learn if you come to Scotland intent on tasting whisky, is that there are several different styles of scotch whisky: Highland, Lowland, Speyside, Campbeltown, and Islay.  Bill and I visited Edinburgh at the end of our first Scotland trip in November 2012.  Although we had already been to a couple of distilleries, it was at the Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh that we got a really good introduction to the different styles of scotches out there, as well as the many different whiskeys made around the world.  If your trip involves a stop in Edinburgh, I would highly recommend going there first and visiting the Scotch Whisky Experience for a primer on the different types of Scottish spirits you will encounter.  You’ll also get to see a very impressive collection of scotches and even try a few.

 

Just some of the huge collection at the Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh.

 

The world’s largest bottle of Single Malt Scotch Whisky is at the Scotch Whisky Experience.

 
 

Here goes…

1.  Isle of Arran Distillery

The Isle of Arran Distillery is, naturally, located on the Isle of Arran in Lochranza, at the northern end of the island.  The area around the distillery is absolutely beautiful and remote.  Arran is the first whisky distillery Bill and I ever visited and we have since been there twice.  Founded in 1995, the Isle of Arran Distillery has a very nice visitor’s center with a gift shop and a cafe.  Although you can drop in and take a tour, it is recommended that you book in advance, particularly during the summer.  Arran whiskies are excellent, but I am especially fond of Arran Gold, which is kind of like Bailey’s Irish Cream.  Tours are conducted all day and cost 8 GBP each.

 
 

The first casks of whisky made at Isle of Arran Distillery.  It was in 1998 when the first casks were opened, since it takes three years to make whisky.

 
 

Sorry my finger got caught by the camera.  This is the facade of the distillery.  We have toured it twice; both times, our guides were kilted gentlemen with delightful Scottish brogues who introduced us to their product.  When we visited last, in March 2016, the flags were at half mast because the founder, Harold Currie, had just died.  Harold Currie was the former director of Chivas.  

2.  Springbank Distillery

Springbank Distillery makes some of my favorite whiskies.  It’s also the other distillery Bill and I have visited twice.  I always enjoy visiting Springbank, because it’s one of just a few distilleries left in Campbeltown, Scotland.  There was a time when Campbeltown was home to many distilleries, but many of them closed at the start of the 20th century.  Today, Campbeltown is host to Springbank, Glen Scotia, and Glengyle.

Springbank is a very old style distillery and uses a lot of old fashioned equipment to create its spirits.  It’s also the only distillery in Scotland that performs every step of the whisky making process, from malting the barley to bottling the spirit.  For that reason alone, I think it’s worth a stop.  An added benefit is that there’s a great whisky shop just steps away from the distillery.  Tours are offered several times a day Monday through Friday and twice daily on Saturdays.  They have several different levels of tours available, too– everything from a basic trip through to distillery (7 GBP) to one that includes a personal tour with whisky legend Frank McHardy and lunch (100 GBP).

 
 
 

A fewshots of the Springbank Distillery.  The picture of the barrels was from our 2012 visit.  Last year, they did not show us the warehouse.

 

3. Glengoyne Distillery

We got a pretty special deal when we visited the Glengoyne Distillery in Dumgoyne, just north of Glasgow.  The ship had arranged for us to be able to blend our own whisky.  A simple tour is 9.50 GBP, but apparently we were all booked on the Malt Master Tour (65 GBP).  We all sat around a table and took whiskys from five different cask to make our own individual blends.  Bill and I still have our own blends.  We did taste them a couple of months ago, but haven’t had the heart to finish them yet.  Glengoyne is also notable because the distillery is located just north of the line that distinguishes Highland and Lowland whiskys.  Glengoyne’s stills are located in the Highland region; while just across the street, the maturing casks rest in the Lowlands.  This is another place well worth a visit if you’re into scotch.

 

I was standing in the Lowlands taking a picture of fellow passengers in the Highlands.

 

A shot of our “malt master” class.  It was pretty cool!

 
 
 

Different types of oaks used for the barrels.

 

And the resulting whisky…  Notice the bottles on the bottom have less in them.  This is known as the “angel’s share”, and it’s part of the process of evaporation that occurs when whisky is made.

 

4.  Laphroaig Distillery

Laphroaig Distillery is located on the Isle of Islay, an island every scotch drinker must visit.  Islay is home to a whole bunch of whisky distilleries.   It’s also a very beautiful place.  The Laphroaig Distillery and brand is currently owned by Beam Suntory, which is a subsidiary of the Japan’s Suntory.  Of all of the distilleries I’ve visited so far, I think Laphroaig’s visitor center is among the most impressive.  They have a really interesting exhibit you can look at while you wait for your tour to start.  They allow visitors to try the wort, too, which I recommend doing just once.  Just make sure they offer it to you in a disposable cup.  Trust me on this.  You should get a cup of your own at this distillery.

At the end of our tour, I distinctly remember they gifted us with souvenir whisky glasses.  A basic tour costs 10 GBP, though they have more detailed tours available at correspondingly higher prices.  You can even try your hand at cutting peat if you want to.

 
 
 

Barley being malted.  You will also see this at Springbank and Kilchoman Distilleries.

 

The Laphroaig Distillery also offers a great view of Port Ellen.

 

5.  Kilchoman Distillery

Kilchoman is one of the newest distilleries.  It opened in 2005 and is situated on a beautiful farm in a rural part of Islay.  It has the distinction of being the first distillery to be built on Islay in 124 years and, until recently, it was the westernmost distillery in Scotland.  That honor is now claimed by Abhainn Dearg Distillery on the Isle of Lewis.  Kilchoman also does its own malting and is one of only six distilleries in Scotland doing traditional floor maltings.  I really enjoyed touring Kilchoman, which also offers a liqueur as well as several different whiskys.  A basic tour at Kilchoman costs 7 GBP, while a premium tour runs 30 GBP and includes a tutored tasting.

One thing I do want to mention about this tour is that we were offered a taste of the wort there.  They passed around a communal container and, I’m pretty sure, that is where I picked up norovirus.  I got very sick with diarrhea and vomiting.  Fortunately, it happened in the wee hours of our very last night on the ship, so it didn’t devastate our cruise.  Still, it was a really stupid mistake on my part and one I hope to spare others from making.  It’s especially important to be mindful of hygiene when you’re on a cruise.

Floor malting.

 

Our guide pours drams for us to try.  I remember enjoying a very fresh scone on the way back to the ship.  The distillery has a nice cafe where one can have lunch.

 

6. Jura Distillery

Jura Distillery is located on the Isle of Jura, a tiny community that has only one road, one pub, and one distillery.  Only 200 people live on the Isle of Jura, which makes it a very interesting place to visit.  I remember our guide explaining to us that at Jura, it’s especially possible to see the effects whisky distilleries have on trees.  All of the trees near Jura Distillery were black.  Apparently, in the United Kingdom, the authorities can tell how much whisky is being distilled simply by looking at the trees.  Although I was getting a little fatigued of distilleries when we visited, I do remember thinking Jura’s history was especially interesting.  Tours cost 6 GBP.  Afterwards, you can visit the one pub on the island.

 
 

Jura’s Distillery.  I’m not sure they have a grocery store on Jura, but they sure do have whisky.

7. Oban Distillery

 

Oban Distillery was the last one we visited on our “scotch whisky” tour.  It’s a very compact place because it was built next to a cliff.  Originally established in 1794, Oban Distillery is actually older than the town of Oban itself.  I distinctly remember our guide telling us about Oban Distillery’s 14 year old malt, which is very well-regarded.  Three years ago, they also started selling a non age statement whisky called Little Bay.  Oban is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland, mainly because when they were excavating the cliff behind the distillery, they found human remains.  Also, people started building on top of the cliff, which made expansion in its current location very difficult.

 
 
 

Oban Distillery also has a very informative exhibit available to peruse while you wait for your tour.

8. Bruichladdich

Finally, we have Bruichladdich, another Islay distillery located in Port Charlotte on the Isle of Islay.  Bill and I visited Bruichladdich last month while we were on our Northern Ireland cruise.  We were originally supposed to visit Bowmore, but that got cancelled.  Then we were going to visit Lagavulin, but then our itinerary got switched around.  So that’s how we ended up at Bruichladdich, which also makes The Botanist gins.  This distillery is another one I think is well worth seeing if only because of the very cool old equipment they still use.  One of the mashtuns is from the Victorian era and is one of only a few still in existence and the only one on the island.  They also use a still from 1881, which was when the distillery was founded.  And they have a still called Ugly Betty that is used for making gin.  This distillery also has a very colorful and interesting history best told by someone who sounds like a Scot.

We found the distillery to be very liberal about allowing tastings.  Our guide told us that if there was anything under 200 GBP we wanted to try, just let her know.  They have a really nice shop, too.  I brought home a beautiful wool blanket from there.

 
 
 

Very old equipment… this is from the Victorian era.

 

The two pictures above show the different ages of the washbacks.

 

Ugly Betty

 

1881!

 

If this post inspires you to visit any distilleries, I encourage you to bring a designated driver or hire a cab.  You don’t want to be driving drunk, especially in a place like Islay, which has a lot of narrow roads with tons of potholes.  Also, presuming that most of my readers are not used to driving on the left, it would be especially risky to drive after tasting whisky at the distilleries.

I think the way Bill and I visited these distilleries was pretty much ideal.  We had a coach that took us to them, so we were free to enjoy as much as we wanted.  On our whisky tour, we enjoyed the services of John Harbour, a professional tour guide.   Mr. Harbour was engaged by Hebridean Island Cruises for us and was with us the whole week, but you can also book him privately.  I would highly recommend him because he’s very knowledgable and will handle the driving.  Here’s a link to his Facebook page.

Although I’m not sure if Hebridean Island Cruises is going to be offering the Scotch Whisky tour again, I would recommend looking to them if your budget allows.  It’s a marvelous way to see Scotland, albeit not kid friendly and very expensive.  We did have a blast, though, and I don’t think I will ever forget how scotch whisky is made after seeing all of those distilleries!

 

Click here for a sequel to this post— eight more whisky distilleries I have known.

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Hebridean Island Cruises

Scotland and Northern Ireland 2017, Part fourteen…

Monday morning, I awoke with a full-fledged cold.  I was coughing, hacking, and had woken up several times during the night to blow my nose and drink some water.  I was legitimately sick (and still am, though I’m getting better).  We had plans to visit a distillery on the beautiful island of Islay.  Bill and I visited Islay on our last Hebridean cruise and had the chance to visit a couple of whisky distilleries, Laphroaig and Kilchoman.  This time, we were supposed to visit Bowmore, but that was cancelled before we boarded the ship.  Then it got switched to Lagavulin, but since we didn’t do our itinerary as planned, that tour, too, was cancelled.

Islay happens to be rich with whisky distilleries, so the folks at Hebridean fixed us up with a tour at Bruichladdich, an old distillery that makes both whisky and gin.  Before we got on Islay’s schoolbus for a trip out to Port Charlotte, we had time to walk around.  Bill and I went to a tiny grocery store and bought some cough medicine and candy for me.  I’ve been sipping Covonia Chesty Cold formula ever since Monday.  I don’t know if it works like NyQuil, but it’s got booze in it and tastes like Jaegermeister.

With that taken care of, we were ready for our trip to the distillery.  Thanks to our whisky tour last year, Bill and I are very well versed as to how scotch is made.  I was pretty happy our guide did not take us through the process, but rather told us the distillery’s history and showed us the equipment.  The tour was short, sweet, and ended with some rather generous whisky tastings.  Bill and I left with a bottle of scotch, a bottle of gin, a wool throw for me, a music CD by Islay native Angela Paterson, who performed on our last cruise, and some soap.

We got back on the ship in the early afternoon, just in time for lunch, a ham buffet.  The captain would be taking us closer to Oban during the day.

A beautiful morning in Port Ellen.

I got a kick out of the sign… it’s perfect if you like your whisky.

A shot of Hebridean Princess in port.

Distillery time!

And the distillery shop, where I parted with some cash.

We were invited to try the barley.  I did, knowing that it wouldn’t make me sick like the wort did last time we did a distillery tour.

Mash!

Those vats were full of some very alcoholic brew…

The gin still, which the distillery picked up when another distillery was closing.

The spirit safe.

We visited the warehouse.  Lots of scotches in different barrels, everything from bourbon to sherry casks.

Bill enjoys a taste.  They were quite willing to let people try different whiskys.  We were told if there was one we wanted to try under 200 GBP, they would oblige.  I think the distillery was rewarded, because I witnessed one passenger spending over 500 GBP on whisky.

 

Down the hatch!

Moody skies for the drive back to Port Ellen.

The beautiful ham.

Lots of salads and pasta.

And more seafood… including oysters, shrimp, smoked salmon and trout, and the like…

I had a crab salad as a starter.

Bill had a sundae for dessert.

I had warm rice pudding with raspberry jam.  It was very satisfying… took me back to my childhood days in England.

After lunch, I was feeling a little under the weather, so I went back to our stateroom, packed my bags, and took a nap.  Two hours later, Bill woke me up to tell me to get ready for dinner.  I was tempted to go back to sleep.  Then he showed me a picture of dolphins he managed to get.  It’s not the best picture, but it’s still cool.

Too bad I was sleeping when this happened.

Monday night was the evening of our second gala.  I broke out my blue sequined gown, which rained shiny sparkles all over the place.  In retrospect, it was a little fancier than I usually go for.  The one thing the dress had going for it was that it was floor length, so I didn’t have to wear control top panty hose.  I wore knee highs instead, and pinned the top of the slit so my cheating wouldn’t show.  I felt a little silly at first in my sparkly gown, but eventually relaxed.  It’s not like I haven’t seen worse at any Army ball (sorry, it’s the truth).  And besides, Bill was there in his blues.

David Indge mingles with guests at the Captain’s Farewell Gala.

I was absolutely enchanted by the sunset in Castle Bay, so I had to go take pictures while Bill explained to another passenger that the Pentagon really was hit by a jet airliner on September 11, 2001.  I always defer to Bill when it comes to 9/11 because he was actually in the Pentagon that day.

David addresses everyone and introduces our captain, Trevor Bailey.

More gorgeous sunset pics.  I could look at these all day.

Bill is smiling because he doesn’t have to wear that jacket anymore!

Prepped for haggis.  They bring out the whisky beforehand.
 

Haggis!  This ceremony is a treat!  I got a good view this time, but my camera died and I had to switch to an iPhone.

I happened to be sitting under this bell, so I got to ring it a couple of times.  I think I almost went deaf the second time.

Haggis!  I couldn’t really taste it due to my sickness.  I have had it enough times to know it wasn’t a bad thing not to taste it, although haggis is not as horrible as it sounds.

Because I didn’t like the liver starter, our kind waiter, Mariusz, brought me smoked salmon.

Bill bravely tried the liver.  I don’t think it was a hit; we had some in Germany that actually tasted like chocolate of all things.

A nice palate cleansing sorbet.

I had turbot filet, which is a favorite.  

Bill had venison, which he loves…

Then we had creme brulee and a biscotti for dessert.

Our one selfie together.  Maybe I should have gotten someone to take our picture, but I don’t photograph very well, especially when I’m sick.

One more shot of my dashing Bill in his blues…

And Toby was kind enough to make me a Brandy Alexander.  It was fabulous.

Goodbye, folks…

 

The castle in Castle Bay.

A few more spectacular pictures!

 

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Part 8… Finally, a new island for us! Islay!

There are many distilleries on Islay, so it makes sense that our next stop on our whisky cruise would be on Islay.  However, because we were coming from Kintyre, we had some distance to travel before it would be time for another distillery tour.  We spent Saturday morning cruising past Northern Ireland on the way to our next stop, the Laphroaig Distillery.  Laphroaig is a well-known whisky and when I posted that we were headed there, I got a few likes from friends, as well as a spelling lesson.  It’s not so easy to spell Laphroaig properly, you know.

Bill and I took the opportunity to enjoy some local-ish beers offered on the ship, as well as try a gin that was new to us called Isle of Harris.  I had to point this out to an old friend of mine from Virginia whose last name happens to be Harris.  After lunch, we anchored in Port Ellen.  I was excited because I had heard about Islay, but had never actually been there.  Iain, the hottie hotel manager, came from Islay and told us where he grew up.  Apparently, everyone on that island knows each other.  This was later confirmed to me when Bill and I were in England and happened to run into an Englishman with ties to Islay.  He said he went there once, mentioned his family name to a bartender, and the bartender called up his relatives and they later showed up at the bar to drink with him.

We were loaded up on a truly *shocking* bus.  It appeared to be a school bus with a big sign at the front demanding that everyone wear seatbelts.  However, all of the seatbelts appeared to be badly damaged.  I noticed the upholstery on the seats was torn and poorly repaired with duct tape.  Then I noticed food stains and dried boogers smeared on the seatbacks.  Apparently, we were using a schoolbus!  Never mind, it got the job done.  Some of the cruisers weren’t interested in the whisky distillery, so they went to see Kildalton Cross and walk around Port Ellen.  The rest of us went to taste more whisky.

More barley malting…  Laphroaig has much of theirs trucked in.

Peat, which gives Laphoaig its distinctive flavor…

And another kiln…

The Laphroaig Distillery has an interesting history which I read about on the display boards in the visitor’s center.  Our group was divided into two groups.  I am sad to say that I don’t remember our tour guide’s name, but he was a very knowledgeable and entertaining chap.  He had been told that we knew about the whisky making process, so he simply showed us around the distillery and allowed us to taste the wort.  A wort is basically the same stuff one uses to make beer.  In fact, all whisky starts out as beer before it turns into spirits.

The Duke and Duchess…

Stainless steel tanks as opposed to the oak ones we saw at many other distilleries…

The spirit safe.

Like Springbank, Laphroaig was in the middle of malting barley.  Once again, we were shown how it’s done, though it appeared to me that Laphroaig has a slightly more sophisticated system all the way around.  I noticed a couple of shots of Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla on the walls, indicating that they had paid a visit.  Also, a lone stag passed us as we walked through the distillery.

After we toured the distillery, we visited Kildalton Cross, where I managed to take some really beautiful photos of Islays’ stark and haunting landscape.  Bill commented to me that he’d like to find a self-catering cottage on Islay and just hang out there for a week.  I’d be up for that myself.  It really is a beautiful place and there are plenty of other distilleries there that we didn’t see, namely Bowmore and Ardbeg.  We were supposed to see the Bowmore Distillery, but that was replaced at the last minute.

I like to buy music when I take trips, so instead of buying whisky, I purchased a couple of new CDs from Laphroaig’s gift shop.  I have now listened to both of them twice and really enjoy them, though I had never heard of the performers before I bought their music.  That night turned out to be pretty musical anyway, since Angela Paterson and her violin playing friend Fiona showed up to perform for the passengers after we’d had dinner.  Bill and I only stayed for about a half an hour.  That’s not a reflection on the quality of their playing.  I thought the ladies were very talented and I would have liked to have stayed longer.  However, Bill was nodding off and I was pretty tired myself.  I usually spend a lot of time by myself, so it can be taxing to spend the whole day around people.

I heard that after an hour or so, people started dancing to the music.  I wish I could have seen and/or participated in that.  I did, however, take away some inspiration from the musicians who played after we visited Port Ellen…

I learned “Wild Mountain Thyme” after hearing it performed on Hebridean Princess.

Credit the call of nature for my getting this shot…

Kildalton Cross…

John, our guide, and the lovely musicians from Islay.  I think that was the only time I ever saw John wearing pants as opposed to his kilt.

I just learned “Wild Mountain Thyme” today, thanks to Angela and Fiona…  

Laphroaig casks!

Stags!



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Part 3… Other passengers and our very first distillery, Glengoyne

After a delicious dinner in the Columba Restaurant, Bill and I started mingling with some of the other passengers.  The vast majority of our fellow cruisers were older couples who hailed from England.  There were a couple of Scots in the mix, and a German couple, as well as two other Americans who came from Tallahassee, Florida.  This cruise line doesn’t tend to attract a lot of Americans.  So far, on our three Hebridean experiences, Bill and I have met a total of four others coming from the States.

Hebridean cruises seem to attract an older, well-heeled crowd.  You might run into professors, doctors, lawyers, and other people with money on this ship.  In fact, Queen Elizabeth II herself has cruised on Hebridean Princess at least twice.  Ever since she had to get rid of the Britannia, she’s had to look for other ways to travel in style.  I figured if Queen Elizabeth II is a fan of Hebridean Princess, I should be too.

Bill and I definitely don’t have a lot of money, but we also don’t have kids or a house to pay for.  And, as I wrote earlier, we travel in the cheap cabins.

Egon the bartender pours champagne… probably for me.

Most of passengers on Hebridean Princess are polite, if not particularly chummy.  By the end of the week, we had made friends with a couple with London who were seated near us in the restaurant.  And most everyone, by the end of the week, was very cordial if not downright friendly.  The staff, on the other hand, is unfailingly warm and polite and very service oriented.  They can’t do enough for you.  I will definitely write more about that as I blog more about this trip.

The whisky expert, Charles Maclean, was also aboard.  Mr. Maclean has written many books about whisky and could lecture endlessly about it.  I must confess, my interests in whisky aren’t really academic.  I just like to drink.  Bill is more of a scotch drinker than I am, though I am known to enjoy a wee dram or two when the mood strikes.

This was on our credenza all week…

On our first Hebridean cruise, Bill and I visited the Arran and Springbank distilleries, two of the distilleries that were on our itinerary.  They were new whiskies to us in 2012, but we have since become fans.  I particularly enjoy Sprinkbank whiskies and order them from masterofmalt.com fairly frequently.  One can certainly find good scotch in Germany, but I like to shop online and try some of the more obscure stuff out there.  But, like I said, I’m not a scotch expert even after having taken this cruise.  I just know more now than I did a couple of weeks ago.

Glengoyne Distillery.  We were told the distillery is in the Highlands, while just across the street where our bus was parked was considered the Lowlands…

Our first port of call was Helensburgh.  During the morning, passengers had a choice of visiting Glengoyne Distillery or the Hill House.  Our guide happens to live in Helensburgh, so he pointed out his home, along with all the other items of interest.  It was a long ride to the Glengoyne Distillery, but it was well worth the trip.  Glengoyne offered visitors something that was not offered at any of the other distilleries we visited all week.  After showing us around the distillery, we were taken to a room where we allowed to make our own blend of scotch!

I happened to be in the group led by a jaunty chap named Ally, who spoke with a thick Scottish brogue and wore tartan pants.  He had a quick wit and a ready smile and I enjoyed listening to him explain whisky as he cracked jokes.

But this was super cool…

We mixed whiskies, tasting the individual ones as we added them to a beaker and in our very own bottle…

The beautiful surroundings…

I loved this display, which showed the many shades of whisky as it ages…  This was also where I was reminded of the “Angel’s share”, which is the scotch that evaporates during aging.  You can always tell a distillery by the black trees outside…

And a cool display of the woods used in the casks…

Storage.

Everyone was enjoying this, but I made everyone laugh when I admitted I was too drunk to write down all my notes.

Bill had a blast.

I’m not sure they do this for everyone who tours the facility, but it sure made our trip very memorable… or as memorable as possible after I tasted all that whisky!  

Ta da!

And it was put in a nice little box for me!
 

After I purchased a whisky themed cookbook in the gift shop, we got back on the bus and made our way back to the ship.  The second evening of the cruise was to be our first gala dinner.  Bill donned his dress blues and I put on a pretty dress…

This uniform was very intriguing to many of our fellow passengers…

And it always makes me proud to see Bill wearing it!
 

Yes, the bottom button was undone for this meal…

 

Turn down for the night!

 
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New improved fish n’ chips at The Auld Rogue…

Bill and I visited The Auld Rogue for the first time in ages this afternoon.  In fact, today we also went to the PX and Patch commissary for the first time in ages.  I like The Auld Rogue because I like Irish pubs, but I wasn’t in the mood for a sandwich today.  So I ordered the fish n’ chips.

Last time I had fish n’ chips at The Auld Rogue, they were okay, but the breading seemed like it was made of crumbs rather than batter.

Old style fish n’ chips from a few months ago…

 

I like my fish n’ chips made with batter, so I didn’t order them again at The Auld Rogue– until today.  I got a bee in my bonnet and decided I just didn’t want a cheeseburger because even though The Auld Rogue has okay cheeseburgers, they aren’t cooked the way I really like them.  Bill was okay with a cheeseburger, so that’s what he had, along with a Guinness.

Sláinte!

Superior fish n’ chips, the way my ancestors would have made ’em…

As you can see, the fish and chips looks different now…  It seems to have been made with a batter instead of crumbs.  It was much to my liking!  I am proud to say I ate the whole thing, except for the salad.  I’m not one for being healthy.

Bill digs in…

He’s not watching the game… 

After we had lunch, I decided I wanted some whisky.  I ordered a large dram of ten year old Arran scotch.  I let Bill try it.

Down the hatch!

And this was his reaction, though I thought it was so funny I had to ask for a caption…

I really like the way fish n’ chips are being done at The Auld Rogue now.  I’m probably late to the party, though, because I think the last time we visited was a few months ago.  We got out of the habit of going shopping on Sundays sometime during the spring.

We just missed the concert that was going to start at 2:00.  I would have liked to have stuck around for awhile, but we needed to get some food and get home to Zane and Arran, our two troublemakers.  I bought them new toys today.  One was a Kong puzzle that has to be tipped over to dispense food.  Zane got the concept right away, but Arran didn’t.  He was still trying to chew on it a little while ago.  I may try feeding Zane with it when he’s being picky about food.  You wouldn’t think a beagle would be choosy about dinner, but Zane is.

We had beautiful weather today.  I was finally able to put the top down on the Mini and annoy people with my music.

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Master Of Malt… a good source for scotch and other sinful drinks…

Our latest haul from MasterOfMalt.com…

Father’s Day is approaching.  Although Bill’s kids no longer acknowledge him, I still like to remember him on Father’s Day.  Since he really enjoys scotch, I often shop on the British Web site MasterOfMalt.com.

I discovered this British Web site run by cheeky chaps when we lived in North Carolina.  We had visited Scotland for a couple of weeks and our trip involved a couple of stops at distilleries.  We were soon acquainted with new scotches, but they weren’t so easy to find in the United States, especially in North Carolina, where all the liquor stores are state run.  I started ordering scotch from Master Of Malt before I even knew we’d be back in Europe.  Though it’s not a cheap option, it’s an effective way to score good booze.  The service is very quick.  I usually get my orders on my doorstep well wrapped within 72 hours.

When we got back to Germany, I started using Master Of Malt again.  I really like Campbeltown scotches and they are easy to find on Master Of Malt, though not so easy to find in stores.  Every couple of months or so, I make an order.  This time, I got a Hazelburn scotch by Springbank, a Campbeltown distillery that we visited.  I also got Monkey 47 gin, which comes from the Black Forest and probably could easily be found locally.  I got Twisted Nose, a British gin that I’d never tried before, and a Japanese tasting set for Bill because he’s curious about Japanese whiskey.

One of the nice things about Master Of Malt is that they do tasting drams.  If you can’t afford to purchase a whole bottle of really rare scotch, you can order a sample for a few bucks.  The Japanese tasting set is the first one I’ve tried.  They have plenty of others, though.  And at Christmas, they have a very cool advent calendar gift that offers boozes instead of chocolate.  I wanted to get one for Bill last year but couldn’t justify the cost of the one I really wanted to buy for him.  Maybe this year Santa will bring him some sinful booze presents.

I probably ought to be more wholesome and stop drinking so much… but hell, drinking is fun.  Prost!

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Baden-Württemberg

We tried to break the pattern…

by going to Taverna Olympos yesterday, but sadly the doors were shut tight at the time we wanted to visit.  It turns out Taverna Olympos is only open for dinner on weekends.  So Bill and I went to The Auld Rogue again for beer and lunch.  The place was busy yesterday, but I was glad to see the same friendly waitress who helped us the first time we visited a couple of months ago.  We sat at the bar and ordered our first round and some food.  I ordered spare ribs and Bill ordered the beef and Guinness stew, which was specially offered yesterday.  At first, the waitress said they were out of the stew, but then apparently they had some.  I was glad I didn’t order it because it had mushrooms in it… and, as you know, I think mushrooms are of the devil.

As we were waiting for our food, I couldn’t help but notice the creepy ghost thing on the ceiling.  I wasn’t sure if it was a leftover Halloween decoration or something significant to Ireland.  But then we spotted a fake bat over the bar and figured they must not have taken down all their spooky decorations after Halloween.

Bill’s stew.  He said it was the best he’d ever tasted.  

My ribs.  I took half of this home.

 

As we enjoyed lunch, we chatted with the waitress.  We were both sure she was from the Republic of Ireland, but she told us she’d grown up locally.  Bill figured she was the daughter of Irish expats, but that turned out to be untrue too.  This lady speaks English with a very convincing Irish accent, but is in fact, all German.  We were shocked, but maybe we shouldn’t have been.  After all, I know some Germans who sound totally American when they speak.  I asked her if she was a singer and she said she was.  I asked that because I am also a singer and when you are musical, a lot of times you have a knack for mimicry, languages, and accents.

It was really cool to chat with her, especially since she told us some entertaining stories about working abroad in Iceland.  Sometimes it pays to get to know your wait staff and bartenders, if only because they are often very interesting people.  She was also very witty, which is another reason why I thought perhaps she was Irish.  It’s not that Germans aren’t witty; I just find that they are often more serious than their Celtic friends.

We talked to the waitress about how The Auld Rogue used to be a Greek restaurant.  She said, “That must have been ages ago!  Because it was the CIA Bar before it was the Irish pub.”  Bill and I remember when the Greek restaurant became the CIA Bar.  It was a very sorrowful day for us, because I had dorade for the first time in that Greek restaurant.  They had really good food and the owner was excited because the dorade was the most expensive item on the menu.  He had the chef bring it out for me and everything.

I think the CIA Bar turned out to be rather “dodgy”, as the Brits would put it.  In fact, the waitress said it seemed to be mostly very young people coming in and “getting pissed”.  She said she expected the people to be wearing suits and carrying briefcases.  To me, that sounds more like the IRS stereotype than the CIA.

We also ran into a couple who run the Stuttgart Beer Club Facebook page.  They were there for lunch, too!  I suspect that if we go to The Auld Rogue enough times on Sunday, we will end up meeting a lot of local expat types.  I was also happy to identify a couple of the songs playing over the sound system on Shazam, though I overheard the bartender say that one of the songs I liked was “horrible music”.  I suspect it wasn’t rebellious enough for his taste.

Bill decided to have a second beer yesterday, so I had a scotch so he could catch up.  They happened to have some leftover Arran whisky from a recent tasting.  This particular whisky was aged in Amarone barrels.  It was very good.

 

If you like scotch and want to try something different, I recommend having a look at the bar and seeing if there’s anything up there that looks interesting and isn’t on the menu.  Bill and I like Arran whiskys, but they aren’t on the menu.  The Auld Rogue happened to have them available because of a tasting.  Incidentally, our cool waitress tried to get us to sign up for one of the upcoming beer or whisky tastings.  We do want to attend one, but want to make sure we make proper arrangements for our dogs.  I suspect we won’t be in the condition to drive back to Jettingen after one of those events.

All in all, we had a nice time at The Auld Rogue.  I suppose next Sunday, we’ll have to find something else to do since the pub will be closed next weekend.  I like that people who work at German restaurants can get days off at Christmas, too.

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