Edinburgh

I'm typing this post on an hour of sleep while in the air on route to Amsterdam. We're pretty tired right now due to the early flight and loud Edinburgh Friday nights, nevertheless we enjoyed the old city of Edinburgh.

Some things to consider if you're visiting Edinburgh:

1. A tourist is a tourist is a tourist. Coming from the quiet country side in the Highlands, see all the tourist shops again was... annoying? Edinburgh was a big tourist stop, but one worth it.

2. Live music is not necessarily good music. Almost every pub had live music every night. Walk by places once the music starts so you can hear a bit before committing to a place.

3. Edinburgh Castle is a long stop. There is so much to see in there! Don't let it stop you from going but give it the time it needs.

Day 1: it took us about 4 hours on a bus from Aviemore to get to Edinburgh. Every time I thought we'd turn onto a highway into the city we would go around the round a bout into some little village. Some of them were quite beautiful, but we were ready to get off the bus. Once in Edinburgh we got terribly turned around from the bus station. We were starving and looking for our hostel as to not take our tiny human sized bags into a restaurant with us. Thanks to the gigantic Edinburgh Castle looming over us, we finally realised we had to turn around. We checked into our hostel and went on a hunt for Indian food (you can only have so much pub food before you are sick of it). The place we wanted to try was closed until 5, so to kill time Jordon got a new do from a nice Turkish man. After supper we explored Edinburgh a little more and found a pub with live music...well the real reason we ended up in this pub is the 20% off drinks for us poor people, but also live music. We listened to this man with an eye-patch for about an hour before heading off to bed.

Day 2: Edinburgh Castle was first on our stop this morning. When we walked outside the sun it our faces which was literally a warm welcome. We walked down to the castle, paid with our right arms to get in ($60) and made our way to the FREE tour (I love that word). There was a lot of items from wars that the Scots fought in. My dad would have loved this place while dragging us along. After 3 hours in the castle, we headed to the People of Scotland session where you could spend two hours looking up your family history. We found out Jordon's great great great (great?) Grandfather was a shoemaker. So there's that. We explored the city a bit more before making supper and packing our bags for Amsterdam.

The plane is descending now and before I make it explode with my phone, I'll call it a day.

We'll see how well I can write a post while in Amsterdam.

- Vanessa xo

Inverness

We are currently sitting in a sitting room (what an obvious name) at Jordon's second cousin's place. Irene was so welcoming and picked us up at the Inverness bus station on Monday. It is now our last night out in this little village called Kochando before we bus to Edinburgh in the morning. There's not much to do until Irene gets home from work, which is awesome for our poor healing swelled feet and awesome for you lovely people as I can update you!

Day 1: We arrived in Inverness at about 12:30 in the afternoon. We thought we were going to have some time to take a breather, but like any respectable older person, Irene was half an hour early or "on time." We hopped in her car and she took us to a garden centre with her daughter Louise for a coffee and to see if we were criminals before letting us into her house. I'm not sure why they call them garden centres when you can purchase everything under the sun from there and I didn't see many plants. Either way the scone and tea were yummy. She then took us out to the house about an hour outside Inverness. Looking out the back seat and realising you're on the wrong side of the road and there's nothing you can do about it was nerve wreaking and took some getting use to. Once we were settled in, we went to the farm to meet the others who were extremely busy with lambing. So Jordon got to take us on a joyride in a Range Rover through the fields trying to shift with his left hand. We had a lot of booking to do for the next leg of the trip so we went back, did some laundry and relaxed.

Day 2: The house is empty by the time we get up here. We're left to make our own breakfast, which is totally fine, but you always have to wonder if hosts actually mean "eat whatever you want." Like, really? I can have this whole box of cookies that were stashed all the way in the back of a cupboard I couldn't reach without a chair? So I had toast. We headed off to the Chardu distillery right up the road and got an intimate private tour. By that I mean we were the only suckers paying for a tour. It was interesting and you got a taste at the end. Once Irene got home, she drove us to some different sights in the area. It was a rainy day so it was a car tour. Jordon got to see where his ancestors lived and a war memorial with his great uncle's name on it. We went on got dinner at a hotel where both Irene and her daughter had their wedding receptions (maybe it was a hint?) I finally had the fresh fish and chips I deserved. We went over to Irene's sisters and drank more whiskey as she works at the Glenleivet distillery which means we got sent home with a goody bag of scotch, vodka and fudge.

Day 3: We packed up all our nice clean clothes this morning and are heading to the farm again this afternoon. I want to touch at least one lamb. Jordon says he's going to feel a little bad the next time he eats lamb stew, but only a little. There are so many in the fields all over Scotland right now so it's hard not to be reminded how cute they are before they are turned into your dinner. 

The last three days have been very relaxing after that ridiculous hike, but we're excited to head off to a new place tomorrow. 

Catch you in Edinburgh,

-Vanessa xo

The West Highland Way

I have just completed walking 93 miles over 6 days on the West Highland Way in Scotland. It was one of the most trying experiences of my life, physically and emotionally.

Here's some advice in case you're thinking of doing a hike like this:

1. Do some training. We put on our packs and did a bit of walking in the river valley but it was no where near enough.

2. Don't let the first day deceive you. The first 20 miles was lovely. Simple rolling hills, flat easy fields and beautiful forests.... we spent the next two days walking along slippery cliffs by the lake and then climbing steep hills.

3. Pack light. We did wild camping all along the trail which meant we were carrying everything on our backs. People thought we were insane. Pay for the service to have your bag transfered from town to town if you can't pack light.

4. Treat it as one big bar hop. When I had times of doubt and wanted to give up, knowing there was a town with a nice warm pub up ahead kept me going.

5. Do the hike with someone you know you work well with. I doubted every life decision I ever made on this hike because some points were so draining. If I didn't do this with Jordon, I could have never completed it.

Day 1: we started in Milngaive which is about half an hour out of Glasgow. We looked like eager little idiots who had no idea what they were getting themselves into. We had bought our dehydrated food, protein bars and were ready to go. The weather in Scotland is a joke. One minute it's raining then sun then snow... yes, we walked through snow on our first day which I have to admit we were not expecting. The sun came out quick enough though. We pushed through to Drymen, which was about 16 miles. Once we dried off there, we decided to go a bit further as we had a late start in the morning. We went another 4 miles and found a beautiful place in the woods to camp. It looked out onto Loch Lomond and was quite isolated. In that moment I was sure we had made a good choice in doing this hike.

Day 2: that moment didn't last long. When I woke up on day 2, I was wet, cold and tired. I didn't get a good sleep, I was cold all night and everything was damp in the morning. I couldn't even make instant oatmeal properly and broke our jetboil stove. Things were looking bleak. We walked about 26 miles and I was exhausted by the end. My body was extremely sore as well but we did end up catching up to the 6 day schedule instead of the 7 day which was a good thing. We ended in Inversnaid that night (in case you're looking up this hike on a map, which you should. Be impressed by how much we walked). We met a couple from Glasgow at the hostel/campground we were staying at who confirmed that we were insane carrying all our gear.

Day 3: I had a shower. It was lovely. I woke up warmer because our hostel linens that we had can actually go into your sleeping bag (why I didn't think of this on the first night, I'm not sure). Jordon thought he lost his Iron Ring though so we had a later start because we were looking for that. Day 3 was shorter mile wise. We only did about 13 miles to Crainlarich. We decided to treat ourselves to a proper meal to celebrate being done day 3 out of 6. We found another place in the woods to set up and in the middle of the night, we think we found out what the fox says. It was so annoying and neither of us could sleep through this hackling.

Day 4: another miserable morning for me. My right shoulder was killing me and I honestly wanted to hop on the train and just go straight to Fort William, but alas, I pushed on. We knew the next day was going to be a 21 mile day, so we went an extra three miles on day 4, for a total of 16 miles, to shave off some of the miles for the big day. We had an early night which was awesome because we could actually stretch out before just crashing for the night.

Day 5: I was so excited this morning. One more night in a tent then we'll be done. We had to do 10 miles before we hit the next town and we conquered it in 3 hours and 40 minutes. We were getting good at this. Day 5 was definitely my best day. We got to our last town, Kiolocleven at about 5:30. The only problem is we wanted to stay in a room but everything was booked full because of some stupid motorbike crap. Once our lovely abode was set up again, we went to a local bar who had live music. The couple from Glasgow ended up there too and bought us drinks (always the benefit of talking up older people).

Day 6: this was it. 13 more miles and we were done. The excitement I felt was unbelievable! And then dread kicked in. We walked through the worst rain and wind ever. If we had known it was going to be like that we would have caught a train. You get to these points on the hike where your only option is to turn back or push forward. There's no where to go and wait it out. Somehow we did it. I literally cried when I saw Fort William come into view. We got a hotel room, pulled out everything from our packs to dry (everything was soaked) and watched bad television for the rest of the night.

It's now the next morning after Day 6. My body feels better, we're about to have a great breakfast and then bus to Inverness. I pushed myself harder than I ever have before and completed something I thought was impossible at times. It is a great way to see the varying landscapes of Scotland (and the varying weather), just prepare properly for the West Highland Way.

- Vanessa xo

Iceland

Hello from the land of ice! It's our last night in Iceland and we had a fabulous four days. It was definitely colder than we expected and were shivering our first day here. Luckily we bought 30 dollar gloves to keep our hands warm.

First off, here's some things we learned about Iceland:

1. Buy liquor at the duty free when you get off the plane. Liquor is extremely expensive because it has a high tax to deter people from drinking. Liquor stores are cheaper but are only open for small amounts of time

2. The nightlife doesn't start until at least midnight. Seriously do not step outside your hotel until midnight.

3. Everything is expensive. It's just the way it is. Go to Bonus supermarket and buy your breakfasts and lunches.

4. Rent a car. It's much cheaper than paying for three tours and you can explore more.

5. Go to a local swimming pool. They are all outdoor with geothermal water. You have to get naked in the showers though, but man up and do it (if you don't, they have people making sure you do).

6. Elf experts are a real thing. They need to come communicate with the elves when the elf rocks (where they live of course) need to be moved.

Day 1: we were extremely tired. Neither of us got any sleep on our 6 hour overnight flight. We were lucky and could check into our hostel early. We then went on a hunt for breakfast. The day we arrived, April 23, is the first day of summer for Icelanders and marks a national holiday. I'm not sure they know what summer means. Anyway it was early and a holiday so a lot of places were closed. We found a bakery that served coffee and fresh baked goods.  We had a good laugh trying to order from the Icelandic menu until the waiter pitied us enough to bring the English one. After breakfast we explored the city of Reykjavik. We found a cool graveyard by an old church, went down to the harbour and back up their main shopping street. We found a free, yes FREE, city walk tour that lasted two hours with this great guide. He knew his stuff because he was a history major. Definitely recommend him, City Walk, if you're ever there. Then we went shopping for some groceries to make supper and had an early night.

Day 2: we took up two girls on their offer of going in their rental car with them. We drove the entire peninsula on the west side of the island. We saw amazing cliffs, waterfalls and even did a bit of off roading (not on purpose). We did a two hour hike to see the second tallest waterfall in Iceland, Glymur, which was probably the best experience we had here! We drove around a national park as the sun was setting and crashed as soon as we got back.

Day 3: we slept in pretty late as we were tried from the all day driving. We decided to go see the big church, Hallgrimskirkja. When the elevator doors opened, who walked out but John Slattery from Mad Men. Roger god-damn Sterling... at least we're pretty sure. Being from Canada, seeing a celebrity is a big deal. We fan-girled (new verb) all the way up to the 8th floor. There were some amazing views. We took in a free concert in the church after but wasn't sure what the hell was going on. I'm certain one girl's piano "song" was just scales. We grabbed lunch at Prikid and had some of the best fish ever. Seriously it was amazing! Then we headed back to the hostel for some relaxation and to research what bars would be okay with hiking boots. We missed the liquor store hours like chumps (so don't do it) and were debating whether we wanted to go out or not. We ended up going to the Lebowski (yes, from the Big Lebowski) bar. Iceland has been stuck in the 80's since the 80's. It was really gold old music. We met a local who took us to another bar where we met up with a bunch of his friends. We did some Icelandic liquorice shots that us foreigners agreed could cure any cough, went a got the best hotdog from Baejarins Beztu Plysur at 4 in the morning and stumbled back to the hostel.

Day 4: again, we slept in like crazy. We wanted to do a hike but it was way too cold. We walked to see the Perlan which is some big dome thing overlooking Reykjavik. If you're John Slattery you could probably afford to eat there. We could afford to go in there for free and use the bathroom and get out. Then we found our way to a local pool where we sat in the warm water for two hours. We wanted to try SOME sort of Icelandic food before we left so we headed to Cafe Loki where we tried the Icelandic meat soup and Rye-Bread ice cream. We didn't have the guts to try shark.

Iceland was a first great stop on our adventure. We have to be up at 3 in the morning to catch our flight to Glasgow. So with that, I bid you adieu.

-V xo

Good Eats: Lentil Chickpea Burgers

Happy Wednesday Saturday! ... Apparently it takes me 4 days to actually post on the blog. My recipe share this week was put on hold as I needed to take a picture of the burger. You know how a lot of blogs that deal with recipes take photos along the way, each one perfectly staged making you feel terrible about how your blueberries aren't organic and shiny like theirs, or when they have half the sauce splattered over the dish in some sort of Jackson Pollok-esque way... you shall find none of that here. You get one crappy foggy picture taken with my phone with some shitty filter. I forgot to take one when I made them, so you also get a photo of left overs at work!

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with vegetarian burgers. It's a "don't fix it if it ain't broken" type of situation. If I'm going to make burgers, I usually wait for one of our meat days and make the real thing. Last week however, Jord's contribution to the meal plan was a vegetarian burger. So I threw together these Lentil Chickpea Burgers. If you're going to make these, definitely take the time to make the Avocado sauce as well, as it really made these fake burgers delish. 

Lentil Chickpea Burgers

Burgers                                                      
1/4 cup grated carrots                              
1/2 onion chopped                                    
3 gloves garlic                                            
1/2 cup chickpeas                                      
2 eggs                                                        
1/2 cup rolled oats                                    
1/2 cup cilantro                                        
1 tsp chili powder                                    
1 tsp paprika                                            
1 tsp chili sauce
S&P
2 cups cooked green lentils

Avocado Sauce
1 cup mint
1 cup cilantro
3 jalapenos
1 lemon, juiced
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1 large avocado
                                                 
1. Combine all burger ingredients into a food processor... I used a blender because I'm cheap and have refused to purchase a food processor. If you do use a blender, don't let the disgusting texture deter you. Add some breadcrumbs until it is a workable texture (these burgers are a bit more on the sticky side).
2. Put some oil in a pan and fry the burgers, about 4 minutes each side.
3. While the burgers are cooking, combine the avocado sauce ingredients into the food processor. Add olive oil slowly while mixing.
4. Top your burger with lettuce, pickles, whatever you want.

If you don't like the vegetarian burger part, make the avocado sauce and top your meaty hamburgers with it!

-Vanessa xo

Happy New Year - Blueberry & Honey Overnight Oatmeal

2015! The year of the... goat... & resolutions I can't keep... yet again. Guess what my first resolution was? To blog more... yet again. 14 days in I decided to go back. My other two resolutions, however, have been going well so far. Jord and I decided to find a work out plan that we can do together that amazingly, we've kept up. My other resolution was to try a new recipe each week. I figured what better way to stay accountable than to post the new recipe!

The working out resolution came from the plan to do hiking this summer... learning to eat oatmeal was the other outcome of this hiking plan. I've come to really enjoy it and it is incredibly easy to make your own (none of that packaged crap here!)

Blueberry & Honey Overnight Oatmeal

Servings: 2           Calories per Serving: 259

1 cup rolled oats (not instant)

1 cup milk

1/2 cup frozen blueberries (or fresh)

2 tsp honey

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. The night before, combine all ingredients into an airtight container. The oats will soak up the liquid overnight.

2. Take out the next morning and heat it up in the microwave, mixing in between to a consistency you like (I do 30 seconds at a time). You can also have the oatmeal cold... if you're weird. 

That is it. How simple is that!? I hope you can find a new recipe to enjoy over this next little while to add to your food rotation.

- Vanessa xo

How to Show Your Man You Love Him

Good day! I've had quite the blogging hiatus lately but am currently curled up on the couch taking breaks in between chapters of Reamde and thought I'd finally get back on here. Jordon and I had our three year anniversary last week. There seems to be a lot of couples breaking up lately. I started to wonder if there was something in my relationship that I had to work on, something that I had to compromise on, something that could unfold into a bigger problem that would lead to my relationships' untimely demise.... and there was only one thing... this mindset. Just being in love and not over-thinking it is what makes my relationship with Jordon so strong! We know we love each-other, but as actions speak louder than words, SHOWING that we love each other is another reason our relationship is awesome. 

I wanted to share some ideas on how to show your man that you love him. Woman seem to be easy in this aspect (hello chocolate), but after three years, I have figured out some easy ways to show Jord my love.

1. Buy Him a Drink

This has been my easy go-to when Jordon's having a rough day/week. Coming home to some beer or scotch shows that he was on my mind and that I would like to make it a little better. 

2. Give Him some Space

When I need to feel the love, all I want is to curl up, hold on and not let go.... ever. This one was a bit tough for me to come around too, but because I love spending time with Jord, he knows I'm respecting his wants when I give him his space.... which is usually a small space the size of a computer desk. 

3. Take an Interest in His Hobbies

I don't have much knowledge when it comes to investing or gaming, but that doesn't mean I don't try! I've learnt more than I can remember about Oblivion in the last little while and I have now realized I should drag Jordon to all my bank appointments. 

4. "Make Him a Sandwich"

Don't yell at me. I am not an awful woman who thinks you need a man or you should give your life up for a man.... but having supper or breakfast ready is another easy way to show your man you're thinking of him. Most nights we make supper together, but occasionally one of us will cook for the other, which I can say feels awesome when you come home in no mood to cook. 

And there you have it! I guess the most important thing is to find a way to show your SO you love them and make sure you're with someone who's willing to do it back!

-Vanessa xo