Train to Edinburgh - Good bye to Fife

Nothing like taking the train from Fife to Edinburgh. It gives me a thrill of the possibilities that are before me.
The man in the Kirkcaldy train station reminds of the man who produced Mrs. Miniver's rose. I can see Edinburgh just across the water, sail over the railroad bridge Hitchcock made famous in THE 39 STEPS, look up at the Edinburgh Castle, and arrive at the marvelous Waverley Station in under 45 minutes.

Have tea at the new Missoni Hotel on the George IV Bridge.

Walk down Victoria Street, discover the BEST Tweed shop. New jacket.

 Observe the Library.

 Walk over the Bridge from Old Town to New Town.

 Stake out a photo of St. Andrews Square.

 Wish I'd had a drink at the club room in the Dome. Makes me feel as if Noel Coward will turn round the corner at any minute.

and walk past Robert Lewis Stevenson's Edinburgh townhouse.

Edinburgh, a city of half million that hosts the most fabulous festival every August, has the old town and the new, and a flat in my future, I believe.

"World is ball." 

Happy Hogmanay

Last day of the year, and yet, the days are getting longer. It isn't dark until 5, and the sun sets through the trees near Kingsbarns with TREE OF LIFE kind of beauty.

Bonfire at the west shore at midnight, with so many faces from the village, hardly recognizable under their hats.

Whiskey is passed around, lots of it.
People join hands and sing Auld Land Syne.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auld_Lang_Syne

Authentic.
Real.
Truthful.
Hilarious.
Fun.
Cold.
Embracing
Bedford Falls,

Pittenweem.

The Kingdom of Fife - Pittenweem Fish & Chips Bar

 What a pity, it is closed for two weeks for the holidays. The best fish and chips around, and it is just down the street, as is the post office, the chemist, the convenience store, Robert Adamson, the hairdresser (really good hairdresser, look out Los Angeles, because not only does Robert do great hair AND color, he gives great conversation, which every girl knows is important when she is in the chair), the new store The Wooly Brew, that has taken over the Rake Around's old space and given Pittenweem a fabulous new knitting store, which is more than convenient when there are gale force winds outside and it's time to knit more fingerless gloves, Barnett's Bakers, Page Pottery, http://www.pagepottery.co.uk/, Amy Page who has created the most beautiful mugs and plates and bowls and jugs in the loveliest shade of green/blue watery turquoise what do you call that color?, The LITTLE GALLERY, Art Extraordinary, http://www.artextraordinarytrust.co.uk/ which always has the best and most deep of the deep water of Art, and Donald Butcher, The FISHER GALLERY, http://www.fishergallery.co.uk/  and the Cocoa Tree Cafe
http://www.thecocoatreeshop.com/                 which are all open, THANK GOD, during this time because we all need our hair done and bread baked and chocolates from the Cocoa Tree. Have I forgotten anyone? It's a pretty good line up on the High Street.

One fish supper with salt and vinegar and brown sauce.

THIS is Pittenweem.


Happy Hogmanay.

The Kingdom of Fife - The Royal Burgh of Pittenweem

 In Pittenweem, fishermen harvest prawns, crab, lobster, and the all important haddock. Just a small village of 3,000 living in stone cottages and doing their shopping on the high street. The summer arts festival brings 20,000 people into town each August, and locals open their homes for the artist's exhibitions. Set in a small neuk that juts into the North Sea, overlooking the Firth of Forth and the Isle of May, Pittenweem is a step back into time; relaxed, friendly, and filled with some of the most interesting people one would want to meet.

James II of Scotland (1437-1460) described the East Neuk of Fife with its burghs built around sheltered bays and rich farmland as "a fringe of gold on a beggar's mantle."

Pittenweem's history dates back to the 7th century. Its name is of Pictish origins and means 'place (pit) by or of the cave (weem)', where it is said St. Fillan chose to live while he converted local Picts to Christianity. Nice, eh? No conversion or dragging into the cave today, but one can visit if it doesn't creep you out.

Today, Pittenweem is the main fishing centre of the East Neuk, a fact celebrated at the annual East Neuk Fish Festival also held in August, and has the best chipper ever.

The Fife Coastal Path hugs the coastline and connects neighboring villages.

Pittenweem = beauty.

Dining: Edinburgh

Ok, we bumped around Edinburgh on Wednesday, had lunch at Martin Wishart in Leith, down by the water, and what a lunch, oh what a lunch, so delcious, so other worldly, it's all so downhill after that. Could be anywhere in the world, and here it is in Edinburgh for us to indulge ourselves. My lunch was celeriac and saffron veloute with confit of organic salmon, (pictured) teamed with 2008 Pouilly Fume, J Pabiot, Loire Valley, France then steamed seabream on a bed of julienne of glazed vegetables, straw potato, warm vinaigrette, along with a 2006 Cotes de Provence, Rimauresq Cru Classe, France. I'm drunk by this time and of course I have to eat dessert, which I usually don't, but here, you must so I choose mango souffle with exotic fruit sorbet.

What do you say to a rainbow? A hurricane? The way the stars shine in the sky? How does one express the delicate nature of the flavors, the professional behavior of the very young adult wait staff? Superb, sublime, heaven.

Art class at Kellie Castle with Sheila Mitchell

Here she is, inviting me to add watercolor to the paper and make some marks that attempt to look like flowers. Such fun. Such terror. Such a complete other world apart while the oil is being spilt in the gulf, the ash is spewing from Iceland and the film festival rocks on in the Cote d'Azur. We make marks and discuss the upcoming UK election and weave our lives inside each others.

Tuesday, art day, settles everything down.

As they say in Scotland, lovely.

kellie easter eggs for sale

Imagine, driving up the hill to get your eggs, taking what you need, and depositing your money in an honesty box. That's the way to shop at Kellie Castle, Fife Scotland, and the drive back down the hill gives a spectacular view of Bass Rock, the Firth of Forth and the Isle of May.

What a gorgeous place Scotland is.

Beef dinner tonight.

Late Spring in Fife

We made it. The journey was smooth, but long. Scotland had a very harsh winter, and the late spring daffodils are still out in full bloom everywhere. The apple trees are budding, which splashes the countryside with various levels of green. The sun shimmers on the water. Today we drove to St. Andrews to shop for food. The bleachers are up in front of the 17th & 18th holes on the old course in anticipation of the British Open this summer.

Jet lag city. Back to the bed.