A Wayfaring American

Travel and food blogger currently based in ATL.

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Something is in the air here in Glasgow. Glaswegians seem to be trading in their fried foods for healthy ones! As someone who is trying to eat healthier, it makes me very happy to see healthier options.

The newest one to open is called the Kcal Kitchen. I came for lunch last week with SheBuffalo and we have been talking about coming back since we took our first bites!

  SheBuffalo

SheBuffalo chose the chicken and noodles (with zucchini/courgette noodles!); I had been dreaming of the protein mac and cheese (with chicken, of course) for about a week, so there was no question what I was going to get!

  My protein mac and cheese was heavenly. It was rich and flavourful and did not taste like it was anything less than mac and cheese. SheBuffalo’s chicken and noodles was absolutely amazing. The flavour in it was 100% on point. It had a super rich flavour with some lovely kick of spice. I can’t even imagine that her lunch had 295 calories.

We obviously had to have dessert. When in Rome, eh? Both of us went for the protein waffles. SheBuffalo’s was topped with nutella* and banana; mine was topped with vanilla yogurt and summer berries.

  *Not really nutella. It was a homemade sauce that was similar to nutella.

For both of us, my waffle with berries was much tastier. The knock-off nutella sauce didn’t have a very rich flavour, and the waffle just tasted a bit dry (like it needed more sauce or something). My summer berries waffle had so much sauce and fruit that I felt absolutely spoiled.

Kcal Kitchen is located at the corner of Wellington Street on West Regent Street (130 West Regent Street, to be exact). It’s one of those quaint basement restaurants. One wonderful feature that SheBuffalo and I enjoyed was the patio seating. It’s below street level, so you don’t necessarily feel like you are on the street (with people walking or cars driving just next to where your table is). However, you do still get lovely rays of sunshine (when it’s not raining)!

Trying to eat healthy in #Glasgow? I went to Kcal Kitchen to check it out. Something is in the air here in Glasgow. Glaswegians seem to be trading in their fried foods for…

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 Edinburgh is so cultural and such a beautiful place to walk around. – Rupert Friend

Edinburgh is about 50 miles away from Glasgow, but I’ve not spent very much time there in the 3.5 years that I’ve lived in Glasgow. I’ve started spending a bit more time there and decided to share it with you.

But first, coffee. You should definitely check out Valvona & Crolla. When you’re there, you should definitely try an Italian doughnut (bomboloni is a big one, bombolini is a small one).

After coffee, you might wander down to check out the Scottish National Portrait Gallery (free entry).

Then, you should just wander in and out of closes in the New Town. There’s amazing Georgian architecture with basement apartments underneath and Mews Houses behind them.

Georgian architecture

Mews House

Church-turned-pub

basement apartment

Inside Ghillie-Dhu

Have you been to Edinburgh? Did you like the New Town or the Old Town better?

A photo diary of a day in the #NewTown of #Edinburgh  Edinburgh is so cultural and such a beautiful place to walk around. - Rupert Friend Edinburgh is about 50 miles away from Glasgow, but I've not spent very much time there in the 3.5 years that I've lived in Glasgow.

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The most popular local street food in Budapest is definitely lángos. But on Kazinczy utca 18, you’ll find Street Food Karaván – where they have a selection of food truck-style kitchens where you can get so much more than that!

Of course, they have a lángos stand! But there’s also a grilled cheese shop called Paneer. As well as a burger shop (amongst other things!)

Rambo and I had the breaded cheese selection from Paneer – cheddar, mozzarella, smoked cheese, and camembert.

Then we had some lángos – we had previously tried a traditional lángos, so we branched out into the töltött (or stuffed). I went for the chicken paprikas while Rambo tried the grill sausage. Both of which were heaven!

We ended our trip to Karaván with some delicious popsicles from Popsi. Rambo went for mango and passionfruit – I went for chocolate and banana.

Have you been to Karaván? Have you had any of the amazing popsicles from Popsi?

Street Food in Budapest The most popular local street food in Budapest is definitely lángos. But on Kazinczy utca 18, you'll find…

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When Tipsy and I went to France, we agreed that it was totally worth it to take a couple of days and leave Paris to check out Normandy. To be fair, I spent a summer in Caen studying and used that to convince her it was going to be amazing! We took the train up to Caen from Paris and then hired a car to go to the Normandy beaches. There was another near-death experience here when an 18-wheeler (or lorry as they call it here in the UK) didn’t allow us to merge and we nearly collided with them. But that’s neither here nor there.

From Caen we headed to Colleville-sur-Mer to see the American Cemetery and Omaha beach. It was eerie to be on Omaha beach where so many lost their lives and today it is one of the most serene places I’ve visited. I made Tipsy close her eyes as we walked up towards the cemetery so that she was hit with the full effect of it. It is truly sad to see so many little white headstones, all facing Arlington, Virginia (the site of the National Cemetery). Walking through the cemetery, it’s surprising to see how many unknown graves there are. We took a few moments thinking of that poor family, always wondering what happened to their loved one.

After the cemetery and Omaha beach, we drove up to Arromanches-les-Bains (more easily called, Arromanches) to see Gold Beach and the cinéma circulaire (Arromanches 360). The cinéma circulaire is a really cool place. It shows a video of the 100 days of the Battle of Normandy (Les 100 jours de Normandie) with video and audio from the archives of all of the Allied forces that participated in the liberation of Normandy following D-Day (Jour-J). The video screen spans the walls of the circular screen, giving you a 360-degree experience. Which can be slightly overwhelming at moments, but it is honestly so cool. After the video, we walked down to Arromanches to see the beach and the remainders of the invasion by the Allied forces. Then we had the most French picnic at one of the picnic tables outside the cinéma – a baguette, some Pont L’Évêque cheese, some fruit and some charcuterie. We were such happy girls!

We then spent the afternoon in Caen at the Mémorial de Caen, which is an AMAZING museum of D-Day( and World War 2, in general). Tipsy was even surprised with how much she enjoyed the Mémorial. We easily could have spent like an entire day there soaking everything in. If you’re in Normandy, (and you have even the slightest interest in WW2 history) then you should definitely check out this museum.

A sculpture just outside the Mémorial, as it usually goes with museums, no photos inside.

We bought tickets that allowed entry to the Mémorial and the cinéma cirulaire for €21.50. If both things interest you, that’s definitely the way to go! The Mémorial is usually €19.50 and the cinéma circulaire is normally €5.50. We also agreed that renting a car was the best option for getting to the beaches, and was ridiculously cheap in comparison with the bus trips we found (which had been completely booked for weeks before our trip).

Have you been to the Normandy beaches? Which ones did you see? Did you go to the museum in Caen?

A Day in #Normandy. When Tipsy and I went to France, we agreed that it was totally worth it to take a couple of days and leave Paris to check out Normandy.

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When I was booking our rooms for our Eurotrip, this was one of the places I was most excited about. I stayed at Generator Hostels in Copenhagen and was thoroughly impressed. It was clean and modern and fun. So I was more than happy to book Tipsy and I in here. Which was a funny story in itself – convincing Tipsy that we wouldn’t be kidnapped, tortured and murdered by staying in a hostel!

I booked a private room with a balcony for our 3 nights in Paris. What I wasn’t expecting was that I booked us one of the Penthouse suites! Complete with our own balcony and hammock!

Generator Paris is super conveniently located for the Métro. They, of course, have the options of the dorms (bunk beds). The Penthouse was a nice wee treat for us to enjoy some nights in (relative) luxury! My only complaint was that the reception staff here seemed fairly incompetent. We ran into a problems with our keys being rejected because we had “checked out” and it was like banging our heads against a wall to get this resolved. (Granted, it was resolved relatively quickly. But the staff just sort of stared at us when we said we hadn’t checked out!)

-By the way, I was in no way paid for this. I just really liked our Penthouse suite!

Have you stayed with a Generator Hostel? What did you think?

Generator Paris. When I was booking our rooms for our Eurotrip, this was one of the places I was most excited about.

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Like every other teenage girl in 2004, I was obsessed with the movie. It’s taken me 3 trips to Paris, but I finally went to the Paris Opera house to see what inspired Gaston Leroux.

The Palais Garnier was built in 1875 as the building for the Paris Opera. The Opéra Nationale de Paris uses the newer building, the Opéra Bastille, more frequently now. But the Palais Garnier is still in use (mostly for ballet), and still available for visiting. Basically, it’s one of the most gorgeous buildings I’ve ever seen. It is opulent and clearly built to put opera on a pedestal above other forms of art.

As Tipsy and I wandered around, I couldn’t help but pretend that I was Parisian, way back in the day, attending an opera here. I just can’t even imagine what it must have been like!

Palais Garnier has special pricing for people 16-25 (like most other places around Europe, but especially Paris). As a couple of women who are, sadly, aging out of that demographic, it was awesome to hear that this discount counts until you turn 26! So Tipsy and I happily handed over our ID to prove that we were not yet 26 and got in for cheaper! It may sound a bit stingy or penny-pinching, but always ask for student/senior discounts if you can!

Have you been to the Palais Garnier? Was it for a performance?

Looking for the Phantom of the #Opera at the #PalaisGarnier in #Paris. Like every other teenage girl in 2004, I was obsessed with the movie. It's taken me 3 trips to Paris, but I finally went to the Paris Opera house to see what inspired Gaston Leroux.

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In rather stereotypical fashion, I insisted that Tipsy and I spend at least a few hours at the Louvre to see some of the art at the world-famous museum. Having been once before, and knowing Paris in August, we arrived at the Louvre early in the morning. This is when the queues – for anything in Paris – are the shortest. The museum was obviously still ridiculously full. But we did enjoy some of the sights! I still love the Venus de Milo. Tipsy quickly fell head over heels for the Winged Victory of Samothrace – declaring her Tipsy’s spirit animal.

Winged Victory of Samothrace

Winged Victory of Samothrace

Artemis the Huntress

Venus de Milo

Not pictured: Mona Lisa. Obviously we saw it. I still maintain that it’s so much smaller than I expect. Also, the velvet rope and glass enclosure really take away some of the magic of it. But I totally get that it needs to be protected from the insane number of tourists that enter the museum.

This place is crazy big. We got lost so many times. My advice for tackling the Louvre is to go to the kind of art you like the best – either by country or type. I remember hearing some time ago that you could spend 6 months in the Louvre and still not take in all of the art they have. So prioritise what is important to you! Tipsy and I spent somewhere in the neighbourhood of 2.5 hours inside and were very happy with that.

Have you been to the Louvre? What did you think? What was your favourite piece?

Of course I took Tipsy to the #Louvre to see some #art! In rather stereotypical fashion, I insisted that Tipsy and I spend at least a few hours at the Louvre to see some of the art at the world-famous museum.

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In Glencoe, there a wee loch (or a lochan, as they are apparently called) that is absolutely gorgeous to walk around. We came here after hiking up to the Lost Valley for an Instameet (#Glencoe15). I had never heard of this place, but it was so serene. It was a bit rainy when we first arrived, but it cleared up quickly and the most beautiful reflections were there!

Shout out to Roxy the Mountain Dog for giving us endless entertainment that day as well as having more energy that all of us put together!

Have you been to Glencoe Lochan? What did you think of it?

#Glencoe Lochan is a beautiful wee place in Glencoe that is worth a look! In Glencoe, there a wee loch (or a lochan, as they are apparently called) that is absolutely gorgeous to walk around.

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This was a bit of a travel blunder. When Tipsy was coming to Scotland, I immediately thought about taking her to the Isle of Skye (an island I absolutely love) to see the Fairy Pools. I tried once before, with Rambo, to hike up to them, but we apparently didn’t hike far enough. So we didn’t get to see them.

Sadly. This time was not much better.

When Tipsy and I arrived at Glenbrittle to hike up to the Fairy Pools, it was a bit rainy. One of my friends later told me that it’s not called the Misty Isle for nothing!

We left the car in the parking lot and started our trek. Part of this trek involves crossing a few streams. Normally this is quite easy to do as there are large rocks that you can step on to get across. Unfortunately, when it been raining, the water level rises pretty quickly.

After hiking further than Rambo and I had done, Tipsy and I turned back when some other hikers told us that the water level was so high at the pools you couldn’t even see them properly. (Also, by this point, we were pretty wet. Even with waterproof jackets on.)

The streams turned into rivers while we’d been hiking, which led to very carefully trying to cross fast-moving rivers. I got swept up a bit in the first one, but was able to grab on to the bank and pull myself out. When we made it to the second one, we actually ended up hiking up the river a little trying to find a better crossing with a group of about 10 other people. I somehow was the dummy that tried to cross and barely made it to the other side without getting swept away. The others hiked further up and found another way to cross. We didn’t realise that this put us on a wee island! So then we still had to find a way to cross the main river. We ended up forming a human chain and pulling each other along and up onto the banks. (I got swept up again here, and had to be pulled to safety by one of the strangers we joined up with!)

Tipsy on Skye

So, I’ve still not seen the Fairy Pools, but I can warn future travellers to be very careful hiking here if the water is up. This was such a scary time for Tipsy and me. Tipsy and I should have turned back at the beginning as it was very unsafe to continue on our adventure. Getting swept up in the rivers was very scary for both of us and could have ended very badly, especially as phone signal is very poor here. I still don’t know how our phones, which were in our pockets, didn’t get completely ruined with water damage – although we did immediately buy a bag of rice and dumped our phones in there to try to save them.

Have you managed to make it to the Fairy Pools? What did you think? Were they as magical as they look? Have you had a major travel blunder like us?

Tipsy and I went in search of the Fairy Pools on #Skye. Here's our story! This was a bit of a travel blunder. When Tipsy was coming to Scotland, I immediately thought about taking her to the Isle of Skye (an island I absolutely love) to see the Fairy Pools.

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Rambo and I came to Ildikó Konyhája on our first trip to Budapest. Sadly, we were so hungry by the time we decided to eat here, we inhaled our food before we could snap any photos of it! So I was determined to come back and do this place justice. It was easy to convince Rambo, because it was one of his favourite places we ate at on our first trip to Budapest. In fact, last night he was dreaming up a way to try to make goulash like we had here at Ildikó at home.

Beef Goulash

Pork Goulash

Pork Goulash

The meat in the goulash (both the beef and the pork) was so incredibly tender and juicy. Both of us love that there is a wee pot of chili sauce (I have yet to figure out what on earth it is!) on the table for you to spice it up as you like it. Which usually means Rambo renders his inedible to me fairly quickly!

This is a cute little restaurant, with just a few tables. We’ve not had any trouble getting in the two times we came here though. It’s located on the Buda side of the Danube on Fő utca 8. The easiest way to explain it is to cross the Széchenyi Lánchíd (Chain Bridge) heading towards Buda Castle. When you get to the roundabout, take a right onto Fő utca. It’s just ahead on the left side! They are open from 11:30 until 22:00 everyday (the website says the hours are for April – January 31, so it might close for holidays for February and March).

Have you been here? What did you think?

Ildikó Konyhája in #Budapest. The best goulash we had! Rambo and I came to Ildikó Konyhája on our first trip to Budapest. Sadly, we were so hungry by the time we decided to eat here, we inhaled our food before we could snap any photos of it!

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One of the places in Barcelona that I really wanted to visit is the Palau de la Música. My desire was largely fuelled by the stunning photos across Instagram of the stained glass inverted dome/chandelier. Tipsy and I decided to spend a couple of hours basking in the architectural beauty (and escape the heat for a moment!) Both Tipsy and I wished that we could have caught a show here – it’s absolutely stunning! I can only imagine that a performance here is magical.

Original Ticket Office at the Palau de la Musica

façade

Have you been to the Palau de la Música in Barcelona? Did you see a performance?

Palau de la Música. One of the places in Barcelona that I really wanted to visit is the Palau de la Música…

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Gargoyles in Paris.

The towers of Notre Dame give you unparalleled views of #Paris!

One of the things I was anxious to do in Paris was to go up the towers of Notre Dame. Tipsy and I arrived right as the Cathedral opened so that she could peek inside. I just love the way the light moves around the cathedral. There’s so much natural light from the stained glass windows and they combine magically with the yellow glow of the chandeliers. After a quick turn, we went to take our…

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Handmade Burger Co.

“Burger Corner” (as its locally known) is the intersection of St Vincent Street and West Nile Street in Glasgow where several gourmet burger shops have opened within quick succession of each other. The last one to open was the Handmade Burger Co. It opened at 78 St Vincent Street.         Rambo got the blue cheese and bacon burger.     It was oozing with a rich blue cheese sauce that was creamy…

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Pesti Disznó Bisztró.

This was one of the restaurants that Rambo and I ate at a few years ago when we first came to Budapest. Sadly, we inhaled all of the yummy food before any photos were taken. When we decided to come back to Budapest this year, we agreed this was at the top of our list.    Pesti Disznó means Pest Pig. As in a pig from the Pest side of the city. It specialises in delicious roast pork dishes. It’s so…

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Fraueninsel.

There's a #lake at the base of the #Bavarian #Alps called #Chiemsee. On it is a small island called #Fraueninsel.

Not far from Munich is the beautiful Lake Chiemsee (Kim-zee). It’s a lake that was formed by a glacier eons ago. It sits at the base of the Bavarian side of the Alps. Which means that from every part of the lake (and the islands on it) you have these stunning views of the Alps. We went to the Ladies’ Island on Chiemsee (Fraueninsel or Frauenchiemsee). Fraueninsel is a special little island. It’s…

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Fraueninsel.

There's a #lake at the base of the #Bavarian #Alps called #Chiemsee. On it is a small island called #Fraueninsel.

Not far from Munich is the beautiful Lake Chiemsee (Kim-zee). It’s a lake that was formed by a glacier eons ago. It sits at the base of the Bavarian side of the Alps. Which means that from every part of the lake (and the islands on it) you have these stunning views of the Alps. We went to the Ladies’ Island on Chiemsee (Fraueninsel or Frauenchiemsee). Fraueninsel is a special little island. It’s…

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Nyhavn.

The most iconic place in #Copenhagen is #Nyhavn or the New Harbour.

Right in the heart of Copenhagen is the picturesque Nyhavn (pronounced new-how-n). Nyhavn means “New Harbour” in Danish. It was built in the late 17th century. It was a rather unsavoury place – mainly bars and brothels well-stocked with drunken sailors. In the 1960s, there was a movement to clean up Nyhavn and make it a place people would want to go. So the bars and brothels became harbour cafés.…

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