The picturesque fishing village of Crail in the East Neuk of Fife
At the time when both DD1 and DD2 were born, HunterGatherer was working on a stock farm in Fife (or 'The Kingdom of Fife', as it's often called), looking after a herd of pedigree Hereford cattle.
Those were halcyon days, and I remember with pleasure being blasted on the beach at Elie by a blustery November breeze or heading into Anstruther on a balmy summer's evening to treat ourselves to a golden, crispy fish supper from the world-renowned Anstruther Fish Bar. It was thus with slight nostalgia that I headed recently with my long-suffering gym buddy, P., back to the East Neuk of Fife for a morning of coastal walking followed by a well-earned rest (euphemism for lunch!).
We were extremely fortunate with the weather. The rain that had threatened during our hour-long drive East from Kinross to Crail was considerate enough to restrain itself for the duration of our stroll along the glorious coastal path, and the clouds and sunshine took it in turn to prevail, which made for some tempting photo opportunities.
Of course, the main benefit of going for a nice long walk is that one can then 'refuel the tank' without (too much of) a guilty conscience, so on our return to the picturesque fishing village we rapidly repaired to the Crail Harbour Gallery and Tearoom to replenish our energy levels.
Being tough country girls, we elected to sit in the tiny patio behind the Tearoom so we could overlook the sea while discussing life, the universe and which cake to choose for pudding! The only slight risk factor (as the waitress warned us, with a twinkle in her eye) was that the cream on top of their hot chocolate had been known to fly into the face of its consumers under similarly windy conditions. All the more reason to down the delicious chocolatey concoction at speed, we thought!
Our visit to the Gallery Tearoom proved a perfect way to finish our micro-visit to Fife, and we've already resolved to return next year and walk another part of the Fife coastal path. In the meantime, our photos will serve as a welcome reminder of our 2016 visit to the beautiful East Neuk.
Lovely place to enjoy lunch in Crail
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"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly, "one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower." ~Hans Christian Andersen |
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Loaves aplenty - from award-winning Barnett's Bakery |
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A bowl of big meringues - sweet! |
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Tipsy Mallows come in a range of different flavours and colours - the raspberry ones were fab! |
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Scones as far as the eye can see :-) |
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Spice up your life - with Trotter's Condiments |
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Vinegars infused with flavours of fruit and herbs |
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Kylie and Eck - the perfect couple... Note height from the unprotected edge of the wall down to the waiting water... |
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Nothing to beat fresh crab in a fresh roll |
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The dreaded "Examination Schools" in Oxford |
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HunterGatherer getting to grips with being a punter... |
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The pudding platter at The Trout: wowsers! |
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Sickles and scythes and much much more! |
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With a little gentle encouragement, this bold butterfly was soon on his way |
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The camouflage of this butterfly is amazing... |
I spent the entire visit to the Butterfly House dreading that we’d tread on one of these delicate insects, as they were wont to land on the ground at one’s feet, having no respect even for HunterGatherer’s tackety boots!
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The bedroom where Winston Churchill was born |
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The approach to Blenheim Palace |
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Think of how long it would take to trim these hedges! |
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Dream starter at Cherwell Boathouse: asparagus with quails eggs and pea'n mint mousse |
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Our two trusty trugs |
The recent spate of spring-like weather (interspersed, it has to be said, with weather more reminiscent of mid-November) has inspired us to rummage around in the garden shed and unearth (metaphorically speaking, of course – eccentric we may be, but we don’t keep earth in our sheds…) various horticultural accoutrements in anticipation of getting the garden “sorted out”. Obviously, we are kidding ourselves here, as the weeds that inhabit our garden are generally more than a match for HunterGatherer and his shining hoe, but he likes to consider himself a valiant slayer of chickweed.
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Seeds of hope |
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At least the spinach is growing well! |
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Nectarine bush in full bloom - Vinnie the vine looking dead! |
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My favourite kitchen appliance |
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The cosy bar at The Grouse and Claret |
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Canapés in abundance... Don't mind if we do! |
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A mountain of cake |
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The dark blues on the advance |
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Tired but happy :-) |
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Ready for some lambing action |