Boats, brown cafes and NDSM

After my visit to Rijksmuseum I went on a scheduled boat tour with Those Dam Boat Guys.

TDBG is a tour of the Amsterdam canals in a more casual way. They encourage you to have “supplies” with you (whatever that may be) to relax. It is as educational as you want it to be. Our particular tour guide told us some general things but kept it light.

It was a beautiful day so we really just took in the views.

Our boat guide recommended a brown cafe right by where our boat tour ended so I decided to check it out.

Brown Cafes are historic Dutch pubs that get their name from the brown color inside (said to be a result of years of smoke).

After a long day of sightseeing in Amsterdam I decided to see some local flair. I took a boat ride out to the NDSM. NDSM is a former shipyard turned hip spot.

UK Pubs : Camden

One of our last stops was the borough of Camden Town, in northwest London. It is an interesting and eclectic part of London. We visited because my cousin now lives close to this area. Originally I wanted to make it out to the famous Camden Lock Market but we never seemed make it during opening hours. Instead we wandered around town and visited a couple of pubs.

The Worlds End

The Worlds End pub is sort of a landmark in Camden. It was a nice meeting place across from the Camden tube station. The Worlds End pub is a large establishment and its history boasts famous past visitors (like many other London pubs). While we were in here I saw a belligerent drunk old man spill his beer all over the hallway and a yuppy girl break a red wine bottle all over the floor (I guess she was going to a party afterwards). It seemed to be a mix of different types of patrons. The music was heavy alternative.

The Camden Eye

Another pub close to the Camden tube station is The Camden Eye. The pub was busy on arrival but we chose to eat in the empty dining area upstairs. The upstairs was much quieter and provided us a view of Camden Town. We experienced our last fish and chips here but they had an interesting pizza selection (the names too).

The Earl of Camden

Our final pub visit was to the Earl of Camden. We happened upon trivia night. We tried to play along but the topics were more international and British in nature. It proved to be challenging for our group. An adorable large dog was calmly hanging out in the pub while his owner had a few drinks.

UK Pubs: London

Here is another round of London Pubs to visit.

The Punch Tavern

The Punch Tavern was a good place to get some traditional British grub. It was also a fantastic place to get sticky toffee pudding – our obsession while vacationing in the UK.

The Red Lion Pub

The Red Lion Pub is another one of those historic pubs that is now corporate owned. We did not eat at this pub but we were able to sample some beers that we have never tried before.

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

One of the most unique pubs we visited was Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. It was a multi-story historic pub with lots of character. Dining there proved very confusing. We tried to eat at the room on the main floor only to be told it was closed (no information of its opening). We were told to try upstairs. Upstairs again we were told it was full and that there is no waiting list. We wandered around a bit and decided to ask again if we could be seated on the main floor for dinner. Suddenly we were seated. I guess things are sort of informal and unorganized. If you are to visit, keep trying, you may get a different answer. The dinner experience was charming from the food to the wood shavings on the floor.

UK Food and Fun: Edinburgh

A couple of months ago I spent a couple days in Edinburgh.
We spent much our time eating and drinking around town.
Many of our days started with a hearty gourmet breakfast at our bed and breakfast.

And on the day we couldn’t make breakfast, we were given this breakfast to go. It made our entire tour van jealous.

I got to try my first cream tea at Clarinda’s Tea Room. It was a delightful experience.

One day we took part in the touristy Scotch Whisky Experience. The highlights of the experience is the whisky tasting and entrance to the largest Scotch Whisky collection in the world.

We got to see some interesting looking whisky bottles.

The evening is complete with a nice dinner made with fresh ingredients. We had a great meal at The Outsider and it was completed with a dessert platter and a sherry.

Edinburgh: Whisky Distillery and Pub Grub

We took a lovely day tour of Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond and a Whisky distillery with Heart of Scotland tours. More about Stirling castle and the Loch Lomond later but below are some pictures from the Glengoyne Distillery we visited during our tour. We got to sample some of their 12 year old single malt scotch whisky after our tour. No photos were allowed during our tour inside (something about the camera clicking can cause a spark and set the place on fire!). Here are some photos from the grounds.

Pub Talk

Other days in Edinburgh, we tried to get some pub grub at some historic pubs. This started the tour of disappointing “chain” pubs. In the US, we romanticize about getting a beer at an old pub with some home cooked comfort food. Big companies in the UK have capitalized on this and bought out many of the historic pubs. Many of the names are unchanged but their menu and beer selection is carefully duplicated at many pubs of different names. Most tourists probably wouldn’t notice this but we did. We saw this the most while in London but our first experience with it was at Greyfriars Bobby’s Bar, a bar that capitalizes on its proximity to a beloved statue of a loyal dog. We ate at this bar but discovered to see the same beer selections and menu duplicated at bars in London.

Sweet potato pie over peas and potatoes.

Tag: pubs