Friday 14 October 2011

A peedie walk doon big toon

I had a funny thought, I have them you know, funny thoughts. Quite often really. Whilst mostly I confess to being preoccupied with flowers and plants,  hills and moors, beaches and lighthouses. I don't think we've ga'an much, doon the toon. Today, Mr F and myself met up for a peedie walk, and I took some pictures in our main town Kirkwall. Boats feature heavily in the front of the town - Kirkwall Bay is a busy port. Ferries, fishing boats, ships and the lifeboat all jostle about for space. I'm lucky I get a fair bit of diversity with my work, a little bit of the work I do, like today, is based in Kirkwall, in the main town of the islands.
I like it when the ferries open their bow doors, its like they are yawning. Well it amuses me. The buildings in Kirkwall are amazing and I'm not just yibbering about the cathederal. The Kirkwall Hotel is impressive on the front and nice to see the Orkney flag flying up high. We have our own flag, how cool is that?
 We've only met for a quick lunch, so its a very peedie nip up the street - looking back its a hop and a skip from the lane to the sea. The buildings can either sheild you from the wind or funnel it right up at you! Today its a nice enough day, little wind.
 I love the pink of the local indian restaurant - its an odd combination of shock and colour. I quite like it.
 A wee walk up, I spied a notice I like seeing, local fresh shellfish - yum yum yum. Westray boats supply amazing seafood. But we're lucky, the local produce from the land or the sea here is amazing.
 Not much time left for lunch, better get down back to the bay. Now, I wonder is that lovely boat the nice one which produced my lunch? I wanted to give them a wave, but feared they'd think me a mad stalker lady with a camera. Perhaps not, I just tipped my woolly hat to them.......
 I thanked them heartily for my lovely lunch of Orkney fish and chips. Its a real treat and very yummy indeed, I can honestly say its always the best fish and chips I've ever had. Although we do have them now and again, just to check the quality is still good, hmm thats why, honest!
Mr Flowers would comment of course and agree with me, (we don't often agree on much, so for us both to agree means there's really no doubt, it is the best fish and chips in the world) however, he's too busy scoffing fish and chips to get anything coherent out! If you ever visit you must try them - they are so local and so utterly amazing!

(Only bread and butter for tea I think, after that huge yummy lunch)

19 comments:

  1. Sorry, but the best fish and chips in the world were the ones Mam and I had last week in Whitley Bay!!

    Lovely Haddock, Chips, Mushy Peas, Tea, Bread and Butter...I'm amazed we could continue our walk after all that!

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  2. Oh thank you Anne ive put Whitley bay. On my fish and chip investigation list.

    I do love mushy peas :)

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  3. Man o Man. It's a hard toss. The fish and chips in Orkney are to die for and sorry to say the same in Whitby, Eng are just about as scrumptous! But if one HAD to chose, it's the Scottish ones I'll take!!!

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  4. When I make rare visits to UK, usually London/Kent areas, I always try to have fish & chips. Some friends try to deflect me by insisting on eating Ethiopian nosh, or Thai, or whatever. I always hold the line firm. Apart from good curry, it's my favourite fast-food! Just can't be had over here, and impossible in Sweden, where - surprisingly & astonishingly - they don't really do fish!

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  5. Meant to add - sorry - there's a passable chippy in Upper Street, Islington N1.

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  6. I think you'll find the best fish and chips are in Aberlady in East Lothian! Gorgeous AND in the Edinburgh 'chippy sauce availability' area.

    Those do look pretty good though... ;-)

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  7. I won't claim access to better fish and chips, and certainly can't claim access to a busy port. I love ports, anywhere with boats really. And I love it when ferries yawn and cough up cars and lorries too. My Nan used to take me to Southampton Docks when I was small, I probably got it from there.

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  8. Best Fish and Chips I ever had was in Iceland, closely followed by Pierowall in Westray. I'm feeling peckish at the thought....

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  9. What a beautiful spot! And to end with Fish and Chips...yummy! Kirkwall seems to be a nice place to take a stroll...lovely buildings and bay.

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  10. I have to say that I come from fife and thus have easy access to the world famous chippers in anstruther and pittenweem. Whilst they are indeed very very good and Tom hanks is even a reasonably regular customer at the pittenweem chip shop claiming it to be his favourite fish and chips, I can categorically confirm that they are not in the same league as the wee chipper in Kirkwall.

    Mr f

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  11. Oh dear, apparently I've hit a fish and chip nerve. We've all got our favourites eh? Previously my favourite fish and chip shop was in Edinburgh at Stockbridge after my grannies favourite beside dens park football stadium in Dundee, the did a lovely 'soft fish'. Golspie was amazing for ages, but it's changed, sadly.

    Oh dear I appear to have eaten alot of fish and chips.

    Sage butterfly- it's a lovely wee town, as I took pictures the music shop guy (who's great chums with mr f) said I looked like a tourist, I like the idea offing a tourist in my own town.

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  12. Janet, idimagine Iceland would be stunning. Westray fish and chips are famous!

    Janet coughing up cars, how lovely. Pity you've no port near, I'd post you fish and chips but they'd be cold by the time they arrived, yuk!

    Ww, aberlady chippy is good. I won't argue at all, chippy sauce is indeed amazing. :) ah student days in the big smoke!

    Yer actual, not much fish in Sweden?! Glad you get your fish and chip fix when you get to the uk, often an underrated and looked down upon food, which at it's finest is awesome.

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  13. Paula good call! As you've sampled both :)

    I think the chunky fish here is awesome never seen the likes of it anywhere.

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  14. Mr f, you are indeed a fish and chip fiend. Whilst I do not agree with your philosophy to smother the dish to death in broon sauce and vinegar (yuk) I admire your passion and dedication to the cause.

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  15. Fish & chips are OK in their place....But are there no oysters in Orkney yet? Loch Fyne Oysters are now selling at 60p...which is almost down to French prices. I will travel miles for half a dozen fresh oysters tasting of sea and nothing else! Time Scotland got over the perception that there is something 'dirty' about shellfish

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  16. The best fish n chips I ever had...when I still ate fish...was at the chip shop at the bottom of Christmas Steps in Bristol.

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  17. There really is a fish and chip nerve here :) And MrF came on as "Anonymous"! That tells you its got to be important, lol ... Being vegetarian, all I can tell you is that I *long* for the days when I could eat battered fish .... along with bacon and freshly roasted lamb, it makes up one of the three things I miss from my carnivorous days!

    Anyway, I love your walk about Kirkwall, especially the harbour and the Orkney flag and - well, everything :)

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  18. I could live on fish and especially on seafood-- oysters, mussels, clams, crab, scallops...That image looked like first rate lunch to ME.

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  19. Linnew I could live on the lot yum yum. :)

    Jan the flag is very cool, never thought fish and chips be on the miss list, how cool.

    Bridget another to check! Ta for letting me know.

    Kininivie, love shell fish, won't get me arguing there. LFO are pioneers in growing them. Up here don't see them very regularily in the fishmongers extraordinaire, I guess maybe not but will investigate.

    Good fish and chips in my find is up there (in its own experience) with an Orkney fillet steak, new season asparagus or fresh langoustines from apple cross to Colonsay, islay, fort William to Oban. Scotland has amazing food, land, sea and all.

    Xx

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