Sushi, Druids and Pete the Penguin

For everybody who has complained that I haven't posted pictures, I now have some pictures. Mostly of today's outing. I have many many pictures!!! I went to St. Andrew's with Steve, Julius and Chris to have Sushi!!! Sushi is so good, and this place was a serious sushi place - not your supermarket variety sushi. I have been excessively adventurous lately with food - you know - being a prairie girl, I have pretty much - never liked fish. So today, on purpose - mostly because I am now in the Land O' Fish - I bought the Teriyaki Salmon Bento Box with a few Cucumber rolls. Then, afterwards, I got SUPER adventurous and tried the Tuna on Rice raw Sushi, and also - Sashimi. I know, I've really surprised myself with this, but it had to be done - at least once. I don't know if I'd do it every day, but yeah - raw fish - no big deal really. Steve had said that he tried sushi once and hated it, but he really enjoyed our meal today, so I think - overall it was a good experience for everybody. Plus, we all just really enjoyed each other's company - I love making new friends - it's always a good thing to meet new people that are cool.



Julius teaches Steve how to use Chopsticks - I'm a pro, so I didn't really need any lessons.



This is just me going for some pickled ginger, however the terrified look comes from me anticipating the raw fish - which came next.



It's not too bad actually. Tracy would be proud.



That's right - I eat Sashimi. I'm a Sashimi eater.



A good time was had by all...

Here's a few shots of St. Andrews whilst we were there, for those who have not seen it before. It is one of the oldest cities in Scotland and has Scotland's oldest University. There's an ancient Cathedral there and a Castle - which is more like a Bishop's Residence than a Castle. Plus, St. Andrews is the birthplace of Golf as we know it today. There's one shot here of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews as we sped by it.





Afterwards, Steve suggested that we head over to this really cool ancient druid site where they did (or so we think) human sacrifices. Haha - so morbid, but it was pretty cool. Dunino Den isn't really one of the places you'll find in a common guide book, but it really is very very special because on the site - they think there was an ancient stone circle which was taken down when they built the kirk - which is really really old itself. There is also a well, and a few very slippery steps down into a den near a creek where pagans still come today to do their worship. In fact they leave offerings of every kind possible in the den. We found coins from all over the world including a Canadian Quarter, little bears, an angel, bits of lace, hair clips, all kinds of weird things people had left there during their pagan rituals. It was really interesting. Weird, yet interesting. However, my ancestors must have been pagan at one time or another, so there was a kind of connection that I felt to the people - regardless of whatever morbid practices were done in the past. There's also a bit of stone in the graveyard at the church which they think may be part of the old stone circle. A little ways off there's a hill just in the middle of a bunch of fields that Steve thinks is probably man made. It's really old and cool, and somehow connected to the pagan site. We didn't get to walk out there though - time restraints, etc...



The kirk that is built on the site where the stone circle must have been.



This is the well and right near it - you can see the foot print which Steve says is where the king would have put his foot through the years as he was crowned. Apparently there were pagan coronations held here. There's also speculation that the well is where they did the sacrifices - being the collection spot for the blood.



The steps leading down into the den.



It really is quite a lovely spot.







Some of the offerings left behind by modern day pagans.

So - yeah that was super cool, and guess what else I found in the Kirkyard????



A Holly Tree!!!!! Merry Christmas all. Also, thanks SOOOOOO much to MBFM who sent me an enormous box which I received today with fantastic gifts inside of it with intriguing labels on them. They say things like...

"Pete misses you too - sniff sniff" - Pete is our Christmas mascot penguin at the office
"Enjoy a cuppa"
"For a peace filled environment!"
"Be at peace with yourself"
"Those Canadians"
"A little mindless fun"
"Men!!! Love 'em or bite their head off!" - this one sounds really intriguing
"Sometimes nothing else will do"
"Regular Life"
"For Your Back Yard Clothes Line Garden"
"A Little Magic"

So, that will be so much fun opening each of those up. I have opened up the Pete missing me one, and inside it has tissue with penguins on it. Ah MBFM, you are the best. I had a sneaky suspicion you might actually send me Pete himself, however, this is better. Thanks for sending those. I will open one or two a day until I leave on Wednesday to spend Christmas with my friends in Airdrie. She also sent me an issue of "Street Talk" which I shall cherish - haha. Merry Christmas everybody!!!