Boat Cat on the Puget Sound

The long, golden rays of late-autumn sun pulled us down to the docks of nearby Lakebay marina one recent afternoon. Which is where we met this swashbuckling boat cat and saw some pretty gorgeous Puget Sound scenery.

Swashbuckling Boat Cat

Carpet Picnic by Canoe

Sometimes the best food is a simple lunch, enjoyed outside in the fresh air, after a little light exercise to get somewhere fantastically gorgeous. This was Francis’ first canoe trip, and she was amazing! (Walnut, the brown dog, stayed back at the cabin, taking a little nap for this adventure.)

Adventure

Exploring the Isle of Mull, and Dinner at the Tobermory Hotel

We spent the day exploring the quiet little Isle of Mull, the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland in the council area of Argyll and Bute. It’s a magical, beautiful place.

The Little Bay

Dinner at Cafe Fish, at Tobermory on the Isle of Mull

Cafe Fish sits in the Argyll fishing community of Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, on the upper floor of the Calmac Pier, with a beautiful view over Tobermory Bay to Calve Island and the Sound of Mull. Its premise is simple. In the morning, their fishing boat goes out for lobster and langoustines. Their fish, scallops and squid come from other local boats. In the afternoon, they serve the fresh catch. And they bake their bread and pastries in-house, and serve Mull beers and cheese. In short, Cafe Fish is our heaven.

View From Cafe Fish

Off to the Isle of Mull

The Isle of Mull is a 45 minute ferry ride from Oban. The Isle’s capitol is a town (burgh) called Tobermory, which has a population of approximately 700 lovely citizens. More importantly, Tobermory means “Mary’s Well” according to wikipedia. How exciting for those of us named Mary! Now that we’re pleasantly stuffed with oysters, let’s go visit the Isle.

Our Ship Has Come In!

The Seafood Hut at the Ferry Port, Oban, Scotland

Seafood tastes best when it comes fresh from a hut, a shack, or harvested right off the beach. This theory has held true through many adventures – at our cabin, visiting Point Reyes, and now, again, at a little shack at the ferry port of Oban, on the way to the Isle of Mull.

Intriguing

Cuan Mor Bar in Oban, Scotland

Cuan Mor means big ocean, which is fitting, considering this restaurant/bar/brewery’s location – about a half block from Oban Bay.

On the Road to Oban

Thank you, Edinburgh. Our visit was lovely. Now, the adventure continues – wending our way north and west – to the little town of Oban.

Beautiful Scotland

Dinner (It Was Haggis!) at the Doric in Edinburgh

The Doric calls itself the first gastropub in Edinburgh; it was built in the 17th century and converted to a pub in the 18th, and we certainly don’t doubt them. They’re known for their Cullen skink soup and the Scottish haggis, neeps and tatties. (The Scottish what’s and whos’its??)

The Doric in Edinburgh

Inside a Scottish Grocery Store

As you know, when we go to a new country, we love to visit a grocery store. We had a ball inside this Parisian grocery store. And so, the tradition continues in Edinburgh. Just look at all the great items we found!