Friends, neighbours and countrymen, lend me your shears

We love our neighbours, Dave and Sandra. They are borderline eccentrics with a dollop of individuality and humanity added to the mix. Dave belongs to the famous McCrae-clan who owns this wee castle:



But just before you get excited and think we've hit the big time, the McCrae family is huge - 14-children-in-one-family huge. Dave has amazing memories of visiting the castle as a bairn (child) with his extended family and it seems like a magical bairnhood. Sandra comes from Germany and is an all-round great girl. She once invited us for tea on a Sunday afternoon and we dragged our stuffed selves home just after 9pm!

They are considerate. For example, their house attaches on the other side to a house that the newly arrived South African clan would like to buy. (We're thinking of establishing our own little kingdom in the kingdom that is Fife, bespoke tartan included.) In any case, they're graciously keeping prospective buyers away by frightening off those who come to look. One time a viewing couple was standing in the garden and Titus, Dave and Sandra's adorable German Shepard, chose that exact moment to poke his head through the hedge. The woman gave a shriek and they were never heard of again - she had a dog phobia.

Dave works for the council and we make fun of each other's working habits. Yesterday I was working in the garden and he sauntered out, Titus in tow.
'A-ha! I see yer not working! What are ye doing at home?!' He asked mischievously.
'I'm on holiday, duh! Why are you not working today?!' I asked.
'My lift's wife is pregnant, and she went into labour a bit early, so the work said I should sit tight, they'll let me know if they need me today,' he added cheerfully.
'You lucky b**%%%,' shouted Duan through the window, still in his pyjamas at 9:30 am.

Deli delicious

Scottish cuisine enthusiasts will be happy to know that the most culinary city out of London is, in fact, the Scottish capital. Edinburgh was consistently rated as "very good" or "exceptional" by regular diners in the city according to 90,000 independent reviews compiled to make the Harden's 2007 UK Restaurant Guide.

In a nutshell, the real reason why I've moved to Scotland. I'm no particular lover of Scottish cuisine, but the first time we visited Edinburgh I couldn't help but notice the assortment of really excellent eateries. And unassuming-looking deli, Valvonna & Crolla is the bee's knees.



We'll find any excuse to scratch the itch that is Valvonna £ Corlla. The shop itself is filled to the brim (walls included) with mostly Italian delicacies - tins of authentic pomodoro tomatoes, an assortment of pastas to die for, Amaretti biscuits, whole hams and salamis, rows of bottles of pristine olive oil (always with a bit in a small container to have a taste), freshly baked wonderbreads, and the award-winning wine collection. And this is only the deli! They also have a shop with kitchen utensils and other gems which is turned into a theatre during the Edinburgh Art Festival. Next to the Caffè Bar is an enviable collection of cookery books - causing uncontrollable oozings of saliva.



We make a point of taking friends to the place, with great results. The menu is impeccably stylish, the food fresh and just enough to satisfy. They graciously suggest wine to go with each meal, including dessert. I took my sister in law who loves good food and the whole dining experience to the point of getting tears in her eyes. And that is exactly what happened: over an antipasto of gently pickled olives, superb bread and genuine, GENUINE mozzarella di bufala, we had a weepy moment. They are also now living here.