So no one told me that the couple I would be working for are Lord and Lady Menzies. Mr. Menzies is a judge in Edinburgh and loves grouse shooting (hints the two, fully feathered, dead grouse in the fridge) and is quite the wine connoisseur. Hillary, his wife, is who I have mainly been working with around the property. Every day is so different here. I have learned so much about gardening and growing vegetation. When I'm cooking dinner and need potatoes (tatties), celery, rhubarb, artichoke, greens, onions, apples, etc., I can just run out to the garden and dig a few things up! Everyone works together out here for food. Yesterday we drove Hillary's bright red convertible through the one lane country roads lined with tall hedges to another farm for quail eggs for their dinner party. Once a week the "fish guy" pulls up out front and honks and you run outside and grab the fish that you need. He did not wear gloves and I kept thinking about how mortified my mom would be. There is the occasional phone call from a neighbor every few days asking how much lamb the family wants- half lamb, full lamb, you name it. Ugh. Regardless I keep trying to tell myself it's a much better way rather than purchasing meat from the slaughter houses back in the states with extremely loose FDA regulations.
I have helped Hillary with all sorts of chores, anywhere from splitting wood (actually really fun), deadheading the vegetation, helping move the sheep around, and a TON of cooking. I swear it's like a post grad home ec class! My mom and mimi would be so proud of all the interesting things I have learned from Hilly. I have such a new appreciation for gardening and cooking. This family puts great influence on lunches, tea time, and dinner. We always set the table and have cheese plates, fresh breads, soups, salads, and pudding (which is what they call all desserts). Dinner is my favorite part of the day around here. In total sometimes they last 4 hours between the preparation, wine between courses, etc. We always light all the candles and listen to music, it's "lovely" aka everyone's favorite word here. They always start with different white wines for the starter and switch to red with the main course. It's by far the most proper place I have ever been in my life. But they are sooo nice as well. We spent an hour yesterday cutting giant branches with berries and flowers for Hilly's center piece for a dinner party this evening. I set the table and there are 10 utensils per person.... insane. They cook things in goose fat and home made jams, figs, smoked salmon and prosciutto with pear and great cheeses. They take so much time and put so much care into each meal. I will be really sad leaving here, as I am every place that I've been so far. It's amazing how these families take you in and really treat you as their own. They love teaching me new things and truly appreciate their culture. I have a few days left here then off to Edinburgh for the first day of the judicial year festival then PARIS!
