Exploring Nature: Incredible E
dibles
Sometimes one of the best things about a birding trip is the food one encounters. And sometimes the food is somewhat unusual.
For example, on a trip to Iceland, we had a long layover at the Boston airport during the trip. Our group took a city tour via a trolley and then had lunch at the historic Union Oyster House, established in 1826 and the oldest restaurant in continuous service in the United States. (The toothpick was first used in the U.S. here and Daniel Webster was a constant customer.)
I had a great bowl of clam chowder and broiled scrod for my main entrée.
Also on that trip, I saw whale and horsemeat steaks offered at a restaurant in Reykjavik in Iceland. Most disturbing to me was that roasted puffin was also on the menu. I could not imagine eating those cute little birds.
On a trip to Peru, our coach pulled onto the shoulder of a mountain road and a vendor offered roasted guinea pigs for sale. I passed on that delicacy.
I did try shark meat on a trip to the Galapagos Islands; thought it tasted a lot like chicken.
I also had some great meals in London, and some of their pub food was quite good. I had been warned that the Brits liked lukewarm beer, but all I drank was quite cold.
Speaking of beer, in Ireland, we drove by the Guinness brewery in Dublin and on trying that dark drink, I found I liked it very much.
Finally, visiting Trinidad and Tobago, I enjoyed Carib beer and at a cafeteria- style restaurant, the server informed me a stew called crab and callaloo was the national dish of Tobago. They also had curried goat and pigeon peas on the menu.
Seeing beautiful birds is great, but having a wonderful meal certainly makes a trip much better!
