Missing Mojito

Cars have had a very dramatic effect on the way in which people shop.  Focus has moved away from the high-street; popping into the butcher, baker and greengrocer are activities of a bye-gone era.  Supermarkets are king.  Having your own car allows families to travel to ever increasing supermarkets, to do weekly, ever increasing shops (to fuel ever increasing waste lines).  This is a very obvious statement for many, but the normality of this existence has always passed me by.  My parents did not get a car until I was 12 or so, and I have never learned to drive.

Taj, one of the few things I miss from Brighton!

As a young student in Brighton, I shopped in various places.  I worked beside a fruit and veg stall and quickly realised this was a more economical way for me to buy, not only cheaper, but I was able to control quantities in a way that the supermarket 'pre-pack' does not allow.  I moved all over Brighton and Hove in the 10 years I lived there, my shopping habits changing for the sake of convenience; the Open Market  or Taj replacing the stall near work.  I often got my meat from the butcher, the blood red always appealing to me more that supermarket gray.  Now, do not confuse me for a 'shop local' militant - I am a through and through bargain hunter.  I have always used three or four supermarkets, searching out offers and deals, but also sourcing the best quality of high-end products.  I love a frivolous shop in Waitrose!  Who has the time for this though?  Just get it all over with once a week.  However, necessity borne out of carrying limitations has always made me shop daily and locally, therefore allowing me to visit lots of different shops. 

I love being a canny shopper - I pride myself on it - it should be on my CV!  Shopping also never becomes routine - inspiration is fed by new layouts and products.  Lately this tradition of shopping around has gone mobile.  As the proud owner of a scooter, I have been getting out and about more than I have ever been able to, experiencing new parts of Edinburgh and the surrounding areas.  The great thing about the scooter is that again my carrying abilities are limited, so I have not fallen into the trap of the hypermarket!  I have come across lots of different shops, that not only would I not have know were there had I not rode past them, I would not have been able to access them so easily. 

My food adventures so far have taken me to Falko in Gullane.  It was a beautiful summer Sunday, the ride along the coastal route was spectacular and the pit stop here for a German sausage was really special.  A few pastries were all that would fit under the seat, but a perfect souvenir nonetheless!  The Polish Cottage, along Seafield Road has become a quicker holiday: the sun may have been shining in Gullane, but I spend my time abroad looking at food.  Some people may visit the beach and have ice-cream for that holiday feeling - for me it is a foreign shop!  (I'm pale, I burn... Ok, I'm odd, moving on...)  I have a passion for Polish food and was happy to be able to source a more diverse product range and at a cheaper price than available in Tesco.  Smoked pork belly has become a fridge staple - it has so many uses and as it is smoked it lasts a long time!  Also I have a love for Almette cream cheese, which I first discovered in the Czech Republic whilst on holiday in a supermarket!!

I look better on mine!

This Sunday, grasping to the last days of summer, I wanted to visit the market in Stockbridge - but my Aprilia Mojito is in the garage.  How can I cruise along to Stockbridge pretending to be a cooler, prettier and certainly, more female, Jamie Oliver without my scooter?

Mmmmm!

I could have walked I guess, but somehow the ride has become an important part of my shopping ritual. I am stranded! On the other hand - this shopping trip would not have fit into the savvy shopper criteria; I have probably saved enough money to pay for the repairs to the bike. Except the freedom to drink, so often restricted, led me to the nearest cocktail bar. It would be lovely, neat and contrived, dear reader if I then had a rum mojito, but hey, everyone knows I am a sazerac girl! Cheers!