Autumn Speyside Whisky Festival

Having hiked 55 miles with the goal of ending up in Dufftown in time for the Autumn Speyside Whisky Festival, we were excited to find ourselves arriving in a festive little town bubbling with character.

The festival consists of an extensive list of exclusive activities for Scotch lovers from all walks of life to attend. From a tour of Glenfarclas featuring 7 whiskies from 7 decades to behind the scenes tours of the Speyside Cooperage, attendees are spoiled for choice (provided they can cough up the dough).

The Whisky Shop got the festivities rolling with a whisky tasting event to get the palate warmed up and the nose tuned to perfection. The Big Dram, aptly named for the 700ml dram poured right at the start, was lead by the owner of the Whisky Shop himself, whisky connoisseur Mike Lord. Lord is not only funny and intriguing but an absolute genius when it comes to Malt Whisky. Myself not the biggest whisky drinker in the world, I was expecting to get a bit of an education but I was so drawn in by the history and delicacies of each whisky it surprised me.

A huge success to start off the festival, we left warm and buzzing with excitement. Heading straight to the Stuart Arms with a new friend we had met at The Big Dram, we devoured some scrumptious fish & chips and called it a night.

Having slept like a dream at our quaint B&B Fournet House, we woke up to a mouthwatering breakfast to prepare us for our second and (sadly for us) last day of the festival. Having tasted a delicious dram of Mortlach at The Big Dram the night before our excitement to visit the Mortlach distillery was palpable. Mortlach Distillery is generally closed to the public, however for the lucky few that manage to make their way to Dufftown for the Autumn festival, there is an opportunity to have a guided tour complete with an uncommon dram to finish it off.

This exclusive tour of Mortlach was by far the best of all the tours on our trip. Each distillery has its own unique quirks and nuances but Mortlach had several features that made it unlike any other. One of the key tools required for making whisky is a still. Each batch of wort goes first through a wash still and then a spirit still before it can be put into casks to transform into whisky. A key reason why each distillery's whisky tastes so differently is because they all have specifically shaped stills. The wash stills are all identical and the spirit stills are all identical creating a consistent and unique base to their whisky. Mortlach however, has three wash stills and three spirit stills all of which are a different shape and size that work together to make their whisky, giving their new spirit an incredible depth of body and flavor.

Visiting a distillery and touring the grounds, warehouses, and production facilities introduces you to the soul of their whisky and helps you to understand the personality of the dram. Touring Mortlach was like getting to meet a celebrity and finally understanding what makes them who they are. This is the real charm of the Autumn Speyside Whisky Festival. It is about being introduced both to the whiskies that you love and the whiskies you have never met before in order to understand what makes them who they are and appreciate the flavors as they roll across your tongue.

With Love, From London

There is nothing quite so inspiring as wandering through London in the early hours of a Sunday morning as the city slowly come to life. In that first golden hour, as the majority are still recovering from their Saturday night shenanigans, one can find a tranquil escape wandering along the cobblestones and tarmac.

There is never a dull moment in London. The vibrant city feeds on the life buzzing within it, which is one reason why the quiet moments are likely to hold the most promise of excitement, for it is within these moments that the unexpected can and will occur.

Exiting Westminster Station to the stunning backdrop of the nation's most iconic image contains an element of magic in and of itself. The beautiful clear blue sky speckled with the occasional flirtatious cloud created an idyllic setting to take in the grandeur of the Palace of Westminster with its unforgettable Elizabeth Tower which holds Big Ben.

Yet the view, despite all its glory, was not the highlight of the moment. Walking towards Westminster bridge in order to cross over towards the London Eye, we noticed a commotion on the other side of the road. A massive Panavision crane was in motion focusing on a crowd moving on cue. We stood and watched as Rebecca Ferguson filmed a mini scene for Mission Impossible 5 in awe at the process unfolding before us. Though strangely surreal it was thrilling to watch this small frame of filming take place and it took us quite some time to pluck up the courage to give up hope of watching the next frame occur and walk away from the recurring scene before us.

Walking on past the London Eye and crossing back over the Thames on the Millennium bridge, we watched the street vendors prepare to open for the day and the taxis begin to prowl. Passing the old home of Scotland Yard, we eventually found ourselves at Trafalgar Square where police were holding back traffic for an approaching military parade. Brass band trumpeting away at full force they marched towards us from Buckingham Palace passing through Admiralty Arch and disappearing off down the road.

Passing under Admiralty Arch, we were soon in the heart of St. James' Park and tummies rumbling ready for breakfast we were happy to find we weren't far from one of my favorite stops. Just nest to the waterfowl pond, sits a little restaurant called Inn the Park. Here we sat down for some heart warming tea and a scrumptious breakfast which disappeared quickly. Sitting outside, admiring the fountain and watching the number of people in the park quickly multiply we  finished off our drinks and headed back into the busy city of London we know so well.

London is a magical city which is heaving with people 85% of the time, so if you find yourself lucky enough to be exploring London, make the effort to wake up early on a Sunday morning to experience the city in its true glory and maybe even experience some of the unexpected magic that will undoubtedly occur.

Walking on Ice

Standing in the middle of a massive glacier watching your helicopter rise up into the air before disappearing down the side of the mountain, life becomes serenely surreal as you listen to the ice below your feet groan in response to its ever changing facade. Alone on a glacier with a guide and a group of 5 other explorers we were left with a pair of crampons each and time enough to trek across the glacier in search of the architectural wonders of our magical ice palace.

Luckily for us we were blessed with not only a small group for our heli-hike but hands down the most fantastic guide! Pete Ross, our fearless guide who paved the way for our adventure, was incredibly knowledgeable about the glacier, teaching us about the enormous slab of ice while weaving the ancient legend of the glaciers deep into our hearts.

Stomping around on the ice, making sure to dig our crampons in as deeply as possible, we trekked towards the edge of a glacial waterfall, slid through an ice cave and were even able to taste the cold dry glacier water forming pools both deep and shallow across the surface of the glacier.

Looking back at the photographs it almost doesn't feel real. Taking a scenic helicopter ride up the side of a glacier in order to hike across the ice and find the latest formations all while listening to the ice groaning beneath us. I still can not believe this wasn't a dream!

The Franz Josef Glacier sits in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the Western coast of New Zealand's South Island and is an absolute must on any nature-loving-adventure-seeker's bucket list. Young or old, male or female, kiwi local or tourist, this is an absolute must while in New Zealand. The Heli Hike was hands down the best experience I have ever had while on my travels and it has given me memories I will cherish forever.

Interested in Your Own Franz Josef Adventure?

The glacier is quickly disappearing and will likely be nothing more than a legend in 50 odd years, so do not delay! Make your plans and head out there before it is too late!

Logistics: Why not take a road trip? There are buses and tour groups you can book with to get down there from any of the large cities in the South Island but renting a car and driving there truly is a fabulous way to go! That way you are on your time and can enjoy the amazing drive into and out of Franz.


Accommodation: Franz Josef is definitely a tourist town so there is no shortage of places to stay, from hostels to hotels you can take you pick but my personal suggestion would be the Scenic Hotel. Not only did we have a stunning view, but I had the best nights sleep of the whole journey. The bed was like sleeping on a cloud and even the complimentary shampoo, conditioner, and soap left you feeling cleaner than ever before.

Exploration: There are a few different options for experiencing the glacier but my recommendation is without a doubt the Heli Hike with the Franz Josef Glacier Guides. The scenic tour followed by the two hour hike is enough to satisfy without overwhelming anyone. Flying half way up the glacier and hiking across it while learning the history behind it is fascinating and truly a once in a lifetime experience. While other helicopter tours will take you up for a snow landing, this one allows you to really experience the glacier in all of her glory!


Wanting to explore the world of the Kiwi's for yourself? Read about the rest of my adventures in New Zealand to learn from my experiences and get some great tips!

Walking trail in Franz Josef

Arriving at the Helipad 

Scenic Helicopter Tour

View of the Glacial Waterfall from Above

Finally Landed and Standing on the Glacier!

Our Awesome Guide Pete Scoping Out a Path

Taking a Shortcut by Sliding Through the Ice

Traces of the mountain below the glacier beginning to surface as the glacier melts.

Standing in front of an amazing ice cave with my 'fella' explorer.

Heading back down the glacier towards the landing site to await the helicopter.

View from the chopper on the flight back to Franz, Notice the path formed by the glacial melt on the bottom left!

Stars in the Night Sky over the Glacier

Dirty South Crab & Shrimp Étouffée

In the mood for something spicy, I decided it is about time to share my favorite spicy seafood recipe! Get in the kitchen and start cooking this tongue tingling southern seafood treat for a taste of the delicious flavors of the South.

Crab & Shrimp Etouffee

The Odds & Ends
2 cups of Rice
2 cups of Water
1 1/2 cup of Chicken Broth
1/2 cup of dry White Wine

1 pound of Shrimp (peel & devein )
1/4 cup of Butter
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1/3 cup all purpose Flour
1 large Onion (diced)
1  Yellow Bell Pepper (diced)
1  Orange Bell Pepper (diced)
1  Red Bell Pepper (diced)
1 1/2 sticks of Celery (diced)
2 cloves of Garlic (minced)
1 Broccoli crown
14oz Chicken Broth
1/2 cup dry White Wine
1 1/2 tbsp Creole Seasoning 
1 1/2 tbsp Tomato Paste
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp Hot Sauce
1/2 tsp pure cane Sugar mixed with 1 tsp Hot Sauce
16 oz fresh flaked crab-meat


Preparing Perfect Rice

1. The trick to rice is not peaking before the timer has sounded the alarm!
2. Bring to the boil 2 cups water, 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth & 1/2 cup of white wine. 
3. In a separate pot, drop a lug of olive oil in the bottom of a medium sized pot over high heat.
4. Once the oil has started to warm, pour in 2 cups of rice and stir until the rice is lightly coated. 
5. Add the boiling liquid to the rice.
6. Stir, and place the lid on top, setting the timer to 15 minutes. 
7. DO NOT LIFT THE LID UNTIL THE TIMER GOES OFF!
8. Once the timer dings, move the pot of the heat, leaving the lid on while you get the crab mixture cooking

Heat Things Up

1. Melt the butter with oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. 
2. Once butter has melted stir in flour, stirring constantly until the roux begins to turn caramel in color. 
3. Add the celery and the half of the chopped peppers & onion stirring until vegetables are tender before adding garlic.
4. Add chicken broth, white wine, seasoning, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and sugar-hot sauce mix. 
5. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Finish Off the Rice

1. Cook the other half of the onion & peppers over olive oil in a large pan. 
2. Once the vegetables begin to get tender, add the broccoli and after 2 minutes, add the rice. 
3. Stir until the vegetables are well mixed in to the rice and set aside. 

Getting Ready to Serve...

1. Stir in shrimp before placing the lid on and leaving it for 5 minutes. 
2. Once the shrimp has been cooking for 5 minutes, stir in crabmeat and allow to cook for another 5 minutes. 
3. Time to eat! 
4. Serve atop a bed of rice, and garnish accordingly. 
5. Enjoy!

Moist Lemon Bundt Cake (The Healthy Edition)

Having recently learned that I need to make some changes to my diet, I have been experimenting in the kitchen to find ways to create tasty alternatives to my favorite treats. (Going all natural & organic, I am not eliminating anything but have been told I need to cut back on my intake of gluten & dairy, which let me tell you is one hell of a challenge as a Brit.)

As a Brit I feel it is in my nature to love the taste of a freshly baked loaf of bread with creamy butter, decadent tea cakes, and a fresh jar of lemon curd ready to spread. Still enjoying endless cups of PG tips I was on the hunt for a gluten free, dairy free, preservative free, all natural, organic cake to enjoy along with my tea.

After several kitchen experiments, I eventually found a way to make a moist lemon bundt cake that I can happily munch on (in moderation) whenever I want.

Hope you enjoy!

Moist Lemon Bundt Cake

The Odds & Ends
2/3 cups & 1 tsp Coconut Flour
1/4 cup Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil
6 Free Range Eggs
1/3 cup All Natural Honey
1 cup Almond Milk
2 large organic lemons
- Juice & Zest
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt

Get in the Mix

1. Preheat oven to 350° F
2. Place coconut flour & coconut oil in bowl and mix until combined. 
3. Then add honey, eggs, milk & lemon (juice & zest) mixing until the batter is light and fluffy.
4. Pour into a greased (with coconut oil) pan and bake for 35 minutes
5. Start working on Raspberry Lemon glaze (see below)
6. Test cake is finished by poking it with a knife, knife should come out clear.
7. Allow finished cake to cool.

Raspberry Lemon Glaze


The Odds & Ends
2 tbsp Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil
2 tbsp  All Natural Honey
2 tbsp Almond Milk
Handful of Raspberries
1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 large organic lemons
- Juice & Zest

Finish it Off

1. Place all ingredients in a pot, stirring occasionally until raspberries begin to fall apart and glaze begins to simmer.
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool  before placing it in the fridge to cool through.
3. Once loaf has cooled to room temperature, pour glaze on top and place glazed cake in fridge for at least one hour before serving.
4. Serve garnished with fresh fruit and a trickle of honey.