The fish van

Waiting for the fish van

There's something very charming and quaint about waiting for a van full of fresh fish to pull up on the side of the road, having a chat with one's fellow fish fanciers and then getting humorous, one-on-one attention from the fish man.
 I think at some level I knew that this slowed-down life of an English village would suit me well. I haven't driven a vehicle in nearly a month now and have only taken the bus twice. Everything else has required me to walk... a hop across the street to the grocery store with its limited choices, a pleasant walk to the butcher's where you can hear someone say, "I'll need enough to feed four," and watch the butcher cut the required portions, a stroll by the river to 'The Spread' (I'm a local now. Its proper name is The Spread Eagle) where the service is friendly, the food is good and the ales are on tap. What else? Oh yes, the lovely spinney, (my 100 Acre Wood) and all the surrounding fields and just the intertwined roads of the village. I never know where I'm going to end up but I never fear getting lost. I can actually say now, after nearly a month, that I am able to make some sense of what leads to what. That's quite an accomplishment for directionally-challenged me!

Not much left, he said.

The fish. Oh yes, the fish...since Ian had told me he's a fisherman and liked trout, I thought I'd get trout. I wasn't too enthusiastic about that idea as I have never been proud of my trout frying efforts... usually burnt on the outside and still raw on the inside. No worries! These were trout filets. ( and here we do say, fill-ays). Beautiful, boneless pink filets, each one at least 15" long.
"I'll have no problem with these beauties," I thought. And I didn't. They were pronounced delicious! The very personable fish man (with family in Calgary) convinced me to buy the third filet. That really was too much so it's filet for breakfast for me today.
I had learned that the yellow-gold fish I had seen elsewhere is smoked mackerel. When I asked Mr. Fish Man about it, he broke one and offered me a taste. Yummy! That was yesterday's lunch.
"Why is the butter on the bread in lumps?" you ask. Well, my dears, even at room temperature, the butter does not get soft enough to spread easily!

Yummy smoked mackerel.