Grocery Store Visit
We have been working hard and not sleeping enough by far. Today, we arrived "home" to our cottages around 4:40 and I was planning on going to the grocery to get a few things, but then, typically, as I was ready to go, I saw it was raining. I decided, instead to lay down for a bit, and then go. The next thing I knew it was 6:40. I really needed the sleep.
I drove off to the store mainly to pick up laundry soap, toilet paper, and body lotion. It seems we are in a self-catering place that gives you one roll of toilet paper but then you are on your own for the rest of the time you are here. Same with soap. They also don't clean our cottages but give us fresh linens once a week and we have to make our own beds up. I can assure you that there will not be any mopping or vacuuming on my part most likely. Personally, I think they should come in and clean once a week - at least somewhat like a hotel. I guess not. You can call me a demanding American. I admit it when I'm in a hotel-type place, I like someone else cleaning. Lord knows I've done enough cleaning in the last 2 months of my house.
I need to take some pictures of the grocery store and the things you can by there. Today my most expensive "impulse buy" was a jar of Scottish Heather Honey for 3.99 (pounds) = $8. I have a thing for honey. I also saw several types of coulis like blackberry coulis and raspberry coulis and a belgian chocolate sauce and toffee sauce in these convenient bags for only around $4. I also saw lots of crumpets!
The sweet I bought was a favorite from when I lived in Scotland, and there it was called Millionaire shortbread. Here it is called caramel shortbread and it is 3 layers, from bottom to top, shortbread, layer of caramel, layer of chocolate. It is devine.
When I looked at the laundry soap, the packaging had a distinction between non-biological and biological laundry soap. I have no idea what that means but chose the non-biological type. My guess was that it meant unscented. I asked the check-out clerk what it meant and she said, "I don't know, I don't do the washing at my house. " Note that this was not a young teen-ager. What a lucky woman!
The other interesting difference at the store is that the check-out clerks SIT as they check you out. It seems like a rather good idea to me.
Tonight I made roasted vegetables (potato, carrot, green beans, and yellow pepper in olive oil and balsamic vinegar) with sauteed chicken breast. I bought olive oil and balsamic vinegar as my staples for everything (salad dressing etc.). The last few nights I had been eating tortellini or other pasta with sauce and a spinach salad.
They give us about $115/ day per diem. If we went out for all meals, it would be rather tight. With self-catering, we could possibly pocket some of that. Though, we also have to pay for the things like toilet paper etc., cell phone top-up cards, washing etc. Plus, my per diem will pay for dog sitting and gifts for my friends who are dog sitting, as it should.