Minnie’s Musings

We finally arrived in the not so wild or far flung reaches of Holland and unpacked in the drizzle. Unfortunately we had not stopped off at a supermarket but rather gathered provisions from petrol stations en route.

Fortunately His Nibs had decided to remove a container of frozen chilli from the icebox and leave it to defrost. Ever the daughter of the waste not want not generation I stuck it in the cool bag carefully wrapped in a plastic bag. Which was utterly ineffective, leaking meaty water all over the bag as it melted.

Anyway, I digress. We are veterans of the should-have-stopped-at-supermarket game but didn’t because a long drive tends to focus the mind on the destination rather than supper when you get there. And our fridge at home was bare, not a drop of milk or pack of bacon in sight.

In our defence there was one memorable occasion when we both thought the other one had packed the cold box and helpfully stashed it in the car before a two day drive to the Austrian Alps. Arriving late on Sunday night, I opened the box to discover that it was full of His Nibs favourite cereal and strawberry milk powder. In one of those comic moments where accusation turns to comprehension we went from glaring at each other to glaring at our son who beamed at us with the pride of someone who had ensured that his own essential needs were met..

Trying to find somewhere, anywhere that sells provisions in the Tyrol on a Sunday evening was a task that did not quite defeat us. Though the large tin of cassoulet that the entire family turned their noses up remained in our larder cupboard for several years before I finally shoved it in the bin.

Toast and cold meats and crisps sufficed for His Nibs despite a lot of poking of shoulders in the hope of “burger chips”. Ever the eagle eyed hunter, His Nibs can spot the twin arches at a thousand yards. The nutritional value of a bacon double cheeseburger meal and poo-pooing of the fruit bag made the decision to stay put and venture out in the morning a no-brainer.

I shall fulminate on the European sensibility for tiny mugs and cups that barely contain a drop of hot beverage next time. Be warned I can go on about that for hours…