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Monday, 6 August 2012

From Cloud Nine to Cloudberries

Things started a bit slowly chez Bertie on Sunday morning. Gail had been glued to the telly the night before, awestruck by the sight of some other humans running and jumping and throwing things about down at the Olympics in London.

So I bounced up on her bed reminded her that no-one gets a body like Jessica Ennis by lying horizontal all morning, and that anyway she'd promised me we'd go on a cloudberry hunt today.

Now to be honest with you, although Gail can get excited about picking what apparently is a rare delicacy, I personally am not to fussed about berries of any description. My interest was only sparked when I learned that to find a cloudberry in NE Scotland you have to climb up to about 2000 ft and then you also need a bog, and well, that sounds like a mighty fine walk doesn't it, especially the boggy bit....

Anyway, before too long we'd driven forty miles inland and were climbing a hill called Morven. From on high, I surveyed the scene.


Of course, being Scotland, it didn't take long to locate a boggy area...


I veered off the track and went to investigate.


"Look Gail, see the little red thing, is that when we're after?"


"Let's have a closer look."


Well apparently this was a cloudberry, and I was dead chuffed with myself, until Gail told me that the red berries are not yet ripe and that we needed to find some golden orange coloured ones.

So I bounced around the bog a bit more, until I spotted this.


And for once Gail was delighted and full of praise. "Perfect Bertie just perfect, this is even more exciting than the Olympics".


Well, readers might have their own opinion about THAT.

Now Gail is telling me all about how cloudberries have a unique and intense flavour and are chock full of vitamins and anti-oxidants and stuff and so are super-healthy. 

But I have my doubts that the dessert she made when we got home, based on a Norwegian recipe (whipped cream, sugar and just a sprinkling of the precious cloudberries) was going to help her perform like Jessica Ennis any time soon. 


22 comments:

  1. Say Bertie, you are worth something, aren't you. Hows about a truffle hunt next?

    Since in this life I live I will never get anywhere near the size of Ms Ennis, just past that dessert over, and I will enjoy that.

    Cheers,
    Jo, along with Stella and the Zkhat

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  2. You only found one berry after all that hiking?

    Cindy

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  3. OK was that the only berry you found? The must be real intense if it only takes one. At least you got a great walk out of it. That would be the best part for me.
    Blessings,
    Goose

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  4. Its not always the size of things that does you good, but that Cloud Berry must kick a punch. Did Gail start having Zoomie's around the kitchen lol. Love the view you got.
    Wind Berrys are also hard things to find!!would take a day just to make a small pie, mom knows :)
    Have a good week
    See Yea George xxx

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  5. I have never heard of these, I must know how they taste. Please give some details when you can. You are an excellent tracker Bertie, perhaps next time you can find 2.

    Loveys Sasha

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  6. SHE had some when in Norway. We think that maybe just a few with cream AFTER wandering all over finding some, might not interfere with the desired body shape.

    XXXOOO Daisy,Bella & Roxy

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  7. Those berries look super tasty and good on you for finding them. Our mom loves Eton Mess raspberries with sugar and meringues, and she has also made it with passion fruit. She has never heard of cloudberries


    urban hounds

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  8. Looks like Cloudberry, eh? Just one, but still worth the trip I suppose.

    Hey, guess what, momma says that Scotland is the only place in the whole world that meets all her criteria for the best place to live. How about that?

    Slobbers,
    Mango

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  9. Never heard of Cloudberries. What a find. Hope you had a great weekend. Have a great Monday.
    Best wishes Molly

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  10. Hmmmmm....that looks almost like an orange raspberry!

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  11. One berry! At least you had a great walkie.

    Hugs,
    Lily Belle

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  12. Bwavo Bewtie
    climbing the highest mountain in Scotland and finding the eloosive Cloudbewwie Well Done(but of couwse I would expect no less fwom you , my vewy talented cousin) I too was tewwibly happy to be wight next to you in ouw Wanna -be event, but I immediately gwasped the meaning of youw chosen pawsition and made a complaint to the judges that you wewe pawsibully incowwectly in the Wanna -be wathew than the synchwonized Peeing..natoowally, the judges wewe too busy looking impawtant and speechiefying to pay attention to my objection. Nevewtheless, I was awed by youw pwecision and congwatoolate you on youw entwy.

    smoochie kisses
    ASTA
    pee eess note to self: must twy to find a bog and find out what it feels like to be in one

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  13. Really darling All that walking for one berry? and did you get any?(really the cream looked rather good) As to other matters I knew it was going to happen I mean it had to didn't it...Your are a BOY WIRE.Really Bertie writing about farting..that is just so ARCHIE LIKE or SCRUFFY LIKE or GUSSIE LIKE or ERIC LIKE need I go in.. I had such great hopes that perhaps you would be the one with a bit ff a softer side( Like not chortling and hooting at farting and having water come out of your nose) I mean you can hide it with the scientific data but YOU ARE STILL A BOY WIRE... ah well I wish I could get Archie to stop snorkling on the floor He is with Eric who is also snorling and hooting......Your pals from across the ocean A+A ARCHIE STOP THAT WRITE NOW YOU ARE GETTING THE HICCUPS

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  14. Would you believe we have never heard of Cloudberries before! My assistant loves berries of all shapes and sizes and feels slightly silly that she has never tried a Cloudberry. But then again, she's never been to Scotland - though she sure hopes to visit there some day.

    Your pal, Pip

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  15. Amazing! Never heard of Cloudberries before. (Does the name have something to do with them growing in the clouds?) Looks yummy!
    I must say, I am SO enjoying the Olympics and the British (ummmm...UK'ish) cyber-hospitality. I'm sure you enjoyed Murray's performance too.
    But you? Well, you have far too much energy! And, you got me thinking about that 'Carbon footprint' thingy too.
    Sending lotsaluv
    MM in SA
    (BTW Have finally got "Maxdog" on Kindle...yippee)

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  16. They look like orange raspberries, Bertie...you are the most informative foxie ever...BTW do you have any more of that whipped cream? It looks amazing!!

    Thank you for checking on my health...no more seizures, thank dog, although I just felt a bit drunk...sorta like one too many smoothies...

    Kisses to ya, dear boy!!

    XXOOOO

    Miss Lacie Teacakes who is loving the Olympics too!!!!!

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  17. Well Cloudberries we know them. We have a store here in Cincinnati call Jungle Jims which sells all sorts of different things. We get Cloudberry Jelly for our toast. But I do think you need a few more on that dessert. That is not a sprinkle that is a stingy pinch.
    Sweet William The Scot

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  18. What an exciting adventure. I don't think I've ever seen a Cloudberry before.

    Love and licks, Winnie

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  19. Hey I have never ever even heard of cloudberries before BOL!! How exciting. And yah that Jessica Ennis is something else, way to get Gail up and moving!!

    wags
    jazzi, the burier of the BIG ole green tank BOL BOL

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  20. Well done, young Bertie! French pigs have a nose for truffles; Scottish WFT's have a nose for cloud berries. Not sure how healthful a dessert composed primarily of sugar and whipped cream can be, but we hope Gail enjoyed it. Did you get a taste?

    We've been snoozing through the Olympics, too. Mama gets excited - well, for her - about some of it, but mostly works the laptop or reads while much of it is on. Or she changes the channel entirely. Happily for mama, it's opera week on one of our public tv stations.

    Jed & Abby

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  21. That was a fun and interesting walkie Bertie :) Great scenery and you found your rare berry ready to eat! Paws Up! So you stopped looking after finding just one? Hmmmm...must find a way to get to Scotland and go berry hunting with yaz ;)

    Waggin at ya,
    Roo

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  22. Bertie-
    That is very interesting. We have never heard of that berry. Good job on sniffing it out!

    Wyatt and Stanzie

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