Sunday 8^th August

Let me start with an anecdote. When Paul and I got married in Nottingham, we had a second small reception here for many who couldn’t travel. Paul managed the menu and as he knew what people here liked, I left him to it. When we sat down to the meal, the large roast potatoes came first. I expected that – Paul loves his roast potatoes. What I didn’t expect was for it to be followed by more potato – champ. I was just recovering from the shock of champ, when a third potato dish arrived. Creamy, garlicy Dauphinoise potatoes. I barely managed to wait until the servers left before leaning over to Paul and saying “three potato dishes…what were you thinking?” Paul beamed and said “we like potatoes here… everyone will be pleased.”

I realised that day, that potatoes were the staple diet here – the equivalent of rice in Sri Lanka. Potatoes were so basic to life here, that during the potato famine in Ireland, people died or migrated.

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