The Setting: A “tapas” (if you consider Eggs Benedict a tapa) restaurant in Brighton. It is Small’s roll-off party Part 1.
Regular Cast:
Croker – The “Geek”
Small – The “American”
Craney – The “Northerner”
PMO – a.k.a “Chloe”
Hewett – The “Trouble-maker” and also the scribe for this excerpt
Special Guest Appearance:
Candy – Friend of the American
Tim – From Manchester. Definitely NOT a Man U fan.
EXCERPTS
Quote of the night:
Croker leans over to engage in some intelligent political conversation with Small and her also ‘American’ friend Candy
“So what do you guys actually think, do you like Bush?”
Snap of the night:
Croker’s intense facial expressions as he air guitars his heart out in Oceana – Small, this must be retrieved from Candy’s camera, all other photographic evidence from that night can be destroyed :-)
Dumb arse of the night:
Craney deep in conversation with Candy, trying desperately to appear intelligent and witty is describing the expense policy:
“So we get 30 pounds a head per person, so 10 people gives us 300, 8 people would give us…….erm………erm…. (lower lip pout)…ah…” Queue trademark blush and hysterical laughter.
Later whilst trying to salvage some dignity Craney changes tactics and moves in with the “So what do you do” line to Candy.
Candy ”I am Cytologist”1
The confident smile falters from Craney’s face and a sweat starts to bead on his brow as realisation dawns he is way out of his depth.
Candy sensing his discomfort throws a life line. “I basically look through microscopes at cells”, Everyone nods knowingly clearly deducing the field of work. Craney seeing this starts to panic as his mind draws blank on the significance.
After an uncomfortable wait, with a pre-emptive pout, Craney throws caution to the wind and squeaks out in finest scouser "Is that medical?"
Gross out of the night:
Small makes comment to everyone as they sit round the table at dinner, finishing their respective tapas, of her preferred method of consuming substances two people swap…”Spread on toast”.
Stupid Ideas of the night:
- Hewett suggesting Oceana
- Hewett suggesting shots of tequila
- Hewett allowing Small and Candy to use him as a human shield on the packed dance floor between them and the hordes of lusty men seeking their wears and thus becoming a target for their collective displeasure.
- Hewett suggesting night cap bottle of red wine somewhere north of 3:30am
Medical Marvel of the night:
Craney ordering 13 shots of sambuca, arguing his fundamentally flawed mathematics with PMO for why we required 13 (there were 7 of us), drinking three and then looking like his head is going to explode and running like a girl from the bar, not to be seen again that night.
Spectacle of the night:
Tim’s awesome flowery shirt
Next Day Mysteries:
Croker leaving to catch the train at 8:30 to Durrington, being picked up in a daze by Hewett 1 hour and 15 minutes later outside the Ardington in Worthing2
Footnotes:
1 Duly corrected from “Scientologist”. Candy does not subscribe to the religion that is Scientology.
2 Worthing is a 25 minute train ride from Brighton. Durrington is a further 2 stops from Worthing.
Friday 19 September 2008
Sunday 29 June 2008
Weekends
It's been a relatively quiet June, with weekends spent in and around town, catching up on sleep, catching up on gym etc. Below are some pics from our various weekend activities in June:
England vs. Barbarians, Twickenham Stadium
First trip to Twickenham stadium and first live rugby match. England managed to scrape by to win. Phew.
Pennyhill Spa, Surrey
First foray into the previously unexplored world of the English Spa. How did it take us this long to discover this novel concept? Pennyhill had a myriad pools, saunas, steam rooms. Plus I managed to squeeze a mighty fine aromatherapy massage into the hectic day of spa-ing (so many pools to discover, so many naps to take!)
Pics (L-R): Ed in spa robe and slippers, grounds and outdoor pools, scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream, gardens
Mucking about London
This weekend we had an afternoon appointment in town and decided to spend the rest of the afternoon mucking about – first jug of Pimms for the year (hooray! – Summer’s here) in St Christopher’s Place, followed by first Japanese dinner since our Japanese vacation, capped off with a movie in Leicester square.
England vs. Barbarians, Twickenham Stadium
First trip to Twickenham stadium and first live rugby match. England managed to scrape by to win. Phew.
Pennyhill Spa, Surrey
First foray into the previously unexplored world of the English Spa. How did it take us this long to discover this novel concept? Pennyhill had a myriad pools, saunas, steam rooms. Plus I managed to squeeze a mighty fine aromatherapy massage into the hectic day of spa-ing (so many pools to discover, so many naps to take!)
Pics (L-R): Ed in spa robe and slippers, grounds and outdoor pools, scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream, gardens
Mucking about London
This weekend we had an afternoon appointment in town and decided to spend the rest of the afternoon mucking about – first jug of Pimms for the year (hooray! – Summer’s here) in St Christopher’s Place, followed by first Japanese dinner since our Japanese vacation, capped off with a movie in Leicester square.
Sunday 8 June 2008
Out of Steam
It’s an absolutely glorious day in London today. Maybe one of the best of the year so far. I’m still in my pajamas. I can’t get my butt off the couch. I am officially pooped, shattered, tired and in need of a generous dose of inactivity.
And what’s an active month it’s been.
This week
Just back from Basingstoke this morning after dinner and late night drinking/hookah smoking last night with Vineet and Rhadikha. Absolutely gracious hosts! Thanks very much. The food and company were amazing.
Spent the workweek trying to stay awake past 6 p.m. and not wake up at 4 a.m. Inconvenient sleeping patterns and 2 weeks of work catch-up had me feeling exhausted by Friday.
May Week 3-4
Spent two amazing weeks traipsing around Japan (Tokyo-Kinoski-Kyoto-Himji-Osaka-Fukuoka-Tokyo). Taking in the sights. Eating everything in sight. Drinking an awful lot.
Ed and I have finally finished sorting through the 1678 pictures we took on our trip. They can be accessed via the Travel Page on Smallzone.
Brain is too fried to give a decent play-by-play and I am ashamedly resorting to highlighting my “Mosts”:
Most unique experience – 3 days of onsen bathing (naked!) in Kinosaki. This includes 3 whole days with nothing but a robe on in between baths and eating the most amazing and endless meals served by our gracious chambermaid.
Most surprising insight into locals – They are party animals!. Every city had one or more nightlife districts packed with eating and drinking establishments catering to hordes of locals out any (and seemingly every) night of week until sun rise.
Most envious of –
1. Super toilets (seat warmers, odour free, wash and bidet modes, with adjustable water pressure and oscillation settings, etc)
2. Amazing train service, especially bullet trains. Made traipsing around the country an easy task
Most can’t get enough of food item – Fukuoka ramen with its distinctive white, rich pork-based broth, ramen noodles and sesame seeds. Were almost certain we couldn’t get it back in London so we ate a bowl or 2 at every opportunity
Most heart-attack inducing food item – by far Kobe beef, absolutely rippled with “burst in your mouth as you chew” fat although the fatty tuna isn’t far behind.
Most surreal experiences –
1. Getting jiggy with it in Roppongi with sumo wrestlers
2. Stumbling onto a tiny 2nd floor Piss Alley (Golden Gai, Tokyo) bar with flaming belly dancers
Most self-insight inducing experiences -
1. Sushi at 6 in the morning is a struggle. Love sushi. Just not at 6 am
2. Bathing in the nude with random strangers is not as bad as it sounds, and can even be a relaxing and liberating experience
Most admiration inducing experience – each perfect Starbucks cup of coffee caringly and meticulously made. The Japanese are perfectionists, or at a minimum very serious in delivering only the best service and experience possible. Whether it be the perfect Starbucks cappuccino, or the room service breakfast with orange glasses in specially made coolers, and a toaster and bread (rather than cold toast), or the specialised tools for every possible thing, or the cleanliness of all public places. Aside from being perfectionists, the Japanese are also very respectful, friendly and industrious people, eager to please. This made travelling around Japan an absolute pleasure.
Most wtf?!% moment – Seeing light out of window after an all-nighter capped by copious amounts of whiskey, cigar smoking and iberico ham at a cigar bar. Could have kept on drinking, smoking, eating if the bar did not close at 5 (NB. This was Day 1 (or should I say 2?) of the trip. Certainly set the tone for the trip!).
Most stealthy consumable - Sake. Went down much to easily
Only regret – amount of dieting I now need to do
Some pics from the trip (L-R): Beautiful gardens at Ginkaku-ji (Kyoto), Geisha sightings (Kyoto), Pagoda at Kiyomizu-dera (Kyoto), Decked in robes (Kinosaki), , Shinjuku lights (Tokyo), Himeji Castle (Himeji), Sumo-sandwich (Tokyo)
May Week 2
Spent the weekend in Paris with work folks. There was much drinking to be had. Nothing much else to report on this except to callout to my good friends Ian and Steve H who insist on being mentioned on my blog. To Ian – hope we stay firm friends. Else I’ll just have to add a link on my blog to your very special website. To Steve H (2nd) – hope we stay firm friends, as I’d like to avoid having my own very special website put together by your very capable self. Pics on Facebook.
And what’s an active month it’s been.
This week
Just back from Basingstoke this morning after dinner and late night drinking/hookah smoking last night with Vineet and Rhadikha. Absolutely gracious hosts! Thanks very much. The food and company were amazing.
Spent the workweek trying to stay awake past 6 p.m. and not wake up at 4 a.m. Inconvenient sleeping patterns and 2 weeks of work catch-up had me feeling exhausted by Friday.
May Week 3-4
Spent two amazing weeks traipsing around Japan (Tokyo-Kinoski-Kyoto-Himji-Osaka-Fukuoka-Tokyo). Taking in the sights. Eating everything in sight. Drinking an awful lot.
Ed and I have finally finished sorting through the 1678 pictures we took on our trip. They can be accessed via the Travel Page on Smallzone.
Brain is too fried to give a decent play-by-play and I am ashamedly resorting to highlighting my “Mosts”:
Most unique experience – 3 days of onsen bathing (naked!) in Kinosaki. This includes 3 whole days with nothing but a robe on in between baths and eating the most amazing and endless meals served by our gracious chambermaid.
Most surprising insight into locals – They are party animals!. Every city had one or more nightlife districts packed with eating and drinking establishments catering to hordes of locals out any (and seemingly every) night of week until sun rise.
Most envious of –
1. Super toilets (seat warmers, odour free, wash and bidet modes, with adjustable water pressure and oscillation settings, etc)
2. Amazing train service, especially bullet trains. Made traipsing around the country an easy task
Most can’t get enough of food item – Fukuoka ramen with its distinctive white, rich pork-based broth, ramen noodles and sesame seeds. Were almost certain we couldn’t get it back in London so we ate a bowl or 2 at every opportunity
Most heart-attack inducing food item – by far Kobe beef, absolutely rippled with “burst in your mouth as you chew” fat although the fatty tuna isn’t far behind.
Most surreal experiences –
1. Getting jiggy with it in Roppongi with sumo wrestlers
2. Stumbling onto a tiny 2nd floor Piss Alley (Golden Gai, Tokyo) bar with flaming belly dancers
Most self-insight inducing experiences -
1. Sushi at 6 in the morning is a struggle. Love sushi. Just not at 6 am
2. Bathing in the nude with random strangers is not as bad as it sounds, and can even be a relaxing and liberating experience
Most admiration inducing experience – each perfect Starbucks cup of coffee caringly and meticulously made. The Japanese are perfectionists, or at a minimum very serious in delivering only the best service and experience possible. Whether it be the perfect Starbucks cappuccino, or the room service breakfast with orange glasses in specially made coolers, and a toaster and bread (rather than cold toast), or the specialised tools for every possible thing, or the cleanliness of all public places. Aside from being perfectionists, the Japanese are also very respectful, friendly and industrious people, eager to please. This made travelling around Japan an absolute pleasure.
Most wtf?!% moment – Seeing light out of window after an all-nighter capped by copious amounts of whiskey, cigar smoking and iberico ham at a cigar bar. Could have kept on drinking, smoking, eating if the bar did not close at 5 (NB. This was Day 1 (or should I say 2?) of the trip. Certainly set the tone for the trip!).
Most stealthy consumable - Sake. Went down much to easily
Only regret – amount of dieting I now need to do
Some pics from the trip (L-R): Beautiful gardens at Ginkaku-ji (Kyoto), Geisha sightings (Kyoto), Pagoda at Kiyomizu-dera (Kyoto), Decked in robes (Kinosaki), , Shinjuku lights (Tokyo), Himeji Castle (Himeji), Sumo-sandwich (Tokyo)
May Week 2
Spent the weekend in Paris with work folks. There was much drinking to be had. Nothing much else to report on this except to callout to my good friends Ian and Steve H who insist on being mentioned on my blog. To Ian – hope we stay firm friends. Else I’ll just have to add a link on my blog to your very special website. To Steve H (2nd) – hope we stay firm friends, as I’d like to avoid having my own very special website put together by your very capable self. Pics on Facebook.
Wednesday 7 May 2008
May Bank Holiday Weekend
This past weekend was long bank holiday weekend. It was the perfect time for some R&R after a long weekend in Miami last week, a weekend in Paris coming up, and 2 whole weeks in Japan the weeks following. The cherry on top of the cake is that 2 of the 3 days were sunny and absolutely glorious.
Saturday – Boozing and Snoozing
On Saturday we spent the day boozing and snoozing in the sun. The picture below says it all.
Sunday – Chill, Gym, Pub
Sunday was the overcast day of the weekend. We spent it quietly at home in the morning, then hit the gym in the afternoon. We then drowned our sorrows for the gym sauna being out of order at the pub where we downed a couple of pints of pretty strong beer before meandering back to the apartment for some patio BBQ and more booze.
Monday – Spurt of energy
All the booze we had on Saturday and Sunday must have had an energizing effect for we were on the go go go on Monday. We brushed the cobwebs off the bicycles and went for a leisurely ride around South West London. Our route was as follows:
• Navigate through stroller filled Wandsworth park
• Cycle along Wandle River (little pocket of nature sandwiched between ugly industrial sites)
• Pitt stop and refuel at Wimbledon town centre
• Find way to Wimbledon common and climb killer hill to get there
• Meander through trees and trails of refreshingly overgrown/non-manicured Wimbledon Common
• Resist urge to “quench” thirst in outdoor seating of several pubs along the way
• Make way back home
Some pics from the bike ride:
Wandle Riverside
Nature juxtaposed against industry
Wimbledon cottage
Wimbledon Common
Changing topography - cycling on main road
After a brief stop at home to get directions, we picked up our Streetcar VW, loaded it up with golf clubs and gym gear and headed to the driving range where we hit a couple hundred balls. It had been 2 years since we’d done anything golf related and we were surprisingly not as horribly bad as we thought we would be. Definitely something we’ll be wanting to do more frequently, and maybe sometime in the next month or so even venture onto a course.
From the driving range we dropped the Streetcar car off, then headed to our beloved gym which we love at the moment but is in grave danger of falling out of favour if the sauna continues to remain out of order :-(.
Exhausted and with weary bodies, we headed back home stopping off at our local pizzeria for big helpings of pasta and an antioxidant-rich sleep-inducing bottle of red wine.
Last stop was home. Sleep. Zzzzzzzzzz. Good bank holiday weekend over and out.
Saturday – Boozing and Snoozing
On Saturday we spent the day boozing and snoozing in the sun. The picture below says it all.
Sunday – Chill, Gym, Pub
Sunday was the overcast day of the weekend. We spent it quietly at home in the morning, then hit the gym in the afternoon. We then drowned our sorrows for the gym sauna being out of order at the pub where we downed a couple of pints of pretty strong beer before meandering back to the apartment for some patio BBQ and more booze.
Monday – Spurt of energy
All the booze we had on Saturday and Sunday must have had an energizing effect for we were on the go go go on Monday. We brushed the cobwebs off the bicycles and went for a leisurely ride around South West London. Our route was as follows:
• Navigate through stroller filled Wandsworth park
• Cycle along Wandle River (little pocket of nature sandwiched between ugly industrial sites)
• Pitt stop and refuel at Wimbledon town centre
• Find way to Wimbledon common and climb killer hill to get there
• Meander through trees and trails of refreshingly overgrown/non-manicured Wimbledon Common
• Resist urge to “quench” thirst in outdoor seating of several pubs along the way
• Make way back home
Some pics from the bike ride:
Wandle Riverside
Nature juxtaposed against industry
Wimbledon cottage
Wimbledon Common
Changing topography - cycling on main roadAfter a brief stop at home to get directions, we picked up our Streetcar VW, loaded it up with golf clubs and gym gear and headed to the driving range where we hit a couple hundred balls. It had been 2 years since we’d done anything golf related and we were surprisingly not as horribly bad as we thought we would be. Definitely something we’ll be wanting to do more frequently, and maybe sometime in the next month or so even venture onto a course.
From the driving range we dropped the Streetcar car off, then headed to our beloved gym which we love at the moment but is in grave danger of falling out of favour if the sauna continues to remain out of order :-(.
Exhausted and with weary bodies, we headed back home stopping off at our local pizzeria for big helpings of pasta and an antioxidant-rich sleep-inducing bottle of red wine.
Last stop was home. Sleep. Zzzzzzzzzz. Good bank holiday weekend over and out.
Tuesday 6 May 2008
Bahama Mamas!
Last weekend I got to spend 4 days in glorious sunshine with 4 of my closest friends as we embarked on our much anticipated Bahama-Mama (plus Miami) vacation! It was great to see the girls. I met them all as a freshman in high-school, and since then we’ve each come a long way, had our fare share of ups and downs, and remain to this day fast friends.
Thursday – Convergence
On day 1 we all fly into Miami from our respective home cities. Me from London, Candy from San Diego, Joffin from New Jersey, and Lubs and PJ from Maryland. We spent the afternoon catching up over tropical mixed drinks, and soaking up the South Beach atmosphere.
In the evening we have a wonderful dinner at Wish Restaurant, then checked the Sobe party scene out till the early hours of the morning.
Some pics from the day - 1) Dinner at Wish, 2) Sobe club
Friday – Nurse hangovers, Intro to Fascination
Friday morning we head down to the Big Pink diner for some hangover therapy (big plate of steak and eggs for me!!) before heading to the beach for a good dose of rays. The grown up girls stripped down to their grown up bikinis :-). How far we’ve come!
In the afternoon we head over to Miami port and board our home for the next 3 days – the Carnival Fascination. Fascinatingly cheesy is what it was, with flashy panels, disco lighting, and Pepto-Bismol pink upholstery – fascinating indeed. Oh, and there’s a sorry and severe shortage of eye candy :-(. But I’m in good company and the weathers great. Before long we trundling down south, boat lurching and stomachs turning but we manage to do the boat justice with visits to the karaoke bar (Go Joffin!), the “Passage to India” (bar with a 4-Filipino-dude band), the casino (Go Lubs! – a serious rouletter) and of course “Diamonds are Forever”, the supremely classy (not!) dance club for some entertaining exhibitions of grinding on the dance floor.
Some pics from the day - 1)Miami Beach, 2) Carnival Fascination, 3) Quality decor
Saturday – Bahama Mamas
We get up early Saturday morning and find we’ve docked in Nassau. Woohoo! Time off the boat. We’d signed up for a beach island excursion, so we’re up and out by 9, and on a ferry over to an island near Nassau for some beach bumming. We get a good dose of sunshine (more bikinis!), and do some snorkelling with the resident sting rays.
In the afternoon we eat our way through Nassau. After a short stroll around the downtown, we stop at a restaurant to try some conch fritters washed down with cold Kalik beer (local beer). We then hop onto the local 10 bus to a fort for some quick tourist pics before heading across to street to the “Fish Fry” i.e. a street of fish shacks. We duck into Antonios and proceed to consume a fish snack, fried conch snack, and a conch salad, washed down with more Kalik. Note, the Bahamian meaning for snack is by no means the common understanding of the word. A Bahamian snack is a plate fully loaded with a small helping of salad, a big helping of fried fish or conch, and an even bigger helping of chips (fries). We were no match for the Bahamian appetite!
In the evening we get all decked out for a night out at the Atlantis, and dance the night away at the dance club, before heading back to the boat, confirming the latest time we can get back, spend our remaining time at a club nearby, and stumble back onto the boat when the club closed/kicked us out, or at 5 a.m. (whichever came first).
Some pics from the day - 1) Disembarking, 2) Snorkelling with sting rays, 3) Clubbing in Atlantis
Sunday – Cabin Fever
With hangovers and achy feet we awake to another sunny day. The boat’s back out at sea but is craaaaaawling. We’d wondered about what Sunday held in store and were somewhat disbelieving of the itinerary i.e. day on boat. Itinerary was correct. The boat continues to craaaaaaawl. And we’re stuck on it! Cabin fever ensues. Somehow we manage to kill the time. Barely. We end the day with watching the a-la-Vegas show (scantily glad woman with bad wigs dancing), a pretty entertaining midnight comedy show, a short stint at the Piano bar, and one final try at “Diamonds are Forever”- still barely palatable.
Monday – One more dose of Miami Beach, Goodbyes
We awake to find ourselves docked back in Miami port. With all our flights leaving later in the afternoon, we decide to book a hotel in Miami for the day, and head back out to the beach for one final dose of rays, and then some window shopping along Lincoln Road. After quick showers and packing, we begin the sad process of saying goodbye :-(. It was great seeing the girls. We’ve tossing around the idea of all heading to the Philippines sometime next year for a mini-reunion with the rest of the gang. Can’t wait.
N.B. For more pictures from the trip, visit the photo album accessed via the Smallzone Travel Photo page for 2008
Thursday – Convergence
On day 1 we all fly into Miami from our respective home cities. Me from London, Candy from San Diego, Joffin from New Jersey, and Lubs and PJ from Maryland. We spent the afternoon catching up over tropical mixed drinks, and soaking up the South Beach atmosphere.
In the evening we have a wonderful dinner at Wish Restaurant, then checked the Sobe party scene out till the early hours of the morning.
Some pics from the day - 1) Dinner at Wish, 2) Sobe club
Friday – Nurse hangovers, Intro to Fascination
Friday morning we head down to the Big Pink diner for some hangover therapy (big plate of steak and eggs for me!!) before heading to the beach for a good dose of rays. The grown up girls stripped down to their grown up bikinis :-). How far we’ve come!
In the afternoon we head over to Miami port and board our home for the next 3 days – the Carnival Fascination. Fascinatingly cheesy is what it was, with flashy panels, disco lighting, and Pepto-Bismol pink upholstery – fascinating indeed. Oh, and there’s a sorry and severe shortage of eye candy :-(. But I’m in good company and the weathers great. Before long we trundling down south, boat lurching and stomachs turning but we manage to do the boat justice with visits to the karaoke bar (Go Joffin!), the “Passage to India” (bar with a 4-Filipino-dude band), the casino (Go Lubs! – a serious rouletter) and of course “Diamonds are Forever”, the supremely classy (not!) dance club for some entertaining exhibitions of grinding on the dance floor.
Some pics from the day - 1)Miami Beach, 2) Carnival Fascination, 3) Quality decor
Saturday – Bahama Mamas
We get up early Saturday morning and find we’ve docked in Nassau. Woohoo! Time off the boat. We’d signed up for a beach island excursion, so we’re up and out by 9, and on a ferry over to an island near Nassau for some beach bumming. We get a good dose of sunshine (more bikinis!), and do some snorkelling with the resident sting rays.
In the afternoon we eat our way through Nassau. After a short stroll around the downtown, we stop at a restaurant to try some conch fritters washed down with cold Kalik beer (local beer). We then hop onto the local 10 bus to a fort for some quick tourist pics before heading across to street to the “Fish Fry” i.e. a street of fish shacks. We duck into Antonios and proceed to consume a fish snack, fried conch snack, and a conch salad, washed down with more Kalik. Note, the Bahamian meaning for snack is by no means the common understanding of the word. A Bahamian snack is a plate fully loaded with a small helping of salad, a big helping of fried fish or conch, and an even bigger helping of chips (fries). We were no match for the Bahamian appetite!
In the evening we get all decked out for a night out at the Atlantis, and dance the night away at the dance club, before heading back to the boat, confirming the latest time we can get back, spend our remaining time at a club nearby, and stumble back onto the boat when the club closed/kicked us out, or at 5 a.m. (whichever came first).
Some pics from the day - 1) Disembarking, 2) Snorkelling with sting rays, 3) Clubbing in Atlantis
Sunday – Cabin Fever
With hangovers and achy feet we awake to another sunny day. The boat’s back out at sea but is craaaaaawling. We’d wondered about what Sunday held in store and were somewhat disbelieving of the itinerary i.e. day on boat. Itinerary was correct. The boat continues to craaaaaaawl. And we’re stuck on it! Cabin fever ensues. Somehow we manage to kill the time. Barely. We end the day with watching the a-la-Vegas show (scantily glad woman with bad wigs dancing), a pretty entertaining midnight comedy show, a short stint at the Piano bar, and one final try at “Diamonds are Forever”- still barely palatable.
Monday – One more dose of Miami Beach, Goodbyes
We awake to find ourselves docked back in Miami port. With all our flights leaving later in the afternoon, we decide to book a hotel in Miami for the day, and head back out to the beach for one final dose of rays, and then some window shopping along Lincoln Road. After quick showers and packing, we begin the sad process of saying goodbye :-(. It was great seeing the girls. We’ve tossing around the idea of all heading to the Philippines sometime next year for a mini-reunion with the rest of the gang. Can’t wait.
N.B. For more pictures from the trip, visit the photo album accessed via the Smallzone Travel Photo page for 2008
Saturday 19 April 2008
Sunday Dinner Series, 12-April
I love seafood, and will quite often opt for seafood pasta when at an Italian restaurant. So for this week I decided to try make a Linguine Con Frutti Di Mare at home, and was duly rewarded. All the components are easy to make, and come together at the end for some lip-smacking goodness. Yummy. When choosing a wine for the meal, memories of a spicy crab pasta at a small restaurant in Alghero, Sardinia served as inspiration.
Marina Sauce
2 cans peeled or crushed Italian plum tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp crushed chilli flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt
Olive oil (about ¼ cup)
Heat olive oil, then add garlic and cook till slightly browned. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to lively boil, add salt, them simmer for about 30 minutes.
Seafood – any kind you prefer. I opted for:
Scallops
Prawns (I left heads on for flavour and just sliced down the middle for ease in cooking)
Clams
Olive oil
2 cloves, crushed garlic
In large skillet, heat olive oil and cook garlic until lightly browned. Remove garlic. Cook scallops in olive oil about 3 minutes a side until nicely browned but still plump/juicy. Remove to plate. Season with salt. Cook prawns about 2 minutes a side until done. Remove to plate. Season with salt. Add marinara sauce and clams and cook until clams open, removing to plate as they open.
Linguine pasta – cook in boiling salted water for 11 minutes.
To finish, add pasta to skillet. Add generous dousing of olive oil and toss. Add in seafood. Plate and finish off with generous sprinkling of chopped fresh parsley.
Wine
For wine, I opted for a Sardinian red - Rocca Rubia 2004 Carignanon Del Sulcis Riserva - tasty with a slight kick to stand up to the richness of the garlicky spicy tomato marinara and seafood.
Some pics fro the meal:
Marina Sauce
2 cans peeled or crushed Italian plum tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp crushed chilli flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt
Olive oil (about ¼ cup)
Heat olive oil, then add garlic and cook till slightly browned. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to lively boil, add salt, them simmer for about 30 minutes.
Seafood – any kind you prefer. I opted for:
Scallops
Prawns (I left heads on for flavour and just sliced down the middle for ease in cooking)
Clams
Olive oil
2 cloves, crushed garlic
In large skillet, heat olive oil and cook garlic until lightly browned. Remove garlic. Cook scallops in olive oil about 3 minutes a side until nicely browned but still plump/juicy. Remove to plate. Season with salt. Cook prawns about 2 minutes a side until done. Remove to plate. Season with salt. Add marinara sauce and clams and cook until clams open, removing to plate as they open.
Linguine pasta – cook in boiling salted water for 11 minutes.
To finish, add pasta to skillet. Add generous dousing of olive oil and toss. Add in seafood. Plate and finish off with generous sprinkling of chopped fresh parsley.
Wine
For wine, I opted for a Sardinian red - Rocca Rubia 2004 Carignanon Del Sulcis Riserva - tasty with a slight kick to stand up to the richness of the garlicky spicy tomato marinara and seafood.
Some pics fro the meal:
Monday 14 April 2008
New Addiction
One rainy bank holiday weekend about 3 weeks ago Ed and I joined a gym, and have been properly addicted since. I’m only able to go on the weekends (given I’m out of town all week), and have been going Friday evenings when I get home, plus Saturday and Sunday. Ed luckily can also go during the week. An acquaintance of Ed’s commented the other day that we’re still in the honeymoon stage of our gym relationship. I beg to differ and offer 4 key words in my defence – pool, jacuzzi, steam room and sauna.
When it comes right down to it, the 30 minutes of cardio, 15 minutes weight training (optional), 15minutes of ab exercises, and 10 minutes of stretching is just the buttering up for the pleasures to follow. After a workout, there’s no better way to cool down, and transition into relaxation, than a bunch of laps in the pool. There’s nothing like the sound of your rhythmical breathing and the quietness under water to clear the brain and prime the body for a relaxing soak in the Jacuzzi. The bubbles and warmth of the Jacuzzi loosen the now weary muscles. From the Jacuzzi we usually head to the steam room for further high speed muscle relaxation, and some sense of quietness in the deep dense steam. The climax however is to lay quietly in the sauna, chirping bird/forest sounds streaming quietly over speakers, lulling yourself into a half-dose. Ed’s latest “craze” is to jump under a freezing cold shower after the sauna. Something about being energizing. I’m not yet sold but do concede it certainly wakes you up from a sauna-induced sleepiness.
It’s not unusual for us to spend 3 hours a session at out friendly local gym. We are properly addicted.
When it comes right down to it, the 30 minutes of cardio, 15 minutes weight training (optional), 15minutes of ab exercises, and 10 minutes of stretching is just the buttering up for the pleasures to follow. After a workout, there’s no better way to cool down, and transition into relaxation, than a bunch of laps in the pool. There’s nothing like the sound of your rhythmical breathing and the quietness under water to clear the brain and prime the body for a relaxing soak in the Jacuzzi. The bubbles and warmth of the Jacuzzi loosen the now weary muscles. From the Jacuzzi we usually head to the steam room for further high speed muscle relaxation, and some sense of quietness in the deep dense steam. The climax however is to lay quietly in the sauna, chirping bird/forest sounds streaming quietly over speakers, lulling yourself into a half-dose. Ed’s latest “craze” is to jump under a freezing cold shower after the sauna. Something about being energizing. I’m not yet sold but do concede it certainly wakes you up from a sauna-induced sleepiness.
It’s not unusual for us to spend 3 hours a session at out friendly local gym. We are properly addicted.
Wednesday 12 March 2008
Olso
Last weekend we spent a long much needed weekend in the lovely city of Oslo. The weeks leading up to it were extremely busy, and it was a trip we bought the tickets for ages ago, and were reminded of 2 days beforehand by an outlook calendar reminder.
We therefore took the trip with no plans in mind other than some vague thought of skiing.
Day 1 – Was a typical Ryanair flight morning i.e. up at 3:15 for the slog to Stansted to catch a 6:30 am flight. We arrived in Olso safely, however just as London Stansted is by no means anywhere near London, Oslo Torp is nowhere near Oslo. Ed had had the foresight to book a rental car and so the 115 km drive was relatively painless, until we reached Oslo. Mental note, avoid driving in city centre Oslo at all costs. It is a brain teaser if anything. We spent the rest of the day mucking about the city e.g. walking down the Karl Johans gate, the main thoroughfare and heart of the city. Oslo’s a great walking city – compact but filled to the brim with museums, restaurants, bars, theatres etc. We ended the day with a dinner at Gamle Radhuset (Old City Hall). Ed got to sample Norweigan lamb – really tender and tasty stuff. Some of the best we’ve ever had. I had the reindeer (as one does in Norway). Excellent as well, though I did look longingly over at Ed’s lamb more than once and he did offer a bite or 2 or 3 of it.
Some pics from Day 1: (L-R) Karls Johans Gate, Parliment, Reindeer
Day 2 – We headed down to Aker Brygge (the waterfront) in the morning to check out the fishing boats, Oslo’s distinctive city hall (where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded from), the Nobel Peace Centre, and the waterfront. Our plan was to catch a ferry across the fjord to the Viking Ship museum. The ferries were operating in winter hours i.e. not at all. So we trudged backed to the hotel and hopped into the car for the short drive over. The museum showcased 3 ships that had been discovered 60 years or so years earlier in the area around Oslo. Viking chieftains were often buried with their ships, and all of their worldly belongings, plus a hefty supply of food (cows, chickens etc). So on display where ships (2 of which in excellent condition) and the recovered artefacts. It boggles the mind to think how the Vikings managed to get as far as they did (Africa, East Asia and even North America) on these small boats. From the Viking Ship museum we went around the corner to the Norway Folks Museum (nothing to write home, or on the blog about). We headed back to the city, and spent the afternoon on the Eduard Munch museum to see “The Scream” and his other great works.
We ended the day with dinner at Engerbret Café, a quite historical restaurant in that is was a usual haunt for Ibsen and Co. We started with the Norweigan king crab (gorgeous, as they say here in the UK) – sectioned and sautéed in butter and garlic. For mains I had the lamb, and Ed a steak. It must be noted at this point in time that everything in Oslo costs and arm and a leg. Beers cost the equivalent of 5 – 7 pounds . Wine is twice the price you would pay in the UK. And for meals, you either eat at McDs (or something similar), or be prepared to fork out £150 for dinner for 2 (with wine) for a non-fancy restaurant meal. With that said though, the quality of the food we had was all excellent.
Some pics from Day 2: (L-R) Viking ship, Checking out fishing boats
Day 3 – We decided to drive about for the day. First we headed up to Holmenkollen Ski Jump. Norweigans seem to be a very athletic bunch. And Oslo in particular seems to offer a plenitude of opportunities to get active. It has skiing slopes with 20 minutes of the city, cross country skiing tracks all over, mountains and fjords for hiking etc in the summer. It was not uncommon to see someone casually walking along in the city centre with skis over their shoulder, in the same way they would be walking with groceries. We’re quite jealous really.
At Holmenkollen it was a proper family day out. Families were out in full force (baby trolleys and all), all skiing. Kids that could barely walk were better at skiing that most. Mind boggling stuff.
From Holmenkollen we drove a bit further out (40 km), and up a mountain for excellent views of Tyorfjordan. At the top we stumbled upon the Oslo paragliding club out for a day, or jumping off of mountains with small wind breaking equipment, as one does.
One the short drive back to Oslo we contemplated on Norway’s ranking on the Happiness Index. It’s no wonder they consistently rank 1 or 2. Taxes are high and things costly, yes. But the Norweigans are an extremely friendly, laid back and healthy bunch. Likely a function of the health and safety high levels of social services tends to bring, and the natural wonders (lakes, mountains, forests) at every corner. Olso, Norways capital and largest city, is the prime example of how good city-life should be.
Some pics from Day 3: (L-R) Holmkollen Skijump,Out and about
We therefore took the trip with no plans in mind other than some vague thought of skiing.
Day 1 – Was a typical Ryanair flight morning i.e. up at 3:15 for the slog to Stansted to catch a 6:30 am flight. We arrived in Olso safely, however just as London Stansted is by no means anywhere near London, Oslo Torp is nowhere near Oslo. Ed had had the foresight to book a rental car and so the 115 km drive was relatively painless, until we reached Oslo. Mental note, avoid driving in city centre Oslo at all costs. It is a brain teaser if anything. We spent the rest of the day mucking about the city e.g. walking down the Karl Johans gate, the main thoroughfare and heart of the city. Oslo’s a great walking city – compact but filled to the brim with museums, restaurants, bars, theatres etc. We ended the day with a dinner at Gamle Radhuset (Old City Hall). Ed got to sample Norweigan lamb – really tender and tasty stuff. Some of the best we’ve ever had. I had the reindeer (as one does in Norway). Excellent as well, though I did look longingly over at Ed’s lamb more than once and he did offer a bite or 2 or 3 of it.
Some pics from Day 1: (L-R) Karls Johans Gate, Parliment, Reindeer
Day 2 – We headed down to Aker Brygge (the waterfront) in the morning to check out the fishing boats, Oslo’s distinctive city hall (where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded from), the Nobel Peace Centre, and the waterfront. Our plan was to catch a ferry across the fjord to the Viking Ship museum. The ferries were operating in winter hours i.e. not at all. So we trudged backed to the hotel and hopped into the car for the short drive over. The museum showcased 3 ships that had been discovered 60 years or so years earlier in the area around Oslo. Viking chieftains were often buried with their ships, and all of their worldly belongings, plus a hefty supply of food (cows, chickens etc). So on display where ships (2 of which in excellent condition) and the recovered artefacts. It boggles the mind to think how the Vikings managed to get as far as they did (Africa, East Asia and even North America) on these small boats. From the Viking Ship museum we went around the corner to the Norway Folks Museum (nothing to write home, or on the blog about). We headed back to the city, and spent the afternoon on the Eduard Munch museum to see “The Scream” and his other great works.
We ended the day with dinner at Engerbret Café, a quite historical restaurant in that is was a usual haunt for Ibsen and Co. We started with the Norweigan king crab (gorgeous, as they say here in the UK) – sectioned and sautéed in butter and garlic. For mains I had the lamb, and Ed a steak. It must be noted at this point in time that everything in Oslo costs and arm and a leg. Beers cost the equivalent of 5 – 7 pounds . Wine is twice the price you would pay in the UK. And for meals, you either eat at McDs (or something similar), or be prepared to fork out £150 for dinner for 2 (with wine) for a non-fancy restaurant meal. With that said though, the quality of the food we had was all excellent.
Some pics from Day 2: (L-R) Viking ship, Checking out fishing boats
Day 3 – We decided to drive about for the day. First we headed up to Holmenkollen Ski Jump. Norweigans seem to be a very athletic bunch. And Oslo in particular seems to offer a plenitude of opportunities to get active. It has skiing slopes with 20 minutes of the city, cross country skiing tracks all over, mountains and fjords for hiking etc in the summer. It was not uncommon to see someone casually walking along in the city centre with skis over their shoulder, in the same way they would be walking with groceries. We’re quite jealous really.
At Holmenkollen it was a proper family day out. Families were out in full force (baby trolleys and all), all skiing. Kids that could barely walk were better at skiing that most. Mind boggling stuff.
From Holmenkollen we drove a bit further out (40 km), and up a mountain for excellent views of Tyorfjordan. At the top we stumbled upon the Oslo paragliding club out for a day, or jumping off of mountains with small wind breaking equipment, as one does.
One the short drive back to Oslo we contemplated on Norway’s ranking on the Happiness Index. It’s no wonder they consistently rank 1 or 2. Taxes are high and things costly, yes. But the Norweigans are an extremely friendly, laid back and healthy bunch. Likely a function of the health and safety high levels of social services tends to bring, and the natural wonders (lakes, mountains, forests) at every corner. Olso, Norways capital and largest city, is the prime example of how good city-life should be.
Some pics from Day 3: (L-R) Holmkollen Skijump,Out and about
Tuesday 19 February 2008
Back to Life
(Aileen)
The last 2 weeks have been absolutely glorious. Skies have been crystal clear blue. The yellow of daffodils is bursting out all over. Bulbs are beginning to peek through the ground.
Last week in particular was quite warm. We spent both Saturday and Sunday walking around the hood catching as many rays of sunshine as possible. Monday’s papers flashed pictures of people in shorts on beaches.
This past weekend was frosty cold, but we dragged our rusty bicycles from their 2-year slumber and brought them back to life with a trip to the bike shop on Saturday for a proper servicing, then a whirl around the hood on Sunday.
Here are some pics from Sunday. These were taken at Battersea Park:
The last 2 weeks have been absolutely glorious. Skies have been crystal clear blue. The yellow of daffodils is bursting out all over. Bulbs are beginning to peek through the ground.
Last week in particular was quite warm. We spent both Saturday and Sunday walking around the hood catching as many rays of sunshine as possible. Monday’s papers flashed pictures of people in shorts on beaches.
This past weekend was frosty cold, but we dragged our rusty bicycles from their 2-year slumber and brought them back to life with a trip to the bike shop on Saturday for a proper servicing, then a whirl around the hood on Sunday.
Here are some pics from Sunday. These were taken at Battersea Park:
Sunday Dinner Series, 17-February
(Aileen)
Sunday’s dinner was a deferred Valentine’s dinner. I was stuck down in Worthing on Valentine’s day, so the goodies we picked up last weekend had to patiently wait for a week. For Valentine’s we opted for a very romantic pair of chunky sirloin steaks cooked simply in butter, traditional fixins, and a beautiful St Julien.
Menu
Dove prime sirloin steaks
Sauteed wild mushrooms
Creamed spinach
Baked potatoes
Wine
2001 Chateau Branaire, St Julien
Sauteed wild mushrooms
- Saute shallots and crushed garlic in butter until golden
- Add mushrooms, and sauté until done. Season with salt and pepper (and thyme and/or parsley if you have them on hand)
Creamed spinach
- Steam spinach then chop finely
- Saute shallots in butter until golden, add small teaspoon of flour and cook for a minute or two (like a roux)
- Add splash of cream and cook briefly
- Add chopped spinach and cook till heated through
Steaks
- (Use a good stainless steel pan) Heat pan till hot (almost, but not quite smoking), then add splash of olive oil, and 2 tbsp butter
- Add steaks and cook on high heat, for about 2-3 minutes (depending on size of steak and desired done-ness), then turn, and cook other side until desired doneness.
Sunday’s dinner was a deferred Valentine’s dinner. I was stuck down in Worthing on Valentine’s day, so the goodies we picked up last weekend had to patiently wait for a week. For Valentine’s we opted for a very romantic pair of chunky sirloin steaks cooked simply in butter, traditional fixins, and a beautiful St Julien.
Menu
Dove prime sirloin steaks
Sauteed wild mushrooms
Creamed spinach
Baked potatoes
Wine
2001 Chateau Branaire, St Julien
Sauteed wild mushrooms
- Saute shallots and crushed garlic in butter until golden
- Add mushrooms, and sauté until done. Season with salt and pepper (and thyme and/or parsley if you have them on hand)
Creamed spinach
- Steam spinach then chop finely
- Saute shallots in butter until golden, add small teaspoon of flour and cook for a minute or two (like a roux)
- Add splash of cream and cook briefly
- Add chopped spinach and cook till heated through
Steaks
- (Use a good stainless steel pan) Heat pan till hot (almost, but not quite smoking), then add splash of olive oil, and 2 tbsp butter
- Add steaks and cook on high heat, for about 2-3 minutes (depending on size of steak and desired done-ness), then turn, and cook other side until desired doneness.
Tuesday 5 February 2008
Foul mood February morning
(Aileen)
I recall writing some time in December about the expectation and coming of the most depressing month of the year – February. It has arrived. Today is the day when statistically most people call out "sick". Today is an absolute foul mood February Monday morning. Humbug.
It’s cold, grey and dreary out. I’m feeling completely out of control and unprepared for the coming week. I’ve been weighted down all weekend with the horrible sinking feeling of finding a gazillion emails in my work inbox and not being able to catch up or keep up. I did not manage to go through the mound of mail this weekend so who know’s what’s lurking in there. I need to remember to pay bills and such this week but work has been absolutely crazy and I’m dreading missing a bill accidentally and being hit with a finance charge (hate those!). And I had to spend 20 minutes at 5:30 this morning looking for my blasted black skirt that was dropped of at the drycleaners some weeks back and has not been seen since. No success this time either.
Grumble. I need a vacation, or at least the expectation of one.
On that positive note, last week Ed booked our return tickets to Japan in May. Woohoo. He’d managed to accumulate enough air miles to book to return tickets using miles so we’re only paying taxes (not an insignificant amount but half of what we’d be paying otherwise). My laptop bag is now weighed down with a Japan travel book and my plan is to do research in the evening during the week. I’m already daydreaming of slurping down a steaming bowl of ramen noodles at some Tokyo ramen stand.
Also, my high school girlfriends and I are planning a trip to Miami/Bahamas sometime in April. I’m so proud of us for planning such a grown up endeavour. We’ve all had such varied and different journey’s since graduation – different careers, migration, different cities, marriage, heartbreak. Through it all we’ve managed to stay in touch and relevant in one another’s lives, and I am so looking forward to a long weekend of catching up and comparing of battle scars while reverting back to high school silliness.
Lastly Ed and I have also planned a long weekend in Oslo at the end of February – one last dose of snow for the year. We’re toying with the idea of taking skiing lessons again. We’ve started watching skiing events on TV so I can safely say we’ve managed to catch a bit of the bug, and I strongly suspect 2 to 3 days more of lessons will have us rightly hooked.
OK. I feel better now. And the sun’s also beginning to make an appearance.
I recall writing some time in December about the expectation and coming of the most depressing month of the year – February. It has arrived. Today is the day when statistically most people call out "sick". Today is an absolute foul mood February Monday morning. Humbug.
It’s cold, grey and dreary out. I’m feeling completely out of control and unprepared for the coming week. I’ve been weighted down all weekend with the horrible sinking feeling of finding a gazillion emails in my work inbox and not being able to catch up or keep up. I did not manage to go through the mound of mail this weekend so who know’s what’s lurking in there. I need to remember to pay bills and such this week but work has been absolutely crazy and I’m dreading missing a bill accidentally and being hit with a finance charge (hate those!). And I had to spend 20 minutes at 5:30 this morning looking for my blasted black skirt that was dropped of at the drycleaners some weeks back and has not been seen since. No success this time either.
Grumble. I need a vacation, or at least the expectation of one.
On that positive note, last week Ed booked our return tickets to Japan in May. Woohoo. He’d managed to accumulate enough air miles to book to return tickets using miles so we’re only paying taxes (not an insignificant amount but half of what we’d be paying otherwise). My laptop bag is now weighed down with a Japan travel book and my plan is to do research in the evening during the week. I’m already daydreaming of slurping down a steaming bowl of ramen noodles at some Tokyo ramen stand.
Also, my high school girlfriends and I are planning a trip to Miami/Bahamas sometime in April. I’m so proud of us for planning such a grown up endeavour. We’ve all had such varied and different journey’s since graduation – different careers, migration, different cities, marriage, heartbreak. Through it all we’ve managed to stay in touch and relevant in one another’s lives, and I am so looking forward to a long weekend of catching up and comparing of battle scars while reverting back to high school silliness.
Lastly Ed and I have also planned a long weekend in Oslo at the end of February – one last dose of snow for the year. We’re toying with the idea of taking skiing lessons again. We’ve started watching skiing events on TV so I can safely say we’ve managed to catch a bit of the bug, and I strongly suspect 2 to 3 days more of lessons will have us rightly hooked.
OK. I feel better now. And the sun’s also beginning to make an appearance.
Sunday 27 January 2008
Sunday Dinner Series, 27-January
(Aileen)
Enough cannot be said about a good lamb chop. Gamey, tasty, soft, delicious. In the
Small household, we particularly enjoy chump chops from Dove’s. We flash fry the chops in a hot pan with olive oil and butter, until seared and the fat trim is slightly rendered. Doused with a healthy dose of cracked sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, it’s lip smacking simple fair goodness.
Menu
Dove lamb chump chops
Chilli sautéed English wild broccoli
Baked potatoes
Wine
2004 Rimage Syrah, Victoria, Australia
Cheese
Waterloo – buttah’
French Langres AOC
Dessert
Rachel’s Divine Rice Pudding
Vegetables
- Lightly coat baking potatoes on olive oil, season with freshly cracked sea salt, bake in 180C oven 40 minutes until done
- Trim and blanch broccoli in boiling salted water, 2 minutes
- To finish (while chops are cooking), heat butter, olive oil and chilli flakes, add broccoli and cook until warm
Lamb chops
- Season generously with freshly cracked sea salt and pepper
- Cook in pan with high heat and butter and olive oil until brown and seared, turn (Approx 2 min)
- Turn, and cook a further 2-3 minutes for medium rare
Enough cannot be said about a good lamb chop. Gamey, tasty, soft, delicious. In the
Small household, we particularly enjoy chump chops from Dove’s. We flash fry the chops in a hot pan with olive oil and butter, until seared and the fat trim is slightly rendered. Doused with a healthy dose of cracked sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, it’s lip smacking simple fair goodness.
Menu
Dove lamb chump chops
Chilli sautéed English wild broccoli
Baked potatoes
Wine
2004 Rimage Syrah, Victoria, Australia
Cheese
Waterloo – buttah’
French Langres AOC
Dessert
Rachel’s Divine Rice Pudding
Vegetables
- Lightly coat baking potatoes on olive oil, season with freshly cracked sea salt, bake in 180C oven 40 minutes until done
- Trim and blanch broccoli in boiling salted water, 2 minutes
- To finish (while chops are cooking), heat butter, olive oil and chilli flakes, add broccoli and cook until warm
Lamb chops
- Season generously with freshly cracked sea salt and pepper
- Cook in pan with high heat and butter and olive oil until brown and seared, turn (Approx 2 min)
- Turn, and cook a further 2-3 minutes for medium rare
Saturday 19 January 2008
New Year Pics
(Aileen)
For New Year’s Eve we opted for a 1 night stay at the Marriot County Hall (right by the London eye) for some front rows views of the London New Year’s fireworks. We packed our picnic bag full to the brim with bottles of champagne and delectable munchies, and hung out/chilled until just before the fireworks, at which point we trekked to the hotel’s terrace, found a spot, eagerly awaited Big Ben's tick to midnight, and enjoyed the show.
Here’s a sample of the sights. For more sights and sounds, check out the Smallzone for links to pics and videos.
For New Year’s Eve we opted for a 1 night stay at the Marriot County Hall (right by the London eye) for some front rows views of the London New Year’s fireworks. We packed our picnic bag full to the brim with bottles of champagne and delectable munchies, and hung out/chilled until just before the fireworks, at which point we trekked to the hotel’s terrace, found a spot, eagerly awaited Big Ben's tick to midnight, and enjoyed the show.
Here’s a sample of the sights. For more sights and sounds, check out the Smallzone for links to pics and videos.
Move-in Day
(Aileen)
Mr Tenant moves into our Arch St, Philadelphia flat today. Woohoo! Tick in the box thank you very much, and 1 less mortgage to pay!
Thank goodness we decided to go with a leasing agent to find our tenant. We briefly contemplated looking for a tenant ourselves, but we’ve struggled even with the mundane task of signing and faxing over a lease (think Ed and Aileen in different out of town locations working 14 hour days). Yesterday I rushed home and arrived around 8:30 PM, then phaffed around for an hour with installing our wireless printer driver, and finally went lo-tech and used a USB cable, then printed, signed and faxed the lease back over, thankful for the time difference. In a couple of hours Mr Tenant will be picking up the keys and lease from our agent, and will be a-movin'-on-in.
Mr Tenant moves into our Arch St, Philadelphia flat today. Woohoo! Tick in the box thank you very much, and 1 less mortgage to pay!
Thank goodness we decided to go with a leasing agent to find our tenant. We briefly contemplated looking for a tenant ourselves, but we’ve struggled even with the mundane task of signing and faxing over a lease (think Ed and Aileen in different out of town locations working 14 hour days). Yesterday I rushed home and arrived around 8:30 PM, then phaffed around for an hour with installing our wireless printer driver, and finally went lo-tech and used a USB cable, then printed, signed and faxed the lease back over, thankful for the time difference. In a couple of hours Mr Tenant will be picking up the keys and lease from our agent, and will be a-movin'-on-in.
Sunday 13 January 2008
Sunday Dinner Series, 13-January
(Aileen)
Sunday evenings mean dinner at home. This week was my turn to cook. I served up a couple of French Barbary duck breasts, thick, rich, gamey and steak-like, the richness cut with a sweet port reduction. Crispy green beans, mushrooms and a tasty Gigondas (Cote du Rhone) round off the meal.
Menu
Barbary Magret de Canard with Port Sauce
Sauteed French green beans, mixed mushrooms and shallots
Roasted baby potatoes
Wine
Chateau de Saint Cosme 2005, Gigondas
To Prepare:
Port reduction
Saute handful on chopped shallots in 2 tbsp butter. Add splash of cognac and reduce 1-2 minutes. Add ½ cup each port and beef stock. Add sprig rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and reduce to about ¼ liquid. Strain and set aside.
Duck breast
Score and season skin side with salt and pepper. Cook skin side down in butter and olive oil until skin is browned and crisp. Turn. Place pan in 180C oven and cook 5 minutes for medium rare. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
Vegetables
- Blanch green beans. Saute mushrooms in shallots and butter.
- Season baby potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in 180C oven 20 minutes.
Finishing
- Saute ½ c chopped shallots in 2 tbsp butter. Add blanched beans and sautéed musrooms and heat until warm. Season with salt and pepper.
- As breast is resting, deglaze plan with splash of beef stock. Add port reduction. Season with salt and pepper. Let reduce. Finish with 2 Tbsp butter.
We ate too quickly too so no pictures sorry. Was delicious though and the Gigondas was really good.
Sunday evenings mean dinner at home. This week was my turn to cook. I served up a couple of French Barbary duck breasts, thick, rich, gamey and steak-like, the richness cut with a sweet port reduction. Crispy green beans, mushrooms and a tasty Gigondas (Cote du Rhone) round off the meal.
Menu
Barbary Magret de Canard with Port Sauce
Sauteed French green beans, mixed mushrooms and shallots
Roasted baby potatoes
Wine
Chateau de Saint Cosme 2005, Gigondas
To Prepare:
Port reduction
Saute handful on chopped shallots in 2 tbsp butter. Add splash of cognac and reduce 1-2 minutes. Add ½ cup each port and beef stock. Add sprig rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and reduce to about ¼ liquid. Strain and set aside.
Duck breast
Score and season skin side with salt and pepper. Cook skin side down in butter and olive oil until skin is browned and crisp. Turn. Place pan in 180C oven and cook 5 minutes for medium rare. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
Vegetables
- Blanch green beans. Saute mushrooms in shallots and butter.
- Season baby potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in 180C oven 20 minutes.
Finishing
- Saute ½ c chopped shallots in 2 tbsp butter. Add blanched beans and sautéed musrooms and heat until warm. Season with salt and pepper.
- As breast is resting, deglaze plan with splash of beef stock. Add port reduction. Season with salt and pepper. Let reduce. Finish with 2 Tbsp butter.
We ate too quickly too so no pictures sorry. Was delicious though and the Gigondas was really good.
Tuesday 1 January 2008
Innsbruck Christmas
(Aileen)
We’ve just returned from an amazing X-mas break in Innsbruck. It was the perfect work-detox mix of gorging on sausages, pretzels and gluhwein, and strenuous skiing.
23 December - A shaky start, a (ful)filling finish
It’s an early start with a 5:30 am trek to Clapham Junction to catch a train to Gatwick. We get to Gatwick just after 6 and it’s an absolute madhouse. Aren’t people supposed to be relaxing at home with friends and family? Not the crazy travel-crazy British. It should no longer come as a surprise, but does every time.
The £20 additional fee we paid for speedy boarding pays for itself as we slink past the lines 20 people deep to the 1 man-long speedy boarding queue. Phew.
It’s just as hectic past the security lines. And of course our flight is delayed. The bus doesn’t come on time. We miss our take off slot. The bacon butties are all gone by the time the food cart rolls by (they were all gone by the first row) – which is just as well as we saved tummy room for the goodies to come.
It’s almost 12:30 by the time we get to Innsbruck. We’re exhausted. The cash machine doesn’t like our debit card. We hop into a taxi without Euro. The taxi doesn’t take credit card. The tax driver gets all grumpy. I hop out at a cash machine to get enough cash to quiet him. We finally get to our hotel and check in. It’s been a long morning.
After checking in, we head out to check the Innsbruck Christkindl Markt. It’s smaller in comparison to Salzburg’s, but has the requisite gluhwein and wiener stands. By 7:00 PM we’ve consumed:
• At least 4 rounds of gluhwein
• A sausage in a roll
• A pretzel
• A potato pancake with sour cream sauce
• A sausage with roll on the side
• A trio of Austrian gnocchi - with bacon, spinach, and fried
• A deep fried donut-like disk with powdered sugar
• A round of Austrian beer
In addition we dropped by the speck store and picked up a chunk of speck, a happy chunk of cured bacon and a small bottle of Austrian mustard. Delicious stuff.
We stumble home, bellies full and gluhwein working its wonders. We set the alarm for 6 am and fall into a peaceful slumber.
Some pics from the day (L-R): Smalls by the Goldner Daschl, Gluhwein and Pretzel, Christkindl Markt
24 December – A taste of the Tyrolean Alps and Snow Ploughing
We’re dressed and out of the hotel room by 7am, to catch a 7:20 bus to Stubai Glacier. Our plan is to stop by the Ski School in Neustift to arrange for cross-country lessons and rent gear. We have absolutely no idea where to get off, so we check the bus schedule for each stop and take a guess. It’s a pretty good guess. We manage to arrange lessons, rent our gear, and catch another bus up to Mutterberg to catch the gondola up to make our 10:30 lesson.
On the bus up we get a good dose of the Alps. But it’s no match for the breathless views of the gondola ride up. Amazing.
We find Roman (our cross country instructor) and 3 Frankfurt ladies (our fellow students) at the start of the cross country track. The views are incredible. The snow’s pristine. The clouds break every so often to reveal crystal blue skies. We start the uphill trek. It’s quite the workout, but a lot of fun. As you swish along you hear nothing but the smooth swish of your skis, and your breath (or mumbling as you struggle to move along).
About 3 quarters of the way through the track we find we’ve managed to ascend to a bit of a hill, and receive an introduction into the art of snow ploughing a.k.a. stopping on a snow slope on skis. Everyone manages to take a fall at least once. The snow’s wonderful.
Two hours later we head back. We make our way to the bar/tent with Euro disco music blasting and steal a cheeky beer. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished, but quite eager to get back out on the snow, and maybe even…ta da da daaaaaa….try skiing.
We run into (or rather purposefully meander to) a chicken rotisserie and stop for lunch a.k.a the most amazing crispy skin roast chicken at 2300 m above sea level, in -15C temps, with incredible views of the Tyrolean Alps. The cups of gluhwein help to keep us warm.
Afterwards we take the plunge and sign up for a 1 day skiing lesson, and spend the rest of the afternoon pulling together all the rental gear – boots, skis, poles, trousers – quite the gear intensive sport.
We head back to Innsbruck on a late afternoon bus and get back with just enough time for a speedy shower and change before heading down to Christmas Eve dinner in the hotel. The food’s quite disappointing (and not cheap!!) – a mound of mashed avocado with way too much salty cured fish to start, a mediocre duck breast with sad sides as a main, and a not very good marzipan cream choux pastry desert to finish. We’re too tired to quibble, and a bottle of red followed by a bottle of Sekt (Austrian sparking wine) are sufficient to appease. It’s been a long, strenuous day and we welcome sleep.
Some pics from the day (L-R): View of the Alps from the bus, Gondola ride, Ed climbing a hill, Roast chicken
25 December – Snow ploughing frenzy
It’s an early rise on Christmas Day as well. We plan on taking the same 7:20 bus and wake up a little earlier to enjoy some stolen and Christmas tunes in our hotel room before heading out.
We get to the glacier with enough time to tuck in a pretzel washed down with some coffee. The canteen is brimming with skischule instructors. Energetic teenager looking kids in their Skischule jackets. We’re nervous. What have we signed up for?
It’s a beautiful day for skiing. Crisp air, blue skies, fluffy white snow. We head to the big Mickey Mouse where all the kiddies are congregating. We’re absolute beginners after all. Ed shyly asks where beginner lessons are. The instructor smilingly asks “For your children”? We sheepishly say no, and she points us to an area up a small hill where adult groups are congregating. It’s a struggle up the hill in clunky snow boots. I’m breathing heavily by the time we get up.
Himml, our instructor (barely twenty) finds us, herds us back down the hill (descending in aforementioned clunky boots is difficult too!), and over to a corner by another group of students, who obviously started the day before. They look comfortable skiing down a short slope and stopping. We can barely stand on the skis.
Our first slide down a mild slope has us feeling sufficiently wobbly kneed. Four hours, hundreds (what felt like) of snow ploughs and burning thighs and legs later we’re exhausted, but snow ploughing quite comfortably. It was tiring stuff but we had a blast. Loved it. Our only regret is not having enough time to take more lessons.
We hobble onto the last bus back to Innsbruck and take a nap on the way in. We’re exhausted. And inconveniently have dinner reservations at a restaurant about a mile from our hotel. As we walk back into town we’re wishing the Christmas Market is open so that we grab a quick bite and then collapse into bed. No such luck. The market is closed. We toy the idea of skipping dinner. But make a valiant effort to get dressed, catch a taxi (we could barely stand much less walk) and make it to dinner. We had an excellent meal which more than made up for Christmas Eve dinner. Ed starts with a belly warming frittatensuppe (noodle strips in rich beef bouillon), I have the goose essence soup. It comes served in a cappuccino cup with a poached quail egg floating in the rich broth. On the side is another cup of creamy truffle froth. Delicious.
For mains we go traditional. Ed has a mighty fine specimen of a wiener schnitzel. I have boiled prime beef, which is served with a wonderful piece of bone marrow and some roasted potatoes. We have a nice bottle of Austrian Riesling to go with the meal.
To cap off we have the warm apfelstrudel with whipped cream. It’s delicious - flaky light crust, apples with the perfect balance of tartness, sweetness, and spice.
As we leave the restaurant, a free taxi drives by which we hail for the 3 minute ride back to the hotel. Perfect end to a great day.
Some pics from the day (L-R): Ed with skis, By the ice climbing pillar, Taking a break
26 December – One last go
We have mid-afternoon flight back and the airport is only 10 minutes from town centre so we spend the next day having one last go at the Christmas Market. Several cups of gluhwein, sausage, beer. We also take a stroll through town to catch some sights we missed while being up in the mountains the past 2 days.
The flight back is pleasantly uneventful. Leaves on time. Arrives back in London early.
We had a great time in Innsbruck. We arrived tired/drained/distracted from work, with no specific plans other than to relax, and managed to spend 2 glorious days up in the glorious Alps skiing, and also savour the goodies on offer at the Christmas Market. I’m looking forward to the next opportunity we can get to savour snow, and maybe learn to make turns on skiis!
Some pics from the day (L-R): Gluhwein, sausage
For all our pics of the trip, please visit our Ausrtia pics accessed via the Smallzone.
We’ve just returned from an amazing X-mas break in Innsbruck. It was the perfect work-detox mix of gorging on sausages, pretzels and gluhwein, and strenuous skiing.
23 December - A shaky start, a (ful)filling finish
It’s an early start with a 5:30 am trek to Clapham Junction to catch a train to Gatwick. We get to Gatwick just after 6 and it’s an absolute madhouse. Aren’t people supposed to be relaxing at home with friends and family? Not the crazy travel-crazy British. It should no longer come as a surprise, but does every time.
The £20 additional fee we paid for speedy boarding pays for itself as we slink past the lines 20 people deep to the 1 man-long speedy boarding queue. Phew.
It’s just as hectic past the security lines. And of course our flight is delayed. The bus doesn’t come on time. We miss our take off slot. The bacon butties are all gone by the time the food cart rolls by (they were all gone by the first row) – which is just as well as we saved tummy room for the goodies to come.
It’s almost 12:30 by the time we get to Innsbruck. We’re exhausted. The cash machine doesn’t like our debit card. We hop into a taxi without Euro. The taxi doesn’t take credit card. The tax driver gets all grumpy. I hop out at a cash machine to get enough cash to quiet him. We finally get to our hotel and check in. It’s been a long morning.
After checking in, we head out to check the Innsbruck Christkindl Markt. It’s smaller in comparison to Salzburg’s, but has the requisite gluhwein and wiener stands. By 7:00 PM we’ve consumed:
• At least 4 rounds of gluhwein
• A sausage in a roll
• A pretzel
• A potato pancake with sour cream sauce
• A sausage with roll on the side
• A trio of Austrian gnocchi - with bacon, spinach, and fried
• A deep fried donut-like disk with powdered sugar
• A round of Austrian beer
In addition we dropped by the speck store and picked up a chunk of speck, a happy chunk of cured bacon and a small bottle of Austrian mustard. Delicious stuff.
We stumble home, bellies full and gluhwein working its wonders. We set the alarm for 6 am and fall into a peaceful slumber.
Some pics from the day (L-R): Smalls by the Goldner Daschl, Gluhwein and Pretzel, Christkindl Markt
24 December – A taste of the Tyrolean Alps and Snow Ploughing
We’re dressed and out of the hotel room by 7am, to catch a 7:20 bus to Stubai Glacier. Our plan is to stop by the Ski School in Neustift to arrange for cross-country lessons and rent gear. We have absolutely no idea where to get off, so we check the bus schedule for each stop and take a guess. It’s a pretty good guess. We manage to arrange lessons, rent our gear, and catch another bus up to Mutterberg to catch the gondola up to make our 10:30 lesson.
On the bus up we get a good dose of the Alps. But it’s no match for the breathless views of the gondola ride up. Amazing.
We find Roman (our cross country instructor) and 3 Frankfurt ladies (our fellow students) at the start of the cross country track. The views are incredible. The snow’s pristine. The clouds break every so often to reveal crystal blue skies. We start the uphill trek. It’s quite the workout, but a lot of fun. As you swish along you hear nothing but the smooth swish of your skis, and your breath (or mumbling as you struggle to move along).
About 3 quarters of the way through the track we find we’ve managed to ascend to a bit of a hill, and receive an introduction into the art of snow ploughing a.k.a. stopping on a snow slope on skis. Everyone manages to take a fall at least once. The snow’s wonderful.
Two hours later we head back. We make our way to the bar/tent with Euro disco music blasting and steal a cheeky beer. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished, but quite eager to get back out on the snow, and maybe even…ta da da daaaaaa….try skiing.
We run into (or rather purposefully meander to) a chicken rotisserie and stop for lunch a.k.a the most amazing crispy skin roast chicken at 2300 m above sea level, in -15C temps, with incredible views of the Tyrolean Alps. The cups of gluhwein help to keep us warm.
Afterwards we take the plunge and sign up for a 1 day skiing lesson, and spend the rest of the afternoon pulling together all the rental gear – boots, skis, poles, trousers – quite the gear intensive sport.
We head back to Innsbruck on a late afternoon bus and get back with just enough time for a speedy shower and change before heading down to Christmas Eve dinner in the hotel. The food’s quite disappointing (and not cheap!!) – a mound of mashed avocado with way too much salty cured fish to start, a mediocre duck breast with sad sides as a main, and a not very good marzipan cream choux pastry desert to finish. We’re too tired to quibble, and a bottle of red followed by a bottle of Sekt (Austrian sparking wine) are sufficient to appease. It’s been a long, strenuous day and we welcome sleep.
Some pics from the day (L-R): View of the Alps from the bus, Gondola ride, Ed climbing a hill, Roast chicken
25 December – Snow ploughing frenzy
It’s an early rise on Christmas Day as well. We plan on taking the same 7:20 bus and wake up a little earlier to enjoy some stolen and Christmas tunes in our hotel room before heading out.
We get to the glacier with enough time to tuck in a pretzel washed down with some coffee. The canteen is brimming with skischule instructors. Energetic teenager looking kids in their Skischule jackets. We’re nervous. What have we signed up for?
It’s a beautiful day for skiing. Crisp air, blue skies, fluffy white snow. We head to the big Mickey Mouse where all the kiddies are congregating. We’re absolute beginners after all. Ed shyly asks where beginner lessons are. The instructor smilingly asks “For your children”? We sheepishly say no, and she points us to an area up a small hill where adult groups are congregating. It’s a struggle up the hill in clunky snow boots. I’m breathing heavily by the time we get up.
Himml, our instructor (barely twenty) finds us, herds us back down the hill (descending in aforementioned clunky boots is difficult too!), and over to a corner by another group of students, who obviously started the day before. They look comfortable skiing down a short slope and stopping. We can barely stand on the skis.
Our first slide down a mild slope has us feeling sufficiently wobbly kneed. Four hours, hundreds (what felt like) of snow ploughs and burning thighs and legs later we’re exhausted, but snow ploughing quite comfortably. It was tiring stuff but we had a blast. Loved it. Our only regret is not having enough time to take more lessons.
We hobble onto the last bus back to Innsbruck and take a nap on the way in. We’re exhausted. And inconveniently have dinner reservations at a restaurant about a mile from our hotel. As we walk back into town we’re wishing the Christmas Market is open so that we grab a quick bite and then collapse into bed. No such luck. The market is closed. We toy the idea of skipping dinner. But make a valiant effort to get dressed, catch a taxi (we could barely stand much less walk) and make it to dinner. We had an excellent meal which more than made up for Christmas Eve dinner. Ed starts with a belly warming frittatensuppe (noodle strips in rich beef bouillon), I have the goose essence soup. It comes served in a cappuccino cup with a poached quail egg floating in the rich broth. On the side is another cup of creamy truffle froth. Delicious.
For mains we go traditional. Ed has a mighty fine specimen of a wiener schnitzel. I have boiled prime beef, which is served with a wonderful piece of bone marrow and some roasted potatoes. We have a nice bottle of Austrian Riesling to go with the meal.
To cap off we have the warm apfelstrudel with whipped cream. It’s delicious - flaky light crust, apples with the perfect balance of tartness, sweetness, and spice.
As we leave the restaurant, a free taxi drives by which we hail for the 3 minute ride back to the hotel. Perfect end to a great day.
Some pics from the day (L-R): Ed with skis, By the ice climbing pillar, Taking a break
26 December – One last go
We have mid-afternoon flight back and the airport is only 10 minutes from town centre so we spend the next day having one last go at the Christmas Market. Several cups of gluhwein, sausage, beer. We also take a stroll through town to catch some sights we missed while being up in the mountains the past 2 days.
The flight back is pleasantly uneventful. Leaves on time. Arrives back in London early.
We had a great time in Innsbruck. We arrived tired/drained/distracted from work, with no specific plans other than to relax, and managed to spend 2 glorious days up in the glorious Alps skiing, and also savour the goodies on offer at the Christmas Market. I’m looking forward to the next opportunity we can get to savour snow, and maybe learn to make turns on skiis!
Some pics from the day (L-R): Gluhwein, sausage
For all our pics of the trip, please visit our Ausrtia pics accessed via the Smallzone.
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