Joe picks me up at 8 pm to go to airport via his bike but no key - so can't pick it up. Arrive at airport at 8:30. Plane not due to take off till 11:20pm and is even late taking off! Anyhow, uneventful flight. Full but no squeakers or kickers by me - just a neighbour nudger.
Arrive at 12 noon (local time) the next day. Plane circles around London. Easily see Tower Bridge, The Tower, The London Eye, St. Paul's, the Houses of Parliament, Pall Mall, The Palace, Green Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Hampton Court. Huge line-up at customs. Took ages. Sorry I didn't renew English passport! Got bags and onto Heathrow Express Train to Paddington and then taxi to Renaissance St Pancras Hotel. John meets me and bags go up to room and we go to Searcy's Champagne Bar - longest champagne bar in Europs - for 2 Bollingers. Then into Booking Hall
for a delicious toasted ham and cheese and onion sandwich served on a plank of wood. With the best fries
ever. Short and square and delicious tasting, juicy and sweet on inside and crisp on outside.
Up to room for a nap.
Got up and changed and then out to check on Eurostar departure set up. Went to buy map and looked for John’s book. Didn’t find one. Went for drink to the Besserat tasting lounge at St Pancras station. John has a nearly cold beer and I had 2 Sauvignon blancs from NZ. Closed bar so went to hotel bar for verdicchio for me and a cold beer in a tankard for John. Smoked mackerel with sourdough toast and baby greens and chicken terrine. Off to the comfiest bed in the world!
Monday 25th England
Up at 8 am and breakfast in the Gilbert Scott. I had smoked salmon bagel and John had eggs benny on black pudding - fresh OJ and coffee. Then outside for the Hop On Hop Off. Lovely day - warm and sunny and cool in the shade. Got off at the Tower and got a Starbucks latte and some postcards and lined up for boat trip up the Thames to Westminster - over bridge and got on Eye. Amazing. Hardly any lineup thanks to our great organiser JK. Took loads of photos and walked along South Embankment. Saw street performer do trick with 5 guys. Went on to the Globe and got a tour and then on to the Anchor Pub - oldest in London - site of the Clink Prison and Samuel Pepys’ local. Had fish and chips and a pitcher of Pimms in the sunshine on the patio by the river. Then on to London Bridge and Hopped On to finish tour. Got off at Paddington and got taxi back for a nap. Got up at 7:30, changed and went out to Covent Garden. Walked around and had meal and wine in the Piazza. Taxi home. Grand Marniers in the Gilbert Scott. Of to bed.
Tuesday 26th.
Up early for Eurostar. Had coffee at station and phoned Jeanne and Frank. Got on train and set off. Continental breakfast in Chunnel. Overcast here too. Land at Gard du Nord and find Hotel Merkure. Back to GduN - no Train Bleu. Over to Gare de L’Est. No Train Bleu. No help at info desk. Work out it must be at Gare de Lyon - taxi. Lunch at Le Train Bleu. 270 Euro - 365 CAD!!! Glorious though. Foie gras with fig in mulled wine and pistachio glaze. Beer and white wine. John ordered a 320 Euro bottle of wine - luckily they gave him a cheaper wine by mistake. Sat next to a lovely couple from Hong Kong - he was a judge. His wife Sue was English. They were visiting relatives in Dorset and Suffolk. Filet Mignon with Pommes Anna and Bearnaise Sauce, Cheese plate and chocolate crunchy caramel tarte with pistachio ice cream and coffees. Cab to the Tuilleries. Walked around and along past our first hotel and past Gaultier’s shop - up to the Place de la Madeleine to Hediard’s to peruse. John bought me a chestnut liqueur. Cab to hotel for a zizz.
Crazy cab lady changing glasses on and off and looking at map and beeping at cars and shaking her head at garbage trucks and little girl wheeling pink suitcase twice as big as she was. Saw our first restaurant L’Ambassade, past Sacre Coeur to La Maison Rose. Got out and walked around. Found great bistro - Chez Mère Catherine. Red and white chequered table clths. I had moules et frites and rosé wine - best rosé wine ever….Côtes du Provençe. John had Salade Niçoise and a beer. Then more wine, more wine…caffé and Îles Flottantes, mousse au chocolat à l’orange. Chanteuse and pianiste playing great songs. Taxi back. John thought no-one in there till the driver twitched his black Homburg!
Wednesday 27th.
Following “Day 2″ on the guide book - Place des Vosgues for breakfast. Guide book says very picturesque but all closed. Found a cafe and everything “off” - i.e. no Viennese pastry, no croissant…. “That’s a fancy menu for a plate of scrambled eggs”, says John. Walk to the Place de la Bastille to find canal boats. Next one at 2:30 so we walk around and see some shops. Have a beer and wine at Indiana Cafe and chat to Carlo, a waiter from Portugal who went to Uni of Essex for acting. Had to laugh - one toilet I went to.. they gave me a fake coin to put in the door and once inside…toilet seat wobbly, tap nearly came out and soap dispenser swivelled round.
Got on canal boat and up canal - 18 minutes in tunnel and 2 hours in locks going up and letting water out and waiting. Sort of boring neighbourhoods and it rained a bit. Let us off in some park (Villettte?) in the middle of nowhere with miles to walk to get out. Stopped at a hotel to go to the loo and eat a burger. Walked miles to taxi rank - no taxi. He’s up the road eating a sandwich! Back to hotel for a nap. Taxi couldn’t get near hotel so dropped us off at the other corner of the square and it was pouring with rain so we got wet.
Nap. Then off to the Lapin Facile…Lapin Difficile?…no…Au Lapin Agile. Please rename to Au Lapin.
Dark oak inside - red lamps - man playing piano. Hard benches. Squeezed in. One drink included: Famous Cherries “Au Lapin Agile” - cherry brandy in a little glass with 4 cherries. No chance of another drink. 6 singers and a pianist. Very good voices and great acting but not understanding most of it and no drinks, hard bench!!! Every time you thought you could escape, they started again and closed the curtain and everytime someone else managed to escape, we was jealous and our escape seemed hopeless. We went in at 9 didn’t get out till 11 . Then down a steep cobbled street to loads of steps and a taxi stand. No taxis for ages but finally back to hotel and fall into local pub for 3..4 beers and 4…5 rosé wines! We were desperate. Off to bed. John said “I enjoyed everything. It’s an experience not many people have had…The lucky bastards!. Laughed so much John had to go to the loo. John’s big fear was that I might chime up with “On Ilkley Moor B’Aht ‘at” or “lampton Warm”. True confessions… Sur le Pont D’Avignon. Barney and Jim would sing it..John really wanted to sing it. Now he could get Edith Piaf to sing it for him. John’s in bed trying to sleep - admitting 7 indiscretions but he needs to sleep before he confesses all…luckily for him, he does. Oh dear…what about tomorrow?
Thursday 28th
After a woozy night we revive and have continental breakfast in the hotel and then hop in a cab to Notre Dame. Walk around a bit and then walk to La Plage and sunbathe and kip a bit in the sun…nice and warm.. yes, of course. That’s because I have my sweater, raincoat and a brolly! Stayed on beach till 2 pm and went up to get something to eat. Salade Niçoise and beers. Starts to rain so we have coffees as well. Taxi to hotel. Have late check out so I head out to the neighbourhood (Bollywood?) for nail polish and do my nails. Leisurely get ready, drink in hotel bar and off to Gare de l’Est to wait for train. Reception on Platform 5 and luggage taken and escorted to private waiting room. Phew..looked like she was going to make us climb a huge staircase but luckily there was an elevator. We were led to a strange room with tables “sit everywhere” she says. It’s hot as anything in here. There’s wine and water and lovely glass platters with hors d’oeuvres. Plastic container with tuna, tomato and courgettes. A tub of gazpacho with a straw. Carpaccio rolled and wrapped with a slice of zucchini. Round toast with artichoke heart and pimento. Crouton with smoked salmon. An empty container : “We could fill these with pease pudding!” Do you want that? says John as he points to the leather wallet they sent from the Orient Express with the tickets. “It says genuine (jen-you-eye-n) leather like the surrey with the fringe on top”
Points for the lounge:
-1 for too hot
-1 for no ambience
-1 for no music
-1 for no loo paper
-2 for two clogged sinks
Board train and spend one hour trying to tie John’s bowtie. Into dining car. Order wines. I’m sitting by an open window so John swaps with me. “I’m not swapping handbags with you” he says as he looks distainfully at my leather purse. I ask about something and John says “It’s in that pigskin wallet” - what? that’s my fine leather document case!
Dinner: cold lobster on celeriac remoulade with sliced tomatoes (roma) - blanched first to skin them and then baked in oven in olive oil and sliced paper thin. Iced herb as dressing - some herb from Provence?.. Normandy?…can’t remember. But it was iced. Then filet steak with own carpaccio with dill mustard sauce. Polenta cut into the diamond shape of the VSOE logo. Stuffed small veggies -courgettes, tomato, pepper. Cheeses then large green almond macarooons stuffed with marachinos. Half bottle of rosé wine and some fancy Château Margaux. Then Grand Marnier in the bar car. Chat to nice couple from Belgium. They’re filming in the resto car on the way back to the cabin.
St.Anton…Landeck..Schönwies…Imst..Pitztal…Östtal…Innsbrück…Matrei..Steinach in Tirol…St. Jodak…Gries..
Friday 29th.
Breakfast in bed. John is in the top bunk: “Mind my feet don’t land in your coffee”.
Then, talking about the people we met in the bar perhaps? “I’d never have guessed those people were into pickles!”
Then, talking about Au Lapin Agile: “It was about 37 Euros to get a sore bum - we could have managed without it!”.
We struggle to get dressed and then into the bar car for tea and cookies and chat to nice English couple (architect and Jan). Have orange soda - San Pellegrino, nuts and olives. Lunch on car. Sat with Doc and Pam from Glos near welsh border. Got menu. Back to cabin at 4pm. Got into Venice at 6 pm. More filming in cabin.
Water taxi to Hotel Danieli. Little nap and change for dinner. Walked to lovely little resto… spaghetti with aubergine and macaroni with pesto and smoked ricotta and veggie salad and green salad and beer and wine. Walk back through St Mark’s Square. Much flooding “watch out!”. Concert on. Nice voice…many people. Back at the hotel I ask: who? “Iss Stink” he says. Stink? - ah! .. Sting!… off to bed.
Sat 30th
Quick breakfast and wander through streets. Buy ring and beads, t-shirts, scarves. John very pleased with his scarf. We notice lots of people with scarves. “I’ve started a trend,” he says. He models his scarf on a bridge and then we get a vanilla and strawberry ice cream. Then we stop for a beer and a pee and sit outside in the Piazza under a sun shade wondering about the difference between a fish and a peach.
Find a restaurant. “There must be a special on red chandeliers - the bordello’s got enough!” “That would have been something if we’d ended up with a plateful of fried peaches!!!”
“It’s a bit like Macbeth in here” he says as he spies 3 older ladies sitting at the next table around a huge platter of cooked ham. The pieces disappear quickly “
The others will be saying: “greedy thing. she’s had a dozen if she’s had one!” There’s no F in bananas. Discussion of bruschetta - brushetta or brusketta?
“Bye! He’s miserable , that one. Do you think his wife’s come back?” The grissini sticks: “are they free?” “No. there’s seven!” Then, later, John chokes on some fish bones. We talk about if he dies. Ballyholland for his ashes.. the family farm. I have to do like in the great escape…-tube with a string - let a bit out - stamp it in.
Went off wandering a bit more. Went round a lovely church and stopped for a pizza & beer. Off wandering again. Went round Leonardo da Vinci museum of Inventions. A man was singing opera in a square. Then back to the hotel for a nap.
Water taxi - 60 euros each way! - to place we had lunch but didn’t look as nice. Round the corner to 2 Colonne resto. Inside. Bit boring but good food. I had mix fish platter (scallop, langostine (scampi), shrimp, mussels, white fish. John had Bruschetta. Then we both have another plateful each of the scampi and a caprese salad between us. Nice wine and beer. Taxi back to Harry’s Bar for a Bellini each then hotel bar for a Grand Marnier. People in Hotel Bar said Stink had been upstairs so he must have been staying in our hotel! Then off to bed. John has bad dreams about his credit cards not working and I dream about trying to escape from prison camp. Even after a trip to the loo and not sleeping for a while, I still went straight back into that dream. What on earth had we eaten?
Sunday 31st July
Have breakfast with Doc and Pam at the best corner seat on the Terrazzo - glorious. Then check out and water taxi for train to Verona. Arrive at noon. Check into Hotel Academia and go out for lunch on the Piazza by the Amphitheatre. Beer and pizza magherita. Went around amphitheatre and saw set pieces for Aida. Back to hotel for nap. Evening into town, through shops and found square with Dante’s statue. Had great meal and saw guys selling whirly-ups. Ristoranti Dante: greek feta mousse in tomato sauce with herbs & wine. Veal slices, caper berries & tonnato sauce. Carpaccio with black truffle shaving. Bigoli and duck. Gnocchi al funghi with truffles. Beef cheek and lemon mash. Beef tenderloin with aubergine mash. Tiramisu. Ganache in vanilla sauce. Rosé wines and beers. Waiter gave us a free limoncello “Because I like you”. Back through square - saw strolling players.
Monday 1st August
Breakfast in hotel. Hop on Hop off around Verona. Got off to see Juliet’s tomb. Rain shower. Back on HoHo and went to Juliet’s house. Back to hotel for a nap. Evening went for a drink - bottle Soave. Concert in interior garden. Back to same cafe for rest of Soave. John has lasagne and I had gnocchi. Back to hotel to sleep.
Forgot to record various ice creams - 2 in our favourite shop. Banana and fragole both times. Creme & Melon. Creme & pistachio. Yum.
Tuesday 2nd August.
Train to Milan. Check into Michelangelo Hotel at Station. Then HoHo to the cathedral. Lunch of salad in cafe and then Tour around the Domo and walk around a bit. Very hot. Taxi back to hotel for a nap. Taxi to Montenapoleone and walk to Don Lesander restaurant. Beautiful view of courtyard garden. Boneless guineafowl in sweet sour sauce. Huuuuuge plate of saffron risotto and beautiful bottle Piero Pan Soave. Mixed salad, ice cream and semi freddo with nuts and caramel sauce.
Wednesday 3rd August
Breakfast in hotel. Waitress says I look beautiful - hair? HoHo to Duomo and wandered around. Back on HoHo to La Scala and then Santa Maria Della Grazia. Can’t see last supper so see Leonardo;s manuscripts. Walked to Parco Sempione via restaurant for pizza and beer. Very hot. Through park. Changed mind. Back for bus. Miss it. Sit on park bench to read papers. Look up - missed next bus!! SOB. Get taxi back. Nap.
Get ready to go out somewhere for dinner but where to? No idea. John texts the people he met on safari and they text back immediately. They are going on holiday tomorrow but could we meet them for dinner in an hour. I think it was Doriani Montenapoleone Cafe Restaurant at 19, Via Montenapoleone. Noted for their fish and seafood. Lisette (Lisa) Gesso and Raffaele Moccaldi. They are utterly charming and we have a glorious evening. They have chosen for us : polpette (meatballs). Gamberetti e ceci. Huge bottle of Ca'del Bosco Cuvée Prestige - best wine I ever tasted (look it up - it is 70 GBP a bottle!). Artichoke, shrimps, calamari. Scampi catalana, - tomato basil oil, cipolla calabria (red onions) tomato sardinia. La pasta di Gragnano - best pasta in Italy from Napoli - with lobster. Dessert was ice cream sculpted to look like a rose surrounded by fruit topped with a roman candle! Limoncello and Mirto de Sardegna. Home to bed - chock full!
Thursday 4th August. Up early. Train from Milan to Lausanne. Went past Chillon Castle an island castle located on Lake Geneva belonged to the bishops of Sion. Changed for train to Paris. Back to hotel. Nap. change. Great night out at Le Train Bleu. Tasting menu with champagne. Amuse bouche: confit of tomatoes with mozarella foam. Smoked salmon on blini with lemon confit. Leek vichissoise with truffle mousse. Paté of foie gras, onion chutney and apricot bread. Turbot and spinach (”Wot - no chips” said John). Strawberry and basil sherbet with champagne. Medallions de veau with layer of crusty mashed potato on top, served with risotto and asparagus. Chocolate pie with caramel. Rhum baba with pipette of rum. Strawberry with meringue and raspberry coulis. “We used to get luncheon vouchers”…”we used to get a pork pie and a cuppa tea!” Back to hotel….very sleepy.
Friday August 5th
Up early and over to train station. Have a cappuccino till they let us through into the Eurostar lounge. Buy 3 burgundy wines and some cheese and pate. Great trip on Eurostar to London. Snack of croissant, jam, yogurt and OJ and coffee. Check into hotel at St. Pancras. Lunch in Gilbert Scott of toasted ham and Lancashire cheddar. Beer in pewter tankard. Great chips. Walk out and check on Kings Cross. Nap, watch telly and read paper. Evening, go to Festival Hall to meet Jeanne and Frank. All waiting in different places! Finally find each other at 7:30 and go for lovely dinner at french restaurant. Say goodbye to John (boo hoo) and then to Waterloo to Clapham Junction to Croydon to car via numerous flights of stairs!! Too much luggage. Not made easier by heavy bag with three bottles of wine in wooden crate and some cheeses and pate! Never mind. Get home safely, cuppa tea - bed.
Saturday August 6th
Alex, Aimée and Joe arrive and then Helen, Brian, Henry, Mortimer, Noah and Jethro. All have lovely long lunch in garden. Rains a bit. Stops. Eventually come in and various people (Mag, Frank, Joe and Alex) have naps. Brian and Jeanne take boys to park. Helen and Aimée go to Ikea. Then have tea and the Steele family leave. The remainder have their tea and watch TV and bed.
Sunday 7th August
Jeanne goes to church early. Rest of us straggle up. Breakfast then lovely walk. Find mirabelles and plums (don’t eat in case of dog pee) and blackberries and great view. See Canary wharf, the Shard, Wembley Stadium. Back for lovely lunch in dining room. Nap. Alex Aimée and Joe leave at 4pm. We do crosswords. See foxes in garden. Watch TV and have wine and sandwiches. Bed.
Monday August 7th
Home. Announcing voice at airport “Departure for… gate now closing” And I thought they said “Get a move on” but they said “Gate number one”.
