Home time...

The Journey of a thousand miles starts with one step....

This particular journey began with a couple of glasses of French bubbles one Sunday morning (yes I know, morning, it's always time for bubbles) earlier this year after a bracing walk in Kings Park with my lovely friend Bab's...

As luck would have it the rest of 2011 was rather "free"...

So, six months, four continents, seven countries and 18 cities (including poxy Toledo)... and this is it!

The end of a chapter, the most amazing memories made, incredible experiences had, learning you can live without most "things", but people who love you are irreplaceable, one language treated badly and a number of others poked within an inch of their lives...

New York

Here's where I've been...

SPAIN bought me to Valencia, Madrid, Malaga, Torrox Costa, (Poxy) Toledo and San Sebastian

GREECE gave me, Athens, Mykonos and Santorini

ITALY included, The Lake District, Venice, Bologna and Milan

TURKEY took me to Istanbul

 SWITZERLAND was the clockwork Zurich

FRANCE included lovely little Arles Sur Tec and my ever favourite city Paris

THE UK included Jolly Old London Town and a personal all time favourite Berkhamsted

                                       USA = New York, New York!

Paris

The opportunity to catch up with dear friends, and to have dear friends come  join me, to make fabulous new friends, surprisingly, to rekindle old friendships from my past, to enjoy and appreciate the kindness of strangers, and to realise just how much love is waiting for me at home...

I have eaten and drunk what I've wanted,when I've wanted, I have laughed until I've cried, I have done thing's I never dreamt I would do and I have embraced every opportunity that has come my way.

Milan

This, the last "post" is dedicated to love in all forms and a lovely philosophical reminisce of a well spent, busy rewarding and life changing six months...(I'm allowed to get a bit gushy because it's my blog)

Having said that, some things will never change

I still want to push people over when they "meander" in my way...

I still rustle around in my handbag looking for stuff like it's the inside of the Tardis.

   I have become a "dab hand" at public transport, but have I embraced it? 

NO!

I am still a Pollyanna and believe that most people are good at their core and have your best interests at heart (however, I now have a slightly more centred version of that and don't mind thinking that if they don't, they'll get theirs...)

I also realise that some things will never be the same again...

What all of them are remain to be seen...

Valencia

Possibly the greatest lesson that I have learnt (besides that smiling, oysters, champagne and boot's from Milan are important to your quality of life) is that, actually the only person that you really need to impress, make proud and answer to, is the person that is with you all the time...yourself...

I am very privileged to say that this little blog has enjoyed over two thousand visits, I can't thank you enough for your interest and the opportunity to feel like I haven't really been that far away.

Yes, I am still a "love heart" sap and am pleased to say that has not changed, I really do believe that love is the answer, the great news is that this comes in so many forms...

After spending so much time solo and the rest in the warmth of beautiful families and friends, thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart...it's now time to come home to the arms of my own loving family

 

New York

I am so very grateful to have had the opportunity to experience what a wonderful world we live in and what wonderful lives we lead...

   So, I'm on my way!

 and for the very last time, it is my pleasure to say...

Thank you for sharing xxx

...from the luckiest girl in the world who has had a real big adventure :0)

Jolly Old London...

So in between The Fat Duck and New York there has also been a very big chunk of time spent in beautiful London and it's surrounds.
Coming off the Eurostar from Paris, the abject relief of realising I could speak normal and full speed English was utter bliss...Ello, ello, ello Driver!

The delightful Grip and I

Night one was a zip to Brighton to enjoy the fabulous food at Jamie Olivers Italian restaurant, after spending a large amount of time in Italy recently, I would have to say it was right up to scratch, Crab and squid ink risotto with fennel, lemon and herby breadcrumbs... yummmmmm!

Post modernism???

 A visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum (or the V&A for those in the know, what a magnificent building) revealed a great afternoon of information... 

Now, who would have thought that Blade Runner, Boy George, Devo, Alessi homewares and Talking Heads would have anything in common, indeed they do... All part of the Post Modernism Movement... 

This also included the Ad Hoc Construction group, hilarious, actually a whole bunch of peep's that just made "thing's" that were basically slung together in a very well...ad hoc manner, so nothing really looked like it could be used in a functional way, but blow me down they lasted long enough to have a "movement" named after them!

The Mario Sisters

A fabulous morning was spent on "Tour" in a circa 1960's Mini...absolutely fantastic, whipping through all the Major sights, Buck Palace, Big Ben, the London Eye, Houses of Parliament and through Mayfair with it's exquisite red toned buildings...

We learnt things such as the reason that London has footpaths is because a really fat rich "squire" had his carriage wedged between two bulidings and he was too porky to get out...

Shortly thereafter a bill was introduced by Parliament (made up of equally fat spoilt squires) that there should be a three foot "path" in front of all houses and buildings...


I'm sure all the small thin begging types were delighted they would no longer run the risk of being run over by fat squires.

Mind the escalator...

It was around about this time that I had a couple of experiences that took me off the well worn "tourist path"...
One was getting to push the "Emergency Stop Button" on the nose bleedingly high Tube escalator as a woman fell down on the other side and became wedged under her suitcase...she was fine...


The other started as a quick trip to the Accident and Emergency section of the rather swanky Chelsea and Westminster Hospital with what I thought was a pulled muscle in my back and culminated in an overnight stay with pneumonia...

I am quite impressed with my own optimism, even lying on a gurney with a nebuliser on I still held high hopes that they would let me out so I could scoot to the pub to meet my lovely mate Sam for dinner... sadly, postponement could not be avoided...


Thanks though, British NHS and Australia's "arrangement", a scanned copy of my passport and I was on my way, had it happened in New York I would have had to have sold my house!

So, after those "interesting events" I actually did finally get to catch up with Sam, also my lovely friend Holly, wonderful Rebecca and Liz and I even zipped to Essex to see Michelle, whom I met in Valencia at Spanish school...


My greatest experience though has been being back in the company of the fabulous Jones family, friends of almost twenty years, whose warmth, hospitality and fantastic "family fridge" always make me feel loved welcome and special... 


Christmas is well and truly in full swing, the lights are up on Oxford street, the Christmas tree's are trimmed and the elves cheeks are as red as berries...from sitting on cold chairs no doubt :0)

 

So, thanks once again London for being the proud, gorgeous, busy and bustling city that is such a pleasure to visit, thanks also for one of my favourite Supermarkets in the world (Waitrose you rock!) and for some really awesome "crap" TV, why don't we have I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here?...


and, as always...

Thank you for sharing xxx

The Big Apple...taking a bite

How could you not....

                                                                              

Well, I was contemplating going to Dublin...and then over dinner last week, there it was... the opportunity, followed rapidly by one of the easiest decisions I've ever had to make...New York... YES PLEASE!!!

Being led astray by the locals, what is that peeking over my shoulder Skip and Robin!!!

The City that doesn't sleep... five days and my feet didn't touch the ground... A whirlwind of dinner's, lunches, breakfast and as always the sheer joy of just walking about and immersing yourself in the thrill of being in a new (big and busy) beautiful City and catching up with dear dear friends, including Cynthia whom I met at cooking school in Bologna and finding little bit's of gorgeousness in unexpected places...

Hotel number one was just around the corner from Times Square, I loved this Hotel, they made a little "error" in service and spent the rest of my stay spoiling me rotten, including a "Red Velvet" cupcake from The Magnolia Bakery waiting for me on my return in the early hours of one morning...

Times Square, talk about sensory overload, just like the movie's folks, and a place where you never quite know who might be watching you...   

 

Howdy Officers...misdemeanouring with Mel...

I strolled down Madison Avenue early one morning and was thrilled to see they had gone all out with a very special treat for me...

Nothing like finding your name up in lights, without an audition!

I wandered on down to Central Park, what a beautiful place, ice skating, horse drawn carriages and a man sitting on a hill playing the saxophone all accompanied by a crisp sunshiny day (and a bit of a horsey whiff in the air)

Brunch at the Wright Restaurant at the Guggenheim  Museum

was a truly

delightful way to wile away some hours on a Sunday ... how amazing to be able to visit a city so very far from home and to look around the table and see familiar and much loved faces and hear their matching laughter.                                          Also learning another wonderful life lesson, that two Wrights (in a glass) don't make a wrong, but three Wrights plus a couple of Prosecco's could certainly set you on the path to giving it a nudge :0)

                                                                     The Wright          

Another interesting observation,

did I in fact find the most discerning homeless man in New York? I only ate half my bagel, wrapped the rest, took a napkin and scooted backdown the street to the man I had seen rattling his Starbucks cup... hmmmm, he asked me what sort it was..."cream cheese?" yes I replied and still warm"what else?" oh the pressure! Would he like my selection? Bacon, avocado and red onion...in fact should I even mention the red onion....! The relief when he said in a Grizzly Adams kind of voice...(and hairstyle) "awwwright"... Phew! happy days...

As it is prior to Thanksgiving, many of the Christmas decorations are still "under wraps" including the Sax 5th Ave windows and the Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree. There were still smatterings of delight to be seen, the last time I visited with my lovely buddy Trish it was for Christmas, so I can safely say, these guys give "good decoration"

 The Highline was also an amazing location. The old New York rail lines that were used to transport dangerous goods above the city streets...they have now been preserved and turned in to a public park which offer fabulous history and views, including this stunning piece of glass work by Spencer Finch. The Hudson river flows in both directions, he took one photo per minute over the 11 + hour journey and then created this (a part of) a beautiful installation in glass representing the changing colours in the water as the light changed during the duration of the journey...

                                         good job Mr Finch!

The Highline is located in the Meatpacking district, the home of the Chelsea Markets where I made short work of one of the most enormous lobsters I've ever laid eyes and lips on, this is a gritty "up and coming" area, filled with sexy edgy little boutiques cheek by jowl with Mario's place of sausages, suppliers of offal and other speciality meats and a place where you don't muck about with rules...

It is also home to Hotel number two, with floor to ceiling windows and views across the Hudson to the city skyline...and I kid you not it's own Ice skating rink...it would be churlish to not be impressed with that! 

The Lady herself from the bedroom window....

So thanks New York, you're not a Dame you're a Lady, it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance again... I love your Hot Dog vans, I love your Roy Lichtenstein in the subway, I love that you offered me the opportunity to put people I cherish in the same room, and I love that you didn't rain until it was time for me to leave...

                                                A real live Roy no less!

I also love that I ended up in a bar in the lower East side last night that was filled with Elk heads and stuffed Pheasants and could only be accessed through a lane way.... thanks Diane and Beck!

                                     See its everywhere :0)

 Having my bite of The Big Apple!

Thank you to all you beautiful people old and new who helped to make a raft of beautiful New York tales tell!

and as always...Thank you for sharing xxx

                        

THE FAT DUCK...and the really full girls....

                  Well, here it is, an experience of a life time, our visit to 
                          Heston Blumenthal's signature restaurant
Not many words required, except perhaps mind (and tummy) boggling...

Dry ice is SO much fun at the table...

This little adventure was quite a commitment...

The delightful Rebecca and I left by Tube and then travelled by Regional train, after a marathon haul to the platform (that seemed to be in Wales...) to the countryside in Maidenhead. From there we grabbed a cab to the village of Hurley, nestled in by Warne (actually I made that up :0) where we stayed at a beautiful Country pub... Now on with the show, a loose fitting "ensemble" another cab ride to the Village of Bray... and we were ready...

   JELLY OF QUAIL CRAYFISH CREAM,Chicken Liver Parfait and Oak Moss   

The theme of this 14 course extravaganza plus optional (?) as if!
matching wines is presented with The Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter Tea Party as it's guide...

  

  

SNAIL PORRIDGE Iberico Bellota Ham, Shaved fennel

Actually absolutely delicious...

Essentially it is a crazy "mind play" where what you hear as a description, what is presented to you visually, the smells and the anticipated taste, requires a high degree of left/right side of the brain integration...

MOCK TURTLE SOUP

(c1850)

Mad Hatter Tea

"Have you seen the Mock Turtle yet?"

"No" said Alice. "I don't even know what a Mock Turtle is"

 "It's the thing that Mock Turtle soup is made from" said the Queen.

I won't tell you what Mock Turtle is as it is quite "confronting" however,

yes that is real gold leaf, and those little mushrooms were the size of a match, popped into a perfectly poached quails egg...exquisite

"SOUND OF THE SEA"

This is served with a conch shell containing a mini I pod, so you pop in the ear buds and whilst listening to the sounds of the waves and seagulls you "wade" your way through a pile and flotsam and jetsam..."sand" included... Sashimi, seaweed and very realistic sea foam...

This one actually got me. I simply couldn't eat more than a mouthful, it was just too "real" for me a perfect replica of what we step around on Cottesloe beach...

Fancy a vino? or fourteen

A favourite moment was when the rather young Eastern European sommelier with the very piercing ice blue eyes presented a bottle to us with a flourish, and informed us with great reverence that this... is a Turkish Fume Blanc...and then, with a flick of his eyelashes and a super piercing look with those eyes... he followed with..."eet...ees...from..TUrrrkey....." priceless!

We had wine to match each course and a snappy little Sake with "The Sounds of the Sea" experience...

The "BFG" before...

A perfect tower of Black Forest Gateau...

Some of the many (oh, so many) courses came accompamied by a "spritz" of "something" above our heads at the table.

This is to stimulate the taste buds and basically REALLY get the juices flowing, and yes, someone had done their homework, it was amazing...

A quick spritz, and it was allllll over...

 

We finished our evening with (because of course it was JUST what we needed)

a Whiskey Flight....

This was framed map of Ireland and attached to all the "County Sides" was whiskey "gum" like a lethal, gummie bear...good grief, how much more could we possibly take :0)...

Apparently, just a "wafer thin" bit more... although thankfully take "away" was the operative word...

"Like a Kid in a Sweet Shop"

Apple pie caramel with edible wrapper, Aerated Chocolate with mandarin jelly, Coconut Baccy (like a pouch of chewing tobacco, made of stringy coloured coconut) and, my absolute favourite, The Queen of Hearts...

Perfect in every detail, patterned like the playing cards of our childhood, made with white chocolate layered around a yummy jammy filling...amazing!   

she made some tarts....

and so we were done... this has been a selection of what we enjoyed, ploughed through and were wowed by....

THIS is the whole "shebang"

To our credit, we did manage to drag ourselves from our beds the next morning and have a pretty good crack at a brisk country walk...

very full girls and Beck doing an easy job of looking delicious!

 You may notice though, this is a head shot only, neck down we looked like a Telly Tubby...

A gigantic thank you to Rebecca for wangling a table that had a two month waiting list, and for making an idea that was hatched way back in Italy at "The" Wedding a reality, and for being my partner in a taste bud extavaganza.

  As always (and in this particular case it could have been a very realistic option)

Thank You for sharing xxx