A Sunday walk

The weather is up and down at the moment.  One day we can bask in the sun trap on the seat by the back door or have lunch in the garden, on another we have to wrap up against the chilly east wind.   I am in and out opening my cold frame and shutting it again to protect the seedlings - spinach, cabbage, beetroot, courgette, runner beans and garlic.  Geraniums and foxgloves are in the propagator on the kitchen shelf. Hope springs eternal... 

Last weekend it was cool and grey but we went out to test a walk that I've planned for the walking group.  We took the car to North Walsham and walked in a wide circle around the town.  The paths were pleasant and fairly varied but not exciting and the fact that we could glimpse North Walsham all the way round made it seem rather tame.   When we got back into North Walsham we made a 5 mile walk stretch to six by trawling round the streets trying to find somewhere to eat.  We skirted the street fair, complete with town crier and a man in the stocks, and eventually had to settle for what looked like the only eating establishment open - a typical pub doing Sunday carvery and a wide menu that can't have been freshly made.  Peter is often prepared to believe that something is 'home cooked' but I always suspect that while it may have been 'cooked' in the pub that probably involved shoving a plastic bag in the microwave!   Anyway it was hot food and we needed warming up!

On the Weavers' Way

Potatoes?

Lovely sweep of field

Windswept!

North Walsham town centre

The girl on the left was screaming with delight!

Another trip to Paris

We set off for Paris by Eurostar last Tuesday morning and made it up the 6 flights of stairs to our rented studio apartment where our host, Christine, was waiting for us.  You may wonder why we chose somewhere on the 6th floor without a lift!  Well, the apartment looked lovely and it was a challenge!

The studio did not disappoint.  After our shabby chic rental in La Butte aux Caille this was a different kettle of fish.  A practical kitchen and everything in beautiful condition and spotlessly clean.   There wasn't much of a view from the windows, except for an interesting row of chimney pots.

Peter went off to meetings and I did a bit of shopping and got myself some lunch.  This apartment is on the fringe of the area we lived in before so we knew our way around.  In the afternoon Peter returned and we went out to dinner later at Variations, a restaurant we have been to several times before.   I had riz de veau aux morelles for my main course.   I need to take a course in food photography as I haven't done it justice at all!  It was sweetbreads with morelle mushrooms and was delicious but I have made it look like a dog's dinner!  Almost literally!

Riz de veau aux morelles

On Wednesday Peter set off for 'work' again and I set off for the club (British and Commonwealth Women's Association) on what turned out to be day one of a two day general strike.  I wish I had known in advance.  The bus journey turned into a nightmare with diversions and road blocks to avoid demonstrations and visits of VIPs and in the end the bus simply stopped and turfed us out.  I walked a long way to find a metro weaving my way through police cordons and policemen lounging, smoking, talking on their mobiles etc, and in the end abandoned the idea of using public transport and got into a taxi.  The driver did a lot of moaning but got me there in pretty short time, only an hour and twenty minutes after I planned to arrive.  Anyway it was lovely to see everyone in the 'craft' group and we spent a happy day chatting and making this and that.   After the club four of us went off for a drink and then back to Penny's apartment for champagne and nibbles and the rest of the group caught up with us.  They had been on a guided tour of Roland Garros, the French equivalent of Wimbledon.   We all went out to dinner at the Chinese restaurant opposite Penny's flat.

On Thursday we braved the bus again and managed to get to the Musée d'Orsay without too much trouble intending to see the Bonnard exhibition.  The queues were monstrous - even for those with tickets like us.  We stood in line for a while and then decided to go and come back for the late night opening. 

Paris in the spring...sunshine every day of our visit

We decided to walk over to the Palais Royal as I had heard the gardens were beautiful in the spring and when we got there they were closed because of the strike!  We consoled ourselves with a coffee and then I set off back to the neighbourhood of the studio to meet up with Khem for lunch and Peter went back to the 'office'.  Well my journey back was even worse than my journey on Wednesday.  The bus going a completely different route to the one advertised and coming to a complete standstill in traffic several times.   I was frantically texting Khem but she was quite relaxed about waiting.  In the end I hopped off the bus and walked for half an hour to get to the restaurant - only an hour late!   Khem and I had a good chat over our noodles and then after a trip to the shopping mall nearby (Khem's second home) I pleaded tiredness and went back to the studio and lay down for a couple of hours before setting off again (this time by metro) for the Musée d'Orsay where there were no queues at all and Peter and I met up and enjoyed the exhibition in relative comfort!  But the day had not yet ended...we took a taxi to another of our favourite restaurants, Le Buisson Ardent, and had a smashing time.  Literally!   We were shown to our table and in taking off my jacket I swept a large wine glass to the floor.   We beat a retreat to another table on the other side of the room and after we had sat down, the waiter knocked over the menu and sent another shower of glass everywhere!  Things quietened down after that and we had a great meal.

Peter's starter

My main - lamb shank - no foam!

Peter's main course - beef and more foam!

On Friday - energy levels having dropped slightly as a result of much walking around in the sunshine in winter clothes and several bottles of wine and ascents of the six flights to the studio - we made a lazy start.  We packed up, left our bags in the apartment and went to the Jardin de Luxembourg where we sat and soaked up the sunshine before wandering in search of lunch.  We chose a little bistro with red checked table cloths and ordered the salad of the day which turned out to be a very elegant concoction of fish mouse, celeriac remoulade and langoustine foam with a balsamic drizzle!!!  It was quite unexpected and quite delicious.    Again, in my excitement, I have taken a fuzzy photo.  The bistro was called Jo and is on Fleurus next to the Jardin de Luxembourg and is highly recommended.

Lunch

From lunch to an exhibition of Gustav Klimt and the Vienna Secession - glorious and curious Klimt's and some interesting furniture and an historical overview of the art of the period.  I particularly like the jewelry of the Wiener Werkstatte but there were only 4 examples, though they were lovely.

Klimt

Josef Hoffman

Josef Hoffman

And then back to the flat to collect the cases and off to the Gare du Nord and dinner at the old fashioned brasserie opposite and then back to London. 

Another year...another birthday party!

Where does the time go? Fortunately we have great friends who make great food and like to talk, so a good evening is always guaranteed.

Pot luck supper

Prosecco and olives

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Roasted red peppers filled with cherry tomatoes and anchovy (Annie)

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Chicken in zaatar with sumac and lemon (Ruth)

Lentils, rice and crispy onion (Ruth)

Sprout flowers with pomegranate seeds (Gill)

Baked aubergine (Gill)

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Cheese (Fanny) and green salad (Diana and Chris)

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Halva ice cream, fruit salad and chocolate sauce (Keith and Nicky)

Lemon cheesecake (Ros)

Upton House and Barney Adler

Reminders of the war time experiences of my mother and father flooded back yesterday on our visit to Upton House near Banbury in Oxfordshire. 

Upton House was where my father spent time during the war when the bank at which he worked was evacuated to the country house of the owner, Viscount Bearsted.  Upton House now belongs to the National Trust and they decided to recreate the house to depict this period in its history, when the owners moved out, the best pictures went into store in the Welsh mines and the house was turned into a bank. 

We visited Upton House about 3 years ago and left information about this war time period, as did the offspring of one of the other bank employees.  I provided them with an extract from my father's memoires and photographs, around which they have built the exhibition and reconstruction.    It was a strange experience to go round the house and see my photographs of my parents and see my father's words in print.

My father would have been mightily amused that Peter and I were invited to a champagne reception for the opening of the exhibition, along with the current Lord Bearsted, and all the guides knew the name of Barney Adler.  The guides and the staff were so enthusiastic.  They have clearly had a great deal of fun recreating the war time atmosphere, the graphics and the props - even down to some beautiful 40s clothes in the wardrobe and a knitted swimming costume. 

In the pub for lunch on our way to Upton House

At the entrance to the grounds on a cold and windy day

Upton House

Waiting in the kitchen for the others to arrive

The three themes of the exhibition

Great war time graphics

A framed picture of my father

In the kitchen

With the oral history volunteer (c) and the Director of the National Trust (r)

With Ann Thomas who has been corresponding with me

My father wrote about rook pie and so they created one!

Dad's words

The pie

My father's 'desk'.  Mr H Bluglass's son was also there and remembered 'Uncle Barney'

My father's boots!!

My father's bed with his 'diary' and a photo of my mother on the bedside table

Not actually his writing, but his words, approximately!

My father's 'diary'

The bedside table with my mother's photo

Standing by my father's bed

The slide show at the end of the tour

A star!

More or less true!

More star billing!

My father on page three of the brochure.  He's 3rd from the left with the walking stick.