A Crazy Amount of Traveling: Part I
Am again overdue for a spot of blogging ... wonder if there are any readers still out there? Since the blog also sort of doubles travel diary, even if no one (except maybe Cat, Reen and my sis) reads this, then I figure it is still worth the effort.
Just came back from a very brief work trip to Luxembourg - flew out yesterday morning at 8am! - and am finally spending a evening at home, which I can devote to some serious blogging catchup.
Rest of my birthday weekend (Sat 22nd and Sun 23rd)
Where the story left off, had to dash to prepare for my planned birthday picnic in Hyde Park (yes, I know that was almost exactly 2 months ago!). Unfortunately, about an hour before everyone was scheduled to arrive ... it started raining. *sigh* The best laid plans ...
So we ended up moving the party indoors. On the plus side, we didn't have to consider how to transfer all this food to the park ...
On the negative side, despite my efforts to recreate a picnic atmosphere (note picnic blanket on carpet), we couldn't play many of the planned party games. Though, I think indoors pass-the-parcel, whilst not having quite have the same effect, was still fun, especially when we also started passing around the vodka soaked watermelon to be eaten and empty shooter glasses to be filled with alcohol and drunk, when the music stopped.
After the "picnic" we headed off for a spot of karaoke. I booked a private room for the 13 of us still remaining. It was great fun with pretty much everyone joining in the singing (even the ... "I don't do Karaoke" ones).
The day after ... Sunday... quite proud my my clever converting of leftovers into omlette and bruschetta.
Then went to Camden markets for what was supposed to be a spot of pottery painting, but ended up having my wallet picked from my handbag whilst wandering around the quite crowded markets. Needless to say, this put a bit of a damper on my mood and what was otherwise and excellent birthday weekend. I really should have been more careful, but I think I had gotten a bit complacent after having lived in London for almost a year without incident.
Sipping Champagne ... In Champagne! (28th - 30th July)
Sonia's Birthday weekend in Champagne in honour of her 30th birthday.
We stayed at the Chateau D'Etoges, which was lovely. What it lacked in modern amenities, it more than made up for in character. I mean, how often can you say you've stayed in a honest-to-goodness-built-in-the-start-17th-century-moat-surrounded Chateau!
Left on Friday (early!) and after dropping off our things at the Chateau, went on to visit various Champagne houses in the region for cellar tours and tastings before returning to the Chateau for dinner. Saturday consisted of pretty much more of the same ... cellar tours and a quick walk around Reims (biggest town in the Champagne area) and, of course, ate more food. The dinners at the Chateau were great, not only were we served good French food (especially the gastronomic dinner), but it was also meant that the short walk across the courtyard to dinner meant that we could all wear not-sensible shoes without killing our feet (a rarity in London where you have to catch public transport everywhere unless you want to spend a fortune on black cabs).
Sunday consisted of one final cellar tour before heading to London where we managed to squeeze in Vietnamese for lunch before catching the Eurostar back to London.
Over the two and a half days, thanks to Sonia's forward planning / booking and general all round organisational skills, we managed to visit: Mumms (the make that huge bottle of champagne that gets showered over everyone at the F1), Veuve Cliquot, Moet & Chandon, Pommery, and Piper Heidsieck.
Am now an expert on the making of Champagne, from the three varieties of grapes used, the villages (cru's) that they come from, the fermentation process, disgorgement, riddling, the advantages of chalky soils etc. The Piper Heidsick tour was most fun (you go for a ride around the cellars in a big white "teacup"), whilst the Moet & Chandon was the most interesting and informative.
Right - should go to bed now, lots more to write about though, including trips to Edinburgh (for the Ed Festival / Fringe Festival), Stockholm, Bro's trip to London (including 9 days in Italy, day trip to Cotswolds and yummy food eating!)
Just came back from a very brief work trip to Luxembourg - flew out yesterday morning at 8am! - and am finally spending a evening at home, which I can devote to some serious blogging catchup.
Rest of my birthday weekend (Sat 22nd and Sun 23rd)
Where the story left off, had to dash to prepare for my planned birthday picnic in Hyde Park (yes, I know that was almost exactly 2 months ago!). Unfortunately, about an hour before everyone was scheduled to arrive ... it started raining. *sigh* The best laid plans ...
So we ended up moving the party indoors. On the plus side, we didn't have to consider how to transfer all this food to the park ...
On the negative side, despite my efforts to recreate a picnic atmosphere (note picnic blanket on carpet), we couldn't play many of the planned party games. Though, I think indoors pass-the-parcel, whilst not having quite have the same effect, was still fun, especially when we also started passing around the vodka soaked watermelon to be eaten and empty shooter glasses to be filled with alcohol and drunk, when the music stopped.
After the "picnic" we headed off for a spot of karaoke. I booked a private room for the 13 of us still remaining. It was great fun with pretty much everyone joining in the singing (even the ... "I don't do Karaoke" ones).
The day after ... Sunday... quite proud my my clever converting of leftovers into omlette and bruschetta.
Then went to Camden markets for what was supposed to be a spot of pottery painting, but ended up having my wallet picked from my handbag whilst wandering around the quite crowded markets. Needless to say, this put a bit of a damper on my mood and what was otherwise and excellent birthday weekend. I really should have been more careful, but I think I had gotten a bit complacent after having lived in London for almost a year without incident.
Sipping Champagne ... In Champagne! (28th - 30th July)
Sonia's Birthday weekend in Champagne in honour of her 30th birthday.
We stayed at the Chateau D'Etoges, which was lovely. What it lacked in modern amenities, it more than made up for in character. I mean, how often can you say you've stayed in a honest-to-goodness-built-in-the-start-17th-century-moat-surrounded Chateau!
Left on Friday (early!) and after dropping off our things at the Chateau, went on to visit various Champagne houses in the region for cellar tours and tastings before returning to the Chateau for dinner. Saturday consisted of pretty much more of the same ... cellar tours and a quick walk around Reims (biggest town in the Champagne area) and, of course, ate more food. The dinners at the Chateau were great, not only were we served good French food (especially the gastronomic dinner), but it was also meant that the short walk across the courtyard to dinner meant that we could all wear not-sensible shoes without killing our feet (a rarity in London where you have to catch public transport everywhere unless you want to spend a fortune on black cabs).
Sunday consisted of one final cellar tour before heading to London where we managed to squeeze in Vietnamese for lunch before catching the Eurostar back to London.
Over the two and a half days, thanks to Sonia's forward planning / booking and general all round organisational skills, we managed to visit: Mumms (the make that huge bottle of champagne that gets showered over everyone at the F1), Veuve Cliquot, Moet & Chandon, Pommery, and Piper Heidsieck.
Am now an expert on the making of Champagne, from the three varieties of grapes used, the villages (cru's) that they come from, the fermentation process, disgorgement, riddling, the advantages of chalky soils etc. The Piper Heidsick tour was most fun (you go for a ride around the cellars in a big white "teacup"), whilst the Moet & Chandon was the most interesting and informative.
Right - should go to bed now, lots more to write about though, including trips to Edinburgh (for the Ed Festival / Fringe Festival), Stockholm, Bro's trip to London (including 9 days in Italy, day trip to Cotswolds and yummy food eating!)
posted by linh at 22:32
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