Here Hare Here: That Was Then

Patsy and Edina go Shopping

Given that I was going to be out of the country a whole week, Nan took it upon herself to make sure no one went hungry. She roasted a turkey, and served it with cheese cauliflower, baked carrots, Brussels sprouts, a turnip casserole, corn, roast beets, mashed potatoes, gravy, and a regular stuffing as well as a rice stuffing. Homemade cranberry on the table with a spectacular November fruit plate. And for those with the room, a choice of either lemon meringue or pumpkin pie (or even brownies) whipped up for dessert.

Going Away Repast

Calm Before the Storm

Afters

Of course there is no picture of Nan and Pop, Brent and Jane, Robyn and Paul, Kyle, Emily, Tyler, Nikki, Shawn, Vivian, Stephen or myself. Or even Wilson or Kalli. Just the food. But the company was excellent nonetheless!

Monday was a beautiful November Vancouver day (oxymoron I know), perfect for Mr T and I to walk Stanley Park. Nan and Pop came by mid afternoon to drop me at YVR, where there was little to-do and check-in, embarkation, departure were fairly smooth. Dinner up front was a smoked salmon and green salad followed by a choice of cod, steak, ravioli or Cornish game hen. I took the latter, which came with a slew of quinoa and green beans. They had a pretty interesting Sardinian white on the cart as well as an uber-powerful California cab sauv which more or less did me in. Didn’t stick it out for dessert and got, for better or worse, a four hour nap, but the AC flat beds are a miracle of airborne space and privacy and I wouldn’t have even had that in the back. About an hour before arrival a continental breakfast (there was, also, an omelette with chicken sausages and potatoes of all things on offer) and we landed believe it or not forty minutes early and it took less than 10 minutes to get to the gate (take that YYZ), fast track check-in which, unlike two years ago, actually was fast track, express train to Paddington (yes, it really does go 15 miles in 15 minutes), cab to hotel (same price as the train...).

Checked into the swanky Sheraton which has the (enviable?) address of 1 Knightsbridge. It is, architecturally, an early form of what PC notoriously referred to as the carbuncles contaminating London. But the room is more than comfortable with a spectacular view towards Hyde Park and what was once the Hyde Park hotel now Mandarin Oriental. Harvey Nichols directly across (with its window dressings reminiscent of an Edina and Patsy shopping spree).

Mid afternoon met Simon at Caffe Caldesi, north of Selfridges on Marylebone Lane, although in my jetlagged state it felt like a very late supper. It had the air of the cafe in Amelie ("even artichokes have hearts" for those who cherish that sort of thing) save a little person at the bar. We had some decent bar food, red wine, and talked for about four hours. Afterward I saw Simon into a taxi, wandered down to Oxford St where it was still abuzz, checked out some windows, then tubed it back to SW1. Jetlagged and exhausted I had a thoroughly decent nine hour sleep.