Photo diary: Project 365, week 15

 Eventful, that's how I would describe the past week.

In the last couple of years we have enjoyed short holidays in Paris several times. My husband has been working in Paris these couple of  years, and rents a teeny tiny apartment in the Marais. 

I was a very impressionable 25-year-old when I visited Paris for the first time, romantically inclined to see everything through the rose-tinted glasses. 

Fast forward thirty years, my idealistic views have changed, perhaps not entirely, as now I'm discovering it through the eyes of my boys. 

Sasha loves travelling by train, and he keeps showing me his social story about our trip to Paris (many thanks to his disability team who created, printed out and laminated the story, Sasha absolutely loves it). He knows what he wants, yet he doesn't understand the costs, or how much planning it takes.

Sash was so happy when we got on the train, radiating joy and excitement.

We arrived to Paris in the evening, walking from the metro station to the apartment where we stayed.

While my husband and Sasha stayed in the apartment to relax after the trip, Eddie and I ventured out to buy something for dinner, and Eddie practiced his French, ordering a bao bun from the Chinese food vendor (my French is about Mr Bean's level, if you remember Mr Bean's holiday, well, maybe a tiny bit better).

We haven't had any particular plans in mind for Sunday. I was hoping to see Notre Dame at some point, but you cannot book a slot in advance, like I did with the exhibition tickets. They release slots on a daily basis, and you need to keep checking if there are any openings. The reservation slots are free. 

After a quick lunch at the cafe Beaubourg near the Centre Pompidou (five minutes walk from where we stay), we walked towards the Notre Dame to see if there was any chance of getting in without the reservation. The queue was endless, and we didn't bother. Sasha cannot do queueing.

It was a sunny day, and we decided to have a river cruise. We had to wait for twenty minutes, and goodness me, didn't Sasha let us know that he doesn't want to wait. My husband had to leave the queue and take him away. When it was time to get in, I made a quick call and asked if they were still around, and perhaps could join us.

Once on the boat, Sasha was as good as gold, smiling and enjoying the ride. 

It was warm, but not too hot, the sun was shining, the scenery was pretty amazing. I would have loved it much more, if not for the obnoxious Italian woman behind me. She must have been one of the so called influencers/TikTokers, totally oblivious how it might spoil the trip for anyone else, taking video of herself and shouting so loudly that I could hardly hear the guide.

The tour took about an hour, we reached the Eiffel Tower, and then travelled back. 

If you think of taking this tour, you can book tickets in advance, but then you still have to wait in the same crowd before getting on the boat. Tickets cost 17 euros per person. 

Later that day we popped into the Lego store, and admired the Eiffel Tower made of Lego bricks. I was surprised when Eddie asked me if I could get him a small Fortnite/Durr Burger set. 

I booked tickets for Artemisia Gentileschi exhibition at Jacquemart Andre Museum well in advance. She was an important artist in the Baroque, and a true hero, a survivor of rape, who showed a great strength of character. Her works are imbued with rage against male dominance and violence. A powerful exhibition.

Having a pause in one of the rooms at the museum... Can you spot my Hunger Games badge?

My husband has been promising to take me to see Ralph Lauren in St Germain. While there, I took a few photos and shared them with my family. My sister-in-law commented that we were very brave, venturing to the posh boutique store. I replied that we were not brave but brazen. The personnel looked at us with an air of superiority, however, I'm not easily intimidated. 

It's a beautiful house, more like a museum of fashion, with lots of portraits on the walls. 

I loved that suit on the standing mannequin. Such elegant lines. No idea how much it would cost, as they don't display the prices (so vulgar!) and we didn't ask. :)

From fashion to gastronomic pleasures. We had a hot chocolate at Cafe de Flore, apparently, this is one of the top three places in Paris to have a hot chocolate. It is one of the oldest coffeehouses in Paris, and has become iconic as it's associated with Sartre, Camus and Simone de Beauvoir.

Another day, another museum... Eddie and I had tickets to the Degenerate art in Musee Picasso. The term was coined by the Nazis to condemn the modern art. It is an educational exhibition, which makes you think about propaganda and distortion of reality. Topical, and sadly on point, as people are so easily led by all sorts of political agenda, and propaganda is rampant.

We also saw the permanent collection at the Museum. This portrait of Picasso's son is one of my favourites.

Bachir ice cream is all the rage at the moment. We passed by this Lebanese ice cream place a few times, and the queues are unbelievable. By pure chance, we happened to pass it one afternoon, when the queue was considerably shorter. Here is my happy child with the famous pistachio ice cream. It was so big, he struggled with it. It is tasty, but my advice, if you're not hungry, don't go for the grande version. 

More food pics, this is a very pretty avocado toast.

Every morning I checked the Notre Dame site, hoping to get a slot for our visit. When one of the slots became available on Wednesday afternoon, I couldn't believe my eyes. I quickly filled in the form, but by the time I finished, the slot was already gone. Drat. Back to the start of the page, and thankfully a later slot appeared. I booked us in as fas as I could.

For me, the visit to Notre Dame was the highlight of our trip. They've done an amazing job of restoring this historical place after the inferno. 

We moved slowly, and Sasha was very calm and thoughtful. For some reason he feels safe in churches, and loves visiting them. I lit two candles, asking whoever listens up above to be kind to my boys.

In the evening we had a short walk along the river, and talked about our short holiday. 

Sasha was super excited to go back home the next day. He was beaming, getting on the train. 

I was feeling a bit sad to say Good bye to Paris, but also glad to go back home to my comfortable bed. The sofa bed where we slept in the apartment is the most uncomfortable bed ever. Plus the lights outside keep going on and off all the night, like a blinking disco. 

On the train I had a beer, haven't tried Two Tribes brand before, and apparently Nomad is only available on Eurostar.

Friday was the day of unpacking, laundry, groceries and a bit of ink drawing. 

And now back to "normal"... 

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Spooky Halloween Cocktails

It's Halloween on Wednesday. Are you ready to party?

I will carve a pumpkin tomorrow, and might do some fun themed bakes for my boys, but otherwise we don't do much. We don't go trick or treating, as most of our neighbours are pensioners who would be chasing you with broomsticks if you dared knocking on their door for treats.

To get you in the festive mood, I have a few fabulous cocktail inspiration ideas for your delectation.

Quench a deadly thirst with a classic Dark and Stormy.
You will need 50ml Dark aged rum, 120ml Ginger beer, 5ml freshly squeezed lime juice and ice cubes.
I had a bottle of Supermalt Ginger beer, thanks to the latest Degustabox delivery, as well as a leaflet with three cocktail recipes. Dark and Stormy sounded like a great match for the season.
The rum I used in the cocktail is a spicy rum rather than dark, but it is still a tasty combination, albeit rather strong.

Royal Lancaster London is brewing some special magical potions this year in preparation for Halloween. If you dare, try Royal Lancaster London's cocktails specially created for this spooky season.
Following a mega £85 million renovation - or re-"vamp" - the hotel is thrilled to be serving these delicious and spooky cocktails.

Devil Daiquiri and Witch Margarita are priced at £15 and served in both Hyde Bar and Park Lounge Bar at the hotel. However, if you are not able to visit London at Halloween, you might want to recreate these colourful cocktails.

Devil Daiquiri
50g Bacardi rum
25ml lime juice
15ml orgeat syrup
5ml grenadine
4 blackberries

Devil Daiquiri : image credits - Royal Lancaster London

Witch Margarita
35ml Olmeca tequila
15ml Cointreau
25ml lime juice
3 blueberries
3 blackberries

Witch Margarita: image credits - Royal Lancaster London

And here are two more Halloween cocktail recipes created by Head Mixologist for Mothership Group, Chris McGovern.
Slayers Sour with blood orange was available at The Book Club for The Buffy The Vampire party.

Slayers Sour
2.5ml Grenadine for the rim
5ml Monin Ginger syrup
35 ml Lemon juice
15ml Grapefruit juice
15ml Solerno Blood Orange liqueur
35 ml Four Roses Whiskey
Method: Shake and strain
1. Dip the rim of the rocks glass in grenadine, leave there to drip down the glass whilst making cocktail.
2. Add all the ingredients to a Boston glass and shake.
3. Single strain over cubed ice in the rocks glass.

Image credits: MotherShip Team

Dr Frank N Further's Mai Poisen (which was available at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen on the left for Rocky Horror Disco Halloween Party) is another smashing spooky cocktail

Mai Poisen (Tropical Mai Tai)
35ml Orange juice
35ml Pineapple juice
5ml Orgeat Syrup
10ml Blue Curacao
15ml Lime juice
MInt sprig
35ml Appleton's Estate Signature Blend Rum
15ml Cointreau

Method : build
1. Fill rocks glass fully with ice.
2. Add Mint Sprig
3. Add Rum & Cointreau, then serve with the medicine bottle filled with a mixture of the above ingredients.

Image credits: MotherShip Team

Be brave - try something new this Halloween!

Image credits: MotherShip Team

The Alchemist, Oxford: visuals over substance

- What was the best part of dinner out?
- The smoke...

I don't often go out for dinner, but this week I'm celebrating my big fat birthday, and I've been looking for ideas online. I fancied trying something new and different, and having read Mary's from Over40AndMumtoOne blog review of The Alchemist, I thought it could be one of the possible options.
We were planning to go out with our 7-year-old son, when our elder son was staying overnight in the respite home. I showed Eddie the post with the photos and video and he was very enthusiastic about trying a cocktail for kids.

The Alchemist is situated on the roof floor of the newly rebuilt West Gate centre. The people behind the concept of The Alchemist proclaim they "dispense a bewitching blend of molecular mixology, innovative dining and a dash of our trademark theatrical presentation".
Bold and brave promises. But do they deliver?

We booked a table online for 6.15pm, as this was the only available option for an earlier dinner. We didn't want to eat out late, as it was a school night, and we still had to travel from Oxford.
By the time we arrived - the bus we planned to take never came, and the one which came later was very slow - we had max 5 minutes before our booked time, so we had no time to explore anything in West Gate centre.

We still had to wait a little bit before our table was ready. We looked at the snow storm against the dark sky, and were glad to be inside.

First impressions of The Alchemist? Too dark and too loud. I don't like having dinner, when you can hardly hear your friends over a din of music.
It was packed full, and looks like a busy place. If you are thinking of visiting it, I'd recommend booking in advance.

The design of menus was stylish, clever and quirky. The drinks menu is styled as the Mendeleev's periodic table.
There were some classic cocktails like Mojito, Daiquiri or Screwball, and there were cocktails with unconventional names like Barrel Aged Corpse Reviver, Bubblebath or Shrub a Dub Dub.

I have chosen their much-hyped Lightbulb Moment, which is a combination of Tanqueray gin, Pimms, ginger beer, raspberry, lemon and mint.

My husband opted for Lady Marmalade - a mix of Chase marmalade vodka, Belsazar Vermouth, bergamot, lemon, orange and grapefruit.

The presentation of cocktails was very impressive: they were served in chemical lab-style glassware (or in a lighbulb-shaped glass in my case), with dry ice.

Once you pour the drinks over ice, it looks pretty spectacular, with the smoke wafting over the table.

Regarding the taste, I'm on the fence. My cocktail tasted mostly of ginger beer, which at £9 felt like a rather pricey ginger beer, albeit a fortified one. It was OK, but nothing special.
The same could be said about all our cocktails: it was a case of visuals over substance.

Our friends had a drink called Mad Hatters Tea, it was a very strange concoction of vodka, Cointreau, elderflower, fresh fruit and veg (there was a sliced passion fruit, strawberry, cucumber) in a big glassware, set over fire. It looked cool, but there was not much of it, once all the smoke was gone.
As a piece of showmanship it was top marks.

Eddie was pleased with his cocktail for children, called Bubblygum (£4.85). He felt like a young Harry Potter doing his magic lesson, pouring drink over ice.
You cannot deny the theatrical aspect, it is well done. It's an entertainment for both grown-ups and children alike.

I think this might be the place to go for cocktails, when you want to impress someone you're dating.

The food was average. Again, nice presentation, but rather mediocre cooking skills.
For a starter I had vegetable gyozas with sweet chilli sauce. Other starters included Thai salmon fish cakes and Feta & pesto filo rolls.

Children can choose either a Bento box with fish fingers, mini burgers or chicken, fries, peas or beans and crudites or wraps.
Our starters were served, but poor Eddie was sitting without any food. I offered him gyozas, he had a bite but didn't like it. Why did they think it was a good idea to serve grown-ups first and then for a child to wait for his meal until the adults had mains?

I have chosen a Tandoori Seabass fillet with vegetables. Now, seabass is a tasty fish on its own, it does not need much of added flavours. The spices were a total overkill. All I could taste was spice, not fish.

Beetroot risotto looked not very appetising.

Eddie ate most of his Bento box. He loved the presentation, but said my burgers were better.

We could not fault the wine we had with our dinner - Rioja Blanco was beautiful.

The list of desserts is short: Pornstar posset with prosecco foam, Cinnamon waffles with vanilla ice cream, Baked lemon cheesecake, Chocolate fudge cake, Chocolate brownie and Sticky toffee pudding, all with vanilla ice cream.

I didn't fancy anything stodgy and asked for a bit of ice cream, which Eddie was happy to help me with.

Children's menu dessert choice was between a brownie and a lolly (those which you can buy a dozen for a pound in a Poundland shop).

I imagine in summer it is a great place to sit outside on the veranda and watch the town lights from above.
It was a fun experience, we loved meeting our friends and sampling novelty cocktails, but I don't think I would want to dine there again.
If you are curious about the total sum, we paid just over £158 (that's for 4 adults and a child).

When we were leaving, I asked Eddie, what was the best part of eating out at The Alchemist. He replied: the smoke. Out of the mouths of the babes...

Jerte Picota Infused Pimm's

After a few cooler days we are back to hot and humid again. Sigh. I'm not made for this weather, I'm a Northerner through and through. I could never live in the properly hot countries.
On hot summer days we drink lots of iced tea, both bought and homemade.
Ice cube trays are replenished daily.

Pimm's is the quintessential British summer drink. All the pubs in town have boards with offers of jugs of Pimm's. We don't often indulge in it. The last bottle of Pimm's I bought to use in a recipe, lasted me over 2 years. I added it to berry salads and fruit crumbles a little bit at a time, and still it took ages to shift it.
There are many variations of the Pimm's cocktail: some prefer to add borage instead of mint, some go for a ginger beer rather than lemonade or soda water.
Strawberries are lovely, but you can always swap them for another juicy berry or fruit.
Have you tried Pimm's with cherries?

Jerte Picota cherry is the perfect addition in a delicious glass of Pimm's.

Jerte Picota Infused Pimm's (recipe courtesy of Dialogue Agency)
Ingredients:
100ml Pimm's No.1
225g Jerte Picota cherries, pitted
200ml soda water or lemonade
2 sprigs fresh mint
2 slices of cucumber
fresh Jerte Picota cherries, to serve
ice, crushed
Method:
1.Place the cherries into a food processor until a smooth puree is produced.
2. Put the cherry puree, cucumber slices, 1 mint sprig and Pimm's in a jar and mix well.
3. Pour in the soda water/lemonade and add crushed ice, then gently stir
4. To serve, pour into glasses and garnish with fresh mint leaves and Jerte Picota cherries.
Enjoy this refreshing and tasty drink in time for summer!

About Jerte Picota P.D.O.
The Jerte Picota is not only unique because of its PDO status, but also because it's harvested without its stalk. Its shape, too, is unique, with the slight peak at the base prompting the name Picota or peaked.

I managed to find Picota cherries in Sainsbury's (currently at £1 per punnet). I know that the Co-Op used to sell them as well, but I couldn't find them there this year.

They are only available for six weeks per year, but their taste is worth the wait.
For more information, visit Picota.

If you cannot find Picota, or when the season is over, you can always swap them for British cherries.

I fancied trying the recipe, but didn't want to buy the whole bottle, so used a pre-mixed tin of Pimm's with lemonade, as you can see from the photos.

Of course, if you are entertaining, it makes sense to buy a big bottle and mix your own cocktails.

This is a lovely summer cocktail, with beautiful flavours all along.

Are you a fan of Pimm's?

Non-alcoholic Mocktail with Eisberg Rosé

There are plenty of reasons as to why you can't or won't drink anything alcoholic - you might be a designated driver, pregnant or a teetotal. Personally I'm not a big drinker, though I do enjoy a glass of good wine, champagne or a cocktail. I am also partial to a dash of alcohol in coffee.
It's absolutely fine to drink a bottle of coke or have a fizzy juice drink as an alternative to alcohol, but sometimes you feel like having something different. When most of the party goers are having fun, you might slightly resent having to drink a glass of lemonade.
If it's a glass of wine you are craving, having a non-alcoholic wine could be just the thing.
Eisberg non-alcoholic wine is produced in such a way that the alcohol content is completely removed from the wine, using the latest advanced techniques. The character and flavour of Eisberg wines are kept intact, but the alcohol is being removed.
Eisberg offers a selection of non-alcoholic wine like Chardonnay, Riesling, Rose and Cabernet Sauvingnon.
It is also perfect for those who are counting the calories. 100ml of rose, for example, contains just 26kcal.

We have recently tested an Eisberg Rosé. It is a fresh and fruity wine, with hints of strawberry and raspberry. It's big on flavour, and low on calories. It is lovely on its own, straight from the fridge, chilled.
It also serves as a lovely base for a cocktail.

Rose mocktail:
for two cocktails:
10 fresh blackberries
1tsp caster sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 red grapefruit
ice
non-alcoholic rose

Mash the blackberries with a fork, add a teaspoon of sugar. Add freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon and 1/2 red/pink grapefruit. Strain the liquid. Divide the blackberry lemon-grapefruit juice between two tall wine glasses. Add a couple of ice cubes to each glass, and top up with rose.


If you like the sound of this mocktail, I could direct you to the page of recipes of Cocktails Mocktails, using Eisberg wine (link removed as expired).

Disclosure: I received a bottle of Eisberg rose for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are my own.