the Pictures???

Oxford and the Cotswolds

Ahhh...the Cotswolds! I went on a tour with the AWC to explore the Thames Valley. We stopped in the picturesque village of Burford for lunch at a pub, walked by thatched cottages in Banbury, and toured the majestic colleges of Oxford University. All the arrangements were through "London Walks" and it was a great day! Who wants to go back with me in the spring?

The Spirit of Scotland

Easter in Edinburgh and it's snowing! It makes me wonder why in the world Scottish men decided that wool skirts and knee socks were the uniform for hearty weather. After touring the Scotch Whiskey Heritage Center and tasting a few samples, I know how they stayed warm. It was just a 4 hour train ride from London and beautiful countryside full of rolling green pastures and sheep. Edinburgh Castle is built on an extinct volcano and at the other end of the "Royal Mile" is the Palace of Holyroodhouse where the Queen stays when she visits. We had a fantastic experience dining at the Amber Restaurant, probably one of the better meals we have had in the UK..... smoked salmon soaked in whiskey with a thyme cream sauce for a starter but we didn't brave the traditional haggis, neeps, or tatties.

A personal chef ???

To some it may seem extravagant that I am taking advantage of my new friend's (health and fitness guru Jenni) personal chef but if you take into consideration that I am learning to prepare a meal I've never cooked, taking home the results for dinner, freezing one portion for another night, and socializing - hey, it's a lot cheaper than therapy and so far Rick has enjoyed the benefits! This week we prepared crab cakes and they were delich (as Rachael Ray would say). I learned several tricks. First we mixed the lump (and very pricey) crab meat with shallots, garlic, fresh tarragon, lite sour cream, lite mayo, lemon zest and lemon juice...always salt and pepper. Dan is also big on hot sauce. We formed the cakes, lightly coated them in whole wheat flour, dipped them in lightly whipped eggs, and then coated them in plain organic breadcrumbs. Dan likes to use the Japanese panko crumbs but couldn't find them. Handle the crab cakes with care tucking them into little patties. Now here is the secret, he fried them in hot grape seed oil. He usually uses olive oil for everything but grape seed oil has no taste and cooks at a very high temperature which makes it better for frying.....see that was worth the lesson, right?! He browned them in the oil and then baked them for about 10 minutes. We also made a mango salsa and a spicy sour cream dip to serve on the side. We always celebrate our success with a glass of wine and then I trudge back to our flat hoping that no one tries to mug me for my delicious smelling packages, "Here, take my purse instead!"

2008 Resolutions

Happy New Year! Actually I don't hear anybody saying that so it must be past the appropriate greeting period - it is the 7th already. Rick and I are disgusted (him more than me but I'm supportive!) with our "50+ year old, ate and drank too much over the holidays" bodies so we have resolved to get back into shape. That's a new one, huh? This weekend we wore our pedometers-a great Xmas gift from Haley!- everywhere we went, tracking our mileage, calories and steps. The funny thing about that is I took more steps and burned FEWER calories than Rick who walked the exact same distance. He says it's because he is carrying a heavier load (if you know what I mean!) and has a wider stride.....whatever, I am charting the same thing for both of us! Already the competition has begun! One of our walking trips lead us to my new tennis venue- it took us about 45 minutes with 2 train changes and a walk through the projects. I decided that I will email the list of tennis players and see if anyone else is making the journey by train.....maybe I will find that one Kennsington-Chelsea Women's Club member who has a driver....she'll be my new partner! We play every Tuesday and we don't start until 10 am, maybe lunch afterward, surely I can make it there and back before dark. If I wear my pedometer when I play I will be able to bank some mileage - this is going to be easier than I thought!

Here's a little diet hint I read in the Sunday Times; "If you are devoted to your white wine, you'll miss it at first, but stock up on Laurent-Perrier Ultra Brut champagne is my advice - practically carb-free (only 65 calories per glass), though not cheap. So use your brain - aforementioned toasties, for instance, should be a treat rather than a daily staple."

Off to Pilates....and then the wine store! Cheers!

Getting in the spirit....

So I made it back to London with my 2 red berry wreaths, 4 feet of garland, 2 real-looking evergreen candle wreaths, 1 reindeer kitchen rug, and no partridge in a pear tree....but I bet I can buy one at Harrods! As a matter of fact yesterday, I took a twilight walk - 3 PM- around the outside of Harrods and Harvey Nichols just to get in the spirit and see the beautiful holiday windows. Funny how the toys and children's delights are on the back side and the designer luxuries, including a gold Rolls Royce & Lamborghini are along the main street. What is that old saying about " a man and his toys"? Earlier in the day Lilla and I bonded over a frosted freezer and I brought up the newspaper article about our neighbor upstairs. She had her opinions but also told me that Robin's father (AKA scar-face) only had £100 thousand to give away....SF's step father is the "richest man in the world" (apparently NOT the Donald!) and his mother gives him an allowance. Something tells me it is more than we put in Haley's account every month!

Climb Every Mountain

Early morning fog at the Villa in Talla!


Guess what? The day after Sandi leaves the monsoon rains and wind hit! We had perfect weather the whole time she was here. Very good timing I'd say. I did make my way to the Royal Geographical Society for my first women's club meeting where I intended to be inspired by the guest speaker - the first British woman to climb Everest. A remarkable achievement of courage and determination....and I won't even ride my bike down a London street , or hop the train to Paris by myself! I wondered what drives a person, a woman, to know that those who have gone before her have died trying, to want to climb to the top of the world. She seemed so "normal", like someone you could easily get to know, casually talking about the potential of losing her eyesite to frostbite in seconds. When asked what "it" was, she simply said a "passion", that kind of passion that you can see in someones eyes when they talk about their dream. Now, I don't know if I have ever felt that kind of passion to accomplish anything grand in my life......maybe it is yet to come!