#28 - End of Part 1 (or ARRGGHHHH!!!)

I have been getting gentle nudges by various people that I haven't posted anything in a while.  When you see the length of this post you will see why, but keep reading to see what has benn happening for the past two weeks or so.  Also, the formatting is not straightforward and since I can't actually program in HTML, it has taken me a really long time.  It's not perfect or even close, but I can't be bothered to mess around with it anymore because I have been fighting the urge to throw my computer across the room, hence the arrgghh!!! in the title.

Finishing Basic
Basic Cuisine and Patisserie are finally over and I have passed both.  The cuisine was a narrow escape though (see last post as to why).  Found out today about patisserie - not the breakdown of the marks because I was on a plane back to London from Rome, but Chef MH kindly took out the time to hand me the letter with my exam results before he had to dash for tastings.

Lead up to basic patisserie exam
There was a frantic burst of activity in preparation for the patisserie exam. Since there was no way of knowing which one of the three possible dishes we were going to get on exam day, I did a run through of each one at least once. The lemon tart ended up going to my neighbors downstairs the day after I gave them some eclairs and swans. Lucky timing, they had guests over when I was looking for a home for the tart.  As you can see from the photos, the kitchen was a bit of a shambles after I cooked.  Limited space and utensils means you have to make do and cleaning takes a lot of time when you are trying to get sticky, sugary, buttery things off bowls and wisks.  There was a brief moment of rejoicing when I saw that my choux pastry had choux'ed for the first time.  It's not as evident on the eclairs but my puffy swans made me do a little happy dance.  Of course I cut them a bit crooked and they don't really resemble what I had in my mind, but they weren't a bad approximation.

The genoise went to the nice people at the glasses store down on the High Street along with quite a few petit fours. Other petit fours and truffles went to people at the Turkish restaurant down the street (they give me nice bread to have with my beans on toast, although I don't tell them that's what it's for!) and to Rufus and the 2 Michaels at the Art Shop. I packed a few extra white truffles separately in case either of the Michaels was inclined to share - I couldn't eat any because our chef made us put alcohol in all the truffles.

There was a moment of panic on Sunday late afternoon when I realized that I didn't know how to do the edges of a St Honore piped meringue...so I did one version (which went to the neighbors) then I did another run just on foil over the tart ring.  It gives you an idea but because the meringe was just sitting there for a little while, it kind of went soft and collapsed.  Anyway - note to self:  don't decide on a new design the night before the exam!

Exam cake
On Monday morning, the tag I picked out said "genoise".  The buttercream frosting, which usually goes without a hitch...well, I had some issues with the frosting.  I did manage to finish on time however, and even get a photo of the cake.  The design leaves something to be desired, but I am hoping inspiration will become a good friend rather than a distant acquaintance.

Intermission 1 - Rome
Then, my reward for making it through - Rome!  I was on a plane that afternoon, having taken up my friend JB's invitation to use his hotel as a base for exploration.  He has been posted to Rome for the past 9 weeks or so and was coming to the end of his project.  So off I went - 2 full days to wander.  Let me just say now - I had a list which grew and grew.  Most things were crossed off, but I had to start a list for the next time I go back, because return I must!

We went out to dinner the first night near Piazza Navona - an opportunity used to show me how to get into the city from the hotel, a tiny bit of sightseeing for me and one for him to go somewhere and not have it be a work dinner.

Eggplant surprise

Chicken surprise

Neither of us speaks Italian, but we could make some guesses, so dinner was an adventure all around. For instance, I figured he had ordered aubergine/eggplant of some description (looked like parmegiana to me) but who knows? And my chicken surprise was delicious.
 

Broccoli surprise

I also ordered some broccoli.  It was kind of, but not, broccoli.  Still yummy, a bit more...it's kind of hard to describe, but it had that featheriness I associate with ferns.  Also some kind of mystery chunky bits which looked like sausages, but without the casings.  I tried it but it wasn't my favorite part of the dish, although I think we finished most of the so-called broccoli, we left behind the not-sausage.

Things started to blur together, but I pretty much walked about 10 hours a day.  Asking what my favorite part of the trip was would be completely futile - there were times when I didn't know where I was and I have to admit that only some of those times were on purpose.  The rest of the time I had a vague idea or absolutely none at all.  For instance, I walked up and down a few hills and across the floors of a large not-quite-flat area looking for the Fora Romana, only to find out I had been criss-crossing it while looking for it.  (Where is it, I don't want to go to the Colisseum until I've seen it...Um, you were walking on it.)

Have found out that I can (kind of) find things on maps.  It's actually somewhat easier to find my way around Rome, despite the language barrier, than in London.  Also, reports of sleazy men have either been grossly exaggerated (not likely) or I have been so absolutely clueless that I have gotten by on the kindness of strangers (much more likely).  In any event, I only saw the gallantry in Rome and lots of friendliness from those whom I took to be natives.  Possibly they were also taking pity on the person who had her nose buried in the Lonely Planet and didn't realize the train had come to the end of the line...

So - what's there to say about Rome that hasn't already been said and with so much more eloquence?  It is a very walker friendly city.  On Tuesday I spent most of the day around the Vatican area - the usual sights (Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St Peter's basilica and the Piazza, the Castel Sant'Angelo and the Ponte) and surrounding side streets.  They were starting to look pretty familiar because I hadn't planned out my route in detail so I would stop in a coffee shop for a coffee while planning the next bit.  I took so many photos that I will have to prune them down - a brutal and painful process as they may bore you readers to tears.  Or at least wondering if I took a photo of the same church several times and told you they are all different...

Italian driving?

I began Tuesday by wandering over to the Vatican via the banks of the Tiber.  There is some kind of festival on at the moment with tents set up along the bank which goes past the Vatican, although not that far up.  It comes alive at night with lights strung up and people crowding the tables under the umbrellas.  During the day it is quiet and the only people down there were those exercising or the workers putting the tents and platforms together.

It was quiet walking along the banks - the traffic noise was still there but muted.  The only drawback was the olfactory evidence that the staircases connecting the streets to the quays are being used as convenient places for (I assume) men to pee.  To be expected I suppose, but not one of the pleasanter experiences.

Eventually I made it to the Vatican, having asked directions when I lost sight of the dome while walking.  I approached it from a side street - I think I went past another church - something with Bambino in the name - and then kind of stumbled into the beginning of St Peter's Square.  It is currently dominated by an enormous poster or picture or whatever of Pope John Paul II - they are celebrating his beatification.  I followed the walls of the Vatican around until I found the road to the entrance, then went in search of coffee to fortify myself for the coming day.

No introduction needed

A very nice and helpful man named Francesco helped me at the Vatican ticket office because I wanted to change from an admission ticket to a guided tour.  Unfortunately the Raphael rooms were all closed that day as they were setting up for an exhibition.  He said I should come back the next morning at 9am, but I was already there.  Some of the photos are very blurry because of the low lighting (no flashes allowed in the tapestry room) and/or because I had to be surreptitious (not supposed to take pictures in the Sistine Chapel because of the flashes, but I covered all lights and turned off the flash).  The tour itself is about 3 hours long and we had a wonderful guide named Christine who also told us that it was worth going up to the dome of St Peter (the line wasn't that long at that point) and the details of how to do so.  I took so many photos that my camera ran out of battery and the rest of that day was taken on my phone, hence some of the shots not being great photo quality.

Some of the gardens...

A kissable ass

Seal of Leo XIII, Royal Staircase down to St Peter's Square and St Peter's Square (view from the steps to the Basilica)

 

Pope's apartments (left) and the Pope's Balcony (right) from which he gives his first address after being elected

Inside the Basilica - the main dome (a dove in the golden stained glass in the back), St Peter's crypt and Michaelangelo's Pieta

As much as I wanted to go up to the dome, I had to get to the Castel Sant'Angelo and it was already about 5pm. Museums seemed to close around the 7:30 mark and I wasn't sure how long it would take, so I walked through the Borgo. A brief rain shower passed over during my walk - I walked through it, enjoying the cold drops after a hot day of walking and arrived a little damp, at the Castel. I looked up the boulevard and got the effect of all the pillars leading into the Piazza and the dome of the basilica rising up behind it as the darker rainclouds parted and the sun started to shine through once more.

I walked into the Castel up an elliptical spiral ramp, finding it difficult to believe that some of those stones went back to the time of Hadrian. There was the inevitable flash of amusement that in the US and Australia, our "old" buildings might be about 300 years old, if that. Here, the more recent buildings tend to be about 500 - 600 years old. In any event, I could smell the same damp stone smell which permeates any old building I've been into and feel the cool air circulating down from the windows further up.

The Castel actually takes a good bit of time to get through and there were several exhibits - things the Italian government found or reacquired - which are housed in several rooms off the Courtyard of the Angel. I walked through the Pope's apartments and took a photo of the basilica through the windows, since pictures of some the rooms were forbidden and eagle eyed guards were on station in each room.

Tosca's terrace?

One of many ceiling frescoes

The bar/cafe

A couple of hours and lots of photos later, I walked across the Ponte Sant'Angelo and started to wander.  I wasn't ever lost because I had a good idea of where the Tiber was, but I just walked down whichever little alleyway and sidestreet took my fancy.  I found the Piazza Farnese with a couple of musicians playing away (a saxaphone and an electric guitar), past flower stalls, down a few more tiny streets (found a birthday present for one of the girls in my class), went to a local grocery store (!) and then crossed over the Ponte Sisto into the Trestavere where I repeated the process, eventually ending up on the tram which would take me to the train station and back to the hotel.

In which I saw some sights by accident
The lines at the Vatican on Wednesday morning weren't long, but I had a lot more on my list of things to see so I turned around and got onto the subway to Barberini. I emerged by Triton's Fountain (Bernini? I've lost track) and wandered around with the vague notion that I might go visit the Trevi Fountain. The hords of tourists following their guides like a mass gaggle of ducklings quickly discouraged me and I ducked into a cafe/restaurant for a coffee and to plan an alternative. Up on the hill behind me I saw some trees and consulted my map: excellent, the Palazzo Barberini it was.

The Palazzo Barberini houses a lot of antique art, some of it quite famous (i.e. Holbein's best known portrait of Henry VIII). The building itself was amazing - two rival staircases (Bernini, which we could use and Boromini? which wasn't open for use), high ceilings, frescoes, marble columns in the marble room, etc. etc.

It takes you chronologically in the development of art with some icons and works going back to the 10th or 11th centuries. I have to say that my eyes were starting to feel overwhelmed by the time I hit the 20th room or so and I found the mannerist paintings as dampening as ever - all those green tinges in the faces, the anguished expressions, the elongated proportions which made everything look deformed...and didn't quite recover again until I got to the Caravaggios and those inspired by him.

The frescoes on the ceilings were all amazing but I still have a crick in my neck from spending so much time looking up. I feel like they should have a conveyor belt that you can lean back in, with a pillow to support your head. Or I could have done what one of the women was doing - pointed the mirror of a compact at the ceiling and looked at it that way. Of course that would require a compact...

I had to plan my next move and I was starting to fade, so I ducked back into the restaurant where I had had my morning coffee.  The restaurant's name:  That's Amore!  Lots of photos of movie stars (I didn't get a good look but it looked like Katharine Hepburn?  Anyway, that vintage of beautiful looks, immaculate hair and makeup and high fashion...)  Lunch was a rigatoni arrabiata and boiled (urgh) broccoli.  The pasta was delicious, the broccoli uninspiring.  They are apparently known for their alfredo sauce, but I couldn't face cream and butter, knowing I had an afternoon of walking ahead and it was hot.

Lunch finished, along with the discussion with the man at the next table about Kuwait (he thought I said I was from Kuwait, not Hawaii), I decided to bypass the Trevi Fountain altogether and head out for the Colosseum.  I walked down a few laneways, one of them with the inauspicious name of Via Lavatore (really - there are restaurants there!) and I came across so many people that I had to squeeze myself through the little gaps.  Apparently I had arrived at the Trevi Fountain, but given the numbers of people there, I confess I only gave it a cursory glance (oh look, another white marble fountain with way too many people around it!) before heading on my way.

I eventually found my way to what I assume to be the Piazza Venezia - with the requisite monument and zillions of cars driving around.  I took the advice for crossing the streets - you make eye contact with the driver so that you know they saw you, then you walk into the street.  Lights are helpful, but guidelines only, as are crosswalks.

There was a church that took my fancy, so I walked in - The Church of St Mary something-or-other is how the translation worked in my head.  I made a small donation - US dollars because I wasn't sure if I would need all my Euros later - but they were restoring the church and I saw some weeds growing up by the dome (see the photo).  It may be too small to see in this picture.

Then it was on to a small trianglular planted section which ran down to the Via Fora Imperiali (or something like that).  Sorry - I don't have my map in front of me so these names are what I remember in my pastry addled brain.

There were some impressive ruins which looked remarkably well preserved, given their age.  I was on my way to the Colosseum, which I could see down the street but obviously still fairly distant.

I marched with purpose towards the Colosseum, until I saw this on my right.  Of course I had to go investigate and see what it was.  Luckily it encompassed the other items on my list:  up to Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum and I could buy a ticket which also included admission to the Colosseum, for which I was grateful later when I saw the line to get tickets.

The first thing I saw was the Temple of Romulus.  I can't remember the entire blurb about it (or much at all), but I thought, this is where it started.  Remus didn't have a temple, so I wonder if he has spent eternity squabbling with his twin.  As you can see, this sign is quite clear, so do you blame me for looking for something similar when I was looking for the Forum?

A few other things I saw in Ancient Rome:

A hut of some kind



Temple of Vestals -
View from Farnese Gardens

Path to the Farnese Gardens

Please point to the forum...

I eventually wended my way back to the Pantheon so that I could have a look at the interior. I hadn't realized until I got to the doors that it is now a church, although I wonder if they still conduct services there. One of the things that I had no idea about, but which I was grateful to have found, was Raphael's tomb. The inscription said something along the lines of Nature having been jealous of his art. The single red rose was a nice touch.

It was by now time for dinner, signalled by everyone being booted out of the Pantheon as it was closing for the evening.  I ended up going to a restaurant whose name I can't remember at the moment (but it's mentioned in the Lonely Planet).

Rome is a place where almost everyone is stylish.  I was a little ashamed to walk into this cute little restaurant (apparently politicians occasionally get dinner here) in sneakers and slightly dusty jeans but it was too far to go back to the hotel and then out to dinner.  Also, my feet hurt and I wanted to sit down.

I ended up pigging out a little - it was my last night in Rome and I had been walking for two solid days.  Being only one, I sat near a small window that looked into the kitchen.  They eat a lot later in Rome, so I was the only one there at 7:30pm.  Another couple (American) meandered in around 8pm or so and the place started to fill up around 9pm. 

But - back to the important bit - the food.  There was a bresaola, which I love because it's like prosciutto but it's beef instead.  Then I had the house special pasta - fresh pasta with fresh spring vegetables.  All I can say is that the pasta was absolutely amazing - possibly the best I've ever had.  I also ordered some vegetables on the side - it was a relief to be able to eat lots of vegetables and I knew I wouldn't be able to actually eat what they consider a secondi - especially without any help.  How could you possibly not love all this green?  Dessert was a forgettable and too-sweet chestnut semifreddo - it's like ice-cream and I thought I would give it a whirl.

I made it back to London in time to confirm I had passed Patisserie (yay!) and to do a little laundry before preparing for New York.

Intermission #2 - New York
So getting to Heathrow was no problem but there was one little issue.  For the first time I flew American Airlines and my ticket didn't say what terminal to go to.  Luckily a gentleman on the train checked and told me to get off at Terminal 3.

Having packed my rolly with everything I needed (including some space for shopping!) I eventually got on the plane and we headed towards JFK.  The trip was fine (I pretty much passed out as soon as we took off) until we got to JFK.  A thunderstorm reaching from New York to Boston had rolled in and we had to fly in a holding pattern for about 20 minutes or so.  Then an announcement was made that JFK was closed indefinitely and we needed to go to Dulles (Washington DC) to refuel.

I looked out the window when we had parked on the Tarmac at Dulles - there was a line of planes.  Dulles, apparently, is not equipped to provide aid to quite so many plans and refuelling took a while, although we were at the beginning of the line so we were finished relatively quickly.  However, there was the issue of JFK not yet having reopened.  Between JFK and the air traffic controllers and the number of flights which had been diverted, we didn't land in NY until 11:30pm.  This is why I don't check bags if at all possible.

I ended up on YE's doorstep close to 1am on Saturday morning - about 8 hours after I was supposed to have arrived.  She had been anxious - small blame to her.  I had switched SIM cards on the plane so she had texted the card which I wasn't using.  I hadn't been able to email because we weren't allowed to turn on our laptops while in the plane and I don't have an iphone / Blackberry / whatever other phone you use to get email.

Despite the inauspicious start to my trip, we had a few minutes of girl talk and then went to sleep. We had all Saturday to have girly time, which began with brunch in SoHo. We went to l'Ecole, the restaurant attached to the French Culinary Institute - which is also the one where I used to look in the windows when I thought about cooking school more years ago than I care to admit. Let's just say it was a long time ago. So - the pictures:

Yummy breadbasket

Gazpacho

French Onion Soup

Moules Frites

Burger with Ratatouille                      Creme Brulee 





After the creme brulee (which was for research, as was the French Onion soup, the mussels and the ratatouille and salad), YE and I were both struggling. We ended up drinking coffee - lots and lots of coffee. It was a warm day in New York but we were comfortably ensconced in the air conditioning while we drank down the coffee. I daresay we ate more at brunch than what either of us eat for a normal breakfast or lunch. We needed to be fortified for the next item on the agenda - shopping in SoHo.

I had a short list so we started across Broadway and gradually worked our way uptown. I picked up some little things for classmates at LCB and a pretty dress at a store which I had previously only seen in Honolulu at Ala Moana. White House / Black Market - is a lot more expensive in NY. Anyway, several hours and lots of walking later, we ended up at Bouchon cafe in the Time Warner building. Each of us had plans to meet up with our respective friends later that evening around mid-town, hence the jaunt up to Columbus Circle. Anyway - it was time for a snack (for me) and coffee (for YE). Then it was time for YE to go meet her friend while I popped into Borders to browse for books while waiting to meet KC.

KC and her son JC, whom I hadn't yet met, arrived soon after. Unfortunately KC's husband was unable to meet us as he had a work thing which didn't finish on time. It wasn't a problem as we had a lot to catch up on and I was enjoying getting to know little JC. He's absolutely adorable, very well behaved and a total and complete ham. He is very good at saying "cheese!" every time a camera is pointed in his direction. We went to dinner at a little place I used to love when I was in college - JC charmed the couple at the next table as well as all of the restaurant staff.

 

On Sunday we had another girls' day - lucky for me both LC and YE are foodies. I didn't have an idea of where I wanted to go and we all had a rather late start. The girls chose a ramen place called Ippudo. I'd never heard of it but my LCB friends were also in agreement that this was the place to go - of course I found out about their opinions only after the fact, not that it mattered. They each had favorites so we just dived in.

We ended up going to the movies, which I haven't done in quite a while (saw X-Men: First Class - um, but why doesn't Magneto have an English accent in this one?), did more necessity shopping (finally found my strappy sandals) and went to dinner in K-town. No photos, but I'm not sure I want further evidence of gluttony. LC then went home uptown and YE and I walked to the Lower East Side. We stopped by Eataly on the way (somehow affiliated with Mario Batali) and I bought some interesting looking salts. Not sure what to do with them yet, but I don't think salt really spoils.

I saw MD on Monday - whom I haven't seen in years, like so many of my friends in NY. We caught up for a quick lunch, but he had to run as he was flying to India that night. In the meantime, I went to a Barnes & Noble somewhere in the 80's (82nd and Broadway?), had an early-ish dinner and went back to YE's place for a quiet night in. I had a full Tuesday planned before flying back to London for graduation from Basic. Got a message from YE after she finished work (last minute work thing so she had dinner there) and we went for dessert at some place called Chicalicious. So picture:

Warm apple crumble, NY cheesecake, red velvet cupcake (cream cheese frosting) hot tea for YE, ice tea for me - really yummy.

I don't have any photos from my last day in NY, but I managed to catch up with a dear friend from way back in the day - KF, who is building quite the empire. We had a good catch up over many things and I got to see a part of NY I've never seen before - Harlem. It has been cleaned up to the point where I hardly recognize it. We had a light lunch but lingered over our coffee/tea until it got too hot, despite the umbrella. We went to a place called Red Rooster (which isn't the fast food chain) http://redroosterharlem.com- the service was excellent and our waiter was really sweet. We had order envy when we saw what they had at the next table. I've forgotten what it is, but I'll know it when I see it on the menu!

There was also a frantic last minute dash to Barnard to see my academic advisor from student days. Unfortunately it's very hard to get a taxi in Harlem at 4.30 in the afternoon and I was very, very late. We both had to go, he was catching a ride from someone and I had a plane to catch, so it was unfortunately quite a short meeting. Hopefully next time I will manage to plan better.

Finally got back to London on Wednesday morning, a bit delayed on the ground because there was a line for the planes to take off from JFK. Why there was a line, I have no idea - I kind of passed out on the plane. However, made friends with the very nice woman sitting next to me on the plane. MD and I have exchanged a couple of emails but she comes to London regularly so hopefully we will manage to catch up for coffee sometime in the next few months.

So until next time...rest and relaxation!