Trip of a Lifetime

Getting on to a cruise ship for the first time in my life filled my stomache with butterflies. Not because I thought I would suffer from seasickness, it was because I don’t remember being so excited. I had heard so much about the Seabourn and I knew I would be in for one of the most memorable experiences of my life. This is a smaller cruise ship and there were only 200 passengers, so it felt more like a large private yacht. Not only were we escorted to our rooms like VIPs, but there was champagne on ice just waiting to be uncorked.

This was a cruise which started in Singapore and then took in some small Indonesian Islands and ended up in Bali. It was supposed to be the rainy season, but miraculously we only had one horrid day of rain the whole 10 days of the cruise. The weather was so warm and after leaving freezing Florence, it was the most wonderful tonic. Talking of tonic, it is now time to mention the wonderful service that this ship offers. The drinks just keep on coming. The champagne just keeps on flowing. Every wish is your desire. I don’t think I have ever been pampered so much in my life.  This was an anniversary treat and after putting up with my DH for the past 25 years, I think I deserved it! Joking aside … not, what is life really all about? You work, you eat, you sleep, maybe go out here and there but travel really has to be the best investment for your leisure time. All the petty arguments over kids, house, Joey our cat, get left completely behind and the only major decision we have to make is which restaurant shall we eat in tonight, or shall we get off the boat today, or, shall we have Chardonnay or Chablis?

We visited some very interesting places, this temple amongst them where the monkeys just roamed wild.

It was hilarious watching them pick the fleas out of each other’s fur or cradling their babies just like humans.

The whole cruise thing was a wonderful experience for me and I certainly hope it won’t be my last. Roll on next year and Caribbean here I come!

Super shopping Sunday

I was surfing along the internet playing a little mental game … if I had 2000 dollars to spend today, what would I buy?  It didn’t take long for me to make up my mind, especially since Sunday is my get down and dirty cooking day.  I love sitting in bed planning out the days menu from start to finish and then again, as I sit sipping my homemade cafe latte,  I relish the opportunity to reorganize the menu and cooking program.  At the end of all pleasurable daydreaming, I can finally start rolling up my sleeves and get into the chopping, slicing, dicing, cleaning, grinding etc. etc. of preparing the meal.

I enjoy the smells of the fresh spices (here in Tuscany we concentrate a lot on rosemary and sage) sizzling in the extra virgin olive oil and then the hiss of the tomato sauce hitting the pan.  I just find it all so pleasurable!  If I am not out and about touring some little town in the country being spoiled by a country chef – then I want to be home diving into my favorite Italian cookbook and recreating another wonderful dish.

So the first thing on my shopping list has to be a set of pans.   I have always admired the glittering gleam of copper pans – which would look absolutely delicious in my peach colored kitchen.  I realize that there is probably a lot of elbow grease included to keep them that way but I think that in a country kitchen like mine, even the tarnished color of copper would be a perfect complement.

I started to search diligently and the first set I found was  a gorgeous shiny Mauviel Cooper set.  Crafted in Normandy, France, Mauviel copper cookware is legendary for its performance and beauty. This master set gives you all the essentials for a full range of tasks, from quick sautéing to slow stewing and oven roasting.

But then I thought I couldn’t stop here, I should really do some comparative shopping and as I continued to search I must admit that the Falk Cuilnair with the satin finish was the only other set  that truly set my heart a flame.  Falk Culinair’s solid Copper pans, with patented bimetal technology, bond easy care stainless steel with low maintenance satinated solid copper for perfect heat conductivity.

What’s the verdict? wellllll … you will just have to stop in for Sunday lunch one day and find out!