...Start All Over Again

Oh dear. I'm afraid I haven't been a very committed blogger, even though I have 3 years of blog ownership behind me now. It's so easy to push blogging to the back burner when you're feeling the pressure from every other direction. Your blog doesn't send emails asking for an immediate response, it doesn't require you to be at your desk by 9:30 am or to memorize your lines by next week. It doesn't send you letters threatening to fine you £100 if you don't file on time. But I have many ideas, videos, recipes and helpful information about health and other elements of a well-lived life that I'm constantly thinking about, so I'm recommitting. I just wanted you all to know that. In case anyone is still listening.

Here are some of the things that have inspired me to post about in the very near future: apple cider vinegar as a natural beauty treatment for hair; a basic beginners' guide to growing your own vegetables; becoming 'financially literate'; yoga poses that let you massage your own back; gluten-free South Indian-style flatbreads with coconut and cumin; how to cleanse and detox for spring; great pubs and inns in Northern England to enjoy; and more.



At the moment, I'm feeling very inspired by spring and the amazing weather that England has been enjoying. We've waited a long time for it. See you soon.

New York, New York, New York

I'm people watching in SoHo right now. I've been in New York for a week now, and I'm wondering, why did I ever leave?? Yes, it's incredibly crowded and often noisy, fairly dirty, and there are no majestic mountain ranges or lush wild forests running through the middle of Manhattan (only a great park). But besides that, I can't think of what's not to love.


It feels so young, vibrant and electric. You eavesdrop on the dramas of life unfolding at tables next to you and see it on the street corners out the window. Budding relationships and meetings being described, hashed out and turned over in the Williamsburg cafés and on Washington Square benches. Mirrored sunglasses, late summer dresses, over-sized tunics over leggings and chunky boots pass you on the street. The promising screech of your subway as it rocks into the station to whisk you away. Seasoned 'locals' with attitude; students 'fresh off the boat' from far parts of the country or world, trying not to look bewildered, like I was eight years ago today when I moved to New York from Oregon, by way of San Francisco. Wow - today is the day I moved to New York in 2002, with two over-sized checked and two carry-on bags, an air mattress and a post-it with an address where I would be sleeping on the floor until I found my own place. I left from Portland, Oregon and cried hard as I looked out the window, feeling like life was moving too fast. But the next morning, I came out of the F train station at 24th street and headed three blocks south and one block east to my acting school. I still felt completely overwhelmed but was starting to feel that it was worth it. It was a warm, clear, bright sunny day - just like today. Everything was new. I stayed for four years, until I missed the west enough and had several good reasons to leave.

Life has been an adventure and quite a learning experience since then. I have no regrets, but it's amazingly good to be back. Some of the same people still work at the places I used to frequent: I walked into the Park Slope Tea Lounge and there was Rex; he even remembered me. Apparently the market for actors and artists is very poor since the recession, and people still have their day jobs. I recognized three of the bus boys at Morrell's, the wine bar where I worked for a year when I was 23. If I'd had more time, I would have gone to The Harrison as well to try and track down Nathan, the Maitre'D who taught catwalk models how to strut and made gowns from safety pins and rubber bands.

There's only so much we can do in 5 and 1/2 days, and all those subway rides can eat up a lot of time. We're doing this trip on the cheap (mostly), so we tried airbnb.com, which worked out great. We stayed in Williamsburg, on the street I dreamed of being able to afford when I was 22. We were half a block from the L train stop at Bedford Avenue, in the master bedroom of a tiny apartment. Its main occupant, a friendly NYU student, spiffed up her bedroom for us and slept on the couch. The New York Times has a great review of AirBnB that explains how it works, as well as giving great examples of what to do in Williamsburg, so check that out for more info.

On day one, while I napped, Colm worked in Verb Cafe across the street, and proclaimed their espresso to be 'the best ever' when he woke me. We had breakfast there the next morning, and everyone was incredibly friendly and down to earth, as good Brooklynites are. The cranberry orange scone was like a 'welcome home' (I haven't seen any cranberry orange scones since I left the US) and the black tea, hand-selected and packed in tea bags by the baristas, was almost floral, not bitter or overpowering. They've been roasting in Williamsburg for over 10 years, apparently, and are obviously passionate about it. They also have these little brown-glazed porcelain cups, which is how you know that your coffee is going to be good.


I'd recommend going to Williamsburg if you want to explore Brooklyn. I also highly recommend Park Slope, Prospect Park, Carroll Gardens, Fort Green, DUMBO ('District Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass') and more. Within the same stretch of Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, you can find a 24-hour bagel shop, one of best pizzas in the city, the delicious and affordable Wild Ginger, a vegan pan-Asian cafe, also affordable and tasty Tai Thai next door (with calorie contents listed on their menu, which you don't usually see), and much more including clothing boutiques and many bars. I adore Brooklyn in general: the art cinema and top-notch performances at BAM, 5th and 7th avenues in Park Slope, the Co-op, and more creative, local, artistic, green, delicious, punk and chic enterprises than you can shake a stick at.

We ate many of our lunches at Whole Foods salad bars. I think it's an excellent way of grabbing a quick, healthy, affordable (£7.99/pound) way to eat and you know what's going into your mouth. I ate a lot of kale, roasted broccoli, mixed bean salads, baby arugula and spinach, olives and walnuts. Between a bagel for breakfast and dinner out, all those vegetables helped us stay grounded and well nourished while wandering. Plus, there are many locations all over Manhattan.

New York looked healthier than ever. There's a yoga studio on every other block, which was a big surprise: I didn't realize it was such an industry now, and I hope yoga studios aren't turning into factories. But I'll assume it's a good thing. I forgot how much walking you do if you live in or visit New York. It takes a couple weeks for your energy levels to adjust. We had no trouble sleeping at night, especially with some good earplugs.

I fully indulged my nostalgia, going to Balthazar for breakfast and snapping non-flash photos of the interior on the sly, trying not to look like a visitor (dare I say Tourist). Colm's almond croissant was stale, unfortunately, and it was overpriced as usual but I don't really care when I'm there. It's Balthazar's, it's where I took Colm for an elaborate Sunday brunch on one of our early dates and drank champagne at 11:30am (I don't remember this but he swears it's true). It's where Katy and I had our farewell meal before I left. It's where my best friend from Uni and I went when she visited in 2003, because she heard that Johnny Depp was a regular.


We also ate at Rosa Mexicana by Union Square. Café Pasqual's is definitely more authentic and, I hate to say, more interesting and creative but Rosa has things that Pasqual's doesn't have, like tequila flights, and it was my last chance for table-side guacamole before returning to Leamington. There was also tasty Middle Eastern nosh at Zerza with our friend Masha who had moved to the Washington Square area just a week before, and affordable delicious sushi and vegan food in Park Slope.

There are zillions of great places to eat in New York. It's also pretty easy to find food that's fairly cheap and very tasty, due to the plethora of restaurants. Hopefully this has given you some ideas of how to get around the city while feeding yourself healthy, affordable fare and also feeling like you're on top of the world. Because in New York, that's exactly where you are...and I miss that so much.

Chocolate Beetroot Cake with Chocolate Orange Ginger Drizzle

At this moment, my friends are out dancing. I came home to write about chocolate cake. Before you raise an eyebrow, you should know that this isn't just any chocolate cake, but a chocolate cake made with beets. I know what you're thinking: 'beets in a cake? gross'; but it's actually totally delicious, and while scraping the crumbs from the pan with the tip of my finger as I walked home, I was composing poetry in my head about the earthy, mild sweetness of the beets melding with the bitter sweetness of chocolate, the moistness of the crumb (due to the beets), and the way the flavours of candied orange peel and sweet ginger spiked up the whole thing as the perfect ending to a perfect bite. So why would I dance to '90's music when I could tell you about chocolate beetroot cake?



I love baking, and I love finding ways to bake healthfully. Part of this is doing it from scratch, and using fresh, organic, unprocessed, local ingredients. I love mixing in mashed/grated vegetables, or sometimes fruit, into my breads and cakes, too. "More vegetables" is a good general motto when it comes to my food, and baking is no exception.

One obvious example is banana bread, or carrot cake. But there are also apple cakes, pumpkin breads, zucchini bread (the English call this 'courgette cake' and think it's very strange indeed), sweet potato or pumpkin pie. When I heard of a recipe for chocolate cake with pureed beets, I was intrigued...partly because I knew I could get a good reaction from it, especially from Colm.



We grew beets in our garden this year because their green leaves are tasty in salads, steamed and tossed with dressing or fried with garlic and butter and really nutritious. Now we have an entire drawer full of the red roots. Roasted beet gets old; I prefer chocolate cake.

This recipe was passed around last year to the members of the CSA that we belong to. I've seen it in The Sunday Times and on Nigella Lawson's site. I've tweaked it a bit to make sure it contains healthy fats (coconut oil or ghee). It has a lovely, deep purple tint as you might expect, and is very nice if you sprinkle some shredded coconut on top after you drizzle on the melted chocolate. I've also mixed in a handful of chocolate chips, flaked almonds, chopped walnuts...you could improvise forever! So have fun with your purple chocolate cake. Just don't tell people what's in it until they're happily munching.

Chocolate Beetroot Cake with Chocolate Orange Ginger Drizzle
Adapted from Jill Dupliex's recipe in the Times Online

Notes: It's important to measure your beetroot precisely, otherwise the cake can taste too 'beety', so this is a good excuse to invest in a kitchen scale (which will be otherwise extremely useful, too!). I have also Americanized many of the amounts, putting them in cups instead of grams, for simplicity.

scant 1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup gluten-free self-raising flour or mix of this and whole wheat flour (I used 1/2 and 1/2 of each)
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup unrefined cane sugar
250g cooked beetroot
3 large eggs
2/3 cup ghee (clarified butter) or coconut oil, melted
1 tsp good vanilla extract
80g orange chocolate ginger (Divine chocolate is making this flavour now - it's very hard to stop eating by itself, so melting it and putting it on a cake helps). If you can't find this flavour of chocolate, then melt 80 grams of 70% dark chocolate with 2 tablespoons each of minced candied orange peel and minced candied ginger.

Heat the oven to 180C (160C in a fan oven) and oil an 8 inch round or spring-form cake tin. Sift the cocoa powder, flour and baking powder into a bowl. Mix in the sugar, and set these dry ingredients aside.

Purée the beetroot in a food processor. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the side between each addition. Add the vanilla and oil, and whiz until it is smooth. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the beetroot mixture and mix it all lightly. Pour into the prepared cake tin. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean (peek at it around 30 minutes - if it's browning, cover it with foil). Don't worry if it doesn't rise much. When it's done, let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove if you like before icing.

While it's cooling, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a bowl set into a pot of boiling water, over the steam, until smooth. Whisk in the minced orange peel and candied ginger if using. Drizzle this over the cake in streaks and swirls. It will set and harden after a half hour or so, but you can eat it before that. I'm sure this cake is delicious with vanilla ice cream.

Take a Hike...and Do It Well

I finally climbed Snowdon a few weeks ago, the highest peak in England and Wales. This makes it not so high: we climbed it fairly easily in 5 1/2 hours, but then again, the weather was crap. We didn't exactly feel like lingering except for a few moments in the visitor's centre at the top to get out of the rain and eat. We also didn't bother taking pictures, since you couldn't see much and it wasn't worth drowning the camera. Instead, I've included pictures from past treks in this order: Mt. Humphreys in Arizona (13,992 ft.); Mt. Harvard in Colorado (14,420 ft.); the South Sister in Oregon (10,363 ft.); Santa Fe Baldy (12,632 ft.) in the Pecos wilderness; and the Lake District in England at Christmastime.



Snowdonia, in Northwest Wales, is the wettest part of one of, if not the, wettest country in Europe (Ireland might be wetter). I would bet that May or early June is the best time to climb, since the hot dry summer weather seems to come early, definitely not in August. Plus, with school out for summer, the trail gets to be like a mountain motorway. We sat down for a brief rest and drink on the way up and watched a never-ending stream of tour groups, summer camp kids, families, couples, lone trekkers and many dogs marching up. I couldn't help but notice that many climbers were wearing converse sneakers, urban walking shoes, Wellington boots and other slippery footwear while walking a path that was almost entirely made of slick rocks with so much water flowing over that you were practically walking through a stream.



I have always been adventurous, and I intend to stay adventurous until I die. But I used to be adventurous and unprepared (ah, youth!). Now I have an idea of what to bring in case of drastic changes in weather, physical needs, etc. My husband is a pretty good climber and has taken proper training courses on winter mountaineering. When we first met, he wooed this wannabe New Yorker back to the west by whisking me off on plenty of outdoor adventures, and did all of the planning and packing while I focused on having a fabulous time and looking great while doing it. Over the past few years, I've taken over much of the planning and packing role. Seeing all those walkers in converse inspired me to pass on what I've learned from a very sensible, well-trained outdoorsman on how to make sure you'll be able to saunter off (or up) with confidence.



What to bring:

* A good backpack can save your shoulders and back from discomfort. It doesn't have to be expensive but should sit on your hips and not pull on your shoulders. Having a waterproof shell to wrap around the pack is handy (many backpacking packs come with this).
* A map of the area! We strongly prefer topographical maps, along with a compass. What if you want to know where you are, take a shorter or longer route, know how much incline or descent is ahead of you? Maps are the best. They also get your imagination going: "what's out there??" In England, we use the Ordnance Survey maps.
* A map bag! This is really important in England. You don't want your map to get trashed by rain, and a proper map bag will sling around your neck easily, and close with velcro to keep water out.
* Water: I bring two litres for a day, more if it's hot, dry and if the hike is a long one. I have a bottle that holds about this much and bring that, or reuse old plastic water bottles (avoid buying new plastic water bottles every time you hike: it's not environmentally friendly, so just filter some tap water and fill up an old bottle. Think low-maintenance and low consumption).
* Footwear: Bring two pairs of socks that complement the fit of your boots (test beforehand). I have several pairs of double-layer socks which aren't super thick but the two layers help prevent blisters. Invest in a pair of real hiking boots, even if you're just a casual hiker. They grip rocks, don't slip (at least, mine never have), and protect your ankle from strain while you're going over rocks and god knows what else – it's not like walking down the street! You won't regret it. Or, trail runners are okay – they look like running shoes but have a 'shank' (piece of metal or hard plastic) running down the center of the sole to help prevent your ankle from turning. They don't hug your ankle, though, and aren't as supportive; but I've climbed a few large-ish mountains in them and they're okay.
* Gaters: Not essential, but if you're going to be walking through water and mud, these are great. They're plastic foot/shin guards that latch on near the toe of your boot, strap under your heel, wrap around the ankle and go up the shin: they zip up and keep your boots from filling up with mud and water. They look like leg warmers...but are water-proof and are not cute or fashionable, sadly. Useful in England.
* Leg wear: On multi-day hikes, I like to bring: one pair of athletic lycra leggings (the type that runners often wear); one pair of standard 'hiking trousers' (the khaki/grey type that often will zip off and turn into shorts); one pair of loose fleece leggings for staying cozy warm at night; and one pair of waterproof leg covers. On a normal day hike, I'd only bring the lycra leggings, OR the hiking trousers, and the waterproofs if there's any chance of getting wet and/or cold. Or, if you're hiking in a hot dry place like Spain or Utah, shorts and sunblock.
* Tops: I like to wear a yoga tank top (they have a bra built in), a light 'wicking' fabric long-sleeved top and then a fleece...and the all-important rain/wind blocking outer layer (should be thick & warm if you're climbing high or if it's winter or otherwise cold). If it's hot, again, I'll just wear the tank, tie a wind-breaker jacket around my waist and bring sunblock and a hiking sun hat with a good brim.
* I almost always pack a pair of gloves and fleece scarf.
* A sun hat for warm weather, and a warm hat for cold, is vitally essential.
* Sunglasses are handy.
* Sunblock and lip balm (preferably with SPF) are essentials.
* And for fun...I also pack a tube of lipstick, because I like the way it makes me feel. So when you're relaxing in the pub or lodge at night, showing off your toned hiker's legs, you can feel a little bit glammy. For you, that might be a razor if you're going on a long trek and don't want to get too furry, or a bit of glittery eye shadow, or none of the above; whatever says 'enjoyment' and doesn't weigh much.
* High calorie foods are important to bring, in case it gets very cold, or something happens and you (god forbid) get stuck for a while, it's good to have a chocolate bar or bag of cashews...whatever, on top of your lunch and snacks.
* I like to have something fresh, juicy and easy to digest when I hike: maybe a peach, or bag of cherries, or a small tupperware of cooked vegetables. It's nice to have real food when you're working hard. I never feel good after a day of dried fruits, nuts, trail bars and bready sandwiches, so this helps balance that. I'm happy to carry the extra bit of weight that fresh food contains due to its water content.



When you're going on a longer trek, obviously, there will be soap, more food, etc. to think about but for clothes, that pretty much covers it.
You don't have to bring all of this, but know that layering is important because mountain weather can change very quickly. It's easy to think, 'oh, it's July, how bad could it be??' and I admit that my brain still works this way: but if you're high up, the weather is an entirely different beast than it is in your backyard. Make smart packing a methodical process of ticking off a list. A well-designed pack that's designed for hiking allows you to store unneeded layers on your back without discomfort. Being prepared also gives you more freedom to expand your exploring experiences. Nothing is better than feeling comfortable while you're out adventuring.



I hope that helps you to feel confident on your next hike! Given the fact that most of us spent zillions of hours driving, looking at computer screens while sitting, sitting and watching TV, time spent outside is more important than ever for your health and the health of the planet. Not just in the city park, but the real outdoors, unmanaged by humans. The natural, wild world nurtures your imagination; de-stresses, detoxes and relaxes you; and reminds you of what truly matters in life. Movement and taking time to get outside and see, touch, smell and experience the natural, real (not virtual) world is vitally imperative. I can't emphasize this enough. How can we save the environment if we aren't in touch with it, if we don't have a connection and a sense of care for it? If you think of our evolutionary process, you'll realize that we've been movers and shakers, literally, since the dawn of time...until the last 50 years. So go take a hike!

Anticipating New Mexico, New York, Chillies and Tea

(what follows is, basically, a bit of a travel guide to north-central New Mexico and New York/Brooklyn)

"Do you remember coming over the rise on the interstate and seeing Santa Fe with the mountains behind it?"



I don't remember what we were talking about; maybe a certain mountain you can see, coming in from Albuquerque, that he wanted to climb; but I remember that view. And I remember, driving from Santa Fe to Los Alamos (or the other direction, down to Santa Fe), coming over rises, or around corners on windy mountain roads and seeing expanses of red rocky mountain desert canyon yawning out before you. Oh, I've lived a lot of places, but I really loved living in New Mexico. The stark, bare rawness of landscapes.



Wildflowers blooming in a frenzy after spring rains. Giant lightning bolts, disconcertingly near, in summer thunder storms. Hatch chillies, smoked in turning iron baskets in supermarket parking lots. The smell of sage everywhere. Coyote silhouettes seen in the lamplight at night. Big snakes lazily crossing the trail you happen to be hiking on. Native American ruins, shards of ancient pottery spotted on a morning walk in the canyon behind the house we rented.



I was excited to move to Europe (watching snow fall on Ponderosa pines in October of 2007, a week before leaving), but thinking of it now, perhaps we should try to live in New Mexico for a few months every year. It would be hard to choose between summer in the mountains, hiking and climbing and biking, wild mushroom picking, wearing flowy skirts and eating gelato; or winter, when the skiing at Pajarito is relatively cheap and good, the snow is powdery and you're married to a trained winter mountaineer who knows what he's doing.



I'm going back in a week, and will also be visiting New York City, where I lived for four years until July 2006. Colm is already in New Mexico, where he used to work. When he's not working, he's seeing old friends, hiking in Bandalier, climbing mountains, eating breakfast burritos and enjoying other things you just don't find in the West Midlands. Oh, I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to this.



There was Chocolate Maven, the adorable back-alley bakery slash fine dining establishment where we loved to have Sunday brunch (Sunday brunch doesn't really happen in the UK), or grab a macaroon and a brownie on the way back to Albuquerque after a weekend in Los Alamos. Café Pasqual's, where we went for huevos rancheros and buckwheat pancakes on one of our first dates. Their gheen chilli sauce was smoky and amazing, and they had little wooden toy cars and trucks on the tables that Colm used to enjoy pushing around while making motor noises to embarrass me. Anasazi Restaurant, the ultimate upscale, New York tourist meets wild west native spot where birthdays and civil ceremonies were celebrated. I was still a meat eater the first time we went, on our second date. I ordered the most amazing pork chop, and wore spiky black satin heels with jeans and a lacy top. The Pyramid Cafe in Los Alamos, where we met for work lunches and always ended with baklava and Turkish coffee. Artisan gelato to take the edge off summer heat on my lunch break from law firms. Elegant, exotic, expensive chocolate 'elixirs' from far-flung corners at Kakawa; and hipster see-and-be-seen-ism at the aptly named Tea House, the antidote to overwhelm from too many art galleries on Canyon Road. I don't think I'll be able to go to all of these places in eight days, but I'll do my very best. I'll make space for it with lots of hiking.



And then New York: the Tea Lounge in my old neighborhood where Katy and I used to meet, talk about boys and read the Sunday NY Times...and where I once found $60 wadded up on the floor. The Park Slope Food Co-op where I can't shop because I'm no longer a member (Katy will have to sneak me some of their home-dried papaya), Rosa Mexicana in Union Square where Colm and I drank pomegranate margaritas and ate tableside-made guacamole after taking a helicopter tour of Manhattan. Sarabeth's where we once waited almost two hours for a table (it's amazing what he'll let you get away with on a first date), Joe Coffee where I used to sit, hoping to meet cute single straight men in New York's gay neighborhood (?), and so many other places whose names I don't remember, but whose storefronts, street corners and dining counters I can describe perfectly.



As you can tell, my nostalgia levels are through the roof. When we met, I was living in Brooklyn, working in Manhattan, and Colm was in Los Alamos. Our early dates took place over long weekends, and we only saw each other once a month or so. We'd save up all of our restaurant curiosities and outdoor adventure ideas and pack it all into amazing spans of three days. I had a TONY subscription and would dog ear all the spots I wanted to try. He'd take me mountain or rock climbing, in snow and in sun. He also booked that helicopter tour on our first date, which, gents, is the way to sweep a girl off her feet. I think we live a little more simply nowadays, but damn, we created some fun memories. There was also that decadent brunch at Balthazars, the bread basket with pastries that just wouldn't quit.



I don't really believe in nostalgia; I try to live in the present. But when I touch down in Newark, you can bet I'll be listening to 'America' by Simon and Garfunkel. And then when I head on to Albuquerque, I might have 'Heartland' by U2 going, all misty eyed as I gaze out the window. I can't wait.

Healthyish Places to Eat and Things To Do in the Czech Republic

Driving around the Czech Republic is probably something I wouldn't have done if I hadn't moved to Europe. When I told my dad I was moving, three years ago, he said happily, "well then I'll just have to come and visit you!" For a travel-happy Oregonian whose daughter had already lived in San Francisco, Colorado, New Mexico and New York, it was a natural progression of events.



If I want to see my family in person, someone's going to have to travel a very long way. And so we usually try to meet up somewhere interesting and call it a holiday (or...'vacation'). This time it was Prague and the rest of the C.R. I did some research, and some very foot-punishing wandering, to find some excellent AND health-conscious places to eat and share, just in case any of you are headed that way soon.



I ate the most delicious Indian food I've had in recent memory in Prague. My guide book named the restaurant, but said book was six years old and there was a wine bar where my Indian restaurant was supposed to be. Not bad, but I wanted something solid in my belly. We asked locals and wandered through multiple cobble-stoned mazes until we finally went under an arch, into an inner courtyard, under another arch and...there it was! If it weren't for asking others, I never would have found it. And luckily, my father is happy to be a 'destination eater' and our searching paid off.



Indian Jewel (www.indianjewel.cz)
+42(0)222310156
Tyn 6, 11000 Prague 1 - Stare Mesto

The mulligatawny soup was amazing, even though I barely made it through due to my low tolerance of chillies. It was garnished with tiny bits of browned garlic which gave it the most wonderful smoky, earthy flavour. Our mains were fabulous too. My mushroom and pea curry was spicy but not overpowering and super tasty. I tried a bite of dad's black lentils in cream and butter which was total creamy curry heaven: the texture of the beans and astringent cilantro taste kept it in balance.

The other 'best ever' in Prague was chocolate ice cream. That's right: best Indian food and best chocolate ice cream. Not bad, eh? The ice cream came from 'Chocolat Gourmand' in a lovely district full of grand old buildings and designer boutiques (I heart window shopping). It was made at a shoebox-size chocolate shop with a long counter of specialty truffles, and next to that, a small ice cream cart with maybe six flavours. Dad bought the 'dark chocolate orange' and I tried his. I also sampled the super dark plain chocolate which was outstanding.



Chocolat au Gourmand was joined with a pastry/cake/tea room/sandwich shop (called 'au Gourmand') which we returned to the next day for breakfast after drooling over the cookies in the window. I was more impressed with the ice cream but that's not to say there was anything wrong with the pecan chocolate chip cookies and cappuccino!



au Gourmand and Chocolat au Gourmand (www.augourmand.cz)
Dlouha 10, Praha 1 (and other locations for au Gourmand)
+42(0)723065248

We also found a quite good Thai restaurant with tons of great vegetarian options, and a tasty sushi spot near the Prague Castle. Sushi is a rare commodity in the middle of England, so whether or not it was the best sushi in Prague was of no concern to me. They were located in an area with tons of interesting-looking spots to eat, so even if you don't fancy raw fish, head there for other choices, and obviously for the Castle and cathedrals.

Lemon Leaf (Thai: www.lemon.cz)
Myslikova 14, 12000 Praha 2
+42(0)224919056

Susharna (www.susharna.cz)
Trziste 12, Praha 1
+42(0)257219759

And lastly, there was a vintage clothing shop that I loved. Even if you're not a shopper or browser, going to the shop takes you to the old town, the part you want to walk around in anyway:

Retro/Vintage
Michalska 18, Praha 1
+42(0)774273238
www.vintage-clothes.cz

On our way out of Prague, we stopped in the town of Kutne Hore and looked at the cathedral there. It was breath taking. And of course, if you know about the Czech Republic, you probably have heard about the Ossuary? Well, it's this church that's decorated with over 40,000 human skeletons. Yup. Very...macabre? Creepy? Thought-provoking? Whatever your reaction, it's definitely worth a stop. We caught the last 10 minutes of open hours, which, honestly, was plenty of time for me. It's located in the town of Sedlec.



Eventually we ended up in Czesky Krumlov, one of the prettiest European places I've visited. It's a well-preserved medieval town, a Euro-fairytale type of place. C.K. is a bit of a tourist trap, but it's also stunning and has a castle on a cliff, many riverside cafes, and if you're there in the off season, you'll miss the crowds. They also have a nice vegetarian cafe, Laibon, on the banks of the river Vlatava that runs through the old town. The menu descriptions were more exciting than the food itself, but it was such a relief to find real vegetarian appreciation for a few days. There are tons of little cafes in the same area, perfect for having a Pilsner Urquell and staring at the river while you get some sun on your pasty English legs.



Laibon
Parkan 105, Cesky Krumlov 381 01, Czech Republic

Our last stop was Karlovy Vary, an old-school spa town where the Russian Mafia seem to have a presence. It was also really beautiful, and I think in the winter it would be a great place to do some hiking and then come down for a dip in the hot springs. If you want to do spa stuff, plan ahead so you can sift out the tourist traps from what you want. We didn't, and missed out. Oh well. We did have a fabulous end-of-trip meal at a restaurant on a bridge over the river that runs through the old town. I can't remember the name of it, but...if you walk to the bottom of the old town and end up at the Grand Hotel Pupp (the famous fancy one), then turn around and walk back (north-ish), you'll see people eating on one of the little footbridges over the river, just a few minutes walk up from the Pupp. It was asparagus season when we were there, and what I remember most was the dessert my dad ordered: strawberries cooked with green pepper. Apparently, pepper brings out the flavour of strawberries in a whole new way. I loved it, actually. Spicy strawberries. I don't think it was green bell pepper, though perhaps it was this with a bit of peppercorn, too; they had removed the evidence, those sneaky devils, so if I had to guess I'd say green peppercorns. Or maybe it was green bell pepper with a bit of black pepper. They had simmered the strawberries down into a sauce with the pepper, then removed it, and served it with custard or vanilla ice cream.

Summer Vegetables with Tomato Wine Sauce on Pasta, in Nice

For the past five weeks, I've been meaning to tell you about the Czech Republic. Meaning to upload my pictures, come up with a recipe that reflects my time there and post it. But now I'm in Nice on the Cote d'Azur, and it's really lovely too - obviously. How could southern France not be lovely?



It's not that I didn't love Prague and the other cities I visited: in fact, I had perhaps the best Indian curry ever, and definitely the best chocolate ice cream ever, and I saved the addresses of the places that supply these two mind-blowingly good edibles. We also found a good vegetarian restaurant on the banks of the river in Czesky Krumlov, and I'll talk about that too. It's a great relief to find a vegetarian restaurant when you're traveling in eastern Europe. But France always seems to come first with me.



France has a very special place in my heart. It's my 5th time here, and it's always magical. Two summers ago, we stayed overnight in Paris, on our way to Antibes by train. We climbed into bed at about 11:30, full of sleep, but realized we'd never be able to drift off with a block party happening on the street below, the DJ blasting music that carried up to the top floor of our petit hotel. My usually dance-phobic husband decided that if we couldn't beat 'em, we'd join 'em. We put our glad rags back on and went down to dance until 2am. As you can see, it was worth it.



We arrived in Nice yesterday evening, and after lying on the bed in a daze for a while, we picked ourselves up and walked into the old town for dinner.

After picking a random but tasty-looking outdoor cafe, and being served khir as soon as we sat down, I wondered "why can't the rest of the world be like France?" "I don't know" sighed Colm. Everything made so much sense: the khir was cool and refreshing after walking through tiny cobbled streets in warm, moist air and sandals. The portion sizes were perfect, leaving room to comfortably have dessert. The baguette didn't come with butter, so you just tasted the bread, using it to sop up the sauce that sits on your plate when you're done. French food really gets the concept of quality over quantity. It keeps things simple and lets the ingredients speak for themselves.



I took a holiday from vegetarianism and ordered mussels in white wine and cream with a side of haricot vert. The green beans came cooked in generous amounts of butter and garlic, and the mussels left you with lots of liquid for bread dipping. I watched happily as Colm sank into 'I'm in France' mode, ordering a carafe of rose wine and later asking for "une desert, si vous plait". We each had one and picked at them lazily. Then we ordered an espresso but their machine was broken, so they brought us Limoncello. Twist my arm! A street guitarist came around, playing the Gypsy Kings. I talked with him in a mix of Spanish, French and Italian that I didn't understand very well. Eventually we paid (not much more than the cost of a curry in Leamington) and wandered deeper into Nice's old town. We stopped and watched some capoeira dancers do back-flips, marveling at their unreal muscle definition. Not bad for a Sunday night.



An Englishwoman once said to me, "Have you been to Italy? No? Oh god, you have to go! I'd give up the rest of Europe and just take Italy!" Maybe Italy is even more beautiful and sensuous and delicious, but for now, my love affair with France continues.



I'm not a coffee drinker, but in France, I drink espresso shots. I have them with a pastry in the morning. It's the best thing in the world. And every day, you get to try a new pastry - talk about a good reason to get out of bed! There were five good bakeries within a five minute walk from the hotel (how do I love thee, let me count the ways!). Sometimes, lunch was gelato, because it was just that hot. Or 'bio' (organic) cherries from the market, eaten while window shopping, pits spit into the gutters when no one was looking. Or baguette with cheese back at the apartment after my midday two-minute cold shower.

On Saturday, a friend took us on a bus trip East along the coast. We went through two tunnels, then got off at the second stop after that (sorry, I don't remember the name!). From here, we walked downhill until we came to a path to the beach (Plage Maia, or Maya, or Mala, I think...). It's a beach you can't drive to, so even on a Saturday in July, it wasn't overly crowded. Colm and I had our first 'swim in the sea' in 4 1/2 years of being together. I hope we don't go that long without swimming in the sea together again. We shared a pair of goggles and looked at the not-so-colourful fish, dark green grasses and gnarled rocks. Not quite the Caribbean, but still, the water was warm and he was there. After the swim, our friend Sergei (a Russian with the temperament of a Spaniard) took us to a paved path (called, I believe, Sentier du Littoral, from my Google map searching) that we hiked on until we ran into a big port on the west side of Monaco. By this time, we were very warm, sun-baked and ready for lunch or at least a cold beer. We climbed (and climbed and climbed) back up to the main road, caught the bus and got off at Villefranche Sur Mer. Almost every restaurant was closed for the afternoon and I was feeling desperate, but we found a spot with good salads. I was sticky with dried salt water and sweat, had on my blue straw cowboy hat, lace-backed shirt, and everything was right with the world. Bumble bees bobbed along through the air, a gentle breeze blew, and we watched as a wedding procession trundled slowly by our table. We ate salad Nicoise, penne arrabiata and drank cold beers. It was heaven. I highly recommend working up an appetite in this way.

This is starting to run on a bit, so let's get to the recipe. I love having a kitchen when I travel. I want to try the things I see in markets that may not travel back with me so well. We stayed in the Citea apartments, thank god. Air conditioning, wireless, and a teeny two burner stove. So my summer veggies from the Cours Selaya market didn't go to waste.



I made a vegetarian pasta dish twice that week that went something like this:

Summer Vegetable Pasta with Red Wine Tomato Sauce

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil (flavoured with garlic or rosemary is nice)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 celery rib, diced (optional)
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground
generous splash or two of red wine (white wine is fine too)
2 - 3 large tomatoes (about 3/4 pound or a bit more), ripened locally, sliced in half or quarters (stems cut out)
a bay leaf if you have it
1 courgette (zucchini), sliced into half moon shapes
1 eggplant, cubed
1 teaspoon sugar if you have it
fresh basil and parsley, maybe oregano too
chunky sea salt to taste (flavoured sea salt is a popular market item)
ground pepper

Note: If you're at home with your oven, you can roast the cubed eggplant (aubergine) on 400F or 180C until it's nice and soft, then toss it in towards the end to give it a few minutes to soak up the other flavours.
Languidly cook this, wherever you are, with some windows or a door open and the air conditioning off:

Heat oil and butter in a skillet. Add garlic, onion and celery and cook until onion and celery are translucent, soft and sweet. Add the fennel seed and stir briefly. Add the red wine, tomatoes with their juice, chopped vegetables, bay leaf, a bit of pepper and salt. Smash the tomatoes with your spoon to release the juice, then let that simmer with the wine to reduce into a sweet, tangy sauce. The vegetables will soften and cook at the same time (see note about roasting aubergine/eggplant). Taste as you go and adjust salt, pepper, etc. When the vegetables are cooked and you're happy with the thickness of the tomato/wine 'sauce', then toss the fresh herbs in and stir them around. Remove from the heat and mix with fresh cooked pasta. We had this with a baguette and some cheese (he likes Comte, I like most types of Goat's cheese); and other nights, it was salad with endive, avocado, rocket/arugula, other greens, fresh herbs, lemon juice, the herbed olive oil and maybe some nuts and dried fruits.

Bon apetit!