We arrived in the small fishing village of Roses at about 2pm, found the Hotel and made the drive to El Bulli. It's a narrow, winding mountain road almost 5 miles in length. Somewhere I read it described as scary, I would instead call it thrilling or challenging. Our rental is a Mercedes Benz, C180 kompressor that got over 40 Mpg on the 1.5 hour drive from Barcelona. It is surprisingly zesty for it diminutive engine size. The super charger makes all the difference in the world. After the drive to El Bulli the MPG dropped to 30 -- still pretty good for the flogging I gave it.
Off for a run on the beach, a quick nap and then at 8pm, the dinner at the best resturant in the world....
El Bulli
We arrived at El Bulli a few minutes early of our 8:00pm reservation. We strolled through the tiered garden walkway in front of the restaurant. In one spot, you can look into the El Bulli kitchen. As I peered in, there he was, Ferran Adria. I saw the back of him. He was surrounded by a group of his staff. I still could not believe we were just about to dine in the world's best restaurant.
We were greeted with a warm welcome and were asked, "Would you like to see the kitchen?". "Of course!", we replied. The kitchen looked exactly like what we had seen in the Tony Bourdain documentary, "Decoding Ferran Adria", which we have watched numerous times over the past 4+ months - since our reservations were confirmed.
Ferran was at the end of the counter, looking at the sheets of paper in front of him. He came over and greeted us, shook our hands and thanked us for coming.
We were then seated at our table which was next to the view of the beach alcove.
Our menu:
gin fizz
spherical olives
mango leaf with tagete flower
pine-nut marshmallow
hibiscus-eucalyptus-cassis paper
seaweed waffles
sugar-coated lyo- banane and sesam
walnuts cake
cloud of popcorn
tangerine essence
gold egg
liquid croquette 2006
crab anemone-romana style
"horchata" - truffle
won-ton
fried brioche shanghai
honey/flowers/pistachios
"Quebearn" egg
raisins of PX with anchovy and cardamom brioche
tomate soupe with virtual iberian ham
asparagus in different cooking times
razor clambs in vinager sauce
the sea
zucchini risotto with curry
crab - marrakech
lamb brains with their own juice
pita of iberian ham fat and veal bone marrow
sheep - the cheese and the wool
"piquillo" peppers and banana tatin
charcoal
Morphings...
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Driving the Costa Brava
We are off to the airport this morning to pick up our rental car for the drive up the Costa Brava to the small town of Roses. We stay there tonight for our dinner at El Bulli. We are both pretty excited.
Yesterday was a day long walking tour of Barcelona including a walk down La Rambla and a visit to the Cathedral de Barcelona and the Gothic quarter. This is a really cool city. We had had dinner last night at a tapas bar at about 10pm, the preferred time for such things.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
La Boqueria on La Rambla in Barcelona
Hey! Who's hungry for a crunchy bug or two? Yes, these canned delicacies were actually for sale in the market. There were several to choose from -water bugs (the huge one in the middle), crickets, meal worms. Ew....bleck!
Yesterday was a day long walking tour of Barcelona including a walk down La Rambla and a visit to the Cathedral de Barcelona and the Gothic quarter. This is a really cool city. We had had dinner last night at a tapas bar at about 10pm, the preferred time for such things.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
La Boqueria on La Rambla in Barcelona
Hey! Who's hungry for a crunchy bug or two? Yes, these canned delicacies were actually for sale in the market. There were several to choose from -water bugs (the huge one in the middle), crickets, meal worms. Ew....bleck!
Monday, March 26, 2007
Pics for Mom (and others)
Big 'ol plate of seafood in Nice
The London Eye from the outside
Ren and Kathy on the London Eye
H10 Universitat
We just arrived at the hotel in Barcelona to find FREE WiFi. Yeah! In France is was $20US/day.
Things about France that make me crazy!
Trains -- they are not always marked to show where they are going and when they are marked they only show the very last stop. When leaving Nice to go to Monte Carlo, you must get on the Ventemille train. So to sucessfully navigate the vagaries of the French train system you will need a map of nearly every train. I think we have a book like this but left it at home because it’s the size (and weight) of a brick.
Dinner service -- It starts at 7:30 and not a moment before. Prior to that you can have espresso, wine, beer or any other beverage -- just not food, not a snack, not a bowl of nuts, not event pretzels. So if you are hungry between 2pm and 7pm head to the store for a baguette and cheese or starve. It’s your choice.
That’s about it. One more thing, the French can be.. well.. French. It doesn’t happy very often, but when it does, you know it. That’s about it. Everything else is wonderful.
Dinner service -- It starts at 7:30 and not a moment before. Prior to that you can have espresso, wine, beer or any other beverage -- just not food, not a snack, not a bowl of nuts, not event pretzels. So if you are hungry between 2pm and 7pm head to the store for a baguette and cheese or starve. It’s your choice.
That’s about it. One more thing, the French can be.. well.. French. It doesn’t happy very often, but when it does, you know it. That’s about it. Everything else is wonderful.
From France to Spain
Another full day on the train. Today from Nice-Ville to Barcelona, Spain with a change in Montpillier-St Roche. We are now on the Montpiller to Barcelona and there is a noticeable difference between French and Spanish trains. The former and modern, clean, and well run, the latter not so much. This is First Class yet it is very loud, smells strongly of diesel, and appears to date from the early seventies.
This is a French train seat
This is a Spanish train seat....
We spend the morning crossing the entire southern coast of France. This is a really spectacular area and the weather is wonderful -- mid-sixties and clear blue skies. Much of this area is agricultural, We have crossed miles of vineyards and fruit orchards.
We had lunch in during out stop in Montpillier. I had a great “Montengarde” sandwich with Raceltte cheese and bacon. Kath went for the Poullet (Chicken) sandwich. I won. We shared a nice apple tart and due to a little mis-communication we ended up with a single and two double-espressos. They arrived with thich golden crema but sadly it was only an illusion, as they proved to be just coffee underneath.
We get into Barcelona at 9:45 tonight.
This is a French train seat
This is a Spanish train seat....
We spend the morning crossing the entire southern coast of France. This is a really spectacular area and the weather is wonderful -- mid-sixties and clear blue skies. Much of this area is agricultural, We have crossed miles of vineyards and fruit orchards.
We had lunch in during out stop in Montpillier. I had a great “Montengarde” sandwich with Raceltte cheese and bacon. Kath went for the Poullet (Chicken) sandwich. I won. We shared a nice apple tart and due to a little mis-communication we ended up with a single and two double-espressos. They arrived with thich golden crema but sadly it was only an illusion, as they proved to be just coffee underneath.
We get into Barcelona at 9:45 tonight.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Cannes
Today we train to Cannes, a sea-side resort community that is home to the famous film festival. Unfortunately, today being Sunday, most shops are closed. We had some nice espresso, walked around the harbor, and took the “Petit Train” tour of town. Cannes is much like Nice, everything there just costs more.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Home is Nice
Today is Nice -- pun intended.
We stayed in Nice today and just walked around town. We found a great farmer’s market in old-town. We bought marselle soap and spices. We also bought 1/2 kilo of mixed olives and some little fruit and chocolate filled croissants. We saw white asparagus that was at least 3” around. Easily the largest I have ever seen.
It starts raining about 2pm. We duck into a ocean-front brasserie for espresso and a bite to eat. I end up with a cheese burger. For a country so famous for great food, the burger is pretty bad. I guess it’s an american thing. Oh yeah, here French Fries are just called fries or Pomme Frites.
I am almost fully acclimated to European time now. Ironically tonight is the “seasonal change” and we have to advance our clocks 1 hour. Didn’t we just do this?
We stayed in Nice today and just walked around town. We found a great farmer’s market in old-town. We bought marselle soap and spices. We also bought 1/2 kilo of mixed olives and some little fruit and chocolate filled croissants. We saw white asparagus that was at least 3” around. Easily the largest I have ever seen.
It starts raining about 2pm. We duck into a ocean-front brasserie for espresso and a bite to eat. I end up with a cheese burger. For a country so famous for great food, the burger is pretty bad. I guess it’s an american thing. Oh yeah, here French Fries are just called fries or Pomme Frites.
I am almost fully acclimated to European time now. Ironically tonight is the “seasonal change” and we have to advance our clocks 1 hour. Didn’t we just do this?
Friday, March 23, 2007
Monte Carlo, Monaco
This was the high-point of the trip so far for me. As a rabid Formula One fan, Monaco is the center of the motor racing universe. Walking the streets and seeing alligator-teeth along the curbs
I have seen the race literally dozens of times, yet walking to course give a completely different perspective. The elevation changes are much more dramatic that I expected. The climb from St. Devote to Casino is very steep as is the drop from Casino to the entrance to the tunnel. and about the tunnel -- it isn’t. It is open along nearly all the side that faces the sea. It’s more like a balcony than a proper tunnel. Both Rasscasse and the hair-pin are like I expected. The most shocking characteristic is how narrow St. Devote and the entry to casino are -- It must be like threading a needle each time.
Monte Carlo is home to a number of Formula One themed gift shops, in fact one need travel no further then the train station to find F1 accessories, but I have to admit that most of it is pretty cheap looking. I was able to find a little something though.
I have only seen two others, one at the Rolex Daytona 24 from the guy who sold me the Villneuve rear-wing end-plate, and another on E-bay a few months later. IT is a genuine F1 wheel nut. Not the nut that holds the wheel (get it?) but a very light, heavily machined peice of Formula One history. Of course you know that the wheels on a F1 car are held on by a large single nut. Each nut is made of titanium and applied by a unique wrench with 20 teeth.
I noticed it, hiding in the back corner of a display cabinet during our first visit to the shop but wasn’t really ready -- after a bit of thinking we returned with just minutes before closing. I asked the owner from which car it came -- the response was (of course) Ferrari, and that it was used in the 2006 race. Whether that is true or not is certainly open for debate. I can only say that the marking “Destro” is italian. There are only two Italian teams, STR and Ferrari.
I also picked up a very rare 1/18 Minichamps car. It is called “The Ride” and depicts Nigel Mansell’s 1992 Williams with Senna riding on the side-pod and holding on the dear life. It documents the 1992 British Grandprix where Senna’s car broke near the end of the race and Mansell gave him a ride back to the pis lest he be accosted by British F1 hooligans.
I have wanted one for a long time I have bid on a couple of them on E-bay but was never willing to spend enough to win. I got this one for $100us less than the typical e-bay price. At another shop I saw the ultra-rare Senna rookie Benneton. It had been siting in the shop window and was a little sun-faded. It’s the first one I have seen in person.
I have seen the race literally dozens of times, yet walking to course give a completely different perspective. The elevation changes are much more dramatic that I expected. The climb from St. Devote to Casino is very steep as is the drop from Casino to the entrance to the tunnel. and about the tunnel -- it isn’t. It is open along nearly all the side that faces the sea. It’s more like a balcony than a proper tunnel. Both Rasscasse and the hair-pin are like I expected. The most shocking characteristic is how narrow St. Devote and the entry to casino are -- It must be like threading a needle each time.Monte Carlo is home to a number of Formula One themed gift shops, in fact one need travel no further then the train station to find F1 accessories, but I have to admit that most of it is pretty cheap looking. I was able to find a little something though.
I have only seen two others, one at the Rolex Daytona 24 from the guy who sold me the Villneuve rear-wing end-plate, and another on E-bay a few months later. IT is a genuine F1 wheel nut. Not the nut that holds the wheel (get it?) but a very light, heavily machined peice of Formula One history. Of course you know that the wheels on a F1 car are held on by a large single nut. Each nut is made of titanium and applied by a unique wrench with 20 teeth.
I noticed it, hiding in the back corner of a display cabinet during our first visit to the shop but wasn’t really ready -- after a bit of thinking we returned with just minutes before closing. I asked the owner from which car it came -- the response was (of course) Ferrari, and that it was used in the 2006 race. Whether that is true or not is certainly open for debate. I can only say that the marking “Destro” is italian. There are only two Italian teams, STR and Ferrari.
I also picked up a very rare 1/18 Minichamps car. It is called “The Ride” and depicts Nigel Mansell’s 1992 Williams with Senna riding on the side-pod and holding on the dear life. It documents the 1992 British Grandprix where Senna’s car broke near the end of the race and Mansell gave him a ride back to the pis lest he be accosted by British F1 hooligans.
I have wanted one for a long time I have bid on a couple of them on E-bay but was never willing to spend enough to win. I got this one for $100us less than the typical e-bay price. At another shop I saw the ultra-rare Senna rookie Benneton. It had been siting in the shop window and was a little sun-faded. It’s the first one I have seen in person.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Food for Thought
Many people have asked what kind of food is served at the restaurants we will be visiting on this trip. I have tried to describe it in various ways but never with any level of success. If you know me you know I am pretty good at describing difficult things. It is really quite hard to describe this. I once read a quote observing: “writing about music is like dancing about architecture”. I think describing food with words is much the same.
A friend, after seeing the Tony Bordain documentary about Ferran Adria, “Decoding Ferran Adria” described his work as “symphony for the mouth”. I think that is the closest I have heard it described.
A friend, after seeing the Tony Bordain documentary about Ferran Adria, “Decoding Ferran Adria” described his work as “symphony for the mouth”. I think that is the closest I have heard it described.
Neice, Nice, Nees?
We have been heading south on the TGV at 180 mph for hours now -- leaving the cold grey sky of paris for the azure blue of the south. We just got out first glimpse of the Mediterranean. It hard to tell from the train but it looks like its 3 degrees warmer here -- unfortunately it think its more like 10. We are still a couple of hours from Nice.
Espresso Note: Espresso on the train was acceptable. Served in a paper cup with a small chocolate, it served it’s purpose well. As we get closer to Italy, the source of all good espresso, I expect things to improve.
Espresso Note: Espresso on the train was acceptable. Served in a paper cup with a small chocolate, it served it’s purpose well. As we get closer to Italy, the source of all good espresso, I expect things to improve.
The Train
Ahh... Europe by Train. London to Paris in three hours. A nice breakfast with French pastries and black currant preserves. Much quieter than air travel. Very nice. What more could you ask for?
Today we travel from London to Nice. First the Eurostar from Waterloo station via the Channel Tunnel or “Chunnel” Paris. Once there we need to change to another trainstation to catch the TGV south to Nice. Most of the day will be on the train.
The First Class coach -- that is what they call each car -- is pretty empty from London to Paris, just a couple of business travelers working on a power-point. Kathy is reading a F1 magazine we purchased at Waterloo along with a Red-Bull for me and a couple of packets of crisps. We tried to spend all our Pounds but still ended up with a pocket full of coins.
The TGV or Bullet train from Paris to Nice is much more crowded.
Today we travel from London to Nice. First the Eurostar from Waterloo station via the Channel Tunnel or “Chunnel” Paris. Once there we need to change to another trainstation to catch the TGV south to Nice. Most of the day will be on the train.
The First Class coach -- that is what they call each car -- is pretty empty from London to Paris, just a couple of business travelers working on a power-point. Kathy is reading a F1 magazine we purchased at Waterloo along with a Red-Bull for me and a couple of packets of crisps. We tried to spend all our Pounds but still ended up with a pocket full of coins.
The TGV or Bullet train from Paris to Nice is much more crowded.
The Fat Duck
Yesterday was The Fat Duck, Heston Blumenthal’s signature restaurant in Maidenhead. It was spectacular as expected. Among the highlights was a palate cleanser of Egg white mousse, infused with green tea, lime and vodka and “Cooked” in liquid nitrogen. It was slightly firm on the outside and so light as to be non-existent on the inside. The combination leaves your mouth clean, dry, and aready for the next course.
The snail porridge was also amazing, I had read the description on their web site but was totally unprepared for the actual item. It is essentially Escargo, in a rich, ham flavored porridge.
The last dish was actually “breakfast” a bowl of cereal, french toast, bacon and eggs. The Cereal was shaved parsnips in parsnip infused milk, the Bacon was candied ham fat, and the eggs were already bacon flavored and "cooked" in liquid nitrogen table-side. So the last course was traditionally the first and everything savory was sweet and vice versa. Oh yeah, the French toast was just french toast. Probably my favorite course.
After our meal, we were introduced to the Chef by a gentleman at the table next to us. He is the produce supplier to the restaurant. We got a personal tour of the kitchen -- I was surprised at the small size, cleanliness, and quiet precision. Quite different from orchistrated chaos of many of the high-profile kitchens I have seen. We learned that there is a second kitchen across the street from the restaurant. Maybe that is where the keep their chaos.
Espresso Note: Pretty good shot, Saeco SuperAuto, unknown beans.
The snail porridge was also amazing, I had read the description on their web site but was totally unprepared for the actual item. It is essentially Escargo, in a rich, ham flavored porridge.
The last dish was actually “breakfast” a bowl of cereal, french toast, bacon and eggs. The Cereal was shaved parsnips in parsnip infused milk, the Bacon was candied ham fat, and the eggs were already bacon flavored and "cooked" in liquid nitrogen table-side. So the last course was traditionally the first and everything savory was sweet and vice versa. Oh yeah, the French toast was just french toast. Probably my favorite course.
After our meal, we were introduced to the Chef by a gentleman at the table next to us. He is the produce supplier to the restaurant. We got a personal tour of the kitchen -- I was surprised at the small size, cleanliness, and quiet precision. Quite different from orchistrated chaos of many of the high-profile kitchens I have seen. We learned that there is a second kitchen across the street from the restaurant. Maybe that is where the keep their chaos.
Espresso Note: Pretty good shot, Saeco SuperAuto, unknown beans.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Arrival in Europe
I feel much better than usual -- I’m sure that the 4+ hours of sleep in the First Class bed has something to to with it. Today is stay awake day. When travelling from the U.S. to Europe it is critical to stay awake until at least 9pm the first day. This helps the transition to European time.
Today, instead of the nap we are both craving, we go to the “London Eye” a huge ferris wheel attraction with good views of the city. After that a bit of shopping in at Harrods in Knightsbridge. Dinner is Indian Samosas picked up at a Tube station, I can't even remember which station now.
Espresso note: Espresso at Harrods, interesting prep, almost no tamp, just level the PF and mount it up. Only a fair quality shot, the well aged, canned Illy beans are likely the cause.
We kick-off day two with a trip to the Gym at our hotel. 30 min on the bike in an attempt to hang on to some of the fitness I gained prior to departure. Now we head out for the Fat Duck.
We debated signing up for T-Mobile WiFi service while in the United red-carpet club in Denver. Upon reflection It would have been a good choice. Our Hilton Hotel offers iBahn service for 15 Pounds for 24 hours. That is about $30 -- a little too steep for me -- we need to find an internet cafe instead. Had we signed up for a month of T-Mobile for $40, the daily charge would have been $7 instead. I think I’ll sign up when we find a cafe.
Today, instead of the nap we are both craving, we go to the “London Eye” a huge ferris wheel attraction with good views of the city. After that a bit of shopping in at Harrods in Knightsbridge. Dinner is Indian Samosas picked up at a Tube station, I can't even remember which station now.
Espresso note: Espresso at Harrods, interesting prep, almost no tamp, just level the PF and mount it up. Only a fair quality shot, the well aged, canned Illy beans are likely the cause.
We kick-off day two with a trip to the Gym at our hotel. 30 min on the bike in an attempt to hang on to some of the fitness I gained prior to departure. Now we head out for the Fat Duck.
We debated signing up for T-Mobile WiFi service while in the United red-carpet club in Denver. Upon reflection It would have been a good choice. Our Hilton Hotel offers iBahn service for 15 Pounds for 24 hours. That is about $30 -- a little too steep for me -- we need to find an internet cafe instead. Had we signed up for a month of T-Mobile for $40, the daily charge would have been $7 instead. I think I’ll sign up when we find a cafe.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
T -23 Hours and counting
Just a couple of last minute items to address.
Yesterday we got the Apple airplane seat power cable for the MacBook Pro. Only Apple can charge $58 for a simple cable.
We are taking a bunch movies on the Mac. I typically use Handbrake to convert DVDs to Quicktime AVC and copy them to the Mac, but ran into problems with new James Bond movie, Casino Royale. It turns out it uses a new form of copy protection that Handbrake trips over. I also tried Mac the Ripper with no luck. I finally resorted to the brute force method. A DVD player feeding a Canopus DV converter into Final Cut Pro. I am exporting to multi-pass, full-res, full frame rate, Quicktime now. It looks like it will take about 6 hours on a 2.16MHz MBP.
We are taking a bunch of electronics...
MacBook Pro
8 Gig Nano w/Nike Running toy
2 Gig Mini
2 quad-band cell phones
7" PocketDish
Canon SD630 Digital Camera
With the associated chargers and accessories it ends up being a bunch of stuff.
The weather is looking cooler than expected. We'll be taking a little more fleece then originally planned.
Kathy is hemming a pair of new travel pants. It's been a while since we used the sewing machine and had to break out the instructions to remember how to load the bobbin and thread it. A couple of last loads of laundry and we're ready to go.
Yesterday we got the Apple airplane seat power cable for the MacBook Pro. Only Apple can charge $58 for a simple cable.
We are taking a bunch movies on the Mac. I typically use Handbrake to convert DVDs to Quicktime AVC and copy them to the Mac, but ran into problems with new James Bond movie, Casino Royale. It turns out it uses a new form of copy protection that Handbrake trips over. I also tried Mac the Ripper with no luck. I finally resorted to the brute force method. A DVD player feeding a Canopus DV converter into Final Cut Pro. I am exporting to multi-pass, full-res, full frame rate, Quicktime now. It looks like it will take about 6 hours on a 2.16MHz MBP.
We are taking a bunch of electronics...
MacBook Pro
8 Gig Nano w/Nike Running toy
2 Gig Mini
2 quad-band cell phones
7" PocketDish
Canon SD630 Digital Camera
With the associated chargers and accessories it ends up being a bunch of stuff.
The weather is looking cooler than expected. We'll be taking a little more fleece then originally planned.
Kathy is hemming a pair of new travel pants. It's been a while since we used the sewing machine and had to break out the instructions to remember how to load the bobbin and thread it. A couple of last loads of laundry and we're ready to go.
Friday, March 16, 2007
European Vacation
We are now just three days until the start of our vacation. We are both still in work mode, tying up loose ends and finishing the last little details. Vacation mode will take a couple of days to kick in.
The itinerary is
3/19 -- Fly to London via Dulles
3/21 -- Lunch at The Fat Duck
3/22 -- Eurostar to Paris and TGV to Nice
3/25 -- TGV from Nice to Barcelona
3/29 -- Drive to Roses
3/29 -- Dinner at El Bulli
3/30 -- Night Train to Amsterdam
3/03 -- Train to Brussels
3/05 -- Fly home via Dulles
We will use this blog to update friends and family about the trip and keep a diary of our experiences.
The itinerary is
3/19 -- Fly to London via Dulles
3/21 -- Lunch at The Fat Duck
3/22 -- Eurostar to Paris and TGV to Nice
3/25 -- TGV from Nice to Barcelona
3/29 -- Drive to Roses
3/29 -- Dinner at El Bulli
3/30 -- Night Train to Amsterdam
3/03 -- Train to Brussels
3/05 -- Fly home via Dulles
We will use this blog to update friends and family about the trip and keep a diary of our experiences.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Colorado Snow storm
We had a little snow storm here a couple of days ago. We have about 40 inches in about 24 hours. Everything is shutdown.
We took the truck out and promptly got stuck. Electric lockers and 35" inch tires are no match for a pissed off Mother Nature. A quick tug from a neighbor was all it took to free us. Note to self: respect the snow.
Update: 6 weeks and 36" more snow later -- will this ever end?
Update 2: 15 March and 5 days of 65 degree later there is still snow in shaded areas.
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