Quick Trip To London

Had a few hours to spare after we got our bags dropped of at Heathrow Airport and we decided to head to London for a little walk. We still had our carry-on luggage and decided to take the train to one of the stations which had wheelchair access and ended up at Green Park station. 

We found ourselves next to the Ritz London and we saw a whole lot of really high-end stuff. The food around here seems to have strong French influences and most were either bakeries or cafes. The restaurants around the area just seemed too posh for the way we were dressed.

After a short walk and some pictures, dad and I had a quick dinner at Patisserie Valerie (very cool server) before we had to head back to Heathrow. We wanted to leave the area before rush hour started but we still had to rush into the train and some people had the same idea. Thank goodness for the frequency of trains, and that some people could only take the train heading to Uxbridge. 

Last Of The Italians

After packing most things in Grandpa's house, we had to get dinner and I thought we might try another Italian restaurant, Enzo, that I spotted while on our bus rides around town. It was a short walk away, and we got it just as it started to drizzle. 

At the table was a small bowl of olives, which dad and I just ate while we waited for our orders to be taken and arrive. We got the Duck Salad and Mussels that was listed on their specials board. Dad chose the Penne Amatriciana, while I asked for a Spaghetti Aglio Olio con Pepperoncino, and chose a Tiramisu for dessert. We were both really hungry and it was a good thing the food arrived just as we finished the olives. 

The salad was simply flavoured with shaved Parmesan and a lovely drizzle of balsamic vinegar, balancing the sweetness of the duck and the peppery Rocket. Dad was just looking forward to the pasta and mussels and I was lucky enough to get almost the whole salad to myself. The mussels soon came and dad was raving about the bread served with it. It must be mussel season around here, and so the mussels are all quite plump and sweet. The bread they served with it definitely tells you how good their pizzas will be. It was soft on the inside, with a really crisp shell, and it sopped up the lovely tomato-infused mussel sauce really well. Dad wanted to order another order of the bread but stopped himself as his pasta was brought to him. 

Their Amatriciana was absolutely perfect with enough sweetness and a slight zing from the tomato sauce, the richness and saltiness from the bacon, with that lovely touch of spice from chillies. It was so good, dad did not bother too much with the mussels after. My pasta was a little disappointing. The pasta lacked flavour, like someone forgot to salt the water, and the garlic did not cook long enough to give a nice fragrance to the whole dish. Good thing was I had the lovely mussel sauce which I used to add flavour to my pasta. 

Finally, we finished the dinner with their tiramisu, which was soft, smooth but a little too sweet. The ladyfingers were well-infused with coffee and liqueur, mascarpone was thick and creamy. I would say this would be second place when compared to the other tiramisu we have had during our stay here. 

Bit Of Fun In This Old Town

Everyone was talking about the Weymouth Beach Motorcross event for the past week, and even the guest house we were staying in was at full capacity for the weekend. There were some events along the esplanade yesterday afternoon, also a lot more motorbikes running around town, both livening up the usually quiet beach.

Dad and I were on our way to get the bus to the Weymouth Sealife Adventure Park but ended up watching a few races. It was quite fun and exciting, and there were a few close calls when as some bikes got stuck in sand, others trying to pass the stuck bikes, some falling at the bottom of a mound and almost being squashed by the bikes trying to fly past. There was sand being blown everywhere (still wondering if the child's ice cream had an extra crunch) and some bikes even started smoking after crashing. The atmosphere was a big difference from the rest of the week, very lively with supporters laughing at their friends who fell while racing, and the bikes were loud!

We did not stay for the rest of the races, but we managed to catch the happy winners walking off with their trophies when we took shelter from the bad weather at the Weymouth Pavilion.

Supermarket Education

I had been wondering if I could grow samphire after having some in the bowl of mussels the other day, and I found out I most likely would not be able to while on a walk around Morrisons today. While looking around for interesting things to cook with, I came across this and realised why it fit so well in the mussel dish. It tasted a little like coriander and parsley, took on the flavours of mussels really well, and was a little saltier than the mussels. Now I know why it was saltier than the rest of the dish. 

Best Dorset Cream Tea Ever!

The bus that stops at the Portland Bill Lightbouse only operates during the summer, and the closest bus stop is too far away for a walk in the current unpredictable weather. Since we still had the car for a few hours, dad and I took the opportunity to have lunch at The Lobster Pot, which is just next to the lighthouse. 

Grandpa was the one who first took us to the Lobster Pot for lunch, and it was here that I had my very first scone in England. It is also the same time I had my very first taste of clotted cream - EVER! Every trip back to England since that first taste, I have returned here just to have their Dorset cream tea, but I also cannot forget to mention that their AWESOME crab dishes - crab salad, crab cakes and crab sandwiches - anyone of which can fill you up, so save space for dessert!

One thing is guaranteed about their scones, and that is they are freshly baked. You can smell it in the air around the restaurant, feel it as you cut through it, and taste it once you take your first bite. Spread a nice thick layer of the buttery clotted cream, add just a smear of strawberry cream. Then all that is left is to take a bite and let the fireworks explode in your mind. 

Om Nom Nom....

Final Resting Place

We left Weymouth right after breakfast and drove as fast as possible (trying not to go over the speed limit) to Lymington. It was important that we did not miss our Wightlink ferry to the Isle of Wight as today we were interring Grandpa's ashes. His wish was to have his ashes interred next to Grandma's and that was in Northwood Cemetery, which is also where most of Grandpa's family is buried. 

After picking Granduncle Geoff from his home, he directed us to the cemetery, and we met up with the funeral directors from the Co-operative Funeralcare and the volunteer from the Friends of Northwood. Everything had been prepared and all we had to do was pass them the casket and whatever else we wanted buried. We managed to find Grandpa's first pair of shoes and they placed it nicely with his ashes. There was a short prayer read, and we each took turns to throw in a little bit of soil as we let him rest in peace. 

We also found a rather unique picture of them that had been printed on ceramic, and mom thought it was the best thing to put at the grave as it would be able to withstand the weather for a few years. We asked them to set it into the ground as they covered up the grave and it was done really nicely. 

The only thing we forgot was to get some flowers. 

Awesome Crab Pasta

After mom and sis left to catch their flights home, dad and I rented as we would need to leave early for the Isle of Wight tomorrow. After getting things settled, we decided to take a trip to Portland and I was looking forward to eating at the Crab House Cafe that was along the route. Sadly, it was closed for their mid-day break, but the nice chef recommended a place down the road at Chesil Beach. 

We found ourselves trying to find the driest and highest parking spot (flood warning signs everywhere) next to the Chesil Beach Centre. After struggling with flying doors, errant parking tickets, and just fighting the wind that was trying to keep me away from the centre, I finally got there and we were just in time to put in one of the last orders of the day. 

Taste Cafe shares its premises with the Chesil Beach Centre and while we waited for our order to arrive, we had a quick walkabout, learning some really interesting information about the area. I got a bowl of their soup, which happens to be a hearty vegetable one for today, a pot of tea, and their Crab and Prawn Linguine. Since we have not had any food since breakfast, the hot food was a warm welcome for our stomachs. The soup was a simple mix of seasonal vegetables, served with a crusty, yet soft, cheese scone. The people around Portland sure know how to make their scones! The scone and soup could have been a meal in itself, but I had to share it with that once I had a taste of my pasta. 

The crab pasta was simple, well seasoned, and it just allowed the flavour of the crab and prawns to shine through  The portion was also quite big, and thus, I was pushing dad to finish the rest of the soup. This bowl of pasta is something I would definitely battle the winds, and even a flood for. These people in Portland sure know how to use their crab meat too!

Om Nom Nom...

Back For More

I almost always post photos of the food I eat and one of them was a pot of mussels dad and I had finished the other night. It was followed the next day with another photo of the lunch we had, which also included mussels. The pictures got my sister craving a little for mussels, and when I told her that one Il Porto had her favourite pasta, the Puttanesca, she was all in for a stroll to Brewers Quay. 

We head there for dinner this time and the entrance was still a little dim even with the lights on. The waiters still happy and really friendly. I spotted the chef, who looked as grumpy as he did before, but smiled a little when he realised dad and I returned with more people in tow. The waiter who served us before brought the specials board over and got our drinks order while we decided on what to eat. 

Other than the mussels and Linguine Puttanesca (that came with spaghetti instead), we decided on getting a Scallop and Prawn pasta that was listed on their specials board, as well as a Spaghetti Bologna. The food did not disappoint, and the mussels were actually fatter and sweeter than the ones we had for our previous visit. Must have been something about the change in weather that made all the seafood a lot sweeter, and the seafood dishes were all on the specials boards, so they must be there for that good reason. 

The pastas arrived a little later and my sister was really happy with her the puttanesca. She would have probably finished the whole plate by herself if she did not intend to try the other pastas, or eaten half the bowl of mussels already. The pasta had little bits of anchovies, was randomly dotted with capers, and had enough olives for every forkful. The sauce clung nicely to the pasta, and every mouthful was had a slightly different intensity of flavours from the next. The sauce for the spaghetti bologna was different but just as rich, cut through by the acidity from tomatoes, which balanced perfectly against the sweetness from the meat, onions and garlic. 

One thing I love about their pastas is that the sauces are not too watery and you get all the sauce you need clinging to every mouthful of pasta. No need for extra bread, a spoon, or worry about splattering sauce all over your clothes. 

The last dish was one of the specials for the day, done simply with just garlic, basil and white wine for the sauce. I loved this dish the most as I prefer my oil-based sauces most. Give me an Aglio Olio over any tomato, pesto or cream sauce any day (and everyday)! The only bad thing was the breadcrumb mix on the scallop had absorbed a little too much alcohol, which gave a shocking sharp assault to the nasal passage. Well that was easily resolved by pushing the mixture aside and just enjoying the lovely scallop beneath. 

Dinner had to end with their tiramisu, and since dad said he could finish one by himself, we decided to have two orders of it. 

Om Nom Nom....

Time To Say Goodbye

It has been over a month since Grandpa passed away, and the day has finally come for us to say goodbye. The day started out wet, and we were hoping that the rain would go away before the funeral started but it seem to be getting heavier as we looked for all his photo and medals for his memorial. Finally, when it was time for us to head over to the church, the heavy rain lightened to just a drizzle. 

We got to the church and it felt a little odd when everyone turned around as we walked into the hall, but I guess some were curious as to what the family looked like since most have never met us. The requiem mass was done according to Grandpa's wishes, and it felt solemnly grand. Eulogy was given by Father Stephen Geddes, who peppered it with some interesting details that even we did not know about. The weather cleared up while we were in church, and the sun came out as his coffin was brought out to the hearse. The bishop and deacons said their final prayers as we all shed the tears we had been holding back, then it was time to head to the crematorium. 

It was a short ride to the crematorium and only a few friends came to see him off. I thought it was odd that Pearl asked if they could come to the crematorium, but I think only family usually attends this bit. He was brought into the hall with "Don't Worry, Be Happy" playing, and I think it lifted everyone's spirits. In attendance were Grandpa's old navy friend, his fellow inmates from Swannery Court, Ray, Pearl and Paddy, and Father Geddes saying the last goodbyes and prayers. Everything was over and "Time to Say Goodbye" started to play. 

I did not realise they cleared everything from the coffin until I saw the yellow rose and carnation spray outside with Grandps's name behind it. We did not really know what to do with it and decided to leave it with the church instead. We then head back to the church, where all the others had stayed, to attend the wake. I was really looking forward to the food because we had not eaten anything since breakfast and the day had been draining, however, we still had to "entertain" the people who came to mourn Grandpa. The were those who were genuine, and those who just wanted to get some gossip, but I just stuck to eating and whoever wanted to interrupt me, tried while I stuffed my hungry self. 

Once everyone left, we made our way back to the room and were quite glad that everything was done and all went well. Now we were just left with interning his ashes. 

Another Italian Meal

My mom and sister arrived late last night, and since we could not do anything in Grandpa's apartment during the weekend, we got them a pair of FirstWeek passes and went exploring. After finding almost everything in Weymouth closed after breakfast, we decided to head to Dorchester as I read that there was a car boot sale on. My sister also wanted to get her shopping list cleared and she had all the shops she wanted in that town. 

After she got her shopping done, we needed lunch and was thinking of eating at The Horse with the Red Umbrella but it was closed. We ended up at Prezzo at Judge Jeffrey's as it looked like it was the only restaurant that served something other than sandwiches. 

For starters, we got the Proscuitto and Melon, and their Calamari. Did not think that I was supposed to share my melon, but mom decided she wanted to get in on the delicious salty-sweet pairing. My sister had the Lobster and Crab Tortelli, dad chose the Spaghetti Bolognese, while mom and I shared the Penne Arrabiatta with the addition of Buffalo Mozzarella, and the Spaghetti with Lobster. Other than dad sticking to his own plate of pasta, the rest of us ended up swapping plates as all the dishes were so good, and that goodness NEEDED to be shared!

After having the Tiramisu at Piccola Italia and Il Porto, we had to try one from here as well just to compare. We also ordered their Citrus Tart just to try something different. Both desserts were a bit disappointing, and mom was the harshest critic of all. The tiramisu was obviously cut from a big tray, and this one was a little dry. Even the mascarpone layer was a little dry, which made some mouthfuls a little grainy. I wanted the citrus tart to be a little more tart, but it was just slightly too sweet. The crust was thick and sweet, which is fine, but with the thick layer of the sweet lemon curd, it was a little too sweet in the end. Dad, however, found it perfect for his sweet tooth and finished it all. 

Om Nom Nom...

Bottled Beefy Goodness

Went out exploring this morning with our FirstWeek pass, and on our way back from Dorchester, we decided to stop at Pets At Home to get something for Adi's cat. The same area also had a Tesco housed in the next building, and since we had to wait about thirty minutes for the next bus, we decided to get some supplies. 

We realised that supermarkets in England stocked Bovril with the products to make stock and sauces, and we finally found the bigger bottles of Beef Bovril in stock. I was considering clearing the shelf but I was saving baggage limits for the squeezy bottle versions. In the end, we still bought ten bottles as there are too many people back home that actually love the one with Beef and not some yeast paste. 

Also, after making my version of Ajitama Tamago, I need Bovril for great tasting marinate to make some awesome eggs for ramen. Three loves in one bowl.... Mmmmm.....

More Italian Food

Dad and I got ourselves the First Dorset Weekly pass today and were exploring the Portland area by bus as we were thinking of heading to Portland Bill. The weather got bad as we got closer and everyone on that bus decided to head back to Weymouth. Once we got back, I told dad I wanted to go look for the other Italian restaurant I was thinking of eating at, and that we could also explore the area as it was supposed to have some interesting shops. 

We take the bus to the town bridge and take a walked a short distance to get to Brewers Quay, and before I could point out Il Porto, dad saw the sign for a D-Day Museum and HAD to go in. It obviously was a small museum as he came out in about ten minutes. I wondered if his stomach was growling, as he should have taken a much longer time in that museum.

Anyway, we get into Il Porto, which has a really badly lit entrance, and were greeted by a pair of really happy wait staff even though it was almost time to close for their mid-day break. We end up ordering the Prawn and Crab Penne, White Wine Mussels and a Tiramisu from their special menus, and only the Fusilli Arrabiatta from the main menu. 

Everything was awesome! The mussels were really fat and sweet, and their flavours blended perfectly with the onions, white wine and samphire. The penne had me wondering if there was any crab in it, but with every mouthful, you were guaranteed that it is THE main ingredient in the sauce. I have a feeling they used a whole crab for each plate of pasta. The two prawns on top did end up looking like decoration on the dish though. The fusilli was really flavourful and I could taste the bit of spice in it. I thought was much nicer than the one from last night, and dad agreed but I think it was because they used bacon here instead. 

Had to finish the meal with a "standard" Italian dessert and this one came looking quite standard, like a piece cut out of from a big tray in the refrigerator. However, ladyfingers were well soaked and full of flavour, the rich mascarpone still soft and creamy, and well balanced. The whipped cream on the side would help make it lighter if you preferred it as such, but I liked it nice and rich as it was. 

Definitely coming back. Om Nom Nom...

Birthday Dinner

It has been a crazy month since we learnt of Grandpa's passing and things were dragging on so long that I thought we were going to have the funeral today. However, we had to push the funeral a few more days because my sister could not fly in that quickly (thankfully). Anyway, the day was uneventful, and I was looking at a few places to have dinner because I wanted pasta. I found a few places and we ended up at Piccola Italia for dinner. 

We were greeted by a really friendly waiter with a really cool afro, had our coats hung up and got to choose the table we wanted. Guess it was a quiet night compared to the reviews I had read. I already knew what I wanted as I had gone throughout the menu while looking at the website and dad decided to just let me choose everything and just share. 

So I ordered their Mussels, Penne Arrabiata and a Tiramisu. I forgot to tell them not to add cream to the mussels but I was lucky it was actually cream and not milk, so it didn't affect me much. The Ciabatta was really nice, and I was considering ordering another one but the portions are quite big and pasta was on its way. The pasta sauce was good, but the chicken just did not do well with the whole mixture, probably because it was a bit too chunky. However, it was a good thing we skipped the bread because dad was really filled up after the pasta, but as always, had room for dessert.  

Dessert was a strange one. I think they made it to order but they did not let the ladyfingers soak in enough liquid. The balance of flavours was lovely, but the ladyfingers were still hard and we had to be a little cautious breaking them to fit on our spoons. To think we let it sit a little while more as I took photos and they were still hard. Well, it still tasted good though. 

Om Nom Nom...

Cheap Spider Prevention

We were walking around town this morning and popped into the florist to have a look if they might have any seeds and bulbs we could grow later. The staff there were really friendly and were not bothered by us just having a look. What caught our eye was this box of horse chestnuts and the sign with it. We had to ask how they used it as I only know it was either eaten, or used by Brendan for a childhood game. The nice lady explained to us that you just had to leave one chestnut in any corner that spiders might like to comfortable in and they will not go near it. Some people say you might need to drill or poke a hole in them - possibly to release something that the spiders dislike. Anyway, if you have a spider problem, these nuts might just be a good, eco-friendly, and rather long-term solution. 

Breakfast Of Champions

After the long journey we had, dad and I went to bed right after settling into our room at the Charlotte Guest House. We woke up quite early the next morning, too early for breakfast in fact. There was no clue what breakfast we would have, but I was happy to just have scrambled eggs and toast. Once we head down to the small dining area, we were met by Martin who made our order of two large English breakfasts. 

I really did not expect to have breakfast with such an interesting presentation. Toast was well buttered, everything hot, and the eggs were fried with lovely soft yolks. The rest of the table was simply set too. A bowl with instant coffee, tea and sugar, a thermal pot with hot water and a small jug of milk for you to make your hot drink the way you like it. Another small bowl had condiments, while another had jams to spread on your toast, and also a jug of orange juice to accompany the rich breakfast. 

This is definitely a good start for every day. 

Om Nom Nom...

Still Travelling

Dad and I have just completed the flight from Singapore to London which took about thirteen hours and now we are on the next leg of our journey to Weymouth. We have got two bus rides to go; one to Bournemouth then onwards to Weymouth. 

Sitting at the back of the bus reminded me of the bus trip from Paris that Angie, Adi and I took almost one year ago. Oddly enough, that trip to England and Paris was the only trip here that was an actual holiday. 

Time to get a bit more sleep.