Rabbit – Beauperi Investments

Posted on August 5, 2017August 5, 2017 by beauperi · 1 Comment

Bus Tour of Brussels

Thursday, 3 August, 2017 – weather: rain and then slow improvement to a very good day

We had decided yesterday that we would take, belatedly, the bus tour around Brussels. When we get up it is raining hard and lowers the energy or will to go out. As the rain slows and stops, we decide to get up and go. We actually did not get wet at all. We walk all the way to Central Station which is about 30 minutes but the good thing is that it is mostly a down hill walk.

This plaza is virtually 100% road, spooking Julie a bit

We get to Central Station and there is a bus there picking up passengers. It is absolute chaos but we are OK as everyone that has gotten on has gone to the top deck so there are lots of seats available in the bottom area. We eventually get on and get a seat and the bus finally takes off. As per the other bus site seeing tours, there are no photos taken from the bus, except this one.

An impressive structure seen from the bus is the Atomium

Unlike our bus tours in Edinburgh, we hop off part way through, not at the Atomium but at an area near markets and a restaurant area recommended by our Airbnb Host. I was glad that we did.

An old market, not so interesting inside

There is frequently an outdoor market here but not today

At this stage my camera ran out of battery so I used the phone camera for the rest of the afternoon.

St Catherine’s and a major plaza in front of it

There are a number of nice looking takeaways and various crowded seating areas

We decide that we will take a look at some of the restaurants.

But we selected the next one along on the basis of its menu. Who would have guessed looking at this shop front

That there would be a magnificent garden setting out the back

Inside was pretty impressive too. The weather is improving all the time and we seem to have ended up in a real winner, including the menu which has so many things I could order. A few small extracts:

Carbonnade of Beef? No, I elect the Saddle of Rabbit with Flemish Sauce

There was also Eels in green sauce but I passed on that too.

We order a starter of shrimp croquettes to share. Tiny, baby shrimp within a potato mix, I think

Julie ordered smoked salmon with a salad as a main course

My saddle of Rabbit. A most interesting, piquant sauce

Our full mains with our Cotes du Rhone, delivered correctly today

We departed Restaurant Van Gogh feeling very satisfied, among the best meals of the whole trip. I wish we had discovered St Catherine’s Square much earlier in our stay in Brussels. No more photos from me today.

We walk back to the bus stop and after a long wait hop back on the next bus to complete the first tour of the day. Julie would like me to point out this interesting bit of recorded commentary regarding a statue of one of Brussels heroes and martyrs:

“He was decapitated and died shortly afterwards”.

We finish the tour at Central Station and cross the street to where there is another bus with a crowd around it. Julie finds out that it is indeed the one that goes on the other tour. Eventually the driver shows up and the usual chaos occurs but we get on the bus and it takes off.

This tour covers a lot of the area where we are staying. We hop off before it is finished at Luxemburg Square, not the country Luxemburg. This is a new area for Julie but with the help of / in spite of Google maps we make it back to the apartment.

A detailed description of our bus tours

I don’t need any more food for today after the big lunch. Julie goes out and grabs some more smoked salmon and on return makes another fried bread with salmon. Early to bed as we need to get up early tomorrow to leave town.

Posted on June 30, 2017 by beauperi · 2 Comments

Busy day around Piedmont

Sunday, 25 June, 2017 – Weather fine and nice

Today we have four activities around the area. But first get ready for the day.

the shower head is at the top of the top floor while the base is at the bottom floor

We proceed to the breakfast place.

The breakfast buffet is a pretty good spread of cold foods.

However, Julie points out that there is:

special omelet of ham, cheese and cherry tomatoes

We jump in the bus, later than wanted, and our first activity is a Truffle hunt lead by the region’s best truffle man and his dog Roki, scouring the forest for the world’s most expensive food ingredient (second actually as saffron beats it easily for cost).

Starting out on the truffle hunt, Roki is loved by all

an unusual way of protecting grapes from birds

It is a long walk through hill and dale and scrub. Nola and myself suffer with walking on that terrain. But it is worth it because Roki performs.

In all, five truffles were found, one of which was no good. Not a bad effort and better than we had done in Slovenia a few years ago. Nola and I are still suffering for the walk and had been given the leaders’ canes which helped a bit but on the walk back they decided that we would ride back in the car.

We were supposed to have a truffle tasting at the end of the hunt but the late start meant we had to get on the road to our next appointment a midday Guided Tour of the Barolo Castello, a wine museum. So we drive to Barolo.

There is a fast food market in the city square but we really don’t have enough time now for anything serious.

We meet our tour guide and go up to the top floor, outside where she explains a lot of what is going on in the museum. There are three floors each with a different theme. To be honest, most of us did not care for the museum which had some strange exhibits. The guide, lady, was difficult to understand. So just a couple of photos from inside.

There was one humourous incident inside. There was some kind of small merry-go-round which was driven by bicycle type pedals. Chris Love and Julie were the propellers and it was going so fast, Julie eventually tried to slow it down by peddling backwards, that did not work.

We exit the museum and have some time for food. We go into the square where there is the fast food market.

Spanish stall looked interesting but there was no one there

We moved over to a table near the beer stand where some of the others are sitting. I grab a beer.

a Ducati, a major part of Julie’s latest Oxford study

many of the group had gone to a restaurant near the bus stop

We then drive to a local winery in Barolo. The Host is very knowledgeable and friendly.

map of the Barolo wine area and our Host

The Host shows us 4 different wines, the last being an Australian type blend. Then it is time for a helicopter ride. There are 5 groups of 4, we are the first group. I did not get a photo of the chopper but took lots in the air. Here are some.

That was a lot of fun even though I could not hear the pilot through my headphones. We await the other 4 groups and then drive back to the base. Most everybody, including me, jump in the pool and generally yahoo around. Lots of gin and tonics, beers, white wine, etc. The girls do some singing which leaves a little bit to be desired.

Dinner that night is at the Hotel with Capo booking 7 tables of two. In fact, there are 8 tables.

Good food. Then it is off to bed after a very busy day.

Posted on June 9, 2017June 12, 2017 by beauperi · 1 Comment

St Halletts Fresh Feast Lunch

Thursday, 20 April, 2017

St Hallett’s Website

We have been to a number of St Hallett’s wine tasting events in various locations in Melbourne over the years and gotten to know Stewart Blackwell, the long time head Winemaker. Now he describes himself as chief bottle washer or something like that. Four years ago we went to a long lunch at St Halletts that was really great so we decided we would go to this version this year.

First, the girls go out for a look around the activities in Tanunda.

We catch a taxi to St Halletts for obvious reasons. It is a gloomy, sometimes rainy day but they have set-up a large marquis in the garden which keeps us warm and dry.

In the marquis. That is Stewart Blackwell at the front explaining things

Hugh in action. Note the rain outside and the heater next to Hugh

The very impressive menu. Wines are pretty good too

The Duck appetiser was quite good but I passed on the Haloumi with beetroot. Then it was time for the main courses.

As Butch Cassidy used to say “Who are those guys?”

Stewart Blackwell enjoying proceedings and the Old Block

Note the Imperial of the 2003 Old Block – very nice

All in all a very impressive meal with lots of good wines. Well done Stewart and the St Halletts team, we will likely be back in two years time.

We catch a taxi back to the farm and I do not recall us doing anything else the rest of the day.

Posted on June 12, 2015June 13, 2015 by beauperi

A Music Surprise

Thursday, 11 June, 2015

This is to be a very quiet day albeit with a twist. At breakfast Colin makes a dish that we agreed upon the night before from the leftover potatoes and Toulouse sausage.

At 11:00 each day we had a health drink, either fruit or vegetable.

Bone Marrow organised by Doug earlier in the week picked up by the girls

Lunch spread - mostly salads — Lunch spread – mostly salads

Doug's Cured Salmon — Doug’s Cured Salmon

Colin had indicated that we would be heading out to a pub at 5:00. Julie was not yet back from her pedicure so I was worried she would not be able to find us. Instead, Colin said we would be staying in and we would be listening to jazz music.

http://mariecarrie.com/

Canapes - Blue Cheese and Honey — Canapes – Blue Cheese and Honey

I have not put a video in these Blogs before but I will attempt this one. One can see that the quality of my videos easily surpasses my photos, on the down side.

The band played for 2.5 hours with two breaks in between. We liked them and would recommend. Then it was time for dinner.

Main of Pork Fillet Bordelaise with Bone Marrow

Trio of chocolate, prunes and Julie's Armagnac — Trio of chocolate, prunes and Julie’s Armagnac

Very good wine, food and company

Posted on June 11, 2015 by beauperi · 1 Comment

Cooking Lesson – Pate and Terrain (sic)

Wednesday, 10 June, 2015

Today, there is the first cooking lesson from Doug. Julie and some others elect to have a massage instead. There are six of us attending the lesson. We are not doing Pate or Terrain (sic) but instead Rillettes – Rabbit and Salmon.