Walkabout 2013 Day 13

I'm sorry I haven't posted more.  I still have a shit ton of pix from Faenza to upload.  But I have free WiFi at the Köln airport so I figured I would post while listening to sweet clean Norm.

So

How's it going by you?

Walkabout 2013 Day 9: Düsseldorf to Faenza

Since I’m working during the day in the ‘dorf, I haven’t had much of a chance to take pictures and explore.  It’s also been very rainy and dreary here.  It seems my power to bring sunshine and blue skies to Seattle does not also extend to Düsseldorf.

We got into Bologna too late to take any quality pictures on the ride from Bologna to Faenza.  But we did get to the hotel in time for yet another great meal.

A nice Albana made by the hotel/vineyard for the starter of pasta in broth.

Main course Sangiovese also made by the hotel.

The above mentioned pasta in broth.

Ridiculously good pork and radicchio.

Local salumi and cheeses.

Veggies.  Those tomatoes were the shiznit.

Berries and gelato

with biscotti – all homemade.

Cool picture.

Walkabout 2013 Day 5: Reims back to Düsseldorf

There was not much left to do in Reims before heading back to Düsseldorf but swing by the Cathedral and wonder how it was possible to build such a thing in the 1200s.  Oh, and Germany has funny city names.

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Eating Épernay: La Cave à Champagne

** Warning, the following blog post may contain images and descriptions of  extreme gastronomic hyperbole that sensitive readers may find offensive.  Reader discretion is advised. **

Holy fucking shit-snacks was that good.

Oysters tasting strongly of the Jersey shore bringing back memories of my childhood.  Both in a good way.

 

The best foie gras ever.  It was like drinking unicorn tears off an angel’s taint.

The leader in the clubhouse for tastiest dish of Walkabout 2013.  Coquille St. Jacques in a cream sauce the makes all other cream sauces retire in shame.

Perfectly cooked duck, the best potato gratin ever and a nice and interesting celery root purée.

A very nice cod, lentils and the same celery root purée.

 

And now an assortment of our everyone’s desserts.

 

Very much out of character for me, I went with the Crème brûlée.

It was very good.

Walkabout 2013 Day 4: Reims, Épernay and Cumières

I believe it is safe to say I have never had more Champagne than I had today.  With visits to three more Champagneries and two Champagne bars, it’s doubtful I’ll ever come close to drinking this much bubbly for the rest of my mortal days.

Champagneries* visited.

• Domaine Pommery (OK)
• Champagne Daniel Etienne (OK)
• Champagne Alain Suisse (Excellent)

Alas, today was the last day of Champagnerie visits.  If everyone promises no to alert US Customs, I’ll tell you that I’ll be bringing back seven bottles of Champagne and one bottle of Ritafia.  So I hope everyone is thirsty.

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* I’m making it a thing.

Walkabout 2013 Day 3: Reims and Rilly-la-Montagne

What a perfectly beautiful day for a bike ride through Champagne, even with an unintended detour through Ludes*.  The French don’t believe in signs that tell you where you should go to reach your destination.

We started the day biking over to the open market to stock up on charcuterie and cheeses, then had tastings at the following Champagneries (is that a thing?) in Rilly-la-Montagne.

• Champagne André Delaunois (Good)
• Champagne Michel Fagot (Very Good)
• Champagne Stéphane Herbert (OK)

By the way, those beautiful fields of yellow are rape fields.  The seeds of these flowers produce rapeseed oil which the Canadian government has marked in the US as Canola oil.

We then finished up the day with a dinner of the meats and cheeses we purchased at the market earlier washed down with a magnum of Michel Fagot in celebration of one our party’s new job (not me, so please don’t ask).

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* The original date-rape** drug

** Sorry about the rape theme of this posting.

Eating Reims: Côté Cousine

The first official dinner of Walkabout 2013 was at Côté Cousine in Reims.  Dinner there was strong to quite strong.

An amuse bouche of salmon soufflé and avocado.

 

My Starter: Duck foie gras.  While it was very good, it was but the second best foie gras of the weekend.

To continue with my desire to maximize the cruelty in my meal, I went with the veal chop.  Sorry Lindsay.

Dessert: Gormand Café

Walkabout 2013 Day 2: Düsseldorf to Reims

After flying into the dorf at 6am, there was not much that happened on day 1 besides napping, so there was no report.  Although I did have a very tasty bahn mi.

So on to day 2.

Apparently the town is pronounced Rans.  WTF.  The French don’t pronounce half their letters and the other half they don’t even pronounce correctly.  The day was highlighted by a great meal at Cote Cousine and drinking followed by more drinking and then more drinking.

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Finally Something We Can All Agree with the Germans About

Belgians Strive to be More American by Drinking Shitty Beer

I doubt I’ll be drinking either of these beer on my upcoming Euro-Walkabout 2013.

I’m also very excited the the double-fake Swedish Gordon Keith has found employment.