Small Talk: Don't Tell Jeffrey!

[grisgris]

My father is moving (voluntarily) into a nursing home, so my siblings and I have been cleaning out the old family homestead. I found some odds and ends of a Le Creuset set that I guess my dad brought for my mother (deceased.) They are an orange red color and I have no idea how old they are, but are in excellent condition. I only recall Mom using only one of the Dutch ovens. The great thing is that they are all small-sized, including the frying pans. I'd say about 1 qt. maximum and 7"-8". Those are the ideal size for me, both for cooking and storage.

 

One of the saucepans still has the LC sticker on it. I'd like to remove it but don't want to ruin the surface. Any ideas?

[mousie]

Hi GrisGris,

 

Is the saucepan completely covered in enamel? If so I would try soaking in some soapy water for a couple of hours. Of course if there is any exposed plain cast iron that would not want to soak the whole pan. So maybe use a soapy sponge directly on the sticker. If

that doesn't loosen it, then try something Goo Gone. Test it on the bottom of the first to make sure it doesn't harm the finish.

 

LC's are pretty near indestructible.

 

Hope your Dad settles in well in the new home.

Edited June 18, 2015 by mousie

[Bastet]

Any feasts planned for Father's Day?  My dad's deadline for telling me what he wants for dinner is this evening, so I can go pick stuff up tomorrow (I don't get anywhere near the markets on weekends).  My mom made crab cakes for his birthday dinner Tuesday per his request, so we'll see what he comes up with for Sunday.  Oftentimes, he grills his own Father's Day steak and I make the sides.

 

I don't yet know where I'm taking him for breakfast, either; with all the June gloom we've been having this year, the beach may be out.

[jcbrown]

I've used Goo Gone on enameled Le Creuset with no damage. What a fun find!

[chessiegal]

Ina posted this on her FB page about her assistant Lidey.

 

http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a42849/lideys-grilled-tuna-steaks-with-wasabi-mayo/

 

[Bastet]

My dad is dealing with some new health problems lately, all of which are manageable, but managing involves a protracted trial-and-error process to get it right.  In the midst of that process, he tends not to feel all that great in the mornings, and thus opted to skip our usual Father's Day breakfast trip.  My mom skipped her Mother's Day breakfast this year because she was recuperating from surgery.  My parents are old, y'all.  But I can't complain about getting to sleep in.

 

My dad has requested hamburgers and onion rings for dinner (his initial response to "do you want fries or onion rings with the burgers?" was "both," heh), so I get off quite easy tonight (and that sounds good).  I'm going to throw in a caprese salad and call it a meal.  My parents and I both got our tomato plants in late this year, so ours are green, but a neighbor who was more on the ball has gifted me with a few ripe beauties since I missed the farmers' market this week.  My basil plant made it through the winter beautifully and is huge, and a local deli makes to-die-for fresh mozzarella, so I'm all set.  I'm also going to pick up a pepper jack cheese for the burgers.

[Lura]

Bastet, your dad should be feeling much better after that cheeseburger and onion rings.   It sounded wonderful to me.

 

I have a minor bone to pick with Ina.  In several spots across the web, there are pictures of Ina with a teasing headline (think tabloid) saying that she has "confessed" to something.  The story is about Ina detailing "the worst year of my life."  It's clearly a come-on to get you to read the article.  The worst year of Ina's life turns out to be the year she didn't know what to do next.  She had ended her specialty food store and needed something else to do but didn't know what.  The next year, she wrote her first cookbook.

 

Now, you know I like Ina, but that story turned me off.  If that's the worst year she's ever spent, she's lived a charmed life -- or so it seems to me.  I don't know about you, but I can think of years when there have been personal disappointments, even tragedies and health-related problems that far surpassed merely lolling around the house for a year.  It struck me as publicity overkill.  I know that someone will say, "But Ina loves to work."  Fine.  But does not working make a year the WORST year of her life?  Gee!

Edited June 22, 2015 by Lura

[chessiegal]

Lura, those headlines you see are come-ons to get hits on their site. There's no reason to believe a single word in them.

[larapu2000]

We had a garage sale this weekend, and although I didn't bend over backwards on the food (tacos, but with fresh guac and salsa), I did make cupcakes with Swiss Meringue frosting and I used Martha Stewart's recipe, and I have to admit that I wasn't crazy about the overall vanilla flavor of it.  The cake was good, it was a little denser than I like, but I think if I sub cake flour for the AP the recipe called for, that will solve that issue.  Does anyone have a Swiss buttercream recipe they prefer or have tinkered with?  I would prefer one that used real vanilla bean, but if it's got good vanilla flavor, I'm definitely interested.  I know it's a pain in the ass to make, but that is one of the ultimate kind of things that is worth the effort involved!  (IMO)  I'd also love a recommendation for a chocolate buttercream as well.

 

I ended up taking my dad to a restaurant for Father's Day because it had been an exhausting couple of weeks, cooking-wise.  I did bring him about 12 cupcakes, though, so he is a happy happy man. 

 

Thanks again to everyone for the recommendations on food to make for my cousin that just had twins!  I made individual meat loaves (so she could freeze and thaw/bake as she needed), pulled pork (she could make it into carnitas for tacos or add bbq for sandwiches), and Ina's chicken pot pie.  Both her and my aunt were gushing over the pot pie!  I found foil containers in the cake pan/cookie sheet aisle at my grocery store that were nice and deep, but with a foil/paper lid like you get with Chinese takeout sometimes, and they worked really well to make smaller pot pies (although not individual size).  I was able to get 3 out of the recipe, and using the foil pans made the pastry super easy to roll out, all I had to do was keep it in a rectangular shape!

 

I think I'm going to make another lasagna and more meatballs next time, and maybe make 2 kinds of meatballs-one for spaghetti, and one with turkey/chicken and maybe Swedish style.  She also loves French Onion soup, I'm sure that freezes fairly well, and now that summer is well underway (despite what all this rain is trying to tell me), it might be time for a large batch of pasta salad.

[Lura]

Thanks for the heads up on those websites, chessiegal and stewedsquash.   The story about Ina, though, was on the first page of AOL and was not marked as an advertisement (as AOL does, to save you the trouble of clicking on it).  Is that still the same thing?  I didn't think so.  AOL has pretty strict standards where ads are concerned.

[annzeepark914]

Hope everyone's having better summer weather than our neck of the woods.  The humidity is horrendous.  But, I've been thinking about an open faced Scandinavian sandwich I had in Paris and wanted to recreate it so that's what I did today.  I bought a few slices of Nova Scotia salmon (after taking out a loan at the bank next door to the deli), came home and made my new sammie.  I separated a slice of Panini Slims bread from Trader Joe's.  Then mixed some TJ's Greek whole yogurt and regular sour cream, added some sea salt, white pepper & garlic powder, then shredded cucumber and a little red onion.  I spread that yogurt/sour cream mixture on each slice of the panini slim and topped with slices of the Nova, and then placed paper thin slices of cucumber and red onion on top of that and a little shredded Boston lettuce (since I couldn't get watercress), sprinkled some sea salt and black pepper and voila!  It was so much better than what I originally had.  That Nova is the best I've ever had (should be--it was $34/lb which is why I only got two very thin slices!)  I need to find a cheaper source for nova cause I love this sammie ;>)

[larapu2000]

I love recreating dishes I loved from trips!  I just spent 4 days for work in Salt Lake City, and we had some amazing food there.  Our favorite spot was the Log Haven Inn, and we ordered their "Alpine Nachos," which were homemade potato chips topped with sauteed wild mushrooms and topped with fontina cheese and speck, then drizzled with truffle oil.  Fantastic, I'm now obsesssed.  We also went to a place famous for its mole, and I'm inspired to finally try my hand at it!  Does anyone have any suggestions for good mole recipes?

[biakbiak]

I have had good luck with several of Rick Bayless's mole recipes, he has two online one for black mole and one for red.

Edited July 16, 2015 by biakbiak

[Joan van Snark]

Have been recently watching the older episodes on Youtube--forgot how much I used to love Ina and this show!

 

I have a rather specific question that I hope someone might be able to answer--- Ina almost always goes with clean white or solid colored plates.  However, I have noticed on several occasions that she has used these very pretty white plates that have small blue flowers and green leaves or dots painted around the rim.  I am assuming these are dessert plates as she is usually serving cake or some type of dessert on them.  I will try to find a screen shot of them.

 

Anyone remembers the dishes I am referring to?  I am sure they are wildly expensive but maybe not? 

 

Also, I love love love the silver bowls Ina uses for her sauces and dips.  So simple, elegant and classy.  I saw once that at least one of them is monogrammed.  Does anyone know if these are sterling silver or plated silver?  Where can I get them or a good substitute?

 

Finally, I find myself really paying attetion to her house as I watch.  I love the gleaming honey colored pine floors you can see behind her in the shots where she is cooking on the burner.  Has her house ever been photographed for one of the shelter magazines that anyone knows?  I much prefer the episodes in her home kitchen rather than the barn.  The barn is too austere and not enough color for me.

[larapu2000]

I'm not sure if Ina uses silver plated or all silver, but I am constantly seeing silver plated or silver serving ware at flea markets, usually for around $5-25 depending on the size.  They can be an excellent deal.

 

I just had a visit to Nashville, and had brunch at Monells.  They had fantastic collard greens with tomatoes.  Does anyone have a recipe recommendation for something like this?  Or just for greens, I think I'm finally brave enough to make them!

[MerBearHou]

If I recall, Ina loves using "hotel silver" for her bowls which are heavy silver plated pieces and have a nice solid feel -- they actually looks better the more "weathered" they get.  I've searched for her particular hotel silver and never found it. 

[vera charles]

Straight off of Ina's FAQ page:

 

http://www.barefootcontessa.com/faqs.aspx

 

Where can I find Ina's silver bowls?

The bowls are old hotel silver that have been re-silver-plated. They're from a wonderful company called Hotel Silver. They're antiques, so you can't be sure of any particular dish but Hotel Silver is sold at Bergdorf Goodman in NY City on the 6th floor and online at CassandrasKitchen.com. I like them because they're the kind of silver you can use every day.

[chessiegal]

Many thanks to those who have visited and shared their trips to Paris. I have taken notes. We are planning on a trip to Europe next spring/summer, exact dates TBD. We're going to train from DC to NYC, Queen Mary II to South Hampton, visit London, train to France, visit D-Day US beach where my Dad landed on day 12, Provence, and Paris, fly home. I'm hip deep in travel guides, and we're having so much fun planning our trip. Any helpful hints are appreciated.

[vera charles]

That sounds like a great trip, chessiegal. I have no advice, since I have never been to France, but I would love to live vicariously and hear details about your trip.

[Bastet]

How long will you be in London?  That’s one of my favorite cities. (And, of course, Paris is nothing to sneeze at, either.)

 

Are you doing the Southampton route because of the D-Day connection (since it was one of the primary departure points) or just because you’d rather cruise than fly?

 

As a Seinfeld fan, I can’t ride the Eurostar train (connecting England and France) without hearing “Everybody out of the Chunnel,” but it’s a fun trip.  Good food and wine, too, for a train.

Edited August 16, 2015 by Bastet

[chessiegal]

We don't have any set time frames anywhere at this point. We're retired, so we have no time limits. My husband took a trip to Vienna for business about 9 years ago, and brought home his leftover Euros with the idea at some point he'd finally talk me into going abroad to spend them. I really don't like to fly, can't sleep on an airplane, and the times I've flown to Europe, had such bad jet lag, the first day there was ruined for me. I love going on cruise ships, so the deal was I would go over if we could take the Queen Mary II. I've been to London once on business, and had a chance to do some sightseeing. I want to go back to the Tower of London. Other than that we haven't thought too much about London.

 

I've been reading Rick Steve's Paris, and have a rather good idea of what we want to see there. I think we will fly home from Paris. I fly medicated, so I'll be okay, and flights home are during the day, so we can crash when we get home.

 

The women in my club travel  a lot. I found a travel agent that 2 of them have used and really like. I'm going to give her a call this week. I think it's not too early to start planning. Another friend in the club took the QMII recently, so she's filled me in on what to expect from that. We're hip deep in travel guides from the library, and really looking forward to this. While it's not the reason we are taking the trip, our 20th wedding anniversary is next year, so it seems like a fun way to celebrate.

[annzeepark914]

@chessiegal:  Your trip sounds wonderful!  Will you be driving in France or taking a train? One thought: go in springtime while it's still cool.  They don't turn on the AC in hotels in Europe until they deem it's necessary (I don't know what American hotel over there do, though). And this may sound goofy but my favorite "souvenir" from Paris is that glass replica of the Eiffel Tower filled with e.v.o.o.  It sits on my kitchen counter near the stove & a bowl of tomatoes and makes me smile (smiling from memories of a nice visit to Paris and how I had to elbow my way to the cashier at the Chas de Gaulle duty-free shop to pay for it; just about crawled out of the shop afterward.  Great memory!)

[chessiegal]

I think we'll be doing a combination of trains and driving in France. I love riding on trains. One of my friends has been to France twice in the last 3 years, and both times got caught in train strikes. Rick Steves talkis in his guide books about the French penchant for strikes, and to not be surprised if one happens while you are there. He also talks often in his Paris guide about pick pockets and other scams.

[larapu2000]

Rick Steves is my European godfather.  In my opinion, the man can do no wrong in his recommendations and tips.  I think his best tip is "travel like you'll be back," meaning, don't pack 500 things into one day because you won't enjoy any of them, and that's the whole point.

 

I love London so very very much!  If you liked the Tower of London, you should consider maybe heading to Hampton Court Palace?  It's not a far train ride out of London (you can use your Oyster card for it), and it's Tudor heaven (if you're into that).  If you are an early riser, you can be back in the city by 1pm.  

 

If you're a history buff, I think Churchill's War Rooms & Bunker are wonderful and it's near most of the other "stuff."  

 

For shopping, I love Old Spitalfields Market, there are some great shops in that area near the market as well.  I don't think it's daily, so you'll want to look online when planning.  It's near the Liverpool Street station.  Also, I think Fortnum & Mason is a way better place to buy traditional "English" gifts-tea, preserves, etc than Harrod's, and they don't have near the crowds of tourists snapping photos.  Their display windows are incredible.

 

Food wise, if you're on a budget, places like EAT and Pret A Manger are awesome for a fresh sandwich, salad, soup, etc, and it's quick and reasonably priced (for London).  Tayyabs is my pick for proper curry.  Please do not eat at any place within a half mile of Trafalgar Square, they are all pretty dismal and overpriced.  

 

Edited to add:  If you like food markets, the Borough Market is incredible.  Find the stand where they scrape hot cheese from the wheel and pour it over potatoes.

Edited August 17, 2015 by larapu2000

[Quof]

That's Kappacasein, and you should get the grilled cheese sandwich with onion chutney.

 

I would rather stick needles in my eyes than rely on Rick Steves' travel advice.  It's the type of safe, boring travel my grandparents would do.  Complete with white sneakers and fanny packs.

[chessiegal]

Loving the tips! Thank you.

[Bastet]

I think we'll be doing a combination of trains and driving in France. I love riding on trains.

 

The trains in the UK and France are nice.  And, unlike in several European countries, where there's so little difference in first class the upgrade isn't worth paying for, in the UK and France you can actually tell the difference.   

 

Also, get a good idea of how much rail travel you'll do in each country, because it doesn't take a whole lot to add up to getting a rail pass being a better option than buying individual tickets.  And definitely get an Oyster card or some other type of pass for the London Underground.  For cost, but especially for convenience.

 

Of the typical tourist attractions in London, my favorite is the Tower of London and Tower Bridge.  I could spend most of a day there.  I also like Westminster Abbey and the National Gallery.  But great museums - and parks - are all around. 

 

I agree with larapu that Hampton Court is the most interesting palace (although the gardens at Kensington are worth a look if you're wandering the Hyde/Kensington parks).

 

I also agree that the Borough Market is the best street market for food.  The Portobello Market is another good street market.  Covent Garden has a little bit (or a lot, really) of everything, but it's so touristy I stay away. 

 

Are you a theatre fan?  If so, you'll have no trouble finding a show to take in -- there are so many interesting productions - and in such interesting theatres - at any given time. 

 

If you like bookstores, head to Charing Cross Road.

 

Any thoughts on where you might stay in London?  I tend to stay in the Kensington, Knightsbridge, etc. part of the city, as I like having a more neighborhood-y than touristy feel when I retire to my hotel.

 

It sounds like you probably won't be in London long enough to venture too far out for the day, but if you are:  Warwick Castle (in Shakespeare Country), gives you a lot to see, and it's a nice walk through town to get there from the train station - although there was a lot of post-war development that gives it a patchy look with the old and the new.  But I'd stay away on weekends.  A stroll through the town of Lewes (near Brighton) is pretty interesting.  Some nice stuff in the Thames Valley (Oxford, Windsor, etc.), too, which is closer to London.

Edited August 18, 2015 by Bastet

[annzeepark914]

Any thoughts on where you might stay in London?  I tend to stay in the Kensington, Knightsbridge, etc. part of the city, as I like having a more neighborhood-y than touristy feel when I retire to my hotel.

 

I agree!  That's why we loved staying in the Left Bank (7th arr) in Paris.  Nice and quiet for sleeping, resting, chilling out after a day of sightseeing.

[Quof]

Come on, stewedsquash, we can be bezzie mates and eat our way across London.

[larapu2000]

Quof, what's your beef with Rick?  Is it that he doesn't really focus on agendas or things that younger people might be into?  I find that his restaurant recommendations are usually well liked by locals and I've yet to go to one of his that I didn't like (an open faced sandwich joint in Vienna and a sausage stand in Salzberg are two of the standouts for me).  He definitely doesn't explore the young nightlife, but because everything else he puts together is pretty impeccable, I find that Trip Advisor is better in that regard anyway.  I'm a history nerd, so when I travel, I want museums, castles, monuments, and historical treasures, and I think Rick is the best guidebook writer in that regard.  

 

Bastet, your post made me forget about one of my favorite London day trips-Brighton!  To quote Lydia Bennet, "I want to go to BRIGHTON!"  It's so great.

[annzeepark914]

I cannot abide Rick Steves.  Yeah, I know he's a good man & a topnotch goodwill ambassador for the USA--but--he's just a bit too goody-two shoes for me & what he enjoys in other countries I find b.o.r.i.n.g. I've watched a lot of his shows over the years and while watching, I envision myself trudging behind Rick & his acolytes, furtively looking around for a place to hide so they'll forget about me so I can go off & do my own investigating, wandering around whatever town/village/place they're in. He also, IMO, sucks up to the locals a bit too much--sorta gush-y.  I guess guided tours are not for me (been on one, in the Norwegian fjords which was great--we all loved our Italian guide who spent part of his teen years in the States so he was fun hanging out w/ several of us Americans & Aussies ;>)   Ohhhh that grilled cheese sandwich w/ onion chutney sounds fabulous.  I wonder if it's like Brian Boitano's grilled cheese with red onion jam sandwich?

[Bastet]

Yeah, Rick Steves doesn't venture off the beaten path much and is really into having someone show him around, so we travel in very different ways.  But I still watch his show sometimes -- he's so bland he pretty much fades away and I just enjoy the scenery.

 

One thing Steves and I do have in common is traveling light.  Whether I'm going for a week or a month, I take a carry-on sized rolling suitcase.

[Quof]

Rick Steves' travel is Wonderbread.  It's safe and boring, like those horrible 14 Countries in 21 Days tours, so people can say "I've been to Europe."  I'm a self-directed and self-sufficient traveller. I've spent exactly one day on a guided tour and hated it.  

[larapu2000]

I never realized that Rick had a lot of people guiding him around, but now that I think about the show versus the books, he does, and that's pretty hilarious.  He is a little heavy on the church visits, though, and after visiting Italy, I am not fucking interested.  So.many.churches.  His shows bore me to tears, because his personality seems super lame, so I rarely watch them.

 

I'm not one for any kind of organized tour, unless it's required in to see something (certain castles) or easy to manage, like a self-guided audio tour.  I like to make my own agenda and plan my own trip versus someone doing it for me.  

 

I've always had amazing and fun trips to Europe and I've used Rick's books, so to each their own, I guess.  It's good to know that there are plenty of other sources for travel advice!

Edited August 18, 2015 by larapu2000

[chessiegal]

I enjoy watching Rick Steves' shows, but I enjoy almost all the travel shows on PBS. Globe Trekker is my favorite. After looking at some travel guides, I think we will buy and take with us Rick's guide to France and London. Fodor's seems okay, but I'm not taking more than 2 guides. I got a copy of Lonely Planet's guide to Paris, and after 5 minutes decided I'm not their audience. We're getting a good idea of what we want to see. My husband used to do a lot of backpacking, and one thing he learned was to plan for some down time. So we are going to use that philosophy on this trip - not plan every minute.

 

Going over on the GMII changes some things - a whole week of down time! While we don't have to participate in formal night, my friend said they really make it something special, so if you like your table mates, it would be a shame to miss it. For me, she suggested a pair of dressy black slacks of a wrinkle-free fabric (which I have, don't take up much space), and a few dressy tops.

 

We talk about this every day. I hope the trip lives up to the planning. ;-) Again, I really appreciate all the suggestions.

[annzeepark914]

Going over on the GMII changes some things - a whole week of down time! While we don't have to participate in formal night, my friend said they really make it something special, so if you like your table mates, it would be a shame to miss it. For me, she suggested a pair of dressy black slacks of a wrinkle-free fabric (which I have, don't take up much space), and a few dressy tops.

We talk about this every day. I hope the trip lives up to the planning. ;-) Again, I really appreciate all the suggestions.

I've only been on a couple cruise ships and on formal nights either a black dress or dressy black slacks and top are perfect (and some sparkly earrings :).  My husband said, on the way home from Paris, that the most fun for him is the planning (altho' he was everywhere in that city, taking it all in w/ joy).  I am so looking forward to hearing about your adventures on the Queen Mary II.

[Spunkygal]

Chessiegal, if you haven't looked at it, I recommend the Eyewitness Travel guide books published by Dorling Kindersley. I happened onto this when I was planning my first trip to Paris and it was so helpful and informative. Love the history timeline of Paris and the floor plans of the Louvre, the cathedrals and other landmarks. If nothing else, it turned me on to the best hot chocolate I have ever had which was at Angelina's on Rue de Rivoli. I love this book so much that I have given it to friends and coworkers who have been in the Paris planning stage. I also recommend buying a laminated Paris street and metro map which is available online and at Barnes & Noble. What a lifesaver that is!

[annzeepark914]

Loved Globe Trekker back when Ian was the only guide.  Such a character, wearing those ugly black and white sneakers.  Some of his asides (looking into the camera at "us") were hilarious.  Never could figure out if he is Australian or English.  I wonder where he is today?

[biakbiak]

I am not a huge Rick Steves fan except that he encouraged my parents to travel with young children, he used to give regular seminars in Seattle and showed them you could travel cheaply and easily which meant that my sister and I visited every continent (except Antartica) before we graduated high school. However, I still usually pick up his books when going to Europe because his self guided walking tours of towns are often informative and you can drop in and out of them.

I was in Rovinj, Croatia a year ago with some friends and my parents and we used his walking tour to give us info as we walked around but what was funny is that we met French, German, Chinese and Japanese tourists all using his guide at various points.

Nowadays because of the internet it would never occur to me to consult a guidebook for restaurant recs. Heck even before it was easier to find info.online I would always also locals.

Edited August 22, 2015 by biakbiak

[Lura]

biakbiak, you must have had a charmed childhood visiting all those countries.  Traveling is so good for kids and teaches them things they couldn't learn any other way.  I envy you.  Do you think your travels influenced your love for cooking/food because you ate so many different foods while you were young?  What a great way to grow up!

 

chessiegal, reading about your planned trip had me as excited as if I were going!  We've been to about 14 countries, some more than once, and I've always claimed that the planning was half the fun.  It sounds like you're having a ball!  I think you're very wise to plan some down time and don't know how you could really enjoy the trip without it.  I have a problem with my legs and feet, which get all swollen and red and sore as can be, and I need that occasional day to prop them up and relax.  Please keep us informed about your trip.  I get excited just reading about it!  Oh -- and we spent our 20th anniversary having the most beautiful pork dinner at a restaurant in Portugal.

Edited August 28, 2015 by Lura

[chessiegal]

First piece of our trip is in place. Our travel agent just booked us on the Queen Mary II from NYC to Southampton leaving May 17th. Woohoo!

[biakbiak]

That should be lovely!

Travelling did definitely influence my love of cooking, when we came back from a trip.we.would.always have a dinner for friends and family recreating our favorite dishes. This says more about my father who loves cooking than just the travel experience but it definitely opened up our palates to different cuisines.

I can also instantly fall asleep on airplanes, in airports or other uncomfortable noisy places if I need the rest!

[larapu2000]

I've gotten pretty good at sleeping on airplanes and in airports, and certainly on trains, both long distance and subway/metro/etc, but I will say that thank the sweet sweet Lord for Ambien when it comes to the overnight flight to Europe.  I pop the Ambien when boarding begins, and by the time I'm settled into my seat, it's taking effect and I'm down for the count.  In July, I went to Montenegro, and during the Chicago-Frankfurt leg, evidently the guy in the aisle seat of my row was having major medical issues, which I learned about 20 minutes before we landed because I was completely zonked out the entire flight.

 

If I don't have Ambien, and just use Dream water (which is melatonin) or an over the counter sleep aid, I don't sleep as soundly and it really helps when you land to help with the "get out of the hotel room and start exploring!" urges I have when I arrive at my destination.  Ain't nobody got time for jet lag!

 

Biakbiak, your dad sounds a lot like me!  I love having a gathering upon my return and sharing my experiences and culinary discoveries with my friends!  My favorite one so far was Turkey (the cooking class we took probably made my food even more authentic, too!).  

 

I really need to visit France at some point.  I've been to a bunch of other countries in Europe, including frigging RUSSIA, but not France.  France is also a place where I'd love a cooking class in Lyon or perhaps the Loire Valley.  

[Bastet]

I can generally sleep on overnight flights, but on one trip to London I was awake the entire time.  There I was, all comfy in the "pajamas" Virgin provided and tucked into my bed and ... not a wink.  I read, watched three movies ... it was a nice enough way to pass the time, but I knew I'd pay for it the next morning.

 

When I do sleep, jet lag is no big deal for me -- when I arrive, I get checked in at my hotel and then go for a nice long walk to get some fresh air and get my blood flowing.  Then if I go to bed maybe an hour earlier than I normally would and sleep in a little, I'm all caught up and good to go for the rest of the trip.  But after that flight?  I slept until noon.

[Lura]

That's a great attitude to have, stewedsquash.   For any number of reasons, many people haven't been able to enjoy travel, but they take  pleasure from hearing other people talk about their own adventures..  My paternal grandfather was quite a man.  He and my grandmother never had two pennies to rub together.  Grandpa was an avid reader, and he loved the photos and articles in National Geographic.  He cut out his favorite pictures from around the world, framed them, and decorated the walls with them.  In his heart, I think he longed to see the Taj Mahal and visit some of the Seven Wonders of the World more than anything else.  He could talk with a king about every feature of most every country, and his eyes would light up when he told his grandchildren about these marvelous places in the world, but I never once heard him complain that he'd never actually been there.  His dreams, of course, never came to fruition, but he was a happy man.

[Gam2]

That might be the sweetest thing I've ever heard. Thank you for sharing that with us. I do so wish your grandpa had been able to visit those places he dreamed of throughout his life. The best thing is that he passed along his dreams to all of his family. I didn't have that kind of grandpa but I wish I had. You were blessed.

[Bastet]

Yes, what a sweet story.

 

My dad never traveled growing up, as they were dirt poor, and my mom just did some basic road trip traveling with her parents.  I was lucky to grow up quite differently.  We had a motorhome, and my dad had a ton of frequent flyer miles from business travel, so I was taken many places. 

[larapu2000]

I think National Geographic was a big part of the reason I had such a travel bug from a young age.  That, and these books we had, I think they were a World Book Encyclopedia or a National Geographic supplement, but there were about 8-10 books, with topics like "The Ocean," "The Desert," with beautiful photographs and illustrations, and there were a few books on the Ancient Wonders of the World, the modern Wonders of the World, but all of the very very cool things that we humans have built across the world, and I used to pore over them for hours.  We also had a children's series that I read as a kid where each story was set in a different country-my favorite ones were Lithuania and Trinidad & Tobago, although I can't remember the plots of the stories!

 

My favorite Nat Geo cover of all time is the Afghan refugee girl.  I think her eyes will haunt me forever.

[vera charles]

@larapu2000, I think you may have had the Childcraft books that were a supplement to the World Book Encyclopedia. We had them and I about wore them out, reading about anything and everything.

Edited September 12, 2015 by vera charles

[annzeepark914]

@chessiegal:  The Washington Post had a wonderful article in Sunday's paper about traveling across the Atlantic on the Queen Mary II.  Made me want to pack my bags!

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/cruising-cunard-cross-the-atlantic-and-the-dance-floor-like-royalty/2015/09/10/86f7edec-4cf0-11e5-902f-39e9219e574b_story.html

Edited September 13, 2015 by annzeepark914