Back home, my delighted mother immediately invested in a bargain-bumper-mega-giant-economy-size box of Weetablix and, as might have been predicted, never touched them again –– at least, not for many years!
I have a theory that there's a whole category of food and drink that we enjoy – indeed, relish – while being on holiday but which has little or no appeal if once transported to, or encountered in, the normal mundane surroundings of our home environment: hence the number of unopened bottles of Ouzo currently stashed under our stairs!
Among such exclusive vacation treats I'd list waffles with maple syrup and crispy bacon in an American diner, soft ice cream with a Cadbury's flake on a British seaside pier –– and a ice-cool, foamy freddo cappuccino in a shady Greek taverna...
Still, like all the very best treats, it was fun while it lasted!
I so agree with you Brian! I only ever enjoy a pastis when the weather is really hot. Limoncello should only ever be drunk in Italian (or even better Sicilian) surroundings. And sitting on child sized plastic furniture to eat soup & noodles with chopsticks should only ever be done in Vietnam!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the rest of your Holiday - and bring back some heat and sunshine - the weather here is rapidly going downhill!
For years I had a cookery book about 'cooking in a caravan'. I've never had a long touring holiday in a caravan (the most I've spent is a weekend in a friend's) but I was attracted by the exotic pictures of impossibly bright toast on a terracotta plate.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I tried to cook something from it, it was revolting. Eventually I twigged that probably, exotic foreigners didn't really eat dried pasta and tinned frankfurters with ketchup. Yes, mine looked like the one in the picture but it tasted of shoes and furniture polish, which might perhaps account for the gleam.
The philosophy of going across Europe in order to open a tin of baked beans now seems madness but it must have made sense at the time, else why write a book about it?
Eventually I ditched the book and bought proper food rather than the display stuff but part of me is sorry for that. The cheery pictures of pottery cockerels, blue and white cloths, and above all the red gold sun and lapis lazuli sea made it seem like adventure was guaranteed by being in a metal box on wheels, even if it did not get off the driveway.
If Proust comes to tea we'll be having instant mashed potato from a packet, a tin of corned beef, fresh tomatoes (maybe) with salt and Angel Delight with tinned mandarin oranges.
Nooooo!!! Freddo should not just be kept for holidays! You should learn how to make Freddo Cappuccino with some caramel syrup in and cinammon on top! It is mouth-watering!
ReplyDeleteI am currently in Egypt and I am looking for it everywhere but CANNOT find it!!!
As far as ouzo is concerned, I agree, it needs sunny, hot weather, great companionship and a sandy beach!