David and Ross: Sept 25th and onwards

Hi! We've lost track so we'll combine a few days in this blog.

Left Cambridge, returned to London....ate at Jamie Oliver's pizza/pasta joint around the corner which is very nice (but not exactly quiet).

Went to London The British Museum and spent a relatively short time there looking at Ancient Middle Eastern relics....early Roman Britain...early currency....and clocks....

Then we met up with some Australian friends who were in London and had coffee at the museum. That was most enjoyable.

Michael cooked a lovely stew for dinner with Guiness in it.

The day commenced at 5 pm with Michael and Julie watching Hawthorn win the grand final. Michael subscribes to a footy Internet site, so they watched it live. Hawthorn won quite easily so the match was not so exciting. The couch had been decorated the night before with, not one, but two Hawthorn scarves. Julie said "they look like shit" as yellow and brown are the worst colour combination (from a decorator's point of view) imaginable. Michael "got away with it" for one day.

Later that morning we went to the Borough market and Portobello Road. The market was unbelievable....nearly got an attack of claustrophobia--there were so many people!!!!! As in Oz people now often go to markets to buy prepared food...gone are the days of markets with raw produce only. There's more prepared food than raw food in fact. We did buy un mélange forestier (mixed mushrooms...chanterelles, bolets etc)

We then made our way to Ottolenghi in Notting Hill to buy dinner. We wanted to shout the dinner....Michael said it's very expensive....you don't have to....we can go there anytime.

I (David) wanted to go as, my brothers have bashed my ear about the place so we threw caution to the wind and off we went.

Very Nice food (it'd want to be!!). Imaginative prices. I think the Poms are so used to fish and chips that any thing else which is even remotely exotic (fresh salads using coriander seeds/cumin, sesame seeds etc) can command an exorbitant price. For example the chicken which was cooked with orange, saffron, honey and "herbs" cost £34/kilo (with the bone!!!)....approximately $65 per kilo....tasted good, but where was the gold leaf?

Yesterday we took it easy. Poor Julie had to work, but Michael, Ross and I took a boat from Richmond to Westminster (2 hours) in what started as gorgeous weather, but deteriorated to very cold !!!! within one hour...we nearly froze our nuts off.

Came home and Ross and I made dinner with penne, mushrooms, thyme, cream and a dash of whiskey (I wanted brandy, but we didn't have any)

Today Ross and I will go for a stroll in Richmond Park and eat cheese on biscuits.

C'est avec grande tristesse et douleur que je me prépare pour dire adieu aux vrais fromages fabriqués au lait cru.

Il nous faut lancer une compagne pour renvoyer notre gouvernement et tout gouvernement successif qui ne soutienne pas l'élaboration des fromages au lait cru.

A bas le gouvernement!!!

Il nous faut un nouveau parti politique....

Le Parti Des Fromages Vivants.

Vivent les fromages vivants.....car les fromages au lait pasteurisé sont MORTS!!!!

Toutes les bonnes bactéries qui contribuent aux qualités gustatives et aromatiques sont détruites par la pasteurisation. (Qui aurait cru qu'un Français, Louis Pasteur, serait responsable des goûts fades de nos fromages...incroyable non)?

It is with great sadness and pain that I prepare to say farewell to real cheeses made with raw milk.

We need to launch a campaign to sack the government and any future government that doesn't support the production of raw milk cheese.

Down with the government!!!

We need a new political party...

The Living Cheese Party.

Long live living cheese....cheeses made from pasteurised milk are DEAD!!

All the good bacteria which contribute to their taste and aroma are destroyed by pasteurisation. (Who would have thought that a Frenchman, Louis Pasteur could be responsible for the tepid flavours of our cheeses...incredible isn't it)?

Plaice...a very British fish at M & J's place.