#1703 Restaurant

[newtthetranswriter]

Word count: 1703

Paring: Taishiro Toyomitsu(Fatgum) x Transmasculine non-binary reader

Summary: Being transgender and working with idiots can be really hard, but luckily you have the softest boyfriend ever.

Warnings: Mentions of dysphoria, talk of binding, people being dicks, mentions of food, let me know if i missed anything that should be a warning.

A/n: So little background, one this takes place shortly after the Shie Hassakai raid, so Taishiro is in slim form. Two I wrote this because recently at work I’ve been having a lot of trouble with people misgendering me even after having conversations with management about my identity. It's getting better but still feeling kinda shitty. Anyway, enjoy this comfort fic and let me know if you like it. Also, requests are open just check my rules and character list and feel free to ask for anything.

    Today was by far one of the hardest I’ve had in a long time. I just wanted to go to bed and not get up for anything. I spent the entire day at work being misgendered by coworkers, and customers, this really did a number on my gender dysphoria and self esteem. Every Time I was called ma'am, or heard someone refer to me as her or she I felt like all of the work I have done to pass as masculine was for nothing. I know I shouldn’t let these things get to me because people can be dicks but it still really hurts, especially when I've told coworkers multiple times that my pronouns are they/them or he/him, and they keep ignoring my wishes.

     My only relief is when I get to go home to my lovely partner Taishiro Toyomitsu. We’ve been together for the past couple of years and he has been supportive the entire time. He has been with me since before I started transitioning and didn’t even bat an eye when I finally came out and decided to transition. Tai always knows what to say when I’m having a bad day, and supports me in every way that he can. I don’t know where I would be If I didn’t have him.

     That’s why I was so relieved to arrive home to find him relaxing on the couch with take out from our favorite restaurant down the road. It’s like he knows when I’m having an off day before we even talk. I took my shoes and coat off, setting them by the door before plopping down on the couch leaning on his shoulder. While I enjoy the warm cuddles I get from him when he’s in his fat form, I enjoy being able to lean on his shoulder without struggle. 

      “Hey dumpling, you want to talk about it, or just eat dinner?” Tai asked as he wrapped his arm over my shoulder, pulling me in closer.

      “Food first, I just want to relax with you.” I was not ready to talk about my struggles of the day yet. He just nodded and reached for a take out container with teriyaki salmon and noodles, handing it to me with a pair of chopsticks. I gladly accepted it, ready to enjoy a meal with Tai.

      Before we could get too far into eating, Taishiro sat up from his current box of rice with a look of reliastion on his face. “You didn’t take off your binder.” He turned to me. I turned away slightly because I know what he was gonna say, sure he’s right I just can’t handle that right now. “Hey, I know you don’t want to, because of whatever happened today. But it’s for your own safety, I don’t want you hurting from wearing it too much. Tell you what, if you go take it off now you can wear one of my hoodies, and while you’re doing that I will put on How to Train Your Dragon cause I know it’s one of your favorites.” Tai encouraged me to go take off the constricting fabric.

       I nodded begrudgingly, before getting off the couch to find the giant hoodie I had claimed as my dysphoria hoodie. It took me a minute to get my binder off and get the hoodie on, making sure to stretch out my shoulders and cough to help expand my lungs after 8 hours of compression on my chest. Once I felt somewhat comfortable, I made my way back out to the living room. “Happy now?” I said as I watched my boyfriend finish what I assume is his third box of rice judging by the empty containers stacked at the end of the coffee table. He looked up at me with rice stuck to the outside of his mouth, he smiled at me and nodded. I sat down next to him picking my food back up and playing the movie.

       After about three hours, an entire table’s worth of food, and two How to train Your Dragon movies later, I was faced with a discussion I still didn’t want to have. “You should really talk about what happened at work. I know you don’t like talking about your struggles, but you can’t bottle it up all the time, dumpling.” Tai said, pulling me into his side.

       I nodded but took a minute to respond. “It’s just so difficult. I work so hard to look the way I want to and people just ignore it. They just assume because I have a higher pitch voice that obviously I’m a chick. I just wish people would take in more than one feature of a person before making assumptions, or ask before calling people something.” I began ranting, and like every other time I’ve needed to vent Taishiro just listened, rubbing my back. “I hate that I’ve explicitly told people ‘hey I’m non-binary and prefer these pronouns’ and they straight up ignore it. If I didn’t need this job I would probably quit. And I know what you’re gonna say, yes technically we could comfortably live off your salary as a pro, but I can’t sit around all day. I need to do something and not be cooped up all the time. I just wish there was a way to get people to pull their heads out of their asses and be respectful.” It felt nice to get that off my chest, I truly did like working and being out of the house, but dealing with assholes is so draining.

       Taishiro didn’t immediately respond knowing that it was necessary and just pulled me closer. It may not have been long since he used up his fat stores but I could tell he was steadily building it back. He was becoming less lean and softer. I was always in awe of how much he changed because of his quirk, it honestly made me slightly jealous and that thought led me into another rant. “Uhg, I'm so jealous of you sometimes you know. You have such an amazing quirk, you get to save people and they respect you no matter what. They don’t look at you and assume you’re lazy because of your fat form, they don’t treat you differently when you expel the energy from your body and become skinny. No matter what to people you are the BMI hero Fatgum. But when people look at me, I’m just some chick trying to pretend to be a guy. If only I had a quirk that let me change how I looked, I would be able to look how I want when I want and I wouldn’t have to wait ages to get approved for surgeries to make me feel comfortable in my own body. Hell if I even just had a quirk people would probably respect me more.” I finish slightly out of breath.

       I heard a sigh from above me and looked up at Taishiro. “Don’t say that. People respect you plenty. Plus you’re perfect the way you are. You are so much braver than most of the pro heroes I’ve worked with. You face the world everyday with a smile on your face even when you feel less than perfect. You treat everyone with respect even when they don’t really deserve it. And yes people will look at me no matter what and see Fatgum the BMI hero, but only you look at me and see Taishiro. You’re the only one who knows how frustrating it is for me to find clothes because of my size, or how tired I get after using up all my fat. You are the only person I want to see when I’m eating a grocery store worth of food in one sitting because it’s not a pretty site and I know you won’t judge me. The people love Fatgum because he can save them and not break a sweat, they love that in dire situations he goes from an 8 foot ball to a 6 foot lean attractive person. Being able to change how you look can be great but it can also be a pain. I wouldn’t want you to change the way you look just so other people stop being dicks. If you want to change the way you look, do it because that's what you want. And I’ve told you before I’ll pay for anything you want, if you’re tired of waiting for approval for top surgery I’ll gladly pay for it. If you want to quit your job because people are assholes, quit your job.” He went on his own rant trying to get his point across. “ And before you say it, if you quit your job you can come be my assistant at the agency, help me with paperwork and talk with Amajiki and Eijiro cause I know how much you care for those two.” He added on. We had talked about it before and I had always turned down the offer, but with how stressful my current job is it would be nice to work with people who actually respect and care about me.

      “Okay, I guess I’ll come work with you. It has been a while since I talked with the boys. I’ll put in my two weeks tomorrow.” He gave me his signature smile finally glad that after years of trying to get me to work with him I agreed. “Also thank you for listening and cheering me up. I love you so much Tai. I don’t know what I would do without you.” I said giving him a kiss on the cheek before standing up to head to the bedroom for the night.

      Before I could get too far he pulled me back down to the couch, giving me a kiss on the lips. “I love you too, Y/n. I truly am proud of you, whenever you need to talk I’m always here for you.” Tai said before letting me up and following me to bed.\

      There may be bad days where it feels like nothing is going right but at least I know I have the most supportive boyfriend ever to help me through it.

[home-decor-design]

The most beautiful old cafes in the world

It's hard to believe, but some cafes have existed for several centuries. Just imagine that you can go for a coffee and you will be surrounded by objects that are already 200, or even 300 years old. And how many stories such establishments keep! In this article, we'll highlight 30 old retro cafes you might want to visit on your next trip.

Cafe Chris, Amsterdam

Location:  Bloemstraat 42, 1015 TB Amsterdam, Netherlands Cafe Chris is the oldest establishment in Amsterdam, founded in 1624 in the Jordaan district. Due to its dark interior, it is also called “Brown Cafe”. Once upon a time, workers who were building the Westerkerk bell tower came here for wages. The cafe still has old floorboards, backlit windows, and dark wood paneling.

Gran Caffe Quadri, Venice

Location: Piazza San Marco, 121, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy The establishment opened its doors in 1638 - then it was called Il Rimedio. Malvasia wine was served here and was said to “invigorate the body and awaken the mind.” In 1775, merchant Giorgio Quadri and his wife Naxina, who arrived from Corfu, decided to invest in this cafe. This is how the history of Gran Caffe Quadri began. In 1830, management passed to the Vaerini brothers, who expanded the establishment by one more floor. In 2011, the Alaimo family bought the cafe. In 2018, Gran Caffe Quadri underwent a major renovation. The famous French creative and designer Philippe Starck was invited to transform it.

Cafe Procope, Paris

Location: 13 Rue de l'Ancienne Comédie, 75006 Paris, France Café Procope is the first literary café in Paris. It was discovered in 1686 by Sicilian immigrant Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli - after whom it took its name. Following the traditions of the Procopio family, who ran the establishment for many years, the cafe serves sorbet and granita (crushed ice), the forerunners of ice cream. King Louis XIV appointed Café Procope as the exclusive producer of sorbets. Its famous visitors include Napoleon, Honoré de Balzac, Paul Verlaine, Victor Hugo and Voltaire.

Cafe Tomaselli, Salzburg

Location: Alter Markt 9, 5020 Salzburg, Austria In the center of Salzburg, on the Alter Markt square, there is the Tomaselli cafe, perhaps one of the most famous in the world. Family-owned for centuries, this restaurant embodies stylish Austrian coffee culture. The first cafe was opened here in 1703, and in 1852 it was bought by Karl Tomaselli. Mozart and his wife Constance, playwright Hugo von Hofmannsthal, and composer Carl Weber loved to visit it. Cafe Tomaselli recommends trying the Einspänner (double espresso with cold whipped cream) and Melange (an espresso-based coffee drink with the addition of heated and frothed milk and whipped cream).

Caffe Florian, Venice

Location: Piazza San Marco, 57, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy Caffe Florian is one of the first cafes in what is now Italy. It was opened in 1720 under the name Alla Venezia Trionfante. The establishment gained popularity due to the fact that both men and women could visit it - in those years this was very rare. Over time, the cafe began to be called Florian - in honor of the owner Floriani Francesconi. In 1760, the sales point for Venice's first newspaper, Gazzetta Veneta, was opened here. At different times, the cafe was visited by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Johann Goethe, Charles Dickens, George Byron, Giacomo Casanova, Ernest Hemingway and others. Today, Caffe Florian offers more than 30 varieties of coffee drinks, many desserts, salads and light snacks.

Antico Caffe Greco, Rome

Location: Via dei Condotti, 86, 00187 Roma RM, Italy Antico Caffè Greco is a historical café in Rome, opened in 1760. Its founder is the Greek Nicola della Maddalena. Over the centuries, the elegant Caffè Greco has been visited by Hans Christian Andersen, George Byron, Henrik Ibsen, John Keats, Mark Twain and others. Some 300 paintings, memorabilia and vintage photographs of famous clients adorn the walls of this establishment. And gilded mirrors and a piano help maintain an authentic atmosphere.

Caffè Al Bicerin, Turin

Location: Piazza della Consolata, 5, 10122 Torino TO, Italy The history of the establishment began in 1763, when Giuseppe Dentis opened his small shop in the premises opposite the entrance to the Santuario della Consolata Cathedral. In 1856, the current building was built here according to the design of the architect Carlo Promis. And then the cafe acquired a more elegant form, which we can appreciate today - its walls were decorated with wooden panels, mirrors and lamps. It now has round white marble tables, a counter, and shelves. This establishment was the birthplace of the famous Turin drink Bicerin - a mixture of coffee, chocolate, milk and syrup. Even Alexandre Dumas mentioned it in one of his novels.

El Fishawy, Cairo

Location: El-Gamaleya, El Gamaliya, Cairo Governorate, Egypt El Fishawy Café is hidden in the heart of Khan Al Khalili Souk. Its doors opened to visitors in 1773. The first owner of the establishment served Turkish coffee to his friends after sunset. There were more and more people wanting to enjoy a cup of aromatic drink and discuss city news. And then the owner bought buildings nearby, added even more items and hookah to the menu. The current owners of El Fishawy, heirs of the founder, are trying to preserve the traditions and atmosphere of the establishment.

Cafe Tortoni, Buenos Aires, 1858

Location: Av. de Mayo 825, C1084 Buenos Aires, Argentina Cafe Tortoni is considered the oldest in Argentina. It was opened by an emigrant from France in 1858 and named after the café of the same name in Paris. It is worth noting that the first premises of Cafe Tortoni were located on Avenida Rivadavia. The cafe moved to its current location in 1880. The owners have maintained the same style of the establishment throughout all the years of its existence. There is a tango room, as well as tables for playing billiards, dominoes and dice. His most famous guests were Garcia Lorca, Jorge Luis Borges, Carlos Gardel, Hillary Clinton, Albert Einstein, Robert Duvall.

Café Gerbeaud, Budapest

Location: Budapest, Vörösmarty tér 7-8, 1051 Hungary Café Gerbeaud is the most famous cafe in Europe, whose history began in 1858. Its founder is Henrik Kugler, a representative of the third generation of a dynasty of confectioners. He became the first to offer customers slices of his signature Coogler cake to-go in cardboard boxes. During a visit to Paris in 1882, Henrik Kugler met Emil Gerbaud - they soon became business partners. And later, a French confectioner entrepreneur bought the cafe completely. With the advent of Gerbeau, many changes took place in the confectionery - the menu expanded, the equipment changed, and the staff increased. Café Gerbeaud became a favorite place not only among city residents, but also among city guests, since the prices here were affordable for absolutely everyone. After Emile Gerbeau's death in 1919, his wife ran the confectionery. From 1950 to 1984 the cafe was nationalized and was called Vörösmarty. In 1995, Café Gerbeaud was bought by German entrepreneur Erwin Franz Müller. The establishment was renovated and restored to its historical appearance.

Gran Caffè Gambrinus, Naples, Italy

Location: Via Chiaia, 1/2, 80132 Napoli NA, Italy The legendary coffee shop is located in the center of Naples. The establishment was founded by Vincenzo Apuzzo in 1860 - his dream was to create the best cafe in Italy. The next owner was Mario Vacca in 1889. By that time, the premises were already in need of reconstruction. The owner of the cafe invited an architect and artists who worked on updating the interior. Their paintings and sculptures adorn Caffè Gambrinus to this day. The establishment was once visited by Matilda Serao, Ernest Hemingway, Oscar Wilde, Guy de Maupassant, Princess Sissi, and Emile Zola. By the way, the tradition of caffé sospeso was born here - paying for coffee for the next customer.

Cafe de la Paix, Paris

Where is it: 5 Pl. de l'Opéra, 75009 Paris, France Café de la Paix is located in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, at the intersection of Boulevard des Capucines and Place de l'Opéra, in the building of the Le Grand Hotel. The hotel and cafe were opened in 1862 with the financial support of the Pereire brothers. The Café de la Paix gained its first international reputation in 1867, serving the International Exhibition. The establishment, located next to the Opera Garnier, attracted many famous personalities. Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Jules Massenet, the Prince of Wales and Edward VII visited here. In 1896, Eugene Piroux held film screenings at the Café de la Paix, and later a radio studio was organized there. Just like 150 years ago, today the restaurant is also very popular. Salads, hot dishes, snacks and desserts are served here.

Café du Monde, New Orleans

Location: 800 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116, USA Café du Monde is a true New Orleans landmark. The establishment has been in business since 1862 and always serves dark roasted chicory coffee, milk (regular or chocolate), fresh orange juice, hot chocolate and French donuts (beignets).

Cafe Landtmann, Vienna

Location: Universitätsring 4, 1010 Wien, Austria Café Landtmann is the oldest in Vienna. Guests began to be received here on October 1, 1873. Franz Landtmann dreamed of opening not just a coffee shop, but the most elegant place in Vienna. And he did everything for this - visitors were delighted with the innovative spirit of the establishment. Years passed, the owners changed, but this place was always popular among citizens and guests of the capital. In the 1970s, Cafe Landtmann was threatened with closure, but thanks to the efforts of the new owners, it was saved.

Baratti & Milano, Turin

Location: Piazza Castello, 27, 10123 Torino TO, Italy Caffè Baratti & Milano is a historic café in Turin, opened in 1875 in the central Galleria Subalpina. The establishment owes its name to two pastry chefs from Canavese: Ferdinando Baratti and Edoardo Milano. Soon after its opening, Caffè Baratti & Milano became a meeting place for the intelligentsia and the bourgeoisie. Its success has grown to the level of "official supplier of the Royal House". The current appearance of the restaurant is the result of reconstruction in 1909. The room has a lot of marble, bronze, stucco, gilding and wide mirrors, which give this place a rich artistic appearance. The cafe was damaged during the Second World War, but was restored in 1948. Caffè Baratti & Milano offers its visitors more than 20 types of coffee drinks, tea, light snacks, pastries and sweets.

Cafe Central, Vienna

Location: Herrengasse 14, 1010 Wien, Austria The Central coffee shop is the most popular place in Vienna and is included in all must-see lists in this city. There are always long queues here - people come here to drink delicious coffee, eat strudel, listen to live music and just enjoy the atmosphere. Cafe Central was founded by the Pakhi brothers in 1876. Over time, the establishment became a popular place where cultural representatives loved to come. His regular guests were Egon Friedel, Peter Altenberg, Adolf Loos, Alfred Adler, Leon Trotsky and others. After World War II, Cafe Central closed. In 1975, the Ferstel Palace, where the establishment was located, was completely renovated. After this, the cafe reopened its doors to visitors.

Cafe Sacher Wien, Vienna

Location: Philharmoniker Str. 4, 1010 Wien, Austria Another must-visit place in Vienna is the famous Sacher Wien café. After all, this is where they serve Sachertorte, made according to the classic recipe. In 1876, the Sacher family opened a hotel next to the Vienna Opera, which operated a café. It became a place where it was customary to have dinner before attending the opera - writers, artists and high-ranking officials met here. Today, Cafe Sacher Wien is still very popular, as evidenced by the long queues.

Les Deux Magots, Paris

Where is it: 6 Pl. Saint-Germain des Pres, 75006 Paris, France Les Deux Magots is a famous Parisian cafe located in the luxurious Saint-Germain-des-Prés quarter. It opened its doors to visitors in 1884. Originally a novelty store was located here, later coffee liqueurs were sold on this site. By 1914, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy, and was bought by Auguste Boulet for his cafe. His heirs still manage the establishment to this day. Since then, Les Deux Magots has played an important role in the cultural life of the capital - writers, poets, artists and other intellectuals gathered here. Among the guests in the cafe one could meet Pablo Picasso, Bertolt Brecht, Albert Camus. The establishment has been described more than once in literary works and shown in films.

Cafe de Flore, Paris

Location: 172 Bd Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris, France Cafe de Flore was opened in 1887 in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, on the corner of Boulevard Saint-Germain and Rue Saint-Benoît. The interior of the establishment, in the classic Art Deco style, has remained virtually unchanged since World War II. Since its opening, intellectual audiences have met here. Among the famous guests at Cafe de Flore were Robert Desnos, Pablo Picasso, Georges Bataille. By the way, Charles Maurras wrote his book Au signe de Flore while sitting on the first floor of the cafe. The restaurant's menu includes breakfasts, salads, cheeses, hot dishes, drinks and desserts.

Cafe Comercial, Madrid

Location: Glorieta de Bilbao, 7, 28004 Madrid, Spain Café Comercial is located in the Glorieta de Bilbao square. It was founded by Antonio Gomez Fernandez in 1887. Read the full article

[to-travel-smart]

St. Petersburg city St. Petersburg, Russia's imperial gem, is a city that effortlessly marries grandeur with charm. Known for its opulent palaces, historic canals, and cultural treasures, St. Petersburg offers an unforgettable experience for travelers. To help you navigate this magnificent city, we've compiled expert travel tips to uncover its untold wonders. ## Embrace the Rich History Begin your journey with a visit to the iconic Hermitage Museum. Housed in the Winter Palace, this museum boasts an extensive collection of art, including works by Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo. With over three million items, it's impossible to see everything in one visit, so focus on the highlights and plan to return. Next, immerse yourself in the history of the Russian Tsars at the Peter and Paul Fortress. This historic site, established by Peter the Great in 1703, includes the Peter and Paul Cathedral where many of Russia's emperors and empresses are buried. The fortress offers a fascinating glimpse into the city’s origins and evolution. ## Wander Through Architectural Marvels St. Petersburg's architecture is a testament to its imperial past. Start with a stroll along Nevsky Prospekt, the city's main thoroughfare, lined with stunning buildings, shops, and cafes. Don’t miss the Kazan Cathedral, inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, renowned for its colorful domes and intricate mosaics. A visit to the Mariinsky Theatre is a must for ballet and opera enthusiasts. This historic venue has hosted some of the world's most famous performances, and catching a show here is a quintessential St. Petersburg experience. ## Explore the Picturesque Canals Known as the "Venice of the North," St. Petersburg’s network of canals offers a unique perspective of the city. Take a boat tour to glide past historic landmarks, under picturesque bridges, and alongside grand palaces. The canals are particularly enchanting during the White Nights, when the city enjoys nearly 24 hours of daylight in the summer. ## Discover Hidden Gems Beyond the well-trodden tourist paths lie St. Petersburg’s hidden gems. The Yusupov Palace, once home to one of Russia's wealthiest families, is famous for its opulent interiors and the assassination of Grigori Rasputin. Guided tours provide fascinating insights into the palace's history and the dramatic events that took place here. For a unique experience, visit the Museum of Russian Vodka. This quirky museum traces the history of Russia's national drink and offers tastings of different vodka varieties. It’s a fun and educational stop that adds a twist to your cultural itinerary. ## Indulge in Culinary Delights St. Petersburg's culinary scene is a delightful blend of traditional Russian fare and international cuisine. Start your day with a hearty breakfast at one of the city’s many charming cafes. Sample blini (Russian pancakes) with caviar or try syrniki (cottage cheese pancakes) with honey and berries. For lunch, visit one of the city’s many Georgian restaurants. Georgian cuisine is popular in Russia, and dishes like khachapuri (cheese-filled bread) and khinkali (dumplings) are sure to delight your taste buds. Dinner in St. Petersburg can be an elegant affair. Book a table at one of the city's top restaurants, such as Cococo, which offers modern interpretations of traditional Russian dishes using local ingredients. Don’t forget to try a shot of vodka or a glass of kvass, a traditional Russian fermented drink. ## Practical Tips for Your Visit When planning your trip, consider the best time to visit St. Petersburg. The city is magical year-round, but the summer months, particularly during the White Nights in June, offer the most pleasant weather and extended daylight for sightseeing. However, winter also has its charm, with snow-covered streets and the possibility of experiencing traditional Russian winter activities. Navigating St. Petersburg is relatively easy, thanks to its well-connected metro system.

The metro stations themselves are worth a visit, as many are adorned with stunning Soviet-era mosaics and artwork. Taxis and ride-sharing services like Yandex.Taxi are also widely available and reliable. While many locals speak English, learning a few basic Russian phrases can enhance your experience and help you connect with the city's residents. Simple greetings and expressions of thanks go a long way in showing respect for the local culture. ## Conclusion St. Petersburg is a city that captivates with its blend of history, culture, and architectural beauty. By following these expert travel tips, you'll be well-equipped to uncover the untold wonders of this imperial city. Whether you're exploring grand palaces, cruising along scenic canals, or indulging in culinary delights, St. Petersburg promises an unforgettable adventure. So pack your bags, brush up on your Russian, and get ready to discover the magic of St. Petersburg. Read : How to Find the Best Travel Deals: Expert Advice #StPetersburg #TravelTips #ExploreRussia #HiddenGems #CulturalJourney #TravelSmart

[einereiseblog]

Bamberg - Eine Stadt voller Kultur und Sehenswürdigkeiten Bamberg ist eine wunderschöne Stadt in Bayern, die reich an kultureller Vielfalt und Sehenswürdigkeiten ist. Die Stadt verfügt über eine Vielzahl von historischen Gebäuden, Kirchen und Museen, die einen Besuch wert sind. Die malerische Altstadt ist ein beliebtes Reiseziel für Touristen aus aller Welt. Historische Gebäude in Bamberg Bamberg ist voll von historischen Gebäuden, die von der mittelalterlichen Zeit bis zur Gegenwart reichen. Eines der bekanntesten Gebäude ist die Alte Hofhaltung, ein ehemaliges königliches Schloss, das im Jahr 1012 erbaut wurde. Es beherbergt heute das Historische Museum Bamberg, das eine interessante Sammlung von Kunstwerken, Möbeln und anderen Gegenständen aus der Region ausstellt. Ein weiteres berühmtes Gebäude ist die Neue Residenz, die im Jahr 1703 erbaut wurde und heute als Museum für Kunst und Kultur dient. Besuchen Sie die Kirchen in Bamberg Bamberg ist auch die Heimat einiger der schönsten Kirchen Deutschlands. Die St. Michaelskirche ist eine der bekanntesten Kirchen der Stadt und wurde im Jahr 1237 erbaut. Es ist auch die älteste Kirche in Bamberg und beherbergt eine Vielzahl von Kunstwerken, darunter einige der berühmtesten Fresken des Mittelalters. Eine weitere berühmte Kirche ist die St. Stephan Kirche, die im Jahr 1237 erbaut wurde und heute als Museum für Kunst und Kultur dient. Museen in Bamberg Bamberg ist auch bekannt für seine vielen Museen. Das Kunstmuseum Bamberg beherbergt eine beeindruckende Sammlung von Gemälden, Skulpturen und anderen Kunstwerken aus der ganzen Welt. Ein weiteres beliebtes Museum ist das Museum für Kunst und Kultur, das eine Vielzahl von Kunstwerken, Möbeln und anderen Gegenständen aus der Region ausstellt. Sehenswürdigkeiten und Aktivitäten in Bamberg Bamberg bietet auch eine Vielzahl von Sehenswürdigkeiten und Aktivitäten. Die malerische Altstadt ist ein beliebtes Reiseziel für Touristen aus aller Welt. Es gibt auch eine Vielzahl von Geschäften, Restaurants und Bars, die einen Besuch wert sind. Ein weiteres beliebtes Ziel ist der Domberg, der eine wunderschöne Aussicht auf die Stadt bietet. Ein unvergesslicher Besuch in Bamberg Bamberg ist eine wunderschöne Stadt, die einen Besuch wert ist. Es gibt eine Vielzahl von historischen Gebäuden, Kirchen und Museen, die einen Besuch wert sind. Es gibt auch eine Vielzahl von Sehenswürdigkeiten und Aktivitäten, die einen Besuch wert sind. Ein Besuch in Bamberg ist ein unvergessliches Erlebnis, das Sie nie vergessen werden.

[shangchiswife]

poe dameron- the other woman

summary: poe's girlfriend constantly cheats on him but when you tell him one night he loses it

poe dameron x gn!reader

warnings: cheating, cursing

word count: 1703

You clenched your fists in your lap. You couldn't handle the sight in front of you.

Poe's stunning girlfriend Ariel was making out with some random pilot behind his X-wing.

She looked blissful as she carded her hands through the man's hair letting out a loud moan making a wave of disgust wash over you.

 Ariel probably thought that no one was watching but you were. You were always observing. And you were filled with rage at the sight.

You first met her at a restaurant because Poe wanted you two to meet. When you saw her for the first time you had felt in your gut that something was wrong. 

She had given you a thin-lipped smile and barely said a word to you and was busy batting her eyes at Poe.

When she cheated on Poe you made sure to let him know of her actions but he waved your comments aside assuming it was a joke.

But it never was.

...

The next time you saw Poe was at a party the Resistance had thrown since they had won an essential battle against the First Order. 

Ariel was in his lap and he had his arms around her waist as they both laughed in unison.

You were overwhelmed by a sense of jealousy. More like envy.

Ariel didn't deserve Poe's love. He was so good while she was a liar.

You started towards Poe with a determined look in your eye.

"Y/N!" the messy-haired man grinned as he put his chin on Ariel's shoulder.

Ariel's eyes glazed over you, her lips quirking up as she brought a hand up to Poe's cheek, making sure that you watched in the process.

"Hey Poe is it okay if I talk to you?" you asked him with pleading eyes. 

"Well we're talking right now," he let out a hearty laugh.

"Silly girl," Ariel giggled as she dug her nose into his cheek.

You were really close to strangling her.

"I mean in private," you raised your eyebrows as Poe's mouth turned into the shape of an o.

Ariel glared at you, crossing her arms over her chest. She never liked you at all. When she was around you she always had her chin high and had a devilish smirk, almost as if she knew about your crush on Poe. Almost as if she knew she was the better girl for Poe. Almost as if she could read your heartbroken language.

"Is it okay if I go for a bit, babe?" he asked her, placing a chaste kiss on her cheek.

"Sure I guess," Ariel twirled a strand of her blonde hair with her index finger. Her nails were a dark purple color. She didn't take her narrowed eyes off you. 

He kissed her once more and then followed you into a secluded hallway.

You looked back to see Ariel's cold eyes glaring at you with hate and malice.

A smirk formed on your lips for a split second.

"So what's up?" he asked with a winning smile as he ran a hand through his hair.

"You're gonna kill me for saying it and I want to live," you tried to make light of a horrible conversation.

The tan-skinned man rolled his eyes.

"I'm not going to kill you, Y/N, you know I love you too much,"

Your heart swelled for a moment before you took a deep breath.

"Poe, Ariel cheated on you again. I just saw her today with someone and they were kissing behind an X-wing," 

Poe's smile sank immediately. 

"This again, Y/N, are you serious, she's not like that... I told you that!" his tone projected his annoyance.

"You don't listen, Poe! I literally see it every day, she's slept with so many people. I wouldn't have a problem with that before but now she's dating you!" you yelled and tears filled your eyes.

"Y/N just stop spreading rumors and lies about my girlfriend. I don't know what's gotten into you! This isn't the Y/N that I know. I don't know if it's jealousy or something but stop talking about my fucking girlfriend like that," his voice was harsh as he wagged a finger threateningly at your face.

Your eyes welled up with tears.

 "Poe, I was trying to help you!" your voice cracked. Your whole body shook. It hurt too much to love him. 

"Because fuck it...maker I love you, Poe. I have for years," you whispered not taking your eyes off him.

It was silent for a moment.

The silence ate away at her desperately, hope building up in her system.

You could tell that he was shocked from the way that his mouth had slightly dropped.

"Y/N, I'm with someone else. Someone that is amazing and someone that won't spew garbage," he left you alone in the hallway where you stood stunned as you broke down into tears.

...

Once Poe returned to the party, he sighed, his mind spinning.

You turned out to be a rumor-spreader and then you were suddenly in love with him?

It was all too much to bear.

He needed to open up with Ariel about this and what her thoughts were about this sudden situation.

His eyes flitted around the room for any sign of her before he saw her being shoved against the wall by a burly man. Her hand immediately went up and tangled in his hair. He could see her face being smashed into the wall, her red lips forming into a grin.

His heart sunk and he felt his jaw drop.

Y/N was right. His best friend was telling the truth the entire time.

Anger built up in his entire system as he continued to watch Ariel and the man happily kissing.

He clenched his fist tightly, his nails digging into his own hand, and his knuckles turning a pasty white color.

He stormed over to where they were.

"Ariel!" he shouted angrily. 

He couldn't believe that he was being humiliated by his own girlfriend in front of everyone at the party.

The whole party room had gone silent. The music was abruptly stopped and all the people had stopped dancing to see what the commotion was all about.

The man that was kissing Ariel stopped as he let her slide off the wall.

"Poe-" she started, making haste into her steps and approaching him with a nervous smile plastered on her pale face.

Her boyfriend looked as if there could've been steam pouring from his ears. His face was a red color in contrast to Ariel's.

"I don't want to hear your excuses. Y/N was right. You are cheating on me, and you have been for a while," the curly-haired man seethed.

"No Y/N is wrong. She's always been jealous of us. It's not what you think. You're really picking them over me?"

"I saw you with my own eyes, Ariel, we're over," he said with finality as he walked away to find you.

Before dating Ariel, Poe had developed a small crush on you but thought that the feelings weren't mutual so he distracted himself with Ariel.

And now he had yelled at you when you were right.

You always were.

...

You remained in the hallway with your head in your lap as tears slipped down your cheeks.

Your best friend was gone and you'd never get him back. And the worst part was you were trying to help him. But sometimes he was just too stubborn.

"Y/N," you heard Poe's voice as you lifted your head up to glare at him.

His brown eyes were saddened as he stared at you. He was fiddling with his fingers.

He was nervous. An emotion you rarely saw from him.

"What do you want, Poe?" your tone was harsh as the curly-haired man ducked his head in shame.

"I just want to talk...can I sit next to you?" he asked gently.

"Do whatever you want, Poe, I could care less," you scoffed as you turned your body away from him.

It was silent for a moment, an uncomfortable silence hanging in the air.

"I-I just wanted to let you know that you were right. When I went back to the party she was with another man...turns out you were right, as usual," his curls fell on his forehead as he put his head on his knees.

You rolled your eyes before giving him another icy stare.

"Obviously I was right," you gritted your teeth.

He deserved your rough manner.

"I'm sorry, Y/N," he tried to make his voice as gentle as possible.

"Yeah, you should be. What you did was a pretty shitty thing to do so fuck you," you sneered as Poe withdrew and had a look on his face that resembled a sad puppy.

When he was making that stupid face it was really hard for you to get mad at him.

"But I'm willing to let it slide for now but only because you're making that dumb look," you sighed as a grin broke across his tanned face.

"Thank you, Y/N I'm really sorry I hurt you...I never want to do that again.," Poe pulled you into a hug.

"You just apologized two seconds ago so don't get all needy," you chuckled as you embraced him back.

When the two of you pulled away your lips were inches away from each other.

 Your heart beat fast. 

He lifted his hands to caress your cheeks. The pad of his thumbs moving against your cheekbones ever so lightly.

"Say no and I'll stop," his eyes flickered from your eyes to your lips.

"Just kiss me, you idiot," you said irritatedly.

With your words, he smashed his lips onto yours. Your mind went blank as all you could think about was his sweet lips and the way they moved in sync with yours. 

When you broke apart you breathed out "Finally," 

The two of you grinned at that and then kissed more. When you finally broke apart, the blaring music of the party died down and slowed to slower music.

"Do you want to dance?" Poe asked as you leaned your entire body onto him.

"Really? Right as I was getting comfortable, Dameron?" you smirked as he huffed in amusement.

"Yes, I want to dance with you," he raised his thick eyebrows and gave you a charming smile.

"What will I get in return after you yelled at me?" you crossed your arms.

"Well I bet Ariel is going to still be in there so you could get your revenge on her," his eyes glinted with mischief.

"Say no more," you shushed him as he took your hand and the two of you walked back to the party, mirth in your hearts.

[adventuressclubamericas]

Where In The World Is Phryne Fisher ?

Where is Phryne this week? 

Why, she's in Mobile, Alabama, y'all! 

During her stay in Mobile, AL, Phryne started off the day with some New Orleans-style beignets. Then she went on to the University of South Alabama, and Langan Park. The park is home to a train which was built in 1926. 

Mardi Gras originated in Mobile in 1703, well before New Orleans was founded in 1718. Downtown Mobile is home to the Mardi Museum, and Wintzell Oyster House - one of the famous restaurants in the city.

On her way to Orange Beach to see the lighthouse, she stopped by to see the USS Alabama Battleship and one of the many marinas. After a stop at the beach in Gulf Shores, Phryne treated herself to a snowball.

#flatphryne  #missfishercon2022  #missfisherandthecryptoftears  #missfishersmurdermysteries  #everycloudproductions  #AcornTV

[hwanami]

love list

pairings: jung wooyoung x reader

genre: fluff

word count: 1703 words

summary: to fulfill your pride, you don’t want to be alone on your sister’s wedding. which…leads you to re-connecting with your exes with the help of your friend, wooyoung.

taglist: @mingiibabieee​  ♡

The Softest Boy (prev | next)

Wooyoung never calls you as soon as he listens to your voicemail. Not until right now when you sound so hopeless in the voicemail.

“Hello?” you greet him on the phone, “sorry, I didn’t answer your first call. I was in the bathroom.”

“Why are you in the bathroom?”

You furrowed your eyebrows, “because I just got home? And I need a shower before going to sleep?”

“Oh…” he clears his throat, “I-I thought y-you were–“

“What?” you cut him.

“I thought you were crying.”

“What?” you laugh as you throw your body to the bed, “I didn’t cry, Woo. Why would you think I cried?”

He sighs, “because you sound so low on the voicemail.”

“Oh, that,” you sigh, “well, it’s kind of expected. So–“

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For replying his message,” he sighs again, “I shouldn’t do that.”

“Yes, you shouldn’t,” you sit, “but it’s been done. So let’s put it behind.”

“Still…I’m sorry.”

“Yes, and I forgive you. Stop saying sorry,” you lay back on your bed as you look at your room ceiling, “you know…I had a good time with…all of this.”

He chuckles lowly, “really?”

You smile, “I never even thought I’ll ever see Jongho again! But he remembers how I don’t like seeing him fight. And Mingi! He made the best drinks! And it’s a fun time talking with him. Even with Yeosang who keeps saying I missed an opportunity to be a doctor but!! He needs my help for his coworker space now so who’s better? Of course, me! And San, I never thought I’d sit on the same table with him ever again after breaking up but I did, right? We even catch up on each other and he’s still making sure I’m safe until I reach home. I just think it’s nice to see the good side of him that I keep forgetting because I’m too blinded by his flaw.”

He keeps humming as you talk. Too bad you can’t see the little smile forming on his face as he listens to you rambling about your thoughts. Part of him wish you would talk about him like you are right now, but part of him also wish he would never be talked by you as your ex-lover.

“So…this plan of yours isn’t that bad?”

You hummed, “not that bad even tho it’s not that good either.”

“But I think you deserve a good eat out since some of your dates are failing.”

You scoff at that, “and what do you mean by saying this?”

“Let’s have a lunch with me tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“Because I got a bonus this month and I want to redeem my mistake by buying you a lunch.”

You chuckle, “well, if it’s free…”

“I said, I’m going to buy you lunch so of course it’s free for you.”

You laugh at his response, “alright, where do you want to eat?”

“Shouldn’t I be the one who ask you that?”

“You’re paying. So, you chose.”

He hums, “there’s a new restaurant near my office that I want to try…”

“Okay, when are we having this lunch?”

“Tomorrow?”

“Okay, I’ll be there.”

“No, I’ll pick you from your office.”

“No, it’s near your office! Not mine.”

He chuckles, “fine. There’s a lot of café around my office so, you can wait there if I’m taking some time in the office.”

“Okay,” you smile even when you know he can’t see it, “see you tomorrow.”

“See you, Kir.”

  Like Wooyoung said, you have to wait for him. Just when you’re getting near his office, he called you saying he has something to do and would take some time.

“You know,” you stop walking, “we can have lunch together next time.”

“No,” he insists on the phone, “you already come here. Just wait, okay? Give me 15.”

“Alright,” you sigh, “I’ll wait. I’ll text you the café when I’m inside, kay?”

“Okay. I’m sorry, Kir.”

“Stop saying sorry,” you chuckle as you stop in front of a café that catch your eyes, “I’m hanging up.”

“Yeah, 15 minutes!”

You shake your head as you smile and walk into the café. You have to admit this café has a good simple interior with white and brown color scheme. You look into the menu and line up to get your drinks.

“Hello, how can I–“

The barista’s words get cut when he sees you, “Kira?”

You widen your eyes, “Yunho?”

He chuckles, “yeah! Whoah…when was the last time we meet?”

You laugh, “some years ago. Uhm, can I have a Frappuccino?”

“Oh! Right!” he quickly types your order, “anything else?”

“Nothing, that’s all.”

“That would be 4.”

You hand him the money. He takes it with a smile and you step aside so the next person can order.

“Hey, Kir.”

You look back at him. He points an empty seat, “just sit there. I’ll bring your coffee to you.”

“Oh, thank you but it’s okay, I’ll just wait here.”

“No, I’ll bring it to you.”

You just smile at him and mumble and okay. After all these years, you still can’t say no to his sweet smile. You texted Wooyooung the café name then smile at smiley Yunho who walks to your seat with a plate of croissant and your coffee.

“I only ordered a Frappuccino.”

He chuckles, “I thought buying you a croissant is not a crime, so.”

You chuckle and say thanks to him as he sits in front of you, “it’s okay for you to sit with me?”

“Why not?” he laughs with you, “I’m the owner of this café.”

You suddenly remember what Wooyoung told you the other day and you made an O mouth, “I see. Thanks for the croissant then.”

“Yeah, no problem,” he smiles at you, “how are you? It’s been some time since I see you.”

“Yeah,” you nod your head, “I’m working in a studio now as an interior designer and do you remember my older sister, Yuri? She’s getting married in 3 weeks.”

“Oh, really?” his eyes widen, “wow…congratulations for her. God, I miss her carrot cake.”

You laugh remembering how much Yunho loves your sister’s cake, “I’ll make sure to tell her later.”

He laughs with you, “well, you’re not asking but I own this café now and I think that’s all.”

“Well, I was about to ask you so thank you answering first,” you smile at him, “you’re still in touch with the other?”

“The other?” he questions back, “you mean, our high school friends?”

“Yeah,” you nod your head, “I mean, I only keep in touch with a few.”

“Well, I see Wooyoung around here the other day.”

You nod your head, this boy again, “yeah, I still talk to him a lot.”

“That’s not really shocking,” he laughs, “even back then, he would throw a fist if anybody hurt you.”

“You’re exaggerating,” you shake your head, “he’s a bit protective with me sometimes but it’s not like he would throw fist at anybody hurting me. Sometimes he laughs at me crying over things too.”

He chuckles again, “yeah, but I mean he cares a lot about you so it’s not shocking.”

You nod your head smiling. Yunho about to say something when his phone rings and he excuse himself. You’re not planning to eavesdrop but he talks near you and you can hear him.

“Hey, baby. Anything wrong? You’re feeling better?”

“I’m at work of course.”

“Hm? You miss me? Well, maybe you should stop waking up so late so you can kiss me before I go to work.”

“Milk? Are we run out of it?”

“Okay, okay. I’ll buy some on my way back.”

“Yes, I ate my lunch. You don’t forget yours, okay?”

“I love you too, babe.”

He smiles as he sits in front of you again, “sorry, it’s…my–“

“Girlfriend?”

He scratches the back of his neck, “fiancée actually…”

“Oh?” you widen your eyes, “I didn’t know. Oh my god, congratulations!”

“Yeah,” he chuckles, “it’s a bit…weird talking about it in front of…you know…”

You scoff, “ex?”

He nods his head with a low chuckle. You only smile at his response, “well…start normalize it because it’s not like we’re stranger or something!”

He laughs, “how about you? Are you seeing someone?”

“Just broke up, like…almost a month ago.”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t know.”

“It’s okay,” you laugh, “things didn’t go well between me and him.”

Your phone rings as a message from Wooyoung comes.

Wooyoung: should I come inside?

Woooyung: you’re talking with yunho now

You put your phone down and look at Yunho, “can I ask you a question?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Why did we…you know.”

“Hm,” he looks away before looking back at you, “I honestly don’t know why. We just…had enough of each other? I mean, you’re a good person and we were happy with each other back then but…you know…sometimes it’s not enough to keep the relationship alive.”

“Yeah,” you nod your head then smile at him as you stand up, “nice to talk with you today. Wooyoung is here, I actually have a plan with him.”

“Oh? Sorry, is he waiting?”

“No, he’s the one who made me wait for him,” you chuckle and give him your hand, “I hope everything goes well for you. And your fiancée.”

He shakes your hand with a smile, “yeah. You too, Kir.”

You smile and wave him goodbye. Then you walk outside to see Wooyoung already waiting for you. You smile at him and walk beside him, “free lunch!”

He chuckles, “so…did you have a good talk with Yunho?”

“Mhm,” you nod your head then smile at him, “he has a fiancée now! Crazy how the universe works, right?”

“Really?” he looks at you, “sorry, then. It’s not working with Yunho.”

“Oh, forget it already,” you look back at the road, still smiling, “I told you it didn’t work for a reason. With all of them.”

“So…what are you going to do?”

You take a deep breath, “let the universe works for me, I guess.”

He nods his head, “then, I hope it works its wonder to you.”

“Hey, Woo.”

“Hm?”

“Do you want to go to my sister’s wedding with me?”

[winchester-purgatory]

Summary: Sam finally proposes to Jess

Written For: @spnchristmasbingo

Square Field: Christmas proposal

Pairing: Sam Winchester x Jessica Moore

Word Count: 1703

Warnings: None needed 

The alarm went off, blaring and beeping, echoing in their bedroom, stirring Sam from his sleep. He groaned, but didn’t move, still tired.

He and Jess had gone to bed late last night due to an office party at the law firm where he interns. It was kinda boring, most employees being in their forties and up, but Jess was there to make it better - and report about the two employees she caught having a drunken affair on her way to the bathroom. He even had managed to win one of the prizes of the night, a bottle of expensive whiskey, which he'll give to Dean as an additional Christmas present, not being a whiskey drinker.

As tempting as it was to hit snooze, he already hit it two times which meant it was around 10 o'clock.

''Make it stop,'' Jess sleepily complained from behind him, facing the opposite side of the alarm clock. She tried to tug at the comforter in hopes to hide underneath and block the loud noise, but it was hogged by Sam's weight, being a blanket hogger. ‘’Sam!’’

Forcing his eyes open, he reached out to turn the alarm off, making them both sigh in relief. This alarm might do a good job at waking them from a deep sleep, but its sound is damn annoying when it’s a day off.

Sam rolled over and kissed her shoulder tenderly, wrapping his arms around her, not ready to leave the bed yet. The blonde hummed, leaning into her lover's touch. ‘’Five more minutes,’’ she mumbled, eyes still closed.

A chuckle rumbled from Sam’s chest. Okay. Five more minutes.

‘’I’m so glad we got out of hosting the Christmas dinner - again. No need to wake up early and stress with the food or setting everything up,’’ Jess declared, feeling very cosy.

''This apartment is way too small for a Christmas gathering anyway. Where would the guests sit? We don't even have a proper dinner table.''

‘’We could put Cas and Charlie in the living room and Dean and Claudia on the balcony. The patio set should still be there,'' Jess suggested with amusement.

‘’I can already hear him complaining about the snow falling into his beer or that his ass is starting to feel numb from sitting on the metal chairs in the cold.’’ Sam chuckled, imagining the scene perfectly. ‘’It’s better at Dean’s place. He always gets way too drunk and I wouldn’t see Claudia hauling him in the car and to their house. He'd crush her with his dead weight.’’

Although they've been living together for four years, slow mornings like this were rare. Morning where they could sleep in, be lazy in bed and cuddle. They always had to rush to get to class or work - and sometimes even on the weekend on Jess' end, a perk of being a nurse.

Whenever it would happen, they liked to cherish every minute and sometimes even have breakfast in bed. It was a guilty pleasure.

Not today though, as ringtone went off, blaring through the bedroom.

''Ugh, it's mine.'' Jess detached herself from Sam to grab her phone on the right nightstand, checking at the caller ID. ''It's my mother,'' she announced with mild annoyance, a picture of her and her mom at her 40th birthday taking the whole screen as it kept ringing.

Their laughter was cut short when a ringtone went off, blaring through the bedroom.

''Ugh, it's mine.'' Jess detached herself from Sam to grab her phone on the right nightstand, checking at the caller ID. ''It's my mother,'' she announced with mild annoyance, a picture of her and her mom at her 50th birthday taking the whole screen as it kept ringing.

That interruption was the signal that morning cuddles were officially over and they should get started with their day. ‘’I’ll go shower while you talk to her.’’ Sam got up, fetching some clean clothes from the top of the dresser.

''I'll join you if you finish before you,'' Jess said with a smile and a wink before answering her phone. ''Hi, Mom, how's the preparations going? Has Dad started early on the eggnog again?''

Sam looked down and smiled. How did he get so lucky?

.

When Sam returned to the bedroom, Jess was finished with her call. She had opened the curtains and snow was falling outside, dusting a light coat of white in the streets.

She pouted, seeing him half dressed with a towel over his hair. ‘’Already? I was about to join you.’’

''Sorry... How's your mom?'' he asked while dry toweling his hair.

''She's doing good. She's pretty disappointed we won't be joining them for Christmas this year - again. Plane tickets are just so expensive during this time of the year and, no offense babe, but your car wouldn't last the trip.''

Sam chuckled, throwing the towel in the laundry basket. ''It's okay. I know it's crap. Dean reminds me every single time he sees my car and its damaged bumper.''

''She wishes us a jolly christmas eve...and not-so-subtly asked if she has a wedding to plan.'' Jess huffed a laugh, still hearing the echoes of her mother wondering how they weren't engaged after being together for five years. ''At least she didn't ask if I was pregnant.''

''Maybe she does.''

''What? Sam, I’m not pregnant. I’d know if I were-’’

‘’No! Not that.’’ He shook his head. ‘’The part about planning a wedding.’’

‘’I think you skipped a step here: we need to be engaged first.’’

‘’Let’s do it now.’’

‘’Sam-’’

‘’I'm dead serious, Jess! I've been thinking about it for a couple months already. I even got a ring...''

Jess' eyebrows pulled into a confused frown, trying to process all this new information. ''What?'' she asked, eyes rapidly filling with various emotions.

Sam stood and went to their closet, fetching the old box filled with memories from his years at college from the back, and pulled out the blue velvet box where the ring was perfectly resting. He opened the small box and stared at the dainty, simple band with diamond in the middle and nodded. It's time.

His palms were getting sweaty as he returned to the bed, feeling nervous. He wasn't nervous about Jess possibly saying no. He knew she'd say yes, she already made that clear. It's just that Jess deserved the best and Sam wanted the proposal to be perfect. He was afraid of messing up and getting his on-the-moment speech wrong.

Sensing his nervosity, Jess took his hand and tugged him back on the bed. She looked up at him and smiled, sparkles of joy already in her eyes even though he hadn't popped the question and she hadn't seen the ring yet. The beaming look on her face told him this was the rightest thing he'll ever do. He was gonna marry this girl.

''Jess. Since I got that ring, I kept practicing how to present the question and trying to find the right way to propose, the right moment, but I think this is it.’’

10 o’clock on Christmas Eve morning wasn’t your typical ‘perfect’ proposal, but Sam didn’t want to wait anymore. Dean had suggested he’d do it tonight at his place, but Sam didn’t like the idea of a crowd - even his closest friends and brother - watching them. He liked privacy and, what’s more private than between your four bedroom walls? 

‘’This might sound cheesy and overused in proposal speeches, but I wouldn't be who I am today without you. When we met, I was in a bad place. I had gotten into a really bad fight with my father about my future and moved all the way to california to follow my dream. I was miserable and lonely, but there you were in that diner, golden curls and sparkling blue eyes, serving coffee to pay off your tuition. I came to this diner every day for weeks although I was short on money solely so I could see you.'' Sam paused, realizing how stalker-ish his behaviour sounded. ''Unlike the guy at table seven, I wasn't there to ogle your body in your waitress uniform. I was there for the bright smile on your face and to hear your laugh because it was the only thing that would brighten my dark grey sky.''

The blonde reached out and squeezed Sam's hand, remembering the tough times. Freedom hadn’t tasted sweet the first couple months. It was very dark and lonely and difficult on every end. Sam had been long tormented by his past, always thinking about his brother and father he left behind, the absence of support from them.

‘’I remember when I first brought you to my dorm. Collin couldn’t believe I caught a girl like you, so...out of my league. The nerd doesn’t get the hot girl in our world,’’ he said in an attempt to make a joke. ‘’It’s been the two of us since college. Can it be the two of us forever now? You pull me out of my comfort zone and make me do things I would never do on my own without forcing me into anything. You motivate me when my hopes are down, you make me smile when I feel down, make me feel special when I feel alone and misunderstood. You were my home when I had no home to go to. You’re the first girl I loved.’’

There had been girls before Jess. Amy Pond when he was twelve. It didn’t last long, barely over a month, but it still counted. Penelope Svenson, the girl from the café in his hometown. They never went past the first date. She was too self-centered for him. And Rachel Nave, his prom date, who hooked up with his brother on prom night. Thanks Dean. 

Looking back, those relationships were insignificant. 

‘’Remember the night I reserved us a table at this fancy restaurant? I had been saving for weeks to take you there on our anniversary, But when the day came, I couldn’t get myself out of bed and had to cancel. You showed up to my dorm, all dressed up and excited for our date. I felt so bad. I thought you'd be upset and slam the door on your way out, but you just smiled and said we'd go another time. You even stayed in my dorm and we cuddled and watched movies on my busted laptop. That’s when I knew you were the one for me.''

A small frown creased on the blonde’s forehead, remembering that night in Sam’s crusty dorm perfectly. ‘’Sam, that was over four years ago.’’

He looked down and nodded. ‘’I know. You stayed when others would’ve left and that meant a lot to me. It showed me you weren’t only with me for the good and that I could be fully myself with you - no holding back.’’ Sam paused, the velvet box feeling warm and kinda sticky in his clammy hands. ''Jessica Lee Moore, will you marry me?’’

[moodboardmix]

‘The Oldest Company’ Map!

The oldest company still operating today is in Japan. It’s a construction firm called Kongo Gumi that dates to 578 and has specialized in building temples for 14 centuries.

In the United States, for instance, the oldest company still running is the Shirley Plantation in Virginia, formed in 1613. The farm grew tobacco, which was then shipped throughout the colonies and to Europe, and it was maintained through slave labor.

Colonialism is abundantly evident elsewhere in the maps. In Congo the oldest company dates back to 1889, when the country was under Belgian rule. It’s a railway company that still bears a French name—Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer du Congo—and is currently owned by the government of Congo. In Barbados, the oldest surviving company is Mount Gay Rum, which also happens to be the world’s oldest rum maker in the world, founded in 1703. Barbados was a wealthy British sugar colony and a hub of the African slave trade, so the sugarcane juice used in the production of the rum came from plantations that relied on slave labor. Slavery was only outlawed in the country in 1807.

For the most part, the oldest companies in colonized lands are banks, railways, and post offices that were first established by colonial administrations to create an infrastructure that would better serve the colonizers’ economic needs. It was much easier for colonizers to export precious resources such as sugar, oil, or cotton back to Europe when they had functioning postal networks, transportation systems, and financial institutions. Later, when colonized countries gained independence, these companies were taken over by the newly independent governments in each country.

Meanwhile, in Europe, many of the oldest companies relate to traditional products that reflect the nation’s culture. There are many old food and drink companies in central Europe, for example. The oldest company in the continent is the Staffelter Hof Winery in Germany, which dates back to 862. In Ireland, the oldest company, Sean’s Bar, was founded in 900. In the Netherlands, Brand Brewery dates back to 1340. In Austria, the oldest company is a restaurant called St. Peter Stifskulinarium, which serves local food along with beer from a nearby monastery.

These maps provide an intriguing look at the companies that have managed to stand the test of time. But the maps also tell a story of how, for centuries, precious resources—including humans—were forcibly taken from some parts of the world and exported into others.

by Elizabeth Segran, Ph.D., Fast Company 

Courtesy: Business Financing

[themanwhoatethetown]

The Man Who Ate the Town Podcast Episode 167

The Man Who Ate the Town Podcast Episode 167 #podernfamily #podcasts #podcast #podcastlife #wsnc #TheManWhoAteTheTown #tldnetwork #industryhill #foodie #wsncfood #wsncfoodie

Chef Myers with TMWATT Crew!

In Episode #167, proudly recorded in The Less Desirables Studios (South). Zoom sponsored by Bull’s Tavern:

Tim, Ray, and Lea talk about:

Chef Travis Myers is here for the big reveal of the name of his and Ryan Oberle’s new, long-anticipated restaurant, slated to open late this year, early next year.

Tony DiLisio.

Carmine’s Italian Restaurant closes for good, becomes…

[ao3feed-sterek]

Party Of Five

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2JPXlW7

by Nirvana

The Hale children live in the preserve of Beacon Hills. They have recently been orphaned due to their parents being killed in a car crash with a drunk driver. They do not have any grandparents and they’re farthest relative is an uncle in Europe “who can’t deal.” Their eldest brother, Peter has legal guardianship over the four minors but he’s rarely around, until their babysitter quits.

Words: 1703, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Teen Wolf (TV)

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi

Characters: Peter Hale, Chris Argent, Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski, Scott Hale - Character, Cora Hale, Laura Hale

Relationships: Peter Hale/Chris Argent, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski

Additional Tags: Peter is Talia’s Son, Dead Hale Parents, Mentions of car accident, AU-Party Of Five, Child Cora Hale, Child Scott, Child Laura Hale, Child Derek Hale, Young Peter Hale, Young Chris Argent, The Hale Family own a restaurant

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2JPXlW7

[ao3-sterek]

Party Of Five

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2JPXlW7

by Nirvana

The Hale children live in the preserve of Beacon Hills. They have recently been orphaned due to their parents being killed in a car crash with a drunk driver. They do not have any grandparents and they’re farthest relative is an uncle in Europe “who can’t deal.” Their eldest brother, Peter has legal guardianship over the four minors but he’s rarely around, until their babysitter quits.

Words: 1703, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Teen Wolf (TV)

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi

Characters: Peter Hale, Chris Argent, Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski, Scott Hale - Character, Cora Hale, Laura Hale

Relationships: Peter Hale/Chris Argent, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski

Additional Tags: Peter is Talia’s Son, Dead Hale Parents, Mentions of car accident, AU-Party Of Five, Child Cora Hale, Child Scott, Child Laura Hale, Child Derek Hale, Young Peter Hale, Young Chris Argent, The Hale Family own a restaurant

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2JPXlW7

[folieahdude]

Parlons du mois d’avril même si nous sommes déjà en août ! Il faut dire qu’avec le temps qu’il fait on en profite, on sort, on voyage ou alors on essaye de rester au frais !

Depuis le début des vacances (à partir de juin pour moi), je n’ai pas trop eu le temps d’être sur mon ordinateur du coup à part pour deux articles, je n’ai pas eu le temps d’écrire les autres surtout qu’il y a beaucoup de choses à dire sur les mois d’avril, de mai et juin.

Parlons donc du mois d’avril qui était aussi le mois de la fin des études ce qui rime avec révisions pour les examens !

Avec les beaux jours qui sont revenus, nous en avons profité pour nous rendre dans notre restaurant favori : Il Ristorante ! Ça faisait longtemps.

    J’en ai donc profité pour tester leurs nouveautés du moment car elles ne sont déjà plus disponibles (du coup je n’ai plus accès aux intitulés des plats). Je dois avouer que je n’ai pas été fan de ces nouveaux choix.

    Après cela nous sommes allés à Gamm Vert où j’ai fait la connaissance de cette belle petite plante florale portant le nom de fuchsia :

De la famille des Onagracées, le genre Fuchsia compte une centaine d’espèces et des milliers d’hybrides et cultivars. Originaire d’Amérique du Sud et centrale, avec quelques espèces en Nouvelle Zélande et à Tahiti, le fuchsia peut vivre en épiphyte comme les orchidées dans ces régions à très forte précipitation. Dans son milieu naturel, ce sont les colibris qui assurent sa pollinisation. C’est le Père Charles Plumier, voyageur botaniste au XVIIIe siècle, qui décrivit pour la première fois un fuchsia, à Saint-Domingue en 1703. En le nommant ainsi, il rendit hommage au botaniste allemand Leonhart Fuchs (1501-1566).

[…]

    Durant ce mois d’avril j’ai encore du prendre le car ce qui m’a fait profiter de beaux paysages changeants au gré des heures et de la météo (il faut bien trouver un point positif à cela).

    Et le retour de ce temps splendide nous a aussi permis de nous promener en ville ainsi que le long de la Scarpe, il fallait d’ailleurs en profiter car avec les travaux on ne peut plus y accéder comme on veut à moins de passer par une entrée qui se trouve bien trop loin de la maison, malheureusement.

    This slideshow requires JavaScript.

  Le printemps était aussi l’occasion de mettre mes plantes dans de plus gros pots afin de les faire grandir (par contre la plante de droite est décédée à présent, trop d’eau à mon avis)…

    …et d’admirer les arbres en fleur !

    Merci d’avoir lu ce bref article composé essentiellement de photos ! Le prochain article portera sur la fin du mois (qui est un peu plus passionnant car il comporte plus de tests.)

  Bonne semaine à tous !

Début avril Parlons du mois d'avril même si nous sommes déjà en août ! Il faut dire qu'avec le temps qu'il fait on en profite, on sort, on voyage ou alors on essaye de rester au frais !

[livinginlandmarketing]

Here are the restaurants and other food facilities that Riverside County Department of Environmental Health inspectors temporarily shut down because of imminent health hazards between July 16 and 22, 2021. If no reopening date is mentioned, the department had not listed that facility as reopened as of this publication.

Red Ginger Chinese Bistro, 1185 Magnolia Ave., Corona

Closed: July 22

Grade: 84/B, failing

Reason: Failing an inspection on probation. There was one critical violation for raw chicken, raw beef and bean sprouts being at unsafe temperatures in a refrigerator that was impounded for not working. Among the nine lesser violations, there were fruit flies in alcohol (a repeat issue) and a condensation leak in the walk-in freezer. The restaurant was placed on probation in 2020 after three failed inspections and one closure in two years. This is the third time it has failed an inspection and been shut down while on probation; the other two times were in September and March.

Los Novillos Market, 2650 Main St., Riverside (partial closure)

Closed: July 22

Grade: 80/B, failing

Reason: Cockroach infestation. The inspector saw numerous live and dead roaches on the floor in the meat department. Pest control had been out that day and the invoice said they’d found 20 live roaches. The inspector closed the meat department and kitchen, but the market was permitted to keep selling prepackaged food. There was one other critical violation, for food being at unsafe temperatures in a cooler that was impounded for not working. This is the market’s second failed inspection this year, so it now faces an administrative hearing.

Horizon Gardens, 67670 Carey Road, Cathedral City

Closed: July 21

Grade: 84/B, failing

Reason: Rodent infestation. The inspector saw rat droppings under the dishwasher and in a storage room, and rat traps set up throughout the facility. An employee told the inspector there had been a recent problem with rats and one had been spotted the day before. The employee said the droppings must have been from the night before as staff had been trying to keep the kitchen clean. The last pest-control invoice was from more than six weeks ago. There was one other critical violation, for food being at unsafe temperatures in a flip-top fridge that was impounded for not keeping cold.

Non-closure inspections of note

Here are selected inspections at facilities that weren’t closed but had significant issues.

Ra Sushi, at 2785 Cabot Drive Suite 101 in Corona (in the Shops at Dos Lagos), was inspected July 22 and received a failing grade of 80/B with two critical violations. Food-contact surfaces weren’t clean — the dishwasher couldn’t sanitize dishes properly and was impounded until it could be fixed, and there was mold in the soda gun nozzle and holster. Also, the restaurant had left sushi rice out on a shelf since the night before, and didn’t have procedures in place for keeping track of how long rice is left at room temperature. Among the 11 lesser violations, the reach-in refrigerator at the sushi bar was impounded for not keeping cold, employees didn’t know dishwashing procedures and the facility needed cleaning.

The Sbarro’s at 72840 Highway 111 in Palm Desert (in Westfield Palm Desert mall) was inspected July 22 and received a failing grade of 85/B. Among the 10 violations, none of which was marked as critical, the inspector saw live cockroaches, some toppings were at unsafe temperatures in a flip-top refrigerator that needed repair, and the same fridge had food debris and “heavy mold accumulation.”

Harry’s Cafe, at 748 W. Ramona Expressway in Perris, was inspected July 20 in response to a foodborne illness complaint. It received a failing grade of 78/C with three critical violations. An employee handled raw meat and then hamburger buns without washing hands. Cooked chicken, bacon and potatoes weren’t being kept hot enough while uncooked fries and condiments weren’t being kept cold. And the dishwasher wasn’t properly sanitizing dishes. Among the eight lesser violations, food was being stored uncovered and boxes of fries were stacked on the floor. This was the restaurant’s third failed inspection since 2019, and it now faces an administrative hearing.

Updates from past weeks

Sushi Zen, at 1525 E. Ontario Ave. Suite 108 in Corona, which scored a 66/C on July 13 and had its permit revoked for failing an inspection while on probation, was permitted to reopen July 19. It passed a new inspection with a score of 95/A and purchased a new health permit for $2,212 — double the usual fee because this was its second shutdown since being placed on probation.

Sushi Miguel’s Style, at 12625 Frederick St. Suite 1 in Moreno Valley, which was closed July 13 for not having sufficient refrigeration, was permitted to reopen the next day.

Joyce’s Sushi, at 36101 Bob Hope Drive Suite E1 in Rancho Mirage, which was closed July 13 because of a cockroach infestation, was permitted to reopen July 19. Pest control had visited, the facility was clean and the inspector saw no roaches. The restaurant passed an inspection with a score of 93/A.

Allsup’s Convenience Store, at 1703 N Main St. in Riverside, whose permit to sell prepared food and beverages was suspended July 9 because of a cockroach infestation, has been permitted to fully reopen. It passed a July 15 inspection with a 99/A.

The snack bar at Deleo Regional Sports Park, at 25655 Santiago Canyon Road in Corona, which was closed June 30 for not having hot water, was permitted to reopen July 20 after the water heater was replaced.

Related Articles

Cockroaches, overflowing sewage: Restaurant closures in San Bernardino County, July 16-22

Roaches, sewage leaking again: Restaurant closures, inspections in San Bernardino County, July 9-15

Roaches, rodents, failing on probation: Restaurant closures, inspections in Riverside County, July 9-15

Sewage, roaches, no cold water: Restaurant closures, inspections in San Bernardino County, July 2-8

Excessive heat, flies, broken fridges: Restaurant closures, inspections in Riverside County: July 2-8

About this list

This list is published online on Fridays. Any updates as restaurants are reopened will be included in next week’s list.

All food facilities in the county are routinely inspected to ensure they meet health codes. A facility loses four points for each critical violation — and may have to close if the violation can’t be corrected immediately — and one or two points for minor violations. An A grade (90 to 100 points) is passing. Grades of B (80 to 89 points) and C (79 or below) are failing and typically require the proprietor to make improvements and be re-inspected.

For more information on inspections of these or any restaurants in Riverside County, visit restaurantgrading.rivcoeh.org. To submit a health complaint about a restaurant, go to www.rivcoeh.org/Complaint or call 888-722-4234 during business hours or 951-782-2968 after-hours.

Sign up for The Localist, our daily email newsletter with handpicked stories relevant to where you live. Subscribe here.

-on July 23, 2021 at 06:56AM by Nikie Johnson

[wineanddinosaur]

Wine 101: Fortified Wines

This episode of “Wine 101” is sponsored by Taylor Dessert Wines. Founded in 1880, Taylor Desserts offers a line of superior ports, sherrys, and other traditional dessert wines from the Finger Lakes region of New York State. With a special selection of high-quality, sweet, and smooth dessert wines, Taylor is great for cooking or simply enjoying as an after-dinner treat. Available in a variety of sizes and flavors, Taylor dessert wines are a delicious addition to any home or restaurant. Bring home a bottle of Taylor Dessert Wine, and let our traditions become part of yours.

In this episode of “Wine 101,” VinePair tastings director Keith Beavers discusses fortified wines. Fortified wines are the result of adding a spirit to a wine, which adds alcoholic strength to the final product and limits the amount of sugar produced by yeast cells during distillation. Listeners will learn about the complex history of fortified wines, specifically that of three major categories: port, sherry, and Madeira.

Then, Beavers lists styles within each of those major categories. The port category is made up of a dozen styles, including ruby port, tawny port, and vintage port. Some sherry styles include fino, amontillado, and cream sherry. Finally, popular Madeira styles include Malmsey and Boal.

Tune in to become an expert on all things fortified wines.

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Or Check Out the Conversation Here

Keith Beavers: My name is Keith Beavers, and raise your hand if you’ve read the first novel of “The High Republic,” the new “Star Wars” saga. Me, too!

What’s going on, wine lovers? Welcome to Episode 17 of VinePair’s “Wine 101” podcast, Season 2. My name is Keith Beavers and do you know who I am? I’m the tastings director of VinePair.

We’ve talked about red wine, we’ve talked about white wine, rosé, bubbly, and all kinds of cool stuff, but we have not talked about fortified wine. And here we are. We’ve got to talk about it. It’s unique. There are misconceptions. Let’s get into it.

Wine can be so overwhelming. You might think “OK, Keith, that’s why we’re listening to ‘Wine 101.’ Thanks, dude.” But it is. It’s been around for so long, and so many humans have been experimenting with the practice of winemaking for so long. And so when you just dive into it, you’re diving into something that’s been around since antiquity and is as complex as humans can make something. It’s insane. It’s really just the history of humans tinkering and finding out the best way to make wine in their part of the world.

The grapes that are there, the climate they have, the challenges in the vineyard and in the wineries that are unique to them in that place. Then, when we as humans figure out how to make something work and the resulting product just hits right, it catches and becomes a standard. That only leads to more experimentation because we as humans and winemakers can never get enough. Winemakers always want to try something new. And all this is how different wine styles are born. When we started adding spirits to wine, a whole new world of experimentation opened up for us. This is the world of fortified wine.

Fundamentally, the idea of fortified wine is the practice of adding a spirit to wine. The whole principle behind the idea of fortified wine is you’re fortifying and strengthening wine. You’re adding alcoholic strength to wine, but what you’re also doing is you’re limiting the amount of sugar a yeast cell can produce. The result is often a boozy, somewhat sweet, sometimes very sweet, wine. Often, you’ll find that fortified wines come from some of the warmest, driest, or hottest regions in the world for wine.

In the Douro Valley of Portugal, they make a fortified wine called port. It’s a very hot, very unforgiving, dry climate. In the Jerez region, in southern Spain, there is a fortified wine called sherry. Southern Spain is very hot, very dry. In western Sicily, there’s a fortified wine called Marsala. Western Sicily is very hot and very dry. Of course, today, these wines are made all over the place. There are actually port-style wines being made in the United States in places like Missouri, and that’s not very hot and very dry. But traditionally, this is how these wines came to be.

If you think about it, fortified wine, as a style, is a fairly short list of wines compared to the wider world of red, white, and sparkling wine out there. Here’s the capper, and this is what’s tricky and this is why when people look into fortified wine, they dip their toe and go, “Yo, this is too much. I’m going to just back up here for a second. Thank you.” The thing is, even though there’s a short list of fortified wines out there, within each category of each wine is a laundry list of styles. And it’s overwhelming.

I said at the beginning of the episode and it’s where I was getting to is, man, it’s overwhelming. Port itself has at least a dozen different styles. Madeira, an island about 600 miles off the coast of Portugal, it’s an island that makes fortified wine. They have, I think, 13 or more styles within their fortified wine category. Some of those styles are so old that they’re not even made anymore. They are just talked about. It’s insane. This is what I’m talking about, with figuring out, having a challenge in your region, figuring it out, and then running with it and continuing to experiment with it to the point where you actually lose some of the things you’ve been doing throughout history.

What’s really wild about this is that the idea of fortified wine, I’m sure, it’s been around for a long time. Distillation is ancient, winemaking is ancient, but the idea of putting the two together — when I talk about prominence — this all started happening in the late 17th, early 18th century. The reason we know fortified wine today is mostly because of the relationship between England and Portugal. In 1703, there was a treaty between Portugal and England called the Methuen Treaty.

At the time, France and England were fighting. They had a history of trading together, but this was basically a trade war. It was also a time when Spain didn’t have a leader, and there was a lot of fighting to figure out who was going to take the throne. It was called the Spanish War of Succession. This was all happening right before the 1700s. In 1703, the Portuguese and England had a great relationship. They did in a previous war where they helped each other. England didn’t like France, so the Methuen Treaty said, “We are going to give preferential treatment to all imports from Portugal over any other country in Europe, especially France. We are taxing everybody else. We’re not going to tax you guys or we’ll tax you less. Therefore, we will now be doing business with Portugal. All trade stops with France.”

English wine merchants thought, “Well, I guess we’re going to Portugal.” English wine merchants start working their way into Portugal, specifically northern Portugal, into the Minho region. That’s in the northwestern part of the country. This is where the Vinho Verde wine region is. Vinho Verde these days is mostly white wine, but there was a lot of red wine being made back in the day there. It was fizzy and it was a little bit astringent — a little bit lean for the British palate — so they started moving further down the Douro River and they found the Douro Valley.

There they found red wine being made, but this was the complete opposite of the astringent, thin wine of Vinho Verde. This was austere, heavy, tannic, slap-you-in-the-face red wine. It came to be known by the English as black strap wine. Merchants in this area would actually shock it or dose it with a grape spirit to fortify or strengthen the wine and stabilize it — killing all the bad bacteria and all the yeast cells so they don’t start reproducing or fermenting in the bottle. They did this so that it survives the river all the way across the ocean to England. But it was still rough to drink.

The story goes that there was an English wine merchant who sent his two sons into Portugal to look for new wine. Apparently, the black strap was intense and they were looking for new wine as a business person. The sons go north of the Douro Valley into a place called Trás-os-Montes and they find, wait for it… a prominent monastery! Oh, my God, the monks are here, people. The monks are here, and leave it to the monks to figure it out.

To them, they were adding grape spirits as well to their wine, but they weren’t doing it after it’s all fermented and before bottling. They added grape spirit right in the middle of the fermentation process. What that did was just stop the fermentation in its tracks, killed off the yeast, all the volatile bacteria, and retained the amount of sugar that had not been converted by the yeast. The result was this red, boozy, soft, fruit-forward wine. And these guys thought, “Wow, this is absolutely delicious. This is amazing. Do you know how much money we can make on this?” But in British accents.

Then, they took that idea back to the Douro Valley, back to that wine region, and the idea of port wine was born. The word “port” is named after the second-largest city in Portugal on the Douro River called Oporto. That started it all pretty much because, at this time in history, the seafaring nations were out there looking for other places to live. The colonies over on the East Coast of the United States started happening from England. There was this island about 600 miles off the coast of Portugal called Madeira, and it was a major port of call between the Iberian Peninsula, Asia, and Africa. The seas were filled with ships either on trade routes or exploration campaigns, and it was the Spanish, the Portuguese, the French, and the English just all out there.

They were traveling hundreds of miles away from their homes, possibly months or years at a time. This style of wine had a few advantages for what was going on around this time. When you dose wine with a spirit, a few things happen. Number one, I’ve mentioned this before, it kills off or renders impotent any yeast cells doing any activity in the wine. It also takes care of any volatile bacteria. So with the fermentation process stopped in the middle of the process, there’s a lot of sugar that hasn’t been converted, so the resulting wine is going to be sweet and a little boozy because you’ve brought this wine up to about between 15 and 20 percent alcohol by dosing it with a grape spirit.

The third thing — and the one thing that really brought this style of wine to the rest of the world — is the fact that all those things I mentioned make this wine very reliable for long traveling distances. In fact, the fortified wine made on the island of Madeira became very popular in the North American colonies that would be the United States. The fortified wine and barrels making the journey to the colonies actually improved by the time it got to the colonies. They actually tried to replicate that on land to have that quality of wine before it ships out. Just as a side note here, the fortified wines of Madeira are some of the most aged wines on the planet. The oldest wine I have ever tasted was a Madeira. Somebody said to me, “Hey, do you want to taste a wine that was made when Abraham Lincoln was president?” I was like, “… yes.” And he poured me a glass of 1865 Madeira. And it was awesome. Deep, dark, caramel, and almond. Oh, it was great. These wines are nuts, guys.

Another important port of call was Andalusia in the southern part of Spain. This is where the town of Jerez is. This is the holy triangle of sherry, meaning there are these three towns that form a triangle, and within that triangle is the growing region for sherry wine. This wine is unique because of the winemaking process. The yeast that is used is a different strain of yeast than we’re all used to for just regular wine. It’s a strain of yeast called flor. It’s a blossoming yeast, and it covers the wine in the barrel and protects it from oxygen while the yeast feeds on the sugar in the wine. It is a very unique style.

They then dose the resulting wine at the end of the fermentation and end up putting the wine in something called a solera system, where you have up to 12 barrels stacked on top of each other and connected. The wine stays in these barrels, and it filters down to the bottom layer, which is the oldest wine, and you draw off the oldest wine, and then everything filters down. This is called the solera system. Again, this is very unique to this area. This is something they came up with with the challenges they had. This is what’s so crazy about wine, especially this style. It’s really port, Madeira, and sherry. These are the big three that we see on our market to this day because they were very popular wines in the American colonies.

We were trying to make wine in the American colonies on our own, but while we were doing it, we were drinking fortified wine mainly from Spain and Portugal. As I said in the beginning, when you add a grape spirit to wine, whether it’s before the fermentation when you put it in the must and then let it ferment from there as you do in Australia for a wine called topaque muskat, which is extremely sweet — they have to get it started just before the fermentation process; or, whether you put it in the middle of the fermentation process or towards the end, it just opens up a whole new possibility of stuff.

So what’s happening here is the wines of port and Madeira and maybe sherry, but mostly port, became so popular in England, it was called the Englishman’s wine, and that’s a pretty big endorsement. With that popularity, all these different types of port came about throughout the years. And Madeira. Oh, my gosh, because Madeira was very popular in England, but it was very popular in the American colonies. So they had this new style of wine that was very popular, sweet, and it could travel. People were just creating all different kinds of ports to sell. They wanted to keep it interesting. I mean, they were experimenting with this stuff and they were creating these new styles within their category, but they were also hoping to sell the stuff and get it popular in England and all the other colonies.

I’m going over port because it’s just insane. You’ll see more port than any other fortified wine, really, on the American market. I mean, we’re actually making port stuff here in the United States but you’re going to see ruby port, which is the entry-level, easy-drinking, inexpensive style of port. Then, you’re going to see a reserve port, which is a premium ruby port with a little more depth and concentration. Then, you’re going to see tawny port, which is an amber-colored caramel, easy-drinking port. You’re going to see the aged tawny port, which is a higher quality of wine for tawny and it ages at least six years in wood. Then, there’s tawny age reserved, which has to see at least seven years in wood. Wood meaning barrels.

Then, there’s colheita port, which is a port from a single year, blended and not multiple vintages. Then, there’s the vintage port, which is different from the colheita port in that it has to be declared by a governing body to be a vintage. Finally, there’s the top of the top, the single quinta vintage, which is basically one property making the wine in a single vintage, and it’s very expensive. The last two we don’t see a lot of, but that’s just port.

For Madeira, the wines are either named after the variety in which the wine is made from or just the categories of dry, medium-dry, medium-sweet, medium-rich, rich, or sweet. And the names of the grapes are Verdelho, Boal, and Malmsey which is basically Malvasia. Malmsey is one of the most long-lived. That’s why when you listen to pirate stories in the Caribbean, they’re either drinking rum or Malmsey, because it could last on the ship forever.

And that’s not counting what is called the historical styles of Madeira. As I said in the beginning, styles are just lost to history. And I think there are like 11 of those. In Andalusia, in southern Spain where sherry is made — near Jerez in the surrounding towns — they do it a little bit differently with the flor and then they dose at the end, and they put it into the solera systems. These styles have the lighter style of sherry, which is very pale in color. They’re called fino or manzanillas. Then you have the darker sherries, which are called amontillados or olorosos. Oloroso means aromatic. They’re dark and caramelly.

Then, there is a very sweet style that the British called cream sherry, which is you take an oloroso and you dose it with a little bit of a sweet wine made from a grape called Pedro Ximénez, also just known as PX.

How’s your head? Are you a little bit dizzy? Was that a lot of information? Well, it is a lot of information, and that’s just scratching the surface. We didn’t even talk about Marsala. Also, in Roussillon in southern France, there’s an awesome style of fortified wine called Vin Doux Naturel. They’re not natural wines. Naturel just means natural flavors, which relates to them putting this wine into glass carboys or just big glass jugs and letting them sit outside in the sun for a very long time. We’re talking 20 or 30 years.

Then, they bottle them. And they are just nutty, almondy and sometimes they are called ranco. I don’t know if I’m pronouncing that right, but it means rancid. That’s just a rank. It’s not nasty, but it has a very intense smell, as this wine has been sitting in the sun for so long.

It’s just wild stuff, guys. And at some point on “Wine 101,” we’re going to go into each of these places and talk about them and get details. I’m going to get you guys all set up. This is just a nice, well-rounded discussion about fortified wine. We dipped into history a little bit. This will get you set up and get you to understand what these wines are about. So when you’re out there, you get a sense of what you’re about to buy or what you are looking at.

@VinePairKeith is my Insta. Rate and review this podcast, wherever you get your podcasts from. It really helps get the word out there. And now for some totally awesome credits.

“Wine 101” was produced, recorded and edited by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big ol’ shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin for creating VinePair. And I mean, a big shout-out to Daniel Grinberg, the art director of VinePair, for creating the most awesome logo for this podcast. Also, Darbi Cicci for the theme song. Listen to this. And I want to thank the entire VinePair staff for helping me learn something new every day. See you next week.

The article Wine 101: Fortified Wines appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/wine-101-fortified-wine-podcast/

[johnboothus]

Wine 101: Fortified Wines

This episode of “Wine 101” is sponsored by Taylor Dessert Wines. Founded in 1880, Taylor Desserts offers a line of superior ports, sherrys, and other traditional dessert wines from the Finger Lakes region of New York State. With a special selection of high-quality, sweet, and smooth dessert wines, Taylor is great for cooking or simply enjoying as an after-dinner treat. Available in a variety of sizes and flavors, Taylor dessert wines are a delicious addition to any home or restaurant. Bring home a bottle of Taylor Dessert Wine, and let our traditions become part of yours.

In this episode of “Wine 101,” VinePair tastings director Keith Beavers discusses fortified wines. Fortified wines are the result of adding a spirit to a wine, which adds alcoholic strength to the final product and limits the amount of sugar produced by yeast cells during distillation. Listeners will learn about the complex history of fortified wines, specifically that of three major categories: port, sherry, and Madeira.

Then, Beavers lists styles within each of those major categories. The port category is made up of a dozen styles, including ruby port, tawny port, and vintage port. Some sherry styles include fino, amontillado, and cream sherry. Finally, popular Madeira styles include Malmsey and Boal.

Tune in to become an expert on all things fortified wines.

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Keith Beavers: My name is Keith Beavers, and raise your hand if you’ve read the first novel of “The High Republic,” the new “Star Wars” saga. Me, too!

What’s going on, wine lovers? Welcome to Episode 17 of VinePair’s “Wine 101” podcast, Season 2. My name is Keith Beavers and do you know who I am? I’m the tastings director of VinePair.

We’ve talked about red wine, we’ve talked about white wine, rosé, bubbly, and all kinds of cool stuff, but we have not talked about fortified wine. And here we are. We’ve got to talk about it. It’s unique. There are misconceptions. Let’s get into it.

Wine can be so overwhelming. You might think “OK, Keith, that’s why we’re listening to ‘Wine 101.’ Thanks, dude.” But it is. It’s been around for so long, and so many humans have been experimenting with the practice of winemaking for so long. And so when you just dive into it, you’re diving into something that’s been around since antiquity and is as complex as humans can make something. It’s insane. It’s really just the history of humans tinkering and finding out the best way to make wine in their part of the world.

The grapes that are there, the climate they have, the challenges in the vineyard and in the wineries that are unique to them in that place. Then, when we as humans figure out how to make something work and the resulting product just hits right, it catches and becomes a standard. That only leads to more experimentation because we as humans and winemakers can never get enough. Winemakers always want to try something new. And all this is how different wine styles are born. When we started adding spirits to wine, a whole new world of experimentation opened up for us. This is the world of fortified wine.

Fundamentally, the idea of fortified wine is the practice of adding a spirit to wine. The whole principle behind the idea of fortified wine is you’re fortifying and strengthening wine. You’re adding alcoholic strength to wine, but what you’re also doing is you’re limiting the amount of sugar a yeast cell can produce. The result is often a boozy, somewhat sweet, sometimes very sweet, wine. Often, you’ll find that fortified wines come from some of the warmest, driest, or hottest regions in the world for wine.

In the Douro Valley of Portugal, they make a fortified wine called port. It’s a very hot, very unforgiving, dry climate. In the Jerez region, in southern Spain, there is a fortified wine called sherry. Southern Spain is very hot, very dry. In western Sicily, there’s a fortified wine called Marsala. Western Sicily is very hot and very dry. Of course, today, these wines are made all over the place. There are actually port-style wines being made in the United States in places like Missouri, and that’s not very hot and very dry. But traditionally, this is how these wines came to be.

If you think about it, fortified wine, as a style, is a fairly short list of wines compared to the wider world of red, white, and sparkling wine out there. Here’s the capper, and this is what’s tricky and this is why when people look into fortified wine, they dip their toe and go, “Yo, this is too much. I’m going to just back up here for a second. Thank you.” The thing is, even though there’s a short list of fortified wines out there, within each category of each wine is a laundry list of styles. And it’s overwhelming.

I said at the beginning of the episode and it’s where I was getting to is, man, it’s overwhelming. Port itself has at least a dozen different styles. Madeira, an island about 600 miles off the coast of Portugal, it’s an island that makes fortified wine. They have, I think, 13 or more styles within their fortified wine category. Some of those styles are so old that they’re not even made anymore. They are just talked about. It’s insane. This is what I’m talking about, with figuring out, having a challenge in your region, figuring it out, and then running with it and continuing to experiment with it to the point where you actually lose some of the things you’ve been doing throughout history.

What’s really wild about this is that the idea of fortified wine, I’m sure, it’s been around for a long time. Distillation is ancient, winemaking is ancient, but the idea of putting the two together — when I talk about prominence — this all started happening in the late 17th, early 18th century. The reason we know fortified wine today is mostly because of the relationship between England and Portugal. In 1703, there was a treaty between Portugal and England called the Methuen Treaty.

At the time, France and England were fighting. They had a history of trading together, but this was basically a trade war. It was also a time when Spain didn’t have a leader, and there was a lot of fighting to figure out who was going to take the throne. It was called the Spanish War of Succession. This was all happening right before the 1700s. In 1703, the Portuguese and England had a great relationship. They did in a previous war where they helped each other. England didn’t like France, so the Methuen Treaty said, “We are going to give preferential treatment to all imports from Portugal over any other country in Europe, especially France. We are taxing everybody else. We’re not going to tax you guys or we’ll tax you less. Therefore, we will now be doing business with Portugal. All trade stops with France.”

English wine merchants thought, “Well, I guess we’re going to Portugal.” English wine merchants start working their way into Portugal, specifically northern Portugal, into the Minho region. That’s in the northwestern part of the country. This is where the Vinho Verde wine region is. Vinho Verde these days is mostly white wine, but there was a lot of red wine being made back in the day there. It was fizzy and it was a little bit astringent — a little bit lean for the British palate — so they started moving further down the Douro River and they found the Douro Valley.

There they found red wine being made, but this was the complete opposite of the astringent, thin wine of Vinho Verde. This was austere, heavy, tannic, slap-you-in-the-face red wine. It came to be known by the English as black strap wine. Merchants in this area would actually shock it or dose it with a grape spirit to fortify or strengthen the wine and stabilize it — killing all the bad bacteria and all the yeast cells so they don’t start reproducing or fermenting in the bottle. They did this so that it survives the river all the way across the ocean to England. But it was still rough to drink.

The story goes that there was an English wine merchant who sent his two sons into Portugal to look for new wine. Apparently, the black strap was intense and they were looking for new wine as a business person. The sons go north of the Douro Valley into a place called Trás-os-Montes and they find, wait for it… a prominent monastery! Oh, my God, the monks are here, people. The monks are here, and leave it to the monks to figure it out.

To them, they were adding grape spirits as well to their wine, but they weren’t doing it after it’s all fermented and before bottling. They added grape spirit right in the middle of the fermentation process. What that did was just stop the fermentation in its tracks, killed off the yeast, all the volatile bacteria, and retained the amount of sugar that had not been converted by the yeast. The result was this red, boozy, soft, fruit-forward wine. And these guys thought, “Wow, this is absolutely delicious. This is amazing. Do you know how much money we can make on this?” But in British accents.

Then, they took that idea back to the Douro Valley, back to that wine region, and the idea of port wine was born. The word “port” is named after the second-largest city in Portugal on the Douro River called Oporto. That started it all pretty much because, at this time in history, the seafaring nations were out there looking for other places to live. The colonies over on the East Coast of the United States started happening from England. There was this island about 600 miles off the coast of Portugal called Madeira, and it was a major port of call between the Iberian Peninsula, Asia, and Africa. The seas were filled with ships either on trade routes or exploration campaigns, and it was the Spanish, the Portuguese, the French, and the English just all out there.

They were traveling hundreds of miles away from their homes, possibly months or years at a time. This style of wine had a few advantages for what was going on around this time. When you dose wine with a spirit, a few things happen. Number one, I’ve mentioned this before, it kills off or renders impotent any yeast cells doing any activity in the wine. It also takes care of any volatile bacteria. So with the fermentation process stopped in the middle of the process, there’s a lot of sugar that hasn’t been converted, so the resulting wine is going to be sweet and a little boozy because you’ve brought this wine up to about between 15 and 20 percent alcohol by dosing it with a grape spirit.

The third thing — and the one thing that really brought this style of wine to the rest of the world — is the fact that all those things I mentioned make this wine very reliable for long traveling distances. In fact, the fortified wine made on the island of Madeira became very popular in the North American colonies that would be the United States. The fortified wine and barrels making the journey to the colonies actually improved by the time it got to the colonies. They actually tried to replicate that on land to have that quality of wine before it ships out. Just as a side note here, the fortified wines of Madeira are some of the most aged wines on the planet. The oldest wine I have ever tasted was a Madeira. Somebody said to me, “Hey, do you want to taste a wine that was made when Abraham Lincoln was president?” I was like, “… yes.” And he poured me a glass of 1865 Madeira. And it was awesome. Deep, dark, caramel, and almond. Oh, it was great. These wines are nuts, guys.

Another important port of call was Andalusia in the southern part of Spain. This is where the town of Jerez is. This is the holy triangle of sherry, meaning there are these three towns that form a triangle, and within that triangle is the growing region for sherry wine. This wine is unique because of the winemaking process. The yeast that is used is a different strain of yeast than we’re all used to for just regular wine. It’s a strain of yeast called flor. It’s a blossoming yeast, and it covers the wine in the barrel and protects it from oxygen while the yeast feeds on the sugar in the wine. It is a very unique style.

They then dose the resulting wine at the end of the fermentation and end up putting the wine in something called a solera system, where you have up to 12 barrels stacked on top of each other and connected. The wine stays in these barrels, and it filters down to the bottom layer, which is the oldest wine, and you draw off the oldest wine, and then everything filters down. This is called the solera system. Again, this is very unique to this area. This is something they came up with with the challenges they had. This is what’s so crazy about wine, especially this style. It’s really port, Madeira, and sherry. These are the big three that we see on our market to this day because they were very popular wines in the American colonies.

We were trying to make wine in the American colonies on our own, but while we were doing it, we were drinking fortified wine mainly from Spain and Portugal. As I said in the beginning, when you add a grape spirit to wine, whether it’s before the fermentation when you put it in the must and then let it ferment from there as you do in Australia for a wine called topaque muskat, which is extremely sweet — they have to get it started just before the fermentation process; or, whether you put it in the middle of the fermentation process or towards the end, it just opens up a whole new possibility of stuff.

So what’s happening here is the wines of port and Madeira and maybe sherry, but mostly port, became so popular in England, it was called the Englishman’s wine, and that’s a pretty big endorsement. With that popularity, all these different types of port came about throughout the years. And Madeira. Oh, my gosh, because Madeira was very popular in England, but it was very popular in the American colonies. So they had this new style of wine that was very popular, sweet, and it could travel. People were just creating all different kinds of ports to sell. They wanted to keep it interesting. I mean, they were experimenting with this stuff and they were creating these new styles within their category, but they were also hoping to sell the stuff and get it popular in England and all the other colonies.

I’m going over port because it’s just insane. You’ll see more port than any other fortified wine, really, on the American market. I mean, we’re actually making port stuff here in the United States but you’re going to see ruby port, which is the entry-level, easy-drinking, inexpensive style of port. Then, you’re going to see a reserve port, which is a premium ruby port with a little more depth and concentration. Then, you’re going to see tawny port, which is an amber-colored caramel, easy-drinking port. You’re going to see the aged tawny port, which is a higher quality of wine for tawny and it ages at least six years in wood. Then, there’s tawny age reserved, which has to see at least seven years in wood. Wood meaning barrels.

Then, there’s colheita port, which is a port from a single year, blended and not multiple vintages. Then, there’s the vintage port, which is different from the colheita port in that it has to be declared by a governing body to be a vintage. Finally, there’s the top of the top, the single quinta vintage, which is basically one property making the wine in a single vintage, and it’s very expensive. The last two we don’t see a lot of, but that’s just port.

For Madeira, the wines are either named after the variety in which the wine is made from or just the categories of dry, medium-dry, medium-sweet, medium-rich, rich, or sweet. And the names of the grapes are Verdelho, Boal, and Malmsey which is basically Malvasia. Malmsey is one of the most long-lived. That’s why when you listen to pirate stories in the Caribbean, they’re either drinking rum or Malmsey, because it could last on the ship forever.

And that’s not counting what is called the historical styles of Madeira. As I said in the beginning, styles are just lost to history. And I think there are like 11 of those. In Andalusia, in southern Spain where sherry is made — near Jerez in the surrounding towns — they do it a little bit differently with the flor and then they dose at the end, and they put it into the solera systems. These styles have the lighter style of sherry, which is very pale in color. They’re called fino or manzanillas. Then you have the darker sherries, which are called amontillados or olorosos. Oloroso means aromatic. They’re dark and caramelly.

Then, there is a very sweet style that the British called cream sherry, which is you take an oloroso and you dose it with a little bit of a sweet wine made from a grape called Pedro Ximénez, also just known as PX.

How’s your head? Are you a little bit dizzy? Was that a lot of information? Well, it is a lot of information, and that’s just scratching the surface. We didn’t even talk about Marsala. Also, in Roussillon in southern France, there’s an awesome style of fortified wine called Vin Doux Naturel. They’re not natural wines. Naturel just means natural flavors, which relates to them putting this wine into glass carboys or just big glass jugs and letting them sit outside in the sun for a very long time. We’re talking 20 or 30 years.

Then, they bottle them. And they are just nutty, almondy and sometimes they are called ranco. I don’t know if I’m pronouncing that right, but it means rancid. That’s just a rank. It’s not nasty, but it has a very intense smell, as this wine has been sitting in the sun for so long.

It’s just wild stuff, guys. And at some point on “Wine 101,” we’re going to go into each of these places and talk about them and get details. I’m going to get you guys all set up. This is just a nice, well-rounded discussion about fortified wine. We dipped into history a little bit. This will get you set up and get you to understand what these wines are about. So when you’re out there, you get a sense of what you’re about to buy or what you are looking at.

@VinePairKeith is my Insta. Rate and review this podcast, wherever you get your podcasts from. It really helps get the word out there. And now for some totally awesome credits.

“Wine 101” was produced, recorded and edited by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big ol’ shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin for creating VinePair. And I mean, a big shout-out to Daniel Grinberg, the art director of VinePair, for creating the most awesome logo for this podcast. Also, Darbi Cicci for the theme song. Listen to this. And I want to thank the entire VinePair staff for helping me learn something new every day. See you next week.

The article Wine 101: Fortified Wines appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/wine-101-fortified-wine-podcast/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/wine-101-fortified-wines