#wonder grape wine label

[vvideasdesign]

Wonder Grape Wine Label

[lex-the-flex]

Wearing a New Dress in Front of Luke

Oh boy…

The moment you and Luke landed on Naboo for a mission, the two of you were treated like royalty (👀) the second you both departed the X-Wing. While you were here for work within the Palace walls, Leia insisted that the two of you deserve a break. No matter how lavish it would potentially become.

So, upon entering the Theed Royal Palace, the loyal members and staff practically tore Luke away from you. And you from him. Confusion quickly erupted between the two of you, but your Force Bond remained the same; distant and weak. You and Luke were here to strengthen the Bond, by being here in his Mother’s birthplace, your friend was eager to try anything new.

Being escorted through the marble hallways, your jaw remains on the floor the entire time until you are brought to your room with a wading pool and silk bedding. It was unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

Sleep didn’t come as easily as you hoped. You constantly tossed and turned beneath the plush bedding and Luke’s heart filled with a different kind of heaviness at your restless night.

In the morning, you were greeted by one of the handmaids, Winter, who had the most beautiful silver hair. After a solid hour of being bathed, brushed, and adorned with lavender and lily oil, were you finally ready to conquer the new day. Trekking through the grand intricate hallways, your fingers tug at the strings of your shawl, protecting you from the early morning chill.

Wandering around, the cool air blows in the Palace, allowing the light green fabric flow gracefully. Rounding the corner to head outside, when you suddenly bump into something – or rather; someone.

Adjusting their hands around your shoulders, a gasp escapes your lips in surprise. 

“I– I’m so sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was going!” You exclaim. 

“That’s alright. I got lost too, Y/N. You’re not the only one.” The stranger replies. 

Realizing that you bumped into Luke, makes your face grow red, and you playfully punch him in the arm. 

“Oh you –! I swear, you’re such a tease, Luke Skywalker!” You joke. 

Following him through the archway to a balcony leading outside, Luke stops by a nearby table in the shade decorated with bowls of fruit and various drinks. Enjoying the multiple pieces of fruit, you pop a few grapes in your mouth, relishing in the brief sour sensation. 

“What sounds better to you? Water or …honeydew wine?” Luke asks, picking up the wine bottle in confusion. 

“Have you ever had wine before?” You ask, leaning closer. 

Reading the label, Luke shifts the olive green colored bottle in the sunlight, allowing the two of you to see the clear liquid inside. 

“Only once. It was long before we met. I had it back on my uncle’s farm when I turned eighteen. I only had one full glass and I slept right through a new season.” Luke chuckles. 

Snickering, your shoulder touches Luke’s as he protects you from the harsh rising rays of sunlight, letting you stay in the shade. 

“Did Leia do this? I know she wants us to have a break, but I don’t think we should drink that. I’ve never liked wine, anyway.” You explain, reaching for more fruit. 

“Well then, there’s our answer.” Luke retaliates and sets the bottle down. 

Eventually making your way down to the beach, Luke offers to take your shoes, but you decide to leave them at the stone steps. Untying the shawl around your shoulders, you carefully fold the knitted fabric, and place it on top of your shoes. Stretching in the sunlight, the endless warmth feels wonderful on your exposed back and shoulders. 

The complex design accompanied with the thin straps feels different, yet wonderful. Like the dress was your own article of armor. The green fabric blew in the breeze, making Luke stop and gaze at every part of you. There was no denying it: the dress looked absolutely gorgeous on you. It complimented the best parts of your figure, and Luke just didn’t know what to do. 

He briefly clears his throat and turns away to study the waves, giving you some respected privacy. Fighting the heat rising to his cheeks, he folds his hands behind his back. 

“What’s wrong, Skywalker? You’ve never seen someone in a dress before?” You tease. 

Walking to him, the pebbles roll against the soles of your feet as Luke bobs on the balls of his heels. 

“No, I’ve never seen someone in a dress like that. Much less someone as beautiful as you.” Luke admits. 

Avoiding eye contact, Luke’s heartbeat begins to rise in his chest whilst you stand before him. Even beneath his dark robes, he was a shaking mess. Luke always secretly dreamed of seeing you in a dress, no matter the circumstance. But being here next to the ocean with him, things just felt different. Everything felt right.

Offering your hands to him, Luke guides his hands on top of yours, lacing his fingers with your own. Finally looking you in the eye, his bright blue orbs bounce with your e/c eyes. Remaining here in this moment, you can feel your Force Bond growing stronger, and Luke can finally feel what you’re feeling. Sharing a series of laughs together, the visions of your futures as individuals in the vast Galaxy; as Jedi were clear. Nothing was faded or blurry, it was all possible. Quickly embracing Luke, the movement of your body pressing against his didn’t bother him. Wrapping his arms around you, the new and inspiring duties as Jedi refused to creep up on your shoulders, as the neverending sound of the waves made everything bliss.

luke skywalker taglist ~

@dreamliners

@midnightepiphany

@maybeimart

@nonbinary-tatooine

@kaleidoscope1967eyes

@dailydragon08

@sonofthedunes

@wicked0clouds

@tearsleftforari

@thereallchristine

@partofmejustwantstosleep

@xxx-aurora-swirls

@remusstefon

@annoyinglythoughtfuldestiny

@0paperairplane0

@kethamine

@pantaeudaimonia

@acupnoodle

@flawroses

@xplore-the-unknwn

@tatooineknights

@myevilmouse

@edwxrdkenway

@gabbasblog

@garagesesh

@bsxcrxts

@maybe-if-youd-listen

[scraregenrecs]

Rare & Gen Rec Round-Up - September & October 2022

Hi, friends! November was a doozy for your mods, so we apologize for the delay in getting this post out to you. But we're back, and we hope everyone’s nice and cozy (and warm) and ready to read some of our favorite rare & gen SC works from September and October 2022. We know you'll enjoy them!

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it was just a wednesday by apothecarose, Stevie/Twyla, rated T, 592 words

Summary: I only drink red wine. She remembers saying those words to David years ago, and she had been telling the truth. She'd never been attracted to another woman, which is why her feelings for Twyla slammed into her like a freight train.

Rec [written by samwhambam]: I really enjoyed this fic. It felt like a nice, warm hug of feelings. It was gentle and the whole thing is the equivalent of the ‘oh’ we love so much. Highly recommend if you’re looking for something short and sweet and full of feelings!

Some of the Things Some of the Time by @chronologicalimplosion, Stevie/David, rated G, 11,050 words

Summary: "How, um... How do you feel about... flavored wines?"

"What, like Herb Ertlinger's fruit wines?" Stevie pulls a face, obviously not having caught on yet.

David takes a deep, only-mildly-mortified breath, hoping she will. "No, like. I mean, what really is a red wine, anyways? Like, sure, it's got a different color from white, but different people like them because they taste different. So I was just wondering. Since you're a red drinker. Is it... the label, or the grapes, or... the taste? What if--I mean--you made a wine out of white grapes but you pissed off Dionysus or the scientists worked their magic or whatever and it came out tasting like a red?"

"Okay, David, I think you are vastly overestimating how picky I am about wine--and also how much I, like, know about wine? Because I know this is a metaphor but I have no idea what you're talking about."

--

A reimagining of the events of Carl's Funeral & Honeymoon (where David and Stevie talk sexuality, hook up, and break up) in which David Rose is a trans man.

Rec [written by doingthemost]: I loved the original in this series, and as a sucker for David/Stevie, I was thrilled to see this new installment! I love this reinterpretation of the canon; the characterization and dialogue are so on point, I would absolutely believe that this is canon.

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Wishing for an Endless Night by jmda4, Alexis Rose, NR, 594 words

Summary: Alexis tries to cope with the idea of leaving her family.

Rec [written by petalwrites]: This short-and-sweet fic explores what’s going through Alexis’s head before she leaves for New York, and it’s really touching! It really highlights how much she grew throughout the show, which is one of my favorite parts of Schitt’s Creek.

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The Witch of Schitt’s Creek by @tyfinn, Gen, NR, 1115 words

Summary: Roland Jr. comes to David and Patrick for help when he thinks he sees a witch.

Rec [written by petalwrites]: Something about this really reads like part of a Halloween episode of a sitcom for me — which I’m a sucker for. D/P makes a brief appearance, but the real star here is Roland Jr. It’s a funny, sweet fic about a misunderstanding so true to how kids think. I could definitely see it happening in a future episode of the show.

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Happy reading, friends!

[futurebiblestudies-blog]

Genesis 49

Wild Central Asian songs and delicious salads. His residence was divided between a 20-year-old child and a 2-year-old child who was not guilty of incest.

From the perspective of the three levels of founding the country, which level is the most poisonous in the establishment of the Ministry of War? During difficult times, warrior voices are used to share songs with family members.

Rainy night and sunny day. Square meters, western grapes, money grapes. This smell has been tormenting him for thirty years.

Israel was eighteen at the time, and he passed that number before I turned twenty. My mandarin duck is one of the lucky ones in beautiful county.

The monetary value of commercial centers is greater than that of commerce alone, and Western ownership is more than an ounce.

Therefore, among the five ships there are strong ones, living ones, evil ones, and evil ones. 7 ponies were defeated by the power of the crow. Multi-headed creatures are labeled.

The fifty-year-old father, the leader of the six people in the Sacred Tower, went north with beautiful super vitamins and a wonderful life, but the stone lion soldier flew into the Moon Phase Road and became seriously ill. I have a general who becomes powerful in anger and cannot be knocked down by ten punches. He is a fair dealer. Under the tower is a strong man with golden armour. The soldiers of the fifth prince and Golden Beauty \ all have ten kinds of sword skills. The ten women and ten warriors at the tower gate were all covered with gray-red snow and became agile.

My children are like snakes, I worry that my time is running out. At the same time, I'm scared to die, scared to die. I'm scared that I'm going to die... A mother and daughter, both 9 years old, were buried in a crematorium and had water poured over their heads. A mother and daughter were buried in a crematorium and had water poured over their heads.

 From the 20th to the 20th, bread and sashimi, songs by Yuda's faith, and sashimi are all you want, and you are so lucky to be full. You're in a bed from 2030 and you're so lucky you can't eat it. From the 17th to the 8th, you are so lucky, so lucky, you can't eat. The rainbow of rainbows is a dazzling light, the eighth and first wave coming down the mountain.

 You told him personally about my 13 year old father.

And the strength of the old field in appearance, I have been bitten by three habits of horses and humans.

There are only two white walls under the cave.

Connecting Heaven and Heart. Praise be to you, donkey between heaven and cruel instruments.

I'll put down his collection of bows

A selection of 349 Israeli-style wines

Make everyone on the field panic.

The eldest sons gathered together to bless their father.

All kinds of fruits are gathered on this land, one of them is your daughter and your brother, can you guide the four leaves mountain? I am you, Sartre who killed the five villages of Karela, took Benjamin's military uniform by force, took the lives of the children, dispersed the people, and divided my choice. I see not only you in bed, but also on the sofa, your wife, your beauty, 9 beauties, and milk.

 What is with this stallion? When that day comes, they will be blessed with happiness, they will become twenty-mile men, the sea lions will become lions, the fins of the humps will become lion fins, the chrysanthemums will be glorified, the same donkey's wreath will be blessed before it goes astray, he will be resurrected and his own, and he and the branch will say, "Hey, King, this is yours."

[thequeendomhq]

NAME. Julian Delyth AGE & BIRTH DATE. 25 & June, 30th 2999 AC GENDER & PRONOUNS. Cismale & He/Him NATIONALITY. Lysaran SPECIES. Werewolf FACTION. N/A OCCUPATION. Gladiator FACE CLAIM. Leo Woodall

biography

( tw: death, blood, violence )

A scouring sun and the oaky fragrance pulled from towering olive trees greet a baby born with an unkempt head of flaxen hair. He’s the youngest of four and his cries echo the loudest; most of the year the farmland of Eastreach is a temperate welcome, balmy breezes and a gentle touch of sun, but Julian is gifted to this world on the extension of a strange heatwave and his cries filter through the quiet settlement his parents have worked in all their lives. Hestia’s Cove is this opulent jewel that surrounds their laborious life, but pawns and cogs never live up to the idea that there is something else within this world for them, too scared of oppressors and failure, diligent worker bees who know each intricate piece of the olive trees from branches and stalks to the ripe olives that dot the foliage. 

His childhood could be glanced upon with the thought of absence; little money, hours of more work than genuine play, flushed skin nearly beet red from working under the potency of the brilliant sun. Julian would argue there was never anything missing, there’s an abundance of love, a unity of family, knees stamped with dirt and palms calloused but always a smile that combated the brilliance of the sun up ahead. Laughter was found spliced between strenuous harvests, leniencies occasionally offered as they sat around eating freshly caught fish and baked breads stuffed with olives and toasted with crafted oils. They never obtained much of the share, the majority was for the decadent oils and wines which House Veridian was known to profit from in the world. An older, wiser, Julian might have looked upon these times without the failsafe of rose-colored glasses, but he’d never take what was bestowed upon him for granted. There was strength found in laborious hours, a working family who bonded over ensuring they’d make the best of their circumstances, and Julian never went to bed without the moon cast overhead, belly full and a balmy breeze drifting him to sleep. 

There was nothing glamorous about such life, but Julian grew up adventurous and purposeful; he could craft hours of mindless fun razing through the sprawling grape fields, or hanging from the lanky branches of the olive trees when deadlines for harvest didn’t loom. Nothing could squash or sully the imaginative nature of a child but he would inevitably grift into a firmer schedule as an adolescent mind could be molded to the workforce of each farmer in the settlements. Anyone rich enough to settle into Hestia’s Cove could not be caught within the sprawling inlands of the olive trees, nor the settlements dotted around them. Julian never wondered about what could have been, there was contentment in his life, perhaps even a glimmer of pride in their efforts and his mind only wandered to the opulence of the Cove when the sun fell in the sky  and the city flashed like a shimmering pearl in the belly of an unsightly oyster. 

Julian’s life was a rudimentary existence at best, something that emulated the cushy idea of small living, and he’d yet to be greeted with the cruelty of the world. It was generational to man these fields and manufacture the oils and wines, and Julian became comfortable in the quotidian churning of life until violence leapt upon them under a small tryst of plundering greed. Boxing shipments and carting them down to the ports was a standard procedure, something done hundreds of times even in Julian’s short lifespan. He’d gone often with his father, helped adhere each label to each manufactured bottle of olive oil and torch each fermented crate of wine. In a society built on their poverty and the adamant glean of their oppression, something as simple as bottling and labeling was greeted with a strange twist of pride. 

Under the heavy trading between Ankhuria and Sinaria many would presume it foolish to go in opposition against the Merchant’s Guilds sailing companies but a pirate was never known to find resolution in sitting by idly when most tended to vie for riches beyond comprehension. If Sinaria’s coastline was littered with bones and dilapidated ships then a pirate would drift to the source to hit them where it would hurt. A raid at the Lysaran coastline, with Julian and his father caught in the midst; pirates weren’t rumored to be smart -a common misconception- but they were certainly crafty and through the habitual practice Julian and his father practiced, it was there the pirates thought best to make their move. 

Known better to attack ships and raid them directly on the sea, surprise often bargained as a pirate’s greatest element, something which wrought a frenzy on the coastline of Eastreach. Meticulously produced oils, wines that had aged for years, some older than Julian himself, were destroyed at the port but the House of Veridian was not without their own fight. Julian and his father, other farmers who had come to produce their share, were struck in the midst of a battle produced by spoils and greed. Raids always had their victims; mostly the rich and their tarnished supplies, but Julian’s efforts to save what they’d produced under laborious hours in the fields, in the house, proved to be met with resistance. In the midst of gunfire and sword fights, however, a different beast loomed on the horizon. Julian was sure to have imagined it, the snarling hulk of wet fur that carried the miasma of salinity, the searing bite as a gaping maw crushed around his thigh and tore through Eastreach’s forces. If the Veridian house was displeased at the pirates that had destroyed their fares and managed to slip away into the Azure Sea, then the House was equally displeased to note how many workers were encumbered by injuries sustained in the raid. 

Deadlines were shot back, deals and trades with Sinaria currently fumbled, but the Merchant’s Guild could cover the losses for now; it was simply up to the workers within the settlements to work even harder, dedicate every second of their waking hour to make up for the wages lost. Julian’s family had to make up for the boy’s loss, where he writhed in bed taken by fever and disorientation, grueling hours stretched to days without pause. Sinarian’s were not known for their kindness and a debt was to be directly paid; any who came short towards it would be met with cruel levies inflicted further upon their homes. A month passed and his hope for delusion at the beast that had lunged upon him, turned into a wretched reality. A wolf with no recognition for the family that raised him or the home that had sheltered him, Julian rose with the illuminated damnation of the full moon. A predator, a beast, he tore through the settlement until blood coated the soil of the olive groves, until the generational pieces of his family within Eastreach was destroyed. 

Fellow workers were felled, fellow friends and family fallen to the predatory nature he inhabited, Julian’s instincts allowed him to evade capture within the ancient olive groves, but as the lunar cycle ended a beast shifted back unto a boy and the truth of his violence was inflicted upon him. Death would have likely been a kindness to him, but Lady Veridian looked upon the gruesome sight he’d created of the sprawling path of groves and grape vines, curled her lip at the number of workers culled by his newly forged tether to the moon, and wished for an even punishment. When she looked upon each life Julian had taken, the Veridian House and the Merchant’s Guild simply saw statistics looming; a crucial loss of money, minds who’d known the quotidian churn of the fields and manufacturing of their supplies gone in the blink of an eye. A shell of Julian’s former self, a ludi looked upon him and such massacre and grinned; there was a fighter to be molded to brilliance, a criminal which could, in turn, be cheered for when it came to the violence he could inflict. 

Imprisonment but with a purpose? - Julian could not figure what to make of his new fate, but jaws would soon crack under his newfound strength, blood would be further spilled, and crowds would cheer for the creature he’d become. Wares earned in each victory were given the House Veridian, to the crown, and Julian was only left with the hollow reminder that this was what it had meant to become. Violence incarnate, a ferocious beast with a taste for blood, and dozens he’d claimed victory over as he rose within the ranks of the gladiator ring. Five years could be considered a blessing in the likes of the crime he’d committed, but the years went on slowly, chipping away at each remnant piece of the boy who plucked grapes and olives from trees, separated pits, and ground flesh into oils and wines. 

Freedom could be bought but it never sated the lonely feeling that had resided in the broken pieces of him; a golden child, a conqueror, he stayed within the ring long after he’d been granted freedom for there was nowhere else for a wolf like him to go. 

personality

+ Courageous, Reliable, Honorable – Conformist, Clumsy, Thoughtless

played by gia. cst. she/her.

[earaercircular]

The new nomadic wines: without a winery, no vineyards and with reused bottles

Lagalin, one of the wines in reused bottles from the nomadic winery Gallina de Piel Wines

The former elBulli sommelier, David Seijas, collects the glasses from Albert Adrià's Enigma restaurant and gives them a new life by bottling his wine with Bierzo grapes

When David Seijas (Barcelona, 43 years old) was a sommelier at elBulli[1] and threw away a lot of bottles every day, he wondered why that magnificent glass ended up in the recycling bin. Years later he has achieved an answer. He now gives another life to the bottles that are emptied at Enigma[2], Albert Adrià's Barcelona restaurant, making them return to the same establishment to refill the diners' glasses. As? With a wine.

“This is how we close the circle,” says the promoter of this round-trip adventure, whose protagonist is Lagalin, a red wine made in Bierzo in collaboration with Olga Verde[3], a young Galician winemaker who works near Cacabelos[4] with 80-year-old vines. “Olga takes care of the vineyards as if it were a Japanese garden. And we got a great wine,” says David Seijas, enthusiastic about the result. It is a cherry red wine, fresh and with notes of red fruits and minerals, made with Mencía (94%) and Merenzao (6%) grapes, which were harvested by hand and trampled on foot before being placed in open warehouses.

“It is an artisanal wine,” he insists. Furthermore, the bottling and labelling was carried out by many hands: “Olga and her partner, my partner Guillem and I”, and Seijas himself was in charge of collecting the bottles at the restaurant and taking them to POTS[5], the sanitation company, that left them spotless and sent them on pallets to the Bercian warehouse.

Seijas' interest in recovering used bottles intensified during Covid. “At that time there was a major crisis in glass bottles. There was no glass and the price went up a lot. From one day to another, the few bottles were worth 40% more and this accelerated something that I was already thinking about: giving the bottle a second chance without it being crushed.”[6]

The idea of the second life of bottles is not new. “Before, it was already done in the villages. You would go with your clean bottle to get the wine from the wineries and use it again several times,” he remembers. But now, with all the health guarantees, there are wineries that dare to reuse their bottles. Alta Alella, Vins de Taller, Brugarol or Vins Estela are some of them. It is certified by POTS, the Catalan company that has sanitized the bottles for Lagalin, although in this case the special thing is that they are bottles of a different type and unrelated to the brand. “We loved David's project. So collaboration was easy,” says Marta Sainz, founder of POTS. “Our business model focuses on offering our clients (wineries and beverage manufacturers) that they buy back their own sanitized containers from us, instead of buying new containers every time they bottle their products. In this way, we are committed to the circularity of the packaging. Today, our process is 94.5% more efficient compared to the glass manufacturing process,” says Sainz.

For Seijas it has not been a simple process.[7] “The machines have different bottling stars and we had to change them to adapt them to the types of bottles: Burgundy, Bordeaux, white wines, red wines, cava, Jura, which are rare… There are thin ones, thick ones, glass ones. light and dark... Everything! It took us two days, when in a normal process automatic bottling is done in hours, and there we lost the desire to repeat. Once you are immersed in the process you understand why no one has done it before, but now, seeing the result, we think it is beautiful and that we may do it again. So we will ask Albert to continue saving us bottles of Enigma for the 2023 harvest so that Lagalin lasts,” he says.

A winery without properties

“In this project we are not a winery, not a property and not a bottle. Every sip of Lagalin tells a story of respect for our environment,” says the former sommelier at elBulli from 2000 to 2011. It is a wine producer without a winery or vineyards under the brand Gallina de Piel Wines,[8] which he founded in 2017 with the architect and also sommelier Guillem Sanz Obach. Gallina de Piel ironically evokes the phrase of the famous footballer Cruyff with the upside-down saying of goosebumps. And the name of the newborn came from him, Lagalin, it is an anagram of chicken; something logical that plays with the identity of the non-winery.

The masters of the roost are wine producers who practice what Seijas calls “vineyard coworking” with professionals from different Spanish regions. They like to say that their wines are “liquid stories.” The first was Roca del Crit, a red wine from some Cap de Creus vines, whose name evokes the rock of Cala Montjoi where the Bullinians let off steam loudly in front of the sea. Then came the whites Manar dos Seixas (Ribeiro), Ikigall (Penedés) and Mazapé (Tenerife), the red Mimetic (Calatayud), the rosé Pinkgall (Navarra) and now the new red Lagalin (Bierzo).

The price of Lagalin is not low. The bottle costs 39.95 euros due to the circumstances: small production (only one 225-liter barrel, for 300 bottles), the artisan process and the cleaning of the containers. “It is almost a collector's wine that has arrived with a cubist image to the chicken coop,” says Seijas ironically about the label, designed by Sebastià Martí, whose presentation in a cardboard box with poultry motifs and disparate bottles has earned the award for best packaging in the International Wine Challenge Industry Awards 2023.

It is another award for the collection of David Seijas, Nariz de Oro for the best sommelier in Spain in 2006 and National Gastronomy Prize 2011. This wine guide writer, populariser and lecturer is a curious case: a wine expert who does not drink . “My passion became my enemy,” this former alcoholic who has been “tasting without drinking” says about his past.” I smell and I don't swallow, I spit." He adds that he will tell the story of his overcoming in a book. “I'm sweating my writing,” he confesses, and prepares something that is easier for him: “We are thinking about a drink for those who don't drink alcohol, a non-alcoholic version of Ikigall, and we also have the project for the first sparkling wine of the chicken coop, a cellar.” Plus, more wine and chocolate collaborations with world champion chocolatier Lluc Crusellas are on the horizon.

Before finishing, Seijas returns to the topic: “Reusing bottles uses less water than recycling.” Although it requires more personal effort later, a reusing project like Lagalin is worth it: “We intend to raise awareness about the need to do things without wasting and fight against waste in many ways.”

Source

Rosa Rivas, Los nuevos vinos nómadas: sin bodega, ni viñedos y con botellas reutilizadas, in: El País, 13-12-2023, https://elpais.com/gastronomia/2023-12-13/los-nuevos-vinos-nomadas-sin-bodega-ni-vinedos-y-con-botellas-reutilizadas.html

[1] El Bulli was a restaurant near the town of Roses, Spain, run by chef Ferran Adrià, later joined by Albert Adrià, and renowned for its modernist cuisine. Established in 1964, the restaurant overlooked Cala Montjoi, a bay on the Costa Brava of Catalonia. El Bulli held three Michelin stars and was described as "the most imaginative generator of haute cuisine on the planet" in 2006. The restaurant closed 30 July 2011 and relaunched as El Bulli Foundation, a centre for culinary creativity.

[2]elBulli is legend and its essence continues in the Enigma restaurant in Barcelona. Albert Adrià plays with tradition and innovation to, from few ingredients, compose light recipes that discover harmonies that remain engraved in memory. https://elpais.com/gastronomia/gastronotas-de-capel/2023-11-16/elbulli-es-leyenda-y-su-esencia-continua-en-el-restaurante-enigma-de-barcelona.html

[3] https://olgaverde.es/

[4] Cacabelos is a village and municipality located in the region of El Bierzo (province of León, Castile and León, Spain). According to the 2020 census (INE), Cacabelos has a population of 4,996 inhabitants. It is well known for its wines.

[5] Reusable packaging management system. We make it POTSible to reuse the packaging of our clients, the FMCG brands; thus betting on circularity and providing a solution to the problem of generating waste derived from mass consumption. https://www.pots.eco/que-hacemos/

[6] Read also: https://www.tumblr.com/earaercircular/734892591298068480/the-reuse-of-glass-is-stalling-in-france-despite?source=share

[7] https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzgMpPCNggg/

[8] All the wine is born in a winery. Ours, too. We don't have wineries, but we love our wine keepers. We only renounce the "unavoidable" fact of having a winery to make wine. We take care, together with our wine guardians, of as many vineyards as are necessary to create our bottled stories. Without limits, looking for the vineyard that can build our history, wherever it is. We propose wines that excite us, highlighting different profiles and native varieties, while defending the place where they come from. We create and produce wines that respect gastronomy, together with the best producers in the country. https://gallinadepielwines.com/

[ollieofthebeholder]

My unusual/rare allergens are bananas, grapes, and artificial sweeteners.

On the surface, doesn't look like a problem, right? Surely those will be obvious and easy to avoid!

Nope.

A lot of vegan alternatives use bananas in place of eggs. I'm not vegan, but a) I now basically CAN'T be if I WANT to and b) I do occasionally like to eat the yummy-looking treats at the local coffee shop, but oh, it's "vegan-friendly"? Not me-friendly, sorry. It's also an allergy-friendly alternative to eggs, so a lot more baked goods are using bananas. (Fun fact, I also found out that a banana allergy tends to mean the person also has an allergy to stevia, the new wonder sweetener.)

Grapes? Grape juice is THE most common filler juice in juice blends. I have to scour the ingredients list on bottles of juice, ESPECIALLY the ones that say "100% juice", because nine times out of ten there's like ten percent of the actual juice it's advertising as and the rest of it is either grape juice or white grape juice depending on the "main" flavor. Can't have anything with raisins in it, which makes ordering baked goods, especially carrot cake, risky - a lot of those will take the walnuts out because that's an allergen, but they still have raisins in them. Can't have anything cooked in wine, and do you have any idea how long it was before I found out why I always got sick when I ordered shrimp scampi?

With the artificial sweeteners - and it's sucralose, saccharine, AND aspartame - I've got several problems. Leaving aside the fact that I cannot order Dr Pepper at any place that serves Pepsi products unless I can see the person pouring the soda or I REALLY trust the waiter (I have had MULTIPLE instances where the waiter just wrote down "DP" and came back with diet Pepsi instead of Dr Pepper), I have to be very careful about prepackaged food like protein bars also - a LOT of them are advertised as being "low sugar", which means they have an artificial sweetener in them. I had to stop drinking the punch at the church receptions (this was pre-pandemic) because there were several people who were diabetic in the congregation and they started making the punch with diet soda, something I was not told because they figured it wouldn't matter (I also had to be careful with desserts at the potlucks, because at least one of the bakers is diabetic). I take Allegra for allergies, but I HAVE to take the Walgreens brand because it's the only one that doesn't use sucralose as a binding agent. Plus, I'm fat, and a lot of people think they're "helping" me by giving me sugar-free variants of things.

I dread the day companies are forced to label for those things. I don't even want to think about how many things will no longer be safe for me because companies decide they don't want to bother trying to figure out if something's already got those in it, so they just shove some in and call it a day.

I also don't think it's right that people have to pay extra for a label on their food assuring them "Don't worry! This won't kill you!"

the uncommon allergy haver to anticapitalist pipeline

[chloeunitfive]

Could Fashion Have An Animal-Free Future? 

Veganuary, a movement promoting turning vegan for the month of January, has increased in popularity year after year since its inception a decade ago. It's no wonder, therefore, that a rising number of individuals are thinking about getting rid of animal products from their wardrobes as well. Rebecca Cappelli, filmmaker and director of the WaterBear documentary Slay, which illustrates some of the environmental and ethical issues associated with the manufacture of leather, wool, and fur (the latter of which is already prohibited by several luxury labels, including Chanel, Gucci, and Prada), is one such individual. "There's a blind spot when it comes to animals in fashion," says Cappelli to Vogue. "I wanted to make a film putting them into the conversation, but also addressing the harms of [these] industries when it comes to their impact on the planet and on people who either work in the supply chain, or live in communities that are affected by these industries." According to the United Nations, cow ranching is responsible for an estimated 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions each year, as well as deforestation in locations like the Amazon. While leather is sometimes portrayed as a byproduct of the meat industry, it is in fact an essential component of the industry. Meanwhile, the tanning process (when animal skins are transformed into leather) frequently necessitates the use of a huge number of chemicals, which can wind up contaminating nearby rivers (though groups such as the Leather Working Group are spearheading efforts to lessen its environmental effect). That's why we've seen a surge in alternative leathers recently, from Mylo, made from mushroom roots, on Stella McCartney's catwalks to Vegea, a grape leather made using waste from the wine industry, at brands like Ganni, which has committed to eliminating leather-like entirely by the end of the year.

However, many of these alternatives now have some synthetic component, making them difficult to recycle and unable to entirely biodegrade, while others, like as Mylo, still go through the tanning process. "To date, we have struggled to find alternatives that do not require a compromise on aesthetics, function or sustainability - particularly [thinking about] end of life - and therefore have held off [adopting these alternatives],"  “Protein-based innovation is very interesting [but] we’ll need investment and patience to see these products ready for consumers,” Sydney Gladman, chief scientific officer at the Material Innovation Initiative, comments.  When it comes to wool substitutes, there has perhaps been less innovation. At the moment, the major animal-free possibilities are synthetics like acrylic, which emit hazardous microplastics and do not biodegrade. Eirinn Hayhow, a vegan designer, employs plant-based alternatives for her knitwear, such as recycled cotton, hemp, and soya bean fibre. "Synthetic fibres are still favoured as they are more accessible and affordable than the natural alternatives," she says. "Hemp [for example] is an amazing material - it takes to the natural dye really well, can be grown and sourced locally, but isn't easy to get hold of on a larger scale."While there are some ethical issues about the usage of wool, particularly the practise of mulesing, which is the removal of skin strips around a sheep's buttocks to avoid flystrike, a parasite illness, supporters of the fibre claim progress is being made. "[A] large number of wool growers are moving away from mulesing wherever possible," says John Roberts, managing director of The Woolmark Company. "The welfare of the sheep and lambs [is] the number one priority."

Furthermore, there is a rising trend towards regenerative wool, or manufacturing the fibre in a way that has a good influence on the environment. For example, Mara Hoffman released her Climate Beneficial wool collection in 2020, while Sheep Inc claims that its jumpers are carbon negative, meaning that more carbon is absorbed from the atmosphere than is emitted. "Wool is one of the most regenerative fibres in terms of its ability to be reused and passed on," he explains. "A lot of farmers already [adopt] regenerative practises - I think it's [now] about actually agreeing on a measurement and a standard and actually doing that as an industry." Although there is some worry about the amount of acreage required to transition the entire sector to a more regenerative method, it appears that animal-derived products are here to stay for the foreseeable future. Moving forward, the emphasis will be on how to lessen the environmental effect of these fibres while also improving transparency - and hence accountability - throughout the production chain. "Traceability is essential for any material to be able to demonstrate the conditions under which it was produced and where it came from," says Stuart Cranfield, head of standards and assurance at the Leather Working Group.

Nonetheless, as new inventions scale up and develop, some in the industry believe an animal-free future is on the horizon. "Next-gen materials represent a multi-billion-dollar opportunity - reduce [and] eliminate harm to people, animals, and the planet, and meet the needs of both consumers and brands," Gladman goes on to say. "Without a doubt, we see a future where animal-free materials are the norm."

Reference:

Emily Chan. (2023). Could Fashion Have An Animal-Free Future?. [Online]. British Vogue. Last Updated: 14 January 2023. Available at: https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/vegan-fashion-future [Accessed 7 November 2023].

[lonestarnz]

The Ultimate Guide to Ordering Wine at a Restaurant

Welcome to the wonderful world of wine! Whether you're dining at an upscale restaurant Napier NZ or a cosy family restaurant, navigating the wine list can be a delightful experience. In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through the steps to confidently order wine, ensuring a perfect pairing with your meal. So, let's raise our glasses and embark on this flavourful journey!

Getting Familiar with the Wine List

When you sit down at a restaurant Napier NZ, the wine list can seem like daunting tome. However, fear not! Take your time to peruse the selection. Most wine lists are organised by categories such as red, white, sparkling, and sometimes by regions or varietals. Don't hesitate to ask for recommendations from the server or sommelier; they're there to help you find the perfect bottle for your palate. Additionally, some establishments even offer a brief description of each wine, providing insights into its flavour profile and origin.

Understanding Wine Labels

Deciphering a wine label can be like reading a foreign language, but it's a crucial skill. Look for the grape variety, region, and vintage year. Knowing the grape can give you a good idea of the flavour profile, while the region often indicates the style of the wine. The vintage year informs you of the year the grapes were harvested, which can affect the taste. Don't be afraid to ask for explanations if you're unsure. Additionally, exploring the history and characteristics of different wine regions can deepen your appreciation for the craftsmanship behind each bottle.

Consider the Pairing

Pairing wine with food is an art that can elevate your dining experience. At a family restaurant Queenstown, you'll likely find a diverse menu, which means plenty of opportunities to experiment with different pairings. As a general rule, white wines complement lighter fare like seafood and poultry, while reds pair wonderfully with heartier dishes like steaks and plates of pasta. Sparkling wines are versatile and can be enjoyed throughout the meal. Additionally, don't shy away from seeking the advice of the server or sommelier for specific pairing suggestions based on the dishes you've chosen.

Ask for a Taste

If you're uncertain about a particular wine, many restaurants will offer a taste before committing to a full glass or bottle. This allows you to assess if it suits your taste buds. Don't hesitate to take advantage of this opportunity; it's a great way to ensure you're getting a wine you'll truly enjoy. Moreover, engaging in a conversation with the server about your preferences can lead to tailored recommendations that align perfectly with your palate.

Budget-Friendly Options

Dining out, especially at a restaurant, can be a special occasion, but it doesn't have to break the bank. There are often great wines available at a range of price points. Don't be swayed by the most expensive bottle on the list; sometimes, hidden gems can be found at more modest prices. If you're unsure, ask the server for recommendations within your budget. Additionally, exploring the world of wine through affordable options can lead to delightful discoveries and a broader understanding of different varietals and styles.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, ordering wine at a restaurant Napier NZ should be an enjoyable experience, not a stressful one. Take your time, ask for guidance, and trust your own palate. Whether you're at an upscale establishment or a cosy family restaurant Queenstown, this guide will help you navigate the wine list with confidence. Cheers to delicious meals, delightful wine pairings, and the joys of culinary exploration!

[liquorwinecave]

What is the Best Australian Wine for You

Australia is a wine powerhouse. We’re talking about the fifth-largest wine-producing country in the world! Australia is home to a talented community of winemakers championing all wine styles, from rosé wine to sweet wine and everything in between.

Australia produces a vast amount of fine wine, and although picking a nice bottle is easy, finding the right wine for you is a bit more challenging. After all, with so many alternatives, how to choose?

Here’s all you need to know about Australian wine and the grapes used to make it, from the robust Australian red wine made with Shiraz to the gentle Pinot Noir. Let’s find the right wine for you.

Australia’s Wine Regions

To understand Australian wine, one must first know how the 2156 wineries and 6000 grape growers are organized and how they label their wines.

Australia has a sophisticated yet straightforward appellation system. You’ll find distinct Geographical Indications (GI) under the umbrella term Wine Australia all along the country’s southern shore.

Vineyards run along Queensland’s southern shore, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia — grapes grow merrily in Tasmania as well! There are around 65 GIs in Australia, and they all focus on different wine styles depending on their climates, soil types and proximity to the sea.

To find the right Australian wine for you, let’s explore the most famous wine grapes where they are grown. Here’s a quick tour through Australia’s verdant vineyards. Our first stop? Australian white wine.

Australian White Wine

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is Australia’s most planted white varietal and the third most important after the red Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Chardonnay is a noble grape. The queen of white grapes is native to Burgundy, France, but arrived in Australia in 1832. Winemakers love the grape for a reason — it thrives almost everywhere.

Of course, Chardonnay vines prefer colder climates, so you’ll find the finest Australian white wines made with the grape up on the hills or near the coast, where temperatures are lower.

Expect a tight acidic backbone and scents reminiscent of golden apples, white flowers, citrus peels and oaky vanilla over a medium-bodied and creamy palate. These wines are best enjoyed with pasta, creamy sauces, chicken thighs and savoury pastries.

Regions for Australian Chardonnay:

Margaret River, Adelaide Hills, Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Tasmania.

Wine to try:

Allandale Chardonnay 2021

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is the fifth most planted grape in Australia, and it’s often blended with Semillon, a style inspired by the white wines from Bordeaux. By the way, Semillon alone makes extraordinary wine in Australia as well, primarily in Hinter Valley.

Unlike Sauvignon’s European versions, these wines are brimming with tropical fruit redolent of passion fruit, lychee and kiwi, always with refreshing acidity. Enjoy Sauvignon Blanc with fresh cheese and seafood. For dry white wine, Australian white wine has you covered.

Regions for Australian Sauvignon Blanc:

Margaret River, Yarra Valley, Tasmania, Tumbarumba (Check the Sauv Blancs from neighbouring New Zealand as well!)

Wine to try:

Stella Bella Sauvignon Blanc 2021

Riesling

Riesling is the queen of cold-climate white grapes; it's easy to see why it thrives in Germany and Austria. Well, Australian grape growers have found great spots for growing the late-ripening and aromatic variety as well. The result is an elegant wine with floral and petrol aromas, often with hints of ripe peaches and mango. The sweetness in these wines may vary, so read the label carefully.

Riesling is particularly compatible with white meat, including pork and veal. It can be a great partner for spicy food like curries, too. Riesling is a wonderful summer sipper, and it’s easy to enjoy on its own as well.

Regions for Australian Riesling:

Clare Valley, Eden Valley, Tasmania, Western Australia.

Wine to try:

Pooley Butchers Hill Riesling 2021

Other Australian White Grapes

Many other white varietals show promising results in Australia, including Vermentino, Pinot Gris, Fiano, Muscat and others.

Australian Red Wine

Although Australian white wines are up there with the best in the world, the country is best known for its reds. Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are the two most planted grapes in Australia and make almost half of the vineyards. Both grapes arrived in the country in the 1830s at the hands of the “Father of Wine Australia”, James Busby. Today, producers make the most acclaimed wines in the country with one of these two grapes, but there are others. Let’s get to know them.

Shiraz

Shiraz, AKA Syrah, is a red grape from the Rhône Valley, France. The rustic grape produces big and bold red wines with ripe fruit aromas and hints of freshly cracked black pepper and chocolate.

Shiraz is also commonly blended with Grenache and Mataro (Mourvedre) in the now-famous GSM blend, where Grenache plays first fiddle. These wines are complex but approachable and offer a wide range of fruit, herb and spice aromas.

Australian Shiraz is best enjoyed with hearty stews, meat pies, grilled red meat, barbecue, roasts, goat and lamb.

Regions for Australian Shiraz:

Barossa Valley, Margaret River, Hunter Valley, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale.

Wine to try:

Turon Artist Range Syrah 2019

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted grape globally and the second most popular in Australia. There’s no doubt the noble Bordelaise varietal produces age-worthy and structured wines across the country. You can find wines made 100% with Cabernet Sauvignon everywhere and spectacular blends, most likely Cabernet-Merlot and Cabernet-Shiraz.

Cabernet Sauvignon wines are an excellent match for thick, fatty steaks, especially rib eyes and strip steaks. Cabernet will also shine with meaty stews, casseroles and semi-hard cheese.

Regions for Australian Cabernet Sauvignon:

Coonawarra, Barossa Valley, Margaret River, Victoria.

Wine to try:

Suckfizzle Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is not amongst the most planted red grapes in Australia, not because producers don’t want to grow it, but because the thin-skinned Burgundian grape is tough to grow and only thrives in the coldest climates.

Pinot Noir produces elegant, almost silky red wines with elevated acidity and fruit purity on the nose and palate. These sensual wines pair best with mushroom dishes, oily fish like salmon and tuna, and roasted poultry. Pinot Noir is also often used to make pretty rosé wine.

Regions for Australian Pinot Noir:

Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley, Tasmania, Adelaide Hills.

Wine to try:

Quartier Pinot Noir 2021

Other Australian Red Grapes

There are dozens of other red grapes in Australia, although not nearly as popular as those described above. Tempranillo is worthy of a special mention, and it’s doing great in Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Heathcote and Margaret River.

Merlot, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Petit Sirah (Durif) and many other grapes are worth seeking out, and they’re climbing the popularity ranks at an impressive pace.

There’s an Australian Wine For You

We’ve covered the most prominent red and white varietals in the Australian repertoire and where to find them. However, this is just a drop in the bucket — there’s much more from where these came from!

From world-class sparkling wine to lusciously sweet wine, Australian winemakers make wine for all occasions, food pairings and budgets. What’s the best Australian wine? That’s up to you. And you’ll have a great time finding the answer to that question.

Enjoy the wine Australia has for you and share it with friends and family. Australian wine is better than ever, and it’s not going anywhere. Are you ready to explore the vast country through your taste buds? All you need is a wine glass!

[vegi1]

Is Vegan Food Halal?

As a Muslim, you may have the question whether veganism is haram or haram. Or are vegetarian and vegan foods halal? Can a Muslim become a vegan?

you can find vegans from every corner of the world, and some of these vegans believe in halal and haram, so there comes a question to mind, is vegan food halal? I will tell you.

Looking closely, you can find vegans from every region and religion worldwide. Usually, these vegans believe in the same ethics; however, everything changes when the matter of faith comes.

Especially when talking about religions that have haram and halal food.

You might wonder what these two are, do not worry because I will tell you all about them.

I’m Sara, and I have been vegan for seven years; because this lifestyle has greatly helped my family and me, I would like to tell you about my experiences in this field.

Before getting to the answer to the main question, we have to tell you about haram and halal food so you will have a better understanding if you are not familiar with this concept.

There are many religions worldwide, and these religions forbid specific consumables and declare them haram, meaning they harm your physical and mental health.

And the rest of the foods that remain are called halal, meaning that there is no forbidding fact that prevents these individuals from eating these foods.

Remember that haram food is not unlikely in some other religions, but because the beliefs and ethics are different, we must respect them.

For instance, in Islam consuming pork meat or drinking wine and other drinks that contain alcohol is prohibited.

While in some other religions, such as Christianity, these two foods, to be specific, are allowed.

The reasons behind this declaration can be reasonable for some individuals; however, others may disagree.

Yes, of course, as a Muslim, you can be a vegan, and this is not against Islamic law , Muslims can absolutely be vegan.

The Quran states that it is permitted to eat meat, but it does not say that it is required or even encouraged.

In addition, there are many historical stories in which it is said that Prophet Muhammad had great respect for animals and encouraged people to be kind to animals.

Halal The main topic I have to discuss in this section is the matter of vegan food being or haram.

I must tell you that it’s not that simple to answer the form of a Boolean.

Vegans consume some foods that are haram, which comes as a shock because all of the foods that vegans consume are made out of plant-based nutrition, but if that is true, then why do some of the vegan foods haram?

Let me tell you that vegans do drink beverages like wine or alcohol, and this substance is the number one haram consumable that there is; some religions believe that when you consume alcohol, after a while, you lose your control and you might do some actions that cause regret in the near or far future.

So as you can see, wine and other kinds of alcohol are made from ingredients like grape and potato. They are haram to consume.

As you can see, it depends on the food.

For instance, there are pig gelatin and cow gelatin; for some religions eating pig gelatin is haram but for some, eating cow gelatin is halal.

However, vegans consume plant-based gelatin, which is organic, and you don’t have to worry about any animals getting harmed in making this gelatin.

As you can see, vegan halal or haram food depends on the food you are consuming.

First of all, you have to pay attention that the product you are getting has a vegan-certified label on it, and after this step, it is interesting to know that halal food also has a label.

So if you are vegan and restricted by your religion, you must look for halal signs and vegan certification.

Such as an example, foods like lard are also haram for some religions, but after all, it is not vegan, so there is no need to elaborate any further.

Now that you have figured out the whole statement on “is vegan food halal?” let’s conclude and end the information, shall we?

In the laws of Islam, there are guidelines for slaughtering animals, which seem to care about the lives of animals. But after reading the halal slaughter instructions in Islam, I found that Muslims kill animals with respect.

Islamic law demands that animals be slaughtered in the name of God. The slaughterer must be a sane adult Muslim pulling a sharp knife across the animal’s throat in a specific way to kill it. The slaughterer must also say “bismillah” (“in the name of God”).

A vegan diet is relatively straightforward; however, if you follow a specific religion that declares restrictions on the food you eat, the work gets more complex.

Let’s say that you are a vegan and a Muslim, and you are wondering whether vegan food is halal or not.

Keep in mind that in this brief article, I have explained everything regarding halal and haram foods and which ones are allowed or are halal.

We get to the conclusion that all vegan foods can be halal. However, there are some exceptions that you have to keep in mind; in this article, I have listed the exceptions that you have to look out for.

So we can confidently say that vegan food can be halal and haram; you have to look for the halal logo and the vegan certification.

These two marks will guarantee that you will choose the right food for your table that is both halal and vegan at the same time.

However, you have to remember that when food is halal and vegan, the price tends to be a bit higher, but you won’t know the difference.

In the end, I am thrilled that you decided to join me on the “Is Vegan Food Halal?” statement, and I hope the information I provided will be helpful.

If you have anything to add to this statement or any other exceptions you want to tell us, use the comment section below or the website’s contact page.

[dougrobyngoold]

A Wonderful Introduction - Bordeaux, France

We started the day off by walking around the block from our Airbnb and checking out the church we could see from our bedroom window - St. Louis des Chartrons.

The stained glass windows are impressive, as well as the ceiling height.

Stained glass windows in the choir by Nicolas Lorin.

From there, we wandered a couple of blocks to the Musee du Vin et du Negoce de Bordeaux to learn about the history of Bordeaux wines and a little about the Chartrons District (which is the area that we are staying in).

The entrance to the museum is actually the doorway to the left in this picture - the doorway with the giraffe next to it is a wine shop.

We took a self-guided tour of the museum, using a printed guide in English. The museum was the residence of a wine merchant in the 18th century. This is the elaborate staircase near the entrance of the museum/home.

We enjoyed the museum, lots of historical facts and relics on display, in a very cool and damp cellar.

A display of some of the wine labels from the Bordeaux region.

A display showing the different bottle sizes and types.

Included in the museum entry price, 10 euros, was a wine tasting at the end of the tour. The tasting was a good introduction to the appellations in the Bordeaux wine region and Bordeaux wines.

We walked along the riverfront on the Garonne River to La Cite du Vine, passing the Delmas Bridge, on our way to our second wine museum of the day.

La Cite du Vine - a very modern, interactive museum dedicated to educating people about wine. It was expensive, 22 euros a piece, it included the museum and a not-so-generous-pour of what is suppose to be a “glass of wine” at the end of the tour.

Audio guides are available in a variety of languages, lots of information to take in at each of the exhibits.

A series of displays about every type of wine - take your pick!

This display was visually pleasing, but I am not sure that I actually learned anything about wine during my visit to this particular exhibit.

So many grapes, so little time!

The Belvedere Room at the top of the building, where you go for your promised glass of wine - a little disappointed in the wine, but the views were magnificent:

The Delmas Bridge.

The Spaceship - part of a public art display, “the anodized aluminum sculpture evokes the metamorphosis of a shipwreck in the Garonne, a vestige of the war, into a gleaming spaceship heading for the future”.

Rooftop bars and patios, as well as a submarine base from WWII in the distance. There were 11 separate bays and the roof was 7 meters thick.

We walked back down the riverfront, stopping for a little lunch. We then headed back to our place for a little rest, as we had dinner plans. Friends of ours, Jay and Shelly, who we met in Tucson a few years ago lived in France for a couple of years for Jay’s job. During that time, they became good friends with a couple, Gilles and Francois (who now live in Bordeaux). Jay and Shelly contacted them about our visit and put us in touch with them. Gilles and Francois have given us a list of things to do and see during our stay in Bordeaux, unfortunately, they had originally had vacation plans while we were going to be in town. A few days before we arrived, we received a message from Gilles that their plans had changed, due to an unfortunate incident for their son, and that they would be in town during our visit after all. They graciously invited us to their place for dinner tonight. We had such a lovely time visiting with them and experiencing a French dinner! We started the evening off with an appetizer and a bottle of champagne, then proceeded to 2 more bottles of wine and wonderful courses. What a treat! We hope that we will get to see these lovely people again - thank you so much for a memorable evening!

[halkidiki-sailing]

The Wine Museum & wine-tasting tours 🍷 Experience local Halkidiki wines, a tradition since ancient times! And from All of Greece too! Are you a wine enthusiast or simply looking for a unique and immersive experience in [year]? Look no further than wine museums and wine-tasting excursions. Explore the fascinating world of winemaking, indulge in tantalizing flavours, and enrich your knowledge of wine. In this post, we will dive into the top wine museums and wine-tasting excursions that you should consider for an unforgettable journey into the world of Halkidiki wines in [year]. Discover the Wonders of Wine Museum: It is a captivating destination that offers an enriching experience for wine lovers. Immerse yourself in the history, culture, and artistry behind winemaking. Learn about ancient techniques, modern innovations, and the significance of different grape varieties. Wine-Tasting Excursion: No wine experience is complete without indulging in the flavours and aromas of exquisite wines. Wine-tasting excursions provide an opportunity to visit the vineyard, meet passionate winemakers, and savour the finest wines. Embark on a journey through the picturesque vineyard, witness the winemaking process, and engage in informative tasting sessions. Wine and Culinary Pairings: To enhance your wine-tasting experience, consider exploring wine and culinary pairings. Delight in the art of matching different wines with perfectly complementing dishes. Many wineries and restaurants offer specialized tasting menus designed to showcase the harmony between food and wine. Expand your palate, elevate your dining experience, and unlock new flavours.  The wine Tour: We start from our office at Kallithea, Kassandra. Transportation to the wine Museum and a tour that is led by a wine-guide specialist. Comprises the vineyard, production area, bottling, ageing areas, and the Wine Museum. The duration is approximately 45’-60’. Then we stay in the beautiful visitors centre for another ~45min. Those who have chosen the wine-tasting package can enjoy TOPOS (/ˈtɒp.ɒs/: land, region) set a Tasting of five wines (40ml/label) exclusively produced from Greek grape varieties. Combined with aromatically compatible Greek raw materials. or the package they have chosen. Book online your wine Museum tour & tasting Pickup is included from Miraggio, Pefkochori, Haniotis, Polyhrono, Kryopigi, Solina, Kallithea, Afytos, Fokies, Sani, Potidaia, N. Moudania and hotels near those villages. In [year], make wine exploration a priority by visiting wine museums, embarking on wine-tasting excursions, and engaging in educational experiences. Immerse yourself in the world of winemaking, indulge in exquisite flavours, and cultivate a deeper understanding of this ancient elixir. Whether you're a seasoned wine aficionado or a curious beginner, these wine experiences will surely create lasting memories and ignite your passion for the vine. Cheers to an unforgettable wine journey in [year]! Greek Winemaking, a story lost in Time... Discover the Rich Legacy and Exquisite Flavors of Greek Wines! Embark on a captivating journey through time and taste Greek wines, where ancient history and contemporary craftsmanship unite in every sip. With a winemaking heritage dating back thousands of years, Greece stands as a cradle of viticulture, producing exceptional wines that captivate palates worldwide. Step into the enchanting world of Greek wines, where ancient legends intertwine with modern expertise to create a unique and unforgettable oenological experience. Delve into the historical origins of winemaking in Greece, a tale steeped in myth and legend. From the mythological Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, to the celebrated symposia of ancient Greece, where wine flowed freely, the culture of wine has flourished for millennia. Today, Greek wines continue to amaze and delight, showcasing a remarkable diversity of grape varietals and terroirs. With a climate blessed by

abundant sunshine, cooling coastal breezes, and a wide range of microclimates, Greece offers a veritable treasure trove of unique wine regions. From the sun-drenched slopes of the Peloponnese to the volcanic soils of Santorini, each wine-growing area imparts its distinct character to the grapes, resulting in a kaleidoscope of flavours. Indulge in the crisp, citrus-infused notes of Assyrtiko, the flagship white grape variety of Santorini, which thrives in the island's volcanic ash soil. Savour the luscious reds of Xinomavro, a noble grape known for its complex aromas and age-worthy potential, hailing from the picturesque region of Naoussa. Experience the vibrant and fruity Moschofilero from the mountainous region of Mantinia, a white wine that dances on the palate with its aromatic profile. Greek winemakers, with their unwavering commitment to quality, are reimagining ancient traditions with a modern touch. They fuse traditional winemaking techniques with innovative practices, resulting in wines that strike the perfect balance between tradition and innovation. These dedicated artisans carefully handpick the grapes, harnessing their essence to create exquisite wines that embody the spirit of Greece. Book online your wine-tasting experience Whether you are an aficionado seeking new vinous adventures or a curious explorer eager to discover the undiscovered, Greek wines offer an unrivalled sensory experience. Elevate your next gathering with the allure of Greek wines, and let their flavours transport you to the sun-kissed shores and ancient vineyards of this historic land. Uncover the magic and splendour of Greek wines, where the past meets the present, and every bottle tells a story. Raise your glass and toast to the beauty, passion, and unmatched elegance of Greek winemaking. [HTML_contact_us_EN] Exploring the Rich Wine Heritage of Halkidiki: From Ancient History to Today 🍇 Nestled in the northern part of Greece, the picturesque region of Halkidiki is not only known for its stunning beaches and scenic landscapes but also for its rich history in winemaking. With a legacy that dates back thousands of years, Halkidiki has become a prominent destination for wine enthusiasts seeking to indulge in the area's exceptional vineyards and exquisite wines. In this post, we will delve into the ancient history of wine production in Halkidiki and explore the notable wineries that continue to thrive today. 🏛️ Ancient History of Halkidiki Wine: The tradition of winemaking in Halkidiki can be traced back to ancient times, when the region was known as "Sithonia" and was an integral part of the Macedonian Kingdom. The Kassandra peninsula was called Flegra. The ancient Macedonians recognized the favourable climate and fertile soil of Halkidiki, which provided ideal conditions for cultivating vineyards. Wine played a significant role in the daily lives and rituals of the ancient inhabitants, and the region became renowned for producing exceptional wines. Book online your wine-tasting experience 🍇 Gerovasileiou Winery: One of the most esteemed wineries in Halkidiki is Gerovasileiou. Situated in the heart of the region, Gerovasileiou Winery has been producing premium wines since its establishment in the late 1980s. The winery embraces both traditional and modern winemaking techniques, carefully selecting the finest indigenous and international grape varieties. With their dedication to quality, Gerovasileiou Winery has gained recognition both nationally and internationally, and their wines have become ambassadors of Halkidiki's winemaking excellence. 🌊 Porto Carras Domain: Another prominent winery in Halkidiki is Porto Carras Domain. Located in the western part of the region, Porto Carras boasts a breathtaking vineyard that stretches along the slopes of Mount Meliton, overlooking the azure waters of the Aegean Sea. With a history that dates back to 1965, Porto Carras Domain is renowned for its diverse range of wines, including both red and white varietals.

The winery combines traditional winemaking practices with modern technology, resulting in wines that encapsulate the unique terroir of Halkidiki. 🍷 Livadiotis Winery: In the eastern part of Halkidiki, Livadiotis Winery stands as a testament to the region's commitment to winemaking excellence. Founded in the late 1970s, Livadiotis Winery is situated amidst a picturesque landscape, characterized by rolling hills and lush vineyards. The winery cultivates a variety of grape varietals, including Xinomavro, Assyrtiko, and Malagouzia, to produce a diverse range of wines that capture the essence of Halkidiki's wine heritage. Halkidiki Wine Today: Today, Halkidiki continues to flourish as a prominent wine region, with numerous wineries dedicated to preserving the region's winemaking traditions while embracing innovation. Visitors to Halkidiki can embark on wine tours and tastings, immersing themselves in the enchanting world of Greek viticulture. From full-bodied reds to crisp whites and delightful rosés, Halkidiki offers a wide range of wines to satisfy every palate. As you explore the wineries of Halkidiki, you will discover that each sip tells a story of ancient wisdom, passion, and dedication to craftsmanship. The wines of Gerovasileiou, Porto Carras Domain, and Livadiotis exemplify the legacy of winemaking in Halkidiki, reflecting the region's unique terroir and the expertise of its winemakers. Whether you are a wine connoisseur or an enthusiastic traveller, Halkidiki's wine culture invites you to experience the magic of its vineyards and taste the heritage that has been cherished for centuries. So raise your glass and toast to the captivating world of Halkidiki wines! 🍷 [HTML_contact_us_EN] Book online your wine Museum tour & tasting Book online your wine-tasting experience Photos credits: by Corina Rainer, Kym Ellis,

[crazyblondelife]

My 60th Birthday Party - Great Ideas for a Beautiful Party

I can’t believe it’s been over a month since my birthday…time flies more and more every year! It seems that I blink and it’s been a week! My life is packed to the brim with things I love and I’m so very blessed and grateful! When I finally fall into bed at night (around 9:30 if I’m lucky haha), I try to recall the wonderful parts of my day and go to bed thinking about all of them! It certainly makes for sweet dreams!

I am so blessed to have a small group of good friends and I treasure them. My friend Kim, who has been a friend for many years threw this party for me and a month later, it still makes me tear up when I think about how much work went into it… and she did it all for me! Kim has an amazing eye for beauty and is an expert at throwing fabulous parties as you’ll see in this post. Her home is so lovely and everywhere you look, your eye lands on something. beautiful! I felt like a princess in my own movie the whole evening!

I was so excited that two of my daughters could be at the party! We missed Sarah, but it’s a long way to travel from Germany!

As you can see, in September, we’ll have a new addition to the family…a little girl! They won’t share the name yet, so Bristol (my youngest grandson) named her Baby Avocado. That’s what we’re calling her for now but I have a feeling it’s going to be her name for a long time to come!

Kim thought of every single detail right down to decorating the fire place with balloons! It was a beautiful touch and a great backdrop for pictures!

Everyone was greeted with a signature cocktail…St. Germaine, Champagne and Club soda garnished with lime and mint!

The table was breathtaking and the food was absolutely delicious and the centerpiece was so gorgeous…flowers arranged in the number 60 on an fabulous birdcage!

Delicious food presented beautifully is something Kim is known for good reason! The menu included a lemony chicken and pasta salad, watermelon with mint and feta, an assortment of cheeses with veggies and crackers, an orzo salad (so yummy), and a cheese torte. The cheese torte (pictured below) was made with different layers of deliciousness and was a huge hit and so pretty as was everything!

The famous Cheese Torte…

Lemony Chicken & Pasta Salad…so delicious!

There was a definite color theme that carried through every detail! The white asparagus, cauliflower and endive were beautiful and so delicious! Green apples, green grapes and fresh herbs were garnishes!

There were flowers and candles everywhere and as the sun set, everything glimmered in the candlelight! Kim even made labels for the wine that were “birthday appropriate”! Every detail was covered!

In addition to the generous buffet, Kim made a cold buttermilk cucumber soup that was passed in small ramekins. The whole menu was just my cup of tea!

And for dessert…cupcakes and Kim even made me a cake! It was her first attempt at a multilayered birthday cake and it was divine! I could have eaten every bit of the icing, but it was very special because she made it for me!

My two oldest grandsons made an appearance at the party and I was so happy they were able to be a part of the festivities!

[decordreamscom]

Bureau22 team developed the design of Ukrainian wine for the Vernyhora x Sneaker mate collaboration. Vernyhora is a natural wine from Bukovyna, which is created by Mr. Stanislav Vernyhora himself. The art director of the Sneakermate.lviv formation, Margo Gariazha, spoke about the concept of creating a label - it is connected with the history of the Vernihor family: a lily flower as a symbol of family warmth and home. After the start of the war, in 2014, the Vernyhor family moved from Kharkiv to Chernivtsi. Mrs. Halyna Vernygora, the winemaker's wife, is engaged in landscape design, so no matter where they arranged their home, there were always wonderful plants growing around the house, and there was always a pond with lilies in the center of the composition. This is such a signature touch of the Vernihor house. It was this lily flower that was painted on the canvas and depicted on the wine label. Vernyhora wine was created in collaboration with the Sneakermate.Lviv formation, it can be purchased only in the Lviv place. There are no impurities in the wine, the only ingredient is grapes, which became wine in the village of Horishni Sherivtsi, Chernivtsi region," said the director of Vernyhora wines, Andriy Mishchenko.

[marigoldsays]

Marigold Says... 

Random thoughts on travelling and life in general. 

Our blog didn't win Blog of the Year. Again. That's three consecutive years it's been on the Shortlist and all it has to show for that feat is three 'Highly Commended' awards.  Not even a rosette! 

Oh well, que, sera, sera.

We have over 165,000 'unique' followers by now, it's over 167,000 actually now,so we're not too disheartened. 

What's different this year is having not one but two separate blog posts being singled out for a 'Best Single Blog Posts' award. They're on very different subjects but recognition of any kind is welcome. Feed the ego; body and soul. That's never a bad idea.

If you're interested in what critics think (!) the two posts they selected for special praise are:

Hippie Life in Spain

and

Party for Grownups

You'll find them and much else besides in the list of titles, almost 200 separate postings on a wide diversity of subjects and locations.

As for awards... Well, as we've had well over 165,000, yes, that's ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIVE THOUSAND individual readers by now, we must be doing something right. Anything over ten thousand readers meant we'd arrived in the Bloggin' Premier League, so hitting a hundred and sixty fivethousand plus is just WOW!

Who needs awards anyway?

G regards himself as an ex-writer these days, but a pandemic brings many surprises in its wake. He's written a new book, quite the departure from the style that brought far too much fame and far too little fortune as compensation for all that life disruption, hence the ex-writer tag.

The new book is a Young Adult novel about a pandemic, written a year before most people even imagined such a thing. More details and a link to this book and a few others long hidden from public view are in the recent blog post, Staying Alive.

Stop Press.

We may not have won Blog of the Year, but our blog post Only the Lonely, written during Covid-19 Lockdown, has been chosen from a few million other offerings as the Best 'Pandemic' Blog Post by the very clever people who judge this sort of thing for a living. We like critics! 

This isn't Marigold. Far too sophisticated.

Here’s that Only the Lonely blog post, just as a sample…

Solitary Confinement - It's Not All Fun and Party Games

M Says'

I havedecided my hair needs cutting. I actually said to G, 'my hair needs cutting badly' and he of course jumped straight in with, 'sounds perfect job for me.'

I have two styles to choose from. It can either be Boris post virus locks or Michael Fabricant. To actually wear a wig like that needs an award. Love it. I haven't decided yet. It all depends on G's patience, and nifty use of a rather large pair of kitchen scissors. As their use is varied from cutting up a chicken, cardboard or old clothes for dusters, am sure they will be up to the task. 

As my hair is not a favourite asset it doesn't really matter. In fact I can't think of an asset I have got. Anyway need to work up to it when G isn't on his exercise bike or wandering up and down the path. 

Have started to think about waste a lot. Had loads of peelings yesterday and thought about making our own potcheen. Anyway, I thought about it and then put them in the bin. We have made all sorts of strange and varied things in the past. 

We had a spell making Kombucha when we lived in France. It was very successful. In fact too successful and we were left with lots of Mother pancake things and didn't know what to do with them. It was suggested you fry them and eat them. We in fact buried them in the garden. I wonder if any have grown into something that can't be identified. 

I also added cheese to olive oil and herbs. It went rancid. Buried that as well. Tried rhubarb wine. Awful. It would have been great as a toilet cleaner. We had grape vines, lots of them and the wine we made was a success thankfully. We had vineyard owning friends who were good teachers and we ended up with a quaffable product. 

I was in charge of labels and my only instruction was 'put them on straight'. Did they think I was going to put them on upside down? Why do people get bossy when they know more than you? We even had a wine bottle hedgehog. Look it up. Surprise, surprise. 

We have been walking up and down the path and G counts his steps. As I was borrowing his Fitbit and he claimed I was pinching his steps he bought me one. No stopping me now. Onwards and upwards. As it is a narrow path G starts one end with me at the other. We meet halfway and do a dozie-doe circle as in Scottish dancing to liven us up a bit. 

Marv. 

I have walked to Lands End and back. G said you would be better in shoes and not your slippers, but comfort is really important for athletes. 

Have had requests from family, friends, debt collectors and people I have never heard of to do a video something or other called Boom, Zoom or something or other. Can't think of anything worse. 

What does it involve? Do you have to wear make up, remove any rogue hairs, have an interesting back drop? It all sounds very stressful and have had to decline. What if we came on their screen and they screamed, or we screamed? Our conversation could be over in 3 minutes and then you have to revert to 'somebody is at the door' while G can clearly be heard shouting 'I don't want to talk to them'. Then you are trapped in a cycle of daily non goings on. 

I imagine it is like visiting someone in hospital and saying 'what did you have for lunch' or 'are you sleeping ok'. I would rather people imagine we are having lockdown parties and doing handstands. 

A friend said she started to do a diary. Day 1 Got up, had breakfast Had walk for an hour Had lunch Had tea Had shower Went to bed 

Day 2 -ditto-. She won't be doing it anymore. 

On the Thursday night clap session a woman over the way from us was clapping in an upstairs window, well actually a bit more energetic than that; she hangs out of the bathroom window with a large saucepan and a plastic veg drainer. Anyway, saucepan went flying and would have killed the old geezer underneath if he'd been there at the time.

It is still on the lawn. I have got my eye on it, as it looks better than mine. G said she could be lying on the floor having fell off backwards off the stool shouting 'the clap has killed me'. 

Just off to do steps and catch up with G. I need to win. 

After I made such a brill job of cutting his hair G came at me with large wallpaper scissors, a tin basin and said 'put your legs in the stirrups' and guffawed. He is not taking it seriously so can bog off.

Yes, I'm sure they mean well, but...

A bit more nonsense now...

G Says'

I don't go in for Zoom or any other type of video conferencing malarkey. Quite apart from having to make a bit of an effort with my appearance there's the absolute certainty I would be miles away, both literally and figuratively, when faced with the distraction of someone else's living room in the background. If there's a bookcase in view, forget conversation, my attention is elsewhere.

Even television presenters work from home now and I find it hard to listen to what they're saying as their furniture, fixtures and fittings become my main focus.

Actually, I prefer it like this. Something to occupy the mind while they waffle inanely on, just like they always did, but now I have a valid excuse for tuning them out.

Even in real life situations, whatever they used to be, I constantly found myself contorting my head and neck to read, sideways on, any books on a shelf. Talking to me under these conditions is a waste of breath. Oh, and no, of course I can't concentrate on more than one thing at a time. Multitasking is not in my DNA. I struggle to cope with one task at a time.

I messaged a friend a week ago, just to say hello, and asked 'what are you up to anyway?' She hasn't replied. I can't believe it requires so much thought. A simple question, surely?

Is overthinking yet another byproduct of our recent isolation? Or am I reading too much into this? Did she just forget to reply? Even worse, is she ignoring me and my fatuous remarks? I wish I hadn't mentioned this now. I may not sleep tonight for worrying'

The same friend moved house 18 months ago and she's still got numerous taped up boxes in the 'spare' room. Getting sorted out after a move, that's just asking for an onset of prevarication, isn't it? Some 'stuff' gets unpacked and put away virtually straight away. By which I mean, within the first week. Or so. After that, it's bye bye box, see you whenever.

I find the best removal system (and we've moved house many, many times) is to incorporate the science of random selection. Obviously, one should never write on a box what it contains - where's the fun in that? When its time comes to be opened, possibly far into the future, there's a frisson of excitement about the process.

There's about an equal balance I find between, 'oh, finally, there you are' and 'why did we ever imagine we'd need that?'

Best of all are things you really needed, couldn't find and so went out and bought a new one. Now, inside the box you finally got around to opening is that most precious of all items, 'a spare.'

I see Marigold has referred to our 'French' period when we grew, nurtured and cherished the many grape vines on our land. We became confirmed oenophiles in the process, but not everything went smoothly all the time. I developed a condition related to tennis elbow, namely secateur wrist through pruning about a million vines.

The vast wine press in the cellar of our isolated farmhouse took all our combined strength to operate - we only learnt later that the previous owner used a mule to provide the muscle power - and Marigold, for all her many virtues, having briefly and unsuccessfully tried every other aspect of the wine making process was finally relegated to sticking labels onto the bottles.

Easy? Not as I recall. Getting a wine label to attach to a bottle and look anywhere near level must be harder than it looks. Perhaps the major chateaux have a ready supply of spirit levels to hand as our finished wine bottles would never be snapped up by the head buyer of Majestic Wine.

I heard someone on the News this morning saying how much they're missing their grandchildren. They come over to wave and shout hello occasionally and the proud grandparents throw them down a Magnum each as a treat.

'Sorry we can't come down to give you a cuddle,' they shout.

'Don't worry,' the kids reply, 'we'd rather have the Magnums anyway.'

Marigold has now started saying 'I'd rather have a Magnum' to me every time I give her a kiss or a squeeze in passing. It ceased to be funny five hours ago.

In retaliation I have threatened to withhold all future aspects of intimacy, but that strategy seems to have backfired. Oh well, as long as she's happy.

The modified sheep dip pit I ordered to protect us from people calling at the house hasn't been entirely successful. Our postman wears shorts, winter and summer, and yet is still insistent on blaming me for the full body rash he claims to have contracted by his very brief immersion.

Yes, I fully accept I made an error in not realising he was relatively short of stature before filling it to the brim with Domestos, but if he carries on complaining for much longer he'll be risking missing out on the usual 50 pence tip come next Christmas.

Marigold was dead against the plan from the start and continues to complain about my choice of Domestos when Tesco's own brand bleach is so much cheaper.

'Have you even glanced at the comparative efficiency ratings in this Which? Report,' I ask, but Marigold has always shown very little interest in my extensive research material.

I suppose I shall have to just carry on digging the moat as a back up now the Council have taken up such an unreasonably antagonistic stance to my outline planning request for a minefield.

'High explosive devices not allowed on domestic dwelling units within the Borough' indeed.

If they had bothered to read all 96 pages of my dossier they should have realised the mines would be concealed underground and therefore not visible at any time.

It's bureaucracy gone mad in my view.

The news flash along the bottom of the television screen just said, 'Greater Manchester Police attended 500 house parties last weekend.'

Well, that's not setting a very good example, is it?

My latest NHS letter, my third since the decision was made, presumably at Cabinet level that my life expectancy if exposed to 'other people' or other equally dangerous entities starts off by saying' 'Persons like you in the clinically extremely vulnerable cohort will continue to be advised to shield themselves for some time yet, and the Government recognises the difficulties this brings for those affected.'

Wow! Last time I was classified as being in the 'clinically extremely vulnerable group.' Now it's the 'clinically extremely vulnerable cohort.'

Is a cohort better than a group? More selective? Even more special?

Who writes this stuff?

Pubs, bars, nightclubs, snooker halls, Burger King and gyms are all closed. Hordes of people have apparently had their lives ruined by the enforced absence of these recently deprived pleasures.

But, even allowing for this devastation, it appears my own routine will be completely unaffected.

That can't be right.

It's now day something or other since we entered the deep hibernation of lockdown. Not every day is a bundle of laughs. I'm finding it a bit upsetting to see Marigold with her nose pressed against the window, tears streaming down her face making whimpering noises.

It's heart breaking, it really is.

I've even considered letting her come back inside, but after she went out and collected that Amazon parcel left on the path we'll need to wait a few days yet to see if she starts coughing.

Oh, I know it seems harsh but rules are rules.

Just hope those Midget Gems in the Amazon box are okay out there. It's getting a bit nippy at night.

Marigold has decided to cut my hair. No fastidious micro examination of a stray hair, none of that two mirrors malarkey or inane chatter about inconsequential trivia, it's sit down, keep still and don't distract me.

As a result I have a haircut that will last several months without even seeing a brush or a comb, that takes moments to wash in the shower, is economical with shampoo and yet only took three minutes to create.

Salons of Britain, you can learn much from Marigold. Seat customer, switch on clippers, three minutes later shout 'next.'

I suspect Marigold watched a training video from the United States Marine Corps Induction Centre when honing her technique.

Oddly, my offer to return the favour and cut Marigold's hair has not yet been accepted.

Some say we need social interactions to maintain good mental health. Aristotle said, 'man is by nature a social animal.'

I yield to no one in my admiration for Aristotle. More than 2300 years after his death, he remains one of the most influential people who ever lived. He contributed to almost every aspect of human knowledge then in existence, and he was the spark, the founder of many new fields.

According to the philosopher Bryan Magee, 'it is doubtful whether any human being has ever known as much as he did.'

Even so, and far be it from me to offer an alternative view to old clever clogs, I know several people who are positively relishing lockdown.

There's a couple living behind our place - there's a ten foot hedge between us so I've never actually seen them and their entrance road is 'around the back, somewhere'' but they're obviously elderly and a bit deaf as I used to clearly hear snippets of their conversation on days when we were both engaged in that idyllic activity usually confined to warm, sunny afternoons known as 'sitting out'.

I only learnt the name of the unseen neighbour yesterday as I limped along my 25 step exercise path.

'Malcolm, are you coming in? I've got the thingie all set up to zoom the family.'

The enquirer was female, seemingly not in the first flush of youth, and with more than a hint of exasperation in her tone.

'No, 'I'm stopping here,' replied the unseen Malcolm. 'I've just got to a good bit.'

'The book can wait. Your grandchildren will want to see you.'

Malcolm was obviously having none of it.

'No, they won't, they're as fed up as I am of these wretched video things. Quite frankly I don't miss seeing any of them and if you're honest, neither do you.'

'No, I know, it's been lovely having time to ourselves and no need to pretend we enjoy having the whole tribe turn up on the doorstep, but they think we're lonely. They think we're at risk.'

Silence, then a deep sigh from Malcolm.

'Tell them I've croaked,' he shouted. 'I'm not coming in.'

Another long pause and then the woman said 'I'll say you're on the lavatory.'

I really want to meet this pair one day. Malcolm and I would get on very well. Imagine having to leave your place in a book just as you get to 'a good bit.'

Rules? There are no rules any more