No washing machine

Tags

art., beijing, Berlin, history, life, Rome, St-Petersburg

Our washing machine died with a clunk and a whine last Thursday, we were able to secure a new washing machine almost within one hour. The drawback delivery takes 7 days, oh my! So the clothing has been piling up as well as sheets and towels. We are really dependent on this machine, now we know. But the delivery will be made by Friday so patience and no panic.

I really miss good conversation with friends face to face and the laughs and gossip. Zoom is NOT the same thing.

Scaffolding coming down this week at the main gate portal of the City Palace. Friday is the capping off of the building which can be followed on webcam. Starting at 6 am Berlin time, weather permitting.

https://cam01.berlinerschloss-webcam.de

For the last few postings I have been writing about the City Palace in Berlin and its final phase of re-construction. You may have wondered why so much interest in this one building. In fact I have been following several other projects in Europe.

One such projects is Buckingham Palace in London, the Official Residence of the Queen. There is little info on what is going on, but it is a major refit of the place from plumbing to electrical system to cleaning and painting and general repairs. Rooms have been dismantled and furniture and paintings removed for safe keeping. The Queen left London because of the pandemic but also because her London Residence was under repair and not fit to live in due to all the noise and workmen etc… Windsor is her real home, private and comfy. She and her husband only live in a suite of rooms in one wing of the Castle and not in the entire place as you might see it from the outside, still it is pretty grand. Many other people live at Windsor in what is term Grace and Favour apartments. The Queen also has other relatives live in London at Kensington Palace and St-James Palace again in apartments, all are at the pleasure of Her Majesty.

Another project is the Alexander Palace built in 1793 in an Italian/Palladian style in Tsarkoye Selo outside St-Petersburg, the work is now reaching completion after many years of complete reconstruction of what was essentially a ruined building. The last private home of Tsar Nicholas II and his wife and children before their arrest and deportation in 1917. This has been a massive work of research and archeology, restoration of furniture, original fabrics, flooring, tiling, etc. all this made possible because of voluminous archives kept on the building. This site has a huge following in Russia and around the world.

The Roman Forum is another place I love to explore and read about, about 95 years ago it became the pet project of Benito Mussolini who poured financial resources and had the best academic work on unearthing this area of what was ancient Rome. To this day several Universities and team of archeologist work for years and sometimes a life time on one area. Even now with the building of the new Metro Line crossing the Forum under Via Dei Fori Imperiali more treasures are discovered. I had the good fortune to visit some of those sites being under study and excavation, it is a real marvel.

While in Beijing, I visited various sites around the former Imperial Capital, temples, palaces and the Forbidden City compound. I lived there about 3 years prior to the Olympics. The City itself was under massive construction and re-building. Entire neighbourhoods of 3 million people each would be vacated in a matter of 48 hours with the help of the Police and Army. The Temple of Heaven and the great park around it was a favourite site. The Communist Party with the increase in tourism re-discovered the roots of Chinese culture and its historical past. So recreation was the name of the game, unfortunately so much had been lost between 1967-1976 under Mao ills advised but politically convenient cultural revolution, that doing studies and repairing the damage proved difficult, so the repairs were done very quickly and often of poor quality. What really mattered to the Communist party was money from Western tourists and pushing a re-written history of China always glorifying the Party and the leadership.

In Jordan, I would visit just outside Amman about 35 km away the antic city of Jerash or Gerasa in the Bible. Built by the Romans and prospering as an important commercial link and military city, the Jordanian Government had archeologists work at restoring the extensive ruined city, its temples and theatres. There was a lot of archeological material artefacts just lying on the ground forgotten by time.

Istanbul and the Topkapi Palace grounds is also well worth exploring and how well preserve it is, including the treasury with its incredible amounts of precious stones. If you take a look in the once private areas you will discover a Polo Pavilion and grounds enjoyed by the Sultan, the entire place as a very Oriental feel. The Turkish people migrated from Central Asia one thousand years ago, keeping their Oriental culture.

I am endlessly fascinated by architecture, archeology and factual history. It has always been a hobby of mine.

Values

Tags

Canada., Covid 19, economy, humanity, life, PANDEMIC

During this pandemic which is unlike anything any one living today have ever experienced, there are many discussions on life and the world and our medical authorities have tried their best with what they have on hand to inform us on how to avoid infection. Some have listened others not so much, then as we in Canada are starting to emerge slowly from the worst of this crisis, some have advocated a quick return to a normal life and a re-opening of businesses others have advocated patience and careful approach to avoid a second wave of this virus. We have to accept that there are many viewpoints on this matter and it is shaped by individual beliefs and life experience.

Re-opening to quickly to satisfy those who wish to return to what is dubbed normalcy out of frustration will create another problem. Are we not all frustrated with this unusual and abnormal situation.

Someone will have to pay the price for re-opening too quickly. Would you be willing to sacrifice your family, your children, parents, friends? It is likely many will pay with their lives having no choice but to work in unsafe conditions to satisfy this requirement and others will be infected without knowing it.

I am fascinated and horrified with the many commenters who justify the death of others by saying that it is justified by the economic benefits it brings because those who die are elderly (over 60) so a natural process. Such false equivalence arguments are often used in journalism and in politics today. A logical fallacy in which an equivalence is drawn between human life and re-starting the economy in order to save businesses and jobs based on flawed or false reasoning. We have all read or heard the arguments.

There are many such voices in Canada in the media, in politics and in the public in general. A very sad comment on our society and the mentality of the callous present amongst us.

We should never have to choose between a human life and/or the economy, there is no equivalence. Those who would have us make a choice are clearly in the wrong. We all need a strong economy so that our society prospers but not at the expense of the people in that society.

 

Recipe for Namoura cake

Tags

dessert, life, Middle East, Namoura, Recipe

Namoura (نمورة), is a delicious cake/dessert that is easy to make and widely known across the Middle East.  It is topped with almonds, baked and then soaked with an aromatic sugar.

This Namoura dessert is the classic recipe for the original Lebanese Namoura. Many other Middle Eastern cultures called it by other names. Egyptians call it Basbousa, Palestinians call it Harissa, Armenians call it Shamali, Persians call it Revani/Ravani.

HOW TO MAKE THE NAMOURA (نمورة)

In a large bowl mix the sugar, semolina, and butter together. Then add in the milk, baking powder, orange blossoms water, yogurt and mix well to obtain a thick sticky batter.

Brush a non-stick sheet pan (which I prefer using because I like my Namoura cake thin, about an inch and half thick at the most) with tahini paste and then place the batter on it and flatten out completely with a spatula or your palm.

Let it sit for about 30 minutes and then cut out the namoura into square patterns or diamond shape patterns, whatever you prefer. I do it like this because it looks pretty. Then press a piece of halved raw almond (peeled) on each piece of cut out cake. The reason I cut it out before baking is because it makes the cutting later so much easier and doesn’t break apart as much. the pieces come one perfectly cut on the edges.

Bake the Namoura cake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes, and if the top if not gold enough for you, you can broil it for a few minutes. I just don’t like to over cook the Namoura because it becomes try and too crunch. That is why if it needs any more color, I just broil the top. Once you remove from the oven, pour 1 1/4 cup of sugar syrup evenly over the Namoura while it’s hot. I like using those ketchup or mustard rubber containers to drizzle the sugar syrup over the cake. We don’t like the cake super sweet. Some people drench the cake with sugar and that is one reason I don’t like to buy this cake and would rather make it at home. If you like it super sweet, feel free to add some more sugar syrup to it.

Namoura is very popular during Ramadan. The portions are small and you don’t have to eat a huge piece. You can enjoy a small piece whenever you have a sweet tooth.

Ingredients

• 3 cups semolina flour coarse
• 1.5 cup melted butter
• 1.5 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup plain yogurt not Greek
• 1/2 cup milk I used Carnation
• 3 tbsp. orange blossoms water
• 2 tbsps.. tahini paste
• 1/2 cup almonds (peeled and halved)

SUGAR SYRUP:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1.5 tbsps. orange blossoms water

Instructions

• In a large bowl mix the sugar, semolina, and butter together. Add in the milk, orange blossoms water, baking powder, yogurt and mix well to obtain a thick sticky batter.
• Brush a non-stick sheet pan with the tahini paste and then place the batter on it and spread out with a spatula or your palm.
• Let it sit for about 30 minutes and then cut out the namoura into square patterns or diamond shape patterns, whatever you prefer.
• Bake the Namoura cake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes, and then turn on the broiler to broil the top a few minutes if you would like to obtain a darker golden color.
• Remove from the oven and pour 1 1/4 cup of sugar syrup evenly over the Namoura while it’s hot. Let it cool at room temperature before serving.

SUGAR SYRUP:

• In a small pot, mix the sugar and water well until the sugar dissolves. Bing to boil and then start timing 5 minutes time on low-medium heat.
• Add in the lemon juice and orange blossoms water and boil for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool down.

Notes

Prepare sugar syrup during bake time or before.

Happy Birthday

Tags

Birthday, Canada., EIIR, life, Queen, Reign, Sovereign

Today is H.M. the Queen 94th Birthday.  Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born on 21 April 1926 at number 17 Bruton street, Mayfair, London. The house does not exist anymore. She was named Elizabeth after her mother; Alexandra after  her grandfather’s King George V mother Alexandra of Denmark who had died six months earlier; and Mary after paternal grandfather’s wife Queen Mary of Teck.

She is the longest reigning Monarch of Canada and Great Britain at 68 years. In 1947, she married Philip Duke of Edinburgh, a former prince of Greece and Denmark, with whom she has four children: Charles, Prince of Wales; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.

In 2017, she became the first Canadian and British monarch to reach a Sapphire Jubilee, (65yrs). She is the longest lived and longest-reigning. She is the longest serving female head of State in world history, and the world’s oldest living monarch.

Queen Elizabeth II, personal Standard in Canada, flown when she is on Canadian soil.

Very Happy Birthday and best wishes to Her Majesty.

Princess Elizabeth, portrait 1929.

Is it Friday already?

Tags

Berlin, Cheese, Friday, life, Macaroni, Sword, tourism, week

The weeks are moving faster and faster, the days are long, strange way time is moving, is it all part of this Pandemic. My sense of time has changed and it is related in part to the fact that there is little to do and tomorrow well there is nothing to do. We have to invent activities.

So the mighty Island is closed off to non Islanders, that is people who do not live here permanently and have the paperwork to prove it. The Government of PEI today decreed a State of Emergency which empowers the police to assist the public service in their duties, this decree comes on top of another decree of Public Health Emergency. Both are valid until 30 April 2020 and will most probably be extended beyond that date.

All this means that no one can come to PEI to occupy their Summer Season Cottage, in the Summer we usually have a surge of tourists, many from the USA who have been coming for years to PEI to occupy their second home. Not this year, no that won’t happen. The Sea Bridge, the ferries, all ports and harbours are closed and under surveillance to prevent people from entering PEI. Some have already argued that this goes against Section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms but given our current circumstances it is an acceptable and reasonable infringement on this right to restrict movement.

As an Islander and like many other people living here permanently I am happy with this decision by my Government on this matter. We have been spared the worst of this Pandemic and want to keep it that way. As of 16 April 2020, PEI has 3 active cases, no deaths and no hospitalizations.

ABOUT MAC AND CHEESE

I have been having this discussion on Kraft Macaroni and Cheese with fellow blogger Moving with Mitchell. movingwithmitchell.wordpress.com  who has been delighting us with tales of culinary delight…  So tonight I phoned my little sister who lives in Brooklyn and who loves Mac & Cheese, to ask her if she remembers that Kraft Mac and Cheese dinners congeal quickly once they cool. She confirmed that yes, it is better to make it in your crockpot and simply eat it directly from said crockpot while it is hot and not bother with plates and eating at the dinner table. I should have known this but this fact escaped me. Then I remembered that when at home and I was babysitting her and my younger brother I would make proper macaroni and cheese not the box stuff. This did not prevent them from accusing me in front of our Mom of trying to poison them, such grateful siblings I have.

My sister works at a big palliative care hospital in the Bronx and she is doing fine, though a bit tired. Nonetheless it is a stressful situation for her and her husband who also works at the same facility.

ON OTHER TOPICS

I found this sketch of what the Humboldt Forum former City Palace in Berlin will look like once opened later this year. The dome and the large former chapel below is now called in this diagram the Hall of the Sword Bearer, I do not know why this name is given. The other interesting part which I did see during excavations of the former parking lot in 1998 is the ruined underground portion of what was once the Palace kitchens, it will be possible to visit them, I remember the walls covered in white porcelain tiles.

I do have a Prussian Artillery Officer’s sword, c.1889. It was given to me around 1999 as a Birthday gift by a friend when we lived in Poland. It has the name of the manufacturer on the blade, J.R.O. Brecht, Hoelieferant, (supplier), Berlin. Preussischer Kavalerie-Offizier- Säbel mit Löwenkopf.

 

A portrait

Tags

April 2020, Laurent, life

A friend of mine in Italy, just sent me this portrait he made. It is also on Instagram. What do you think, Is it a good likeness? Let me know.

A little recipe

Tags

cuisine, life, Recipe, salad, sardines

I found this recipe by Melissa Clark in the online version of The New York Times. It appeals to me by its simple elegance. This to me is living well.

Sardines and Celery: A Perfect Pairing

Sardines on toast — maybe drizzled with olive oil and topped with onions, or slathered with butter and rubbed with garlic — is always a sustaining meal. Especially now.

But what happens when I run out of bread? Or maybe, I had toast and jam for breakfast and want something a little lighter for lunch? Enter my crunchy sardine and celery salad, made from pantry items.

To make enough for one (and feel free to double or triple as you like), open a can of sardines, and take out the bones if that’s what you usually do. (I usually leave the bones in for extra crunch.) Put the fish on a plate.

Thinly slice a celery stalk or two, depending upon how large they are, and a scallion or half a small shallot (or a few slices of red onion) and put everything in a bowl. If there are celery leaves still attached, and if they look perky and fresh, chop those up and add them as well. You can also throw in some whole soft herb leaves. I’ve made this with parsley leaves and mint leaves in the past.

Toss celery with lemon or lime juice, a mild vinegar, such as cider, or a tiny bit of sherry vinegar. Add a pinch of salt and some freshly ground pepper, and a grated garlic clove if you like. (I usually do.) Let it sit for a few minutes to let it all marinate.

If you want to add an egg to bulk this out and give it richness, go ahead and boil one up until jammy-yolked. I start mine in cold water, bring it to a full boil, then time it for 3 minutes and 45 seconds before transferring it to a cold water bath for 2 minutes. But use whatever egg technique you like. Peel and halve it.

Drizzle the sardines with good olive oil. (Be generous if they were water-packed.) Add the celery salad and drizzle with more oil and top with flaky salt. Add the egg halves to the plate. You can dust the top with red-pepper flakes or chile powder, if you like it spicy.

Dachshund Philosophy

Tags

dogs, Food, humans, life, routine

We have had Dachshunds in our lives now for 30 years, they are a very smart breed of dogs and very perceptive. Of course we treat ours like our children and spoil them rotten. A dangerous thing to do with Dachshunds because they know what buttons to push to get what they want.

Our very first Dachshund was Bundnie a short hair female born at the French Embassy in Cairo, Egypt. She came into our lives probably too young but Bundnie had tons of character and lived to be 17 years old, travelling all the time around the world with us. She would pee on people’s shoes for any reasons, it was endearing and people loved her.

The second one Reese was a long hair Dachshunds. We met him in Chicago in 1993. Bundnie was not to please to see him and at first treated him as if he was a visitor and maybe he should leave. Reese was deaf and we discovered this late in his life. He was a beautiful sweet little dog , he too travelled with us and lived to be 16 years old.

When Reesie died in Rome on Boxing Day we were very sad, it was strange to be without his presence in the house. So a little over a year later, friends told us of this well known Veterinarian in Capena. Our friends lived just down the road from him in a rural setting which is the backdrop for Italian movies, making you want to buy a house in Italy.

On our first visit they did not have any litter but told us to return in February. We did and saw two litters, in one was this feisty little female pup and in the other this shy little male pup. Both were new born and if we were interested we would have to return in 6 to 7 weeks time. We came back and decided to take Nora and Nicky.

Through the years we have developed a routine with them. Routine is very important for any dog, always the same time for waking up, for meals, for walks, for play, etc.. It must never change because it makes them unhappy and you get problems. In our case, having Dachshunds means that they set the routine and you simply follow it. If you don’t they will let you know, no worries.

Unlike cats like Moose and Dudo, the famous duo who live on the Costa del Sol in Spain with fellow bloggers, and because they are cats are more independent minded, dogs need structure and routine. As our Vet told us, be careful with Dachshunds because they will always try to control the situation and see what are your weak points. So they can play on weakness to get more treats, food, etc.

Nicky per example has developed this mannerism of head movements to indicate what he wants. Nora has developed a language based on voice modulations, high, low, intermediate. Growls also which go from soft to plaintive to strong to loud, all depending on what she wants from you, it is quite the vocabulary.

Nicky has this way of whining for his dinner always at 5pm, no later!!! In the morning he wakes us up usually around 7:30am, one very loud and sharp bark, a short walk outside and then breakfast, then a snooze, a first of many during the day. Every morning I will sit in my chair in the living room to have my coffee and read the morning news. Nicky will immediately come and indicate by moving his head that he will sit next to me. I pick him up and he proceeds to fall asleep with me stroking his head and telling him he is a good boy. If for some reason I do not come to sit down, he will fetch me with much whining and head jerks towards the chair. If I do not follow his lead, there is much incomprehension. Same thing if we go for a walk, whereas Nora loves to walk and meet people, I mean people who give her treats, the others can go jump in the river. Like all the Public Works and Garden City employees, Nora loves them. The tourists depends on what kind. Nicky on the other hand is weary of people in general and he likes women more than men. Nicky can be funny on walks, either he leads you literally where he wants to go and come on lets go attitude or he simply sits down and nothing will move him. So we have to go home, unless of course I pick him up and walk him further along. He will give me this indignant look, as if to say “” what do you think you are doing”” .

Here is Nicky on his morning snooze beside me while I take my coffee. He loves this every morning, all snug and comfy. Thing is I cannot go anywhere and if I get up for whatever reason, he looks at me to call me back along the line; Hey you! come back here now. So it all boils down in a dachshund life, to sleep a lot (we are hounds), eat and don’t be shy about asking for that piece of cheese, carrot, celery, cucumber or steak or ham or … and enjoy the sunshine and a good rub and keep your human attendant on a short leash.

 

Spoiler Alert!

Tags

64, booze, Canada., life, Maritime, martial law, party, PEI

We live extraordinary events and the full consequences are not yet known, but we must hope for the best. So though we are not under lockdown yet in PEI, I have a strong feeling that it is coming. Today both the two largest provinces of Canada, Ontario and Quebec have closed down all businesses by decree with the exception of grocery stores, liquor stores and hospitals. That is a lot of people out of work all of a sudden with kids at home for what now looks like months to come.

Today I went to the supermarket to do a bit of shopping, items we needed. The store was quiet about 15 people in all in a large super store. All the shelves were stocked no shortages except for Schweppes Tonic Water, very strange indeed why no tonic water? But you have to remember that Gin Tonic is the drink of choice on the Island and with people at home drinking is the pastime. The only other counters that are now closed is the fresh cakes and pastries, though I never liked them too much sugar and the deli fresh meat section is closed all for sanitary reasons. But you can buy all the pre-package brands anyway. There is a lot of frozen cakes too and ice cream not to mention all those Easter Chocolates.

So we took a drive to Brackley Beach just 15 minutes away from our home in the National Park on the North Side of the Island. The park is beautiful with its Maritime Pine Forest, giant sand dunes and beach stretching for miles. It was pretty quiet and people do practice social distancing. The beach is covered with ice and snow and wet red sand typical of PEI.

The air was fresh but no wind and the sea was calm, no waves. It is so tranquil, the world and its troubles very far away. The sea always fascinated me, it is enormous, vast and stretches to the horizon, you can imagine that Europe is out there beyond the curve of the Earth.

We also went to the Agency Liquor Store on St-Peter’s Road just outside the city, South of the Airport. It is a strange shop, part gas station, part convenience store and part hard liquor store. There are 4 such stores in PEI who are privately owned by the IRVING family who own just about everything in Maritime Canada. All our Government Liquor Stores are currently closed so these private stores make a killing selling booze.

Our Wine cellar at home was out of Champagne or Prosecco and I absolutely needed a bottle for tomorrow. I got two and a bottle of red Italian wine. Though I could have driven to New Brunswick on the mainland of Canada for booze, this is currently not a good idea since I would have been obliged upon returning to the Island to spend 14 days in self-Isolation, meaning you cannot leave the house at all. The Premier and the Government of PEI today imposed fines for people who do not respect the rules on Self-Isolation which includes police visiting your house etc. The first fine is $1000 and the second fine is $10,000. So no we are staying put on PEI and not going anywhere. As the Prime Minister said today, now is time to stay home, enough is enough with not respecting the rules. In Nova Scotia next door it is even more strict, you can only walk your dog or yourself around your city block where you live or else. We must also stay 6 feet away from anyone else everywhere, including the grocery store.

So (spoiler Alert) I will not be having a big Birthday party tomorrow with a special cake as is the tradition, fireworks, balloons, large floral tributes, Mariachi band and chorus. It will be a very quiet affair, we will have our Prosecco, a nice dinner, and a special dessert. We won’t starve.

Dessert of puff pastry, stuffed with butter, brown sugar and raisins 

 

Quarantaine

Tags

Cardinal, Catholic Church, life, Plague, Rome

We are currently facing a terrible pandemic around the World but humans throughout history faced much worse and much more devastating epidemics.

Between 1450 and 1660 Rome suffered plagues of all kinds almost every two to three years. Large amounts of people would die. The City then was also in full expansion and each Pope used armies of artists to build up public spaces we all enjoy today as tourists. The ancient Roman Aqueducts were also rebuilt to bring clean fresh water to the City of about 120,000 people. But nonetheless unsanitary conditions existed and thus the devastating plagues.

In 1656 the latest plague hit the city during the Papacy of Pope Alexander VII who wanted to see an end to such regular pandemics, he asked Cardinal Girolamo Gastaldi to use his knowledge to find a solution. Cardinal Gastaldi had written a treatise based on ancient texts about how to contain plagues. He proposed the concept of Quarantine based on the 40 days phenomenon often referred in Biblical texts. It was effective, punishment for anyone not respecting the quarantine rules were severe and thus health was restored to the City.

If you visit Rome, Piazza Del Popolo which was designed by Bernini, it has two churches at one end of the great piazza. The one on the left is known as Santa Maria di Montesanto or the Artists Church, Cardinal Girolama Gastaldi is buried there.

Piazza del popolo, Rome and the Church of  Santa Maria di Montesanto