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I‘m baaack!

Were you worried??!

I know… I should have called…

Things have been a little hectic around here, and as usual, the best laid plans will go awry when you least expect it.

The good news was that my husband and I celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary by going to Napa Valley over the weekend.

Other than a couple of very quick (well, as quickly as you can dine at The French Laundry!) evening trips over the years, we hadn’t visited the valley since before we had our children.

Now, we have two graduations this month, one from college, the other from high school.

HOW did that happen??

It was, indeed, time to drink some wine!

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It was a perfect couple of days, with turquoise skies and gloriously sultry weather.

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Salmon tartare at Bouchon

We began with a scrumptious lunch at Bouchon   As long time readers know, one of my favourite things about traveling or just dining out in general is getting to be a butterfly (so much nicer than a fly ) on the wall and ease dropping  catching the odd word here & there from neighbouring tables. If that’s not possible, usually not the case given my supersonic hearing, I’m compelled to strike up conversations just to garner more info. What can I say? I’m a curious person, or rather, I’m a person who is curious.  In Bouchon we sat beside a lovely elderly lady who had been lunching at Bouchon every week since the original restaurant opened. She always orders red vermouth and was enjoying delicious looking breaded escargot. Her companion offered for us to try some, which was very kind but my husband declined. Whatupwiththat?

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I fell in love with a million places, including this big barn house, which had the most beautifully patina-ed metal roof, though it doesn’t show up well in the photo.

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Sweet oysters at Bouchon.

Used to hate them now I love them.

Just like martinis; never give up- you have to keep working at it.

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a delicious light white to go with lunch.

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The roses and the trees in the Napa Valley are BEYOND.  B E Y O N D   I tell you.

 My particular favourites were the magnificent Deodar Cedars and the deciduous oaks which we do not really see here in Santa Barbara, though I do spot them in Ojai.

As it happens, I am planting a new Deodar next week.

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There were endless charming houses like this to stop and photograph but traffic was very busy, being Cinqo De Mayo weekend,  and there’s only so many times you ask your husband to stop for a photo op. so most of these were taken from a slow moving car.

You think it’s easy being Mr. Slim Paley?!

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We had dinner one night at “Bottega” which was very good, in particular, the giant potato dough gnocchi stuffed with spinach, ricotta, black truffles and lastly, a poached egg hidden within that bursts to perfection when you cut the gnocchi open.

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Tra Vigne

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A wonderful old “Wonderful Drug Store” embedded in the sidewalk just off the main street in St. Helena’s

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and I don’t know if this slightly irked peacock coloured bird made one too many visits to the “Wonderful Drug Store” or I’ve become ‘The Bird Whisperer’ but I think I could have sat on him and he wouldn’t have moved. I suppose he could have also been to a tasting.

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We returned to The Hess Collection where I was thrilled to see “Homage”, the fiery typewriter by artist Leopoldo Maler,  still there after all these years.

The typewriter is an homage to the artist’s uncle, a well known journalist killed for the inflammatory content of his political essays, I assume in Argentina (Maler was born there  in 1937).  But of course the beauty of art is that it’s subjective and open to personal interpretation and this piece really resonates with me.  It’s such a literal yet ephemeral symbol of the power of words, the struggle of writers and the sheer ‘fire of creativity’.

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I was also very taken with “Surface Tension” (1991).  This floor to ceiling installation by artist Andy Goldsworthy  is made entirely of leaf stalks from a Horse Chestnut tree, wetted, then pinned together with Hawthorn thorns. The thorns hold the entire piece to the wall, ceiling and floor- no glue or hardware is used!

Patience, much??!

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The white wisteria arbor at The Hess winery, Napa Valley.

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Oh, yes, they do make nice wine there too

Our Tasting Steward Anthony helped us make some selections to take home.

To be honest, neither of us are exactly wine connoisseurs.

OK, that’s putting it mildly.

My husband barely drinks and my wine tasting vocabulary goes a little something like this;

“I like this one”

“This one’s good too“

“Mmmm, smells delicious and tastes even better”

“Why does his glass have more in it?”

“Hello, come to Mama”

and

“Can I get a flask for the car?? My husband is driving”

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Learning about wine will be something I do when I really grow up.

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We made the trek to “Artesia” vineyards & winery designed  by architect Domingo Triay.  The building is beautiful and from the outside melds almost seamlessly into the mountaintop, allowing spectacular views of the valley below while maintaining a discreet, unassuming profile.  Unfortunately, I was unimpressed with the interior, as well as the ambience, although to be fair it was extremely busy, but I felt like I was in a World’s Fair pavilion rather than a winery.

 Of course that didn’t stop me from buying some wine, but that might have been because Daniel,  our “pourer”  was adorable,

plus he had that broken pupil thing in one eye like David Bowie.

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We stayed at the Calistoga Ranch,  well tucked away and rustically  gorgeous-just like being in a tree house.

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Lastly, to really celebrate our 24 (!) years of life, love, kids, friends, family and food together

We revisited “The French Laundry”

Never have the words “laundry” and “pleasure” been so closely related.

We arrived suitably starved with excited anticipation at precisely 8:15pm

We rolled out at 1:00am.

May I add  there was a table of about 10 people there when we arrived, who were still present (and sitting upright) when we left.

no joke.

In homage to the night and Thomas Keller, I left my camera in my bag, but trust me when I say it’s always a pleasure…

and the lump on my husband’s shin for daring to suggest we skip the last course has begun to subside.

Here’s to year 25!

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PS.  A small favour; If  you would like to help me win “Circle of Mom’s” Best Design Blog contest this year (I came in 3rd last year)

it couldn’t be more simple; 

It takes two seconds and ONE CLICK!

No email addresses, no registering, nada.  Simply click  HERE  and hit the orange button beside my name (I’m currently in 3rd place)

You may  vote once, every 24 hours, until May 14th.  

Exciting, right?!

 I really appreciate your support and votes, thank you!

xx

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