Endless Rain

The rains have come and this morning there was no sign of any of the snow or ice that covered the ground and cars for the past four days.  It is a balmy 35 degrees but it is a driving rain and has grounded me thus far today.  That has given me a good excuse to get back into my Russian lessons and if necessary, I could go out onto the wet streets of Moscow and ask some, “ Where is the pharmacy?” Whether or not I could figure out the answer will be resolved in the next lesson.

There was some excitement at The 54 Club Clubhouse last night.  Cindy called me to the window when she noticed an ambulance, lights flashing, stop at the clubhouse and haul away two members in good standing, or falling, they are both equal in this club.  We hope it is nothing serious and this morning I can report no black crepe surrounding the clubhouse, so perhaps all is well.

Last night’s soup turned out really well, the egg really made the difference. Well that and the three cloves of garlic I had added to the soup.  I cracked an egg in a ladle and then gently lowered it into the boiling broth, tipping it gently to allow the broth to start to cook the egg before plunging it into the soup.  That really sets the egg and allows it to poach as one package instead of having lots of white spreading out all over the place.  The salad was a simple shredded carrot, diced tomato, tarragon and garlic delight, tossed with oil and balsamic and then covered with fresh spinach and tossed again just before serving. I had purchased some fresh ciabatta at the bakery section of one of the supermarkets, (I can also say “Where is the Supermarket”) which went very well with both courses.

I never got around to posting photos from Nice so here are a few that will give you a taste of the South of France.  I need to start carrying the camera to restaurants so I can snap some photos of great meals. I’ll place that on my to do list.

http://gallery.me.com/wbyxbee#100142

Cindy won’t be home until late this evening so I’ll send this now without the benefit of our editing skills.  Best to all,  Cindy and Wm