A high and dry, wild and wet, majestic history medley – RTW 2018

[VPS]

Interesting food. I do find some of those good but a touch w@nky. I loved my time in Russia. Thanks for the great memories

 

[JohnM]

Interesting food. I do find some of those good but a touch w@nky. I loved my time in Russia. Thanks for the great memories

Oh, of course it’s w@nky - but isn’t the whole world pretty much that way these days? I alluded to that with the ‘farm-to-table’ thing. Errr, like, what else could it be? Just sooo ‘sustainable’ and virtue-signalling - not to mention the marketing aspect... . (I do happen to be an agricultural scientist).

But, that said, IMHO that stuff can leaven things and help make for a very entertaining night out - and that’s precisely what we had - without stuffing far too much food down my gullet. It helps keep the conversation flowing and circulating around the table. It’s entertainment and not to be taken too seriously .

My millennial buddies (half my age, but the same age as my kids) were just wonderful company and we had a blast for almost five hours. I do hope that they enjoyed my company as much as I enjoyed theirs.

Two of the American ladies were travel agents (one being a N American brand manager for the Australian company that ran the tour), so they were really interesting and informative company, one guy was a chemical engineer doing really interesting stuff with metal coatings (and a real whisky nerd) the other lady was a graphic designer and her husband was in e-commerce. I was a mere elderly retiree along for the ride... - and keeping clear of the old f@rts .

I’m now in DOH for two nights and over to LHR on Friday. Just to keep on-theme, on Saturday I’m meeting my elder son and his girlfriend in London and, at his instigation (and he’s going to pay - whether he knows that now or not is immaterial ), I managed against all odds to score a reservation at The Ledbury (if unfamiliar with that, scope World’s 50 best restaurants...).

I’ve put on the nosebag there twice before, once with my son (I paid ).

Hey, I have it on reasonable authority that you only live once...

 

[JohnM]

The plains of Russia are a grain-belt powerhouse.



Lunch scraps.

I should have also had the soup. It came out in a very nice lidded bowl. Maybe they’ll have it DOH-LHR on Friday.





The Torrontes was, indeed, an excellent wine. The best Torrontes I’ve tasted. Now looking forward even more to my visit to Salta next year . I realy like the way QR head one of their whites and one of their reds ‘Discovery’. It’s a great way to experience something a little different.

The irony is that many of their customers would not drink. The FAs love it when I rip into the selection. And QF is fading more and more into pallid plainness....





Another ‘Discovery’, and bringing back memories of some excellent wine I gargled in Brazil.





This was the wine with the cheese, but it was meant be the St Emilion, not the Pauillac, Bordeaux. FA apologised that the bit of old tree bark stoppering the St Emilion had disintegrated. Pity, as I’d already had the Pauillac on the LAX-DOH ride.

 

[JohnM]

Some very interesting linear lakes coming towards the Caspian Sea (note the sole pink lake pretty much dead centre).

Generally some pretty interesting scenery that one doesn’t commonly cross - at least in daylight.




















And coming into the filthy air of DOH. We parked off-terminal. At least QR run a dedicated bus for J pax .

 

[RooFlyer]

Good 'ol Isfahan

 

[JohnM]

Just chilled today in Doha. Stinking hot; air execrable. I’ve said it before; I’ll say it again: Doha is dystopia realised. No wonder excellent QR have restrictive fare rules that enforce stopovers. Nobody in their right mind would do so voluntarily...

Wandered over to the Hilton tonight for a smogbound ‘sunset’ drink and decided to stay for dinner. The ‘beachfront’ restaurant was fully booked but they squeezed me in at 1900h open time as long as I was gone by 2015h. Actually suited me fine.

Everything was going against this decision:

1. Major hotel chain.
2. Overlooking water.
3. Cheesy name (Trader Vic’s)



But... credit where credit is due.

The meal was very good, albeit typically for this region generally, horrendously expensive - wine particularly. Just went for a couple of glasses of South African Sav Blanc - the austere style actually working rather well with the calamari and the grilled sea bass, which was cooked to perfection.

 

[JohnM]

Posting live, still in climb out of DOH. First impressions of the A350 - beats the Nightmareliner hands-down IMHO. None of that Boeing roar.

Also trying out a photo-compression app. Looking good; uploading pics fast.

Interesting that LAX-DOH offered unlimited internet for USD10. This flight offers full duration but 200Mb limit for USD20.

I rather like rear-facing seats, looking down the spout of the hamster-wheel.



The Opposing Force lining up .

 

[JohnM]

I’m determined to use every byte I’ve paid for on this steerage voyage to LHR .

With the exception of the Champagne offering, IMO QR J in Q-Suites beats QF F hands-down - and then some.

Excellent salmon amuse bouche.

Excellent asparagus soup (and just look at the presentation...) and a very tidy CA Chardy - rich and textural, but not buttery and oaky. A class act. Nailed it with the soup.

 

[JohnM]

The mediocrity continues...

This Torrontes is a cracker with the prawns.

 

[RooFlyer]

I've only done QR A350 in the regular J and with a small quibble, I think my favourite J ride.

 

[JohnM]

Q-Suites + A350 make it my favourite J ride by a country mile .

Well into the journey now, and more convinced than ever that the A350 sh!ts on the Nightmareliner.

 

[JohnM]

The WiFi stopped over SE Europe. I don’t think I could have used my 200Mb. If I had, it gave no warning that I had reached my limit. Maybe the inflight WiFi is still work in progress.

Anyway, it was a good ride and worth spending the 20USD to try out the WiFi.

 

[JessicaTam]

I have resisted the temptation to purloin the salt and pepper shakers. I might ask nicely on my next flight. They must 'lose' quite a few.

 

[JohnM]

It’s a beautiful day in London today, so I went out to Hampstead Heath and walked for several hours.

Kenwood House, bequeathed to the nation in 1927 by Lord Iveagh (a member of the Guinness family), with its amazing portraiture art collection, is well worth a (free) visit.

 

[JohnM]

A drink at the Kensington Wine Rooms (40 wines in Enotecs) last night before going to dinner at The Ledbury. And, no, @Daver6, he is not Dan Balzerian - he’s just a naughty boy....



The Ledbury experience really is something else. Good to see liberal use of Manjimup, WA, truffles on two dishes. I know the area and the mycologist who was instrumental in launching the truffle industry there very well.

 

[JohnM]

Nice of Tripcase to keep me informed. I may have missed my flight otherwise...

 

[Daver6]

A drink at the Kensington Wine Rooms (40 wines in Enotecs) last night before going to dinner at The Ledbury. And, no, @Daver6, he is not Dan Balzerian - he’s just a naughty boy....

Very obviously not Dan. Lack of guns and half naked ladies surrounding him is the give away

 

[JohnM]

Very obviously not Dan. Lack of guns and half naked ladies surrounding him is the give away

B-b-b-but you didn’t see what was draped over me...

 

[JohnM]

Scraps from last night’s nosebag.

 

[JohnM]

And on it goes...