After breakfast down the hill to Vathi to pick up a ticket on Olympic Airways to Athens. I sometimes go down a dirt path as a shortcut but there is a vicious dog that would like to sink his teeth in my neck and rip it out. Thank goodness the brute is chained but I wonder if he ever escaped they would have to return me to Canada in a pine box. Purchased the ticket. Wandered over to the main church and a great selection of icons. Had a coffee at a Starbucks looking place and it was a top-rated latte! They also have an imitation McDonalds here in Vathi. No thanks. Greeks are huge coffee drinkers. Traditional Greek coffee time seems to be at 16:00 after an afternoon nap. Impeccable logic to deal with post nap grogginess. Morning day and night. Café frappé is very big in Greece and understandable considering the heat. Unfortunately someone had stepped in horse manure so there was more than coffee aromas in the café! Salad and fish for lunch and off to Kedro beach and this time big waves with some 20 people at the beach including a large contingent of topless German women who somewhat scandalize the locals.
“Travels to a Different Time” : 31July2000: Samos Greece, Ephesus, Turkey: Off to the Ancient Greek Ruins: Turkish Merchant Harassment
Out the door at 06:15 to the port to catch the boat to Ephesus or rather to Kusadesi in Turkey then a bus to Ephesus a la tour! Breezed through passport control and aboard a small excursion ship at 08:45 to Kusadesi. An hour into the journey on calm waters and one could see the Turkish coast which like Samos is mountainous and enveloped in a haze of heat. Kusadesi was set amongst lush vegetation and after 30 years I am back in Turkey. Through Turkish customs and they are happy to relieve you of an entry tax and most disgustingly of all our passports! Why on earth. Massive anxiety with a passport out of my hands. I have guarded it steadfastly on all my travels including sleeping with it and showering with it. Off on an air-conditioned bus hugging the coast up in the hills. There are several tourist resorts on the coast and the beaches looked very enticing but not as stunning as Greek beaches. After 30 minutes we reached the destination and had a Turkish female tour guide. There were many buildings so I will not describe them all. The lavratorium was the communal WC for the upper classes. A long stone bench with holes cut in it. No privacy but it did the” job”. In the colder months slaves used to warm the stone so their master’s butts would not be chilled. The library of Celsius and the theatre were impressive. Ephesus was Greek, then Roman then Ottoman. It was a two-hour tour and we headed out on the bus for our Turkish buffet lunch. Cafeteria style packed with tourist buses. The food was quite good and very similar in many ways to Greek food. And those fabulous Turkish peaches I have not had in 30 years. Worth the wait! Herded back on the bus to an “artisanal Turkish handicraft” site. Yes a bloody Turkish carpet factory. All had Turkish apple tea and a talk on carpet weaving. Interesting but then a swarm of salesman descended on the unsuspecting gringos. Turkish bazaar style pressure to buy buy buy! We had a couple of hours on our own in Kusadesi after that fiasco. Hit the bazaar where the carpet salesman were replaced by a horde of merchants coaxing, wheedling and lying to get you into their shop. Ah you are Canadian I have a brother in Vancouver! Best deals ever! Memories of hawkers on the beaches of the Dominican Republic. Any interest in their goods and they’ll pounce on you like a vampire. If you walk away they pretend to be insulted. This is not charming. It is a Turkish con and annoying and crude. The bazaar was narrow and winding and counterfeit goods abounded. Lacoste rip-offs were abundant. A pleasure to escape Turkish harassment and board the boat for the return trip to Samos. A rough trip back with large swells causing vomit outbreaks. Man there were people puking in shopping bags. I have been on the water since before I could walk so no problem for me. Managed to have a great fish dinner in Samos and as the heat cooked me to a frazzle out like a light at 10! A few dreams of pleading Turkish merchants grabbing my arm saying how much they loved Canadians. After all there must be hundreds if not thousands of their brothers in Canada!
“Virus # 26” Director’s Cut: Chapter 11: “Lessons Learnt from COVIDs: The Failure of Social Distancing”
During the COVID-19 waves there was a politico-medico obsession with social distancing to the extent failure to adhere to it could result in warnings from COVID-19 “police forces”, fines, imprisonment and of course the dressing down given by “outraged” municipal, state, provincial and federal governments. These dressing down tantrums were as tedious as the propaganda supporting social distancing. Mayor John Tory of Toronto was on the public stage and seemed to revel in indignation to the point of absurd comedy. Premier Ford of Ontario looked like the big bad wolf ready to huff and puff and blow the house down i.e. close down the economy again.
There is a bit of contradiction in the term “social distancing” in that yes it enabled crippled hospital systems ravaged by the financial cuts imposed upon them by the politicos to barely hold on and treat the infected and that fitted the political agenda which almost always was short term. The contradiction is that social distancing protected many from immediate infection but made them easy targets for subsequent waves particularly after economies began reopening. Once reopening occurred any pull back would not be tolerated by populations ravaged by unemployment and its consequent suicides, depression and anxiety. So it was short term pain for even longer term pain. Social distancing ruined millions financially as well as psychologically. It also bankrupted governments.
It introduced a stubborn and pervasive nasty streak in both politics and social life. Demonstrations became violent and food lines were a breeding ground for extremism which we will deal with later. Although we have no data backing this up the thought by many of us physicians in 2030 was that had there been no social distancing herd immunity, as ugly as it would be to develop, would have reduced the decimation caused by social distancing.
Lastly we must ask why was social distancing so widely accepted during the early COVID–19 days? Aside from the long arm of a pathetically small group of COVID police it was fear that kept many in a state of what seemed to be eternal lockdown. And the fear was fuelled by governmental propaganda, people’s ignorance and the never-ending media stories about doom and gloom with real time spinning casino slot machines spewing out the three lemons of deaths and infections. Just when the curve had flattened in many countries then horror stories about India and Brazil flooded the telescreen with mass burial grounds being the topping on the fear flavoured sundae. You gotta scratch your head and wonder why COVID-19 was really any worse that many other pandemics where there was no social distancing? I mean the conspiracy theorists had many holes in their arguments but one that made sense to me was bring the fear to a feverish (no pun intended) pitch and set the way for Big Pharma to develop a most profitable vaccine.
“Travels to a Different Time” : 30July2000: Samos, Greece A Beach from a Different Era
The manager of the hotel related a story to me how years ago, many years ago, they swam at a beach called Mauones which is at the far end of Vathi. Being curious about the beach of yesteryear headed down the road. But there was no beach but a break wall with rusted pieces of metal and an old refrigerator submerged. Sort of like a post-industrial nightmare. Yet there were several old folks paddling about as happy as clams. I suppose memories of long ago have clouded their evaluation of this “beach”. Nearby rusted cranes, garbage and old tires. No thanks. Hopped on the bus to Kedro Beach a great beach with no one there. Had an early dinner at the beach bar of spaghetti with Greek hard cheese (kefalotyri) grated on top giving the sauce a unique flavour.
RKS Film: “Come Back Anytime”: Get Me to Tokyo Quick!
Welcome to the world of ramen noodle master Masamoto Ueda owner and self-taught ramen master operating out of a tiny restaurant in Tokyo named Bizentei. No big flashy décor but instead a rather homey restaurant that seats 30 at most. And Ueda is referred to by most of his customers as “Master”. He is self taught and entirely likeable unlike the prick chefs with their nonsensical television shows one encounters of late. Yes he was a bit of a bad boy in his youth coming close to being a petty criminal but marriage and a child cleaned his act up.
We are witness to his loyal and adoring customers to the extent the viewer almost feels part of the family as they sing their praises to Ueda. He connects with each of them and after work he takes some of them hunting for wild yams in the mountains or pear picking. He is a father figure to some and a good friend to others. Yes Ueda is the star of this documentary but it is his customers that raise his stardom as they are strong supporting cast. While we get up close with the patrons Ueda reveals much about himself and his attitude towards food and people. While I have eaten in many top restaurants in Europe and the United States with their Michelin stars and crack sommeliers I am just as happy in eating in countless small restaurants (a good many of them in Portugal) that will never be graced with stars and food that looks more like art than food.
Ueda has a limited menu with ramen and a few appetizers but he focuses on these dishes with spectacular results in a tiny behind the counter kitchen.
The documentary leaves you in a happy state with a regular guy chef and regular people patrons. A perfect soundtrack of jazz and quasi classical music is seamlessly interwoven.
Unlike the classic “Jiro Loves Sushi” this is no food porn production! Get me to Bizentei quick! I would happily go to Naples just to eat pizza. In Tokyo I would go to eat Ueda’s ramen. Would his ramen with Chashu pork send me over the moon? One customer is a ramen addict and has eaten at hundreds of ramen restaurants throughout Japan and his favourite is Bizentei.
Directed by John Daschbach.
The film opened in Toronto on July 22 at Hot Docs Ted Roger’s Cinema but get ready it will be making its rounds globally!
RKS Film Rating 92/100.
RKS Wine: Niagara-on-the-Lake’s leaning post 2021 Rosé
The leaning post 2021 Rosé is 100% Pinot Noir.
The nose presents watermelon, raspberry, strawberry and field tomato. A very summery greeting to the nose. The palate is energetic and enthusiastic like some toddler dancing to “Baby Shark”. But giving that simile a nudge, this is no flippant candy cane Rosé. It is a very serious Rosé with firm texture that would be best suited with food. I would pair with salmon kebabs or Portobello mushroom and sweet potato burgers however it has versatility to enhance many other dishes on the grill such as pork loin, goat or even beef burgers. It has definite Pinot Noir pedigree delightfully mutated. But concentrate and pick up the Pinot Noir!
Consume by the end of 2022.
(leaning post 2021 Rosé, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Leaning Post Wines, Stoney Creek, Ontario, $21.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario #27360, 750 mL, 12%,, RKS Wine Rating 91/100).
RKS Wine: The Perils of a 17-Year-Old Wine: French Wine Gods Have Mercy Please!
I had a friend over for a flank steak with chimichurri sauce recently. It is a classic Argentinian dish. The Merquen and young Ontario garlic can create a bit of a piquant sauce. I chose a 17-year-old Château Monbrison Margaux. 2005 was an exceptional vintage in Bordeaux and I have 8 bottles left. I can’t say anyone was “blown away” by it. This is the reward that 17 years of cellaring brings?
The next day out of the terrible humidity the wine was consumed in it was tried again. Considering the wine had been resting in the bottle for 17 years there were no obvious flaws on the palate or on the nose. On the nose there were smoky black cherry and restrained black fruits tucked away in the outer recesses of the wine with strawberry giving an impression of hidden and tamed power. Great power on the decline but great power nonetheless. Think of it as America the great empire in decline. On the palate a perfect harmony of acidity and tannins. The wine is soft yet dense with a muted power that has internalized its power. All said and done the wine is in decline but savouring such a great wine in decline is educational and unforgettable. I paid $36 for this as a Bordeaux future. Perhaps ten years ago it was a starlet with cameras flashing all around it. Now it is a classy and ageless Helen Mirren like in “The Good Liar” can still wow with skill and talent as opposed to upfront flash.
I am having difficulty in rating it. I am tempted to have a special “Senior’s Category” but I am afraid I rate what is the glass here and now with a warning collectors beware. There is a point in time to open your treasures. I have a 1982 Château Latour I must crack open but it is hard. Very hard. But every day that passes is a risk. Anyone out there with a grand to take it off my hands. And the 7 bottles of Chateau Monbrision lend me your private jet for a trip to Greece and they are yours!
To avoid being drawn and quartered I rate the 2005 Château Monbrison a 93/100. French wine gods have mercy.
RKS Wine: Château Puybarbe from Côtes de Bourg: Example of Out of Whack Acid
Côtes de Bourg has been long known as a bit of an affordable gem for Bordeaux reds. Will this $15.95 2019 Château Puybarbe fall into this category?
It is a blend of 76% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% each of Cabernet Franc and Malbec.
The nose presents black cherry, blackberry and blueberry with a forceful frontal assault. On the palate the acidity is excessive. One expects a degree of smoothness with the high Merlot percentage. Well if there is that smoothness granted by Merlot the acidity robs it of that. The acidity is not rampant but subtle enough to notice it with a trained palate. It is too bad you are not here now so we could have a lesson in the fine prickling to the tongue that acidity brings. Of course, you could buy a bottle have a glass and find out for yourself. Wine education could use some tutoring as to what constitutes an off wine. I often use wine in cooking instead of tossing it. However bear in mind the adage don’t cook with what you won’t drink. This will be returned for a refund. As an aside leftover red wine is great in pasta sauces, chili con carne, ragouts and beef stews. White wine in risottos, orzo-based dishes and many pasta sauces where you have no red wine!
Many wine drinkers can’t identify excessive acidity and are reluctant to return to the seller. Understandable but the way I see it how can “sophisticated” wholesale buyers let this happen?
(Château Puybarbe 2019, AP Côtes de Bourg, Château Puybarbe, Mombrier, France, $15.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 22945, 750 mL, 14.5%, RKS Wine Rating 58/100).
“Travels to A Different Time” :29July2000: Samos: Off to Kokari: Too Much German Flesh Oozing All Over the Place: A Walk to Ano Vathi
Some of the morning spent booking a tour to the Turkish Archaeological site Ephesus. Prices varied from 14-23,000 dracs including lunch. Selected the 14,000 dracs option. Breakfast a spinach pie and a Fanta leminoda. Stopped at a local wine shop. No bottles there but large vats you fill up your own bottles with. About $2 for 1.5 litres. Filled up a bottle of Cretan white and local red. Drinkable and quaint. He had tanks of banana and cherry liqueur. This is an old tradition of buying from vats and I think it will be one that disappears. The customers were all older men.
Took the local bus to Kokari and unlike the last trip the bus was old with no air conditioning. Spectacular scenery as up high in the hills with a view of the azure blue sea below. Kokari is very touristy like Pythagorian with tourists outnumbering the locals. The main street is longer than in Pythagorian. There are many shops catering to the tourists. There are so many beaches. Selected the least touristy beach. You couldn’t go that far out as sea urchins abounded and you do not want to touch or step on them or you will get jabs with the spikes. Yet more elderly and rotund German ladies topless with crispy brown skin. Not so good for digestion. Found some Frito Lay Oregano Potato Chips. That’s a new flavour. The restaurants, some 15 of them are lined up in a row set with a view of the ocean benefitting from a breeze. Stuffed vegetables for lunch. Average quality. Since there was a 45-minute wait for the bus grabbed a taxi back to Vathi which was $5. Dinner was spinach pie and tomato salad and then off to Ano Vathi up the hill. This is the original Vathi with a spectacular view downwards of the ocean and Vathi. Narrow winding streets and stone houses seemingly piled over each other. This is the Greece of old and for the time being few tourists as not a beach town and mass tourism wants a beach town!
RKS Passage of the Day: Jean-Paul Sartre: “The Reprieve” A Summary of Trump?
“He looked at his feet to avoid all those merciless faces: ‘hulking brute!’. He was a proper human wall, one of those callous cruel brutes, like that hulking boy Chamerlier in the elementary mathematics class who snapped fingers in his face at school, one of those types who never question anything, least of all themselves, who are never ill, never suffer from nerves, take women and life as they come, and march straight to their goal, shoving all who get in their way against shop windows.”
Jean-Paul Sartre, “The Reprieve” Penguin Book 1963
A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity 