Countdown to Winter Olympics......

Torvill & Dean - 1984 WO

We're really looking forward to watching the 21st Winter Olympics to be held 12-28th February in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the resort town of Whistler, nearby. We'll be watching in the comfort of our loungeroom.

I particularly love the figure skating; most of you would remember the dynamic UK partnership of Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean performing to Ravel's 'Bolero' at the 1984 WO in Sarajevo Yugoslavia. I remember that it was a weekend afternoon we watched it and I was doing the ironing! We were just awestruck by the 'dance'; they ended up with a score of 12 perfect sixes, which has never been repeated. I've just watched them again. They performed it again in 2006 on a UK TV show Dancing on Ice.

I also love the aerial skiing, bobsleigh, luge, ski jumping and even find curling fun!

Bobsled, early WO

Our own Kirstie Marshall, an aerial skier, now a politician, won several World Cup gold medals and did well in the 1994 and 1998 WO medal events. And we were so proud of little Alisa Camplin at the Salt Lake City WO in 2002! She became our WO darling that year. Despite multiple fractures in both ankles she won Gold in the aerial skiing event scoring 193.47 for her triple twisting somersault or 'back full/double full'. Back home Australia Post designed a stamp in her honour.

Alisa Camplin - Torino Italy 2006 WO

The first Winter Olympics were held at the foot of Mont Blanc in Chamonix Haute-Savoie, France in 1924.

THE FLOWER SELLER

Alexei Harlamoff, 1840-1922

All Stories Come True

The Algerian flower-seller beaten,
petals strewn on the French street -
always there is beauty to mark the blood in Paris.

She arrives at Gare du Nord on her way
somewhere else.
Before her next train, she sits
among the people in the Luxembourg gardens
in the shadow of the trees and Flaubert's bust,
eating a peach on a bench, slowly making
the afternoon hers.

She washes her hands and mouth, the hollow
of her throat and, on impulse, pours
the rest of the water over her feet.
A man comes running toward her
to make all the stories come true
and, looming, bends down.

With cool hands, he takes
the bottom of her foot and kisses
her ankle, the whole city pausing
for an instant. Then he runs away again
between the people, the gates, the trees.

Gabeba Baderoon

AUBERGINE & MINT BRUSCHETTE

The frosts have arrived, so I picked at least a dozen eggplant yesterday and went surfing for recipes.  The following I found on Jamie Oliver's site and will make a nice side serve for lunch with visitors on Sunday.  At least it will use up two aubergine.

ingredients

1. 2 nice firm aubergines, the round purple Italian ones if possible, sliced lengthways 3mm/about 1/8th inch thick
2. extra virgin olive oil
3. white wine or herb vinegar
4. 2 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves finely sliced
5. a small handful of fresh mint leaves finely sliced
6. 1 clove of garlic, peeled and very finely sliced
7. sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a griddle pan until nice and hot.  Lay your aubergine slices on it side by side and when they are nicely charred on both sides, put them into a bowl.  You will probably need to do this in several batches.

While the aubergines are grilling, put 8 tablespoons of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of vinegar, with the parsley, mint and garlic, into another bowl and season with salt and pepper.

When the aubergines are all done, add them to the dressing and mix around, then check the seasoning again and divide on to the bruschette.  Press the topping into the toast so all the lovely flavour gets sucked in!
 

POCILLOVY

Did you know that a Pocillovist is someone who collects egg cups as a hobby?  Pocillovy comes from the Latin pocillovum ovi, meaning a small cup for an egg.

Wishing all my bloggy friends a very blessed Easter with family and friends.

READING

This is just a bit of trivia, really. For a long time I've loved pictures of people reading. It all started many years ago with the one above, which is one of many I have on a wall in my sitting room. Below is a shot of that wall with me bottom left and my late mother-in-law, Kitty, bottom right, both reading.

Not a very good pic but you get the picture. There is also one by Goya, called 'Young Women' -

The next two by Vermeer -

I love them all.