@Sweetsound sour cherries are hard to get here - I remember an incident in Croatia whilst visiting the relatives of one boyfriend. They lived a little inland from the 'Makarska' coast and had a small farm and were doing a roast goat or sheep, (I don't remember which) - on a spit - in our honour and I decided to look round for dessert. They had cherry trees no-one picked, so one guy climbed up the cherry tree with a saw. He cut off an entire branch which fell to the ground and i picked enough cherries for my dessert; they were sour cherries, if I had known the recipe, I would have made them into soup, instead we had them with lots of sugar and cream.
Cooking facilities were primitive; there was an extra 'summer kitchen' into which the resident chickens had free access. Every so often the little dog would chase them out, who in turn was commandeered by his Master shouting: ' Marsch, marsch' -
Every time he said that, I mused with some nostalgia - : "that's what's left of the Old Austria, a military term" - which is, of course, French in origin (Napoleon), but no-one remembers that - we are a forgetful lot Yes shades of an old empire, also represented by the cardboad lid of a bonbonniere, which, as a casual nod to interior decorator aspirations, was fastened to a wall of the room in which we slept - - which showed a man (probably Franz Ferdinand) in officer's uniform of the old twin monarchy.
I am not in any way a monarchist, or attached to Europe, except to its culture (and cooking), and particularly Middle and Eastern Europe and the beauty of the mountain country, which is often breath-taking.
New South Wales has much mountain country and it is beautiful too, but you know that!! I have walked in some of it in my youthful Sydney days - and 4 years ago again, whilst visiting a friend, I discovered the true high country of Western New South Wales - it is endless and beautiful, much like mountains everywhere - mountain peaks as far as the eye can see! We went to some beautiful places by car but also by motor bike: here was I, an older lady, pinion riding on a heavy motor bike, commanded by a rather skinny man, but appearances are deceptive - my friend was brave and strong, as well as hospitable! I'll do a cross reference here, if I may (@NoBoDe) - he deserves praise and thanks!
A lot of that romance is disappearing everywhere, we are encroaching on nature - too many of us, wanting, using too much of the world's resources . . . .and war, always war. but this is a happy thread!! Have a nice Sunday and I will finally tackle my cheese cake, which shouldn't take too long. Szervusz Tau
