Lunch at Guildford Institute

From one one extreme to the other. Last week, tables groaning with food, this week nothing left.

Excellent tomato soup twice in a week.

On Tuesday, roast tomato soup at Café Mila. Today tomato and red pepper soup.

Followed by biriyani, a type of curry.

Followed by banoffee pie.

It was all a bit too much. I do not usually have three courses. I felt bloated and sick.

An exhibition of photos. Unpleasant garish colours. That is when you could see. When are artists going to learn. Hiding behind glass does not enhance your work. All I could see was refection of the room lighting and the windows.

Lunch at Café Mila

roast tomato soup

Café Mila

savouries and cakes

carrot cake

books to browse and release into the wild

Excellent lunch at Café Mila, but then I would be surprised at anything less. Very busy when I arrived, then quietened down a little.

Excellent roast tomato soup served with very delicious bread and butter to spread on the bread.

Followed by stuffed mushrooms (I only had one) served with a little greenery.

Followed by their delicious carrot cake and a tea.

Café Mila have books to browse and books to take away. The books to take away you are encouraged to pass on, then write about on their facebook page.

It is never a good idea to encourage people to go to facebook, and they would have to join. Plus, the books would be lost after a few days.

A far better idea is to set up a wordpress blog, Books at Café Mila, or a Café Mila blog, with various categories, food, recipes, events, one of which would be books. People can then easily find the books, and if necessary, do a search.

I suggested they add Manuscript Found in Accra to books to browse.

Nestlé chairman says water is not a human right

In a candid interview for the documentary We Feed the World, Nestlé Chairman Peter Brabeck makes the astonishing claim that water isn’t a human right. He attacks the idea that nature is good, and says it is a great achievement that humans are now able to resist nature’s dominance. He attacks organic agriculture and says genetic modification is better.

Nestlé is the world’s biggest bottler of water. Brabeck claims – correctly – that water is the most important raw material in the world. However he then goes on to say that privatisation is the best way to ensure fair distribution. He claims that the idea that water is a human right comes from “extremist” NGOs. Water is a foodstuff like any other, and should have a market value.

He believes that the ultimate social responsibility of any Chairman is to make as much profit as possible, so that people will have jobs.

And just to underline what a lovely man he is, he also thinks we should all be working longer and harder.

Consequences of water privatisation

The consequences of water privatisation have been devastating on poor communities around the world. In South Africa, where the municipal workers’ union SAMWU fought a long battle against privatisation, there has been substantial research (pdf) about the effects. Water privatisation lead to a massive cholera outbreak in Durban in the year 2000.

The Nestlé boycott

Nestlé already has a very bad reputation among activists. There has been a boycott call since 1977. This is due to Nestlé’s aggressive lobbying to get women to stop breastfeeding – which is free and healthy – and use infant formula (sold by Nestlé) instead. Nestlé has lobbied governments to tell their health departments to promote formula. In poor countries, this has resulted in the deaths of babies, as women have mixed formula with contaminated water instead of breastfeeding.

Tell Nestlé they are wrong – water is a human right

There is Europe-wide campaign to tell the European Commission that water is a human right, and to ask them to enact legislation to ensure this is protected.

If you live in Europe, please sign the petition.

Original article published by Union Solidarity International.

Lunch at Guildford Institute

chickpea bake and salad

I was not sure if it would be open. I must not have been the only one who thought that way, as apart from myself, there was only one other table occupied. A pity, as the lady who prepares the food goes to a lot of trouble.

Chickpea bake and salad, followed by a type of blueberry cheesecake with a pot of tea.

I inquired of the piano, but no one knew what it was. I did learn it could not be played during the day as it disturbs people.

I popped down to the library, which thanks to unnecessary building work which is destroying the building, necessitated going outside. I was pleased to see NeverSeconds on prominent display.

Friday lunch at the Guildford Institute is one of the best kept secrets in Guildford.

Lunch at Café Mila

Café Mila

It has been so cold, this has been the first visit to Café Mila this year.

Last year, in the summer, it was always very busy, but once winter came, it was very quiet.

Today, it was quiet on the street. It was therefore a surprise to find how busy it was.

This is the first time I have been on a Monday, as it used to be closed.

Very enjoyable chicken pie, followed by carrot cake and cup of tea.

Café Mila has always had books to browse. After I had finished my carrot cake, I browsed Quiet Food.

What is Quiet Food? Basically slow food with contemplation. It comes from a Buddhist retreat in South Africa where food, its preparation and eating, is seen as important as meditation. The book is beautifully illustrated with little stories, haiku poetry.

Why not do BookCrossing, I suggested last year? Good idea, but like many people, we do not like the BookCrossing website. We will come up with our own idea.

There is now a little notice telling people there are books to browse and books to take away. If you take a book away, your are asked once read, to release it into the wild (you could give it to a friend), then on their facebook page, write what has happened to the book. There is a also a little sticker in the books telling you this. If no sticker, then please do not take away.

A good idea, though I do not like anything that encourages people to use facebook, even less that has information on their activities. I tried to think of a better way but could not.

What I would suggest is do both, register on BookCrossing and then tweet what has happened to the book.

Very cold day in Farnham

Farnham Parish Church

prayer cards for Paulo and Annie

candles for Paulo and Annie

The Alchemist special edition

Unlike last week in Farnham, no snow, but still very cold.

On the way there the sun came out for a brief spell. I thought just like spring, only it’s winter, then I thought no, it is spring, only just like winter.

Around the church, I though it is not that cold, no wind. But I think it must have caught the sun for a while and been out of the wind. As it was very cold when I left the church.

Inside the church, it was not as cold as last week, and much lighter. I tried photographing the Easter paintings they have. I tried last week, but too dark. It is a pity they are not originals, and no information about them.

Two candles lit, one for Paulo Coelho whose new book Manuscript Found in Accra has been released in time for Easter and for my lovely Greek friend Annie. At least, unlike last week, there were other candles to light from, and so I did not end up putting out the flames. Strange, all the candles appeared to have bene lit before. Two prayer cards writ.

On leaving the church, now very cold.

Last week, I picked up Manuscript Found in Accra ahead of publication. I wondered, would they change it for a special limited edition of The Alchemist. I saw it last week, and was thinking it was the special limited edition of The Pilgrimage which I had seen before Christmas. Yes, they would change it. Was The Pilgrimage available. No. Both it seems are rare limited editions, and so very pleased I did go back and change.

Late lunch in The Barn. Very sorry to hear they are moving, as a lovely building, but no one ventures down the alley, even though it is in the centre of town.

On leaving The Barn, even colder. Bus waiting, no long wait at the bus stop.

Toby Carvery Aldershot

I walked in and the first thing that hit was the noise, the loud music, I nearly turned on my heals and walked out. I regret I did not.

People want to relax when having a meal, not have to shout above loud music.

I was escorted to a table by a window. Normally that would be be my preference, but it was cold. Those who arrived a little later and were sat further in, closer to the food, complained it was cold and were moved elsewhere. Another couple, sat down, who I assumed to be the head chef, came across and spoke to them. They got up and walked out.

The portions were meagre if not mean, poor quality meat. The person serving surly. The vegetables looked tired, as though sitting there for hours. I also noticed, but only later when I saw someone had peas on their plate, that only half the vegetables that should have been there were there. I also noticed from the menu that if you paid extra, you got larger portions. This is like the cowboy charter airlines. Reduce your luggage allowance from the standard 20 kg, then charge for extra luggage allowance, or worse no luggage allowance at all.

Toby carvery in Aldershot has been open at most three months, and yet it is already looking shabby, paint peeling off the walls, toilet door jams. As I walked in to the Toby Carvery, there was a sign warning the door was broken.

Outside it said breakfast served. No mention what. No mention on the menu either.

It was fairly empty. The staff out numbered those eating. Each time I have passed by and looked in, it has looked empty. I asked was it always like this, and was told yes, the novelty on opening had already passed.

Apart from one charming young waitress, the vibes given off by the staff was one of glum resignation, rather be some place else.

Totally lacking in atmosphere.

Not a place I would recommend if you want a decent carvery. I wonder how long it will be before it closes?

There is a Toby Carvery on the way out of Frimley. It is far better, or was, maybe it too has dropped its standards. Or is this because it is Aldershot, standards low, nowehere decent to eat?

For an excellent carvery try The Foresters on the way to Fleet.

The Toby Carvery is part of a group of tacky chain eateries in Westgate, or Waste Gate as local retailers are calling it.

Westgate is an ugly retail development on the edge of Aldershot town centre, that is killing the town centre. If all the eateries are as bad as the Toby Carvery, then they have nothing to worry about, or at least would not if there were any decent restaurants in Aldershot, which there are not.

For every meal eaten in one of these chain eateries that is a meal not eaten in a local restaurant. For every pound spent, it is a pound drained out of the local economy, compared with a pound recycled in the local economy.

When I have eaten in the Toby outside Frimley, I have felt too full to move. I left the Aldershot Toby Carvery feeling hungry.

I wandered through the town. There were few people about even though it was market day (and Easter school holidays). I noticed big gaps where there would have been stalls. As predicted, Westgate is causing the collapse of the street market. The quality fruit and vegetable stall near The Arcade, which has always been busy, had not a single customer. And yet the council claim Westgate is good for Aldershot, though this is not the view of either retailers, shoppers or residents, who see Westgate as an unmitigated disaster for Aldershot.

The only place I saw was busy as I walked past was McDonald’s. Says it all really, this is Aldershot.

Falafel and Greek salad at The Barn

falafel and Greek salad

Excellent falafel and Greek salad at The Barn in Farnham.

The Barn is a cultural centre in the centre of Farnham.

Lunch in Plaka

lunch in plaka

Plaka is an area in Athens below the Acropolis of little narrow streets, lots of restaurants and shops.

There may be places worth eating, but I have yet to find any, and lunch today was no exception, it was awful.

I fed some to the cats. What was left, I was very tempted to say to the waiter, as I have paid for it, please serve to the dogs in the road with my compliments.

The only thing good I could say: the portions were generous.

Strofi, near the Acropolis Museum, was the only place I found worth eating.

Strofi

skewered pork with potatoes and vegetables

Strofi is located a couple of blocks away from the Acropolis Museum.

It was empty. I enquired did they have a roof top restaurant, and almost as an afterthought, was it extra?

Yes and no was the answer. But the man had to go up and check. Check what? A few minutes later, he came back dpwn and led me up stairs.

The place was almost empty. A view of the Acropolis was claimed. To be correct, a view of the Parthenon, and that was obscured by plastic sheeting. Music from a nearby speaker. When the menu came there was nothing I fancied. They charged for bread as an extra. I settled on skewered pork, served with potatoes and vegetables. It was not cheap, 13 euros.

A long wait. What was I doing here, no atmosphere, expensive, I should have gone to one of the restaurants in Plaka.

Food finally arrived. Large pieces of pork, not obvious at first, samdwiched between griiled peppers, the vegetables, peppers and courgettes, appeared to have been grilled (though said was from the oven).

Portion size was not small and it was delicious. I could have done with more potatoes.

After my meal I was given a complimentary liquor.

I declined dessert, though on my way out they looked delicious, and I regretted my decision.

On my way down I looked in the first floor. This would be a far better place to sit as the view is through glass, not plastic.