VISIT YORKSHIRE - PART IV / CLASSY

Some of us are classy enough to have their own confectionery. At least in Ilkley.

Could this be the classiest Tea Room ever? Also in Ilkley.

Oui, c'est avec goût, l'hôtel du chocolat à Leeds. The classiest cocoa ever!

Remember one being kissed by the waiter??? Ciao bello!!!

13th floor dress code: "Baht 'at" - sir, could you please remove your hat. And please do have a seat... Don't forget to enjoy the view!

If one still has some money left after all this, one could spend it on champagne. And one did.

And it's all not really that expensive, even if it's royal. Here at the Queens Bar one can get a pint of cider for 5 pounds. 

A note for the Finnish readers - suom.huom! Koska olemme niin kovin hienostuneita, niin emme tietenkään kertaakaan olleet SOOSISSA.

VISIT YORKSHIRE - PART III / PUBLIC HOUSEZ

Now, let us take a closer look to some of the pubs in Yorkshire. If you don't have the insider tips like one has, you might take your pick on the pub map (not to be confused with the tube map).

We'll start our orderaround on "Ilkla Mooar Baht 'at" (well, the hubby did have his hat on, but here in the countryside it's okay).

A cow and a half... Sorry, Cow & Calf is the name of this lovely public house. You should go. Drew Barrymore and Toni Collette did: Ilkley goes Hollywood.

Virpi-stars for the Cow & Calf *****-
(the little minus for this place being too far away)

The insider tips in the city of Leeds are the pubs Ship Inn and Angel Inn. You should go. We did.

Virpi-stars for The Ship Inn ****

Virpi-stars for The Angel Inn ****

The meaning of life can be found in the gents.

The Frog & Parrot in Sheffield is the place for the best pub food ever, very friendly service and nice decoration ideas. You should go. Some of us did.

Virpi-stars for the Frog & Parrot *****-
(the little minus for the mash turning into chips)

It's time to end our bar-hopping in the bar Hop.

Virpi-stars for Hop ****
(it could've been more, but please, one don't want to be offered Swedish cider in a Leeds pub)

Coming up next something completely different, i.e. more sophisticated and more expensive.

VISIT YORKSHIRE - PART II / NEVER MIND

Yorkshire is not all about drinking cider. It is also delicious food. Forget everything you've ever heard or learned about English kitchen and cooking. At least if you've got a brother in Leeds and this brother of yours happens to know all the best restaurants in town. Or if you've got the loveliest sis-in-law ever, whom you can put in the kitchen if you're hungry but too tired to go out to get some dinner.

The most perfectest (not a grammatical error, I do mean THE MOST PERFECTEST) way to start ones visit in Yorkshire is nothing more, nothing less than egg mayonnaise sandwiches.

A big hurray also for the mac'n'cheese, cooked by the above mentioned sis-in-law.

One should not forget the takeaway option, if the earlier mentioned sis-in-law happens to be too busy. We can recommend Fryday's fish'n'chips. Or chicken'n'chips for those who can't have fish.

Something sweet in between... For example from Betty's. One could have something with dark chocolate and blackcurrant - and one did, but forgot to make a proper photo of it before it was too late (i.e. eaten). So here's the rasberry macaroon, which was sadly eaten by somebody else.

And then. Finally. The big moment. Authentic British PUB FOOD! Triple hurray for that!!!

British Beef & Ale Pie £7,49 in The Frog & Parrot, Sheffield:

Chunks of prime British beef in a rich Ruddles Ale gravy topped with shortcrust pastry. Served with mashed potato, peas and gravy. 

The new, unexperienced cook had turned the mash into chips, but one only noticed it herself afterwards, because the pie was soooooooo delicious.

Time for some finer dining. Not too fine though.

Early Bird Menu available 12 pm - 7.30 pm in Ciao Bella, Leeds:

1 Course £7.95
2 Courses £9.95
3 Courses £11.95

Starters
• Bruschetta
• Soup of the Day
• Home-made Chicken Liver Pate (served with toast)
• Caprese Salad
• Seared Black Pudding

Main Courses
• Chicken Breast with Garlic, Rosemary and Lemon served on Salad
• Fusilli Pasta with Peas, Mushrooms and Onion in a Cream Sauce
• Penne Arrabiata (Spicy Pepperoni Sausage in a Garlic and Tomato Suace)
• Grilled Cajun Salmon served with Potatoes
• Margherita Pizza
• Funghi Pizza
• Salami Pizza

Desserts
• Selection of Italian Ice Cream
• Tiramisu
• Dessert of the Day

For a starter one chose the home-made chicken liver pate, which happened to be the best liver pate one has ever, and I mean ever, had!

And when one has a few allergies, the only main course one could go with was the fusilli pasta with peas, mushrooms and onion in a cream sauce. One does like pasta, peas, mushrooms, onions and cream sauces, but not necesserily all of it at once on one plate. It might be too much. But this was not. Loved it!

Even if some of the desserts were selected outside of the Early Bird menu (because one just has to have her chocolate mousse), the price for a party of four, each having three courses, not forgetting the normal drinks to go with the dinner, was a real bargain!!! 84 pounds. And a kiss on the lips from our very cute and nice waiter didn't hurt either.

VISIT YORKSHIRE - PART I / CIDERZ & OTHER DRINKZ

Suddenly, almost totally and nearly unexpected, one finds herself in Yorkshire. Surrounded by the beautiful moors. And lots of cider. Is one surprised? Yes! Astonished? Yes! Amazed? Yes!
Wish there was a photo showing how one feels... Oh, but there is!!!

However let us take a tour of ciders and other drinks first.

Bulmers in the bottle

Bulmers in the glass

Bulmerses

The cloudy one

The Sheppy one

The dark'n'fruity one

After so many ciders one must have a drink on the 13th floor, even if it's 9,95 pound sterling for one cocktail!

For the one on the left you need vodka, rhubarber liqueur and Aperol. Stirr and serve on an ice diamond. 

For the one on the right you need vodka, coconut rum, grenadine, lemon & cranberry juice. Kaiser Chiefs playing in the background wouldn't hurt.

Ruby, Ruby, Ruby

Yorkshires's Diamond

And when in Leeds, one just cannot skip the Épernay Champagne Bar, can she.

Bollinger rosé for £12

One should not forget the non-alcoholic drink in between. Why not have a cup of hot chocolate at the Hotel Chocolat.

Cocoa "Made in Leeds" (73% Trinidad)

Hope you enjoyed our little tour. And now... A picture is worth a thousand words:

Absofuckin'lutely a-ma-zing!!!

46 v.

Sitä oli syyskuussa todistajana oikeudessa. Rouva tuomarin kanssa käytiin aluksi seuraavanlainen keskustelu:

"Ja rouva Hiltunen, kuinka vanha te olette?"
Pitkä hiljaisuus...
"Sitä minä en nyt tiedä. Mutta olen syntynyt vuonna 1968."
"No sitten te olette joko 45 tai 46. Onko teillä ollut jo tänä vuonna syntymäpäivä?"
"Ei vielä, vasta lokakuussa."
"No hyvä, sitten te olette 45."

- - -

Sitten tulee se lokakuu ja sitä alkaa miettiä, että järjestäisikö jotain juhlaa vai ei. Mutta sitten on kaikenlaista hässäkkää, ja se reissukin tiedossa siinä heti parin päivän päästä ja ei kai sitä nyt aina tarvitse juhlia, mutta jos sitä nyt sitten kuitenkin lauantai-iltana muutaman kaverin kanssa käväisisi lasillisella. Ja lähtisi sitten ennen puolta yötä kotio, ettei vaan lipsahda syntymäpäivän puolelle...


Varmaa on se, että klo 00:00 sen pubin, jossa istutaan, omistaja tarjoaa pullon kuohuvaa.

Varmaa on myös se, että pari tuntia myöhemmin sen samaisen pubin, jossa edelleen istutaan, omistaja, joka on myös muusikko, ottaa kitaran seinältä ja alkaa esittää irkkumusiikkia.

Varmaa on myös se, että se toinen kuohuviinipullollinen saattoi olla liikaa.

19.10 klo 03:00

Epävarmaa on se, onko kotiin tultu jo vähän ennen neljää vai vasta viideltä.

Erittäin varmaa on se, että kun puoliltapäivin raottelee silmiään, tietää ettei enää illalla pysty kykenemään. Että kenenkä idea se sitten oli kuitenkin kutsua kavereita baariin sunnuntai-iltaa istumaan.

Kaikkein varminta on kuitenkin se, että ihan ensin miäs pitää ruokkia. Eli viedä se ulos syömään, kun tuli semmoistakin luvattua.

19.10. klo 18:00

Ruokailun ja normaalien ruokajuomien jälkeen raahaudutaan seuraavaan kuppilaan. Ystäville tarjotaan ranskalaista siideriä ja saksalaista Federroter-juomaa. Kuppilan pomo tarjoaa snapsikierroksen. Miäs tarjoaa leipomansa muffinsit ja keksit.

Varmaa on se, että tästä illasta ei tule pitkä. Onhan tässä jo ikääkin tullut...

Kotiintuloajaksi merkitään klo 04:00.