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scotianostra · 8 months

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January 23rd is National Pie day, what's your favourite pie?

Is it the traditional New Years day fare, of a muckle steak pie, or the humble Scotch Pie filled with mutton? It could also be a macaroni pie, possibly a favourite with the vegetarians Scots out there. Or maybe you have sought out the Breakfast pie that I posted about previously is made by Table 13 Express takeaway deli in Kirkintilloch. The Haggis and Steak Pie by Bells is also up there, although I preferred the haggis mash and beans pies we used to get from our local bakers growing up in my hometown of Loanhead.

Perhaps the most famous of our pies here in Scotland is the award winning Killie Pie made by Brownings Bakery in the town since 1945.

Just last week Scotlans best pie was announced at The World Championship Scotch Pie Awards, with a beloved Perth and Kinross butcher taking home the top prize at the ceremony. More than 50 bakeries and butchers from around Scotland were shortlisted in a range of categories, with their bakes assessed anonymously by a panel of experts and independent judges.

This year, the top World Champion prize was given to James Pirie & Son of Blairgowrie, who previously won the competition in 2018, 2020, and 2022, as well as taking the title of World Scotch Pie Champion of Champions in 2021 with their iconic Scotch Pie.

Elsewhere, fellow winners included James Aitken Butchers in Alloa, The Little Bakery in Dumfries, and Beefcake Cafe in Glasgow, who took home prizes in the Sausage Roll, Bridie, and Vegetarian Savoury categories respectively. Among the other categories were Steak Pie and Haggis Savoury, which were awarded to Brownings the Bakers Ltd in Kilmarnock and WeeCOOK in Carnoustie.

Here's a recipe for the Scotch Pie, although they will differ from source to source.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

Four 4-inch springform cake pans (or equivalent)

Rolling pin

Small skillet

Knife to cut onion

Saucepan/s

Measuring cups, spoons

Kitchen scale (optional)

Mixing Bowls and spoons

Pastry Brush (for egg wash)

Stove and Oven (obviously)

INGREDIENTS

Hot Water Pastry Crust

2 cups flour (240 grams)

1/2 cup lard or shortening

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg yolk, beaten (for egg wash)

Meat Filling

1 small onion, chopped fine

1 – 2 teaspoons lard, butter, or shortening

1 pound lean ground beef

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon mace

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon Italian spice (optional)

Quick Beef Gravy

1 14 oz. can low sodium chicken broth

2 cubes beef bouillon

1/4 cup cold water

2 tablespoons corn starch

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350° F or 177° C. Grease four 4 inch springform pans and set aside.

Put flour in a medium mixing bowl and create a well in the center.

Place water, salt, and lard in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Carefully pour hot water and lard into well made in the flour. Mix with a spoon until all the flour is wet.

When the flour mixture is cool enough to handle. Knead just enough to mix completely. Set aside one fourth of the dough and divide the remaining dough into four balls.

2 tablespoons corn starch

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350° F or 177° C. Grease four 4 inch springform pans and set aside.

Put flour in a medium mixing bowl and create a well in the center.

Place water, salt, and lard in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Carefully pour hot water and lard into well made in the flour. Mix with a spoon until all the flour is wet.

When the flour mixture is cool enough to handle. Knead just enough to mix completely. Set aside one fourth of the dough and divide the remaining dough into four balls.

Place all of the dough in the refrigerator while sautéing the onions and preparing the meat mixture.

Sauté the chopped onion in 1 to 2 teaspoons of lard, butter, or shortening, until soft.

Thoroughly mix ground beef, onion, and spices, including salt and pepper, in a bowl and set aside.

Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll each of the four big dough balls into round shapes big enough to cover the bottom and up the sides of the springform pans stopping about 1/4 inch or 6 mm from the top of the pan.

Roll out the large piece of dough, (the fourth you cut off from the whole dough mass in the beginning), into one large shape a little thinner than the bottom shells. Using one of the springform pans, cut four circles out of the rolled dough. These will be the lids (top crusts) of your pies. Lay them flat and cut a small hole in the center of each lid.

Add one fourth of the meat mixture to each pastry lined pan. Filling to about 1/4 inch or 6 mm from the top of the dough. Be sure to push it down into the corner round the bottom of the pan.

Cover the pie with the pastry lids and press the edges of the lid dough into the shell dough to seal. You may crimp with your fingers or press with a fork to make them pretty or just leave them plain. Just make sure the tops and sides are sealed together.

Brush each lid with the beaten egg yolk and place the pies in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. You can stick a meat thermometer into the lid hole to ensure the meat is cooked through. It should be 160° F or 71° C.

While the pies are in the oven, make the quick gravy. Put the chicken broth in a saucepan along with two beef bouillon cubes and bring to a boil. Mix 2 tablespoons of corn starch into 1/4 cup cold water and stir until smooth. Slowly, add the corn starch mixture to the broth while stirring. Turn down the heat to a simmer and allow the gravy to thicken, stirring occasionally.

Remove the pies from the oven and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before removing springforms. Serve with gravy, potatoes, and vegetables, top with beans, or, just eat them on the go.

NOTES

If you want to put a tablespoon of gravy inside each pie before baking them, just make the gravy before assembling the pies.

Scotch pies will last 3 days in the refrigerator and can be frozen after they have cooled for an hour. They will taste best if eaten within two to three months of freezing. Once you have thawed the pies, don’t refreeze them.

Recipe taken from https://travelinginmykitchen.com/2022/01/03/make-your-own-scotch-pies/

#scotland #scottish #history #scottish cuisine #pies

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mistymem0ryy · 1 year

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The bliss of a nightly coffee

Yandere Zhongli x Reader (Fem)

Summary: In which you and Zhongli take a train towards the capital, and the scenery reminds you of the love you once held for each other.

Author's notes: this story is partially based upon my ever constant train rides and the intriguing people I happen to see in them… In this scenario Zhongli is a renowned history professor and the reader is coded as also being in academia (the prestige and the subject of her role are left for the reader to decide). It is underlined throughout the story that Zhongli comes from not only a far wealthier background than reader but also possesses a far more traditional outlook on life than reader. (so sort of modern AU??)

TW: indications of alc0h0l, possible drugg1ng and just yandere themes in general?

No beta, we survive the trenches this way.

If there was something within this life from which you could always find a morsel of unreasonable contentment, it would certainly be 1st class train voyages.

There is a fantastical element inherent to their glamorous silence, a distancing comfort to be found slithering away within the limits of an empty carriage.

Some years ago, such overbearingly enchanting ambiance would have made you shiver in an anxious, and perhaps even futile, attempt at controlling your senses. But much has changed since then. You have learnt to bear the cold.

What they never tell you about this sort of high-grade carriages is that all human warmth vanishes from its encasing, it crawls away into the opposite confines of the racing locomotive, reaching its warm fingertips towards the lingering chatter tucked away from diamond adorned ears. It’s as if the laws of thermodynamics had their ticket confiscated - thermal equilibrium but a mere folktale traded from mouth to mouth.

You can never find within yourself the firm decision to either devote your adoration to the rushing nature beyond the tainted windows or to contemplate the inner workings of the countless adornments within your carriage.

Eventually you decided to draw your gaze away from the rushing fields, there was nothing there left for you.

Rococo with an uncanny mixture of neoclassical decor and an added aroma of Turkish coffee that made you sight from the sheer delectability of it. You have been abstaining from tea as much as possible these days. You aren’t able to clearly point out the reason why but coffee simply happens to feel more enjoyable. Warmer. Safer.

You have tasted enough coffee in your life to know if something’s wrong.

You stretch your fingers towards the pastry patiently waiting within its porcelain platter, a raspberry macaroon, not too big, not too small, the aroma it exudes carries with it a sugary scent, a freshness you've been craving for a long time.

You close your eyes as your lips meet the firm shell of the pastry once shared between Italian monks and later on between French aristocrats, shutting your sight away so that your taste buds may enjoy the smooth ganache to the fullest.

But, as with any miraculous comfort in this life, a fruitless end must too be met. Your moment of bliss is ripped away from you as a gloved hand meets your partially naked shoulder. Fingers nearing the laced cord whose firmness held a beguiling jade stone in place, gracefully adorning the slight valley between your collar bones. You do not have to open your eyes to know to whom that hand belongs to.

Fine leather, the work of a seamstress who has mastered her craft with years of hardship. Yves Saint Laurent Autumn collection. A pair of gloves that could have paid your rent back in university. The surface is supposed to be comforting, delicate even, and yet its texture makes your skin crawl by some unexplored aversion. As you open your eyes your sight lands first and foremost upon the dark glove nearing your neck, they were beautiful, you had chosen them for him after all, there was always this glowing look upon his features every time you cowered to his whims and went on the ‘retail therapy sessions’ he so advocated for.

Most of the time they were simple excuses for him to blow entire checks on bags you would only wear once or twice. Countless pieces of gold jewelry that he would ‘oh so graciously’ request the store’s employees to put upon your skin himself. Fingertips glazing over collarbones and warm breaths reaching for your exposed skin making your body freeze in sudden alert.

You have been married for years. A marriage built upon a fruitful relationship, which in its turn was constructed upon one of the greatest friendships you’ve ever had the blessing of creating. And yet it was always there, lingering. This fear you find no rational justification for.

It's moments like these that take you back to your early university days. When the fear wasn’t that prominent, perhaps it hadn’t taken root yet, or perhaps it had always been there, hiding beneath the layering soil of the earth, only to take bloom once you had buried yourself too deep to the point where escape was but a mere fantasy.

‘I have been looking for you my dear.’

His voice comes out honeyed and sickly sweet, like a tarte tatin, freshly cooked from a little boulangerie in the south of France. You remember visiting it with Zhongli during your first year together, you had been the one to order since your French was better than his. You had taken a childish pride in knowing that at least in this scenario you happened to possess the upper hand. Back in the day you did not read much into this sentiment, though your present self genuinely wished you had done so.

Your desire towards saccharine things has become much more prominent as of late, they make your teeth ache in momentary torture but even the pain has its own characteristic bliss.

‘Did you hear me, my love?’

Your eyes finally meet his, they are lightly covered by his growing bangs, the contrast between his dark strands and his golden eyes makes it look as if each of his orbs have been divided in two. It gives him a certain dragonic look you were never afraid to point out even when you were mere acquaintances. His tall stature and classic manner of holding himself always gave you the notion that he carried something sacred, something ancient within him. There was a certain allure to the renowned history professor that always made everyone stop momentarily and simply be carried away by this archaic aura surrounding him.

‘I am sorry… I wasn’t here, could you repeat it?’

‘I asked you if you think it is wise to be drinking coffee at this hour?’

Though a stranger would only be capable of perceiving the teasing tone within his statement, you could clearly discern the underlying patronizing approach of his question, not exactly in a condescending manner and yet not too far away from it either.

‘I find that independently of the hour, there is nothing as comforting as a cup of coffee, does it bother you in any way?’

You were testing the waters. Not too confronting to cause him insult and yet not too diminishing in order to cause your own ego injury. These days you never knew what could set Zhongli off. Or yourself for that matter.

‘It is not exactly a matter of bothering me, rather it is a preference of being able to sleep alongside my wife without all the shuffling that is provided from someone with an overly caffeinated body’

To that statement no quick or witty stab back could be brought forth. It was true. Night and sleep haven’t been your dearest companions as of late, but you knew for certain that caffeine had nothing to do with the matter. It was mostly unspent energy, guarded anger you feared to let out all at once for you could not clearly predict the following consequences. So you did what you thought wisest and held it encased within your body, it sipped out slowly but surely, its presence made known in the lightest of manners possible. Be it troubled sleep, long periods of spacing out or a recurrently reappearing frown within your features.

In your own defense you did not think you would stay in the train for such a long period of time, you had only been told to pack your bags in order to accompany your husband to one of his academic conferences in the capital, naively thinking that once he started the engine of his car he would take you both to the nearest airport. But it had not been the case, your husband had decided that it was certainly the best moment within your relationship to surprise you with a 5 day long luxury train voyage towards your initial destination, yet again without any regard to your view upon the matter itself.

In a way, you gathered all your forces in order to rationalize Zhongli’s actions. He is an intelligent man. You married one of the most well known Professors of his field for god’s sake. You knew the strength it took to survive academia and though Zhongli certainly had the upper hand due to his family history, his achievements could not all be simply reduced to his family name.

Perhaps this was all some sort of reaction to your breakdown some weeks ago, in a way you certainly regret it, but in another you definitely saw it coming. You like to tell yourself that Zhongli was attentive enough to see it coming too.

There wasn’t really any sort of revelation that made you blow up in the heat of the moment, rather it was a prolonged and painful accumulation of both annoyance and rage,clambering one on top of another until a single comment and annoyed sigh made it all fall apart from its static grandeur.

‘If your job at university bothers you so deeply I have offered you previously the comfort necessary to leave it, yet you always deny it.’

You liked to think that he himself did not consider the possibility that you would trade all of those hard earned diplomas to fulfill whatever fantasy marinated in his head ever since you both attended one of his friends' wedding.

Before that night, he had never mentioned it to you in such direct speech and such a face to face approach, about how he wished for children, your undivided attention, family vacations and you always and strictly by his side. He had been slightly inebriated, too much osmanthus wine you presumed. The mention of ‘the measures to which he would go in order to be sure of your safety within his own embrace alone’ were enough to cut the conversation immediately. Blame it on the alcohol, you reassured yourself.

You had reacted badly, but in all honestly who could blame you at this point, you did not want Zhongli to tell you that if you were in such distress you could always become his fulltime housewife, you wanted him to give you strength and be there for you whenever the circumstances got worse. And yet, the prospect itself of leaving your job and living off of Zhongli’s wealth wasn’t what struck the most dread within your already dismaying mind, rather it was the look that took over his features while he mulled over such thoughts.

How his eyes quickly darkened and a slight smirk pushed the ends of his lips towards his rose tinted cheeks. Blame it on the alcohol, you pleaded yourself.

You guessed that, even within the most reputable and honorable of men, selfishness had its way of slithering into one's tongue, scales rushing through the soaring throat and from there finally reaching into the pumping heart, that is of course, if the heart itself hasn’t been overturned into one of its countless dominions already.

The same man that revealed to you the sickest of desires through a gaze alone, now looked at you with a mixture of concern and scrutiny swarming within his golden eyes.

‘Perhaps a chamomile tea will permit your nerves to be calmed? We wouldn't want you to reach our destination enveloped in complete exhaustion now would we, my gem?’

‘NO- I mean, I- there is no need… I have told you countless times that the tea here makes me nauseous, will you stop nagging me with it for a second…’ Annoyance was all you could procure to hide away your true concerns, you could not shiver in front of him nor make too drastic a move, you even made a point of not looking too inquisitively towards the outside world beyond the windows.

You had made countless ventures towards the capital during your early adult years, memories of visiting your old companion Beidou or going antique hunting with Zhongli during the initial stages of your friendship flooded your memory as if in a sudden flash. A 7 hour long train ride you usually had to book in advance to get the best deals as a struggling university student, a 7 hour long train ride that you had shared with friends and acquaintances that have come and gone, a 7 hour long train ride whose destiny certainly wasn’t the same you were previously made believe you were now heading towards.

You cannot be certain when and how you noticed it, if it was the outside fauna that simply did not sit well with your fading memory, if it was the fervent way Zhongli made sure whatever words were shared between you and the staff were not enough to make them linger for long, if it was his embrace that once a source of delight and comfort now became one of alarm and wariness.

‘There is no need to show such intense aversion to it my dear, I would only add one or two valerian roots, nothing too drastic.’ The mirth dripping from his tongue nearly made you convulse. The heavy grip upon your shoulder lessened while long fingers reached for your chin, forcing your gaze to remain connected to his own.

‘Now let’s go back to our carriage, I believe you are in dire need of a good night of sleep, if it were not for my constant nagging that you so seem to dislike, how could you ever hope to survive this by yourself?’ He lightly chuckled after a careful change of intonation to smooth over the unfamiliar underlinings of his phrase.

If that wasn’t meant to be a threat then you did not know what it was meant to be. The abruptness of his words was accompanied by a sudden pang of fatigue throughout the entirety of your body. You are tired, you have been so tired for so long. It was as if exhaustion had suddenly reached for your throat and forbade you from even uttering a plea against its relentless grip. But how could you even dare to fight against it? Perhaps fighting wasn't even a viable choice anymore.

Could you even find comfort in alienating your own self from reality and bathing in fantasies of the past for much longer? Could you keep telling yourself there was nothing wrong with the windows? With the decor? With the coffee?

You could feel an amalgam of tears creeping its way from the ends of your torpid eyes, and yet you fought their arrival valiantly despite being fully aware of their inevitable fall. You could not find any feasible explanation for why you felt so much so suddenly, it was as if the control over your physique had been stolen and now somebody else spoke through its movements, through its urgings, through its lechery.

Until some days ago you genuinely and wholeheartedly believed that you were the person who knew Zhongli the best. Now you have been struck with the realization that you could not be further from the truth.

Your mind wanders through sleepless nights spent restfully within the embrace of silk sheets and the warmth of golden eyes, through rushed visits to the archeological museum before its closing time so he could explain the historical background of some new exposition, through shared cups of tea during nightfall and an offered mug of your most coveted home brewed coffee the morning following, through discussions of philosophical movements alongside some osmanthus wine and inebriated laughter, through sudden embraces and rushing kisses that procured every single confine of your body as if to consume you whole.

Before your mind could even return wholly to reality, your body had already been laid upon cotton sheets perfumed with agarwood and slight notes of bergamot. Or was it patchouli? You could definitely uncover some layers of patchouli and perhaps even some modest nudges of vanilla here and there.

All of a sudden your careful analysis of smell was obstructed by an intense scent of ripe apricots alongside that of a honeyed autumn breeze touched by floral nuances you have grown familiar with over the years.

You smelt it before you heard it reach your husband’s crystal cup.

Osmanthus wine.

You wanted to garner the strength to ask him where you were going, what were his intentions and if this was the reason behind his insistence on you taking the majority of his favorite pieces of your jewelry collection on this ‘trip’.

You knew Zhongli wasn’t a man of sudden changes, he took time as a relic and would never cower beneath sudden urges, so for how long had he been planning this? For how long had you been sleeping encaged by the warm embrace of the man that was planning to do god knows what with you?

The silent carriage was abruptly occupied by a deep gulp and a purging sight. You could hear footsteps approaching and yet you couldn't even twist your body towards their direction. Could you yell for help? And if you did would anyone even hear you? Come for you? Or would they instead have their worries ‘proven’ irrational by a charismatic smile of the man now lingering over you?

‘I am deeply sorry that things had to reach this point, my love’

No you’re not.

His features were twisted and yet harmonious. You knew what his sorrowful face looked, or perhaps you did not at all. Perhaps you had fooled yourself into believing you could know someone as well as yourself when you could barely hope for a slight tinge of human honesty.

‘Know simply that every single action I take is taken with the intent of proving to you that there is no place in this world crafted for yourself besides my own arms, I have given you years to wander about and reach that conclusion by yourself but I fear that you have become more unruly than I forethought….’ He kisses your forehead as one would kiss that of a lover on a moonless night, his lips still veiled with a light coat of expensive wine and a thousand lies.

At this moment, you could hope for many things, you could pray to some metaphysical entity inhabiting realms beyond the material, you could even plea for mythological furies to avenge what is to come, but perhaps blissful ignorance was the only thing potent enough to keep you ashore now.

Blame it on the alcohol, you implored yourself.

Blame it on anything, except the man you swore to love until the grip of hades were too much to bear.

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calabria-mediterranea · 9 months

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How to celebrate Christmas like a Calabrian

No mere summer fling, the sun-drenched ‘toe’ to Italy’s boot is an unmissable stop in winter, too, being steeped in local traditions that have persisted for generations. With its seasonal delicacies, enchanting cultural performances and jewel-like villages festooned with twinkling lights, yuletide celebrations in this southern Italian region are imbued with folklore and mysticism, and communities, families and visitors alike delight in coming together to experience them.

Revel in local folklore and festive traditions

Calabria is known for its charming living nativity scenes at Christmas, often with friendly animals in tow. The sight of people of all ages dressed as farmers, shepherds, artisans and other characters representing the story of the birth of Jesus can be enjoyed from the run up to Christmas until the Epiphany in many municipalities. Among the most famous are those in Caria (in Vibo Valentia), Davoli (Catanzaro), Cannitello (Reggio Calabria) and Panettieri (Cosenza), which attract thousands every year.

There is also no shortage of music in Calabrian towns and villages during the festive period, when groups of musicians and friends gather in the streets to perform local carols in a ritual known as the strina. These folkloric winter songs are accompanied by the bashing of a murtali or ammaccasali, a tool used to pound salt, along with a bagpipe, tambourine and accordion. The tradition harks back to ancient times when musicians would go door to door to announce the birth of Jesus and play in exchange for eggs, cheese, cold cuts and wine. Today the strina continues to elevate the joyful atmosphere in Calabria’s town centres.

Indulge in 13 decadent dishes

According to Calabrian tradition, on 24 December, no fewer than 13 dishes must be served: 13, of course, referring to the number of Apostles (plus Jesus) at the Last Supper.

Though the nature of the 13 dishes presented vary from family table to table, there are some non-negotiables. The first course is invariably pasta ca’ muddica, an utterly delicious anchovy and breadcrumb pasta that honours simple peasant cuisines of the past. The second course will be salt cod or baccalà, usually accompanied by peppers, black olives, potatoes and chilli. Typically, a dish of piping hot fried seafood is also served alongside, such as fritters or crispelle.

Christmas sweets are also hugely popular throughout the region, with each village proudly preparing them to their own unique recipe and shape. In mountain areas, the pitta ’mpigliata (or the Crotonese variant pitta ’nchiusa), a loaf of honeyed short pastry rolled on itself and filled with candied fruit and sultanas, is ubiquitous. Traditional local biscuits are also baked with abandon in preparation for the feasts: from ciciriati in the Vibonese and Reggio Calabria areas, to susumelle, oval-shaped biscuits made from a cocoa and a spiced cinnamon dough that are popular in the Crotone area.

#christmas #calabria #italy #italia #south italy #southern italy #natale #xmas #xmas 2023 #christmas 2023 #europe #food #italian food #nativity

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appetibilis · 2 years

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Sweet Recipe: Sara's Cantucci Abruzzesi

Cantucci biscuits, the Italian cookies perfect for a coffee break or an Italian style after meal, to be paired with Ratafià liqueur.

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#abruzzo region #dessert & pastry #italian cooking #italian traditions #sara scutti recipes

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cherryblossomsmist · 4 months

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Steve learning how to make alcohol free versions of Tony’s favorite desserts the first Christmas he’s sober. Tony loved Loved LOVED the tiramisu at his favorite Italian restaurant in Manhattan but they used Amaretto in theirs, he grew up on traditional Black Forest cake but the the kirsch liquor is a no go.

They may not be intoxicating at the amounts in the baked good but the taste and smell and just knowing it’s there it’s… the cold and the snow and the memories of his upcoming 1 year sober anniversary and what’s one more irritant this time of year full of parties and wine and mulled ciders? He just won’t indulge in booze OR dessert like he used to let himself previous holiday seasons it’s FINE.

So Steve learn how to not only make versions of those desserts, he learns how to make them just as good really, he just has to consult with the professional bakers and pastry chefs that make Tony’s favourite versions (not counting the ones Jarvis made because those are his fav by default of course). The chefs are happy to help! They would have made inclusive version for Tony anytime but Tony is still have trouble asking for exceptions for his sobriety so they’ll wait for him to ask them but for now they are thrilled to let Steve serve him their treats by proxy

Oooh, I love this! It's so sweet, and this is the kind of thing that I think newly sober people do struggle with, so it makes perfect sense. And the idea of Steve struggling to learn to back, probably with chocolate smeared along one cheekbone and flour down his front, probably poking his tongue out like he does when he's really concentrating on his art, is just so sweet! I imagine he really screws up the first too - baking is difficult and precise, you know? They don't rise, or he burns them, or something. But Steve being Steve, he's nothing if not persistent, and keeps at it until he's mastered it, and is proud to offer his desserts to Tony!

#replies #stevetony #stevextony #Marvel #Marvel 616 #alcoholism #alcoholic character

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tagsecretsanta · 9 months

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From @janetm74

From @janetm74 to @thedryswan

Scott Tracy/Jane Carter and Virgil Tracy/Zoey Kwark

Prompt chosen: Disastrous Double Date

Note: There is no canon name for Professor Kwark so I have chosen to use the name that is most often used fanon, thanks to The Dry Swan - Zoey

Getting time off as the Commander of iR and the CEO of TI was difficult at the best of times. Getting time off with his brother, Virgil, as the second most used operative on rescues, was even more difficult.

Throw in two girlfriends, one of which was a pilot and the other the owner of her own successful aeronautics company, who also had very busy and demanding schedules, and getting such time off together was almost impossible.

Thank goodness John was such a great multitasker. Somehow he had managed to not only arrange for Scott and Virgil to have time off but to ensure it coincided with Jane and Zoey too.

John had gone one step further. He’d arranged a double date for them. There had been much good-natured ribbing over this, but it was water off a duck’s back. And when the two brothers saw where John had booked they soon were thanking John and cuffing their younger brothers for the ribbing.

Borgo Santandrea was stunning, both in location and in looks. The hotel was built into a cliff face, a beautiful white building atop supports dug directly out of the cliff and surrounded by scrubland and trees with the cliff continuing to tower over it while also having a private beach and a direct path down into the crystal blue waters.

John had booked them a suite for the night, with some spa treatments if they wanted to partake of them and dinner in the Marinella Restaurant, on the balcony with views over the Tyrrhenian Sea and the gulf of Salerno.

It also helped that this was one area that International Rescue had not attended for any rescues, despite it being near quite an active earthquake zone and near several inactive volcanos and one semi-active one.

They flew out in Tracy One, timing their arrival to coincide with breakfast, which started with them mixing with the chefs while they cooked whatever the guests desired. There were crepes, French toast, pastries, omelettes, charcuterie and cheeses as well as salads, oils and tiny piles of salts.

They chose a wide selection of miniature pastries and the local Roman Breakfast Cakes, and took them to the beach bar along with small cups of cappuccino. The sweet cakes were delicious.

Afterwards they strolled along the white sands and kicked up the surf for quite a while before returning to the hotel for spa treatments and rest. While Jane and Zoey relaxed with full-body massages Scott and Virgil propped at the bar, helping themselves to the complimentary Biscotteria with freshly made lemonade that used the locally grown Amalfi lemons.

It didn’t take Virgil long to migrate to the piano and soon Scott was drifting to the soft sounds of gentle jazz. Jane slipping into the seat beside him barely woke him, but he pulled her close and buried his face in her hair. It smelt so good. Zoey sat on the other side of Scott, and a waiter brought over more lemonade and a selection from the Biscotteria.

The afternoon passed so pleasantly that none of them wanted to move upstairs and get ready for dinner, but eventually the four made their way up to the suite John had booked for them.

The suite was luxurious even by their standards, with its own private garden and infinity pool with views over the sea, and Scott made a mental note to recommend this place to Gordon. He was sure Penny would love it here too.

Scott and Virgil’s suits were Liverano & Liverano, an Italian bespoke tailor that had been going for 500 years. Their suits were designed with them in mind, Scott’s being the darkest blue fabric and Virgil’s a green a few shades lighter than Scott’s. While Virgil favoured the traditional white shirt and a matching bow tie and waistcoat, Scott had decided to eschew tradition for a pale blue silk polo neck.

They elicited gasps of admiration from Jane and Zoey. Those gasps were reciprocated when Scott and Virgil saw the outfits that the girls were wearing.

Jane had dressed in blue to complement Scott. She wore an ankle-length pale blue georgette dress with a slight cowl neckline, fitted throughout and with a side slit that reached almost to the top of her thigh. It was sleeveless and whispered slightly as she moved, and the skirt swished over a pair of dangerously high gold strappy sandals. A fine gold lace shawl covered her bare arms.

Zoey had gone with a yukata. The traditional dress was a dark green close to Virgil’s suit, with the typical white and pale green hydrangea and minute sprays of pale pink cherry blossoms. The outfit was completed with a sash of the palest green and wooden sandals. Her short, bobbed hair was held back with a green band to match the base layer.

It was one of the few times Scott and Virgil didn’t mind wearing suits. They held out their elbows and their girlfriends took the proffered support and they made their way downstairs to the restaurant.

They were shown to their balcony seats. The sun was low on the horizon, painting the sky with hues of gold and pinks, reflecting off their drinks. The food was superb. There was some light music playing.

Scott leaned over and kissed Jane soundly. So soundly it felt like the Earth moved. And then he snorted. What a cheesy thing to think. He turned to say that to Jane when the Earth moved again.

Literally.

‘Scott! Virgil!’

‘John?’

‘We’re picking up tremors in your area. Are you guys alright?’

‘We’re…’

But Scott couldn’t finish what he was saying as this time the Earth moved so violently that people were screaming and he was scrabbling to stay on his feet. Scott took one look at Virgil and they hurried both girls and the other diners into the hotel for safety.

And then, with a roar of noise so loud they couldn’t hear John screaming from their watches, the cliff behind the hotel came rushing down on them.

John kept trying Scott and Virgil while sounding the emergency alarm. Gordon and Alan raced into the lounge closely followed by Kayo and Penny, who was visiting while iR were two operatives down.

‘John? What it is?’

‘It’s Scott and Virgil. There’s been an earthquake and a landslide over the hotel and I can’t raise them!’

They didn’t waste any time getting into Two and flying out. As they flew Gordon asked John if there was any news, but there wasn’t, there hadn’t been any contact.

From base to Italy was around 11,600 miles. Even at Two’s top airspeed it would still take them an hour and half to get there. It was the longest journey of their lives. Gordon was hard put not to push Two harder. Virgil might have been able to coax more out of his ‘bird, but Gordon didn’t have the confidence to do so and guarantee Two would stay safe.

They were twenty minutes out when they finally got some good news.

Getting people off the balcony didn’t prove to be too difficult once the floor buckled, and everyone rushed into the main restaurant. As people milled around Scott realised that the majority didn’t have a clue and he knew there was very little time. So, supported by Virgil, he climbed onto a table and bellowed.

‘STOP!’

Miraculously everyone stopped and looked at him.

‘Under the tables, NOW! You – get your staff out of the kitchen, it’s going to be too dangerous in there.’

Scott had one of those voices that people just listened to, and everyone hurried to do as they had been told. It wasn’t a moment too soon as seconds later the hotel was hit by rocks, and the four of them, hugging around the base of a large round table, watched as boulders of all sizes decimated the balcony they had been on less than a minute earlier.

It wasn’t long before the rocks and the earth quaking tore the place apart, and pretty soon the restaurant was buried.

Virgil wasn’t sure how long he’d been unconscious but he was the first to wake up. He could barely move, but at least there was an air bubble that they could breathe in, even if there was lots of dust in the air.

He blinked dust out of his eyes while he took stock. The large tabletop had saved their lives, there was no doubt about that, the lump he could feel on the back of his head was testimony to that.

Zoey groaned in his arms and he looked her over as best as he could in the limited space. There was a small trickle of blood down the side of her head but that was all he could see. Beside her was Jane, still unconscious and with her head on Zoey’s shoulder.

Of Scott there was no sign. Virgil attempted to twist so he could find his brother, but they were packed in tight, with rubble all around them. Of course, Scott would have been on the outside, making sure everyone was safe. Virgil took a closer look at Jane and could see Scott’s hand on her shoulder.

Virgil set to wriggling his arm free in the hope that he could still contact John. It took some time, but eventually he pulled it out with a minimum of skin loss. His shirt and suit were ruined anyway but his watch was theoretically earthquake proof. But there was nothing. He gave it a shake and suddenly there was a grainy picture of John.

Even though John’s holo wasn’t as clear as usual Virgil could see the relief on his brother’s face. As he smiled Zoey decided to wake up, blinking in confusion before laying her head back on Virgil’s shoulder.

‘Virgil! Are you all ok?’

‘Stuck but I’m ok. Zoey’s just waking up, Jane’s still out of it. I don’t know about Scott, I can only see his hand on Jane’s shoulder. I can’t move enough to check further than that.’

‘The guys are on their way, Virgil. They’ll be there in around 20 minutes. Sit tight.’

‘FAB, John.’

Virgil chuckled quietly at John’s parting words. That was a Gordon-worthy pun if ever he’d heard one.

‘Hey, Virgil?’

‘Zoey! How are you feeling?’

‘Like I just got trampled all over.’

‘You took a knock to the head, hun. Probably got a bit of concussion.’

‘Oh. Well, that explains a lot. Jane? Scott?’

‘Jane’s leaning on your other shoulder. I’m not sure about Scott.’

‘Rescue on its way?’

‘Yeah. The boys will be here soon.’

‘Oh good. Coz this date started so well but now it’s a disaster.’

‘Literally!’

They both laughed, grimacing when the dust caught their throats and they ended up coughing. The movements jostled Jane awake, much to their relief.

‘Can you girls stay awake?’

‘Uh huh.’

‘I – I think so. Virgil? Where’s Scott?’

‘I haven’t been able to rouse him. Jane, his hand is still on your shoulder. Can you feel him around you?’

Jane felt for the hand and slid her fingers up to the wrist. She sighed when she found a pulse before moving her hand to be holding Scott’s loosely. She gave his fingers a light squeeze but got no response.

‘I got a pulse but no reaction. He’s still out of it.’

‘That’s great. Keep squeezing his hand periodically. Judging from the amount of debris around us that whole cliff must have collapsed on top of the hotel. John?’

‘I’m here, Virgil.’

‘We’re pretty packed in here. I’m gonna see if there’s anyone else conscious and if we can start clearing a way out. Let us know if there are any more aftershocks.’

‘FAB, Virgil. Be careful and please keep the comm open.’

‘Of course.’

John relayed the news that he’d been in contact with Virgil and immediately everyone relaxed a fraction. Only a fraction though. Earthquakes were the worst of the disasters International Rescue attended. None of them liked earthquakes due to the unpredictable nature, but up until now they had never had any of their own caught in one.

By the time Two arrived there was no sign there had ever been a hotel in the cliff face. All there was was a wide path of rubble stretching down into the sea. The previously 300-foot-tall cliff was around half that, with a gap where the hotel was that was almost as wide.

The earthquake had its epicentre at nearby Tovere. Reports had placed it at a 5.7 on the Richter scale, almost double the strength that the area’s previous earthquakes had been, but with the centre in the sparsely populated area above the Amalfi coast the hotel had taken the brunt of the land movement.

Nearby Naples had also felt the quake, but the damage there was far less, and local services along with the local branches of the GDF declaring that they could deal with that damage and those areas around Tovere so International Rescue was free to concentrate on the hotel and the surrounding areas along the coast.

Alan gasped at the devastation, but Gordon was made of sterner stuff and kept his thoughts to himself. He felt Penny’s hand tighten on his shoulder and he smiled grimly at her.

‘John? We’re here. Directions? Is there anywhere safe to land Two?’

‘I have a landing site in mind a little further down the coast at Conca dei Marini. You should land on route SS163. It’s not ideal but there’s little around that is big enough that hasn’t been damaged by the quake.’

‘It’s great, John. Wouldn’t want Virgil to have cause to complain about me scratching his ‘bird.’

‘Alan, Penny, I suggest you take the mole pods. I know that there are usually only two chassis in Module 2 but Brains has packed a spare one for this mission so Kayo you can take the dozer and Gordon, someone needs to stay with Two and keep the infirmary ready.’

‘FAB, John. Alan, Penny, you want to go get your pods configured while I land.’

‘FAB, Gordon.’

As soon as Gordon had landed John showed a map of the surrounding coastline. Borgo Santandrea wasn’t the only place hit by the landslide although it was by far the worst. They were thankful that there was only a couple of places around the hotel that had buildings, the majority of the area was trees all the way down to the coast.

There were a couple of beach coves to the left of the hotel that had buildings, but the landslide seemed to have missed them. But there was the beach club house directly below the hotel and a large restaurant to the right of the hotel.

‘John? Any life signs in the club house and restaurant on the beach below the hotel?’

‘The beach house was closed; I’m reading no life signs there. The restaurant had not long opened but they had only a few customers and it appears they managed to make it to safety as there is radio chatter from the local ambulance saying they have picked them up.’

‘That’s great, John! So we can concentrate on the hotel?’

‘Yeah. Hotel registration and restaurant lists state there were 45 people in the building plus about 80 staff.’

‘Do – do the life signs agree with that number?’

‘Negative. EOS is currently reading 96 life signs, mostly registering around where the restaurant was.’

‘Well, that sucks but at least we have a point to start. Tell Virgil we’re on our way.’

‘FAB, Gordon. I have the local ambulance service on their way They’re sending three ambulances. Good luck.’

Meanwhile, Virgil was making inroads into moving the debris around them. He’d shouted for anyone else awake and received some groans in reply. He’d needed to twist awkwardly but the debris was thankfully not very compacted and with a little effort Virgil managed to get some space to move. It wasn’t easy, and judging from the grunts and swearing from other parts of the restaurant other people were also trying to dig themselves free.

As soon as there was space for Virgil to back out enough Zoey followed suit, and between them they shifted dirt and rocks so that they could get to Scott. As Virgil had feared Scott had placed himself on the outside of their group and a larger boulder had landed on Scott’s upper back and head, pushing him off of Virgil and Zoey. The angle of his shoulder and other arm told Virgil that at least that shoulder had been dislocated. But his pulse was strong, and they dug out an area that would be big enough to lay Scott down carefully.

By the time they had achieved that Jane had become more conscious, and she sat beside her boyfriend while Virgil and Zoey began to make their way to the next nearest table. They had barely reached it when the welcome sounds of a mole pod began to be heard.

Alan took the most direct route down to the restaurant while Penny and Kayo made sure that there were no life signs higher up. By the time Alan had cleared through enough to exit the mole Virgil had reached the other table and Penny and Kayo were just breaking through.

The first thing that Alan did was to give Virgil a quick hug before his older brother directed him to look after Scott while the rest of them set to rescuing everyone else.

Before attempting to move him Alan ran the Medscanner over Scott. As expected there were several yellow alerts for severe bruising and cuts and red alerts for concussion and a skull fracture as well as a fractured shoulder and two breaks in that arm. But his back and neck were in the clear and Alan sighed in relief. He and Jane carefully rolled him onto a hover stretcher and, using the hole the mole had made, the pair took Scott to the surface.

Jane took over Scott’s stretcher, giving the ambulance that had arrived a rundown of his injuries, and they were both whisked away despite Jane’s protests. But then the paramedic wiped blood from her face and Jane realised that she was also hurt.

‘Gordon, Scott and Jane are on their way to the hospital. Virgil’s sending the injured out and they’ll need Two’s infirmary. The three buses are not going to be enough, almost everyone is injured in some way.’

‘FAB, John. I’m ready.’

‘Penny’s heading back to you to help. She’ll bring Zoey with her.’

‘Is Zoey hurt?’

‘Yeah, slight concussion but she’ll be okay.’

‘FAB, John.’

Then began a steady stream of rescuees. It took Gordon, Penny and Zoey to keep up with treating everyone. No one was surprised to see Virgil as the last person in. By that time Virgil stumbled into Two there was standing room only, so Gordon ushered his brother into the cockpit. It took a firm hand to push him into the co-pilot seat but Virgil understood he was in no fit state to fly.

Gordon saw to his head wound while Kayo flew them to the nearby hospital De Luca and Rossano as it was the closest unaffected one. They were inundated with patients and those with lesser injuries were transferred further up the coast to San Leonardo in Naples.

Deciding that keeping Scott, Jane, Zoey and Virgil together would be the best bet, the three lesser injured had already been treated and they were moved into one small Visitor’s Room and they began the wait for news of Scott and how the rescue was going.

John kept one eye on the rescue as the elevator dropped him close to the hospital. They’d worked through the night and in the early dawn light the rescue was wrapping up. Gordon would drop home and pick up Grandma. The GDF and local services were also finishing up the surrounding towns.

Joining Virgil, Zoey and Jane, John kept himself busy with making sure everyone injured was being treated, setting up a fund that made sure of that. He only stopped doing that when the rest of their family joined them.

There were careful hugs all round and they had only just begun to settle down into the chairs when the door opened again and a doctor appeared. Those able to immediately jumped up, and Grandma took the lead.

‘Good morning. I’m Doctor Marino and I’ve been treating Scott.’

‘Good morning, Dr. I’m Dr Tracy, Scott’s Grandmother. How is he?’

‘Well, he has a linear skull fracture, a broken shoulder blade and his humerus is broken in two places – a simple proximal fracture and shaft fracture around the middle part of the bone. None of his injuries require surgery, but we kept him under close observation for a couple of hours just to make sure there was no build-up of intracranial pressure or any blood clots forming. He’s being wheeled into a room and we will continue to monitor both these potential issues for another six hours.’

The doctor beamed as everyone sighed in relief before continuing.

‘The skull fracture will not need further treatment. Scott’s arm has been put into a light-weight plaster cast and tightly strapped to facilitate healing of both arm and shoulder, but with no further complications he’ll be free to go home once the monitoring is done.’

‘Prognosis?’

‘Six to eight weeks for the fractures to heal as is common. Only once they are healed will we know what kind of physio he’ll need.’

‘Thank you, Doctor.’

Sally shook hands with the doctor and a few minutes after they had left a nurse came to show them all to Scott’s room. The man himself was asleep, but despite how quiet everyone was trying to be he woke up, groggy and confused. Wisely they all retreated, leaving Virgil, Zoey and Jane to explain what had happened.

Once Scott understood he was going to be out of action for a minimum of six weeks Scott groaned loudly and began to try to get out of bed, but Jane’s hand on his good shoulder stopped him quicker than words could.

‘Love, this double date may have disastrous, but you’re good, I’m good. Virgil and Zoey are good. And we are all injured and not going anywhere. Maybe, once you’re given the all-clear to fly, we can go home and crash and have a normal double date with a takeaway and crappy movies and rest.’

Scott looked at his lover and his family and sat back in the bed.

‘Takeaway and crappy movie double date? I’m up for that. Virgil? Zoey? You up for that too?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Sounds good.’

Scott kissed Jane’s hand, his eyes twinkling.

‘Only if we can have a Top Gun marathon.’

#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds #thunderbirds fanfiction #tag team secret santa #tag team secret santa 2023

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c-h-pictures · 2 years

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BSD as things said at the markets

Kunikida: We might give you a list of things to buy.

Kenji: You want me to bring the rucksack then?

Dazai: No, bring a wheelbarrow.

Kenji: Kyoka already thinks I'm the stereotypical country kid! I don't need to bring a wheelbarrow into the city markets!

Ranpo, after seeing the Italian dessert stall and the Turkish dessert stall: I'm happy, I've found the important ones.

Kunikida: And turn right and we're on King Street.

Chuuya:

Chuuya: This can't be King Street.

Dazai: *looking for a sign that says King Street*

Kunikida: It is.

Chuuya: But the Italian cheese and meat stall isn't here.

Dazai: They're always here!

Kunikida: Maybe they're on a different street.

Chuuya: Where would they go? Town Hall? That's closed for repairs for another three years! And that's not including all the work time lost during COVID!

Chuuya:

Chuuya: Maybe they're at the other end?

Dazai: You're too hopeful, if they aren't in their spot, they just aren't in the country.

Chuuya: I blame Brexit. It got finalised at the beginning of this year with the terms of travel.

Kunikida: For what?

Chuuya: For the Italian cheese and meat stall not being here.

Kunikida: You're still hung up about that?

Chuuya: Yes!

Dazai: What if the desert stall isn't here? They're Italian too.

Chuuya: The agreements concerned dairy products where there are significant amounts of dairy. We got biscuits back, I think they'll be fine with pastries.

Dazai: What about the chocolate?

Chuuya: Less sure about the chocolate.

Kunikida: Can we just find somewhere to eat dinner?

Dazai: This is clearly more important Kunikida!

Chuuya: Dazai! I was right!

Dazai: You said maybe they were at the other end, this is the middle.

Chuuya: Who cares? The stall's here!

Dazai:

Dazai: Thank you.

Chuuya: Why are you thanking me?

Dazai: I do not know.

Kunikida: Can we please make a decision on food?

Chuuya: We already have.

Kunikida: Really?

Dazai, pointing at Chuuya: Halloumi fries from the Greek stall a few up.

Chuuya, pointing at Dazai: Traditional spiced potatoes from the Moroccan stall a couple down because he doesn't want a full meal since he's not that hungry.

Kunikida:

Chuuya: Kunikida! Come back!

Kunikida: What have you found?

Chuuya: You said you wanted present ideas.

Kunikida, looking at a selection of insects, arachnids and bats in resin: Huh.

Dazai: He already has a scorpion and a Scarab beetle.

Chuuya: I do!

Kunikida: Well, we've got to go otherwise we'll be late for the concert.

Kunikida: So. You want a pair of amber earrings, steampunk style skulls with or without dragons, and dead insects.

Chuuya: No! I want a pair of amber earrings, steampunk style skulls with or without dragons and maybe the dragon in its own, and dead animals.

Dazai: Don't make this worse, Kunikida.

Kunikida: We said the same thing.

Chuuya: We didn't. Spiders and scorpions are arachnids and bats aren't even invertebrates!

Kunikida: Dazai?

Dazai: Your fault. You called them all insects in earshot of Chuuya.

#bsd incorrect quotes #bsd kunikida #bsd kenji #bsd dazai #bsd ranpo #bsd chuuya #kunichuuzai

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iasmelaion · 2 days

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Fun and/or delightful things said by my assorted tour guides during this trip to Lisbon:

After I asked if people study Spanish in school in Portugal: “No, it's too close to Portuguese. Of course, we all think we can speak Spanish, but we can't.”

During our food tour (with Devour btw, highly recommended in any of the cities they do tours in!), our half Italian, half Ethiopian tour guide who’s been living in Lisbon for a decade: “I don’t know why the Portuguese don’t eat vegetables. They have them. And yet on the menus it’s all meat and fish.”

(This dude also gave us the A++++ tips of: enter the Livraria Bertrand via the cafe entrance on the side, much less crowded, and visit the Estufia Fria, which was a truly lovely and surprisingly big botanical garden. A quiet and peaceful respite during the trip!)

(Also, this dude’s tragic backstory: half Italian, and allergic to tomatoes :( Though he did constantly shit talk Italian food for being too boring and set in its ways lol.)

When we got to the big market with fresh fruits and veggies: “See, they have vegetables!”

About all the explorers and colonizers etc: “You know, they say these guys did it all for the glory of Portugal, but come on! They did it for the money!” (Appreciated that this guy also mentioned, hey, we have all these monuments about the Age of Discovery, but none memorializing its evils and horrors.”)

Dueling opinions about the pasteis de nata: food tour guy said Manteigaria has the best (though he allowed that Castro’s were pretty good too), other guide said the originals in Belem are the best. First tour guide said forget about pasteis de nata, Sintra’s pastries are where it’s at.

Coolest sights:

Unfortunately, the major parks and sights in Sintra were closed due to wildfire risk. It was still neat to visit the town though!

Cabo de Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe was a surprisingly neat stop on one of our tours. Super windy, but neat to say you’ve been there.

The Jeronimos Monastery. Should you ever go, I really recommend booking a tour if only to skip the longest line, because holy shit that line was enormous. Anyway, the Manueline architecture is gorgeous.

Igreja de Sao Domingo. Fascinating story and interior. We stopped in during our food tour, and it’s so interesting to see the building’s history of disaster and reconstruction written on it so plainly.

The enormous Time Out Market that houses curated restaurants in a food court setting one one side and a traditional market on the other is just super neat and it’s worth it just to take in the atmosphere.

The MAAT museum was fine, but tbh, the view of the Tagus River and statue of Christ Redeemer from their cafe was lovely. Worth eating a light meal or having a coffee here and just relaxing!

God I wish we had a culture of nice, big public squares with great architecture and plenty of cafes and benches in the US. I know there are some on the East Coast, but here on the West Coast, we just have the occasional little park :( Every single such square we saw in Lisbon was lovely.

The Estufia Fria, as mentioned above.

The National Tile Museum! Sounds boring, but it was both interesting and super impressive.

Gulbenkian Museum. Now this is how insanely rich dudes should spend their money: collecting massive amounts of art and then putting it all on display in a museum in perpetuity after their deaths. Great collection of Egyptian, Near Eastern, Chinese, Japanese, and European art, plus a stunning though small-ish Lalique collection.

Mostly though we just wandered around, which is honestly my favorite thing to do in a new to me city, and while the hills are punishing, Lisbon is a great city to wander in.

Most delicious things I ate:

Gotta agree with food tour guy, it was the Mantegiaria pasteis de nata for me.

Meat sushi??? It was cooked, but it still felt like a great sushi innovation.

Chocolate cake from Landeau. Life-ruiningly good. All other chocolate cakes will pale in comparison.

Some astonishingly good Indian/Nepalese food, somewhat surprisingly. Some of the best naan I’ve ever had, and their dishes were presented so beautifully. Like, I like Indian food just fine in America! It’s basically always tasty! But this was on another level, and still comparable in price to the nicer Indian restaurants in the States.

Some of the best roasted chicken I’ve ever had in my life. Very simply prepared, but so tender and tasty.

Ate at one (1) fine dining restaurant, and damn, okay, that’s what the prices are about. I had duck breast and the dish as a whole was just exceptional.

Some very good gelato at the packed and bustling Time Out Market. Such a cool spot, I honestly wish every city had a version of this. (I know LA kind of does, but I like that the Time Out Market is curated.)

At the other end of the spectrum, a suspiciously cheap restaurant near our hotel that nonetheless had phenomenal food. Straightforward Portuguese with a twist food, presented beautifully with pretty generous portion sizes. Seriously though, it was so cheap I actually felt kind of guilty about it. Also they were cash only?? And had weird hours?? So maybe it’s a front? But the hotel recommended it and they’ve been in business for 50 years! So whatever, if it is a front, thank you to whatever mob boss is supporting their relative’s culinary dreams. Anyway, best chocolate mousse and sangria I’ve had to date, and the mains were good too. Truly felt like we got away with something eating mains, drinks, and dessert for two for 36 euros.

Our hotel brought us fresh pastries for breakfast every morning, and the chocolate croissants were especially delicious.

Okay, I know ginjinha is traditional and all here, but. Listen. It tastes like especially alcoholic cough syrup. (The booze-soaked cherry included in the shot glass was good tho) The white wine port I had at the suspiciously cheap restaurant, on the other hand, was absolutely delicious.

#travel

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saeedmohammedsblog · 25 days

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Unveiling Muscat's Malls: A Comprehensive Look at Shopping and Entertainment

Muscat, the capital of Oman, is a city that effortlessly blends traditional charm with modern sophistication. Among the many facets of this dynamic city, its shopping malls stand out as hubs of commerce, culture, and entertainment. These malls are more than just places to shop; they are social and cultural epicentres that offer a range of experiences to both locals and tourists alike. In this blog, we’ll take a comprehensive look at the malls in Muscat, exploring what makes them a must-visit for anyone in the city.

A Fusion of Tradition and Modernity

Malls in Muscat are unique in the way they reflect the city’s character—a perfect blend of tradition and modernity. The architecture of these malls often incorporates elements of Omani heritage, with grand arches, intricate carvings, and traditional motifs adorning the walls. Yet, inside, you’ll find all the trappings of modernity, from international brands to the latest in technology and entertainment.

Shopping: A World of Choices

When it comes to shopping, the malls in Muscat offer a world of choices. Whether you’re looking for high-end luxury items, local crafts, or everyday essentials, these malls have something for everyone.

Luxury Shopping: For those who seek luxury, many of Muscat’s malls house flagship stores of international brands. Here, you can find the latest fashion trends, designer watches, jewellery, and more. The ambience in these luxury sections is often sophisticated, with personalised service that caters to the discerning shopper.

Local and Regional Brands: In addition to international brands, malls in Muscat also showcase a wide array of local and regional brands. These stores offer products that are unique to the region, from traditional Omani attire to locally crafted jewellery and souvenirs. Shopping here not only supports local businesses but also provides a deeper connection to the culture of Oman.

Affordable Shopping: Not all shopping in Muscat’s malls is about luxury. There are plenty of stores that cater to budget-conscious shoppers. From trendy yet affordable fashion to electronics and home goods, these malls offer great value for money. Seasonal sales and promotions further enhance the shopping experience, making it accessible to a broader audience.

Dining: A Culinary Journey

One of the highlights of visiting the malls in Muscat is the diverse culinary offerings. These malls are home to a wide range of dining options, from fast food to fine dining.

International Cuisine: The food courts and restaurants in Muscat’s malls bring together flavours from around the world. Whether you’re craving Italian, Chinese, Indian, or Middle Eastern cuisine, you’ll find it all under one roof. These dining spaces are perfect for a quick bite between shopping or a leisurely meal with family and friends.

Local Flavors: For those looking to experience Omani cuisine, many malls feature restaurants that serve traditional dishes. From succulent grilled meats to aromatic rice dishes and fresh seafood, these restaurants offer a taste of Oman’s rich culinary heritage.

Cafés and Dessert Shops: If you’re in the mood for something sweet, the malls in Muscat won’t disappoint. Numerous cafés and dessert shops offer everything from freshly brewed coffee to gourmet pastries and traditional sweets. These spots are ideal for taking a break from shopping and indulging in a treat.

Entertainment: More Than Just Shopping

Malls in Muscat are not just about shopping and dining; they are also major entertainment hubs. The variety of entertainment options ensures that there’s something for everyone, regardless of age or interest.

Cinemas: Many of Muscat’s malls feature state-of-the-art cinemas that screen the latest blockbusters. These cinemas offer a premium viewing experience with comfortable seating, advanced sound systems, and even VIP sections. Whether you’re a movie buff or just looking for a fun way to spend an evening, the cinemas in Muscat’s malls are a great option.

Family Entertainment Centers: For families with children, the malls in Muscat offer numerous entertainment centres that cater to younger visitors. These centres often include arcades, soft play areas, and interactive games that provide hours of fun. Some malls even have indoor amusement parks with rides and attractions for all ages.

Events and Exhibitions: Throughout the year, Muscat’s malls host a variety of events and exhibitions. These can range from fashion shows and cultural performances to art exhibitions and seasonal festivals. These events add an extra layer of excitement to the mall experience and often provide a platform for local talent to showcase their work.

Convenience and Accessibility

One of the key advantages of Muscat’s malls is their convenience and accessibility. Located in various parts of the city, these malls are easily reachable by car or public transportation. They also offer ample parking space, making them a hassle-free destination for shoppers.

Services and Amenities: The malls in Muscat are equipped with a wide range of services and amenities to enhance the visitor experience. These include everything from currency exchange and ATMs to concierge services and information desks. For families, many malls offer stroller rentals and baby-changing facilities, ensuring a comfortable visit for everyone.

Safety and Security: The safety and security of visitors are top priorities in Muscat’s malls. Security personnel are present throughout the premises, and many malls have implemented advanced surveillance systems to ensure a safe environment. Additionally, the cleanliness and upkeep of these malls are maintained to high standards, providing a pleasant and secure atmosphere for all.

A Social Hub

Beyond shopping, dining, and entertainment, malls in Muscat serve as important social hubs. They are places where people come together, whether for a casual meet-up with friends, a family outing, or a business meeting. The diverse offerings of these malls mean that there’s something for everyone, making them a go-to destination for both residents and visitors.

Conclusion: A Must-Visit in Muscat

In summary, the shopping centres in Muscat serve as more than mere retail spaces; they play a vital role in the social and cultural landscape of the city. With their blend of traditional and modern elements, diverse shopping and dining options, and extensive entertainment facilities, these malls offer a comprehensive experience that appeals to a wide audience. Whether you’re a local looking for a convenient place to shop and relax, or a tourist eager to explore Muscat’s modern attractions, the city’s malls should be on your list of places to visit.

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