The final breakfast, brunch and afternoon tea

D bought me a beautiful fuchsia Smythson notebook to record the sights and sounds of the fabulous Orient Express and I could often be found sat at the steward’s desk trying to write and draw neatly as the train rattled along, a fabulous experience but not a smooth journey. The final day dawned and Bruno supplied us with breakfast whilst we stopped at Paris. We lingered in Paris for quite a while to take on some new passengers – both people and lobsters. Though some of them were destined for the brunch pot. It's our final meal on board so it’s back to a favourite Lalique panelled restaurant car. We entered to the waiter pouring our remaining red wine from the meal last night and tucked into our final brunch. And what a fine brunch it was, no scrambled egg on toast for us we had: PUFF PASTRY CASE OF VEGETABLE JULIENNE STEAMED WITH STEAMED SALMON for a (light?) starter and then the much anticipated lobster – BROILED LOBSTER WITH FRESH CRESS BUTTER & POTATO & CHIVE WHIRLS. The lobster was sublime with crunchy little potato whirls and I’ve finally found a potato that M likes - unfortunately! And then as if there is room we have rhe tastiest TARTE TATIN ever. A truly fabulous finale to culinary adventure aboard the Orient Express. I am privileged to get a tour of the most unbelievably compact and bijoux kitchen, one of three that have produced the most amazing food on board. The lovely French chef looks abut twelve but he’s been working on board the Orient Express for seven years, so I guess he isn’t!

We leave France and travel back to Folkestone where we board the British Pullman again for the final leg of our journey. We tuck into a elegant little afternoon tea of SANDWICHES, WARM SCONES WITH DEVONSHIRE CLOTTED CREAM & STRAWBERRY JAM & AFTERNOON PASTIES. I am not sure if I’ll ever be able to eat again!

The journey may be over but the trip will last forever!

Last night on the OE

It is our last night surrounded by all this opulence that is the Orient Express. And as it's our last night it is full dressing up and bling mode! We start off in the bar car with Kir Royale and canapés and then it’s into the Lalique dining car for the final evening meal. We start off with FRESH PASTA LAYERED WITH FRESH SALMON AND KING PRAWNS SEARED WITH HAZELNUT OIL & YOUNG LEEKS MELTED WITH VERMOUTH WINE and order a full bottle of red wine as we can always finish the rest off with brunch. Our main is a stunning FILLET OF BEEF ROASTED WITH SAVOURY HERBS AND SAUTEED FRESH DUCK FOIE GRAS WITH BRAISED LETTUCE, DICED CARROTS & POTATO ANNA. The beef was supposed t be served with mango and green pepper chutney but mine came with a much tastier morel sauce. I’ve had the most stunning beef and foie gras on this trip, how can I go back to hot wings? My choice of fine cheeses was CAMEMBERT, BRIE DE MEAUX and a SOFT CHEESE WITH RAISINS. As I wasn’t partial to TIRAMISU WITH CARDAMON CUSTARD but the chef whipped me up an amazing layered chocolate mousse creation.
A massive improvement on Tiramisu.

Farewell to Venice and back on board

We bid farewell to Venice and board our beautiful train again – this time Bruno is looking after us. Strangely enough we are very hungry – even after we’ve seemingly consumed our body weight several times over, we are looking forward to our next meal. And this is lunch in the third dining car, with the wooden marquetry panels. The starter is ASPARAGUS WRAPPED WITH DELICATELY CURED PORK BELLY WITH WHIPPED BITTER ORANGE SAUCE & PARMESAN WAFER. The whipped bitter orange sauce is totally stunning, I intend to recreate it at the first possible opportunity. We have been entrance by the cutest little silver salt cellar at every meal, even though I don’t normally need to add salt, I am compelled by this one. We decide to procure a couple for souvenirs for ourselves (purchase not steal- obviously!) from the on-board boutique after our meal. The main is STONE BASS FILLET COATED WITH TOASTED SESAME SEEDS AND BAKED ON ITS SKIN, FENNEL BULB SIMMERED WITH VEAL GRAVY & STAR ANISE & PARSLEY POTATOES. To astound and confound our wine waiter I opt for a tasty dessert wine to accompany all courses – it actually went very well as it wasn’t too sweet. Obviously it went very well with our HONEY & CANDIED FRUIT ICE CREAM WITH CHERRIES & KIRSCH but it was very acceptable with the asparagus and fish also – and it gave the waiter the chance to raise his eyebrows every time he topped up our glasses! I aim to amuse!

Lunch from Austria to Italy

Seemingly moments after breakfast we are seated in the Chinese dining car with the japanned panels (or would that be Chinesed panels?) Our starter is WHOLE SCALLOPS TOSSED IN SLICED SCALLOPS MARINATED IN ARGAN OIL AND LIME – the contrast of the pan-fried and marinated scallops is sublime! The scallops are sat upon a very finely sliced something possibly filo pastry. We then have VEAL FILLET BRAISED WITH FRESH GINGER, CARAMELIZED POMEGRANATE SEEDS JUS, SAUTÉED TENDER ARTICHOKES AND SUGAR PEAS (AND BUTTERED WILD RICE FOR EVEYONE ELSE) AND ASPARAGUS FOR ME – very succulent! And to finish off we have the lightest FINGER OF GENOESE PASTRY WITH RASPBERRIES, PRALINE CREAM AND ALMOND MILK. It seems that Italy is more occupied that Austria and as we chuff through the Italian countryside our navy and goldness are much admired as we pass through the platforms – a real head turner!

Mayday in Switzerland

It's not an emergency but the 1st of May and we open our eyes to the snow covered mountains in Switzerland. It’s such a lovely surprise! It’s not long before we are in an entirely empty Austria and Cédric is serving us breakfast in our cabin. We crane our necks for signs of life but can’t find any so we tuck into a basket of croissants, brioche, rolls and very tasty iced biscuits. Where do we find the space and where are all the Austrians?

All aboard the Orient Express!

We are aboard the Orient Express! It is resplendent in all its exuberant navy and gold loveliness. I am in raptures! In our tiny cabin we don the diamonds for the evening extravaganza! We've be assigned the belle époque dining carriage with the stunning Lalique crystal panels, dark wood and pale blue plump velvet armchairs. We choose a cheeky little half bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and start with PANFRIED TURBOT FILLET WITH POTATOES & WHITE TRUFFLE SCALES, TINY TARTARS OF TURBOT WITH BISON GRASS & WASABI HORSERADISH. The turbot is stunning and such an amazing looking dish - I once created a similar topping to some wild salmon a la Gordon Ramsay - but I didn't use white truffles! Our main is supposed to be lamp with olives accompanied by aubergines and tomato and coriander flavoured cous-cous. Hmmm, I had rather hoped for an olive, tomato, coriander and cous-cous free meal and they very kindly whipped up the most tender fillet of beef with little sautéed cubes of potatoes and spinach. A fine, fine substitute and not a tomato in sight! After a magnificent cheese board assortment (Comté, Brie, cream cheese with raisins and Brie de Meaux was my choice) accompanied by some tasty date bread and despite the fact that there was really little room left; we finished our glorious first meal aboard with ICED PARFAIT ON TOP OF MERIGUE WITH TEA SOAKED RAISINS AND BERRIES. And then just managed to squeeze in a chocolate – but just one!

Jazz on the Pullman

Oh my God - we are here! We're chuffing along on a shiny brown and cream train in a carriage called Perseus quaffing champagne and perusing a tasselled menu. Apparantly this carriage was used to transport Sir Winston Churchill to his own funeral. The carriage is all panelled in wood and has big comfortable arm chairs to sit on. Even the toilet is fabulous - the floor is bedecked in a mosiac depicting Perseus clutching the decapitated head of Medusa.

After some tasty little chessy nibbles, starter was FILLET OF PEPPERED BEEF WITH A BEAN AND WATER CHESTNUT SALAD ACCOMPANIED BY A JEREZ VINEGAR & MUSTARD DRESSING and washed down with a rather nice 'train wine' - like a house wine but faster! Main was ROASTED FILLET OF ALASKAN WHITE KING SALMON, MANGE TOUT & PARSLEY POTATOES - who knew salmon could be so white? After I got over the anaemic appearance, it had a wonderful taste. The first fabulous meal of the trip was finished off with a scrummy DARK CHOCOLATE TEAR DROP FILLED WITH A CHERRY COMPOTE & A WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE. This was so light and delicate! And if we hadn't already had enough already, we then had petit fours. I feel many awe inspiring dishes will grace our palates over the next few days. I hope I haven't brought anything too fitted!

OE-1

Oh my God - M and I are all aboard the Orient Express tomorrow! So many decisions to make STILL with regards to the most sparkly thing to go with the most dramatic glamorous outfit. If only I had a tiara! I've opted for diamantes on skirts and tops, feather head thing, beaded dresses and cardigans, sequinned anything you can think of and just more jewellery than you can shake a diamond encrusted stick at. Decisions, decisions, decisions! And then of course there will be more decisions to come - whether to have lobster or foie gras, yet another glass of Champagne or another bite of a gorgeous chocolate creation! I will have to christen the most beautiful Think Pink Smythson notebook (courtesy or D & M (or should I say MC to stop confusion?) and commit all my thoughts to elegant blue paper and not a computer keyboard. Much more OE style! I cannot wait!