NARITA TO ZURICH TO AMSTERDAM

From hotel room at Narita Airport to hotel room in Amsterdam took 20 hours.  I will not break any records today.  It all started with a soba and sake at the ANA First Class Lounge:

On boarding the Swiss Air flight to Zurich, served was a Mimosa using Lurent-Perrier Champagne (13%, 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir).  Very elegant and classic.  For the first time on this trip, the nuts were fresh. Used Riedel glasses.  Counting this first serving, what follows will be an 8 course meal.

The chef for spread was Kiyomi Mikuni of his restaurant in Tokyo.  The flight to Zurich is expected to be a bit longer than 12 hours.

In the air I started with a Swiss Aagne Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (13%) with a fillet of Balik salmon and artichokes.  Then came a dish of baby octopus in olive oil and tri-colored seaweed.

I had a Swiss GVS Winery Pinot Noir 2009 (13.5%)  Ripe strawberries and white chocolate nose.   Accompanied by some air-dried meat specialties.

Next was a combination of a Mediterranean vegetable soup with a seasonal salad, marinated mini mozzarella bocconcini and cherry tomato confit.

Chateau Smith Haut-Lafites Pessac-Leognan Bordeaux 2007 (12.5%).  92 Parker points  Notes of black raspberry, dark chocolate and mushrooms are dominant.

The main courses began with filet of beef with horseradish cream sauce, roasted potatoes, grilled asparagus and sliced carrots.

Amarone De’Roari Luigi Righetti 2007 (15.5%) from Veneto, Italy, a complex and aromatic concentration of cinnamon, raisins, cooked figs.

Porcini panzerotti pasta, red pepper sauce and sautéed nanohana

The two wines to the right are glasses of Graham 20 Year Tawny Port, nutty and seductive bouquet, and Chateau Raymond-Lafon 2003 Sauternes from Bordeaux, the owner who was for 26 years the winemaker for Chateau d’Yquem (costs a couple of thousand dollars/bottle) which tasted of caramel, honey, not heavy, but fresh and dynamic.  Like Chateau d'Yquem, actually.

Swiss artisan cheese:

  18 month Gruyere AOC

  Appenzeller surchoix

  Henggarter cream cheese

  Ittinger brie

  Usslingen blue cheese

 Sprungli pralines with cappuccino.

Zuger Kirsch 1995 Etter

Williams Etter

Swiss beer

Parma and arugula sandwich

Tomato soup with sour cream

MaCallan Fine Oak 18 year single malt whiskey

Expresso

The flight from Zurich to Amsterdam was uneventful.

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As predicted a few days ago, Hurrican Jova will strike Manzanillo on Tuesday, then move up to Puerto Vallarta.  A bit of good news is that Tropical Storm Irwin will now, apparently, move south of Manzanillo.

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