2025 has kicked in. A New Year.
So what is a ‘new year?’
Basically it’s the solstice—a celebration that days stop shortening and the amount of daylight will now increase each day (in the northern hemisphere). That’s December 21st. Throw in some religion, history, politics and calendar modifications and you have instead the ‘new year’ kicking in at the completion of December 31st. Same notion though—a shift in course, the promise of increased daylight and associated celebration.
In December I returned to the Solomon Islands to close out an infrastructure project I have worked on for years. Some photos are below.
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE.
Dinner.
Honiara Hotel, Havana Restaurant. Island of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.
Dish.
This is a French restaurant, and the menu is in both French and English.
Duo de Boeuf et Langouste.
Grilled beef fillet wrapped in a pork belly and half crayfish tail, served with a spicy pepper sauce.
Wine.
Mud House. Pinot Noir. Central Otago, New Zealand. 2022.
NORTHERN HEMISPHERE.
Home is a 25 minute drive from the nearest city, Carcassonne. It has a regular commercial center on the left bank of the River Aude, and a walled city that has existed for centuries on the right bank of the river. The city was restored with slate turret roofs in the 1800’s.
It is beautiful and massive.
Home is also less than a half hour from the open air market at Olonzac on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Various holday vintages.
Home is also an 11 minute drive from Cháteau de Villarlong, and their Le Castel Restaurant, where I drove today.
Lunch.
Suprême de pintade, cuisson basse température, embeurrée de choux, jus au romarin
Guinea fowl supreme, cooked at low temperature, buttered with cabbage and rosemary jus.
Dessert.
Biscuit de Savoie au sirop de rhum, mousse mange et coulis de fruit de la passion
Savoie biscuit with rum syrup, mousse mangeté and passion fruit coulis (and a squeezable vial of pina colada juice)
Wine.
Château Armoria. Ancrage. 2023.
Mourvedre, Carignan blend from Minervois, France.
Minervois Bliss.
Happy 2025 to All!
Keep in touch.
