The past few months have been a busy time in Uganda as Liz and I have worked to wrap up projects before we prepare to return to the States after four years abroad. We've also begun the process of saying goodbye to friends who have started to move on to other postings. So, lots of lunches and dinners mixed with the occasional late night pub crawl. However, we've managed to find some time for a couple of trips outside of Africa -- to Paris for an economic conference and to London for a wedding. (Photos Here) Neither city can hold a candle to Kampala, mind you, but each has its humble charms and somehow we figured out how to have a good time. Paris We traveled to Paris so that I could participate in a conference for economic officers posted to US Embassies in Africa. Why Paris, instead of, say, Nairobi or Addis Ababa? Good question. Something about saving air fare. In any event, I wasn't complaining, though we also would have welcomed the opportunity to see more of Africa. The conference was held at the Hotel du Talleyrand, the U.S.Embassy building in which much of post-War Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe was formulated. Our conference perhaps didn't have the immediacy of those earlier meetings, but I enjoyed it and found it informative. I gave a presentation on intellectual property enforcement in Uganda (I can send the fascinating and exciting powerpoint to anyone who doubts the work purpose of the trip) and had the opportunity to learn from the experiences of my counterparts. Liz was able to spend several days walking around the city and getting reacquainted with Paris -- where she had not visited in 20 years. I had only spent an afternoon there 15 years ago (much of it spent in a lengthy quest to collect USD 300 sent by my parents to Western Union so that I could catch my flight home after backpacking through Europe), so it was largely a new experience for me. Our hotel (Hotel Regina) was located a few blocks from the Embassy and our room overlooking the Jardin des Tuileries, where Liz and I ran in the mornings, and (in the distance) the Eiffel Tower. I had one extra day after the conference and we visited the Louvre and Musee D'Orsay, and walked along the Seine to the Marais district. While a bit chilly, the weather turned sunny and we had a great time joining the crowds enjoying the parks and dining outdoors. Of course, the highlight of any trip to Paris has to be the food, and we ate quite well. The first several nights we went out with a group from my conference to restaurants near the hotel. We love Uganda, but we normally don't have access to duck, or souffles, or crème brulee. It was a nice change of pace from matooke (plantains) and Indian food. Liz and I also decided that we would have one special meal in Paris and somehow managed to get a table at Alain Ducasse, a Michelin three star restaurant located in the Plaza Athenee hotel. It was a once in a lifetime experience -- for more than one reason. The service was impeccable with more waiters, assistants etc. than customers. The dining room was full with Japanese tourists (many of whom took photographs of each course), what appeared to be a Russian mobster and his girlfriend, one other American couple, and a few token French. Yet, the waiters were very polite and helpful. The other American couple was in their 50s, probably from New York. She had bleached blond hair and he an ill-fitting toupee. They were loud and boisterous but managed to make friends with a Japanese couple at an adjoining table and seemed to charm the waiters. Perhaps they represented the positive aspects of European's stereotypes of Americans. Anyway, back to our meal. We each ordered the price fixe menu and so the meal only cost one-week's salary (literally). The food was terrific -- one of the best meals I've ever had. Food cooked perfectly, vegetables cut just so, beautifully presented, fresh ingredients (best butter we've ever had -- Liz still fantasizes about it), new and interesting combinations (we kept the menu if anyone is interested), in spectacular surroundings. Yet, no meal is worth what they charged and, to be honest, concern about the cost dampened my enjoyment of the meal. And we didn't even order the lobster. Just after we left, another three star chef announced that he was returning his stars because he did not want to have to charge what he did to maintain the amenities that earned the stars. I think he's right. At these prices, the food is only available to a select few. If I was a chef, I'd like to enable as many people as possible to experience what I create. I don't think that can happen now at the premiere French restaurants. Anyway, as we walked out, the staff gave us a sourdough loaf to take home. I brought it back to Kampala and used it to make bruschetta. Thus, I now say that at least we got two meals for the price of one. London After returning to Kampala, we spent a week and a half at work, before returning to Europe for a wedding in Kent, outside of London. While our trip to Paris had been in the middle seats of the economy section of an Emirates flight that required a change of planes in Dubai (20 hours of travel), we used frequent flier miles to get business class seats on a non-stop from Entebbe to London. We arrived just a bit fresher. We spent four days in London and two in Seven Oaks for the wedding of our friends Vicky and Dave, whom we met in Bangkok. In London, we stayed with Liz's friend Susan at her flat in Chelsea. She was a great host and her apartment was perfectly located to explore the city. We've been to London a few times and so were able to focus on spending time with friends and eating. We concentrated on Asian food on this trip, eating at a new Korean place, a pan-Asian restaurant (with our old Warren Street neighbors Laurel and Declan), and a great Japanese sushi restaurant, Zuma (with Susan and another of Liz's college friends, Jen Doebler). In the mornings, Liz and I braved the frigid London May weather to run in Hyde Park. We hit a few museums (including the Victoria and Albert, where I made a coat of arms for the House of Herrup -- mostly dragons and stars), shopped in Chelsea (Ok, Liz shopped and I sat outside the stores and pouted), and saw a foreign film. While walking through Leicester Square we happened upon the UK premiere of Sin City and I got a shot of Brittany Murphy signing autographs. Mickey Rourke also passed by, but he makes me ill, so no photos. Liz left a day early to visit her new niece in DC, Nora, so I took a boat up the Thames to Greenwich. Greenwich: nice; Freezing rain on boat ride up to Greenwich: not so nice. I did get a chance to board the Cutty Sark, the last remaining tea clipper and look at the Royal Observatory, the source of Greenwich Mean Time. Vicky and Dave's wedding was great, with guests coming in from New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Spain, and Belgium. Thus, our visit from Uganda was no big deal. We saw several friends from Bangkok that we hadn't seen since 2003. We enjoyed the ceremony itself and the reception (which, happily, featured excellent food). Vicky's Mom is Scottish, so the reception started with a Cailleagh (spelling?). Liz and I tried one dance, almost knocked over another couple and decided that discretion was the better part of valour and observed the proceedings from the sidelines. Actually, the wedding was very similar to American weddings, though some of the women wore hats or feathers in their hair. After the wedding, we and our friend Ingrid (who came in from Sydney) drove around Kent, stopping at Leeds castle, enjoying a pub lunch, and quickly passing by Canterbury cathedral. Then, back to Africa.
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