Let's take a break from Paris and London shall we? Fear not! I have more to say(!). Still, if I could use a break writing about it, I figure you guys could sure use a break reading about our travels, yes? And what says "Let's take a break!" better than cocktail hour?

A confluence of events had us making some cocktails Sunday evening. Part of the story was simply that I felt better. I knew I did because the idea of standing in the kitchen was appealing rather than appalling. Part of it was that we'd had some great drinks on our trip, and part of it was that we'd simply been thinking of doing it for some time now. Making some new drinks. Trying some new flavors. Mixing things up, so to speak, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

On Saturday night, my friend Marianne had been given a drink that was light and refreshing and featured blueberry vodka (Shudder) (Where do they come up with these flavors?) (From fresh squeezed blueberries?) and lemonade. On a hot summer night it was surprisingly delightful. And here's the thing. Somehow we'd managed to end up with a bottle of Kurant Vodka and we weren't sure what to do with it.

By Sunday morning, an idea was born.

The Cocktail to Be Named Later
Blackberries
Lemon Thyme Simple Syrup (recipe follows)
Absolut Kurant Vodka
Sparkling Lemonade
Club Soda
Thyme Sprigs for garnish

In an old fashioned glass, muddle a handful of blackberries with 1-1.5 teaspoons of the simple syrup. Add 2 measures of Kurant vodka and fill glass with lemonade. Top with a splash of club soda and a sprig of thyme.

I'm always on the lookout for non-alcoholic drinks that feel celebratory and don't taste like fruit punch. For a non-alcoholic version of this, increase the ratio of blackberries, syrup, and lemonade and the eliminate vodka (!) and club soda. This got a thumbs up from both me and Callum!

Lemon-Thyme Simple Syrup

If you like to make cocktails, simple syrup is something you really should consider having on hand. It's super easy to make (hence the name), and lends a lightly sweet and yet subtle flavor to your drinks. We have basic simple syrup, but for this cocktail I used Lemon-Thyme Simple Syrup.

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
4-8 springs thyme (We happened to have lemon thyme in the garden, because you know, Neel.)
3-4 thin slices of lemon

In a small saucepan, bring all ingredients to a gentle boil until sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool and store, up to three months in the refrigerator. You can strain the solids out of the liquid, but for a more intense flavor (and a prettier bottle), keep them in. This versatile syrup can be used in place of sweetener in many ways, including iced tea, lemonade or cocktails. Stirred into Pimms (along with some lemonade) added another dimension to our beloved cocktail.

So until our Kurant vodka runs out, we have a refreshing summer drink. All we need is a name. Any thoughts? We're taking suggestions. And f you happen to make yourself a version of it, let me know how it turns out!

Big Ben (the bell inside, at least) and the Houses of Parliament

Well. I'm sorry, but I can see no way around it but to inundate you with blog posts from here on out about our trip. Step into our living room while I pull down the projector screen and rack up my slideshow. Again, my apologies, but today, an overview.

It was really hard to get out of town. Neel's flight from Greece to London got messed up so I spent much of our last day trying to get flight and lodging for him sorted. Our dogs got in another fight (I know.) , and I broke it up with my arm and suffered an impressive beagle bite for my pains. Really? The easiest part was actually flying to London.

Once we were there, all was delightful. We reunited with Neel at Annie and Richard's flat and spent the next two and a half days enjoying London. Annie had Tuesday off and gave us a great tour where we hit so many major sites (more on that at Insideology and here tomorrow) . Wednesday we called "The Festival of Neels (Neils)" because we met with two of Neel's cousins (one from the Indian side for lunch and tea and one from the Irish side of the family for dinner). And still there were so many people left that we didn't manage to see. (I'm looking at YOU, Chi.)

Thursday Annie and Richard bundled us into a cab for St. Pancras where we boarded the Eurostar to Paris!

After settling into our apartment, we took the Metro into the center of the city. A stroll along the Siene took us to the Eiffel Tower. (Neel kept promising that it was just around the bend, but he didn't mention which bend!) Our first night in Paris we spent under the tower. Second day we were full-on tourists, using a hop on/hop off bus to get orientated and see the city.

That however, is when things began to fall apart. Neel had brought a bit of a cold with him from Greece but recovered quickly. Callum, however, started a sore throat on our second day in Paris and by that afternoon he was quite miserable. By dinner he had a high fever, and all our plans changed. We said good-bye to our planned trip to Normandy, and it was a measure of how miserable Callum was that he didn't protest at all.

So a final lazy day in Paris instead before back on the Eurostar to our friends in London. A sunny Sunday on Primrose Hill was the perfect ending to our trip. Tomorrow I'll write more on our time in London, and Thursday I'll devote to Paris. I think it's inevitable to think of comparing the two cities, especially when you visit them in conjunction, and I won't deny that we've done that, at least a little. Still, I'll try not to do that here. Each city has its own particular charms, and we were lucky to be able to see them both.

Tomorrow, I'll tell you more about our wanders around London-town and what a lovely tour guide Miss Bird was for us. We really had the best of times. She dialed in, and London put on a show.

shaken, muddled and stirred {life}

lovely london, pretty paris {life}