Whilst bears everywhere are majestically prowling and growling to everybody that they told them so, stocks around the world continue their downward spiral. This does not affect Manchester as much as it used to, as the Stock Exchange here is now an Italian restaurant.
In deepest Evian-les-Bains I found one of the best wine shops ever. La Cave à Paul had such a wide range of Armagnacs going back to the year dot. But they had none from 1964 (year of my birth), so I settled for second best 1966 (last time England won the World Cup).
And when I got home I discovered that I had also (sort of) unknowingly bought some duty free Armagnac by Sempé (we flew from Geneva, Switzerland). It was time for a taste test. But hang on! There is more complication because I had also invested in Riedel glasses. The Cognac glass is a small tulip (on the left of the photo below), whereas a traditional Cognac or Armagnac glass is a bowl (shown on the right). An interesting experiment was to ensue….Â
I did once manage to get some sort of degree from Leeds University Business School which is not exactly the Ivy League. Still it stood me in good stead for being comprehensible – occasionally. Sadly this was not true when I visited The Ivy with the wife.
Being in the West End we opened with a quick glass at the Cork & Bottle on Cranbourn Street and swiftly moved on to the surprisingly quiet location next to the St Martin’s Theatre where The Mousetrap has been playing since 1436:
Stumble It!