Welcome to A standing reservation! Thanks for reserving your table. If you’ve found your way here via pure luck and haven’t already reserved your standing reservation, pencil yourself in the book and we’ll be sure to serve you up something good:
Need to catch up on A standing reservation? Head over to the archive to catch up on what you might have missed.
Playing catch up…
I know what you’re going to say…Paige, where the heck has my standing reservation been?! I’ll hand it to you. It’s been a minute. More than a minute, it’s been an entire month. But, I do believe I warned you before the start of summer that reservations would be limited. The good news is that we’re back. Back on solid ground. Unpacked suitcases (still loads of laundry). Back to the grey skies of London. Simply, returned.
Since life in London is a bit more hustle and bustle than life on an island or life at sea, I thought we could ease into our reservation. The fall season is quickly approaching, a much different yet welcomed breeze blows through the streets of our West London neighborhood. The sun shifts between clouds, creating shadows and a crisp chill to the air. Stalls at the farmers market sell squash in all sizes, pumpkins, apples, bundles of sage and mushrooms. Next to the farmer’s stall, warm galettes filled with goats cheese, raclete, ham, and eggs are passed to hungry market goers - a welcomed and warming treat. As we leave the market with our tote bags full to the brim, we pass by the cheesemonger whose father, a frenchman, makes Comté cheese. I think, what a treat it is to have Paris at our fingertips.
Anchoring down
Life has been a bit chaotic since we’ve anchored our suitcases on solid ground. I’m taking each passing day as it comes. A part of me is enjoying the change of pace that London offers; the pulse of city life creeping back into the sun-dried cracks that island life left within me. Salt from the sea still passes through my veins, but soon it will have all vanished, waiting for its dose of sea to come again. And while we wait to top-up our cups, I thought what better way than to relive. Today we’ll be dipping into the Mediterranean sea with a recap of our first tavolotwelve in barca tour! In very few words, it was magic. As always, being at sea with the elements and the disconnect from the hustle on dry land, is truly something special. It gives you a new perspective, a salt crusted lens to look through. We drank, we ate, we swam, we napped, we read. We talked of life, of dreams, of purpose, of meaning, of adventure.
You see, life at sea is a mix between luxury and leaving behind the everyday conveniences. It’s as the saying goes, get comfortable being uncomfortable (every sports coach said this to me). But it rings true, not only in sports but in life too. If you’ve never sailed before, there’s an initial moment when you step on the boat and you’re not entirely comfortable, just a bit unsure. You are, in fact, floating at sea. But as the first day passes and then the second and then, by some factors out of your control, you blink and the final sail is ahead of you; you wonder how you ever lived life on land. This, I believe, is what happened with our first tavolotwelve in barca group. It was incredibly special to feel their shift from the unknown on day one to the ease of life at sea by day six. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing more photos, videos and maybe even a voice note or two about our days at sea. But for now, the much awaited news…the dates for sailing with us in 2024…
Dates & info
Let’s get straight into it…!
June 22 - 27, 2024
3 cabins available, maximum 6 guests
All inclusive: captain, boat, gas, meals by chef, meals on land, alcohol, soft drinks, wine tasting at local winery, activities, transfers, and more…
September 7 - 12, 2024
3 cabins available, maximum 6 guests
All inclusive: captain, boat, gas, meals by chef, meals on land, alcohol, soft drinks, wine tasting at local winery, activities, transfers, and more…
Please reply directly to this email or email me at paige.woodie@gmail.com to receive the full brochure with pricing & info. I will be sending brochures directly to your inbox (not via newsletter).
If these dates don’t work for you and your group or you’d like to book a private charter for yourself/your group outside the dates below, please don’t hesitate to reach out directly. Depending on the availability of the captain, chef (me), and the boat, we can come up with your own cruise dates. Weekly rates outside of the dates mentioned may vary (think high and low season).
Pomodori con il riso e patate
You didn’t think you were leaving here without a recipe, did you? While we’re making our grand exit out of summer and into fall, the last of summer tomatoes can still be found at the market. Make this dish while you still can, you’ll thank me later.
Serves 8 people - I allow one tomato per person
8 ripe tomatoes (vine tomatoes will work just fine)
300g Arborio or carnaroli rice
2-3 cloves of garlic
5-6 potatoes, sliced into thick chips (fries)
Olive oil
Handful of basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut off the tops of the tomatoes and spoon out the liquid and tomato flesh into a bowl. Make sure to keep the lids of the tomatoes (preferably matched with their bottom half). Salt the inside of the tomatoes and turn upside down on a paper towel to release excess liquid from the tomatoes - about 30 minutes or so. While the tomatoes are resting - to the bowl of tomato liquid, add the rice and season with salt, pepper, a glug of olive oil, garlic cloves, and torn basil leaves. Line a deep baking tray with the tomatoes, one next to the other - add the rice to the tomatoes, filling half way to allow for the rice to expand. Scatter the remaining rice in the bottom of the pan - be sure to locate the cloves of garlic, adding them to the bottom of the pan and not inside one of your tomatoes in order to pluck out later. Add the potatoes to the pan and drizzle with olive oil. If you feel the rice is too dry, add a few splashes of water but the tomatoes will release enough liquid to cook the rice - check throughout the cooking process and splash water as needed. Wrap with foil and bake in a 425F/220C oven for about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until tomatoes are roasted and some of the rice is crispy. Enjoy!
Until next time at a standing reservation…
With love & snacks,
Paige
Like what you’ve read?
If you’ve liked what you’ve read, show some love and feel free to like or leave a comment! Maybe even share with a friend!
Let’s chat!
Have you tried the recipe? Let me know in the comments below or share with me on Instagram. Would love to chat.
Need a happy moment?
As the sun was rising, it sat right a top the bow of the water boat. A picture perfect moment for what turned out to be another picture perfect day at sea.
Fascinating travel and story Paige