The People of the Abyss by Jack London (1903)

The People of the Abyss is a narrative about life in the East End of London in 1902. Jack London wrote this first-hand account by living in the East End (including the Whitechapel District) for several months, sometimes staying in workhouses or sleeping on the streets. The conditions he experienced and wrote about were the same as those endured by an estimated 500,000 of the contemporary London poor.

Author: Jack London was born on January 12, 1876 in San Francisco. After his birth, his mother turned him over to an ex-slave, who raised him through his infancy. She remained a major maternal figure throughout his life. London was passionate about socialism and workers’ rights.  He wrote several powerful works. He was one of the first writers to earn worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his writing alone. London died young, at the age of 40.

My thoughts: I came across this masterpiece in 2008 while watching a TV documentary about the Victorian era. I immediately wanted to read London’s non-fiction novel. I nevertheless had to wait over a month, as no bookstore in Geneva had it in stock. I enjoyed reading it and was impressed by London’s courage to disguise himself as a tramp for three months roaming the slums of London. He writes about the economic degradation of the poor and homeless on the streets of London, people who have been exploited by imperialism and capitalism. Jack London felt motivated to write about those men and women in order to give a voice to the ignored masses, because the stories of the rich, powerful and fashionable filled the pages of newspapers and novels. In these pages, we take an in depth look into the lives of those unfortunate families. Let me tell you that I adored this book but that I wouldn’t read it twice. I still have in mind their chaotic and hard lives and I found them particularly brave.

This is a kind of report and, despite the very harsh conditions of the life of its protagonists, there is always a bit of hope and light. This is perhaps why these people are doing their best to have a better life, even if, in the end, only a few of them succeed.

There are always flowers for those who want to see them - H. Matisse

Hello ladies and gents!

Before anything else, I would like to thank you for all your messages. I really appreciate them.

Regular readers will know that I am fond of flowers and they are what I love to photograph the most...

Sweetheart often offers me flowers, either on my return home from my travels or for my birthday or for no other reason than to beautify the house because these beauties illuminate my day and make me feel happy.

He offered me these Ranunculus flowers a couple of days ago. They come from a gorgeous florist in downtown Geneva called “Trend design & Art de Vivre”. They make the most sumptuous bouquets of flowers. Just in case you need a nice florist...

Have a great weekend.

Lots of Love

Trend design & Art de Vivre

Rue du Vieux - collège 5

1204 Genève

Tél. +4122 310 87 27

This post, like all my blog posts, is not sponsored.

Mum’s Crème Maïzena

When I was little, Mum used to make this cream for me: I loved it so much... A few weeks ago I really wanted to have some, so I prepared it and I thought I would share it with you. This delicious recipe is very quick to prepare and, if you have small children, give it a try because they will love this cream.

Preparation: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 3 minutes

Refrigeration: at least 6 hours

Ingredients (for 8-10 ramekins)

2 egg yolks

110 g caster sugar

80 g Maïzena cornstarch

1 litre of skimmed milk

2 vanilla pods

ground cinnamon

Preparation:

In a saucepan, bring the milk to the boil with the vanilla pods. Reserve 8 tablespoons of the milk in a bowl before heating.

Dilute the Maïzena cornstarch in the bowl with the 8 tablespoons of cold milk.

Add sugar and eggs yolks to the bowl and whisk well. Then pour over the boiling milk and mix well, continuing to heat until boiling. Remove from heat after a few seconds.

Then pour the hot cream into the ramekins. Allow to cool and sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon and then refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving (it’s better if left overnight).

Note: You can prepare a smaller portion - just divide the ingredients in half, like I did.

Favourite teas

As you all probably know by now, I’m a massive lover of tea!! I love it in the morning, afternoon and evening. I love it in both warm and chilly weather. I love homemade Chai Tea and loose tea. I love drinking it on its own or with a slice of cake (to my mind, the perfect pairing).

Here is a roundup of my favourite teas that I have been really enjoying these past months!

WHITTARD CHELSEA 1886 - Spice Imperial

This is a black tea with spices (cinnamon, cloves, ginger, orange and vanilla). This is a rich exotic blend with fabulous aromas. It’s probably the one that I can’t get enough of! I bought it at Whittard in London, quite costly, but worth every penny!

WHITTARD CHELSEA 1886 - Mango and Bergamot

This is a delicious blend of green sencha tea, petals and fruit flavouring. It’s a perfect combination of petals with mango, lulo and bergamot which produces a sophisticated aromatic blend. This was a gift from my dearest friend O. It’s become my favourite green tea.

KUSMI TEA - Prince Vladimir

This is a blend of Earl Grey from China flavoured with citrus fruit, vanilla, and spices. Prince Vladimir is a unique blend that was created in 1888 to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the Christianisation of Russia by Vladimir the Great.

KUSMI TEA - Russian Morning

This is a breakfast tea with a well-balanced combination of three classic teas: a Chinese black tea, a Ceylon black tea, with a subtle chocolate flavour, and a black tea from India, full-bodied and strong.

This post, like all my blog posts, is not sponsored.

That Special Cake - Blueberry Yogurt Cake

I love homemade cakes: delicious, beautiful and simple cakes made by us for Mum’s birthday party, for a friend, for Easter, for Valentine’s Day, served on a nice cake plate because these little details make a difference!

Today, in the various cake shops available to us, we can choose dream cakes which perfectly brighten up our table. But, sometimes, we also want to make ourselves a special, tasty cake without that wow effect.

So, here’s a gorgeous cake recipe that will make a difference for your guests! I already posted this recipe in 2015 but I have decided to publish it again. This time the decoration is different and the taste is slightly different too. I made it with blueberries instead of the wild fruits (strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants) I used previously. I made this cake in early February for no particular reason other than to give us a special treat because that day I had received good news that made me very happy…

Blueberry Yogurt Cake

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 blueberry yogurt with fruit pieces

2 yogurt pots of sugar (or 3 if you like very sweet cakes)

1 yogurt pot of oil (sunflower)

3 yogurt pots of self-raising flour

100 g blueberries

Preparation:

1 - Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC.

2 - Add the eggs, yogurt, sugar, oil and flour to a large bowl.

3 - Mix well.

4 - Add the blueberries towards the end and don’t mix much after doing so.

5 - Place in a greased mould that has been sprinkled with flour.

6 - Bake in the oven for about 40 mins.

7 - Allow to cool in the mould.

Topping:

250 ml cream

1 tablespoon of icing sugar

200g blueberries

Mint leaves to taste

Whip the cream with a little sugar. When ready, pour over the cake and decorate with the blueberries and mint.

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan (2007)

It is July 1962. Edward and Florence, young innocents married that morning, arrive at a hotel on the Dorset coast. At dinner in their rooms they struggle to suppress their private fears of the wedding night to come…

Author: Ian McEwan is an English novelist, born in Aldershot, Hampshire, on 21 June 1948. His father was a working-class Scotsman who had worked his way up through the army to the rank of major. He spent much of his childhood in East Asia, Germany and North Africa, where his father was posted. His family returned to England when he was twelve. He was educated at Woolverstone Hall School, the University of Sussex, receiving his degree in English literature in 1970 and the University of East Anglia, where he undertook a master’s degree in literature. The Times featured him on its list of “The 50 greatest British writers since 1945”, and in 2008, The Daily Telegraph ranked him number 19 in their list of “The 100 most powerful people in British culture”

My thoughts: I read this book at the end of January (it had been on my shelf for a decade). I read it in four days. It’s a small book of 166 pages. The keyword of this novel is nostalgia: it is an irresistible mixture of innocence and sensuality. I loved the effective use of flashbacks throughout the disastrous wedding night to show both of the key characters’ different upbringings. I liked the insightful development of the two characters, which I found touching.

This is the story of an unexpected encounter of two very young people (both 22 years old). Edward Mayhew earned a degree in History and comes from a modest family. Florence Ponting comes from a wealthy family, she’s beautiful, and is the principal player in a string quartet - she intends to pursue her classical music career.

After their splendid wedding in July 1962, they drive to a hotel on the Dorset coast to spend their honeymoon. On their wedding night Florence, although deeply in love with Edward, apprehends having sexual intercourse with him. She needs to overcome some issues to make this marriage work. Walking out on Chesil Beach, Dorset, they are about to find out things concerning each other that the stifling society of 1962 has prevented them from learning before. Now, is their honeymoon night to be a total disaster and ruin their marriage?

A girls’ night out at Floor Two Bar - Kempinski Hotel

A few weeks ago, I concocted a night out with a good friend of mine. That Thursday, it was particularly beautiful and warm: it felt like spring had arrived in town.

Geneva is such a beautiful city and to wander into town on a sunny day is superb. So, I walked along the banks of Lake Geneva to the oh so chic Grand Hotel Kempinski Geneva.

The Grand Hotel Kempinski Geneva is a majestic five-star hotel situated beside Lake Geneva. It is a very cosmopolitan place with remarkable views overlooking the lake and the Jet d’Eau.

Upon arrival, I settled in the lounge and contemplated the hotel’s design, its fireplace and the pretty floral arrangements. The décor is exquisitely beautiful, with tall ceilings and a perfectly symmetrical layout: I was in interior heaven. This hotel is the embodiment of refinement and discreet luxury.

I did a little window shopping in the stunning shops inside the hotel while waiting for my girlfriend B. As soon as she arrived, we took the external glass walled elevator to take us to the second floor where the Floor Two Bar is located, together with the hotel’s restaurants, spa, conference room, etc.

The Floor Two Bar is a large bar with a long terrace and a trendy and lively lounge atmosphere. We decided to sit by the large windows and enjoy the end of day city lights...

We were only a few customers, about a dozen. Most guests arrive after 20:00 and from 23:00 onwards the venue is in full swing, according to our charming waitresses.

Once installed near the large windows overlooking the terrace and the lake, we stole a furtive look at the menu. B. started with a delicious glass of Limoncello and a sparkling Valser (water). For my part I wanted a Kamikaze to start. It was a little glass of blue heaven.

Our waitresses brought over some treats. Olives, various nuts and aperitif snacks which tasted just divine. We liked them so much that our waitresses brought over more: simple things of excellent quality and the perfect accompaniment to drinks.

With B., I updated our chat and planned a few upcoming evenings out. We also chatted a little with the super nice and super friendly waitresses, who suggested that I try their signature cocktail Passion Maï Taï. I was curious to try the Maï Taï, a cocktail with a pronounced taste of fruits, passion fruit and pineapple, orgeat syrup, Cointreau, white rum with spices (the rum is macerated for a very long time in a mixture of spices of which only they have the secret). So, when you go to the Floor Two Bar, try this cocktail which is a great success.

B. and I made a night of it and stayed there till dinner time. There’s nothing I love more than spoiling myself and, frankly, who doesn’t love elegant cocktails and champagne in a spectacular place?

I highly recommend that you visit the Floor Two Bar this spring and that you take someone who deserves a good spoiling with you. I can’t think of a better way to start the season than viewing this beautiful cosmopolitan city and admiring the scenery from the large terrace. You can see the iconic Jet d’Eau, the Mont Blanc and the stunning sunset...and if you like watching the world go by, this is a great spot.

Floor Two Bar

Le Grand Hôtel Kempinski

Quai du Mont-Blanc 19

1201 Genève

Tél: +41 22 908 9226

Bar opening hours

Mon - Sun 17:00 - 1:00