Spent the day with my daughter and my adorable granddaugther, did some shopping, had a GREAT lunch and what's more - are you ready for this? I HAD MY FIRST EVER CAMPARI AND SODA!!!
I've been reading about this drink for years. Everyone in Italy drinks Campari while spending an hour or two at local cafes, gossiping, chatting about life, debating the course of the world. (Maybe I exagerate a little, but you know what I mean.) But I'd never tasted Campari before. So today, I threw caution to the winds and as part of my birthday lunch I ordered a CAMPARI AND SODA!!! Then I closed my eyes and made believe we were in Venice.
What did it taste like? Well, at first sip - it was surprisingly bitter. But after the initial surprise, I decided I liked it. It's an acquired taste, for sure - but I acquired it almost immediately. It tastes a little anise-y or licorice-y (but not overly sweet at all) with the tang of orange peel kind of mixed in. I loved it.
My daughter is used to this sort of behavior from me so she simply rolled her eyes. HA!!
Good times!
You're an inspiration, birthday girl. Sometime during the summer I will pretend it's my birthday and follow your lead. The most exciting "try something new" I've done lately is when I watch a movie I haven't seen before!
ReplyDeleteMaybe we should celebrate every dy like a birthday.
Happy birthday! Sounds like you had a great day.
ReplyDeleteAs for trying a drink just because you've read about it, well, that's half the fun of reading as far as I can tell. In fact, I almost always try whatever drink the book's hero is drinking -- all except the "beer milkshake" from, well, was it Cannery Row or Sweet Thursday (the latter being the sequel to the former), which frankly sounds disgusting ...
I know just how you felt about that Campari and Soda!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to you and I'm glad your day was swell.
Oh for sure, C.W. Try a campari and soda, relax and pretend. Worked for me. Ha!
ReplyDeleteI'd say "Have a wonderful birthday," but it sounds like that's exactly what you did without any encouragement from me! And, frankly, one of the pleasures of growing older is learning that you CAN try something different and new and not care particularly what anyone else thinks about it! HA indeed - and may you have many more HA moments!
ReplyDeleteM.M. Well, you can only go so long reading about something that sounds so delicioua before you're compelled to try it. Not that it was delicious, per se. But it was quite good enough. I can't wait to have another campari and soda one of these days.
ReplyDeleteI had fettucini alfredo for lunch. It was divine.
BookBelle: So you're familiar with it!? Little did I know what I was missing! Ha!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Les! Yes, it was a great day. Never too old to try something new that's for sure. :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like the perfect celebration, Yvette. Bottoms up!
ReplyDeletemjoy
Thanks, mjoy!! It was perfect! :)
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, you international woman of mystery, you.
ReplyDeleteJacqueline: Yup, that's me from now on: International woman of mystery. I like it! Thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Yvette, from one Gemini to another! My birthday was this past Wednesday, June 8th. (For the record, I'm now a fresh-faced lass of 48! :-)) I'm delighted to hear that you celebrated happily with Campari and Soda (I'm not a drinker, but the Italian side of our family loves it), and your daughter and granddaughter (I assume the little one did not partake of the Campari and Soda :-)). Congratulations and many happy returns, my friend!
ReplyDeleteDorian: Wow, we really are Geminis. And so is my granddaugher. Watch out world!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the good wishes. The little one celebrated with applesauce, milk, chicken fingers and bits of fettucini. :)
Oops. I got so caught up in the celebration that I forgot to wish Dorian a Happy Birthday in return. Lady D, hope it was a good one!
ReplyDeleteYvette, many thanks for the kind birthday wishes you sent my way! It was indeed a happy day with family, friends, and gifts including Warner Archive DVDs of THE PRIZE and The Red Skelton WHISTLING trilogy, as well as the Hitchcockian thriller STILL OF THE NIGHT, one of MGM's Print-On-Demand DVDs. Barring unforeseen circumstances, we'll also have a nice dinner out tomorrow and see Woody Allen's MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (with my fave contemporary actor Adrien Brody appearing as Salvador Dali)! Thanks again, my friend!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday, Dear Yvette, Happy Birthday to you!!!!
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a wonderful day.
The drink looks rather yummy by the way.
Happy Birthday to you, Yvette!
ReplyDeleteAnd cheers to one of the best bloggers and reviewers on the Internet!
On to many more happy, healthy, reading -- and blogging -- years!
With the Campari, see that you are appropriately getting ready for the Guido and Paola Brunetti series by Donna Leon, set in Venice.
But be prepared for the many drinks and meals you will encounter in those volumes. You'll crave Italian food, wine and grappa constantly. (I think it's illegal to eat a meal without drinking wine in Italy.)
Have a great summer in Venice!
I'll be looking forward to the blogs.
Hello Yvette:
ReplyDeleteWe shall turn you into a European yet!!
A very happy, and most likely, belated birthday as we have no idea of the difference in time but it is Saturday morning with us. Whatever, you have clearly been living it up and for that we are so happy for you.
Happy belated birhday Yvette. I thought I had already read this blog, but another blogger with the same birthday also celebrated with Campari. See Flowers and Stripes blog. Obviously a soulmate!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, a day late.
ReplyDeleteHope it was the best ever.
Happy belated birthday! Yesterday (June 10) was also the birthday of my twin daughters who turned 13. They had friends over for a party/sleepover. I'm now counting down the minutes until 10:00 AM when parents are set to arrive to pick up their daughters.
ReplyDeleteAnd now all of my children are teenagers. Oh joy!
Dorian: The Red Skelton Whistling Trilogy??? Wow! Only a true movie maven would have those in her collection. I used to watch 'em on tv all the time. Skelton was another acquired taste, for sure. But those movies were often hilarious. Ah, memories.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'm familiar with STILL OF THE NIGHT. You'll have to write about it.
Adrien Brody as Dali? Perfect casting. :)
Ryan: Thanks so much for singing me that catchy little birthday tune. Ha!
ReplyDeleteI had a great day.
Campari and soda. Worth a sip or two or three or...
It is bitter, at first. But you soon get used to the taste.
Kathy: Thank you, m'dear. The blog and I thank you for the compliment as well. :)
ReplyDeleteAs for the campari and soda: Yes, exactly! I was merely getting ready for Commissario Brunetti and mystery in Venice.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it. HA!
It was a great day.
Jane and Lance: It's Saturday morn here too. What a coincidence. Ha!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the good wishes.
Well, as I always say: if you can't live it up at least once or twice now and again, what's the point? :)
Michelle: I'm going to check out that other blog of course. Two birthdays - two camparis and soda. We are obviously of like minds. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks so much for the birthday wishes.
Patti: Thanks so much. It was a grand day. Good wishes are welcome any time. :)
ReplyDeleteDeb: A definite confluence of the stars. Both your daughters and me born on the same day a hundred years apart. (Ha!) Happy Birthday to them from me. Sounds like from what you're NOT saying, that they had a blast.
ReplyDeleteIt's only beginning for you, Deb. Here's what I say: buy a bottle of Campari and celebrate yourself. :)
Enjoy it all!
ReplyDelete100 years apart! Are you serious?
You know that it's required while reading about Commissario Brunetti in Venice to drink Campari or wine?
Also, to eat pasta.
Loved how you spent the day. May each day be full of fun and enjoyment in the company of loved ones.
ReplyDeleteYvette and pals, I've just come back from seeing Woody Allen's MIDNIGHT IN PARIS as part of my "birthday tour," and I must say it's vaulted into the Top 5 of my favorite Woody Allen comedies! Owen Wilson makes a delightful Woody manque, and his fellow DARJEELING LIMITED co-star steals his scenes as young Salvador Dali Dali, trying to explain Surrealism to Wilson. Incidentally, Brody has the neat Continental-looking mustache here, not the wild-and-crazy looking 'stache Dali sported in later years. Brody looks yummy and has such a flair for comedy; it's nice to see him get to show off his funny side. Anyway, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS is a delight, and I strongly suggest it for Allen fans and date nights with a breezy yet smart romantic comedy!
ReplyDeleteYvette, you asked about my two-part blog post about STILL OF THE NIGHT. If you're still interested, here are the links:
ReplyDeletehttp://doriantb.blogspot.com/2010/09/movies-that-need-remaking-how-still-of.html
http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2010/09/movies-that-need-remaking-how-still-of_17.html
I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on the subject! :-) Thanks!
Kathy: I think you can guess: I LOVE pasta!
ReplyDeleteYes, a hundred years. That's how it feels around here sometimes. HA!
neer: Thanks so much for your good wishes.
ReplyDeleteDorian: I've been hearing nothing but good things about MIDNIGHT IN PARIS. It's an avalanche of good reviews so far. I will definitely see this though I am not and never have been the world's biggest Woody Allen fan. (Don't hate me.)
ReplyDeleteI do, however, like Adrien Brody very, VERY much. :)
Dorian: I will definitely check out your links - thanks!
ReplyDeleteMany happy returns of the day, Yvette! So glad my random act of kindness turned out to be a birthday gift as well. You definitely NEEDED a Crispin book. Woo-Hoo! (and other celebratory party type noises)
ReplyDeleteSorry this is late but all the very best for your birthday.
ReplyDeleteYvette, I'll admit I usually prefer Woody Allen's earlier films, or as they were called by the aliens in STARDUST MEMORIES, "the early funny ones." :-) However, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS really brought back the loopy magic of his earlier farces. But even if Allen isn't your glass of Campari and Soda, Adrien Brody is the kind of on-the-rocks-with-a-twist that I like (he looks quite handsome in MIDNIGHT... with his dapper pencil mustache here, too), so I'm delighted that you're a fan of his, too. My daughter and I had the pleasure of meeting Brody at the New York Comic Con last fall, and he was as kind and generous as he is talented -- but that's a story for another time! :-)
ReplyDeleteDorian: That's what everyone who has seen MIDNIGHT IN PARIS is saying, that the magic is back. :)
ReplyDeleteBrody is kind of a funny looking dude. He should really not be as sexy or as good to photograph as he is, but he definitely is. Go figure. Sometimes the camera just falls in love with angles and bones and narrowness. I love his look. Of course, it never hurts that his eyes are alive with intelligence.
Can't wait for the story of The Meeting at Comic Con. :)
Yvette, you're right that Adrien Brody is sexy and photogenic almost in spite of himself (with or without facial hair :-)). The camera just loves Brody, perhaps because of his angular build and face, perhaps because he's been accustomed to cameras since he was a child. Brody's mother is the renowned photographer Sylvia Plachy, and her published photo collections include candid pictures of Our Man Adrien as a child (such a cutie)! And yes, I agree you can see intelligence in his silver-sage eyes, which makes him even more attractive. I can vouch for this, having seen Brody face-to-face at New York Comic Con, where he turned out to be as friendly and kind as he was dashing! :-) (I'm glad you enjoyed my account of that day in my e-mail; it was too long to print here :-)). Granted, I always go for relatively offbeat types like Brody; all those other Hollywood stars just look like cookie-cutter pretty-boys to me! :-)
ReplyDeleteHello Campari Birthday Yvette from Campari Rachel at Flowers and Stripes! Thank you to to Michelle Ann for your comment - I couldn't access reading your blog though.
ReplyDeleteDorian: You are so right about 'cookie-cutter' being the 'norm' right now in Hollywood. So hard to tell one actor (or actress) from another. So many of them look so much alike. GAK!
ReplyDeleteAnd of course, the women mostly need to eat a sandwich or two. Ha!
John: Thanks again for the good wishes and the extra special Crispin surprise!! This is going to be a fun week for sure. :)
ReplyDeleteJoan: Thanks so much for dropping by. I can't understand why you couldn't access my blog. I sent you a direct link by email, but if you commented, you must have seen the blog at some point. I'm a little confused.
ReplyDeleteOh well, situation normal around here. :)
I'm so glad to catch up with you this evening and wish you a happy birthday again, Yvette! I like Campari and soda but I'm more of a vodka martini person myself :)I can only drink one as more than that I start to snore! HA!
ReplyDeleteA belated happy birthday! I've always wondered about Campari but the idea of it being bitter kind of scared me off. But I do like licorce and anise so I'm going to have to give it a go.
ReplyDeletePat: Thanks for the birthday wishes, m'dear. Vodka martini sounds good too. I'm not a big drinker because I have little tolerance for alcohol and tend to get either sleepy or too chatty. And who knows, maybe I snore like you do as well. HAHA!!!
ReplyDeleteBut once in a while, it's nice to have something different than the usual white wine.
My next thing to try: Proseco!
Lisa: Try it with soda and a twist of orange peel. But be prepared for the first sip which comes a big surprise. It did to me. :)
ReplyDeleteBut I will definitely be having another one of these days.
Yvette, I just wanted to say one more thing about STILL OF THE NIGHT before I FINALLY move on to other topics! :-) Going through my eccentric home library, I found my Ballantine Books paperback of the 1982 novelization of STILL OF THE NIGHT by Robert Alley. To my surprise and delight, it was WAY THE HELL better than the movie! Alley's version used many of the elements that I'd suggested doing in my two-part blog post: more characterization, sex, romance, suspense, an ending that actually made a modicum of sense. If the filmmakers had done all that, SOTN could have had a decidedly different fate! (Of course, it would still be even better if it starred Adrien Brody. :-))
ReplyDeleteDorian: Eccentric home library. Yup, been there, done that. My own library makes no sense to anyone but me. But that's what makes it specially attuned to my own esoteric tastes. No? Ha!
ReplyDeleteInteresting news about the book. Obviously the universe agrees with you.
As far as Adrien goes, well, I agree. It's obvious to me (and you) that ANYTHING would be better with Mr. Brody in the mix. ;)