Ahh Food

More Chocolate!

Sunday lunch. At the Marriott. But this time in a lovely Italian restaurant, I forget the name. As Bobby said you would have thought you were in Manhattan. It was leisurely, and well attended, and oh my the food! We started with appetizers; two long banquet tables full. We ignored the meat selections, and the vegetable, stuffed veg and bread/tarts, pickled veg and olives would have been enough for a meal. Then came the pastas and asparagus risotto served at the table by waiters, family style. Hand made pasta, some kind of dumplings, one cheese and one spinach, a spinach ravioli that melted in the mouth and something I passed up. Then we were offered the main course. We turned it down because it was a whole chicken or a trip back to the table where there were all kinds of sliced meats, salamis and dried sausages. We were offered more risotto and pasta which we turned down, groan. We did make a foray back to the appetizer table to try a few things we missed the first time round. We were offered some kind of blue fizzy drink in champagne flutes. Non alcoholic and very sweet. I keep wondering what made it so electric blue. There were three options for this buffet: the non-alcoholic, one with unlimited wine and beer and one with spirits. Please note this was 1:00 in the afternoon. Most people around us had opted for the wine option. The tables had been set with large wine goblets that were being refilled often and liberally. Our smoked glasses were refilled with bottled water.  By now it was getting past 2:30 so we trooped off to the desert table to fill our plates. See picture. Some of us, although not me this time, more than once.

 

Lounge on top of the Marriott Hotel with a view of Pune.

When we were finished Henryk and Richard thought it would be nice to find the swimming pool the hotel has as they had heard it was a nice place to go. We thought it was on the top floor so we took the elevator up to the 24th floor. It was a stunning view of Pune, but it was another restaurant, closed at that hour, and an outdoor lounge. It would be a stunning place to go for a sunset dinner. We enjoyed looking out from all angles then sitting for a few minutes in the warm sun. On the way back to the elevator the three others stopped to pose in the glass decorations.

I spent the late afternoon reclining and reading quietly, not quite regretting that last trip to the buffet table. I had no thoughts at all of dinner. Probably will not of breakfast either. I expect lunch tomorrow will sound good. Mary Reilly is coming to join me and that will be a pleasure.