Jersey, you have to love it...

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Yesterday, given the expansive life of entertainment I’ve been living the past weeks, I decided to commit a blob day. And blob I duly did. Come 4.30pm, I decided that the blobbiest thing to do on the dinner front would be one of my ‘picnic-in-my-room’s, so I slipped on my espadrilles and pants and headed for the St Helier fish market. No, I was not buying fish, but the pretty old market is where is situated one of my favourite Jersey spots: the ‘Relish’ delicatessen. There, like almost nowhere else I know, can one buy all those extra special little charcuterie, fromagerie and liquid treats which make life worth eating.
The wickedest pork and liver pâté en croûte (once a year only), a splendid pâté de campagne (rrrrough!), some delicious French saucisson (I must ask the name), a wedge of good old Pyrénées cheese – it never lets you down – a sprinkling of black olives .. and .. well, I was going to have a wineless picnic for once, but Alan passed me a glass and said ‘try this’, and I succumbed instantly. Well, I did resist a second or two, for the wine was not chilled, and there was no way I could get it chilled in time for supper. But this is Jersey! ... the fishmonger opposite produced a plastic bag full of fresh crushed ice, and my bottle of Marquis de Goulaine muscadet (2008, gold-medal) walked home in what would be my improvised ice-bucket for the evening.
Next, across the road to the old town market hall to buy a petit pain to accompany my goodies … the baker was getting ready to close, and so with my 47p bread roll he gave me two gratis pastries! This is Jersey.
So, back I trundled to Bay View, room 12, and here is my picnic. Actually, it doesn’t look nearly as good as it tasted! Perhaps it’s the colour scheme: no greens…



Actually, I nearly didn’t make it back to Room 12. As I walked down from the town there was a sudden explosion in my rear ear. A car had blown a tyre. Alas! the silly driver, instead of pulling up, decided to continue, but with – of course—not too much control over his vehicle. I would imagine that he missed me, on the pavement, by no more than 15 centimetres ..
Happily, he did miss, and thus I didn’t miss my picnic..
Needless to say, my ratio of eyes to stomach was way out and so, guess what, today I had to head up to ‘Relish’ again. Why? Why, to get a fresh bottle of Marquis de Goulaine, and a fresh petit pain from my now 'by appointment' baker, to go with my copious leftovers! Won't be going out tonight, again ...