The first is the lock to the barrel cellar, the second a chair in the corner of the tasting room (which I so longed to plonk my fat arse in but was petrified of dozing off) while the third photo is an external view of the wine making hall - you can just make out the stainless steel tanks. I hesitated to include this photo, 'cause it aint that good...

Incidentally an article describing the train trip down to Lisbon has just been published on Palate Press - By Train To Portugal: The European Wine Bloggers Conference

The Lisbon apartment was just a short walk from Santa Apolonia station; up a couple of hills obviously, this being Lisbon, right in the heart of the old-town Alfama. Time pressures precluded any great exploration sadly, we didn't make it to the Bairro do Castelo or the Se Catedral but did revel in the dramatic view fromt he apartment across the rooftops to the Tejo.

Receiving a copy of the - rather excellent - Billingsgate Market Cookbook is bound to change this sorry state of affairs. The reason for fish being absent from the weekly shopping basket is simple - I really don't know what to do with them! Wrapping a trout or mackrel in tin foil is about as far as my culinary skills take me. The cookbook - complete with instructions on how to prepare fish - offers a host of recipes for about every type of fish availble in the UK. If you can't find one type of fish they offer suggestions for a suitable replacement.

The local butcher has a small fish counter and Waitrose isnt too bad either but the place to buy fish in Oxfordsure has to be the fish shop in Oxford's covered market; I can't recommend it highly enough. Frozen pollack from Waitrose is the base for this dish however. It's cheap, being part of their Essentials range, but coupled with the addition of a few large, juicy prawns made for a lovely, rich dish. Boiled eggs, having eaten the last, scrambled, for that mornings breakfast, were omitted.

The Recipe:

Billingsgate School Fish Pie (serves 6)

• 450g white fish fillets such as coley, hake or Pollack


• 900ml semi-skimmed milk


• 1 bay leaf


• 90g butter


• 1 finely diced leek


• 90g plain flour


• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper


• ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg


• ½ teaspoon dired English mustard


• 3 hard boiled eggs, quartered


• 2 tablespoons chopped dill


• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley


• Salt and pepper

For the mashed potato topping

• 1kg King Edward potatoes


• 25g butter


• 120-150ml hot milk


• Salt and pepper


• 1-2 tablespoons grated Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 190C/375F/G5.

Bring the fish and the bay leaf in the milk to the boil and poach over low heat for 5 minutes or so until cooked. Strain the milk into a jog and set aside. Remove skin and bones from fish.

Cook the leek in the melted butter until soft. Stir in the flour, cayenne pepper, nutmeg and mustard and cook for further minute. Blend in the reserved milk, bring to the boil stirring continuously simmer for 2-3 minutes. Should be nice and smooth. Add the eggs, herbs and fish, season. Pour into a large ovenproof pie dish.

Prepare the topping: cook potatoes until tender. Drain and allow to dry for a minute or two. Mash with butter and some hot milk. Season. Spoon over the fish. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the pie hot and bubbling.

The fun part though was getting to Lisbon in the first place. No cheapie EasyJet from Luton option for us (I travelled with DougieBoy who has written up a little post on the same) instead a rather more romantic, individualistic, adventurous method of transportation - the train.

Beginning at the St. Pancras Champagne Bar on the Thursday morning - we had to start the day in style - the EuroStar took us to Paris Gare du Nord, a hop on the metro down to a waiting TGV at Gare Montparnasse that screamed us down to the Spanish border, then a walk across the platform to the waiting SudExpress (trains are so much better when named!) which was the overnighter to Lisbon. We arriving at 11 the next morning. So simple, so easy and so much more exciting than an 'plane. More expensive obviously but with a drop of Taittinger and a little red Burgundy to wash down a grandiose picnic the whole journey was sublime.

These pictures were taken really early in the morning as we crossed into Portugal. Incredible fog, low light levels and exceptionally grubby windows does not make for decent photo opportunities but these I think are about passable, imparting as they do a sense of movement. Not at all my usual 'style' but evocative none-the-less in an out-of-focus, monochromatic way.

Just have to say though that, being a devotee of all things Spanish, this meal was superb. We met the owner and chatted to the chef, Santiago Guerrero (always a nice touch) about his use of the finest, freshest ingredients and his ambitions. Basically the sherry is matched with those ingredients that are traditionally tricky to pair well with wine - such things as artichoke and anchovies. Overall a marvellous selection and highly recommended.

Stewed Apples, Greek Yoghurt and crumbled Amaretti biscuits (or walnuts and/or served on toasted brioche) was one delicious Sunday treat from the little magazine. The Chocolate Pecan Tart is about to enter the oven while the 'Hog Roast' Rolls were delicious and utilised some windfall apples some friendly soul in Brightwell had plonked in a box. All came from the Waitrose cookbook.

This autumnal salad isn't blessed with an atmospheric photo but is almost discarded as a 'Try This' suggestion. Perfectly ripe pears, sliced, served with a little Gorgonzola cheese topped with a few crushed walnuts and the last of the home-grown salad leaves. A drizzle of Farrington's Classic Vinaigrette completed the 'light lunch' or starter. (The vinaigrette by the way is superb and made from cold pressed rape seed oil).

Had a few problems getting a suitable wine match though. An expensive (£12 from Threshers) Chilean Viognier was disappointing both in terms of matching the food and delivering value-for-money while a Dolcetto was also suggested. A £3.99 Californian non-vintage white proved equally suitable and virtuous to boot.

Overall Winner: Bake In Paris with this stunning shot of Black Sesame Macaroons

Second Place to Food Is Love with this stunning and colourful drink entry

Third Place with a delightful rendition of Bacon and Eggs is Taste Buddies/All Things Nice