Over the years, travelling to and in between destinations has taken on completely new requirements and demands. I now no longer seek out the 0535 flight from Stansted to save on pounds, notably because getting two children up and out of the house and through all of the stop, go, stop, go barriers before you arrive at your destination has started to tax even the calmest of my family’s stress levels.
Ergo my new méthode de voyage is the train. Having just spent 12 hours on one in the last three days, I can, with my wife’s extreme displeasure, confirm that I now only want to travel if we can go by train. Limiting I know but, as Jackson Pollock said, "It’s about the journey not the destination". Both the Eurostar and the SNCF featured and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride; they were clean, on time, air conditioned and stress free.
Where am I going with this…..the picnic! At 11:35 am I opened my first half of white Burgundy. Being in this most rare of formats, it had been easily smuggled into the cool bag, along with another half of white and two halves of red. Jealousy was rife in our carriage with all eyes fixed on my ‘brace of travellers’ still cold from the ice packs. Snacks were passed around, Jo made a few sandwiches but it was the half bottles that really made the journey so pleasant and, as we neared our final destination with a second half bottle finished, I was ready to arrive, stress free, full and with my thirst suitably quenched. I should also explain that my wife is pregnant so I didn’t have to share a drop! What I learnt, a bit like sharing frites, is that half bottles are best consumed solo.
For the return journey I still had the two halves of red, both of which were consumed and both had again been pleasantly chilled in the cool bag for the return leg.
Travelling in style, in a stress free environment, with half bottles and a picnic is for me the only way to travel, so either by train or private jet, I encourage you to look again at our En Primeur page – Half Bottles For Tomorrow – and order yourself some for the years ahead. Be prepared for every occasion and never be without a half bottle again!
Apparently when Tony Montana said "Say hello to my little friend" he was actually talking about half bottles but I don’t have concrete evidence…..yet. I know half bottles are not manly, or look particularly cool, especially at a dinner party, and especially not at a dinner party where everyone else has brought magnums, but it’s time to think outside the box!
Spare 30 seconds and think of any opportunities on the horizon where a ‘cheeky traveller’ would come in handy:
When your wife is pregnant with twins
They fit conveniently in the inside pocket of one’s tweed sports jacket
They are perfect for a day’s fishing and/or most outdoor pursuits
Their aesthetic pleasure is undeniable (think kittens, puppies, etc.)
They can be consumed discretely in the auditorium of a play/concert/board meeting
Travelling anywhere on a train
Travelling anywhere…..
You get the drift…