THE TASTE OF HOME... OR CHILDHOOD...
One of the nicest things about sailing is
the opportunity to sample the delights of other people's tastes in food
and drink. On the other hand, one of the drawbacks is that one is bound to
run out of things one regards as necessary, or at least desirable home
comforts, if one stays out sailing for very long.
The Mate says that one of the gifts that
pleased her most in all her life was a whole box of Sherbet Fountains
(those yellow paper tubes full of sherbet, with a piece of licorice
sticking out of the top) that the Skipper's daughter thoughtfully provided
upon hearing that they were a favourite. The Mate is often heard to
declare that a cup of decent tea is worth more to her than a diamond or a
ruby (well, nobody has ever suggested that she was entirely sane, after
all) and people are often surprised at how important something is to them
when they can't get hold of it.
The breakfast cereal known as Shreddies,
for example, is as rare as a sighting of the Loch Ness Monster in most of
Europe and elsewhere, to the Mate's chagrin. She is probably not alone in
her cravings for that particular product. The dearth of Grape Nuts is a
source of more personal sorrow...
Visiting an American boat with a family of
four aboard, in Cartagena on the southern Spanish coast, some years ago,
we were amazed to see vast quantities of American cereal boxes aboard. The
family told us that the thought of having to live without their cereals
had been too much for any of them so they had stocked up with enough for
the entire trip!
Whilst we would not allow ourselves to
become that dependant on any given item, having no certainty of finding it
on our travels, we do feel a certain sympathy with those who feel that
live would not be worth living if certain familiar products were not
available during a holiday, however unadventurous that attitude may be.
Some expatriate and local store-keepers, in
places visited by numerous foreigners, specialise in stocking goodies for
the sensorily deprived sailor. Marmite, teabags, pickles and sauces are
amongst their offerings and we are often asked what we think visiting
sailors would buy if it were available.
Perhaps you'd like to let us know what you
miss when there isn't any to be had (no silly wisecracks from the
depraved, please!) and we'll point store-keepers at this page in future
issues everywhere we go, in the hopes that they will be able to offer you
your taste-bud treats wherever you turn up...
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