Just Roll Me Back to the USA

Today the Rothermere welcomed Jimmy Carter, to whom Christ Church College presented an award. It was both a lovely day and a curiously foreign one, like so many things about this summer.

First, the foreign. President Carter arrived at the library and first the staff presented him with his award. Then they showed him a few of the library's holdings relating to his work on peace between Israel and Egypt. He commented on each thing, and told a really lovely story about the negotiations.

[Ok, fine. Here's the story. Carter told another story, then Mrs. Carter tugged on his jacket. Literally. He said, "I'm being directed." and you could hear her whisper "tell them about..." Here's the story she liked: He was negotiating and each side was really difficult to deal with. Finally, the Israeli prime minister decided that the process wasn't working. He began to pack to go home. Before he went, though, he asked President Carter for signed photographs for his grandchildren. The President's assistant called Israel to find out the names of each of the (8!) grandchildren, and Mr. Carter wrote each one personally. When he came to ask Menacham Begin to stay, he handed the photographs over. Begin looked at the photographs, inscribed with the names of his grandchildren, and stood silent for a moment. Then he said, "we'll try one more time." Carter had tears in his eyes, and so did I, when the story ended.]

Anyway, the staff had a treat to show the president. It was a 16th century Bible, beautifully illuminated, brought to England in the early 18th century. The archivist from Christ Church college made a huge deal about how the Bible had never been allowed out of the college (except one brief bit for the Bodleian library which "didn't work out.") and no one got to see its illuminations. He must have mentioned it five times. So, very slowly, the gentleman turned the pages for President and Mrs. Carter, showing them the images.

And what were they? Oh, nothing worrisome. Only:

1. Cain "bludgeoning" Abel while Eve ate the apple
2. The slaughter of the children while Moses was placed in the rushes
3. The death of Jacob
4. The battle of Gideon.

So, you know, a nice precursor to lunch. Here's the thing: there were about 90 people standing there, watching. The archivist made a point, over and over, of saying to Mr. Carter that no one else would get to see the illuminations (except the frontispiece, which was gorgeous). No one. And almost no one ever had, outside the college. So part of the honor he did Mr. Carter was about dissing everyone else. It seemed slightly out of sync with Carter's pesonal philosophy. On the other hand, showing him a Bible was a very sensitive and sweet thing to do, and Mr. and Mrs. Carter clearly loved it.

Lunch was amazing, though. First course: a salad plate. I say plate, because it wasn't really a salad. Spears of white and green asparagus crossed, a tiny mound of guacamole with peppery field greens, a tiny zucchini with flower attached, flower stuffed with mushroom pate, all of it dressed with a lemon vinaigrette.

Next, they brought out new plates. Hot plates, but empty. This was because they served the main course from communal silver dishes, with white-gloved men to serve it to you specifically. We had quenelles of sole with a cream sauce that had flakes of haddock in it (so fish with fish sauce?). Potato and parsnip puree (ie, mashed potatoes), and a mixed green stuff pile (flat beans, haricot verts, peas, and mint minced up). The veg was only ok, but let me tell you about quenelles. They look like potatoes, but they have the consistency of a really stiff pudding, and they tasted like essence of lobster. Seriously. I eyed the other plates, but everyone seemed able to defend themselves. Bummer.

Dessert had four parts. Really. There was the little cordial glass full of elderflower jelly with apple and raspberries suspended in it. Then there was the glass of tuile and puff-pastry cookie sticks. Then there was the little pitcher of raspberry sauce. Then there were the balls of vanilla ice cream and the scoop of berries (red/white/blue, anyone?). Each of these for each person at the table.

[And here's one of those moments when one becomes aware of being in a foreign country. The entire table engaged in a serious conversation about how to eat dessert. As in, big spoon or small spoon? Fork? Should I put the jelly on the plate, or eat it out of the glass? It wasn't a joke. I asked my neighbor, "what will happen if someone disapproves of the way you eat your dessert?"]

Oh, and coffee and petits fours. Because we needed more food. And, and, and: the centerpiece was a bowl of strawberries, limes and cherries, which people ate up. One of the fellows, a very nice man from China, almost bit into a lime. The man sitting between us saved him at the last moment. Apparently, limes were new for him.

Somehow, the pork chop and salad for dinner didn't quite measure up.

Before you ask, yes I shook Jimmy Carter's hand. In fact, I've never seen a VIP behave as he did. He must have eaten almost nothing, because he spent the entire lunch walking around shaking the hand of absolutely everyone at the lunch (81 people). So he walked right up to me and shook my hand, then proceeded to have a little chat with each and every person at our table.