Recipes from Disaster - Part 2

At Marseilles, Soyer found that he had been 'bumped off' the ship he had been booked on due to the need to accomodate the nurses' party, and the group delayed for two days, enough time to appreciate the delights of meridional French cooking, not least the famous bouillabaisse fish soup. They finally embarked on the 'Simois' on 12th March, for the steamer's maiden Mediterranean voyage. Hardly had they left the harbour when they ran into a severe storm, which forced them to put into Ajaccio in Corsica, mightily relieved after sixteen hours tossed around in mountainous seas - similar conditions had provoked the loss of the 'Semillante' with all crew and passengers just ten days earlier, as a steward cheerfully informed them. After this harrowing experience, the fates decided that they had suffered enough and the remainder of the voyage passed without major incident; they docked at Constantinople early on the morning of the 20th. Alexis took a room in the Hotel des Ambassadeurs in Pera, close to the British Embassy where he called the following morning. He was briefly but cordially received by Lord Stratford, but spent most of the visit with Lady Stratford discussing the hospitals; she told him that the extra diets for the Scutari Barrack, General and Hyda Pacha Palace hospitals were prepared in her kitchens by her Italian chef Roco Vido,and shipped across daily, as no facilities for such specialised food preparation existed in the actual hospitals. They arranged to meet the next day at Scutari, and to visit the Kulalee hospital.

Alexis knew the importance of establishing correct and harmonious relationships with the people who mattered in such a hierarchically conscious environment, and he took time to do so before launching himself into the essence of his mission. That did not mean that he was not impatient to get started. The Scutari rendezvous with Lady Stratford was missed - she had too much on at the Embassy - somewhat to Alexis' relief as he was able to get on with the essential introductory visits. All passed off well; Lord William Paulet, the military commandant, remembered him from Dublin; Dr Alexander Cumming, Principal Medical Officer, impressed by Dr Andrews' letter, assured him 'you may depend on it that I will do all in my power to assist you'. He approved of the plan to start with

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