Pie in the sky

I have been flying around a lot of late (and no, my arms are not really that tired!) However, my stomach has had much to complain about.

Take-offs and landings are never good for me. Despite more than seven years of "experience", food always defies gravity and tries to rise up the easophagus. It does not help that airline food is generally pathetic. Particularly for a vegetarian.

I have always tried to guarantee something edible on my flights, by choosing the "Asian Vegetarian" meal preference. I recently came to question this approach, however, after seeing meal after meal of make-believe Indian food consisting of dessicated spinach, dry salads and stale, yellow rice.

Fatefully, during my last couple of trips, I missed the important meal specification while booking my tickets. I was relegated to choosing from the common menu. They say that fishermen are the biggest liars on the face of the planet, but airline menus are by far the worst. The "large sub stuffed with vegetables" concocted images of a foot-long sandwich (a la Subway), but it turned out to be a flattened wrap roughly 4 inches long and an inch and a half wide.

Nevertheless, the menu experience was not bad at all. Infact, the pasta was soft and fresh, the puris were edible, and the desserts were eclectic. Something vegetarian on every flight. Nothing gourmet, yet decent.

And then, with the last meal of the final leg, everthing broke down. Roasted veal for the appetizer. No choice on this item, and not very appetizing. Main course: chicken or salmon. Over and out! Lunch degenerated into crackers and cheese, a bun with butter, a bowl of fruit, a couple of squares of chocolate and a cup of OJ.

I guess it is back to Asian Vegetarian from now on.