Kind of a funny story to cheer us up after being dumped off the boat. We were at a tennis lesson with young Fauntleroy and morosely drinking a large beer. An older man, dashing kind of, walks up and says, I can't help but hear you are from America. I say something like hmm....(it is hard to be friendly off the water) but Thomas perks up and starts chatting and it seems this man is Irish living in England. So we chat and I finally say what my mother says to all Irish she meets: We are direct descendants of the Heavy weight champion of the world (in 1910 or something like that) Gentleman Jim Corbett-an Irishman. To which this man responds: do you know who he beat for the title? I say: John L. Sullivan. He says, I am Frank Sullivan-direct descendant of the vanquished. This was funny, even in my condition. Especially because he was holding the tiniest beer and I was holding something resembling a pig trough. We both saw the symmetry to this. Winner gets the big cup.
Not sure I am coming home. Too far from my boat. (Must swab.)
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Das Boot
Oh people...you do not know how sad we are to be off this boat! To give you an idea...Frederick was so fragile he not only cried the day we left, but the next day as well. To get from the boat to Portugal (where we now are, nursing our wounds) took a Turkish taxi for 2.5 hours on terrible curving road at high speeds, past a HUGe car accident...tranfers from Dalaman to Istanbul, then Zurich, drive to Baar, then sleep, then wake up, drive back to air port, fly to Lisbon then drive two hours here. And it was all worth it. Four lousy days.
Perhaps I should begin at the beginning...the wehlies have done this many times but always at times we were not here. This time they changed it so we could come. Thomas was not sure if F would like it..so he signed up for only a few days. (Bad move)
We flew on Turkish air to Izmir...and are met at the airport by the captain. The captain is something out of central casting....a hunky, sunburnt Dutchman.. Born in August (we arrived on his birthday)...huge hands, tiny ankles, swears easily and convincingly, looks grumpy until the wind blows, then he looks like a little kid in front of a birthday cake. Reminded me so much of CAB that I virtually tried to hold his hand. He didn't seem to mind. I think he is used to people losing their mind over him and this boat. It is a 100 foot sailboat, a 12 million Euro number that has a retractable keel so you can get into shallow little amazing coves with Greek ruins to wander in after your swim. It is too much. Plus there is this cook on board that is so good it is crazy. Produces dishes-scallops, lamb, souffle, all in a tiny galley. He is perhaps the shyest man I have ever met, so of course I followed him around, demanding he be my friend. Thomas said I scared him.
So we get on, litle canapes of salmon and caviar and champagne and cake for the captain's birthday. Then he says (because it is late afternoon) lets go to Samos. And we go. Sails are enormous, crew is rushing around, and we haul ass outta there. It makes you want to be a pirate. God why not?! who needs land? F and thomas and I are beside ourselves....I tell the captain that this sensation of not having to do anything on a sail boat is new to me. He tells me: enjoy.
So we sail for perhaps an hour, arrive at Samos where there is a tiny white church and a tiny village and Turquoise waters and after a swim, Alex (Dorothea's husband) tells me to ask the Captain about Somali pirates. It seems he takes this from the Med to the Seychelles and he has to contend with Somalia. So he gets a bunch of guns, kicks any women crew off the ship, asks if anyone objects to perhaps shooting at some pirates, and goes. He tells us, in a tone more like a person who is dealing with the mildest of annoyances..that he sees the boat approach filled with pirates who want to kidnap him and demand a ransom, and he has put barbed wire on the sides of the boat, and they point-i am not making this up-bazookas at him...but he says: Dese Fukers dont wan to hurt de boat...I am not fraid of dese people....so we poin rifles at Dem and, they follow me for tree hours. Such a pain in the ass... Sorry, captain, I say..you had bazookas pointed at you? yea.... Told the crew if the pirates should shoot, they should "shoot and kep shooting". The owner is some importer of garden furniture (yes, people....get going...forget banking) who wants none of this..but is willing to close his eyes and have Lloyds deal with it. So by now Thomas and I have both fallen in love with him and are counting on our fingers to 12 million to see how much leverage will get us to figthing pirates while eating caviar.
Our crew is a beautiful Turkish woman who brings us food and drink any time of day; two Turkish men who help sail, and Ralph the cook. The 2 Turkish men help sail, but they also clean, serve, and perhaps most endearing of all..life guard. Mustafa takes a broom when we are anchored and swimming and wanders around the boat making sure all are above water. But it is all very casual so as not to embarrass us.
When we want, we are driven to shore by the little motor boat and go to unreal Greek ruins. It is really hot, but it is so amazing, no one cares. Then back to the heaven of the boat and our incredibly busy important lives.
The last night (for us) we go ashore with the crew..(normally they eat alone in their part of the boat.) And this was perhaps the most romantic night of all time. Lights of the town (daca) as we drink champagne on board, then go to the retaurant by the water and the captain tells us stories...like how his one child was almost born on a ship, and his wife left him very soon after that, having lost all interest in sailing. At first they split custody: two weeks each. There are side boards on the boat, so the baby (baby) is loose crawling around on the boat...with, as he explains, deck hands looking after him, then into port, again with nanny deckhands and he says it all worked perfectly until school started age 6. So damn cute. And we agree that school is such a problem. ruins everything.
We take F home early, and Dorothea, Alex and crew stay out until a respectable 3 am and in the moring we are off. But it is horrible. We get to beloved, wonderful Portugal and it is now what would have been my father's 75 birthday, and when i was a kid, he and I went out on the Bay to see boats like these when they came to SF for the Big boat series, and I order something in a restaurant and it comes, and I burst into tears. so sad. the worst end of summer camp blues ever.
Good news is, is seems to be good for the ol tennis and golf....am hitting the crap out of the ball. Must be the hunger.
Perhaps I should begin at the beginning...the wehlies have done this many times but always at times we were not here. This time they changed it so we could come. Thomas was not sure if F would like it..so he signed up for only a few days. (Bad move)
We flew on Turkish air to Izmir...and are met at the airport by the captain. The captain is something out of central casting....a hunky, sunburnt Dutchman.. Born in August (we arrived on his birthday)...huge hands, tiny ankles, swears easily and convincingly, looks grumpy until the wind blows, then he looks like a little kid in front of a birthday cake. Reminded me so much of CAB that I virtually tried to hold his hand. He didn't seem to mind. I think he is used to people losing their mind over him and this boat. It is a 100 foot sailboat, a 12 million Euro number that has a retractable keel so you can get into shallow little amazing coves with Greek ruins to wander in after your swim. It is too much. Plus there is this cook on board that is so good it is crazy. Produces dishes-scallops, lamb, souffle, all in a tiny galley. He is perhaps the shyest man I have ever met, so of course I followed him around, demanding he be my friend. Thomas said I scared him.
So we get on, litle canapes of salmon and caviar and champagne and cake for the captain's birthday. Then he says (because it is late afternoon) lets go to Samos. And we go. Sails are enormous, crew is rushing around, and we haul ass outta there. It makes you want to be a pirate. God why not?! who needs land? F and thomas and I are beside ourselves....I tell the captain that this sensation of not having to do anything on a sail boat is new to me. He tells me: enjoy.
So we sail for perhaps an hour, arrive at Samos where there is a tiny white church and a tiny village and Turquoise waters and after a swim, Alex (Dorothea's husband) tells me to ask the Captain about Somali pirates. It seems he takes this from the Med to the Seychelles and he has to contend with Somalia. So he gets a bunch of guns, kicks any women crew off the ship, asks if anyone objects to perhaps shooting at some pirates, and goes. He tells us, in a tone more like a person who is dealing with the mildest of annoyances..that he sees the boat approach filled with pirates who want to kidnap him and demand a ransom, and he has put barbed wire on the sides of the boat, and they point-i am not making this up-bazookas at him...but he says: Dese Fukers dont wan to hurt de boat...I am not fraid of dese people....so we poin rifles at Dem and, they follow me for tree hours. Such a pain in the ass... Sorry, captain, I say..you had bazookas pointed at you? yea.... Told the crew if the pirates should shoot, they should "shoot and kep shooting". The owner is some importer of garden furniture (yes, people....get going...forget banking) who wants none of this..but is willing to close his eyes and have Lloyds deal with it. So by now Thomas and I have both fallen in love with him and are counting on our fingers to 12 million to see how much leverage will get us to figthing pirates while eating caviar.
Our crew is a beautiful Turkish woman who brings us food and drink any time of day; two Turkish men who help sail, and Ralph the cook. The 2 Turkish men help sail, but they also clean, serve, and perhaps most endearing of all..life guard. Mustafa takes a broom when we are anchored and swimming and wanders around the boat making sure all are above water. But it is all very casual so as not to embarrass us.
When we want, we are driven to shore by the little motor boat and go to unreal Greek ruins. It is really hot, but it is so amazing, no one cares. Then back to the heaven of the boat and our incredibly busy important lives.
The last night (for us) we go ashore with the crew..(normally they eat alone in their part of the boat.) And this was perhaps the most romantic night of all time. Lights of the town (daca) as we drink champagne on board, then go to the retaurant by the water and the captain tells us stories...like how his one child was almost born on a ship, and his wife left him very soon after that, having lost all interest in sailing. At first they split custody: two weeks each. There are side boards on the boat, so the baby (baby) is loose crawling around on the boat...with, as he explains, deck hands looking after him, then into port, again with nanny deckhands and he says it all worked perfectly until school started age 6. So damn cute. And we agree that school is such a problem. ruins everything.
We take F home early, and Dorothea, Alex and crew stay out until a respectable 3 am and in the moring we are off. But it is horrible. We get to beloved, wonderful Portugal and it is now what would have been my father's 75 birthday, and when i was a kid, he and I went out on the Bay to see boats like these when they came to SF for the Big boat series, and I order something in a restaurant and it comes, and I burst into tears. so sad. the worst end of summer camp blues ever.
Good news is, is seems to be good for the ol tennis and golf....am hitting the crap out of the ball. Must be the hunger.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Here I am!
Sorry people....where were we? Well tomorrow we fly to Turkey and sail around the Mediterranean for five days viewing ruins and having a swim. I will be without computer, so you will have to wait for details. There are apparently five crew..including a German cook and as my brother in law says, a large Turk whose job is everything. I am going to try to get him in my Christmas card.
We had such a long stay in Lech, it feels really odd to be down here at sea level. We are flirting with depression over it.
I never wrote about the party I "gave" for Katia...at her house of course. In short, I tried to find a private chef to make her an inside joke cheese soufflé and alas these do not exist there. But, we wandered in one night and standing before me was a gay, fabulous with big F friend of theirs..just moved back from America and London to...Zug! yes, Elmar's neighbor. I cannot emphasize how bizarre that is....This guy, from Zug. Apparently, he finally told his parents about being gay and they were like all farming types: pretty blasé about sex.... They see plenty of gay cows, but I will not go into details here..as this is a family blog. So he is back, and yes social life is sloooower than NYC where he says in four years he stayed home: once.
He can count the number of gay lech people on his hands. Anyway, I pounced when I saw him salting without asking katia's soup. K told me he could cook. Soufflé? I asked. Sure he said. So for a few bottles of champagne, he did it. Then I imported cointreu (sp?)from friends (Sarah and Israel) visiting from France. And avocados. Presto: first course tequilla, second course, who cares.
My chef (Gerald-not to be confused with Gerold) was a wreck at 5 p.m. when we arrived to chop avocados...so shots all around just to steady the nerves. Then Gerald and I proceeded to congratulate ourselves on handling the stress so well, while Katia's sister, (Dagmar), and Sarah and Israel did all the work. Long story short I was blotto..snorting things out of my nose...water...on people I did not really know....throwing things at Gerold's head, dipping flowers into my drink and sucking it...oh the list is long and horrible. Katia was calling me Margarite all night. Apparently. But I alone never heard. Left with husband and child at 1 30 a.m.
Good news is I learned the expression for Top form. As in ellie was...last night.
Back Sunday night tan and fat. Portugal on Monday. XO
We had such a long stay in Lech, it feels really odd to be down here at sea level. We are flirting with depression over it.
I never wrote about the party I "gave" for Katia...at her house of course. In short, I tried to find a private chef to make her an inside joke cheese soufflé and alas these do not exist there. But, we wandered in one night and standing before me was a gay, fabulous with big F friend of theirs..just moved back from America and London to...Zug! yes, Elmar's neighbor. I cannot emphasize how bizarre that is....This guy, from Zug. Apparently, he finally told his parents about being gay and they were like all farming types: pretty blasé about sex.... They see plenty of gay cows, but I will not go into details here..as this is a family blog. So he is back, and yes social life is sloooower than NYC where he says in four years he stayed home: once.
He can count the number of gay lech people on his hands. Anyway, I pounced when I saw him salting without asking katia's soup. K told me he could cook. Soufflé? I asked. Sure he said. So for a few bottles of champagne, he did it. Then I imported cointreu (sp?)from friends (Sarah and Israel) visiting from France. And avocados. Presto: first course tequilla, second course, who cares.
My chef (Gerald-not to be confused with Gerold) was a wreck at 5 p.m. when we arrived to chop avocados...so shots all around just to steady the nerves. Then Gerald and I proceeded to congratulate ourselves on handling the stress so well, while Katia's sister, (Dagmar), and Sarah and Israel did all the work. Long story short I was blotto..snorting things out of my nose...water...on people I did not really know....throwing things at Gerold's head, dipping flowers into my drink and sucking it...oh the list is long and horrible. Katia was calling me Margarite all night. Apparently. But I alone never heard. Left with husband and child at 1 30 a.m.
Good news is I learned the expression for Top form. As in ellie was...last night.
Back Sunday night tan and fat. Portugal on Monday. XO
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Elmar
Went on pilgrimage to Elmar S.'s barn/family compound. (Yes, S same last name as Gerold; .he and G are second cousins.) Hard to really explain his role in Thomas' life: they met when Thomas was a teenager and Elmar not much older, so it has been a hell of a long time-30 years-and yet, only a few weeks per year. Thomas thought himself the world's greatest skier when he came here, but Elmar, quite simply, taught him to ski. The Wehlens adore Elmar, because he has kept their sons safe, as do I even though I do not know him. I have given him these goofy looks of awe for years, and I believe he must think I am slightly off.
When they met, Elmar and his brothers had done a few too many back flips off a barn and his back was tweaked. So rather than train for ski racing, he landed the coveted but terrible role of taking the 1A class out six days a week. The difference between 1a and 1b is basically the hiking and the impatient attitude shown toward any slow pokes. Michael Wehlen did a 1b and thought that was too aggressive and he skis nicely as they say around here. My downstairs neighbor in SF has a son, grew up in Tahoe, came and did a 1B and said it was the most miserable experience of his life...And 1a people are even more uptight and competitive. So Elmar has to hike these people up through the snow at altitude carrying skis to remote spots and ski down. But the upside is they get to go out first so the best snow is for them. Every year in Lech people die in avalanches-to my knowledge no one ever did with Elmar's group and he did it for an unheard of 15 years.
I have seen this group only a few times in all these years-they leave early and go far away- but once I saw them on a regular run (piste) where they never go, they were in transit and it was early morning and I swear I almost missed them, they were that fast. it is not like you think: short wedel-ly turns; Short turns are slower, and no fun g forces-instead it is very very few enormous curving turns from top to bottom which means more time flying straight down. And it was this perfect line of 8 people one behind the other, like a ballet. It was spellbinding. We don't have this in the states: really good skiers hire guides, there isn't a ski class for them..so you never see this group at this speed.
Another time I saw them rushing through town, Thomas and Elmar with a rope. A rope? To lower them down somewhere. But I have never been nervous about Thomas skiing with him. He is soooo serious, and this is all he knows: every single bump on every single part of these mountains. He has these really dark eyes that bore into you, and when he shakes your hand, it kind of hurts.
But it seems the thing he really loves is farming...he is a dairy farmer...subsidized by the government that wants farmers around, especially in the alps, so they basically pay him to do it. In the winter he has to do it in addition to the skiing..so he is the fittest person around...farming at 4 30 am, then hiking for 6 hours, then more taking care of the cows.
Anyway, we went over to say hey.
His wife and 2 daughters were away..pity, the girls are bookends to Frederick: ages 7 and 9 so it was Elmar and the girls (the chewing on the cud kind) in the barn. His house is a beautiful not so little Austrian number smack in the middle of paradise. It is in Zug, the town over from Lech...on a river, surrounded by these mountains-they are really close like enormous green body guards to his little family. In the winter it is completely silent except for the river which I have many times confused with a freeway (so sad) and best of all, when there is a full moon on the snow, it looks like heaven-all white and light enough to read by. incredible.
Next door lives another brother (there are three brothers and a sister in exact same order as Brigham clan)..sister married Austrian ski racer and lives another town over, other brothers have been alternatively mayor, head of ski school, head of kids ski school, avalanche dynamite-er and more. But none of them wanted to do this farming. He told Thomas he really couldn't imagine doing anything else. Even though it is so hard, he can't go out to dinner..he has to milk the cows, and can't travel. Not that he wants to...never did. He says the world visits him. (true). So here he stays, manual labor, tiny little clan of people he loves, respect of his entire town; manageable stress, lots of topfenstrudel.
It is such a stark comparison to this crew of people who visited here who were richer, have way more free time, and are 10 times more miserable. I really don't know if it is the altitude, or acceptance or
what-but he should bottle it.
He toured us around, giggled at Frederick, asked him if he could ski yet, told us his daughters were into someone called Hanna Montana, said he makes them hang around the barn so they would know what he did, but does not make them work..just wants them to know it.
We are not the only ones who love him: he has a rather fancy range rover for touring his fields that some German titan of industry gave him, and of course Thomas and I will be sending so much Hanna Montana crap his daughters will be able to open a store.
I am probably attached to him because he lives the kind of life my father would have loved: farm, family all around, large pieces of meat for dinner. All you need really.
When they met, Elmar and his brothers had done a few too many back flips off a barn and his back was tweaked. So rather than train for ski racing, he landed the coveted but terrible role of taking the 1A class out six days a week. The difference between 1a and 1b is basically the hiking and the impatient attitude shown toward any slow pokes. Michael Wehlen did a 1b and thought that was too aggressive and he skis nicely as they say around here. My downstairs neighbor in SF has a son, grew up in Tahoe, came and did a 1B and said it was the most miserable experience of his life...And 1a people are even more uptight and competitive. So Elmar has to hike these people up through the snow at altitude carrying skis to remote spots and ski down. But the upside is they get to go out first so the best snow is for them. Every year in Lech people die in avalanches-to my knowledge no one ever did with Elmar's group and he did it for an unheard of 15 years.
I have seen this group only a few times in all these years-they leave early and go far away- but once I saw them on a regular run (piste) where they never go, they were in transit and it was early morning and I swear I almost missed them, they were that fast. it is not like you think: short wedel-ly turns; Short turns are slower, and no fun g forces-instead it is very very few enormous curving turns from top to bottom which means more time flying straight down. And it was this perfect line of 8 people one behind the other, like a ballet. It was spellbinding. We don't have this in the states: really good skiers hire guides, there isn't a ski class for them..so you never see this group at this speed.
Another time I saw them rushing through town, Thomas and Elmar with a rope. A rope? To lower them down somewhere. But I have never been nervous about Thomas skiing with him. He is soooo serious, and this is all he knows: every single bump on every single part of these mountains. He has these really dark eyes that bore into you, and when he shakes your hand, it kind of hurts.
But it seems the thing he really loves is farming...he is a dairy farmer...subsidized by the government that wants farmers around, especially in the alps, so they basically pay him to do it. In the winter he has to do it in addition to the skiing..so he is the fittest person around...farming at 4 30 am, then hiking for 6 hours, then more taking care of the cows.
Anyway, we went over to say hey.
His wife and 2 daughters were away..pity, the girls are bookends to Frederick: ages 7 and 9 so it was Elmar and the girls (the chewing on the cud kind) in the barn. His house is a beautiful not so little Austrian number smack in the middle of paradise. It is in Zug, the town over from Lech...on a river, surrounded by these mountains-they are really close like enormous green body guards to his little family. In the winter it is completely silent except for the river which I have many times confused with a freeway (so sad) and best of all, when there is a full moon on the snow, it looks like heaven-all white and light enough to read by. incredible.
Next door lives another brother (there are three brothers and a sister in exact same order as Brigham clan)..sister married Austrian ski racer and lives another town over, other brothers have been alternatively mayor, head of ski school, head of kids ski school, avalanche dynamite-er and more. But none of them wanted to do this farming. He told Thomas he really couldn't imagine doing anything else. Even though it is so hard, he can't go out to dinner..he has to milk the cows, and can't travel. Not that he wants to...never did. He says the world visits him. (true). So here he stays, manual labor, tiny little clan of people he loves, respect of his entire town; manageable stress, lots of topfenstrudel.
It is such a stark comparison to this crew of people who visited here who were richer, have way more free time, and are 10 times more miserable. I really don't know if it is the altitude, or acceptance or
what-but he should bottle it.
He toured us around, giggled at Frederick, asked him if he could ski yet, told us his daughters were into someone called Hanna Montana, said he makes them hang around the barn so they would know what he did, but does not make them work..just wants them to know it.
We are not the only ones who love him: he has a rather fancy range rover for touring his fields that some German titan of industry gave him, and of course Thomas and I will be sending so much Hanna Montana crap his daughters will be able to open a store.
I am probably attached to him because he lives the kind of life my father would have loved: farm, family all around, large pieces of meat for dinner. All you need really.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Food glorious Food
Forget every nice thing I said about the mountains..it snowed, really snowed here. Frederick was beside himself with joy. Snowball fights with the Swiss kid (adorable) who owns a holiday apartment in the building.
Today is warm and tomorrow should be warmer still.
tomorrow night we go to dinner chez Schneider. Frau Schneider herself will be there (she lives, in summer in Salzburg and Tuscany, only visiting here occasionally). So far, Katia has made us leg of veal (outstanding) cream of celery soup, beetroot soup, (amazing) creamy mushrooms and Knödel, pasta carbonara, pasta with ginger, herb salad, lamb something, Aubergine mousse, and she threatened to make rabbit.(we admitted there was absolutely no way) Every night there is a cheese course, and a tort with fruit from the tree of a fabulous friend in France(FFF). And somehow she is never, ever distracted or stressed and the kitchen is always clean. Also she once came home 2 minutes after we got there after having been on a hike with Ida and she was wearing a funky purplish leather skirt with the seams showing, a turtleneck sweater and hiking boots...put on an apron, talked to me while she was swinging around the leg of some animal, got us drinks, and made us laugh.
They do not let you, I really mean this, lift a finger...not allowed to clear a plate, pour wine, nothing but unfold your own napkin. Thomas protests and she tells him to behave himself and be a good guest.
I however have taken to it like a duck to water (I am after all Kathy Harper's niece) and now allow them to feed me whenever they want. The problem is there is absolutely no way to reciprocate: there is nothing to buy in town, and if your last name is not Schneider you will not get the right cuts of meat, or cheese or anything.
I plan to bring some gum and some nail polish remover tomorrow as hostess gift.
Thomas will perform an interpretive dance.
Laugh not. We are out of ideas on what to do for these people. You cannot mention anything without them fixing it.
Tomorrow lentils and chicken and god knows. Here is an interesting statistic. Thomas has this horrible watch that tells you how high you have climbed, heart rate, and calories burned. It is not unusual for me to burn 1000-1500 calories on a walk. And, yet my pants are all tight. Got to be water retention.
Bad news on pictures...brought wrong cable from home...will keep trying but no pictures for moment to download. Arrrrrgh,
Today is warm and tomorrow should be warmer still.
tomorrow night we go to dinner chez Schneider. Frau Schneider herself will be there (she lives, in summer in Salzburg and Tuscany, only visiting here occasionally). So far, Katia has made us leg of veal (outstanding) cream of celery soup, beetroot soup, (amazing) creamy mushrooms and Knödel, pasta carbonara, pasta with ginger, herb salad, lamb something, Aubergine mousse, and she threatened to make rabbit.(we admitted there was absolutely no way) Every night there is a cheese course, and a tort with fruit from the tree of a fabulous friend in France(FFF). And somehow she is never, ever distracted or stressed and the kitchen is always clean. Also she once came home 2 minutes after we got there after having been on a hike with Ida and she was wearing a funky purplish leather skirt with the seams showing, a turtleneck sweater and hiking boots...put on an apron, talked to me while she was swinging around the leg of some animal, got us drinks, and made us laugh.
They do not let you, I really mean this, lift a finger...not allowed to clear a plate, pour wine, nothing but unfold your own napkin. Thomas protests and she tells him to behave himself and be a good guest.
I however have taken to it like a duck to water (I am after all Kathy Harper's niece) and now allow them to feed me whenever they want. The problem is there is absolutely no way to reciprocate: there is nothing to buy in town, and if your last name is not Schneider you will not get the right cuts of meat, or cheese or anything.
I plan to bring some gum and some nail polish remover tomorrow as hostess gift.
Thomas will perform an interpretive dance.
Laugh not. We are out of ideas on what to do for these people. You cannot mention anything without them fixing it.
Tomorrow lentils and chicken and god knows. Here is an interesting statistic. Thomas has this horrible watch that tells you how high you have climbed, heart rate, and calories burned. It is not unusual for me to burn 1000-1500 calories on a walk. And, yet my pants are all tight. Got to be water retention.
Bad news on pictures...brought wrong cable from home...will keep trying but no pictures for moment to download. Arrrrrgh,
Friday, July 17, 2009
Summer 2009
OK people...no more individual emails..they are way less efficient than Le blog, which I might point out No One seemed to miss. But here it is!!!
Greetings from the mountain top. We are in good ol faithful Lech. This year we are in an apartment higher up on the mountain so the view is quite spectacular. I will try to get some pictures of this thing. It is like a movie, watching the weather change....this summer has been low on the sunshine, so there is a lot to watch: fog, rain, wind, lightening, all this with a wood burning fireplace. not bad.
Frederick is having a time I tell ya...gets to tag along with Luis Schneider, the scion of the family that owns the Hotel Alhmof, where we stay in winter. But way more on them later.
Frederick goes to the little town kids club for tourists where they are let loose on the town for scavenger hunts, rock climbing, swimming, and various moutain-y activities.
Thomas and I hike up and down and up and down. We have developed a routine similar to the trajectory of an opera: it starts slow, and the characters look good and fresh. But from here it deteriorates quickly, to the steepest, most miserable point on the walk where one begins to loathe the person who brought her there and decide to take action. (poison comes to mind) i find a tiny infraction...fume about it..and rush up the mountain to Thomas to "share" my feelings. Last time I felt he had mentioned his (gold medal winning) ex girlfriend in a comparative way that I did not appreciate ...like he was hinting I sucked at this. It was all perfectly obvious.
Poor man. (I am anything if not predictable). He takes his cue, murmurs words of apology and hands me lemonade. And then I look up and look at my watch and see the view, and see it really hasn't been that long and I just about burst into an aria. It is so god damn beautiful. But as happy and relieved as I am, I am more chastened-really, pouting like this in front of the mountains. They are the main character in this drama....stoic, noble, endlessly patient. They listen to all our crap...all the silliness and flightiness of humans. They stay (mostly) still and listen. I know they are supposed to be dangerous; But I don't see it that way..it's the wind and the cold that kill us. If you think about it, the mountains have to endure the cold as well. They just do it better than we do.
So I get my act together and Thomas and I walk happily together to the top. Strangely, it is at the end that I often have the most energy. Sometimes we even run down the parts that are not too steep....and it is absolutely the best- the yellow of the egg as the Austrians say. It defies description... like flying but better. My legs are so tired, but they can't be contained...because they are giddy to fall spastically, joyfully downhill, down toward this beloved little town. We have been known to woop like little kids past cows and mountain goats and serious farmers..down down toward the church steeple.
And the mountain watches. And maybe cracks just a little smile.
Pictures soon!
Greetings from the mountain top. We are in good ol faithful Lech. This year we are in an apartment higher up on the mountain so the view is quite spectacular. I will try to get some pictures of this thing. It is like a movie, watching the weather change....this summer has been low on the sunshine, so there is a lot to watch: fog, rain, wind, lightening, all this with a wood burning fireplace. not bad.
Frederick is having a time I tell ya...gets to tag along with Luis Schneider, the scion of the family that owns the Hotel Alhmof, where we stay in winter. But way more on them later.
Frederick goes to the little town kids club for tourists where they are let loose on the town for scavenger hunts, rock climbing, swimming, and various moutain-y activities.
Thomas and I hike up and down and up and down. We have developed a routine similar to the trajectory of an opera: it starts slow, and the characters look good and fresh. But from here it deteriorates quickly, to the steepest, most miserable point on the walk where one begins to loathe the person who brought her there and decide to take action. (poison comes to mind) i find a tiny infraction...fume about it..and rush up the mountain to Thomas to "share" my feelings. Last time I felt he had mentioned his (gold medal winning) ex girlfriend in a comparative way that I did not appreciate ...like he was hinting I sucked at this. It was all perfectly obvious.
Poor man. (I am anything if not predictable). He takes his cue, murmurs words of apology and hands me lemonade. And then I look up and look at my watch and see the view, and see it really hasn't been that long and I just about burst into an aria. It is so god damn beautiful. But as happy and relieved as I am, I am more chastened-really, pouting like this in front of the mountains. They are the main character in this drama....stoic, noble, endlessly patient. They listen to all our crap...all the silliness and flightiness of humans. They stay (mostly) still and listen. I know they are supposed to be dangerous; But I don't see it that way..it's the wind and the cold that kill us. If you think about it, the mountains have to endure the cold as well. They just do it better than we do.
So I get my act together and Thomas and I walk happily together to the top. Strangely, it is at the end that I often have the most energy. Sometimes we even run down the parts that are not too steep....and it is absolutely the best- the yellow of the egg as the Austrians say. It defies description... like flying but better. My legs are so tired, but they can't be contained...because they are giddy to fall spastically, joyfully downhill, down toward this beloved little town. We have been known to woop like little kids past cows and mountain goats and serious farmers..down down toward the church steeple.
And the mountain watches. And maybe cracks just a little smile.
Pictures soon!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Last Italy
Blueberry (keep in mind that the woman in the background is not pale. She was the tannest person I ever saw before him)
Vittoria photographed by chico
F in pool with Vittoria and El
Eloisa on the boat back from the beach
Thomas pretending to take picture of Eloise and me but really it is a photo of the Russians...
I thought I would be a better blogger with Eloise here because there are amusing things that happen with her around. But we have had nary a moment.
Fs first date was so romantic I actually started to panic...(where are they!?) He literally washed himself top to bottom for a half an hour and after all day in the sea he wasn't that dirty. His face was red from soccer and then his body was white from all the cream he put on and he was worried about how to switch it..to get his face more white and his body less.
Anyway he put on what he felt was his best outfit and we went out. Sun is sinking- bellinis have started..he is on a bridge that connects part of the hotel. Vittoria comes up..he sees her. We see him seeing her. He leans over the rail and says HI!!! and they actually run toward each other. El and I are transfixed. Neither of us can remember such a romantic moment in our combined love lives. They disappear, and I begin to think..what have we done?? are they kissing??! so i go to look and they are on the stairs looking at her little white nintendo..too chic, no pink for her. She eats with her family, and F with us, and afterward they sit primly watching the game- her with white purse in her lap..quiet talking..little laughing until her mother comes at half time to take cinderella away.
While I was watching..I may have been talking but very quietly I swear...a Dutchman..yells at me like I have spilled something on his head, then rubbed it in...This is a soccer game!!!! I felt like saying..very good! this is a chair! what else do you know? He is now officially called Nemy as in nemesis. He wears the new, ridiculous polo shirts with the Huge horse and rider on it..laughable. I tell El and Thomas: perfect..a huge horses ass.
The french mother killed us by having coffee with 2 blond friends. El and i were crushed. We wanted to be her blond friends! They were having a good old time..cigarettes and espresso and fast Italian.
The look by the pool is still what I would call the salamander: zero body fat, black skin, no boobs, no clothes. some are french and some are Italian but there are virtually indistinguishable..I suppose that is what they say about us.
We have taken the Brilliant step of enlisting chico as paparazzo. we give him the camera and tell him to take pictures of certain people. It was all fine until I said if he could get a close up of Blueberry I would give him a chocolate ice cream. In part horror show, part absolute comedy he goes over in exaggerated tip toe, drops to his knees like a marine crawling on his elbows then appears to our chagrin at blueberry's head. We are laughing so hard we cannot think about how to control the situation and Thomas is irritated that we have done this and poor tan man is going to get mad. But he got a pretty good shot that I have hopefully downloaded. It appears he is american, topless wife is Italian and they spend 2 months here at this hotel. At night he literally disappears he is so tan. cheshire cat like
The picture of Vittoria was taken by Chico. so it shows her little delight at being photographed by him..woman in gray is Madame the mother.
We had dinner with Dorothea's (Italian) father in law and of course he fell for El and gave her his card and said: Any cugina of Dorothea's sister in law is my cugina too! So any time you are in capri you call! I told him she was single and any ol russian would do. I also warned him she had a lot of friends so he should be careful with the invitations. He said: I donna care! 30 people I can feed!
She has fallen slightly for the concierge who is the brother of our babysitter and looks like Clark Kent. Very polite and i think on to our schemes as we waited patiently for him to get off the phone so we could ask for an envelope. The other
Concierges were wondering why we didn't think they were up to the job.
We all went to the airport together and El had to rush off to her slightly earlier flight. It was like having a rock star around then losing her. The Wehlens actually said..well maybe if we hurry we can check in and then get to her gate to say goodbye again. Hurry! so sweet.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Greetings from the Cala di Volpe where I am in the pleasant company of Eloise, and scattered Euros awaiting dinner. Here is Eloise with a few words:
Traveling with Ellie and Thomas is as you can imagine: perfect. Not a worry in the world, always a little action, perfect food, sun, drama and romance. I will let Ellie explain to you all about Fredericks future wife, the handsome sailors who they are trying to send me off with, and adventures we have had as we look at the Smerldera Coast, sipping our proseco.
Where to start. El has caused a bit of a stir here with the wait staff. She has some competition for queen around the pool. Actually only one: A French model with 2 kids who speaks Italian and English. She is your worst nightmare...we have not seen her put one calorie in her mouth and we have been watching. She smokes and drinks Bellinis and wears gray..our side is of course larger and blonder and in various tropical colors with better teeth. The thing that has brought us together is that F and the daughter, Vittoria have struck up a tiny friendship...they play together at the kids' zone and she kills us by somehow liking him...She is very sophisticated, wears no bathing suit top and asks him: where you a- go? when he leaves the pool.
Eloise and I witnessed this episode: F was finally allowed to stay up for dinner and he saw her at the dessert table and sidled up to her and said provakatively: water balloon fight? (they have these at the zone) and then went over to the cake table and said: cake fight? somehow it was funny..she smiled with delight at his back as he walked away, and we witnessed the whole thing. The mother is ravishing and wears her hair in a low chignon at night, and down in the day in her black bikini. She does not talk to us, but we of course act like Texans : our children are friends!!! lets be friends!!!
She does not, yet, appear to want to be friends.
Ok food: Lunch is a scene ..the "women who are being supported by older men category". Unbelievable. the disparity between bodies is shocking. Hers: tiny, topless in sheer top at lunch. topless in sheer top at lunch you heard me. they get good tables. believe me and tan tan tan. Rosé wine at lunch as well....His: tan tan tan old old old. Happy happy happy. But El and I cannot figure it out The bathrobes are not that fluffy at this hotel. How could it be worth it?
Eloise would like me to add the following. His: large nose, round faced, large stomach..inching towards 80.
I think the women in this group have a support group that meets at 10 by the pool.
Cocktail hour (right now) El says it is best time of day. true. Light is beautiful. The French goddess looks good. One orders a bellini..and this is what happens. Little Italian elves come with olives (whatever) tuna with mayo (can't explain ...it is reeellly good) guacamole, and mini pizzas...and chips. It is heaven. It is all that you ever needed.
Dinner: armies of waiters in black and everyone decked out to high heaven and a buffett line for the anti pasti.....Eloise and I have gone every night and every night have forgotten that people go from right to left down the enormous table..as we swim like giant salmon up stream.."scusi scusi", then finally, the light goes on OOOHHH! we are going the wrong way!! hah hah. It is fun to be American and expected to be loud and gay. And we are very loud and gay. Everything is very funny after all that tuna.
We took Eloise to show her the boats..that is the center of the scene here. Best way to show off is to buy a big boat and best of that is to buy a big racing boat and fill it to the brim with very hunky Aussies and New Zealanders in shirts with the name of your boat. We were struck dumb: by the men and the boat. They were, having likely crossed the atlantic in this thing without much comfort (need minimal weight), highly intrigued by Eloise and when she approached their Heineken hospitality tent they circled..bar here, meeting there, must come lots of white teeth and tan feet.
Eloise writing to you now: Fredericks skills as a highly skilled romancing machine are very clear at the shy age of seven...Ellie is modest....the young and beautiful Vittoria is practically chasing frederick around the Cala di Volpe, Vittoria, Frederick, and I spent part of the afternnon in the pool together... F immediately had V laughing in hysterics and then quickly decided he had had enough and was out of the pool in a flash leaving V wanting more. Fast forward to drinks by the harbor (the best time of the day) and there was the beautiful V asking again for F (he had clearly made an impression.) Ellie blew her poor sons cover telling the cool Italian V with a 10pm bedtime that unfortunately her son was in his blue pajamas but would be walking to grandparents house across the way ... V, in a move that shocked us all, took sister and babysitter to grandparents room waiting outside. F arrived. Did not stop. Waved like a pro. and sauntered inside. Such a lady killer.
Ellie again:
Have decided to outline the cast:
Wildly tan older perhaps celebrity of some kind, Italian with younger paramour with no top and horrible voice Eloise calls him the blueberry because at night his tan turns purple
Hat-shit crazy german: woman who.god how to explain??!! she wears different versions of the same thing..something you would wear to a wedding with huge flowered hat
Tomorrow we will send pictures of those two...sorry about the typos..must rush to dinner early and the soccer game. F has an actual date with V tonight..rubbed shower gel and cream all over (told me he "concentrated on areas people would see..so he did not wash his shoulders") he has finally totally realized what is happening and is awaiting me to put gel in his hair.
Traveling with Ellie and Thomas is as you can imagine: perfect. Not a worry in the world, always a little action, perfect food, sun, drama and romance. I will let Ellie explain to you all about Fredericks future wife, the handsome sailors who they are trying to send me off with, and adventures we have had as we look at the Smerldera Coast, sipping our proseco.
Where to start. El has caused a bit of a stir here with the wait staff. She has some competition for queen around the pool. Actually only one: A French model with 2 kids who speaks Italian and English. She is your worst nightmare...we have not seen her put one calorie in her mouth and we have been watching. She smokes and drinks Bellinis and wears gray..our side is of course larger and blonder and in various tropical colors with better teeth. The thing that has brought us together is that F and the daughter, Vittoria have struck up a tiny friendship...they play together at the kids' zone and she kills us by somehow liking him...She is very sophisticated, wears no bathing suit top and asks him: where you a- go? when he leaves the pool.
Eloise and I witnessed this episode: F was finally allowed to stay up for dinner and he saw her at the dessert table and sidled up to her and said provakatively: water balloon fight? (they have these at the zone) and then went over to the cake table and said: cake fight? somehow it was funny..she smiled with delight at his back as he walked away, and we witnessed the whole thing. The mother is ravishing and wears her hair in a low chignon at night, and down in the day in her black bikini. She does not talk to us, but we of course act like Texans : our children are friends!!! lets be friends!!!
She does not, yet, appear to want to be friends.
Ok food: Lunch is a scene ..the "women who are being supported by older men category". Unbelievable. the disparity between bodies is shocking. Hers: tiny, topless in sheer top at lunch. topless in sheer top at lunch you heard me. they get good tables. believe me and tan tan tan. Rosé wine at lunch as well....His: tan tan tan old old old. Happy happy happy. But El and I cannot figure it out The bathrobes are not that fluffy at this hotel. How could it be worth it?
Eloise would like me to add the following. His: large nose, round faced, large stomach..inching towards 80.
I think the women in this group have a support group that meets at 10 by the pool.
Cocktail hour (right now) El says it is best time of day. true. Light is beautiful. The French goddess looks good. One orders a bellini..and this is what happens. Little Italian elves come with olives (whatever) tuna with mayo (can't explain ...it is reeellly good) guacamole, and mini pizzas...and chips. It is heaven. It is all that you ever needed.
Dinner: armies of waiters in black and everyone decked out to high heaven and a buffett line for the anti pasti.....Eloise and I have gone every night and every night have forgotten that people go from right to left down the enormous table..as we swim like giant salmon up stream.."scusi scusi", then finally, the light goes on OOOHHH! we are going the wrong way!! hah hah. It is fun to be American and expected to be loud and gay. And we are very loud and gay. Everything is very funny after all that tuna.
We took Eloise to show her the boats..that is the center of the scene here. Best way to show off is to buy a big boat and best of that is to buy a big racing boat and fill it to the brim with very hunky Aussies and New Zealanders in shirts with the name of your boat. We were struck dumb: by the men and the boat. They were, having likely crossed the atlantic in this thing without much comfort (need minimal weight), highly intrigued by Eloise and when she approached their Heineken hospitality tent they circled..bar here, meeting there, must come lots of white teeth and tan feet.
Eloise writing to you now: Fredericks skills as a highly skilled romancing machine are very clear at the shy age of seven...Ellie is modest....the young and beautiful Vittoria is practically chasing frederick around the Cala di Volpe, Vittoria, Frederick, and I spent part of the afternnon in the pool together... F immediately had V laughing in hysterics and then quickly decided he had had enough and was out of the pool in a flash leaving V wanting more. Fast forward to drinks by the harbor (the best time of the day) and there was the beautiful V asking again for F (he had clearly made an impression.) Ellie blew her poor sons cover telling the cool Italian V with a 10pm bedtime that unfortunately her son was in his blue pajamas but would be walking to grandparents house across the way ... V, in a move that shocked us all, took sister and babysitter to grandparents room waiting outside. F arrived. Did not stop. Waved like a pro. and sauntered inside. Such a lady killer.
Ellie again:
Have decided to outline the cast:
Wildly tan older perhaps celebrity of some kind, Italian with younger paramour with no top and horrible voice Eloise calls him the blueberry because at night his tan turns purple
Hat-shit crazy german: woman who.god how to explain??!! she wears different versions of the same thing..something you would wear to a wedding with huge flowered hat
Tomorrow we will send pictures of those two...sorry about the typos..must rush to dinner early and the soccer game. F has an actual date with V tonight..rubbed shower gel and cream all over (told me he "concentrated on areas people would see..so he did not wash his shoulders") he has finally totally realized what is happening and is awaiting me to put gel in his hair.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
More Italy
An alert blogger has asked why,given how much Thomas and I love Portugal, we could jump on the band wagon and root, whole hog, for Germany. Here's the thing: First, I cannot emphasize how this first quarter goal would have warmed the heart of any soccer crazed rabbi. One guy came around the outside while somehow using telepathy to tell some other guy in the middle to put on a turbo charger and he ran as fast as any person i have ever seen. I am not exaggerating, I have never seen a person run so fast..but it also was perfectly timed..because the guy on the outside KICKED the ball way ahead of him..all timed so the turbo charged guy would reach it at exactly the right time and kick it in. I'm telling you...every one who saw it was struck dumb. Before they started screaming. Second, if I could be a portuguese, dont you think I would? they are small boned and tan and quiet and they rise to greet each of their friends when they come to the table and kiss them. The entire group. Meanwhile, my people (and I say that because I have relatives with names like Augusta Schroeder and a kid with a german passport) are loud, blond, CRACK themselves up... and don't get up when their friends come unless their friend's big blond head is blocking the television. One cannot at serious times like the European championship pose as anything other than what one is. If I offered my rooting services to the Portuguese, it would be a little like the log cabin republicans...no one would be rude to my face, but the establishment would be hoping quietly that I go away. So. Onward Deutschland. Incredible game last night: watch out for the Turks!!! They had 30 seconds to score a goal, they did, then won on penalty kicks. Also they were losing last week 2 to zero, and came back and won.
Sunday night is Italy Spain. The waiters will be distracted I think...stay tuned.
It is Saturday and the pool is getting more interesting: more boob jobs with new boobs covered in sparkly tops. Group of very stout Russians whom we will refer to simply as bachelors A-Q for Eloise's perusal. Her arrival is imminent.
F is playing in the kids' fox zone, a new development here at the hotel..babysitters with soccer field and water balloon fights. He is in heaven. I can hear his voice across the pool. Right now though the only other kid in there is an Italian girl his age who says she speaks a leeetle English.
Eloise is here! resplendent in orange and everyone staring at her. Unfortunately the Russians were only here for lunch and left back into the sunset. Sad, the pool has never been more fun -they were yelling at each other across the pool then jumping in en masse to race each other..everyone in..grandfather who is seriously over weight, hot 40 year old father..children, nannies. You cannot imagine the commotion in a pool that has seen nary a customer for these past days. In background a group of all men was toasting shots of something clear. EL missed her future with that group.
I introduced El to the waiter: this is my cousin. And what a cousin she is!!! he said. And then he said a typical Italian thing...Complimenti! Like: kudos for the hot cousin!!! I thanked him..whatever.
Off to pizza evening...return tomorrow.
Sunday night is Italy Spain. The waiters will be distracted I think...stay tuned.
It is Saturday and the pool is getting more interesting: more boob jobs with new boobs covered in sparkly tops. Group of very stout Russians whom we will refer to simply as bachelors A-Q for Eloise's perusal. Her arrival is imminent.
F is playing in the kids' fox zone, a new development here at the hotel..babysitters with soccer field and water balloon fights. He is in heaven. I can hear his voice across the pool. Right now though the only other kid in there is an Italian girl his age who says she speaks a leeetle English.
Eloise is here! resplendent in orange and everyone staring at her. Unfortunately the Russians were only here for lunch and left back into the sunset. Sad, the pool has never been more fun -they were yelling at each other across the pool then jumping in en masse to race each other..everyone in..grandfather who is seriously over weight, hot 40 year old father..children, nannies. You cannot imagine the commotion in a pool that has seen nary a customer for these past days. In background a group of all men was toasting shots of something clear. EL missed her future with that group.
I introduced El to the waiter: this is my cousin. And what a cousin she is!!! he said. And then he said a typical Italian thing...Complimenti! Like: kudos for the hot cousin!!! I thanked him..whatever.
Off to pizza evening...return tomorrow.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Il Blogo Italiano
Ciao Tutti!
greeting from the lovely island of Sardinia..wind swept, rocky, turquoise water stretching out as far as my eye can see. Thomas tells me it is the best part of the mediterrenean in terms of cleanliness and color. they call it the Costa Smeralda.
Not bad. I have not been here since F was three months old, and have never been here this early in the season as they say. Claus and Eva have been coming since 1981, but stopped for a time because it was all becoming too much and they suspected the front desk, after taking their reservations, howled with laughter and slapped each other on the backs that another imbecile had agreed to be stuffed into such a tiny room for such a large price. But the head guy, Signore Cantatore called them and nagged them and here we are. Things look good..we are in a beautiful room with turquoise tiled floors and even a small garden of our own. It is small...kind of ship like actually, but so unusual and pretty no one cares. then of course there is the scene outside. Last few times I came it was absurd: Russian and Italian mobsters with absolutely perfect looking women in tiny amounts of clothing, and soccer players or Alberto Tomba. it was the single most grotesque display of posing I have ever seen. I don`t know if it is because it is only June, or if things have changed, but I saw something I had until now never seen at this pool: cellulite. Actual women with actual children and people of various ages and skin colors. In fact the tans have even gotten funnier. Some of the middle aged people are so tan I actually had to turn and put my hand over my mouth to suppress the laughter. Think George Hamilton, but tanner. Then think of him after being lost in the pacific on a tiny Essex whale ship for months. They look like someone dipped them by their ankles. The lips somehow look white...it is hysterical.
Don't get me wrong: there are plenty of nubile Russian girls...with their families and they are breathtaking. No makeup and bone thin and perfect.
Last night was heaven: Germany playing Portugal. We rushed through dinner and assembled in a room with giant TV and nervous Germans and civilized Portuguese. Claus likes to know what happens, but an entire game he can't really handle. So we go in with F...where upon the Germans score a goal so amazing, so beautiful I am an instant if temporary fan. F who has visited the dessert table (something out of a dream: one after the other of incredible things) gets so excited he puts the cream puff in his eye, then runs, cream on his face into the dining room past the hordes (there really are hordes) of waiters in black tie to his grandparents to announce Germany is ahead eins zu nul. Well it is now bedlam. No matter what they say, goals in general are so rare in this bloody sport that this means people pay attention..they rush in..eva with her tea, claus with red wine. People, I really cannot explain the camaraderie, the hilarity, the fun, involved with of a group of people watching a game like this. It is all sweetness and light and very funny germans. I kept slapping Claus on the back as he valiantly held onto his wine. and a man behind us..german-made absolutely hilarious color commentary .,,,the only ones who were nervous were the german teenagers there. Germany scored another goal!!! hugs, cheering, promises of children named after each other. Then: portugal comes back. It is now zwei zu eins. Then Germany scores AGAIN then portugal scores AGAIN. (keep in mind this is now almost the maximum number of goals any person under the age of 25 has witnessed in his entire life and it is all in one game) final score: Drei zu zwei. Everyone is tipsy...the Portuguese are refined and nice about it...claus is amazed that a whole world exists like this where strangers yuck it up like this in front of each other...Frederick's tennis teacher who looks realllllly like he has put on a few LBS since we last met is asleep in the middle of all this...but all the other Italians look very nervous...the Germans look good this year people....Do I hear the pitter patter of world domination?
(Thomas has just pointed out that they have already beaten Poland and Austria and France has folded on its own. Thats all I'm gonna say.)
Eloise comes tomorrow! oh Joy! think of the blogs, people! think of the price her hand will fetch on the open market! think of how I can coattail on her tan!!
think on these things....
Arrivederci
greeting from the lovely island of Sardinia..wind swept, rocky, turquoise water stretching out as far as my eye can see. Thomas tells me it is the best part of the mediterrenean in terms of cleanliness and color. they call it the Costa Smeralda.
Not bad. I have not been here since F was three months old, and have never been here this early in the season as they say. Claus and Eva have been coming since 1981, but stopped for a time because it was all becoming too much and they suspected the front desk, after taking their reservations, howled with laughter and slapped each other on the backs that another imbecile had agreed to be stuffed into such a tiny room for such a large price. But the head guy, Signore Cantatore called them and nagged them and here we are. Things look good..we are in a beautiful room with turquoise tiled floors and even a small garden of our own. It is small...kind of ship like actually, but so unusual and pretty no one cares. then of course there is the scene outside. Last few times I came it was absurd: Russian and Italian mobsters with absolutely perfect looking women in tiny amounts of clothing, and soccer players or Alberto Tomba. it was the single most grotesque display of posing I have ever seen. I don`t know if it is because it is only June, or if things have changed, but I saw something I had until now never seen at this pool: cellulite. Actual women with actual children and people of various ages and skin colors. In fact the tans have even gotten funnier. Some of the middle aged people are so tan I actually had to turn and put my hand over my mouth to suppress the laughter. Think George Hamilton, but tanner. Then think of him after being lost in the pacific on a tiny Essex whale ship for months. They look like someone dipped them by their ankles. The lips somehow look white...it is hysterical.
Don't get me wrong: there are plenty of nubile Russian girls...with their families and they are breathtaking. No makeup and bone thin and perfect.
Last night was heaven: Germany playing Portugal. We rushed through dinner and assembled in a room with giant TV and nervous Germans and civilized Portuguese. Claus likes to know what happens, but an entire game he can't really handle. So we go in with F...where upon the Germans score a goal so amazing, so beautiful I am an instant if temporary fan. F who has visited the dessert table (something out of a dream: one after the other of incredible things) gets so excited he puts the cream puff in his eye, then runs, cream on his face into the dining room past the hordes (there really are hordes) of waiters in black tie to his grandparents to announce Germany is ahead eins zu nul. Well it is now bedlam. No matter what they say, goals in general are so rare in this bloody sport that this means people pay attention..they rush in..eva with her tea, claus with red wine. People, I really cannot explain the camaraderie, the hilarity, the fun, involved with of a group of people watching a game like this. It is all sweetness and light and very funny germans. I kept slapping Claus on the back as he valiantly held onto his wine. and a man behind us..german-made absolutely hilarious color commentary .,,,the only ones who were nervous were the german teenagers there. Germany scored another goal!!! hugs, cheering, promises of children named after each other. Then: portugal comes back. It is now zwei zu eins. Then Germany scores AGAIN then portugal scores AGAIN. (keep in mind this is now almost the maximum number of goals any person under the age of 25 has witnessed in his entire life and it is all in one game) final score: Drei zu zwei. Everyone is tipsy...the Portuguese are refined and nice about it...claus is amazed that a whole world exists like this where strangers yuck it up like this in front of each other...Frederick's tennis teacher who looks realllllly like he has put on a few LBS since we last met is asleep in the middle of all this...but all the other Italians look very nervous...the Germans look good this year people....Do I hear the pitter patter of world domination?
(Thomas has just pointed out that they have already beaten Poland and Austria and France has folded on its own. Thats all I'm gonna say.)
Eloise comes tomorrow! oh Joy! think of the blogs, people! think of the price her hand will fetch on the open market! think of how I can coattail on her tan!!
think on these things....
Arrivederci
Monday, June 16, 2008
hello cruel world
Greetings from land!
JOurney is over, and as always it ends badly with a very early wake up..horrible to get up so early after sleeping so much. I had trouble sleeping because the noise of the ship was so different...they went waaaay slower and at one point it felt like the boat was going backwards....didnt manage to wake up for the docking though.
F was as sad as ever..looked like he was going to cry when we picked him up for the last time from the movie. He said it went even faster than the last trip. true.
At 7 a.m. the commodore comes on intercom to announce arrival..thanks so much blah balh but basically it is get off the ship. By 8 30 you have to be out of the room.
The last night at dinner was sad...I didnt relly say goodbye to anyone because I thought I would see them at b fast which I was too tired to attend.
Someone had an interesting idea about why people especially old people would cruise so much. HEalth care! a free hospital on board..cheaper than an old age home.
The worst part of getting to London though was we ended up in a hotel touted as the greatest thing ever that just about sent me over the edge..no kids can use the pool and no window to the outside...from the most possible air on ship, to no air at all. Plus it smelled like smoke.
F and I bolted and checked into our old hotel in Soho and things started to look up.
Today we fly to Switzerland and perhaps have gotten scammed on tickets thomas bought to the France vs Italy soccer game tomorrow.
But I wanted all bloggers to know we were safe and sound if a bit depressed after 6 days at sea with nothing but sleep and vodka and handsome men serving dinner in white tie and tails.
I know there are more stories from the last day, but we are off to the airport..(.poor thomas flew to vancouver on fathers day...meeting us tomorrow in Switzrland)
Blog will be more like once a week although Eloise is meeting us in Sardinia next week where I will be interviewing Russian oligarchs for her hand in marriage. so there will definitely be a blog from there.
The lesson however from the trip is this: crazy ideas should be considered. six days at sea..with thousands of people, very few of them in good shape, none of them sea worthy, think of how ridiculous that sounds...all the things that could go wrong..crazed criminal elements (do they have jail on board? captain have gun? what do they do with drunk or violent behavior?) people getting sick, people falling off, running out of caviar, ship sinking...the list of possible problems is endless....
Imagine the person who thought of this telling his parents..I have this great idea..take people into the middle of the Atlantic ocean! think of all the advice they would give against it.
So..the next time anyone has a ridiculous idea, I want to hear about it.
more later bloggers!
xo
JOurney is over, and as always it ends badly with a very early wake up..horrible to get up so early after sleeping so much. I had trouble sleeping because the noise of the ship was so different...they went waaaay slower and at one point it felt like the boat was going backwards....didnt manage to wake up for the docking though.
F was as sad as ever..looked like he was going to cry when we picked him up for the last time from the movie. He said it went even faster than the last trip. true.
At 7 a.m. the commodore comes on intercom to announce arrival..thanks so much blah balh but basically it is get off the ship. By 8 30 you have to be out of the room.
The last night at dinner was sad...I didnt relly say goodbye to anyone because I thought I would see them at b fast which I was too tired to attend.
Someone had an interesting idea about why people especially old people would cruise so much. HEalth care! a free hospital on board..cheaper than an old age home.
The worst part of getting to London though was we ended up in a hotel touted as the greatest thing ever that just about sent me over the edge..no kids can use the pool and no window to the outside...from the most possible air on ship, to no air at all. Plus it smelled like smoke.
F and I bolted and checked into our old hotel in Soho and things started to look up.
Today we fly to Switzerland and perhaps have gotten scammed on tickets thomas bought to the France vs Italy soccer game tomorrow.
But I wanted all bloggers to know we were safe and sound if a bit depressed after 6 days at sea with nothing but sleep and vodka and handsome men serving dinner in white tie and tails.
I know there are more stories from the last day, but we are off to the airport..(.poor thomas flew to vancouver on fathers day...meeting us tomorrow in Switzrland)
Blog will be more like once a week although Eloise is meeting us in Sardinia next week where I will be interviewing Russian oligarchs for her hand in marriage. so there will definitely be a blog from there.
The lesson however from the trip is this: crazy ideas should be considered. six days at sea..with thousands of people, very few of them in good shape, none of them sea worthy, think of how ridiculous that sounds...all the things that could go wrong..crazed criminal elements (do they have jail on board? captain have gun? what do they do with drunk or violent behavior?) people getting sick, people falling off, running out of caviar, ship sinking...the list of possible problems is endless....
Imagine the person who thought of this telling his parents..I have this great idea..take people into the middle of the Atlantic ocean! think of all the advice they would give against it.
So..the next time anyone has a ridiculous idea, I want to hear about it.
more later bloggers!
xo
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Day 6 With Pictures
pictures below of many characters. Including the vodka.
I think F might have fallen for a southern family of three daughters. As I think will be a pattern in the future, I picked out a wonderful looking brunette in dark heavy rimmed glasses with a talent for foos ball. (table soccer) She looks smart and loyal, and greets him in the hall with just the right amount of enthusiasm.She is no doormat..but a solid friend. I asked about her...he thought I was talking about the southern blonds. "Mommy, she has two sisters! I can't invite just only her to play paddle tennis. !"
Sisters? what sisters? What is her name anyway?
Cannon.
Cannon? that doesn't sound very New York, She looks New York.
Her sisters names are Gray, and I can't remember.
Now I am clear on the subject...
"Musket" I offer? I kid you not...they are from the South and their names include Cannon, Gray (think civil war uniforms) and son is Walker. The third daughter is either Musket or Mint Julep.
They are damn cute. the youngest one..we'll call her little musket- has super short hair but wears a big wide head band every day. Beyond adorable. So is the mother. She greets me like an old friend. She says y'all and you want to drink with her. But as a future wife...thick glasses looks more reliable. thats all I`m gonna say.
Tonight when I took pictures with the boys I got more gossip on them and their surreal lives. Apparently they have a QM2 soccer team lead by my Turkish nemesis, whose name is Osman. They play all over the world...other ships' teams. It is rumored the Princess cruise team sucks (of course) and they are off the boat by 2, and home by 5. Osman though is so bossy that he is in charge of who gets on the team and has been known to kick people off mid game. Why does this not surprise me?
Oliver (head waiter, new best friend to me and chief flambéé-er) and I were in giggles over this. Why, I wanted to know is HE in charge of soccer too!?!? His name is now of course Bossman.
Thomas is back to red wine only. sigh. Party is over. I had one, a little tiny one on my own. Took a picture, but the magic was gone. No one is saying the obvious: tomorrow is the last day.
I was reading the little GET TO KNOW ME! sheets in the kids zone. My name is-----, I love_____, I hate_____ There was a lot of loving soccer..lots of hating mushrooms. On one I read: I love soccer, sailing, blah....I hate: ? No answer....Just a question mark. Then I read: I live in San Francisco Ca, Name: Frederick. Pretty much says it all.
At the planetarium every day they show us movies that are more or less different angles on the same theme: Every thing we have ever known and loved exists on this small, blue planet rotating around an unremarkable star. It is the same message outside the planetarium as well: We live in a lovely place. And it happens to be mostly blue. So here is how I see it: you have got to check out the blue, people. Got to see the blue.
Last night in my euphoria of thinking that we would have waves on the 10th deck, went to check on the elderly on the main dance floor...second deck. I thought there would at least be a murmur of panic. Since i have acted so badly...cutting them off soft ice cream and racing ahead of them in line, i thought I would provide some comfort: hug them, buy them vodka shots. Someone must have told them that they and their frail little bones could be tossed on the floor on this dark and stormy night. These are people for whom a broken hip means the end; but in the face of this, they are dancing. Why do they come? What are they doing out here? I used to think it had something to do with feeling safe -preplanned activities and all. But being out here is not logical. We cannot swim. not really. Matt Biondi could not get to England without a boat.
Then it occurred to me I just finished a book about the Nantucket whalers on whom the book Moby Dick was based. Some of them were known to remain at sea for 15 out of 20 years of their lives. Around cape horn and to Hawaii and back....for huge profit yes. But it is so extreme, you got to believe they just plain liked it....maybe out here it just feels good. Out here in the deep blue.
Below my peeps. Oliver and Osman and me and Gyorgiy (Hungarian waiter) who told me he wishes he could provide sunshine and birds to follow the ship for me.
Oh no. Just saw my first ship. Land cannot be far.
Feel free to comment on my Nemesis. Then tell me you could argue with this man about the seating.
I think F might have fallen for a southern family of three daughters. As I think will be a pattern in the future, I picked out a wonderful looking brunette in dark heavy rimmed glasses with a talent for foos ball. (table soccer) She looks smart and loyal, and greets him in the hall with just the right amount of enthusiasm.She is no doormat..but a solid friend. I asked about her...he thought I was talking about the southern blonds. "Mommy, she has two sisters! I can't invite just only her to play paddle tennis. !"
Sisters? what sisters? What is her name anyway?
Cannon.
Cannon? that doesn't sound very New York, She looks New York.
Her sisters names are Gray, and I can't remember.
Now I am clear on the subject...
"Musket" I offer? I kid you not...they are from the South and their names include Cannon, Gray (think civil war uniforms) and son is Walker. The third daughter is either Musket or Mint Julep.
They are damn cute. the youngest one..we'll call her little musket- has super short hair but wears a big wide head band every day. Beyond adorable. So is the mother. She greets me like an old friend. She says y'all and you want to drink with her. But as a future wife...thick glasses looks more reliable. thats all I`m gonna say.
Tonight when I took pictures with the boys I got more gossip on them and their surreal lives. Apparently they have a QM2 soccer team lead by my Turkish nemesis, whose name is Osman. They play all over the world...other ships' teams. It is rumored the Princess cruise team sucks (of course) and they are off the boat by 2, and home by 5. Osman though is so bossy that he is in charge of who gets on the team and has been known to kick people off mid game. Why does this not surprise me?
Oliver (head waiter, new best friend to me and chief flambéé-er) and I were in giggles over this. Why, I wanted to know is HE in charge of soccer too!?!? His name is now of course Bossman.
Thomas is back to red wine only. sigh. Party is over. I had one, a little tiny one on my own. Took a picture, but the magic was gone. No one is saying the obvious: tomorrow is the last day.
I was reading the little GET TO KNOW ME! sheets in the kids zone. My name is-----, I love_____, I hate_____ There was a lot of loving soccer..lots of hating mushrooms. On one I read: I love soccer, sailing, blah....I hate: ? No answer....Just a question mark. Then I read: I live in San Francisco Ca, Name: Frederick. Pretty much says it all.
At the planetarium every day they show us movies that are more or less different angles on the same theme: Every thing we have ever known and loved exists on this small, blue planet rotating around an unremarkable star. It is the same message outside the planetarium as well: We live in a lovely place. And it happens to be mostly blue. So here is how I see it: you have got to check out the blue, people. Got to see the blue.
Last night in my euphoria of thinking that we would have waves on the 10th deck, went to check on the elderly on the main dance floor...second deck. I thought there would at least be a murmur of panic. Since i have acted so badly...cutting them off soft ice cream and racing ahead of them in line, i thought I would provide some comfort: hug them, buy them vodka shots. Someone must have told them that they and their frail little bones could be tossed on the floor on this dark and stormy night. These are people for whom a broken hip means the end; but in the face of this, they are dancing. Why do they come? What are they doing out here? I used to think it had something to do with feeling safe -preplanned activities and all. But being out here is not logical. We cannot swim. not really. Matt Biondi could not get to England without a boat.
Then it occurred to me I just finished a book about the Nantucket whalers on whom the book Moby Dick was based. Some of them were known to remain at sea for 15 out of 20 years of their lives. Around cape horn and to Hawaii and back....for huge profit yes. But it is so extreme, you got to believe they just plain liked it....maybe out here it just feels good. Out here in the deep blue.
Below my peeps. Oliver and Osman and me and Gyorgiy (Hungarian waiter) who told me he wishes he could provide sunshine and birds to follow the ship for me.
Oh no. Just saw my first ship. Land cannot be far.
Feel free to comment on my Nemesis. Then tell me you could argue with this man about the seating.
Friday, June 13, 2008
day 5
Ok the time-line is getting a little confused..what with the emergency blog.
At present I am in bow of ship. It is the morning after the "storm" Here is what I have learned:
Found myself in the elevator with a man in white with stripes. I pounced: How 'bout that storm?
yeah...never really materialized, really. (Englishman-lots of reallys)
It didn't' ?!
No...strange, really.
Oh. that is so disappointing.
Well, probably for the best, actually. Things get really quiet when it is like that.
Quiet?! The stabilizer gets quiet?! (stalling.....?)
The restaurants get quiet ma'am.
Whole lotta nothing. The English hate drama.
Then I ran into turkish nemesis (never before have I seen him away from restaurant) and we chatted...He said that they were talking 25 foot waves and were instructed to take all glassware off tables (after dinner they set for b fast.) that is gale force, people. And I came that close. so sad.
Here is what it looks like..we are very high up, so the waves look messy but never scary because unless it is an 80 footer (which happened with the QE2 a few years ago..tidal wave middle of night..people fell out of bed; captain said it looked like white cliffs of Dover coming at him) they look small. But in any other boat any of us have ever been on, these would be unpleasant. The wind was 30 knots yesterday...I am not sure, but I think gale is 60? Will look it up.
We are 500 miles from land-closest is Azores. 1,000 miles from England.
Behind me is a classic: crumpled heap of English nobility in a wheel chair in dark glasses with very posh English accent. Smoker. "It's Ridiculous!!!! absoluuuutely ridicUlous!!" She is playing word game (English people I am told read the dictionary on the toilet. While we are reading People magazine. ) She is literally boiling over. Something about the clue given for the word Aspect. Come to think about it, it is hard to define.
Speaking of English...too funny these species. Ran into small kid (younger than F) on way to Kids Zone. He was trying to tell us (politely) we were going the wrong way. Of course I have no idea..am following F....F corrects him...and the kid runs after us saying: Oooooh I am such an EEEEDIOT! and proceeds to smash into a wall. Like a cartoon...all four limbs up against the wall..sort of Wiley Coyote like...Being a Town school kid..F does not stop to inquire if he is injured..because this has somehow turned into a race....
But .I ask you what American kid would say that? Americans.. (my offspring included) never admit they are wrong, or even that they didn`t know it all before. You can say any fact and these kids will say: knew that. The Brits however appear to have taken the self effacing class..the one where they must practice: OK kiddies: after me " I am an eediot! A buffoon! I am not worthy of ANNnything!
Crumpled heap is now quoting stats: 17,000 sheets a DAY they launder here. The CREW is 893!! 893!!
Every third word is shouted: It is THE same NUMBER of sheets that THE BRITTANIA used for SAILS!!!!
Queen Mary 2 is quite SIMPLY the longest passenger ship ever built. Longer than the EIFFEL Tower is TALL. She can stretch her length four blocks. It BOGGLES the mind Mary, it Simply boggles the mind!!!!!!
So F and I slept 11 hours last night. Every day we lose an hour, so it is 11:00 am. It screws up entire day. We miss getting tickets to planetarium and are forced to go stand by...there is not a long enough time between b fast and lunch. It is hell. Dinner is black tie and around the corner.
Tonight is the night: I photograph Turk in his natural habitat along with my posse of staff whom i am all in love with. Especially Oliver who makes flambé things next to my seat..thereby giving me warmth and an overview of my future dessert. He will literally flambé anything you ask . I am going to ask him to flambe my napkin.
Crumpled is still at it: There are 17 decks!!! (floors) She and her companion are discussing how this is a trip for the very fit, really. If they had known how physical this would be ..they could not have come. they are happy they came..but it is daunting really.
Bloggers: i cannot emphasize how hilarious this is. How helpless people are. The action around the coffee dispenser comes to mind. The people approach it very carefully. With respect....they usually have a friend along for moral support. She puts the cup down. She stares at the options....decaf, espresso..oh the list is endless. She thinks about giving up. He cheers her on. She closes her eyes and pushes...liquid comes rushing out. Oh the exhilaration!!! Then, quickly, fear: how to turn this off!!??? She panics (they all do) Reaches for the cup before it is done. AHHHH Burned with hot coffee. Husband`s arm around, whisks her off....only to annoy me by trying again tomorrow....
I am not kidding..I have seen this many times. They cannot believe that it will put the exact right amount of coffee in and turn off. They have no faith. It is all I can do not to push them out of the way and do it for them. I ran into a male version of Marcy....asked me where the restaurant was...on the fourth day! You gotta know where that is by now....anyway, I pointed...only to see him somehow get to a little balcony where he could see the entrance..but there was this vast space between him and the door of the restaurant and vast space below him. He was so confused...there it was in front of him..but how to get there?! He actually looked down... as if he were thinking: I don't remember having to Jump before...
This is perfect. They are actually discussing cucumber sandwiches.
Now she is correcting herself: Nooooo nooo!!! I was quoting you the INCORRECT statistic...It was the Mauritania had between 850 and 1000 staff.
Oh I am an EEDIOT!!
At present I am in bow of ship. It is the morning after the "storm" Here is what I have learned:
Found myself in the elevator with a man in white with stripes. I pounced: How 'bout that storm?
yeah...never really materialized, really. (Englishman-lots of reallys)
It didn't' ?!
No...strange, really.
Oh. that is so disappointing.
Well, probably for the best, actually. Things get really quiet when it is like that.
Quiet?! The stabilizer gets quiet?! (stalling.....?)
The restaurants get quiet ma'am.
Whole lotta nothing. The English hate drama.
Then I ran into turkish nemesis (never before have I seen him away from restaurant) and we chatted...He said that they were talking 25 foot waves and were instructed to take all glassware off tables (after dinner they set for b fast.) that is gale force, people. And I came that close. so sad.
Here is what it looks like..we are very high up, so the waves look messy but never scary because unless it is an 80 footer (which happened with the QE2 a few years ago..tidal wave middle of night..people fell out of bed; captain said it looked like white cliffs of Dover coming at him) they look small. But in any other boat any of us have ever been on, these would be unpleasant. The wind was 30 knots yesterday...I am not sure, but I think gale is 60? Will look it up.
We are 500 miles from land-closest is Azores. 1,000 miles from England.
Behind me is a classic: crumpled heap of English nobility in a wheel chair in dark glasses with very posh English accent. Smoker. "It's Ridiculous!!!! absoluuuutely ridicUlous!!" She is playing word game (English people I am told read the dictionary on the toilet. While we are reading People magazine. ) She is literally boiling over. Something about the clue given for the word Aspect. Come to think about it, it is hard to define.
Speaking of English...too funny these species. Ran into small kid (younger than F) on way to Kids Zone. He was trying to tell us (politely) we were going the wrong way. Of course I have no idea..am following F....F corrects him...and the kid runs after us saying: Oooooh I am such an EEEEDIOT! and proceeds to smash into a wall. Like a cartoon...all four limbs up against the wall..sort of Wiley Coyote like...Being a Town school kid..F does not stop to inquire if he is injured..because this has somehow turned into a race....
But .I ask you what American kid would say that? Americans.. (my offspring included) never admit they are wrong, or even that they didn`t know it all before. You can say any fact and these kids will say: knew that. The Brits however appear to have taken the self effacing class..the one where they must practice: OK kiddies: after me " I am an eediot! A buffoon! I am not worthy of ANNnything!
Crumpled heap is now quoting stats: 17,000 sheets a DAY they launder here. The CREW is 893!! 893!!
Every third word is shouted: It is THE same NUMBER of sheets that THE BRITTANIA used for SAILS!!!!
Queen Mary 2 is quite SIMPLY the longest passenger ship ever built. Longer than the EIFFEL Tower is TALL. She can stretch her length four blocks. It BOGGLES the mind Mary, it Simply boggles the mind!!!!!!
So F and I slept 11 hours last night. Every day we lose an hour, so it is 11:00 am. It screws up entire day. We miss getting tickets to planetarium and are forced to go stand by...there is not a long enough time between b fast and lunch. It is hell. Dinner is black tie and around the corner.
Tonight is the night: I photograph Turk in his natural habitat along with my posse of staff whom i am all in love with. Especially Oliver who makes flambé things next to my seat..thereby giving me warmth and an overview of my future dessert. He will literally flambé anything you ask . I am going to ask him to flambe my napkin.
Crumpled is still at it: There are 17 decks!!! (floors) She and her companion are discussing how this is a trip for the very fit, really. If they had known how physical this would be ..they could not have come. they are happy they came..but it is daunting really.
Bloggers: i cannot emphasize how hilarious this is. How helpless people are. The action around the coffee dispenser comes to mind. The people approach it very carefully. With respect....they usually have a friend along for moral support. She puts the cup down. She stares at the options....decaf, espresso..oh the list is endless. She thinks about giving up. He cheers her on. She closes her eyes and pushes...liquid comes rushing out. Oh the exhilaration!!! Then, quickly, fear: how to turn this off!!??? She panics (they all do) Reaches for the cup before it is done. AHHHH Burned with hot coffee. Husband`s arm around, whisks her off....only to annoy me by trying again tomorrow....
I am not kidding..I have seen this many times. They cannot believe that it will put the exact right amount of coffee in and turn off. They have no faith. It is all I can do not to push them out of the way and do it for them. I ran into a male version of Marcy....asked me where the restaurant was...on the fourth day! You gotta know where that is by now....anyway, I pointed...only to see him somehow get to a little balcony where he could see the entrance..but there was this vast space between him and the door of the restaurant and vast space below him. He was so confused...there it was in front of him..but how to get there?! He actually looked down... as if he were thinking: I don't remember having to Jump before...
This is perfect. They are actually discussing cucumber sandwiches.
Now she is correcting herself: Nooooo nooo!!! I was quoting you the INCORRECT statistic...It was the Mauritania had between 850 and 1000 staff.
Oh I am an EEDIOT!!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Day 4
Ok Here is what happens to the human body when faced with extreme conditions: sleep. I slept through everything. When I woke there were two different notes from Thomas re his going down to first and second b fast. He came and went several times, could not wake chico or me.
When I went to sleep, the wind was howling, really impressive. But apparently the heavy rocking only brought me back to infanthood. Thomas, who has, remember, only eaten a few beans lately, was almost thrown out of bed. He went to the bathroom and nearly fell over.
I am so sorry bloggers! I will make it up to you with other people's stories, which I will get today.
My alert husband has pointed out some things I did not put in the last day. here are some:
Met a guy in the hot tub who will be on this trip with wife and 10 year old son for 25 days. Then home to florida, for three days only, then another cruise for 35 days. All together in one room! yeah. he says the dollar is so bad he fears getting off the ship and prefers to wave from the boat.
Thomas' golf competition (chipping) got heated when people (men) complained that the boat had lurched violently mid swing and they needed another try. A Scot won of course, Thomas got third. That means there are good golfers aboard. He is presently playing in a golf driving contest. I am on tenterhooks.
Thomas is also afraid to order now because he thinks it will become the subject of ridicule in my blog. "The real men don't order that problem".
Kathy harper used to use a favorite expression of Charlie Brighams: short hitter. And if we were dining and someone asked for fettucine alfredo with the sauce on the side, or chicken with cashews without the chicken, .she would announce: short hitter...a I have assured him that this is in fact true. I will ridicule his choices. But with love. In light of this, he went for duck after vegetable broth. I know, i know....but I think it is a fairly macho order in France.
We are so busy. Lots of the day we are separated: F in the kid zone on a scavenger hunt round the boat, Thomas golfing, me writing or in the gym or chatting up people by the soft ice cream dispenser. The two best things are still curling up with a book in the bar at the bow. But it is a bow high up..(11th floor) also good is by the window lower down..say on only the 2nd floor with the rushing, crazy water just outside, or the Planetarium,,or hot tubbing outside in the stern, unfortunately the weather has been too bad for much of that.
Have seen some celebrities...some Asian actor that was in everything in the 70s...cant remember what , and the woman who was head of Hewlett Packard (not Carla Fiorini..she is busy of course) but Patricia Dunn....Tommy is friends with her brother Paul. But no more than that...
We took frederick's picture with the commodore last night...he was rather nice...A woman asked our names like in My Fair Lady and introduced F as Master Frederick wehlen. It was a cocktail reception at 6 30 and we didnt want to be in our best clothes so early...these elderly...they are in a panic..ready in black tie at 5 pm...so I put on pants and thomas had no tie and they told him he could not come in. He is getting a bad reputation around here I think. Picture is below.
Today the wind is strong..but the sea is smaller...we are still rocking a bit and I have not been outside because of the rain.
Ok T is back from the trenches with first place in the driving competition. Apparently it was him (with a 3 wood no less...no driver for him) and a couple of Scots, and someone from Australia. They were grumbling: : But 'es so thin!!! Ow does 'e do it?! we want nothing less than world domination on this cruise. F must come home (for the second year in a row) with the coveted: always happy award or he sleeps in the hall.
That of course is the joy of being on something this slow. The smallest things become important..and they take all energy from other things to worry about..fabulous. It is like an island of ignorance...no news..., so ping pong is elevated. I was thinking about how this thing is so popular...every single room even ones with no windows, is booked months in advance. And it proposed to take you to England in 6 days rather than 8 hours. The only thing that is more popular the slower it is. Next it will be clipper ship.
Have not seen my butler in forever..(butler seems to be latin for man who cleans your room) i think he is hiding from us, because we have a creaky ceiling...but every evening little canapés with pate or caviar or something that Thomas wont eat..or even chocolate covered strawberries is left like a little elf.
F is the absolute unchallenged expert on the ship. He knows where everything is..which is not easy...if you make a mistake and take off in the direction you think is correct, and then are wrong...you do a lot of walking...Commodore club: bow; plantarium, bow; restaurant, stern, gym, I dont know..hard to find just like the bridge where the poor worshiped captain is, they are the only poorly marked places; He also knows which rooms have doorbells, how long it is ( 400 meters..or app. 1200 feet, how wide, how old, how fast, and on sight knows which pictures are of the titanic, and the QE2.
OK am off to work for you people...will find a bloody nose story if it kills me.
When I went to sleep, the wind was howling, really impressive. But apparently the heavy rocking only brought me back to infanthood. Thomas, who has, remember, only eaten a few beans lately, was almost thrown out of bed. He went to the bathroom and nearly fell over.
I am so sorry bloggers! I will make it up to you with other people's stories, which I will get today.
My alert husband has pointed out some things I did not put in the last day. here are some:
Met a guy in the hot tub who will be on this trip with wife and 10 year old son for 25 days. Then home to florida, for three days only, then another cruise for 35 days. All together in one room! yeah. he says the dollar is so bad he fears getting off the ship and prefers to wave from the boat.
Thomas' golf competition (chipping) got heated when people (men) complained that the boat had lurched violently mid swing and they needed another try. A Scot won of course, Thomas got third. That means there are good golfers aboard. He is presently playing in a golf driving contest. I am on tenterhooks.
Thomas is also afraid to order now because he thinks it will become the subject of ridicule in my blog. "The real men don't order that problem".
Kathy harper used to use a favorite expression of Charlie Brighams: short hitter. And if we were dining and someone asked for fettucine alfredo with the sauce on the side, or chicken with cashews without the chicken, .she would announce: short hitter...a I have assured him that this is in fact true. I will ridicule his choices. But with love. In light of this, he went for duck after vegetable broth. I know, i know....but I think it is a fairly macho order in France.
We are so busy. Lots of the day we are separated: F in the kid zone on a scavenger hunt round the boat, Thomas golfing, me writing or in the gym or chatting up people by the soft ice cream dispenser. The two best things are still curling up with a book in the bar at the bow. But it is a bow high up..(11th floor) also good is by the window lower down..say on only the 2nd floor with the rushing, crazy water just outside, or the Planetarium,,or hot tubbing outside in the stern, unfortunately the weather has been too bad for much of that.
Have seen some celebrities...some Asian actor that was in everything in the 70s...cant remember what , and the woman who was head of Hewlett Packard (not Carla Fiorini..she is busy of course) but Patricia Dunn....Tommy is friends with her brother Paul. But no more than that...
We took frederick's picture with the commodore last night...he was rather nice...A woman asked our names like in My Fair Lady and introduced F as Master Frederick wehlen. It was a cocktail reception at 6 30 and we didnt want to be in our best clothes so early...these elderly...they are in a panic..ready in black tie at 5 pm...so I put on pants and thomas had no tie and they told him he could not come in. He is getting a bad reputation around here I think. Picture is below.
Today the wind is strong..but the sea is smaller...we are still rocking a bit and I have not been outside because of the rain.
Ok T is back from the trenches with first place in the driving competition. Apparently it was him (with a 3 wood no less...no driver for him) and a couple of Scots, and someone from Australia. They were grumbling: : But 'es so thin!!! Ow does 'e do it?! we want nothing less than world domination on this cruise. F must come home (for the second year in a row) with the coveted: always happy award or he sleeps in the hall.
That of course is the joy of being on something this slow. The smallest things become important..and they take all energy from other things to worry about..fabulous. It is like an island of ignorance...no news..., so ping pong is elevated. I was thinking about how this thing is so popular...every single room even ones with no windows, is booked months in advance. And it proposed to take you to England in 6 days rather than 8 hours. The only thing that is more popular the slower it is. Next it will be clipper ship.
Have not seen my butler in forever..(butler seems to be latin for man who cleans your room) i think he is hiding from us, because we have a creaky ceiling...but every evening little canapés with pate or caviar or something that Thomas wont eat..or even chocolate covered strawberries is left like a little elf.
F is the absolute unchallenged expert on the ship. He knows where everything is..which is not easy...if you make a mistake and take off in the direction you think is correct, and then are wrong...you do a lot of walking...Commodore club: bow; plantarium, bow; restaurant, stern, gym, I dont know..hard to find just like the bridge where the poor worshiped captain is, they are the only poorly marked places; He also knows which rooms have doorbells, how long it is ( 400 meters..or app. 1200 feet, how wide, how old, how fast, and on sight knows which pictures are of the titanic, and the QE2.
OK am off to work for you people...will find a bloody nose story if it kills me.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Day 3 Emergency Blog
Hello Loyalists!
Had to make an interim blog...a water log as I called it last year. The news is this: we are expected to move from moderate to ROUGH. Rough is defined as 15 foot waves, I have confirmed this with all my wait staff. (Butler is still no where to be found. )
Thomas and I have now decided that we have wasted our lives flirting with wine and now have Vodka before dinner. It stiffens the spine. So we are brave and magnanimous in the face of this news. We are Hillary Clinton in turbulence. After North Carolina.
Presently we are in our little haven above the waves waiting for action. The second floor doors (close to the water have been battened down. (true) Unfortunately all shades must be closed in our top floor bar.. because we are directly below the bridge. HUUUGE Fog horn sounds..complete with Piano player singing: Those were the days my friend....those were the days my friend..we thought they would never end..we would live the life we choose...we thought it would never end. Oh yes those were the days. Oops..the medley has moved into what kind of fool am IIIIII???!! not as good.
Frederick is somewhere at a pizza party. In case of emergency I have dumped Turk for huge Croatian with scary glasses and will don all three black tie dresses to block the breeze. (I have no gortex)
Fare well friends! will report more tomorrow!!
(snooty french waiter is depressed we ordered tea)
XOOXOXO
Thomas here. Ellie is thinking of donning an eyepatch for tonight`s storm and she keeps calling me mate.......
PPS special kudos to Ms Amy Rees Nelson of San francisco, Ca the only blogger to write.
Please write on the blog..so we can all guffaw, as a group, at your thoughts.
xoxooxoo
Had to make an interim blog...a water log as I called it last year. The news is this: we are expected to move from moderate to ROUGH. Rough is defined as 15 foot waves, I have confirmed this with all my wait staff. (Butler is still no where to be found. )
Thomas and I have now decided that we have wasted our lives flirting with wine and now have Vodka before dinner. It stiffens the spine. So we are brave and magnanimous in the face of this news. We are Hillary Clinton in turbulence. After North Carolina.
Presently we are in our little haven above the waves waiting for action. The second floor doors (close to the water have been battened down. (true) Unfortunately all shades must be closed in our top floor bar.. because we are directly below the bridge. HUUUGE Fog horn sounds..complete with Piano player singing: Those were the days my friend....those were the days my friend..we thought they would never end..we would live the life we choose...we thought it would never end. Oh yes those were the days. Oops..the medley has moved into what kind of fool am IIIIII???!! not as good.
Frederick is somewhere at a pizza party. In case of emergency I have dumped Turk for huge Croatian with scary glasses and will don all three black tie dresses to block the breeze. (I have no gortex)
Fare well friends! will report more tomorrow!!
(snooty french waiter is depressed we ordered tea)
XOOXOXO
Thomas here. Ellie is thinking of donning an eyepatch for tonight`s storm and she keeps calling me mate.......
PPS special kudos to Ms Amy Rees Nelson of San francisco, Ca the only blogger to write.
Please write on the blog..so we can all guffaw, as a group, at your thoughts.
xoxooxoo
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