Mareblu
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Posts posted by Mareblu
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56 minutes ago, Bowm54 said:
Mareblu, please take the stage!
That’s so kind. I’ll try🙏🏻
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8 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:
Curious what class you were traveling on Cunard and if that may have been the reason for the congestion, crowding and disorganization. This fall we will be sailing Cunard eastbound from New York to Southampton Queen's Grill.
Having never sailed Cunard it will indeed be an adventure.
I can assure you that your Queen’s Grill experience will be superb. Our QG voyage on QE last year bore absolutely no resemblance to this review. Service, staff, accommodation and cuisine were all impeccable. We have just completed 20 days on Vista; we also love Oceania. We’re embarking Queen Anne in 2 weeks. It will be interesting to compare new vessels.
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1 minute ago, Mareblu said:
Bridge of Sighs, precisely
Or Ponte dei Sospiri
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Bridge of Sighs, precisely
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5 hours ago, buchhalm said:
Correct
Phew!👏
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9 hours ago, lyndarra said:
Don't know. I've only been to one or two so long ago I can't remember its/their name/s but the pistacchio nuts were good.
Totally random note to you. Spent time in Ballachulish today when we drove from Oban to Ft William. Thought of Your Lordship.
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1 hour ago, Hlitner said:
Our first, "no longer live from the Vista" post :). The Vista docked at Trieste (the only cruise ship in the port) early this morning and debarked the shippabout 8:30am, after a last cappuccino and croissant in Baristas. Because O ended our cruise on a national holiday (Mayday or Labor Day) many normal functions in Trieste were closed. This included the local rental car agencies. In order for us to get a car we needed to drive nearly 25 miles to Triest's own airport. O did offer bus transport, but at $69 Euros per person, it made no sense. We simply got a local taxi (about a 3 min wait in the queue) and our talkative driver got us to the airport in about 35 minutes at a cost of 65 Euros (total cost for two).
Disembarkation, in Trieste went very smoothly with a majority of passengers heading about 100 miles to Venice's Marco Polo Airport or Venice. We are already suffering "Vista withdrawal" since we must now fend for ourselves :). At the Trieste Airport we picked up our rental car from Europcar, and were soon on our way to Lake Bled, Slovenia. It is our first visit to Slovenia, and we found it interesting that our taxi drive (from Trieste to the airport) told us he often drives to Slovenia for dinner since "everything is much cheaper in Slovenia."
The weatherman was wrong (it was supposed to rain) and we had nice day (with partly sunny skies). We reached our Lake Bled hotel around noon, and after some lunch we walked part of the way around the picturesque Lake Bled. This part of Slovenia is beautiful and is growing as a major tourist destination. During our drive, I pulled in to a gas station (in Italy) in order to purchase the needed Slovenian Vignette. This is required for anyone driving in this country and a 7 day Vignette cost us 17.50 Euros. These days it is a digital Vignette and your car's license plate is registered. Failure to have a vignette can get folks a nasty fine. In some European countries (including Slovenia), a Vignette replaces most road tolls.
One nice thing about being in Slovenia is that English is widely spoken. It is a mandatory language, in their public schools, and most of the younger folks speak multiple languages including English, German, many Slavic dialects, Spanish, etc.
While we are already missing the Vista and the easy life on a cruise ship, DW and I are always happy to be on our own in Europe with a rental car. The freedom of being able to go where we want, when we want, with who we want, is what I 5ave loved about travel for the past 57 years of extensive world travel. And the one thing I do not miss from the Vista is the too often and too long announcements from Peter (the CD). Life is good :).
Hank
Lake Bled is beautiful, Hank. It’s several years since we drove from Mario’s home town just over the Slovenian border. We stayed several days, and during that time it certainly wasn’t “touristy”. It was just before Slovenia switched to the Euro. At night, with its former island sanctuary bathed in soft light, the lake seemed ethereal. We are also missing Vista, but enjoying being independent travellers again. We will collect a car in Scotland on Friday. At least we will be driving on “our side” of the road, though you would disagree.
Happy and safe travels.
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8 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:
This is what I do. I have tried Buisness Class once with lie flat bed and I just didn't feel as rested like when I had a stopover in a hotel with a real bed. For me I just don't see the value in BC and I'd rather put that money into a nice stopover instead.
We usually do both, but this time flew straight through because we were travelling with friends. BC and a stopover for a few days in Singapore is perfect for us.
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7 hours ago, Aloha 1 said:
This is the carbonara recipe from Noel Barille, one of the CIA trained and Italy based chefs who run the culinary center on Riviera, Marina, and Vista. It is authentic and excellent and it is what is served in Toscana.
Had no trouble downloading. Thanks for this excellent recipe.
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42 minutes ago, clo said:
I used to be on a food site and that was their consensus .
Is Rome considered southern or northern Italy?Although Rome is in central Italy, many refer to it as the line between southern and northern Italy. Most consider it to be part of the north.Jan 9, 2021Mario and i are seated in Martinis, enjoying our last evening on Vista before disembarking tomorrow. I just read your post, with its link, to him. He nearly choked on his single malt, and he is a placid man. I can assure you, Italians consider Roma central Italia. We have been married 55 tears this years (yes, married very young) but we have spent what would total several years of that time in Italy, mainly in his home region of the Dolomites. That is northern Italy. We consider ourselves members of a vibrant Italian community in Australia, where those who ventured from Italy to start a new life retained the vital elements of their roots, while happily embracing their adopted land. To a person, they would tell you Rome is central Italy. Many of them are of Roman origin. Anyhooo…Mario has stopped choking and rolling about the floor, and has just raised a glass to you. Do some wider research.
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2 hours ago, clo said:
I understand that cooking/eating in Rome (considered Northern Italy) is more apt to have cream.
Considered by whom?
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2 hours ago, Hlitner said:
Just chatted with my “personal chef” and she dies not even use olive oil. She says the oil would cause the cheese to slide off the pasta. Just a little of the pasta water to melt the parmigiana and lots of black pepper. Cream sounds like a major faux pas as it becomes something akin to an Alfredo sauce.
Hank
Yes, I agree. The starchy pasta water and cheese are sufficient to coat and bind. Cream is rarely, if ever, used in genuine Italian cuisine. It is absolutely forbidden in carbonara, but people still insist “a little is okay”. It is not.
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4 hours ago, Iamthesea said:
I love the dish! If not adding cream (which I thought was the way is was made) how do you make yours?
Try this, as it traditionally uses olive oil. Even butter would be frowned upon, but not so much as cream. This recipe does call for a heavy dose of fresh garlic, could be eliminated or at least reduced, but be brave and add at least a little.
https://www.delicious.com.au > traditional cacio e pepe recipe
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Penultimate evening of the cruise. Grazie Hank for your dedication and objectivity in faithfully maintaining the blog. We dined in Toscana tonight, and enjoyed all but Mario’s “caccio e Pepe” linguine. Very bland, and cream had been added. A huge taboo. Overall, though, a very pleasant evening. In the theatre now, awaiting the talented Welsh singer. Then up to Horizons. Mario is in a pink shirt and I’m in a sparkly jacket if you’re there and wish to say hello before we all leave. Thanks again for the great daily reports.
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26 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:
IMO, the best of the HS bunch.
On either day 1or 2 of this cruise, the HS flavour was a vanilla with salted caramel and toffee shards. I must admit it was delicious. I haven’t seen it repeated, but then I seldom approach the ice cream counter, and then with caution, for obvious reasons.
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21 minutes ago, Harters said:
Before Oceania, I'd not heard of it. But then there's probably any number of American ice creams I've not heard of.
They have some weird flavours. Some of which I found to be OK (but no better than OK) and a couple just not very nice. They're not something I'd go out of my way for.
There’s actually one HS ice cream aboard named “Elvis the Fat Years”🤷🏻♀️
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40 minutes ago, Iamthesea said:
We did not notice anything special about the ice cream. In fact, for most of our recent week on the Vista, I thought that Humphry Slocomeb was a flavor of ice cream. I asked one of the attendants which ice cream was the Humphry Slocombe. He started pointing out different flavors. I replied that I would try it. Whatever flavor he gave me was tasteless.
Some of the other flavors of ice cream throughout the week were good, but nothing outstanding. DH was disappointed in the chocolate. And when getting a cone of ice cream, the scoop barely made it to the top of the cup of the cone. DH had to ask for another scoop.
BTW - Hambagahle and Mareblu... The best ice cream that we have ever had was from a stand is Movenpick. Had our first taste in Sydney Australia, and then found it again in Switzerland. Also found it in the lower level of the Movenpick Hotel in Amsterdam!
We stayed in that hotel some years ago awaiting a Uniworld river cruise. Don’t recall seeing the ice cream, but Gerry and I would agree that some of the world’s little treasures are indeed found in Australia and Switzerland🥰
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11 minutes ago, Hambagahle said:
I had not heard of that ice cream until I saw it listed on a menu from Vista. Is it really good? Or just ice cream?
A different HS flavour is presented each day. I hadn’t heard of it either, until boarding.
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48 minutes ago, Harters said:
Me too. Although they would be very 1980s. I'm not sure what the accent might be. Although British accents can be very regionalised. On trips to the States, I have been asked several times if I'm from New Zealand. And, no, my accent is local to Manchester (where I've lived all my life) and is nothing like a Kiwi's.
To keep this firmly on an Oceania theme, I didnt realise until the other week why Humphry Slocombe ice cream is so called. According to the website, the owners loved British 1970s/80 sitcom "Are you being served" and took the names of two characters - Mr Humphries and Mrs Slocombe. Show was very much in the tradition of British theatrical farce and an earlier generation of music hall comedy - with catchphrases, parodies of the class system, innuendo, double entendre, etc. It was very popular in its day but would now seem very dated and inappropriate.
Really? That’s so fascinating. We wondered where the name originated. DH keeps calling it “Humphry Bogart”🙄 Mrs Slocombe’s one-liners would be toe-curling now😉.
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For us, the air travel component has always been part of our adventure, ever since we first flew business with Lauder 25 years ago. I cannot in my wildest nightmares imagine returning to the cramped discomfort of economy (which we flew all our lives previously) unless it was absolutely essential.
The alternative to business travel for us, having enjoyed the wonder of countless exploration adventures over many years, is simple: we’ll happily stay in the comfort of our own home. I wouldn’t dream of criticising your point if view, Mic, because that is exactly how we felt until we didn’t. This current adventure is our first and only trip this year. We’re probably running out of years for comfortable travel, but we wouldn’t even consider another trip for at least 18-24 months, that’s why we’re extending our time in the northern hemisphere. Truth be told, we don’t relish the hassles that air travel brings: airport security, crowds, wait times. $200 per hour is no temptation.
Julie, my apologies. The new SA bc cabin refurbishment is not great, because the seats are indeed hard. They were perfect before. We switched to a smaller plane for the Singapore-Rome leg, and enjoyed sinking into ultra comfy seats.
i’ll be watching for your world voyage blog. Have a wonderful time.
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2 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:
I'm doing well Linda, thanks for asking. I have gone a couple of days without pain killers. I still have some twinges if I move awkwardly. We are trying to decide about our flight arrangements. We have 2 choices for direct flights from Vancouver to Sydney; Air Canada and Qantas, we were not really that pleased with our Air Canada business class on our east coast trip last year. Right now we are leaning towards Qantas Premium Economy but may switch to Business Class depending on the price. We certainly didn't like the angled pods on Air Canada, the business class seats on Qantas look much better. The premium Economy on Qantas looks good as well if we can get the bulkhead seats, if we can't get those that may be the catalyst to go with Business class. We have so much of the trip planned but are taking a break from planning, while we settle Lynn's Mom's estate.
We have had a few Cruise ships in so far this season but I think this weekend is well and truly full with seven cruise ship visits between Thursday and Sunday. We even had a Regent ship in our drydock last week, although I don't know which one.
Glad to hear you’re on the mend. Yes, estate settling is poignant and sometimes exhausting. Qantas fares always seem exorbitant. BC is a good product, I know, but the price makes it prohibitive for us. Does Air New Zealand fly direct? Last time we flew from Vancouver to Sydney (years ago) we flew to Honolulu then picked up AirNZ business. Fantastic flight, great ambiance with hilarious crew. I seem to remember they were angled pods though.
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58 minutes ago, buchhalm said:
Scotland/Shetland Islands???
Bingo! Well done. Cliffs guarding the waterway to Lerwick. Your turn…
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11 minutes ago, lyndarra said:
Ireland? Mohr?
Not Ireland
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2 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:
Were you in Newfoundland?
Not Newfoundland Lyle
Where was I?
in Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
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