Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Two

[spinnaker2]

Now those pictures Jeff, are festive. The little ones with their reflective bibs are adorable.

Thanks for sharing.

[jpalbny]

Terry, we loved Lisbon during a 2008 visit (cruise disembarkation stop plus a one-night post cruise stay). When we visited again in 2010 by cruise ship, we went afield to Sintra for a day trip, which was also great. I'd go back. But no plans for that in the short term...Too many other places to visit!

 

It's small, easily negotiable on your own, and we found it relatively inexpensive. The food was delicious too. Really a pleasant surprise!

 

I have to admit that I was lukewarm about Vienna after our first visit. I was overtired and in a fog, so I didn't enjoy it as much as I expected. But when we revisited in April, I loved it. It helped that we knew the lay of the land and got off the beaten path a little bit. Hopefully there will be a third visit some time! Loving the pictures from Jeff.

 

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Edited December 7, 2016 by jpalbny

[UKCruiseJeff]

Thanks Spins ..... and JP ... my pics do not really do Vienna much justice I guess because until 2014 we had been coming here three times a year and everything that can be photographed has been photographed and we have become lazy.

 

Had a few glasses of wine in the lounge tonight and really had to give up.

 

We had two hours of a Billy Graham employee bible bashing an Austrian singer on the next table with no let- up for two hours and then this well-coiffed lady took over the corner. She neatly laid all the cushoins out on the couch and lifted her dog onto it so he could eat off a plate on the table. Wifey just said "DON'T SAY A WORD .......it's time for us to go". So we're back in the suite watching British TV from the slingbox.

 

I guess I don't do people well.

 

Jeff

 

 

[mjnvoyager]

I agree, disgusting. Though I'd be like wifey and get my husband out.......fast.

Jane.

 

 

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[specialcruisegirl]

Brilliant photos Jeffers.....had to giggle about the dog episode....can just see Mrs J dragging you out of there....[emoji6]

 

 

 

 

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[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

J.... in our case I think it would be Myster hustling us out. He's more laid back than I am. :)

 

Enjoying all the pics. We have not yet been to Vienna. It looks enchanting!

 

Have a great day all!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Thanks All,

 

Well .... the mini-bar has divested itself to us with goodies .... and I thought I'd give some piccies of the christmas market at Am Hof .... the great thing about the freedom to visit mid-week rather than weekends is it's quieter. Also some fiakers queing for punters, the new market by the palace all dressed in white. Wifey and I had soup and shared a Figlmullers schnitzel in the original place in the alley in Wollzeille. Even though I only had half I couldn't finish it. She had already started eating when I took the piccy so it is a bit of salad strewn. I don't know how people eat a whole one.

 

Night all!

 

Jeff

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mysty]

Egad J! That is a picture of half a schnitzel????? It looks like it could feed a family of 4! Does look very yummy though! Thanks for the pics!

[jpalbny]

Yes, mysty. Those Figlmuller's Schnitzel are ridiculously large. I've seen them myself...and I've managed to eat one, with Chris' help. :o They really hang well over the sides of a standard dinner plate.

 

Jeff, that's the Figlmuller's branch where we ate. We were wandering around looking for something good and stumbled across it. We said, "Oh yeah! That's the restaurant we were thinking of..." and wandered in, got a table downstairs, and enjoyed immensely.

[UKCruiseJeff]

 

[UKCruiseJeff]

 

 

 

 

...... the French couple with their mini-dog ..... and the poor dog looked at us as if to say "it's all right for you two but she has just f*****d"!!"

 

Jeff

 

 

[jpalbny]

Lol! C'est très amusant! Le pauvre chien...

 

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[spinnaker2]

Hahahahahaha

And they always blame the POOR DOG!

 

The glass of wine looks so inviting.

JP I had a great white on the ship. Puligny-Montrachet les combettes 1er Cru, recolte 2011.

Twas yummy, maybe you could bring that back or find a bottle to try. I priced them here and too expensive for my thread bare wallet.

[TLCOhio]

JP I had a great white on the ship. Puligny-Montrachet les combettes 1er Cru, recolte 2011. Twas yummy, maybe you could bring that back or find a bottle to try. I priced them here and too expensive for my thread bare wallet.

 

Appreciate the continued very nice pictures from Vienna that bring back nice memories from twice being in that classic and charming city. Great wine suggestions/idea from Spins. Will save that name and ask on our upcoming June Silver Spirit sailing for this specific wine.

 

JOHN GLENN'S PASSING: This afternoon, America's first to orbit the earth passed away at the OSU hospital at age 95. He grew up just 15 miles from where I was born and raised in eastern Ohio. He was a long-time Senator from Ohio and later got to orbit the earth when he was in his 70's. Our main airport in Columbus has just been re-named for him. As many in the media have described him, he was our last "national hero" that is most remembered by a large number of the population. Godspeed to John Glenn.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 161,989 views for this posting.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Hahahahahaha

And they always blame the POOR DOG!

 

The glass of wine looks so inviting.

JP I had a great white on the ship. Puligny-Montrachet les combettes 1er Cru, recolte 2011.

Twas yummy, maybe you could bring that back or find a bottle to try. I priced them here and too expensive for my thread bare wallet.

 

 

Thanks Spins, and JP!

 

 

They put the wine out and I took two glasses ..... but were they bigger than I thought. I bottle of Gruner Veltliner filled the two glasses. Still I did the right thing and left none.

 

<<Lol! C'est très amusant! Le pauvre chien...>>

 

That poor dog. There has always been a thing that the Brits use to accuse the French of inventing perfume simply because of their dislike of regular bathing. Well this lady ....... you could tell ten seconds before she arrived that she was on her way. It smelt just like Grasse when all the doors of the factories were open.

 

Jeff

[MrOscarH]

 

 

 

 

...... the French couple with their mini-dog ..... and the poor dog looked at us as if to say "it's all right for you two but she has just f*****d"!!"

 

Jeff

 

 

 

Loving the hypocrisy!

 

"Many people for their own reasons do not like having their photographs posted on web sites. I am not Soapy's spokesperson but I know without a shadow of doubt that she would be extremely upset and annoyed if a picture of her were posted, and you are together and it might seem quite normal to post pictures of people you are mixing with. Unless one asks, one doesn't know. I therefore remain of the view that it is better to ask other passengers whether they mind pictures of them being published rather than risk upsetting them."

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good Evening Coolers from a dark and dingy Blghty.

 

This afternoon's flight was on-time, great crew and decent snack and swiftly on schedule for what is often a six bottle flight was a mere 5 bottles.

 

 

Chris The Merc was in his normal place and we're back with the log fire on opening up brown buff envelopes and looking forward to a bit of quiet!

 

Have a great weekend all.

 

:)

 

Jeff

[jpalbny]

Looks like a great flight! Welcome home to the dingy darkness. Only 12 days until the daylight starts increasing, though!

 

And we have a mid-winter break to India to anticipate, in February. The heat and sunshine will feel great at that time of year!

 

Debating whether to cook dinner tonight, or go out. The latter is currently the forerunner. Have made some fun new recipes this week, along with old standbys, but I'm in the mood to have someone else do the dishes...

 

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Edited December 9, 2016 by jpalbny

[jpalbny]

I had a look at the wine that spinnaker2 posted. It's not cheap, even in the Parisian wine shop that listed it, even with the favorable € to $ rate. Definitely for a special occasion.

 

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[spinnaker2]

On the ship it was around 60 bucks.

I should have bought some and brought it home.

Hope they still have it in the spring.

Apparently not very popular as pax want big reds.

[specialcruisegirl]

Good Day Coolers,

 

Jeffers, your photos are lovely....I'm sure you both had a lovely few days...judging by the bubbles on your flight home...[emoji6]

 

Spins....Montrachet is one of my very favourite wines, l favour the Batard but it is expensive although $60 is a very good price....must look into that next time I'm on board!

 

JP.....where in India are you planning.......Mumbai and Cochin for me next December ...

 

It's been another busy week trying to get sorted for the festive season....tomorrow is the first of three christmas lunches for me which l know will be fun.....the last one on the 20th is on the Orient Express Northern Belle.....

 

Happy Weekend

Sophia [emoji4]

 

 

 

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[jpalbny]

Sophia, we are going on a combination land/cruise trip with Uniworld. It's two weeks long and starts in Delhi. In the course of the first week, we'll have time in Delhi, then Agra, then Jaipur. From there we fly to Kolkota where we get on a river boat cruising on the Ganges for a week. We return to Kolkota for the long trip home.

 

Here is a link to the itinerary. We've never visited India so we figured this was a relatively sheltered way to see some of the highlights.

 

https://www.uniworld.com/en/river-cruise/india/ganges/indias-golden-triangle-and-the-sacred-ganges/2017-new-delhi-to-kolkata/

 

Thanks also for your comments on the Madagascar/South Africa blog. That was some amazing trip! The flight to India is actually shorter for us than the flight to Madagascar! Delhi is only 8h30 from Paris, while Tana was almost 11h in the air from Paris. Amazing how long it takes to fly south.

 

Holiday party weekend here. Working next weekend, then off to Paris and Geneva. It will be here before we know it!

[specialcruisegirl]

Thank JP.....sounds like a wonderful trip and shall look forward to reading all about it......[emoji4]

 

 

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[spinnaker2]

Hello all and welcome holiday festivities!

Finally pulled out all decorations and started the process. The TA really threw me off this year, I feel like a lot of time is missing. That will teach me not to ever do that trip again and miss Thanksgving with family and friends.

 

I am looking for inspiration in cookbooks, which prompted me to start rearranging them in some order. Another diversion from the task at hand...

Every year I try to make something different. Last year it was semolina gnocchi and pork ragu, which was delicious but lots of last minute work.

Haven't been that inspired yet, thinking of Osso bucco?? DH has to fly up north on the 23rd and will fly back late the 24th which creates havoc here as Christmas Eve is usually the holiday tree trimming party at our home. Not this year. It will have to be a week early.

 

Sophia agree that the price for that wine was very good. And the wine was yummy. I hope they have it in the future, we have a lot of OBC to use in the next cruise.

 

Jeff, I imagined that fire and you and wifey sitting in front of it warming your toes. Sounds delightful.

 

JP not long until your trip!

 

Terry meant to tell you I enjoyed your photos of grandchildren, they are too cute!

[UKCruiseJeff]

JP, that is an extraordinary trip. I think it's really clever of you both to choose that approach. I@m really looking forward to following the trip when you go and reading your blog when you return. I suspect it might be one of the "richest" experences one can experience.

 

Thanks Soapy .... yes trip back was great! The only fly in the ointment was the Blacklane driver who picked us up to take us to the airport in Vienna seemed to forget we were going to the airport and as he glided pass the turnoff I asked where he was taking us ....... but all eanded well.

 

Thanks Spins. I think we still have the issue in that although travel is great home is always best and it can't be beaten. Nice to sleep in our own bed. I did wifey some nice hake with hollondaise today with a salad.

 

Although we have said it on around the last dozen trips or so to Vienna it would "be our last" I think this time it really was, so it was nice to have a lingering "goodbye". I think sometimes, although nice to see what has changed, it is perhaps sometimes even more preferable tosimply retain positive memories rather than replace them with the newer realities of a changing Europe. Still, less than four weeks to Singapore.

 

Jeff