Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Two

[spinnaker2]

looks like a rothko, a calder, lots of miro. cant see too well down the hall due to perspective, maybe an early picasso...

[UKCruiseJeff]

We liked it!

 

 

Off to work... Still tired from the weekend but only a few more days until we have some time off.

 

 

JP,

 

If you do go again .... I have no idea whether you found as we do thar the shchnitzel TOO big, but locals (and Jeff and wifey) share a schnitzel between two. From the table it looks like you went to the new plush Figmullers (not the one just the original one around the corner in the alley where they have dark tables) and this picture is one of our shared schnitzels in the Figlmullers you visited.

 

It use to be a ritual that we always got the first flight out, dumped our bags in our suite in the Intercontinental, then walked across Stadtpark for a schnitzel at Figlmullers with a litre of their grunerveltliner on tap, got some cakes on the way back to have with some coffee in the IC club lounge. The star of Figlmullers menu is the shareable large salad and bratkartofelen.

 

If you ever return, the Figls at Grinzing do a great schnitzel von kalb which is better than the von schwein and is a lovely trip out of Vienna. If you happen to make a remark when the order is being collected that it is wifey's birthday you will get a free choccy cake for afters ....;)

 

Jeff

 

 

[UKCruiseJeff]

Fabulous pics Jeffers...I may be tempted to visit again for a long weeked.

 

Been a busy week here so looking forward to a quiet weekend bank holiday, can't believe its almost September!

 

Sophia :)

 

I think they only have 6 suites and rooms and it is a unique experince. I contacted them on a cruise I was taking with a friend/client and his lovely partner Mel ..... from Ozland ... (piccy below on the roof in her favourite "shades" - with wifey ..) and said that as we were in port on an SS cruise and I'd like to bring my friends for a visit and a glass of wine before we went tapas hunting and because I was thinking of a weekend there with them and they said "of course". We arrived and they'd put on a small private buffet on the roof with some Cava, and when I went to settle the bill they said "Of course ... no charge Mr Jeff ... a pleasure to see you. " It's so lovely to have clients that are great friends as well.

 

Mel and partner (won't post piccies of him in case anyone recognises him .... ;) ) decided to join us on a visit a few weeks later to Nice for a night or three and a landmark anniversary meal for wifey and me at the Negresco I'd organised. Mel wore a dress held together by safety pins and the effect she had on the waiters was priceless. :eek:

 

Extraordinary place the Palace in Palma. Everyone should go if they can to experience an extraodinary bit of hospitality and an oasis.

 

Jeff

 

[mysty]

I love the stories of your adventures Jeff! You are a natural raconteur! A book! You need to write a book! Even if you pretend and call it "fiction" to protect the innocent. It would be a delight!

[UKCruiseJeff]

I love the stories of your adventures Jeff! You are a natural raconteur! A book! You need to write a book! Even if you pretend and call it "fiction" to protect the innocent. It would be a delight!

 

There are at least two problems I can think of. Firstly I only ever find trivial things interesting - all the important things are utterly boring. Secondly I do find that a lot of what I say people that do not take a shine to me disbelieve. So why be an object of disbelief. I've never recounted something untrue ... and I often post a piccy that at least shows we were there! Also because it's trivial people find it boring.

 

However ... I am overburdoned with trivial stories ... so happy to do requests. :)

 

When things get a bit slow here happy to post piccies of wifey. I have a lovely collection of her drinking punch at dozens of different Christmas Market stalls .... but here is one responding obediently to the "fetch" command.

 

Jeff

 

[mysty]

But Jeff, it is in the trivial that we find life, love and oodles of laughs! There is where we find the gems of life! Please continue to relieve your burden of trivial stories here. :) And seriously, does it really matter than some people who are not fans, choose to disbelieve. You have no need to prove yourself to anyone! :)

[UKCruiseJeff]

But Jeff, it is in the trivial that we find life, love and oodles of laughs! There is where we find the gems of life! Please continue to relieve your burden of trivial stories here. :) And seriously, does it really matter than some people who are not fans, choose to disbelieve. You have no need to prove yourself to anyone! :)

 

No it doesn't .. quite right to remind me.

 

There are so many Mel (Ozzy lady with well known business man partner pictured above ... ) in the memory bank. I know blokes aren't supposed to "love" other blokes but I really loved him and cared ... and he (at the time) felt the same about me. He became a client and actualy the friendship intensified.

 

What he couldn't understand and nor could I - was how such a poorly educated person like me seemed to know so much about trivial things and it irritated him because he was well educated. I would tell them that we were going somewhere, and the next thing I knew, they were coming with us and I loved it and miss them.

 

What wife tells me really irritated him as that when I was drunk I seemed to have a command of languages that I didn't know I had. So when there were issues with waiters or something I could speak fluent French or German and everythign smoothed out. And wifery who is always terminally sobre says this wasn't ccompliant waiters, but I do speak fluent Germand and French .. but this irritated my friend a bit.

 

So much stuff around our travle together.

 

However this week the news (trivial news) has been about renewed support via tax for the film industry using UK studios. I migfht have mentioned that Shepperton were a client ..... they wanted me to help them understand how the studios become "first choice" for moview producers. The origina of that client acquisition is misty in my memory but in Shepperton Studios (a place no one would ever visit unless paid) did I spend lots of time.

 

So one day .... two films collided .... to produce some hilarious issues. Maddona as Evita ... and all those soddin' dogs in 101 dalamations. At Shepperton at the same time. Guess who came off better?

 

;)

 

I'd love to tell you about it but client confidentiality ....

 

Anyway ... sorry about the typos ... but a box of wine (which I statrted a little while ago ... can you tell ... ) and pie calls ....

 

:D

 

 

Jeff

[mysty]

A box of wine and what? No French or German? Qu'est-ce qui se passe? :) On the subject of "educated" people..... there is book learning and there is life learning and to me, the book learning only counts for so much. I am sure you could go toe-to-toe with just about anyone and make a very respectable showing for yourself on any topic short of brain surgery. I would not trust you with a scalpel! :)

[jpalbny]

Ja, das ist wunderbar! Wir wollen Deutsch! Et un peu de français serait parfait!

 

I'm getting into the spirit for Germany. Jeff, after a few glasses of wine I start speaking French, but usually it's to people who have no idea what I'm saying!

 

My theory - all of us to some degree have some insecurity about speaking a non-native language, unless we've been speaking it fluently for years. Alcohol removes inhibitions so voila, it makes you less hung up on making mistakes, so you feel less self-conscious about speaking. Of course, too much alcohol makes everything gibberish, so balance is key!

 

Enjoy the box. Only 8:45 here... We are finally not working this weekend so lots of relaxation planned. Tonight after work we are visiting the Audi dealer to put the down payment on my S6, and sign the loan paperwork! It's all built and awaiting our arrival in Ingolstadt. I can't wait!

[mysty]

Enjoy your non-working weekend JP! I'm sure you are counting the days to your trip! :)

[UKCruiseJeff]

JP, I think your observations about confidence and language are "spot on" ... but to0 a degree they are sometimes perplexingly a touch more subtle.

 

French in a way is a subject without much debate. All the French that we all encounter speak English, but they do not like us not trying. So it doesn't matter in some places what you say in English, but they do not understand you ... if you get my drift. But if you try a few words of French and make an effort you suddenly find that you are fluid. ;)

 

German is different depending on where you are. I'm looking forward to MJN1's imput here .....

 

I was once in Seefeld in Austria in a queue to buy a train ticket to Innsbruk and I was determined to speak in German. However everyone in front of me progressed to the booking window .... all Germans ... but the agent asked each of them to repeat their request sometimes several times and with some tuts and arghhs. I rapidly lost confidence as I approached the front of the queue. But I hung on in there and gave it a "go".

 

When I got to the front of the queue I asked for my ticket and it was provided without repitition and with a smile straight away. I was confused and it made no sense at all. How could all those other native speakers struggle but not me. :confused:

 

I asked an Austrian mate of mine about this some time later because it had been on my mind and I couldn't understand it. His response was "An Austrian might sometimes ... or even often .... ;) find that he is struggling to understand a German speaking his language but curiously he will always find an Englishman's German perfectly easy to understand."

 

Jeff

[UKCruiseJeff]

A box of wine and what? No French or German? Qu'est-ce qui se passe? :) On the subject of "educated" people..... there is book learning and there is life learning and to me, the book learning only counts for so much. I am sure you could go toe-to-toe with just about anyone and make a very respectable showing for yourself on any topic short of brain surgery. I would not trust you with a scalpel! :)

 

Thanks M! :D

 

I agree. People that have to learn are luckier than those that have been force fed.

 

Jeff

 

:)

[jpalbny]

Enjoy your non-working weekend JP! I'm sure you are counting the days to your trip! :)

 

Single digits now... :) :D

 

WRT German - I've been told that there are significant regional variants (Bavarian, Swabian, Frankish, etc) in Southern Germany, and "High German" as a more common tongue. My guess, which may be totally off-base, is that we Anglophones learn high German, but natives learn their regional dialect. So an Austrian might understand your non-native high German much better than the native Bavarian dialect. Then when you add the even bigger differences between the German in the North...

 

Again, I don't know how true this is, and I may be misunderstanding some of these concepts. But I find the study of languages fascinating, because it's intertwined so intimately with history. Would love to hear more about this.

Edited August 28, 2015 by jpalbny

[mysty]

JP, I have noticed the same thing with French. I got to tag along with Myster on one of his business trips to Paris. We were shown around by a local rep for the company who was French. He thought my accent was "cute". French spoken here in Canada is much more slangy and words have elisions here that are not used there. The French spoken in Begium is closer to what is spoken here.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Hi Coolers,

 

The Red Arrows just went over our balcony a few moments ago, and I managed to snatch an ipad shot to post for you.

 

Tomorrow I understand that Robert Pleming (who I mentioned earlier upthread) is bringing his ancient Vulcan bomber and I'll try and get a shot ... if it is allowed to fly.

 

Jeff

 

[jpalbny]

Awesome! Jeff, the sacrifices you make for us... Posting all those pictires, suffering through that airshow. Brings a tear to my eye. Time for a glass of wine!

Edited August 28, 2015 by jpalbny

[mysty]

Great shot Jeff! And I echo JP! No tears here though. :) I haven't opened the wine yet. Still working on the laundry chore! :(

[UKCruiseJeff]

Quite right JP. Sacrifices! :D

 

Third delivered curry tonight on our third night here. Thew new owners of our chosen place have increased prices by up to 50% but now we have really great food . .. and the app means ai do not have to shout at people down the phone.

 

I lost some bulk last week so I could eat curries this week. Red Arrows, curry, Tiger Beer, lovely wifey .... life doesn't get much better even if the natives are sometimes revolting ....

 

Jeff

[specialcruisegirl]

Hi Coolers,

 

The Red Arrows just went over our balcony a few moments ago, and I managed to snatch an ipad shot to post for you.

 

Tomorrow I understand that Robert Pleming (who I mentioned earlier upthread) is bringing his ancient Vulcan bomber and I'll try and get a shot ... if it is allowed to fly.

 

Jeff

 

]

 

Great shot of the Arrows Jeff, I used to see them all the time up in Yorkshire as they train from Scampton.

Hope you see the Vulcan tomorrow.....I'm sure people must be worried after the Shoreham tragedy.

 

S :)

[UKCruiseJeff]

JP!

 

reread your earlier post and I think the language comments were in response to my story.

 

You may be technically right but let me be clearer. Older Austrians are still very close to WW2 and that was the underlying subtlety going on. It really does persist I promise. So whilst they really do understand all German they sometimes do genuinely make it tougher for Germans but not us Brits.

 

Jeff

[UKCruiseJeff]

Great shot of the Arrows Jeff, I used to see them all the time up in Yorkshire as they train from Scampton.

Hope you see the Vulcan tomorrow.....I'm sure people must be worried after the Shoreham tragedy.

 

S :)

 

I'm half expecting the Vulcan to be called off. It isn't a nimble light weight plane and it is it's last year.

 

We use to live up in Cambridgeshire and my next door neighbour was an RAF desk wing commander and we spent a lot of time in his lounge drinking with people from his work at RAF Scampton, On several of those evenings there was a lovely bunch of (as wifey would describe them) as fit looking young pilots and it transpired that it was half the Red Arrows team. When I asked them what they did first time we met they simply said '"Pilots" and it was only when he said "a bit more than that'" that it emerged who they were.

 

He invited them to bbqs because they were at a loose end away from home and he felt sorry for them .For some reason they were based at the RAF Scampton base. Scampton evidently also use to house The Dambusters so has a great heritage. You could not meet a more unassuming "ordinary" nice bunch of men. Totally quiet, professional and very nice to wifey.

 

Jeff

Edited August 28, 2015 by UKCruiseJeff

[specialcruisegirl]

I'm half expecting the Vulcan to be called off. It isn't a nimble light weight plane and it is it's last year.

 

We use to live up in Cambridgeshire and my next door neighbour was an RAF desk wing commander and we spent a lot of time in his lounge drinking with people from his work at RAF Scampton, On several of those evenings there was a lovely bunch of (as wifey would describe them) as fit looking young pilots and it transpired that it was half the Red Arrows team. When I asked them what they did first time we met they simply said '"Pilots" and it was only when he said "a bit more than that'" that it emerged who they were.

 

He invited them to bbqs because they were at a loose end away from home and he felt sorry for them .For some reason they were based at the RAF Scampton base. Scampton evidently also use to house The Dambusters so has a great heritage. You could not meet a more unassuming "ordinary" nice bunch of men. Totally quiet, professional and very nice to wifey.

 

Jeff

 

Scampton did house The Dambusters and the pub is still there in the village where it was apparently all planned...with lots of memorabilia to see.

Just a few miles alway is another country inn owned by an ex QE2 chef who is also very much involved with Scampton and does the catering at the Waddington Airshow.

 

S:)

[UKCruiseJeff]

Well, Big Blue sent me up to live in Little Paxton to look after some of our mainframe customers up there ... and all this reminds me about how Alex .. my long suffering neighbour suffered at our hands. :)

 

When he told us he was a Wing Commander in the RAF we always presumed he was a pilot. When it emerged that he flew a desk, then obviously after a bottle of two wifey and me would fly round his lounge ie arms out like a childish plane singing "dar dar dah dah da da da darhhhh" ie the dam busters theme tune to take the mick out of him. He of course use to find this hugely funny and his wife would role around on the carpet. It was only after the evenings with the Red Arrows was genuine respect restored and wifey and I quietened down and behaved with due deference.

 

Luckily one of my accounts was Ciba Geigy at Duxford which is a well respected WW 2 airfield and we use to spend many happy days at different Ciba boozy events at Duxford with some extraordinary shows.

 

However the best thing about Alex was that his son went to Kimbolton School, where the only individual person in the UK with a fireworks licence, ie Reverend RonLancaster was teacher. So once a year we got to see all the experimental fireworks before they were ever tried on public audiences. Some of those fireworks were ... let us say "exciting".

 

I am drifting again anecdotally - I am sorry!

 

Jeff

[mysty]

Jeff, you have been hanging around with me too much! You are apologizing! Egad man!!!!! I hereby make you an honourary Canuck! You need a beaver tail and maple syrup! :)

[UKCruiseJeff]