Cunard Cruisers - How are things where you are ?

[Bigmike911]

On 7/18/2020 at 4:48 PM, alc13 said:

I wish I could find a bottle of 1998 Dom Perignon in MY larder... 

 

An early Happy Birthday to you, Bigmike911.  Hope you get to see your UK friends before not too long.

Well, ALC, the Dom had obviously seen better days. In the 22 years since it was bottled, it probably hasn't been always stored the best way. There was a bit of fizz, but not much and the taste was fine, but not great. But it was my Birthday Lunch with family present and that made it special. My dear sister collects Waterford and thinks others should to, so over the years Christmas and birthdays have been quite sparkly. This year a pair of 2 foot high candle sticks, which you could not hide, if  you tried. 

[alc13]

35 minutes ago, Bigmike911 said:

Well, ALC, the Dom had obviously seen better days. In the 22 years since it was bottled, it probably hasn't been always stored the best way. There was a bit of fizz, but not much and the taste was fine, but not great. But it was my Birthday Lunch with family present and that made it special. My dear sister collects Waterford and thinks others should to, so over the years Christmas and birthdays have been quite sparkly. This year a pair of 2 foot high candle sticks, which you could not hide, if  you tried. 

Oh dear, too bad about the wine!  It reminds me of a passage in a book I read.  A very old and long past its prime bottle of champagne was opened to great expectation, but  only a ghost remained of what it had been.  But in the book the company was good, so like yours the event was memorable anyway.
 

A bit of sympathy over those candlesticks, too.

[Host Hattie]

Sorry to hear about the champagne but I'm glad you had a nice lunch.

We made 2 trips out this weekend, a couple of hours in our friends' garden on Saturday afternoon for coffee and a drive to West Wales to surprise MIL on her birthday.

It was a glorious day and lots of people were enjoying the beach and the pubs that had opened were doing good business. 

We hadn't booked ahead so Mr HH was a bit disappointed that we had to make do with lemon squash outside his Mother's caravan !

[Camgirl]

I hope it was a lovely birthday, Bigmike. Enjoy the candlesticks!!

 

I'm glad you were able to get out and about at the weekend HH, it is good to have a change of scenery.

 

We are redecorating our kitchen at the moment, so we didn't go far last weekend. We just had our usual walks, then did stuff at home. We are nearly there now with the redecorating, and the kitchen is looking fresher and brighter. 

 

The mask making has gone really well, thanks to everyone's help. We now have a small pile of masks in various patterned fabrics, that fit well and, hopefully, look fun. 

[alc13]

:"Lemon squash" sounded delicious, HH, until I googled it and found out it was lemonade.  But I'm sure it was delicious because you were finally away from home. 

 

That reminds me that when we passed through Heathrow last year (in a long-ago era) we found some Lemon Schweppes.  Unavailable here because I think it isn't sweet enough for American tastes.  So good.

 

Camgirl, glad to hear the mask making has been successful. 

 

Heat wave here, and muggy.  Very low covid numbers in our part of the state, but we won't let down our guard.  I saw some promising reports on vaccine progress and new treatment options in the paper this week, very encouraging.  Maybe we can make travel plans again soon...

 

 

[BklynBoy8]

Hi All,

 

Well NYC in the last two days and next two keeping up with it's nick name The Big "Baked" Apple.

 

Extremely hot and some streets are empty and unfortunately with the health emergency not that many places to escape too.

 

Phase 4 opened up to certain locations and not too many. Looks like indoor dining will be the last locations to be re-established in the future. Lucky many of the outdoor dining or sidewalk cafes established do have umbrellas to shade the sun.

 

Theses are the kind of days we remembered when boarding a cruise everyone headed to their cabins, changed and straight for the pools with that topical drink in hand.

 

Those were the days to remember and hope will soon return in the near and not too distance future.

 

Reviewing plans to either escape on a short vacation to the Jersey Coast or Up State NY in the Mountains. Both still not in the situations we would like since changes are established and not the we remembered in the past.

Edited July 21, 2020 by BklynBoy8

[Lanky Lad]

A belated happy birthday Bigmike911 sorry to hear your fizz was very fizzy.

 

Dull and cool here in the North West of England. 

 

More new cases in our area, but it not helped when 250 people attended a funeral in Blackburn (the limit is 30).  When asked the organisers said they didn't know there was a limit. 

 

To put the tin hat on things, CMV have gone out of business so that is my cruise on Marco Polo scuppered.  I should be able to get my money back from ABTA but it will not be easy. 

 

Oh and my car passed it's MOT (a test in the UK to make sure a car is safe to drive).  The bad news is I am going to need a new tyre and break pads soon.  I will look at getting those done before I go off on my road trip in August.  I am visiting Bournemouth so if I get any pictures of Cunard ships I will post them on here. 

[LewiLewi]

8 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

Sorry to hear about the champagne but I'm glad you had a nice lunch.

We made 2 trips out this weekend, a couple of hours in our friends' garden on Saturday afternoon for coffee and a drive to West Wales to surprise MIL on her birthday.

It was a glorious day and lots of people were enjoying the beach and the pubs that had opened were doing good business. 

We hadn't booked ahead so Mr HH was a bit disappointed that we had to make do with lemon squash outside his Mother's caravan !

We love lemon squash. It is much better than the lemonade we have at home. It brings back memories of traveling around the U.K. many, many years ago.

CMV has gone out of business. I wonder what other lines will be also shut down.

We were surprised to find that the QV is practically all booked up for the World Cruise 2022. Probably by passengers moving their 2021 booking to 2022. 
Vaccine news is very promising, maybe we will be cruising again sooner rather than later.

[Bigmike911]

8 hours ago, alc13 said:

:"Lemon squash" sounded delicious, HH, until I googled it and found out it was lemonade.  But I'm sure it was delicious because you were finally away from home. 

 

That reminds me that when we passed through Heathrow last year (in a long-ago era) we found some Lemon Schweppes.  Unavailable here because I think it isn't sweet enough for American tastes.  So good.

 

Camgirl, glad to hear the mask making has been successful. 

 

Heat wave here, and muggy.  Very low covid numbers in our part of the state, but we won't let down our guard.  I saw some promising reports on vaccine progress and new treatment options in the paper this week, very encouraging.  Maybe we can make travel plans again soon...

 

 

Look for Schweppes Bitter Lemon and you have the same thing. 

[Bigmike911]

5 hours ago, Lanky Lad said:

A belated happy birthday Bigmike911 sorry to hear your fizz was very fizzy.

Thanks LL. Depending on the state you live in we have annual safety and smog tests which are required before paying for and receiving your annual license plate renewal. One of mine is due this month, so I will get the check done tomorrow, on the way to the hair cut. 

Edited July 21, 2020 by Bigmike911

[frankp01]

51 minutes ago, Bigmike911 said:

Look for Schweppes Bitter Lemon and you have the same thing. 

 

Gin and Bitter Lemon is one of our favorite drinks, but Bitter Lemon has gotten to be very hard to find. (Sorry, I've been told 'gotten' is archaic, by our London-based friend!) Our workaround is to use tonic with a splash of Rose's Lime Juice.

 

On a different note, I had my first haircut in 5 months, and what a relief it is (especially this week with our 98 F days). I was a bit apprehensive, but the shop had only one barber (instead of 4), and I was the first client of the day, after a 2-day weekend closure. So I feel it was as safe as it could probably be.

 

Stay safe, everyone.

[LewiLewi]

On 7/20/2020 at 6:29 PM, Bigmike911 said:

Well, ALC, the Dom had obviously seen better days. In the 22 years since it was bottled, it probably hasn't been always stored the best way. There was a bit of fizz, but not much and the taste was fine, but not great. But it was my Birthday Lunch with family present and that made it special. My dear sister collects Waterford and thinks others should to, so over the years Christmas and birthdays have been quite sparkly. This year a pair of 2 foot high candle sticks, which you could not hide, if  you tried. 

Hi Big Mike,

  I collect crystal; I cannot get enough. Baccarat, Waterford, Daum, Orrefors, to name a few. I would be happy to take the two foot candlesticks off your hands. I’ll send you my address.

[Host Hattie]

Our local pub reopened yesterday afternoon for outside drinking only, they have put tables out in the car park, it was a lovely sunny evening so plenty of people turned up to celebrate the occasion. We might leave it until the excitement dies down !

It would have been Mr HH's birthday party this weekend, the weather forecast isn't great so maybe we've had a lucky escape.

[Bigmike911]

Well, another week is almost over. Local news is that Tropical storm Hanna, the first of our tropical storm season will likely cross the Texas coastline at Baffin Bay this afternoon. My family has ranched in that area of Texas for 175 years and I know it well. Nothing to slow the storm down until it reaches the Monterrey Mountains in Mexico. The wind is only 40 mph and heavy rain fall is expected. The Coastal Bend of Texas can always use rain. I am about 300 miles north of the area, so if I am lucky I will get an inch or two or rain. Unlike Hurricane Harvey of a couple of years ago when the city got 50 inches. 

The week has been much the same as weeks past. I will say my garden is in far better shape than it has been in several years, as I spend some time each day working on those tasks which don't normally get much attention. I have done a lot of pruning and the shrubs, hedges and ground cover are looking pretty sharp. The weather remains hot and muggy. I try to get two to three hours in in the early mornings. My tee shirt is always wet when I finish. But I feel like I accomplished something. 

Yesterday, I got one of my vehicles inspected for safety and smog, drove to the tax office and got my renewal sticker for the year. The whole thing took an hour and forty five minutes including about 25 minutes of driving. The tax office has a mask requirement, and floor stickers for people to stand on. The two clerks had a few tough issues to deal with, so it took about 30 minutes of wait time, but all in all easy and it's Done for another year.

Today's  project will be to grill and assemble a home cooked Patty Melt. I love to eat them but they are messy to do at home. I will grill the patties on the charcoal grill, caramelize the onions and serve on toasted Rye bread with cheddar cheese. 

A safe and happy weekend to all. 

 

 

[Host Hattie]

I've just finished for a week off work. We decided to try out the pub, it's across the road so Biggles just had to join us much to annoyance of the dogs there !

 

[frankp01]

I don't see a pint for Biggles!

[Host Hattie]

1 minute ago, frankp01 said:

I don't see a pint for Biggles!

He's enough of a handful as it is, he doesn't need alcohol !

[beaveh]

Funny, it was a first pub night out for us tonight. Ham, egg and chips and a glass of prosseco. Fairly basic, but it was fantastic being out 🙂

[LewiLewi]

I’m jealous of the two of you. We are still not able to dine out. However, we are lucky to have our favorite restaurant’s deliver to our door. 
Our numbers keep rising;  four of our friends are sick with the virus. 
We are still researching future cruises. It looks like Ponant has begun  to cruise in France. Someone has actually been on the ship and reported as to how the new cruising is taking place, masks and all.

Edited July 25, 2020 by LewiLewi
Wrong information

[Host Hattie]

In Wales we're only able to eat & drink outside for the moment. Pubs and restaurants can re-open inside as long as they can comply with the new rules from August 3rd. One of our favourite restaurants hasn't confirmed a re-opening date yet.

I've just booked a hotel for Mr HH's birthday on Tuesday, we can only have room service food and drinks. I'm not sure how it's going to work out.

Sorry to hear about your friends @LewiLewi, I hope they are better soon.

[navybankerteacher]

Connecticut is still doing OK - one of the few states which learned a painful lesson a few months back and has a sufficient portion of the population mature and responsible enough to wear masks and apply distancing.  Out door dining works, our local beach has enough shade trees to be comfortable even in these 90 (F) humid days - as there is always some breeze coming off the 75 (F) water.

 

I almost despair about so many of our “sunbelt” states which, even with record infections, hospitalizations and deaths, are reluctant to comply with precautionary requests.  It may be true that the sun bleached their brains.

[Kynance]

Hi everyone 

 

The big news from west Berkshire is that I managed to get my hair cut on Thursday! It was still a bit too long at the sides so I’ve done a bit of snipping myself (which to be honest, is something I often end up doing anyway). However,  the drying time is much reduced now which is welcome because my hair really needs to be washed and blow dried everyday due to its “quirks”. My other half got his hair cut on Friday - it was getting very long, having not been done since January...

 

In other news, we have been engaged in a protracted quest to get our tumble dryer fixed since just before lockdown. After the 6th attempt failed this week, John Lewis agreed to give us a new one under the terms of their 3 year guarantee but the earliest we can get it delivered is 5 August, so a bit of a wait yet. 
 

On Friday morning, our first milk delivery arrived, along with some bacon, eggs and orange juice. Depending on what happens with the virus over the next few months, I feel this could be a very useful service indeed which we have signed up to. 

 

Today, we went to breakfast at the tea room by the canal close to where we live - they re-opened three weeks ago but only started offering their breakfasts this weekend. They have only so far re-opened their garden, which looks onto the canal but it is spacious and they are very well organised. It is run by a lovely couple and their “boater’s breakfast” is just the right size.  Afterwards, we went for a walk and returned  home just in time to bring in our bed linen which had been drying outside,  before it started to rain. We had a downpour all day yesterday, which has been good for our poor lawn, and some intermittent showers today. (Not good for much at all, except upsetting efforts at drying laundry.)
 

On Friday night I watched the first of a three part documentary on Channel 5 about the QE2 hotel in Dubai - if you are in the UK, I recommend it, especially if you have happy memories of sailing on the ship herself. (Channel 5  has a catch up TV app.) I was particularly impressed with the lengths that the executive chef and his team went to in making haggis from scratch for a Burns Night supper!

And that is about it. Hearing the news today that the UK has re-imposed a 14 day quarantine period on travellers arriving from Spain has confirmed my thought of giving up on  any idea of overseas travel this year - instead I hope we can get down to my beloved Cornwall in the early autumn. 
 

Hope everyone is having a good weekend - take care and have a good week to come. 

[Host Hattie]

The weather has been pretty disappointing here most of the weekend but I'm very glad to have turned my alarm off for the week.

I made Nigella's Chocolate olive oil cake yesterday, it doesn't look very pretty but it tastes good. I also made a Diane sauce for the T bone steaks Mr HH cooked. Unfortunately they were very overdone so the sauce was the best bit of the meal !

I enjoyed the QE2 programme and the one about the River Mersey the night before on Channel 5. There was some good footage of the Three Queens in 2015 as well as historical film of Cunard ships.

Have a good week everyone

[Rocky of London]

Well after our Cunard cruise was cancelled back in June for Alaska, I thought shall we wait until next year....but now we have taken a gamble and booked to sail this December 13.....If anyone hears any news for this date not sailing let me know.....🚣‍♀️

[LewiLewi]

21 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Connecticut is still doing OK - one of the few states which learned a painful lesson a few months back and has a sufficient portion of the population mature and responsible enough to wear masks and apply distancing.  Out door dining works, our local beach has enough shade trees to be comfortable even in these 90 (F) humid days - as there is always some breeze coming off the 75 (F) water.

 

I almost despair about so many of our “sunbelt” states which, even with record infections, hospitalizations and deaths, are reluctant to comply with precautionary requests.  It may be true that the sun bleached their brains.

I’m from one of those sunbelt states, Florid “uh” and things are not improving down here. People are still not complying with sensible rules and are still dining indoors at restaurants, going to gyms, salons, visiting friends in their homes, etc. I seem to be one of the few who wears a mask when walking on walking paths outside our home. I don’t know why people down here are so stupid, maybe they get their cue from our Governor, who does nothing to stop the spread of this virus. We used to live in NY. I wish that we were back there now.