Off to Potsdam we go, but we are in need of gas and wieners!
Since I’m reading this book, Boys In The Boat, which deals with the University of Washington Crew team and their quest for the Berlin Olympics, we swung by the 1936 Olympic Stadium.
And had I waited, I could have had a sit-down wiener in Potsdam!
Next stop was the Bridge of Spies where Cold War spy exchanges took place:
After a short walk, we get to Schloss Cecilienhof, famous for the location of the Potsdam Conference in 1945, in which the leaders of the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States made important decisions affecting the shape of post-World War II Europe and Asia. Think Stalin, Churchhill, and Truman.
With high-tech toilet entrances to get the 50 cent (Euro) out of you:
And because it’s German, it even gives you a receipt!
All that sightseeing works up an appetite, but the on-site restaurant was booked full, so off to the Dutch Quarter of Potsdam we go:
Sadly, the local gay bar wasn’t open yet:
The final stop of the day was to a cemetery, for a brief remembrance:
Marlene Deitrich’s grave. Horst was at her public funeral (along with thousands) in 1992 (first in Paris, and then her interment in Berlin, her hometown).
There was a very brief discussion as to whether we should stop here:
Yes, THAT kind of swinger club.
Dinner tonight was a modest affair at the apartment. Nice after the whirlwind day:
Such a joy to be met at the airport overseas. It rarely happens, but Horst had a car for the week, and he wanted to see the new, much delayed, airport. THANKS!
Horst is lending me his “spare” apartment for the week:
After throwing my stuff down, we (Horst, Ollie, Myself) headed out for Vietnamese food at Cocochu, a few blocks away…I got the duck, and there was PLENTY for leftovers:
What a wonderful way to be welcomed to town.
Needless to say, I slept well!
With a fully stocked kitchen, breakfast was a breeze, and lunch was around the corner at a Shawarma place:
Again, more food than I needed, but got doggy bags for both last night’s Vietnamese and today’s lunch (I sense tomorrow’s breakfast).
On the way to the car, passed this place which I didn’t get around to poking my head in, but Horst claims it has an extensive whiskey selection:
And off on the driving tour we go!
Brandenburg Gate. Check.
And from the other side:
And a pointy memorial:
And a pointy memorial (Victory Column, Prussian war, not the Nazis) coming out of my head:
And the famous Tiergarten public toilet made famous in the 1980 movie, Taxi Zum Klo (Taxi To The Toilet) where the main character is released from the hospital and the first thing he does is go to the cruising toilet.
And a stroll through the park:
To a beer garden by a lake:
And a couple of nice cars in the car park:
Talk about both ends of the dollar spectrum!
On the way home we swung by parts of the old wall:
My first trip to Berlin was in 1989 before the wall came down, and went through Checkpoint Charlie:
Just A LITTLE redevelopment of the area, complete with a Checkpoint Charlie McDonalds. WHY would they ever have permitted that!
Back at home it’s time to feed the Tree Frogs that Horst breeds –they are endangered, and he raises them from tadpoles and releases them once a year through a non-profit. Takes a lot of bugs and leaves to keep those little guys happy.
Couldn’t really get a picture of the frogs with the netting in place, but there were lots.
Tonight’s meal was a homemade sauerkraut soup – with lots of sausage. Yum.
In case you need a little refresher, here is the total flight plan of my first overseas trip in 18-months:
After checking in, walked past DutyFree where they were selling Reindeer Hides…oddly, I already have one:
It is a late afternoon departure from Helsinki, so, of course, there is a lounge involved.
And if you didn’t like wine (no hard liquor served – bastards), there was a dispenser with:
Lingonberry
Apple
Orange
Cold Water
Interesting “tap” for all of them.
Small selection of hot and cold foods available, I had a nibble.
Time to board!
In Business on this leg:
And it comes with food:
I almost cried when I realized the pattern of the glassware:
And a little Cognac afterward in another “Finlandia” glass.
My mother had rocks glasses in this style – I might have to break down and buy a set. The ARE NOT cheap, sigh. It choked me up to see these glasses – such an integral part of my growing up.
Before long, I’d landed – with Horst and Ollie waiting for me with a car. It is very rare to get picked up in person at a foreign airport.
Just a little over 24-hours I Helsinki, and only one objective: hanging out with Viking Diva who taking the ferry across the Baltic Seat from Tallin, Estonia.
Looks close, but it’s a 2.5 hour ferry ride. And Viking Diva will arrive in the morning, and me the afternoon due to boat/plane schedules.
The Scandic Grand Marina hotel is in a converted warehouse right in the docks section of Helsinki.
The weather is very reminiscent of winter in Seattle – a cold drizzle. Fortunately, we are inside, VD waiting for me:
With presents for Horst (my Berlin stop) and I:
The rooms remind me of what are called “shotgun apartments” in New Orleans – long and skinny.
Hung out for a bit before heading downstairs for food:
A pasta and chicken dish for Viking Diva…
And the mashed potatoes and reindeer meatballs for me!
For some reason – we were both pooped and dead to the world by 9PM – so much for going out dancing, even if that WAS a possibility.
The morning found us asking for a late checkout (1PM rather than noon), and hitting the morning buffet, included in the price of the room:
This is round two – forgot to take a picture of round one!
And then back to bed for a nap!
Checked out at 1 and I caught an Uber to the airport. Viking Diva’s boat is later in the afternoon, but right next to the hotel so he won’t get too wet.
When I originally booked this trip, Helsinki wasn’t on the list of stops until I found some spare miles in another account. When I added it, it would have been quicker than taking the train between Warsaw and Berlin, even with Helsinki being hours north.
And then, a couple of months ago Finnair moved my outbound flight from Warsaw to Helsinki from Saturday to Friday but kept the connecting flight on Saturday Helsinki to Berlin – and not offering a free overnight hotel. Called, cancelled it, and rebooked so that I’d have about 24-hours in Helsinki, enough time for my friend Viking Diva to come over from Tallin, Estonia.
So, that is the story of why I’m ending up in Helsinki, but first I have to get there.
Sadly, this car sitting in duty-free in Warsaw wasn’t for sale:
But I did find a lounge that I could into for free.
Nice to grab a meal for the airplane since they’d downgraded to plane so I was no longer in Business, just the first row.
And this is one of the perks from Alaska joining the OneWorld Alliance – top level (means international lounge access no matter what class, priority boarding, bulkhead/exit row seating). Nice to be able to use the benefits again now that I’m travelling.
Time to board!
And, once again, BUSSES and STAIRS!
And finally on board.
With the seat open next to me!
Another benefit of Emerald Status on OneWorld is a free item off the buy-on-board menu – I went for the red wine:
It was French, it was a nice blend, much better than you’d find on a US flight.
It went well with the Salami Panini and Chicken Caesar from the lounge.
And the view from leaving Warsaw:
Before long, I was in Helsinki, and greeted by the lovely bear bollards:
One of the reasons I chose this room was that it not only had a free breakfast buffet, but a ala carte restraint in the evening – which I used the first night as I’d arrived at 3PM and promptly took a nap.
As usual, I tended to make a mess upon arrival:
Not reading the menu closely I ended up with the eggplant burger, which was probably healthier than the regular burger. Had the regular burger on my last night, so here is the comparison:
Will say that their breakfast buffet is VERY GOOD:
Now, No Smoking signs include TWO Smoking icons:
Started exploring the neighborhood – like, where was the train station (across the street), and did it have any ticketing machines (no).
Found the closest convenience store, stocked up a little more, took another nap. Mid-afternoon found me peckish so I popped back downstairs for and order of fries and a glass of white wine (Chenin Blanc from South Africa).
Wish I had these wine racks at home – the lower parks – since I have lots of wooden wine boxes!
The drawers pull out.
Dinner found me wanting to just hang out in the room in my robe – still working on Jet Lag – yes, it even affects me! Got the Chicken Caser to help move things through the system:
My last day in Warsaw has been saved to all the tourist stuff now that I’m on a little more even kilter. The Palace and the Old Town – all recreated to its pre-World War II glory since it had been flattened by bombings. Same footprint, same facades, better interior structure.
And they were still working on some of the buildings:
Found a through street and grabbed an Uber – headed to the Warsaw Neon Museum, which, oddly, I’d see a little clip about on the telly:
Watched enough of the dual-language video to piece together that Poland, being in the Eastern Bloc was rebuilt by Stalin and the Russians after the war. As times started changing, the Warsawians wanted something other than drab brutalist architecture of the Russians, and neon signs began to proliferate so that many neighborhoods had their own style. True to top-down planning, there was basically a “Minister of Neon” in the planning department that had to sign off every sign, and often it came with recommendations on changes to fit the neighborhoods.
Personally, as a neon junkie, I was moved, not to tears, but close, when I walked in the doors. Helped that I got the “senior concession” priced ticket (two Euro off).
Breakfast had worn off, and the temps were in the 70’s, and I was in a button-down shirt and long pants – needed food, not a lot, but food soon.
Think “roller-dog” meets Panini – the Paninis are baked with a tubular hole. When someone ordered one, the heat press the bun, then add the condiments to the hole, and slide the dog off the roller machine – thereby not allowing the condiments to leak out. BRILLIANT!
Next off on my whirlwind tour of Warsaw is the Polish Vodka Museum. I should mention that NONE of these places are next to each other, so Uber has become my very good friends today. The Museum is located in the courtyard of al gentrified factory complex in the old distillery building. The rest of all shops, Facebook, Google, etc. offices, an Aldi supermarket, an exhibition of The Art of Banksy, yes, hipster central!
None of the actual equipment left, just lots of history, and at the end, four samples since I paid for the premium tour – should have gotten a tour of the other two Dutch boys on the tour with me. Both well over six feet! And friendly.
Out of steam I headed back to the hotel and pack for tomorrow’s flight to Helsinki.
Twas a long walk from the First-Class Lounge to the gate for the Warsaw flight – and my worst fears were realized. The dreaded haul all your crap down the stairs, get on a bus, drive 20 minutes to some remote stand, and climb back up the stairs.
In my case, it was a little more surreal since I’m flying in First-Class. First, they called all the Coach Passengers, specifically asking Business and First wait in the lounge. Then they called all the Business Class passengers, leaving just ME in the boarding area, fortunately with two agents. And waiting and waiting (while I could have been drinking champagne on board). I was hoping they’d send a Porsche or Mercedes for me – but sadly, it was just a seriously pimped out transport bus:
Yep – just for me. And then the stairs:
But soon, there was a little 2008 Dom Perignon:
And then there is the seat, or shall I say, throne:
They brought around traditional tea and dates:
And before we start the real meal service, there are a couple of “powered” accessories in my suite. The mini-bar:
And the closing doors to the suite:
Started with an espresso martini, since it was morning:
Before moving onto the caviar starter with a little more of the Dom Perignon:
There was a HUGH menu of “on-demand” food items for the six-hour flight – but to be honest, I was still stuffed from all the lounge food. After taking a nap, ordered the Duck Foie Gras:
With a lovely French Burgundy:
If I got peckish during the flight – there was the basket of snacks they left in my suite, plus more in the galley.
The menu had three full pages of canapes, mains, starters, an entire page for the Cheese Board. I really should have thrown up in Dubai so I could start fresh. Next time!
Immigration and customs in Poland was very smooth (though, as usual, a long walk). Show my passport and vaccine card, they didn’t even want my passenger locator form since it was tied into my passport number.
Finally found where the Uber pickup area it was, and I was off to the hotel.
About the walnut chest… It looks refreshed and self-possessed again, very nice, tho in the photos it looks lighter than I remember; perhaps a trick of the light.
I beg to differ about the count and disclosure of the hidey=holes — all seven were divulged before it left my house, and none were unknown to me. You just got to them first, and with more dexterity. So there.
But it looks quite at home in your bedroom, tho I’m not sure I agree that the change in drawer pulls is an improvement. I too found the white ceramic ones jarring, tho I’m sure Papa had a precedent for using them. He did it on my little cherry chest, too. It certainly affects the formality of tone of the piece… on the cherry chest the white knobs sort of make it ‘ok to use this’ vs ‘don’t touch this!’ and I actually like them. But on the walnut chest-folly, no. A foolish choice.
I didn’t realize that darker wood was ebony. Cool. I doubt his reason for using the ebony was as calculated as you think; he needed pieces of equal strength, and probably had to remake the drawer after finishing the body — the ebony was a seat-o-pants choice that worked for the reasons you say, but was hardly chosen by following that thought process. I can much more easily envision Papa squatting in front of the finished chest body aftre he put on the top, holding a drawer in his hands that now won’t fit in the slot with the top open, either sucking meditatively on his teeth, or whistling to himself if he was within sight of a solution and liked it, or simply turning the drawer in his hands while he contemplates the self-inflicted problem that has now become glaringly obvious, occasionally whispering bitterly “sonofabitch, sonofabitch.” Unlikely to be the mindset for contemplating Moh’s Scale of Hardness.
Anyway, I’m glad it’s happy, and I’m glad you talked with Ray about it. I assume he also read your post about it an saw the photos. If he didn’t, he should. But up to him.
Hugs!! When are you coming down to Oly to sit with me in the front yard for a while again??
For those just joining the story, here is an overview of my first overseas trip in 18-months:
Yesterdays’ adventure was the 14-hour flight from Seattle to Dubai. Since there isn’t much demand for flying to Warsaw from Seattle through the middle east, the schedules don’t really line up – leaving me with a 14-hour layover in Dubai, but at least it’s in the First-Class Lounge, since my connecting flight to Warsaw is in First.
Several years ago, I’d been at the Business Class lounge in Dubai and was VERY impressed – hence, the bucket list item of trying Emirates First-Class flight, AND the lounge. In checking, I’d been in the Business-Class Lounge in March of 2015 (blog post) going to Tokyo and in February of 2016 (blog post) returning from Vietnam. The different on this trip is that in 2015/16, both the Business and First-Class lounges ran the length of the terminal on separate floors. Because of the downturn in travel, they each cover only half of the terminal – but they are still massive as you will see later with a shot of the kitchen for just the First-Class side of the lounge.
It still did not disappoint, as you can see in these photos of the lounge:
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To be honest, I was a little confused as to the shower and bathrooms weren’t very posh:
When I did the research for when I was last in Dubai, I realized that the First-Class Lounge had moved into half the old Business-Class Lounge, and plumbing in concreate floors isn’t something you move about on a whim in a pandemic.
No worries since that isn’t where you are spending most of your time (hopefully).
Plenty of other wonders, like the Sushi Counter (though, oddly, no Sake available):
And the massive kitchen to turn out all the food and pastries:
Didn’t get pictures of The Spa where you could get free 15-minute foot or back massages, or pay for up to a two-hour massage session, or the semi-private area with loungers for sleeping.
But there was a Kid’s Play Area:
And its own high-end Duty-Free store (I noticed some $10,000+ bottles of Scotch):
Sadly, in Pandemic Times, no newspapers available in the lounge, something I TRULY miss:
Now, just remember, again, this is HALF the stuff that used to be in the Lounge. Oy!
Speaking of food (and booze), started my stay with a little Moet-Chandon Imperial Rose Champagne (and some nuts):
Life is hard, especially then THIS is the list of Champagnes to choose from:
When I finally got my hunger back from all the food on the plane, I ordered a little sushi platter:
If you blew up the photo, you could probably scan the QR Code for the full menu (or click here).
Then I went and took a two-hour nap in the Quiet Room. That seems to be my schedule this trip. Drink, Eat, Two-Hour Nap, repeat.
Next up on the food parade was a little Foie Gras Terrine with toasted brioche, fruit preserve, lamb’s lettuce and truffle vinaigrette when was served with a breadbasket, and he brought a selection of cheeses while I waited:
Look at the plating/presentation – even on the breadbasket! Love the line of mixed salt/pepper on the Foie Gras plate.
And the wine? A lovely little 1998 Margaux:
My business partner requested a sneak a case or two into my luggage.
Keep in mind, there are two-hour naps between all this food and booze. And the finale:
The Champagne above is the 2012 Moet-Chandon Grand Vintage.
The waiter even asked HOW I wanted my eggs done: liquid, semi-liquid, firm. As you can see, I went for messy.
The waiter asked if I wanted any sides with the Eggs Benedict – not with that breakfast breadbasket. You could smell the Pana Chocolate from a foot away. The cinnamon roll was stunning, as was the plain croissant – all baked in house and served warm. Lordy, take me now, it doesn’t get any better!
Maybe there is a reason that Emirates charges a little $5,000 for a First-Class ticket from Dubai to Warsaw. The ticket from Seattle to Dubai would have been $17.000 in First (which they no longer do – but I was supposed to be on when I booked in March), or about $5,000 in Business. My tab? 180,000 Alaska miles and about $50 in taxes and fees. I like my rate better (even though that is a TON of miles).
That’s it for today – next up, First-Class from Dubai to Warsaw.
My first overseas trip in 18-months. The lead up was a mix of excitement and anxiety. Equal amounts.
I booked the trip in early March, probably after I’d cancelled, moved out, rebooked Australia and Cape Town trips. It was a lot of miles (180,000 Alaska miles) for a one-way ticket, but in was in First Class from Seattle to Dubai to Warsaw on Emirates. I’d had the opportunity to upgrade to First on a Dubai to Dallas flight years ago, and I was too cheap – Business Class was (and still is), fine.
That plan got derailed months ago with the pandemic continuing, Emirates downgauged the 777-300ER 3-class aircraft (economy, business, first) to a 777-200ER 2-class aircraft (economy, business) with no refund of miles since for the 6-hour segment (getting to Dubai is 14-hours) was still in First. Confirming seats a week ago, noticed that they had gone back to the 777-300ER with First Class seats, but they weren’t selling them. Turns out they were used for crew rest. Lucky crew. There are eight seats in First and 42 in Business. Considering that on my flight only eight of the 42 business class seats were booked – that would have been a lot of expensive catering for the one or two First Class seats filled. There were only 60 in the back on a plane that carries 304 in the back. VERY light load.
Getting to the airport 4-hours early, as required these days to check passport, vaccination cards, negative COVID-19 test, and in my case, the Polish Passenger Locator Form, meant plenty of time in their “contracted lounge”, Club SEA.
Sadly, while the booze is of a higher quality at Club SEA, the food is not as good.
Should have just gone to another terminal and gone to the Alaska Lounge.
Plane at the gate:
My seat awaits:
With lots of charging ports, HDMI ports (so you could play your own movies?):
And a cubby to hold a glass and refreshments:
And two separate devices to control the flat screen (which is also touch screen).
For reference, the First Class enclosed suites look like this:
Then comes the Champagne (Piper-Heidsieck) and menus:
Then, the amenities kit:
And there are decent bathrooms:
Once we are up in the air, food and booze starts coming!
Cocktails and nuts with Katherine Hepburn (Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner with Sidney Poitier, 19697). Forty-five years later we are still dealing with the same racial issues.
And more Champagne, this time Veuve:
To go with the starter of air-dried beef and the salad – then the main of lamb chops (almost went for the cod):
Which I had a nice red:
Before launching into the cheese course with a little port:
To give you an idea where we were – here:
This is what the bed looks like all made up with the mattress:
Norma and I did that same flight to Dubai in February, 2018 in a bulkhead row next to a mother and baby in steerage. I think we were in a different world!
The Canadian border opened to U.S. residents on August 9th – albeit with conditions:
Must be fully vaccinated
Must have Negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of entering Canada
That said, Canadians are prevented from driving into the US until at least September 21st.
I’ve been fully vaccinated since the end of March, bring on the booster shot – I want to get this thing whipped so I can go back to barely-restricted travel!
Looks promising….
NEXUS lanes aren’t open but there aren’t many cars….but other drivers seem to be less prepared with the right documents than I am.
Half an hour later, I’m through the border, but feeling “weepy” – it’s been two years since I’ve been to CanadaLand.
So nice to be back at the WorldMark at The Canadian:
Oddly, this is the view from the 2nd Bedroom (bathroom in the hall) rather than the Master Bedroom, which is en-suite:
Unit #2302 – WorldMark has a half dozen of the middle floors of the building.
In all my excitement about being back in CanadaLand, didn’t get a pic of first night’s food – which was a couple of pork loins over a bed of potatoes, salad, red wine, bubbles, and much, much, whiskey. But I did get a shot of Solus+ and Tantalus:
Tuesday night was a “me” night, which started with Happy Hour nibbles next door at Relish. Started with prime ribs sliders, and a double highball:
BUT, that didn’t turn out to be enough food, so I ordered the Poutine:
Which turned out to be TOO MUCH food.
Wednesday afternoon snack was a trip to JapaDog, which used to be more convenient when it was across the street from the closest grocery store – now, they are in a store front:
I had the #3 –
OROSHI
Freshly grated radish with a special soya sauce. East meets West.
Dinner guests, Epick and Jase, showed up at five for a salmon dinner – which I remembered to take pictures of!
As you can see, there is no dining room in this unit – but at least they provide TV Trays.
Thursday dinner was a repeat of Solus+ and Tantalus….
Butternut Squash Ravioli, salad, lamb chops – as you can see, didn’t get a photo when the plate was pretty:
Friday morning, I was out of the condo before 10 (sadly, pretending it’s COVID related, WorldMark has moved checkout from noon to 10am.
Fortunately, Duty Free was open on the way south, but as you can see, there aren’t any people to shop:
YES, that is a 4.5 liter bottle for $110 Canadian – sadly, it would have put me WAY over my booze limit coming back into the US.
The NEXUS lane was even open, with no one in front of me, or in the other lanes. They flagged my car over for x-ray inspection – which I chalk up to being bored and wanting to keep the training standards intact. It was a 5-minute delay with a look under the bonnet and in the truck, and a welcome home.
Stopped in Mount Vernon to hit a favorite low-end thrift shop that supports the Humane Society and found a glass for my airline memorabilia collector friend.
And just because I’m travel paranoid (and I wanted to check out how the process worked), I swung by a drive-thru COVID-19 testing center:
Oddly, these were previously Emissions Testing Centers run by the state – great reuse considering they were already striped, open-air facilities.
Had the results in 12 hours – NEGATIVE as expected, but I’m getting ready for my first overseas trip in early September.
Oh, how I missed CanadaLand.
Upon my return I booked 3-nights in December and realized that I had October reservations for 3-nights, and two 3-4 nighters in Victoria for January 2022.
When I was in San Francisco in June, I saw a news segment on the reopening of the cable car system starting August 1st – and that they would be free for the entire month of August. Shortly after, I crafted a plan – go down for the day midweek and spend the day riding around the city. Normally, it’s $8.00 per ride, though there is a daily pass. When you start planning at 10PM at night, you can guarantee that there is alcohol involved – and probably with the people you are trying to draft to go along with you. Originally there were going to be three of us, a fourth came aboard a couple of weeks ago.
The table set with boarding passes instead of name cards:
And the four musketeers:
The downside of this plan was that the first flight out to San Francisco is at 6:05am – BUT there were First Class seats available using my First-Class upgrades. Sadly, it left no time for the lounge, so food was on the plane:
Tray service is back! Sadly, not real glassware.
BART into town to the Powell Street stop, which is also the end of the line for one of the cable car lines:
Most people want to ride on the outside, we were fine with “wherever”.
Since it was an early start to the day, even though it was 10:30am, we were all a little puckish. Food was in order, and one of my cohorts wanted crab bisque, and while there were lots of seafood places, best he could do was crab chowder at the Chowder Hut, which I didn’t realize was part of the Boudin bakery empire:
Chowder for two (one with sour dough bowl, one without).
Fish tacos for me:
And one wanted something lighter, so it was the hot dog, not realizing it came topped with onion rings and a massive amount of fries.
Exploring after our early lunch:
In the window of the Boudin Sourdough Bakery, that is a giant bread alligator.
Back on the cable cars, next destination was The Candy Store, another bucket list item for one of the companions:
Something about malted milk duds, which were good, but I’m not a candy guy. And it was multiple hilly blocks off the cable car line.
Took the line back to Market Street, then decided I needed a cocktail (mostly to get off my feet) and we’d noticed this place – Sam’s Cable Car Lounge:
Fancy cocktails were $14. Bar whiskey and Diet were $7.75. And there were peanuts and popcorn for free (no Cracker Jacks).
Next up was one my bucket list since I’d never done it – The Cable Car Museum. What none of us realized is that it is a “working” museum. It powers ALL the cable car lines in the city with its DC motors:
The coolness of the museum caught us all off guard – will return with other people. Geek heaven.
On the way back, transferred to the California line and went back to Market, and headed towards The Pied Piper, which is a bar in the Palace Hotel (used to be a Sheraton, now a Marriott):
It was an AMAZING charcutier platter. And the Maxfield Parrish mural is STUNNING.
Next up was sushi for dinner – at Maru Sushi (long-time favorite hole-in-the-wall place):
Oyster shooter, nigori sake, spider roll. Everyone else ordered way more than I did:
After dinner it was back on the Powell Street cable car, then BART back to the airport, arriving past security about 10 minutes before boarding – a little close for my comfort.
Home by midnight, with a WHOLE LOT of steps in today:
After staying up chatting until 3am – that makes it an almost 24-hour day. LONG.
One of the MANY things that changed with the Pandemic is the suspension of Trade Wine Tastings – where restaurants, wine shops, etc. can sample of offering from a distributor, or, in this case, an individual producer.
Mondays are generally when they happen, usually 11-3, noon-4, etc. Some weeks there are two, three, four different ones spread across town. There haven’t been in any tastings since early March 2020 so I made a point to go. It felt almost normal.
Had no clue if there would be nibbles to keep the palette clear – so I was surprised at the spread. Sometimes it’s just cheese, crackers, bread. This was a tad more:
It was held at The Metropolitan Grill and was definitely on the high end of what is usually provided at tastings.
There were about a dozen things open, some available from our distributor, some they are hoping to place with the distributor.
With so few things open (compared to some large tastings with a hundred things (literally) open, I was able to swallow a few of my favorites, like the one above.
Time will tell if there will be more tastings…hoping yes – it is the way that we find things we like to stock the shop.
Took a little midweek road trip. First stop was Tahuya, on the Hood Canal outside of Belfair.
Because of the free mapping software I was trying, they don’t seem to know that there is a ferry that connects Bainbridge Island and Downtown Seattle.
My buddy Bliss has a place on Hood Canal…
The privacy hedge is great for not noticing the houses on either side that are four times the size of Bliss’ 650sq.ft. cabin.
Company came over for cocktails – by boat, and one of them was on crutches and had to be carried to shore!
Contrary to the angle of the photo, there is no dock, you just run the boat up on the gravel and wade ashore (or be carried ashore if you have a foot cast).
After the cocktail guests left, we were on to dinner!
As the sun goes down…
Bliss was up and out early, leaving me to lock up the house and head north to Sequim to visit the in-laws.
Took an early exit off the road to check out the John Wayne Marina, which I’d seen the signs for on multiple trips, and it also took me past a B&B that is all railroad cabooses and a dining car for food service:
I wasn’t willing to pay the $10 entrace fee to look around, but if you want to book, here is the link to the Red Caboose Getaway. Be warned, it’s like $270 a night. Cool, but OUCH!
When I said “in-laws”, it’s a very “loose” definition, it is the sister of my brother’s widows husband (and her husband). The sister is the mother to Julian and Jameson, who I count as my “faux nephews”, one in Nagoya, Japan, and the other in San Luis Obispo.
Mari Jo smoked a pig butt in my honor! Good thing I brought wine.
On my way out of town we took a tour of the house they are building that they should be able to move to in September. No clue as to why I didn’t take any photos of the new place.
It was a great visit, and a chance to get to know the “in-laws” a little better.
Came home via the Bainbridge Ferry…and thought I’d be waiting for more than the next boat because I was outside the gate stuck hanging out with my ass out in an intersection as the line stopped suddenly – but inside the fence I was near the end of the first line of cars.
It started with a piece of walnut furniture. A piece of furniture made by the father of best friend in high school, gifted to me by his younger sister. Growing up together I spent a lot of time in the basement woodworking shop. He bought his walnut straight from the sawmill in southern Missouri and stick-air dried in said basement. He made monumental pieces of furniture, mostly Secretaries, and has pieces in both the Truman and Carter libraries. Fortunately, the piece of furniture I was gifted was MUCH smaller and more manageable. And a bit of a “folly” in the British sense.
While small, the sucker is seriously heavy – be being solid walnut.
I found the drawer pulls “distracting”, and my high school buddy, son of the cabinet maker, wasn’t fond of them either. First job, find more appropriate knobs (yes, I kept the original ones – they are in the drawer with the spare hinge for the top). Normally, his hardware was New England Forged Brass.
I like the way they fade into the surface and let the walnut shine through. Which brings us to the start of “project creep”. Needed a serious reoiling with Watco Danish Oil Natural, the same oil he used on all his furniture. As I write this days later, the outgassing of the oil is still in my house.
Drawers come out both sides, though not all of them, more like every other – the other side being fixed. There is one feature of this piece that he put in all his pieces, the hidden compartments. His daughter showed me the five she knew about. In replacing the knobs, which was a pain because some of the small spaces, I found two more, for a total of seven. Some of the hidden compartments are nested behind each other.
There is another interesting detail to this piece, the pull-out drawer supports (the way that Secretaries support their fold out desks) have Ebony supports in them. At first, I thought it was just a random wood choice from scrap laying around his shop since he worked with lots of exotic woods.
It is a curious design, 3/4 inch walnut on one side, 3/8 inch ebony on the other.
My guess (he’s long dead so I can’t confirm) is that it’s based on the hardness of the woods. Walnut is 1010 on the hardness scale, Ebony is 1780 on the hardness scale. If you notice the notch on the walnut side, it’s so that the “folly” top can swing and lay flat. Once it is flat you push the drawer slightly in to get a solid support.
The project creep started with the oiling and the knobs and continued into the bedroom where it will live with the rest of the walnut furniture (can you tell I’ve been taught the love of walnut).
I have a bed that I bought 30-years-plus-ago, sold, reacquired 15-years-ago after it was in serious disrepair from an overweight guest. It always had a problem with the book matched back panel of the headboard popping out from, well, you know, excited adult stuff. That needed to be put back in place.
The cabinet maker would be aghast, but this keeps happening (the bed is from the 40’s and was handmade), so I finally broke protocol of all wood workers. Like I did years ago when I replaced the slats with an industrial version:
So, the bedframe, which is walnut on all four sides, needed oiling, as did the Cerwin-Vega speakers from my parents Quadraphonic Sound system from the 70’s (my sis-in-law Jennifer has the other two – please don’t let them go if you downsize!). Over the ensuing fifty years I’ve had to replace the woofers twice due to age rot. They still send out great sound (and make nice side tables for the bed). The house stereo is wired to support ten speakers in a 780 square foot house.
The end result, I need to move the pictures over the bed about six inches to the right to re-center them over the bed. OK – it looks great.
The chair in the corners is 50’s, picked up by my oldest brother out of a free box at Bard College in the mid-70’s, and I’ve been dragging it around with me since the early 80’s – was black, stripped it down years ago, stained it walnut, and reupholstered it again (probably 5th time). It has an amazing curved slightly seat that is very comfortable even with not much padding.
Well, that is one home adventure I’ve been working on. The other it has been too hot to actually work on. Building an outdoor sauna in sauna like weather conditions. The bedroom I can do in the comfort of air conditioning and oil fumes.
My buddy mentioned that one of his father’s Secretaries was featured in the background of the dust jacket for Jimmy and Roselyn Carter’s 1987 book, Everything To Gain — Making The Most Of The Rest Of Your Life.
This is just a quick trip (two nights) to see the rehabilitated Cog Railway that goes from Manitou Springs (6,100 feet) to Pike’s Peak (14,100 feet). A month or so I read an article on the reopening, and talked Dan into going with me.
Dan, who lives north of Denver, picked me up at the airport and we set out for Manitou Springs. My breakfast on the plane was fading, and we stopped along the way at Rosie’s Diner in Monument (just north of Colorado Springs.
Dan had the Patty Melt; I went for Eggs Benedict:
Not a “light” lunch.
Sated and back in the car, we drove through Garden of the Gods between Monument and Manitou Springs:
Didn’t spend much time but we also did it on the way back out of time.
We did not stay at The La Fun Motel across the street who cater to pot smoking pets:
Mike McEvers, an old family friend met us at the hotel for a drive into “downtown” Manitou Springs for dinner at The Loop – a Mexican food place:
VERY big margaritas and that was the SMALL one, and the “shrimp coctktail” was this wonderful mashup of ceveché and guspachho:
After the huge lunch, that’s all I and Dan (he had the same thing) could get through – luckily, they had to-go soup containers!
Wednesday was the big day – the Cog Railway! But, first, we have to get there, and the parking lot is small, so, they recommend taking the shuttle…which has a VERY LONG line:
We made our reservation time with barely enough time to grab a snack and a drink, though not as much as we should since there was NOTHING for sale at the top. Visitor’s Center is set to start partial opening in a couple of weeks.
When you find airfare to San Francisco for $258, roundtrip, in First – book it!
Had the pleasure of seeing one of Alaska’s latest livery in honor of the United Negro College Fund:
Had my usual Caesar, eggs, and yoghurt in the Lounge before heading to the gate. Let me tell you – TRAVEL IS BACK!
But at least I’m in First:
And this was waiting for me at SFO:
Decided to Lyft into the city to save my steps for the hills of San Francisco.
When I booed this trip, I was going to be at the WorldMark San Francisco, but I got a call the Friday before my departure saying that they had moved me to a different Wyndham property several blocks away. Apparently the WorldMark’s elevator hasn’t been signed off on yet. Here are shots of The Canterbury, where I am staying:
Not much of a view since I’m on the second floor…
Overall, think the units are a little larger than WorldMarks.
Threw down the bags and ordered booze to be delivered:
Not sure how they can make any money with a delivery that far, but I’ll take it!
The stuff to the right is stuff I brought with me to give away.
Part of the trip is to see friends, with Alicia and her stepdaughter Maggie (sounds weird to say it that way) for dinner at one of my favorite hole in the wall sushi restaurants – Maru Sushi.
I ordered the Rueben and a split of sparkling and was torn on the potato salad or the cole slaw, so he brought me both. And that split – they were out of the small bottle, so he just kept filling up my glass from the big bottle. I took half of the sandwich and sides home. I’ll be back!
Found this sign walking around:
Dinner was courtesy of some food delivery coupon I had – from L&L Hawaiian. Had the Kalua Pork and Mac Salad with Pork Saimin.
Found some other interesting business in the neighborhood – an Antiquarian Bookstore (Argonaut):
Checked out Chisme Cantina for expensive street tacos (that were way better than standard street tacos):
Finally got together with the boys (Mark and Onyx) who gave me a ride to the airport. Finding a place that had cocktails AND nibbles, AND a parking lot that could handle o big dually pickup truck led us to the Homewood Suites San Francisco Airport (a Hilton property). I was surprised by the herb garden across from the entrance:
All in all, it was a good trip. I had the plane to myself for one hot minute:
When you live in Seattle, sun and heat are in short supply for most of the year.
Started the day with the usual travel cocktail (and travel cocktail shirt – not shown), which because it was such an early flight, I had to grab garnishes from the Alaska Lounge since they don’t serve alcohol before 6am, but they were willing to send me off with limes, olives, and their spicy beans. The First Class flight attendant was seriously impressed!
This is an odd ball trip. Rache has friends in town, I have friends in town, so it will be lots of separate and combined visits rather than entertaining in the suite.
I needed a nap, and Rache went off with four or five other people for lunch. It’s Palm Springs so I have my usual haunts, and one of them is Inca, a Peruvian restaurant. Started with a Pisco Sour, and theirs is EXCELLENT:
Followed by the Ceviché Mixto – always good.
ODD car parked on the street a block or so away, sure, it is a Lamborghini, but it has Alberta (and in Canada) plates on it:
After lunch it was time to hit the two Angel’s Thrift Stores that are right next to each other. The regular one, and the fancy one. Found three shirts this trip!
Rache came back for dinner – exhausted from being around lots of people all day (my take on it), and we order a TON of food from the Thai Restaurant within walking distance (Chada Thai)
And then there were MORE dishes – we have leftovers! Word to the wise – be sure to specify hotness on each dish, otherwise they will all be mild.
Rache was out on the morning but the kind man that he is, he had ordered breakfast and picked it up, and left me a lovely Breakfast Burrito to reheat in the fridge.
I spent the day being a slug, ordering fresh fruit (Rainier and Bing Cherries) to be delivered to friends in Japan, and I had my guilty pleasure from next door’s 55+ menu (that would be Dennys) for dinner.
Our last night in town, I had my friends over for cocktails at 4. It turned into a version of watching Angels in America, both parts in one day. You watch part one as a Matinee, then go to dinner, then come back and watch part two. In our case it was a couple of hours of cocktails, which started fine but then devolved into one of the four of us (not me) secreting drinks and stripping down to his undies and crashing on my bed. After a bit we noticed him missing. Put him back together and sent him home. Fortunately, they hadn’t gotten to the front door before I found their car keys, condo keys and belt still on the nightstand and got them back to them. End, Act One.
Rache and I then walked downtown, back to Inca, for dinner. Lovely cloud formation on the way down:
More Pisco Sours, Rache had the Ceviché, and I tried a beef dish (which was good, but not great):
Got back to the condo, mixed a couple of drinks, and there was a knock at the sliding door – Act Two!
First it was Partner A looking for Partner B who hung out for a bit and then went looking for him. Then, Partner B shows up looking for A, but his cell phone is dead so he has to charge it to call A, who shows up to get B, who has wandered off at this point….another hour of drama. Eventually reunited and back in their condo – at least I have both their phone numbers now.
It was supposed to be an early night since we have an early flight, and not direct. Via San Francisco.
A thwarted lounge visit (apparently, we could have gotten into the American Lounge), and we just settled for breakfast at a sit-down place. I needed sometime calming, i.e., clam chowder. Rache had a more traditional late breakfast:
Lovely views out the window on the way out of San Francisco – I never tire of that view (or of Puget Sound):
We were home early enough that we needed someone else to make dinner – hello, Loretta’s for their MASSIVE Pork Tenderloin, which we split!
Oh, the joys of more relaxed travelling…Indianapolis here I come!
I seem to have lost some of my packing skills:
I have not lost my vacation day-drinking skills:
Notice there is also some protein to soak up the alcohol.
Sadly, the days of really cheap First-Class seats are coming to an end (probably why I have over 100,000 Elite Qualifying Miles this year), and Indy is never a cheap flight (captive market). But I’m in my usual seat, and my usual travel aloha shirt:
And the flight includes lunch:
Joe and Lisa were at the airport to meet me and whisk me off to my hotel. We are all vaccinated, but they have three (Joe corrected me — it’ two, just feels like twelve) cats, which I’m not vaccinated against. I’m staying at the Crown Plaza Downtown at the Old Train Station. Yes, this is not usually my budget, but I have a train car suite – which I was expecting to be in the basement, but it was on the second floor. The have 13 converted cars that stand on their original tracks.
More photos later since we are off to dinner at La Margarita, which turns out to be their first night of indoor seating:
Barbacoa tacos with dipping broth, think Mexican French Dip.
On our way to our next stop, we passed the World Headquarters of White Castle – the burger place:
Next up was a Tiki Bar that is a favorite of Joe’s – who has a Tiki Bar in his basement. The Inferno Room:
The next found Joe and I at Shapiros – the famous Indianapolis Jewish Delicatessen.
I had a Rueben; Joe had a bunch of stuff so he could take lunch home to Lisa.
Home for Joe and Lisa includes a Tiki Bar in the basement:
The next day, Joe and I explored the old train station, now an event center attached to the hotel:
Here are some shots of the hotel, which is built in the old train shed – hence, train cars on the second floor:
They were setting up a wedding for 300 socially distanced people the next day.
Which begged the question, where is the current Amtrak station. Close by, on two remaining tracks through the train shed…and a seriously depressing place above a combined with a sketchy Greyhound/Bolt terminal.
On a whim, we decided to drive over to Beech Grove, a major Amtrak refurbishment center for their rolling stock:
And some of the new Midwest higher speed cars:
Off to pick up Lisa for a tour of New Fields, formerly known as the Indianapolis Art Museum.
Apparently, I don’t pack any better on the way home:
My final morning/afternoon, since I had a late afternoon flight, a stop at an Antique Mall (Midland Arts and Antiques) on the way to the airport.
I actually got out without buying anything! Just as well since there was no room in the luggage.
Off to the airport, where there are cars on display, and a branch of Shapiros:
Other random thoughts: it was Indy 500 season, so there were white Corvette Pace Cars all over town, and my hotel was filled with early 20-something seriously fit young men – all staying at the hotel. Turns out it was Spring League held at Lucas Field, which is also connected to the hotel via skywalks. It’s like the Elite Pro D Football Camp. There are 8 teams, times 50 players – even doubled up, that is A LOT of rooms. Guessing they didn’t pay what I paid for my suite, which was cheaper since we are still in a pandemic. Godsend for the hotel with no conventions happening.
With my pod fully vaccinated, off to San Diego go I and Jonathan.
Lunch in the Board Room:
Pretty views from the plane (over the lap of the window passenger):
I never grow tired of flying out of Sea-Tac.
And then lunch, part two:
AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER A YEAR – hard liquor is back in First and Premium on Alaska. I almost cried.
Damn, no Cranberry Juice for those early morning flights (with Vodka). I find Orange Juice too acidic.
On the rental car shuttle (thanks, Jonathan for dealing with this), someone has A TON of checked bags:
And because of the Covid Meltdown of rental car companies, our car is buried somewhere behind another car.
Love the preserved detail at The Inn At The Park in San Diego:
We are in a Two-Bedroom Deluxe which comes with a “balcony” and a picture of the hallway carpet:
And a video walkthrough:
Some shots from the rooftop deck up a couple of floors:
Oh, and a sunset shot:
Dinner the first night was a true FIND – thanks again, Jonathan. La Taverna only opened a couple of months ago, so it’s still hard to find on search engines.
We started with the Grilled Octopus!
And the complimentary calamari (coupon from hotel):
Sadly, only shochu cocktails (oddly common in California to get around expensive liquor licenses).
The wine list was extensive (and expensive).
For the main, I got the short rib Bolognese special:
Jonathan got the shank special – we both got the house made pappardelle under it.
Large portions – we got take home containers!
Awesome food, served by the one of the owners – Jonathan, who is well-versed in Northern Italian raved that it was authentic – see his review here: Jonathan J.’s Reviews | Seattle – Yelp
The next lunch we sent to Hash House A Go Go – one of my favorites from previous visits:
Started with a couple of DRUNK CLAMS — What happens when you mix vodka, Clamato, and clam juice? You get a very Drunk Clam! Made with Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and chili pepper, this is the drink to spice up your meal. Their words, not mine.
Then Jonathan moved onto the Sage Fried Chicken and Waffle Tower, which is two sage friend chicken breasts, bacon waffle, hot maple reduction, and fried leeks.
And I went for the HH Original Benedict, which is smoked bacon, fresh tomato, spinach, roasted red pepper cream topped with two basted eggs served on a fresh split biscuit with griddled mashed potatoes:
Yep – you guessed it, MORE leftovers.
The afternoon was filled with the USS Midway Museum down in the harbor:
A great time on a beautiful day on the bay. And a lovely Fire Station on the way home:
Hello, mid-century modern!
Lots of leftovers to work through….
And I made little snack plates for when a friend from high-school visited – she used to live in San Diego, but now Alabama, but was back to visit daughter/granddaughter/ great granddaughter:
We were gabbing so much neither of us remembered to take a picture!
Before long, it was time to head home after a stop in the lounge, then onto the plane…
Continued the work I started in San Diego reading scholarship applications.
Seattle tends to be gloomy in the winter, hence decamping to Austin a couple of times. First with Bliss, second just me.
As usual – the trip starts with a Caesar!
Bliss booked himself into a Saver seat for $129 round-trip, I booked myself into First for $360. Kevin’s seat comes with nothing, mine comes with breakfast (and wine).
For the first trip, we are booked into a two bedroom which means we have a small deck. Bliss took a nice video of the unit:
As well as taking one of the 10th floor pool and lounge area, complete with infinity pool (though, oddly, no hot tub – not that it would be open during the pandemic):
Speaking of deck, here is a shot of the two of us on ours:
And on the roof:
One of the things I do in Austin is to use Drizzly to deliver booze and mixer to me:
Two of those bottles are coming back to Seattle with me.
Dinner for the first night travelled with me…a bone-in pork roast and a green salad:
Or the breakfast Bliss cooked in:
Bliss is big on exploring and dragging me along…the river front:
I did get a little time in the sun when Bliss went off to explore on his own.
And then there is the food in Austin. Sadly, my favorite restaurant (Ranch 616) was closed on both visits due to winter weather bursting pipes (yes, in Austin). They reopen in May. Sigh.
And another day, a Bloody Mary with Biscuits and Gravy:
Or dinner out at The Grove where I got the Linguini with Pancetta and Mushrooms, Bliss the Steak Salad:
On the second trip I went to Irene’s and had the most amazing fried chicken sandwich (with a Manhattan):
Love the décor at Irene’s (and the waiter Manny), though I ate outside:
There was also delivery from Black’s BBQ – which for some reason after two trips I only have a picture of the lunch leftovers of sausage and mac/cheese:
No pictures of the ribs or pulled meat sandwiches.
For my second visit to Austin, I booked the Studio Presidential, which sounds like an oxymoron. But it costs more points than the two-bedroom Bliss and I shared, the only more expensive place at the WorldMark Austin is the Two-Bedroom Presidential. Here is a video tour:
The phrase “over-the-top” comes to mind. The “Studio” is twice the size of my 2-bedroom house! 2200 square feet is what I paced out (200 of that is the deck). There was even a turntable in the living room (ignoring the foosball table):
Which is kind of dangerous since they have framed records with their covers as art on the wall.
And a Bose soundbar system:
And a seriously nice shower:
Thankfully there is an Admiral’s Club at the Austin Airport to chill, get some mac and cheese, and fill my “water bottle” for the flight home.
About the walnut chest… It looks refreshed and self-possessed again, very nice, tho in the photos it looks lighter than I remember; perhaps a trick of the light.
I beg to differ about the count and disclosure of the hidey=holes — all seven were divulged before it left my house, and none were unknown to me. You just got to them first, and with more dexterity. So there.
But it looks quite at home in your bedroom, tho I’m not sure I agree that the change in drawer pulls is an improvement. I too found the white ceramic ones jarring, tho I’m sure Papa had a precedent for using them. He did it on my little cherry chest, too. It certainly affects the formality of tone of the piece… on the cherry chest the white knobs sort of make it ‘ok to use this’ vs ‘don’t touch this!’ and I actually like them. But on the walnut chest-folly, no. A foolish choice.
I didn’t realize that darker wood was ebony. Cool. I doubt his reason for using the ebony was as calculated as you think; he needed pieces of equal strength, and probably had to remake the drawer after finishing the body — the ebony was a seat-o-pants choice that worked for the reasons you say, but was hardly chosen by following that thought process. I can much more easily envision Papa squatting in front of the finished chest body aftre he put on the top, holding a drawer in his hands that now won’t fit in the slot with the top open, either sucking meditatively on his teeth, or whistling to himself if he was within sight of a solution and liked it, or simply turning the drawer in his hands while he contemplates the self-inflicted problem that has now become glaringly obvious, occasionally whispering bitterly “sonofabitch, sonofabitch.” Unlikely to be the mindset for contemplating Moh’s Scale of Hardness.
Anyway, I’m glad it’s happy, and I’m glad you talked with Ray about it. I assume he also read your post about it an saw the photos. If he didn’t, he should. But up to him.
Hugs!! When are you coming down to Oly to sit with me in the front yard for a while again??