Wedgie

Here is a spanking story as comparisen how Mike is treated differently than Fin. Have fun.

The group of boys thought they were totally cool. Scott Kaleem was the most exotic looking. His parents came from the Middle East. He was the oldest, but the smallest of the boys. Jeremy Haggman and Zachary "Zack" Burnett were medium height, while Holiday Michael "Mike" Noose was towering over them.
Jeremy had stolen cigarettes from his older brother and invited his friends for a smoke.
They thought they were safe enough behind the sports complex of their school. Zack was always the boldest of group and took the first puff. He inhaled deeply, the smoke burned in his lungs. Of course he tried to behave manly and avoid coughing. Zack couldn't prevent it. The others laughed. Zack was embarrassed and outraged, handing the cigarette to Mike and said: "Show me, if you can do it better!" Mike didn't want to be seen as a coward and took up the challenge. He was more careful than Zack and didn't inhale as deep. Still the smoke tickled in his lungs and throat like mad. Mike coughed only slightly and didn't turn bright red as his friend. He passed the cigarette on to Scott. There was suddenly a shadow and Ms Katie Brannigan, the deputy principal, shouted at the boys: "Burnett, Haggman, Kaleem, Noose, off to the principal with you!" She confiscated the evidence.
The principal Stephanie McCall was a stern lady in her fifties, and a visit to her office was a thing to be avoided.
She had the boys lined up before her desk. Principal McCall lectured them about the dangers of smoking. They also had broken school rules and done something illegal, by smoking under aged. "Who brought in the cigarettes?" Stephanie McCall asked. She guessed either Burnett or Kaleem were behind it. The boys stared at their shoes, but didn't answer. "Very well. I'll give you a few minutes to think about it, while I'm informing your parents about your behavior. If nobody is coming forward, you all get suspended for two weeks." Mike was tempted to blurt out it had been Jeremy. He didn't and avoided to look at his friend. Zack and Scott stared angrily at Jeremy. It didn't go unnoticed with Ms McCall. Jeremy had difficulties to decide what to do. He didn't want to admit he had been the culprit, but felt guilty, his friends would be punished because of him and of course there was pressure. The other boys would be unforgiving and never talk to him again, so he admitted he had brought the cigarettes on the school grounds.
"Scott, Michael, Zachary, you are all going to be suspended one week, Jeremy, you two weeks with effect from tomorrow." After announcing the sentence Mrs. McCall rang all parents informing them about the punishment and handed each boy a form to have signed by his parents.
"Oh my, do I really have to go home?" Scott asked. His parents were very strict and he was sure he was getting the slipper.
Jeremy was more concerned about his brother, who was going to kill him. His parents were having a serious talk with him, but that was it.
Zack knew he was going to be grounded forever.
Mike wasn't so sure what was going to happen. His parents hadn't spanked him for around two years and he felt he was already an adult. He hoped they would simply ground him or order him to do extra chores.

Jeremy Haggman

Jeremy's parents weren't impressed with their son's immature behavior. They invited Jeremy for a talk to the kitchen.
"Jeremy, why did you do that, for Christ's sake?" his mother asked. Jeremy looked down, not wanting to answer. "I'm sorry, Mom. I just thought... Well, smoking is cool and we all felt like grown ups." "Smoking isn't cool, especially when you are so young as you are. You are barely thirteen! We can't stop your brother from smoking. He is an adult, but you taking up the habit is out of the question. Understood?" "Yes, Dad." "I find it appalling you took Thomas' cigarettes. I would be surprised, if he would have given them to you." his mother interrogated Jeremy. "I took them and didn't ask for Thomas' permission." "I thought we taught you about respecting other people's property." Jeremy's father said.  Rachel and Timothy Haggman expected Jeremy to make up for it. Jeremy had to pay for a new pack of cigarettes and apologize to Thomas. They also didn't appreciate he had others convinced to take part in his machinations. Should he ever smoke again before he was legally allowed to do it or take other people's belonging without their permission, there were going to be repercussions.
Thomas took it better than expected and used a few swear words, but that was it.


Scott Kaleem

Scott reached the front door of his house with slumping shoulders. He walked slowly. When entering the house he heard his mother Fatima screech for him. She was in the living room, waiting for him. Better getting it over and done with. His mother was already prepared and not in a talkative mood. She didn't wait for an explanation. With one hand she grabbed, Scott with the other she picked up her husband Ahmad's size 11 sneaker. Unceremoniously she sat down on the sofa, pulling Scott over her lap. His toes barely touched the floor; his upper body was resting on the sofa. Before Fatima started punishing her son she said: "You behaved like a little boy, so you get treated like one." The shoe whacked down on Scott's left buttock. He jerked a bit, but didn't make a sound. The next wasn't easier to take. It hit nearly the same spot. "OW!" Scott couldn't keep quiet. He reached back, trying to protect his backside, but stopped in time. His mother slapped his hands. "Bad boy! It's dangerous, when you reach back. I might whack you on your hand and hurt you. If you are unable to control yourself, grab a pillow." Scott was grateful for the short respite. He got up and chose a big pillow, covered in cool, soft silk. Back over his mother's lap he held on tightly and buried his face. Fatima Kaleem was meticulous; making sure Scott's complete behind was on fire. He started to squirm and cry out, when they were through half way. When Fatima was finished with Scott after thirteen hard smacks, Scott was crying. He hated being slippered. It hurt so much. "Get off!" His mother ordered unfriendly. "Now listen to me, boy: If we ever catch you smoking, your father is going to spank your sorry ass! It's not going to be pleasant. Is that understood, Scott?"  "Yes, Ma'am." Scott felt ashamed and wanted to rub away some of the pain. "Go to your room and think about your childish behavior." "Yes, Ma'am."

Scott never smoked. The fear of getting punished by his father was too great. Ahmed Kaleem was striking harder than his wife and didn't tire as quickly.


Zachary Burnett

Zack was expected by his father, who was a house husband, looking after Zack and his younger siblings. Zack's mother was in middle management and often on business travel.
"Let's talk about it, son." Ryan Burnett filled a glass of milk for both of them and motioned Zack to follow him to the living room. Zack didn't hold back. He and his father were on good terms. "You know, I smoked, when I was fifteen, for a year or so. I thought like you it was cool and I was an adult. Unfortunately it wasn't the case. I quit, because my success in sports was vaining. My coach told me in clear terms, if I didn't improve, I would sit on the bench and watch from the side line. I didn't want to be a looser and corrected my path. Now to your punishment. We are going to the library and we look for books about smoking.  I expect you use the time you are suspended to read them all and write an essay about the pros and cons of smoking. I want your own opinion, if smoking is something you are going to keep up or better avoid in future." Zack was stunned. He hadn't expected it at all. After taking into consideration his own experience and learning more about the negative effects of smoking, he decided smoking was nothing for him.


Holiday Michael Noose

Mike was tense, when he arrived at home. He was glad his brother Fin wasn't going to return home until later in the evening, because he was at his baseball training. Mike hoped his parents had dealt with him before Fin was back.
Mike's parents Beverly and Coldham had already discussed what they were going to do with Mike. Beverly sent her youngest son to his room to wait until Coldham arrived from work. It didn't take long. On the one hand Mike wished his father would never return home, on the other hand Mike was more than ready to face the music.
His parents arrived with stern faces and gave him a lecture. To Mike's surprise they seemed to be more concerned about his suspension than having smoked. His mother spoke especially about the shame he was causing her. She worked as a school administrator, and when he or his brother misbehaved in public, it brought a bad light on her. "You are going to be spanked, Holiday Michael. We haven't done it for a longer time, but it seems necessary based on the severity of what you have done." His father explained. "But I'm thirteen and way too old to get spanked." Mike protested. "You are never too old for that." Beverly Noose replied. "If you don't behave appropriately, we are going to smack your bum until one day before your eighteenths birthday." Mike swallowed at his father's threat. A retreat was better, before making it worse, so Mike apologized. His parents accepted, but didn't let him off the hook. They had condemned him to 39 smacks with the hand by his mother and to his shock were introducing a wooden spoon. They had never used an implement before. He found it unfair, but kept it to himself. Couldn't his father do the hand spanking? His mother was the harder spanker and was going to cause enough pain. Why did they have to do it in the first place? Mike was so deep in thoughts, he didn't hear at first his mother's order. "Holiday Michael, please pull down your pants." His mother had taken a seat on Mike's bed and asked him to bend over. His parents had told him he was getting spanked on the bare. He probably had to raise his hips, when he was in position. It could be worse. When he was younger, his mother or father, depending who had done the spanking, had pulled down his underpants, when he was still standing. He hadn't liked it at all and found it highly embarrassing.
His mother wedged his briefs between his buttocks, baring his behind, but not his private parts. Mike was glad about it. Being an adult - as he believed he was - he tried to behave like one, and struggled to keep quiet. Beverly did everything to make it difficult for him. The first set of thirteen spanks were on his right cheek, the next on his left. When two thirds of Mike's hand spanking were over, Mike's behind looked red. It hurt like hell and Mike bit hard on his lower lip, so he wasn't going to cry out. Mike's eyes were watering. He wasn't ready to give in, though. The last thirteen smacks were even harder than the others. His mother was alternating smacks between left and right, the only one remaining landed with a resounding slap on the most meatiest part of Mike's buttocks, covering them both. He couldn't help himself. A small moan escaped. "You were very good." Beverly comforted Mike, rubbing the small of his back. Mike's parents gave him a few moments respite before asking him to move over his father's lap, who had taken a seat beside them to also comfort his son and to get ready for the last part. Mike resented his parents and didn't want to bend over his father's knees. Knowing better than to protest or make a drama out of it, he pleaded with his parents to give him just one more minute. If Coldham and Beverly thought, Mike was disobedient, they would think of something to make his life miserable. Of course they couldn't refuse their favorite son. It broke their heart to have to punish Mike, but it was for his own good. Beverly and Coldham wanted to make sure he was going to be a better person afterwards. "No further delaying, Holiday Michael." His mother said after the time had passed. With a sigh Mike scrambled over to his father. He was resigned and braced himself for another onslaught. Mike was already in pain. Coldham wasn't sure yet, how to proceed. Would it have been his other son Fin, he would have gotten out his cane and whipped Fin hard. Mike was different, though. With a heavy heart Coldham came to the decision, he couldn't spare Mike. Beverly was watching like he had done before and they had agreed, Mike needed to learn his lesson, so he raised his spoon over his shoulder and sent it hurtling down. Mike had never felt such pain before. He screamed, because the part, where the spoon landed, was on fire. He couldn't believe he had still five of those to come and wasn't sure if he was able to take them. Better prepared for the next stroke, Mike managed to only hiss, but couldn't stop a tear escaping. Stroke number three made Mike squirm and caused another flow of tears. Coldham had more patience with Mike than he would have had with Fin. He waited until Mike lay still again. "Half way through, Mike." Coldham tried to comfort Mike. Mike hung on limply. He felt spent and couldn't wait until it was over. Coldham went softer from then on. He thought Mike wouldn't pick up smoking. Mike noticed the sting wasn't as bad as previously and kept his mouth tightly shut. He was really glad, Fin wasn't at home. Mike would have been embarrassed, if Fin would have heard him scream. Their rooms were beside each other. Both parents were doting on him after the punishment was over. They hugged and Mike was forgiven. Still they gave him a stern warning, should Mike be in trouble, they wouldn't hesitate to swing the spoon again. "Would you like some ice?" Beverly asked. Mike nodded. He had calmed down and recovered. The first wave of pain had subsided as well and he started to feel better. With it - as always - Mike's resentment was forgotten.
He never touched a cigarette again, but as an adult and successful architect had the occasional cigar.

©2011

Travel Report Asia Part 3 Airline Cathay Pacific

This is the next installment of the Asia travel, hope you like it.

After having enjoyed our stay at the Hyatt Regency Incheon we took the free shuttle bus to Seoul Incheon International Airport. We didn't have to wait long for check in. The check in staff was very friendly, but we were a little bit delayed, because there was information immigration had to be contacted, so our check in person went to call. It turned out as false alarm. Everything was fine. From then on check in went smoothly and was done within minutes. We were kindly asked to wait ten minutes until our check in luggage went through the security check. If our name wasn't called, we could proceed airside. There was no announcement, so we went ahead. There was a check of our passports and tickets before we could queue for the security check. I had to remove my shoes and received slippers to go through the metal detector. We exchanged shoes afterwards. We had arrived early enough to take full use of the shopping possibilities and ended up with an after shave balm and sun protection. We were tempted to buy a camera, but having already quite a lot of them, decided against it.
Before we knew it, it was already time to go to our gate and board. Boarding went by First Class, Business Class, holders of Cathay Pacific's Frequent Flyer Program Marco Polo Club and their partners of One World, passengers with children and people, who needed assistance and then economy class. Economy Class was called by seat number. Soon it was our turn. The interior of the cabin was held in green. Leg room was ample. My better half was asked to take a photograph of fellow passengers, a group of young, giggling ladies. They seemed to be happy with the outcome.
After the usual procedures we took off on time to Taipei Taoyuan International Airport.
The flight took around two hours. There was in-flight entertainment available. Drinks and a meal were served. Because it was quite early, it was breakfast. I had the Western option, a mushroom omelet; he had the Korean, beef and rice. The portions were generous, tasty and made full.
Immigration and customs documents were handed out before the start of the flight. It was completed quickly and painless.
There was also duty-free shopping available. There was of course information in front of the seat available as well as the interesting in-flight magazine.
The flight itself was eventless. When we arrived in Taipei it rained and it was dark, even though, it was only around midday.
De-embarkation was done quickly and efficient. While our Asian fellow passengers headed for the duty free shop, we went to immigration, where we were the only ones, so no waiting time. We were asked by the nice lady where we were staying and for how long. Our destination was the Sherwood Hotel. Without any problems we received a stamp that allowed us to stay for 90 days in Taiwan. After immigration we collected our luggage and went without hiccups through customs. There is an ATM in the arrivals hall and a taxi stand, where you can pay for your journey to Taipei. The company accepts credit cards and cash. The rate is fixed and depends what car type (Toyota Camry, Mercedes limousine or a van for larger groups) the customer is choosing. Our trip cost 1300 New Taiwan Dollar (NTD). That's ca. 30 Euros or 45 Dollars. We thought we would have a Toyota, but instead it was a Volkswagen mini van with dark windows. The journey took around 45 minutes to our hotel.

THE SHERWOOD TAIPEI coming next.

© 2011

I'm not a dog!

Dante is back. I hope you find the story amusing.

I like playing with Sam's kids, but I'm not a dog! I'm a proud cat and won't change for them.
For some reason Roscoe and Tina decided to teach me stupid tricks, like to react on command to sit! They tried to bribe me with my favorite snack. It didn't work. Why should I sit, when somebody says so?! I sit, when I want to.
I had enough and knocked over the food packaging. All my treats spilled out, and I ate as many and as fast I could before escaping upstairs. Of course Roscoe and Tina followed me. I hid, but they found me, so I ran away again. Sam opened the door to the living room, where he was working. My chance! The kids were way behind me and didn't see I slid between Sam's legs and into the living room. Sam guessed I wanted to be left alone and closed the door behind him. The kids knew, not to disturb him, when he was writing. I was saved! I am forever grateful and repaid Sam by cuddling up with him.

©2011

Travel Report Asia Part 2 Hyatt Regency Incheon 1st Stay

So here is the next installment of the Asia Tour. I hope you enjoyed the first part and continue reading.

The free shuttle bus arrived on time. The driver put our suitcase into the trunk. Soon the ca. 5 minute ride to the hotel commenced.
The bell captain took our piece of luggage and accomponied us to reception. We were greeted by a friendly lady and efficiently checked in. Our King Room was ready and located on the 7th floor.
The lobby is large, on the right is the reception and Concierge, on the left the restaurant 8, serving Italian, French, Korean, Japanese, finest pastries, chocolates and dessert. There is a water feature and a modern piece of art.
When entering the lifts guests must swipe their key card and only then press the button for the selected floor the guest wants to go to. This is a good security measure.
Our room was large and held in brown, grey and gold colors.
There was a writing desk with two chairs (loved it), a large flat screen TV with local and international channels, a chair with ottoman, a king sized bed, minibar, safe and wardrobe. The bath room was equipped with a sink, a bath tub and shower combination and Hyatt own branded toiletries. As usual in Korea, dental and shaving kits are available, but unlike in Japan, aren't free. The hair dryer and other amenities, like cotton pads were stored in traditional Korean boxes. There are a lot of antique furniture and Korean textiles all over the hotel.
The toilet was Japanese by Toto, but with very simple functions, no bidet function or dryer.
The bed room had panorama windows and overlooked the Incheon Aviation Cluster.
I was half naked and on toilet, because I wanted to refresh myself, when the door bell rang. As explained in an earlier review my better half is hard of hearing and hadn't a clue the door bell had made any sound, so I quickly got up, grabbed the bath robe, put it on and opened the door. The guy from room service blinked a bit surprised at my outfit, but explained he was delivering our chocolate box, which we had requested through Hyatt's e-concierge. They thought, when we were already on the room, they could give it to us now and not wait for another three hours. We had requested it for 18.00 hours. The gesture was appreciated. It gave us time to explore the hotel and location.
On the first floor are all the meeting rooms, the health club and the indoor swimming pool. It looked inviting and was medium in size. There is also a terrace garden, very beautiful and calming. No wonder the hotel is favored by honey mooners, there are all amenities one can wish for.
The water feature continues outside the hotel. From the terrace garden we could also see the Airjoy Building and signs for the E-Mart. We checked it out. Most of the building seemed to be closed, but the E-Mart had open. It reminded us of Walmart with all the American products stocked.
Soon we realized when crossing the street, we had to be careful. Korean car drivers aren't aware of pedestrians it seems.
We went as far as the head quarters of the Airport Authority before returning to our hotel. One of the neighbors of the Hyatt is the Best Western Premier.
On our return we ordered dinner. I had Mee Goreng, while my better half had French Toast. There were three condiments available: Vanilla Cream, Berry Compote or Maple Syrup. I explained to Room Service I wanted Berry Compote and Maple Syrup. She answered that wasn't a problem, but there would be an additional charge, if I wanted more than one condiment. I agreed. When room service arrived, it wasn't charged extra. The meal was delicious. We went to bed early, because we had an early start to our next destination.
Internet is also available, by the way, against a charge. It's only free, if the guest is at least Platinum member of Hyatt's Gold Passport programm. It was fast for uploads and downloads.
The next morning we had in room breakfast, checked out and took the shuttle bus again to Incheon.
Watch out for the next part, flying with Cathay Pacific to Taoyuan International Airport

Your Writer 1976


©2011

Travel Report Asia Part 1 Airlines Aer Lingus / KLM

To write about our experiences of now nearly two weeks in Asia would be a little bit much in one report, so I'll start with the airlines and airports we used and reveil the first destination.

We arrived at Dublin Terminal 2 for our flight to Asia. After long thinking how to get best to our destination we chose KLM. The flight was more expensive, but offered the better flight times.
KLM has a co-share agreement with Aer Lingus between Dublin and Amsterdam Schipol.
Having used Aer Lingus previously with another carrier to connect in Amsterdam we knew the self check in machine should print out our boarding passes from Dublin to Amsterdam and Schipol to Seoul Incheon International Airport, South Korea. Incheon, where the airport is located, is a own city with around 2 million inhabitants near Seoul. Of course the machine was own minded and printed only the boarding passes to Amsterdam, so I headed off to get advice, where to best queue to get tickets for our second leg. The lady from Aer Lingus told me she didn't know, but thought we would receive our tickets in Amsterdam, which didn't make sense, because our luggage had to go through from Dublin to Seoul and the time in Amsterdam was too short to immigrate and check in again. The lady then gestured vaguely to the Bag Drop and Check In Desks and told us to ask there. What a service! If I had believed her, we would have been in serious trouble and probably couldn't have made it to our destination at all. It upset us a great deal, because as an employee of Aer Lingus she should know how co-sharing functions. It's sad, I as a person, who doesn't work in the aviation industry knows more than one who does.
We decided to go to the Check In Desk, still grumbling. We were glad we had calculated in enough time. There were at least fourty people in front of us waiting. thank goodness the queue moved fast. The gentleman at Check In realized immediately what the problem was and printed the boarding passes between Amsterdam and Incheon. He said: "The next time you see your luggage is in Seoul."
At security it was only a short wait before it was our turn. We had bought a back pack, specially built for the transport of cameras. It caused a security alert. EW had to unpack everything. Security was satisfied he didn't carry any drugs and wasn't a potential terrorist.
We had lunch at Burger King. The taste and quality was acceptable, but not ideal. Later we saw Laduree (famous for macaroons) had opened a small store.
Our flight was delayed for fifteen minutes, because a flight attendant was missing and a replacement had to be organized. We were a little bit worried, if we would arrive on time for a connecting flight. It was a bit tight.
The flight itself was pleasant. It was a delight to arrive via the Atlantic and see the coast of the Netherlands approach. We thought we had to go quickly to our gate, because there was less than an hour left. Looking on the departure board we realized the other flight was delayed by two hours and suddenly there was no need for rushing.
Beside the Rijks Museum, there is now the Bols Museum and a liberary and of course shopping. We visited the Bols Museum, had a sneak peak at the library and mini pancakes at the Dutch restaurant. They were delicious and freshly made before our eyes.
Time passed fast. Before we knew it, it was time for boarding and a security check. Amsterdam has the new body scanners. I don't see a specific advantage for the use of scanners against metal detector. The alarm went off at everyone using the scanner and a body search by security staff had to be done.
Our plane was a Boing 747 named the city of Paramaribo. The configuration in economy class was three - four - three. Leg room was okay for my better half, but could have been better. We both don't like it much, preferring two - four - two configuration like Oman Air uses, one of our favorite airlines. We can't say enough good things of them.
The reason behind the dislike is, that I have to inconvenience my neighbor, in our case a nice South Korean, when I want to get out. He said, he would't mind and I should simply ask. Of course I kept getting up to a minimum.
The cabin interior is blue and white, the seats are comfortable and the colors are inviting and calming at the same time.
Our flight was completely booked out and took aproximately eight hours.
The AVOD was switched on after reaching cruising altitude and dinner served around two hours into the flight. There was a choice between an European or a Korean meal. The Korean meal was created in collaboration with Yongsusan Korean Royal Cuisine Restaurant. Of course we had the beef with Kimchi rice. It was outstandingly good.
Shortly after dinner the lights were dimmed and the passengers at the windows asked to close the blinds. I wasn't tired yet and played a game of Tetris. The AWOD offers a wide choice of TV and music programms, the newest film releases, Dutch movies with English subtitle, World cinema and European movies. Before sleeping I watched a Dutch film about Queen Beatrix. Sleeping was comfortable and soon enough breakfast was served. Choice was Western or Asian. We had omelet. The Asian meal would have been Congee. Again it was excellent. The staff was very friendly and helpful.
Shortly before landing we received the Arrival Card and Customs Declaration. Touch down was at around 12.30 hours. The sun was shining and it seemed much warmer than it was. Temperature was 8 C degrees.
Incheon is huge and one of the best airports in the world.
Getting to immigration included a short trip with a train and took around fifteen minutes. The queue wasn't very long. The immigration officer didn't ask any questions and we were through within minutes. Next we went to the baggage claim. Our suitcase was already waiting for us. Then came customs. We handed over our declarations and were waved through.
The whole procedure from leaving the plane to passing customs took an hour, including breaks for a visit to the restrooms and photography.
We went to Exit 3, where our hotel offers a free shuttle service to and from the hotel. There is another stop at Exit 13. Buses arrive every twenty minutes.
Look out for the next part: The Hyatt Regency Incheon, where we stayed a night.


©2011

Travel Report Luxembourg

I'm very proud I managed to publish the Luxembourg travel report, even though I'm busy here in Asia. Have you guessed already in which city I am? More of that later. Hope you have fun reading about our travel adventures.

We were looking for a weekend break, but something not direct, so that we had the chance to discover new airports. It was a frustrating search and most of the destinations weren't suitable, because it gave us either too few time to see something from the destination or took longer than two days. In the end we typed into the search field Luxembourg and voila the destination was covered.

Our flight took us with Swiss to Zurich, starting later in the day, so we could try Caviar House and Prunier in Dublin Terminal 1. We knew them already from London Heathrow.

It wasn't busy at all. Our hostess and we had time to chat. I ordered gravad lax and found out it was our hostess' favorite, too. My better half had Pata Negra Ham. We were offered wine, but it was too early for us. It's nothing unusual, though, to drink vodka or other hard stuff to breakfast in Eastern Europe. We have seen it ourselves in Riga and Vilnius. We had coffee and water instead. Being interested, where the coffee came from I asked and found out it was Nespresso. That explained the smoothness. We were also asked if we preferred dark or milk chocolate with our hot beverage. The food was delicious and we were pleasantly surprised, when we received dark chocolate again when the bill arrived. It was sixty seven Euro.

Our flight to Zurich was efficient and event less. One of the reasons to choose Swiss and other airlines (City Jet, Air France, KLM and Lufthansa to name just a few) are one free piece of luggage, free drinks and a snack. In our case it was a cheese sandwich and Swiss milk chocolate.

At Zurich Airport renovations are going on. All the airport shopping is very exclusive. We bought two watches.

There were two Caviar House and Prunier outlets, one is more like a large delicatessen, while the other offers a small shop and a sit down restaurant.

Our time flew by and soon we boarded again Swiss to Luxembourg. Our fellow passengers were a mixed bag, ranging from Spanish to Italians to a priest.

It was early evening, when we touched down in Luxembourg. It's a small airport.

A taxi brought us within fifteen minutes to the Melia Luxembourg. Check in was efficient and friendly. The room was modern and in brown colors. The bathroom was medium in size, had a bath tub and shower combined and Etro amenities. There was even a dental kit, very rare to find in European hotels.

The bed was king sized (two single beds pushed together). We also received a welcome gift of a bottle of free water, pistachio and walnuts, a truffle and marshmallows. There were magazines available, but only the Melia magazine was in English, the rest French. We had booked a Level room, which included access to the Level lounge on the ground floor. Unlike any other club lounge there was no staff, but enough food and drink was provided for two people.

We admired the artwork and the modern furniture.

On the second floor are the Aqua Restaurant and Bar. Guests can use the thoroughly modern staircase or the elevators.

We decided to have in room dining. Thinking we were quite hungry, we ordered antipasti, pasta bolognese, and a fruit and cheese dessert. All was yummy and the portions huge. We could have fed at least another person. It was delicious, though, but sad to waste so much food.

The bath tub and bed were comfortable. After a restful sleep we went to breakfast. It was buffet style and served a wide range of bread, cold cuts, eggs, omelets, cheese, yogurt,fruits and fruit salad, but no fish. The waitress just checked the room number. We could choose our own table. We weren’t asked if we wanted tea or coffee. We found a tea corner, hot water was provided. The choice was great with at least six different tea sorts. We had the Dragon Green Tea.

After breakfast we packed and checked out. It was quick and friendly. The day was really sunny and warm, so we went to take photographs and explore the area. We realized, that the Melia was on one side higher than on the other, like houses in the Old Town of Edinburgh.

The Melia is very well integrated. On the Place d’ Europe are trees planted for each member of the EU. The European Court of Justice, the Museum of Modern Art (Mudam), the Philharmonie and the New Convention Centre are within walking distance.

We crossed the street after passing the Philharmonie and checked out the Suite Novotel and Sofitel Europa (There is also the Sofitel Grand Ducal in the New Town, where we stayed three years ago.) At first it looked like they were closed for renovation or still under construction, but it turned out they were open for business. We went to the Sofitel and up to the first floor, where a big surprise was expecting us. There is a huge atrium and it is dedicated to restaurants, a bar and a lounge as well as meeting rooms. The European Court of Justice was using the meeting facilities.

We went to the bar Glacon Rouge. My better half had a Pina Colada. It tasted more like Rum than pine apple juice or coconut milk and was strong. We had juices, water and shared tapas (olives, cheese and ham). It was tasty. The service was obstructive and discreet.

Originally we hoped to make it to the Mudam. Instead we thought the time was too short to see all the exhibitions, so we went further down the road, passing the electricity plant, and to D’Coque, Luxembourg’s sports complex.

The architecture of Kirchberg is modern, imaginative and unusual. Anyone interested in contemporary, integrated city planning is going to enjoy it.

The Old City is also great with it’s quaint streets and shops.

At our return to the Melia – the architect was the Luxembourger Jim Clemes – we ordered a taxi to the airport. It arrived within minutes. A taxi ride to and from the airport shouldn’t cost more than thirty Euros.

The check in and security were passed quickly. After security is duty free shopping and one restaurant. Because the airport isn’t big, there aren’t many shops, but they offer designer clothing like Pucci or Hugo Boss. Another sells alcohol, cigarettes, cosmetics and sweets. We loved the milk chocolate with cereals by Oberweis.

Of course we tried the restaurant, too. The food was great, but it’s simple cuisine (sandwiches, soup, salad, desserts). Unfortunately we had high hopes on Frankfurt Airport dining and didn’t eat a lot in Luxembourg. On the very short flight to Frankfurt with Luxair we still received sandwiches (salami or cheese) and drinks. The snacks were tasty.

Normally we had good experiences with Fraport. This time we arrived at one of the older parts and didn’t like it. It’s a little bit confusing, where to find shops or how to get to your gate. The duty free shop doesn’t have a clear order. Normally you find cosmetics and perfume in one place. Here came first the perfume, then the alcohol and sweets and then the cosmetics.

The food outlets weren’t to our taste either. The lesser evil seemed McDonald's. The beef was too salty and the curry sauce way too sweet. We felt bloated afterwards. We hoped the food would improve at Lufthansa. We had heard they had created a new in flight menu. It was true. Last time we flew with Lufthansa the food was inedible. Now the chicken wrap was modern and Asian inspired. I liked it, while my better half wasn’t completely convinced. He thought the wrap was too one sided and the soy sauce was too dominating.

The flight was comfortable and on time. We arrived shortly before 11 PM in Dublin.

©2011 

 

Update

Dear Reader,

I'm going away on holiday/vacation for two and a half weeks. This time around it's going to Asia. I hope I can write at least one post, while under way.

What am I going to write about?

Travel is going to be about one of the smallest countries in Europe, my trip to Asia (The cities are starting with S, T and H and an island starting with J.) You can guess what places my better half and I are going to visit. If you like you can leave a comment, what you think they are.

Chastity goes shopping, who knows, what happens then. :-)

Something about will power.

Another spanking story. This time about Fin's brother Mike and how his friends parents are dealing with inappropriate behavior.

A story called "I'm not a dog!"

Whatever is finished first is going to be published first. So I hope you look forward to reading more. Happy travels to you all.


Your writer1976

Dusseldorf

After a short week, only two days work, thanks to holiday in Helsinki, Vilnius and Hamburg (see also those travel reports) we went on a weekend break to Dusseldorf. We had heard a new Hyatt Regency had opened there, so we wanted to try it out.
Our flight was with Aer Lingus, pleasant as always. We left very early in the morning and arrived well before the official check in time. A taxi brought us to the destination within twenty minutes. The hotel was well prepared, because we pre-alerted them. Our room was ready. It was a room with Regency Club access.
The design was unusual, and I wasn't sure if it would work out. When entering the room one steps immediately into the bathroom. The shower stall is right beside the entrance door. On the other side is a separate room for the toilet. In front of the hallway are a small desk, where you can apply make up, on the right and the sink. The bath tub is between sink and the desk, the weighing scale rests in front of the bath tub. There are no curtains or any other form to have privacy. The tapestry is beautiful with flower prints and one can look outside through a glass partition to the bed room and from there to whatever view the large floor to ceiling windows offer (we had views over the Rhine and the Rhine Tower), which we liked. The bed room was surprisingly small with a writing desk, a queen sized bed, even though, it is described as king size, and a chaise lounge. There is also a wardrobe and a mini bar. It looks very luxurious and modern. In all honesty I don't think it's suitable for more than one person based on the size of the room. For example I could of course sit on the chaise lounge or on the bed, when my fiancé used the writing desk, but if I wanted to do something else, like use the bathroom, I had a hard time getting through between the bed and the writing desk. When the housekeeper came later (I wasn't there), he had to jump over the bed to turn down the room.
The TV is placed in front of the bed and the windows. I didn't figure out how you can swivel it. It's probably possible, but I don't have a clue... International channels are available, but of course dominated by German speaking programs. There are also automatic blinds and curtains available.
We were in the mood to go exploring and taking photographs. It was a mild and sunny day. The hotel is located in the Media Hafen (Media Harbor). The area and the hotel are very creative, for example there is a building, where huge neon colored figures are "climbing" up or down the house. Another building has been designed with different colorful glass (red, green, yellow...). The Rhine Tower (Rhein Turm), the North Rhine Westphalia parliament building, the Frank Gehri Buildings and one of the regional TV channels are within walking distance.
We went up the Rhein Turm and enjoyed brilliant views over the harbor, the Rhine and the parliament.  The tower has a world clock. It's in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest.  Entrance was slightly under 4 Euro. Not very expensive, compared to many other viewing platforms. There is also a restaurant at the top of the building, serving fine cuisine or a cafe, serving snacks and cakes.
We were hungry ourselves and went to look for a restaurant. We had something specific in mind. The Radisson Blu Media Harbor is also easy to find. The architecture is interesting. People can see from the street inside the rooms, so if a guest wants privacy, they need to draw the curtains. The stones look inside and outside the same. Exterior and interior were designed by Matteo Thun, an Italian.
The hotel's restaurant is named Amano and serves Italian cuisine. We were famished and decided for a three course menu including cocktails. Our starters were Caesar Salad with grilled chicken for him and fish soup for me. He had gnocchi’s as main course, I tagliatelle with duck ragout and both a pear dessert. We were more than full, when we were finished, but happy. The staff was attentive, friendly and genuinely interested in our well being. They are great ambassadors for the Radisson brand.
Having good rapport with our waiter, he offered to show us a few hotel rooms. First we went up to the Meeting Suite, which is beautiful. It has a large bed, open bath room, but it seemed more comfortable than the bath room in our hotel, dining area, two TVs and much more. The Business Rooms were all occupied, so we couldn't have a sneak peak. The Standard Room was also very good designed and was comfortable. All rooms came with Anne Semonin amenities.
We also learned originally the Radisson should have been a Cerruti Hotel (there are two chandeliers of note, one is by Cerruti, the other by Bulgari, one located in the Private Dining Room, the other is in the lobby, but Radisson decided at the last moment not to go ahead.
We had enough explored for the day and enjoyed our hotel. On the way to the room I booked an appointment at the Rive Spa later in the evening. On return to our room we had received a few amenities, on each side of the bed was a glass with four chocolates and a fruit plate. We were delighted.
When I prepared for my spa treatment, I realized we didn't have any bathroom amenities beside a soap and body lotion by Portico. I decided to deal with it, when I came back.
The spa is modern, Asian and calming in effect. It offers a wide range of treatments.
I arrived a bit early and had to wait, so I was offered to read German celebrity magazines. Normally I prefer more hard hitting stuff, like The Economist, Time or Newsweek. Reading Bunte was quite amusing and the time passed quickly. My therapist was male, and he worked wonders. After the massage I felt like new born. All my tensions were gone. I also loved the Hawaiian music in the back ground.
On return to my room the key card didn't work. I knocked on the door, but my fiancé didn't hear me. He is hard of hearing. I went to the club lounge. The hostess remembered me from earlier and said, it was no problem to get my key card working again. She accompanied me to our room, because I mentioned the missing bath room amenities. The key card worked again, I had a double check, if there really weren't any amenities and confirmed it, so the hostess contacted house keeping for me and within a few minutes we received a full set.
We enjoyed the Club Lounge for drinks and had in room dining, Spaghetti Bolognese, Wiener Schnitzel with Salad and Potatoes and Crème Brulee. The floor was so narrow, it was difficult for room service to navigate the tray. The food was pricy, but excellent, so worth the money spent.
We had a restful sleep and when we went to breakfast, we asked if we could have a late check out. It wasn't a problem at all.
The club lounge breakfast was very good with a wide range of cold cuts, cheese, fruits (they were arranged the same creative way like our fruits on the room, just larger), yogurt, tea, coffee, juices, two types of salmon (smoked and gravad lax), smoked trout and condiments, bread, cereals (my better half says they are especially yummy) and pastries. There weren't any hot items, but we didn't miss them.
After our check out we explored the harbor further and had a stop at the Courtyard by Marriott. It is going through a renovation, but the lobby is already finished to the new standards including a 24 hour shop, replacing the minibar.
We liked the temporary restaurant and bar. The hot chocolate was very good.
Through the concierge at the Hyatt Regency we requested limousine service to the airport. There was a choice of BMW 7 or Mercedes S Class, coming from an outside company. We chose the BMW, which caused quite a stir in front of the hotel and at the airport. We already had experience with Mercedes and wanted to try something else, so we opted for the BMW, and we loved it. It's extremely comfortable, luxurious and quiet. There was also water provided and if we had wanted to could regulate the temperature individually.
At the airport we had dinner at Bon Marche, a Moevenpick concept. It was pasta with artichokes, tomatoes and cheese and salad. We enjoyed it very much and whenever possible, we try to make it to one of the Moevenpick outlets. Our flight left punctual for Dublin and it was again a pleasure to use Aer Lingus.

Verdict: The Hyatt Regency Dusseldorf is a new hotel, soft opening started in December and the grand opening was in February. There were a few glitches, but I think one can overlook them, because the hotel still hasn't found its own rhythm. After having informed ourselves a little bit about how the striking buildings came to be, we could understand, why the rooms are small. The twin towers (one is the hotel, the other is used for offices) are built on reclaimed land, so there wasn't necessarily a lot of space. The hotel is vertical instead of horizontal and easily reached via a bridge. The hotel also has the DOX restaurant and bar and the Cafe D.

What I loved about the hotel:

- the creativity
- details (pot for plant looked like it was a palm trunk and the plant finished the image of a palm)
- Portico bath room amenities
- the club lounge
- the art in the hotel and on the rooms
- the staff, very helpful and thoughtful, can do attitude
- the bed.

We are planning to go back soon, and we are going to try one of the suites.

©2011