Hi all,
I hope your Christmas was peaceful and quiet.
Happy New Year to you and your families.
Your Writer1976
I hope your Christmas was peaceful and quiet.
Happy New Year to you and your families.
Your Writer1976
©2012
Monday, December 31, 2012
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Santa
This story was on my mind for a year and inspired by a documentation I saw about a man who plays Santa and has a real white beard. Hope you have fun with it.
Shortly before their Christmas visit to their step grandparents Tina and Roscoe O'Malley had an argument. "Is not!" Roscoe said. "Is!" Tina replied heated. "I'll show you!" Roscoe glared at Tina and put for the moment a stop to their disagreement.
Roscoe was seven, Tina a year younger. She believed still in Santa, while Roscoe had his doubts. He had heard rumors at school that Santa didn't exist. Their baby sister Alyssa was two and began to grasp the concept of Christmas.
Roscoe's chance to proof to Tina Santa wasn't real, came when the family went to a shopping mall. There was a Santa's grotto with all the shebang. Tina and Roscoe begged their parents to let them visit Santa. Alyssa chimed in she wanted to see Santa too. Normally their mother Hue and stepfather Sam were no nonsense, so Tina and Roscoe weren't sure if they would agree. Jack and Madeleine, Sam's parents were with them and said they would take them. Seeing the pleading looks of the kids and the grandparents, Hue and Sam gave their okay.
So while Jack, Madeleine, Roscoe, Tina and Alyssa queued for their turn, Sam and Hue used the time to browse in the nearby bookstore undisturbed. The wait wasn't too long, but seemed endless for Alyssa. She asked every few minutes: "Is it our turn yet?" The grandparents were patient, having experience with six children of their own and 15 other grandchildren.
Finally it was their turn. "Ho, ho, ho!" Santa greeted them. He had a long grey beard and sparkling green eyes. Alyssa went first and was given a little present. Madeleine took photographs.
Jack, who had a very good relationship with Roscoe, noticed his grandson was nervous and fidgeting with his collar. He hoped Roscoe hadn't planned any mischief.
Roscoe and Tina were invited to sit on Santa's lap together. Santa asked them if they had been good. Of course Madeleine was shooting away with her camera and got more than she bargained for.
Tina was a bit shy and nodded. Roscoe replied: "Until now, yes." Roscoe suddenly grabbed Santa's beard and said: "Look, Tina, the beard is faked." Then he pulled, but the beard wouldn't go off. "Ow!" Santa protested, when Roscoe pulled a second time. The beard was still in place. "Roscoe!" Madeleine chided. Jack had problems keeping from laughing. He thought the situation was funny. Roscoe still couldn't believe the beard was real and lifted it up to check, if it was stitched on or something like that. "Young man, stop this immediately!" Santa was loosing his composure. "Roscoe, what has gotten into you?" Jack asked. "I didn't believe that Santa exists, but he's real! Sorry, if I hurt you, Santa." The holy man was forgiving. Tina celebrated. She gave a little whoop. "See, I was right!" "Okay, okay." Roscoe admitted his defeat. It didn't have any further implications for Roscoe. Hue put a stop to Tina's gloating by remembering her daughter about Christian principles and that she wouldn't like it, if Roscoe would do the same to her. A year later or so Roscoe and Tina stopped finally believing in Santa.
Shortly before their Christmas visit to their step grandparents Tina and Roscoe O'Malley had an argument. "Is not!" Roscoe said. "Is!" Tina replied heated. "I'll show you!" Roscoe glared at Tina and put for the moment a stop to their disagreement.
Roscoe was seven, Tina a year younger. She believed still in Santa, while Roscoe had his doubts. He had heard rumors at school that Santa didn't exist. Their baby sister Alyssa was two and began to grasp the concept of Christmas.
Roscoe's chance to proof to Tina Santa wasn't real, came when the family went to a shopping mall. There was a Santa's grotto with all the shebang. Tina and Roscoe begged their parents to let them visit Santa. Alyssa chimed in she wanted to see Santa too. Normally their mother Hue and stepfather Sam were no nonsense, so Tina and Roscoe weren't sure if they would agree. Jack and Madeleine, Sam's parents were with them and said they would take them. Seeing the pleading looks of the kids and the grandparents, Hue and Sam gave their okay.
So while Jack, Madeleine, Roscoe, Tina and Alyssa queued for their turn, Sam and Hue used the time to browse in the nearby bookstore undisturbed. The wait wasn't too long, but seemed endless for Alyssa. She asked every few minutes: "Is it our turn yet?" The grandparents were patient, having experience with six children of their own and 15 other grandchildren.
Finally it was their turn. "Ho, ho, ho!" Santa greeted them. He had a long grey beard and sparkling green eyes. Alyssa went first and was given a little present. Madeleine took photographs.
Jack, who had a very good relationship with Roscoe, noticed his grandson was nervous and fidgeting with his collar. He hoped Roscoe hadn't planned any mischief.
Roscoe and Tina were invited to sit on Santa's lap together. Santa asked them if they had been good. Of course Madeleine was shooting away with her camera and got more than she bargained for.
Tina was a bit shy and nodded. Roscoe replied: "Until now, yes." Roscoe suddenly grabbed Santa's beard and said: "Look, Tina, the beard is faked." Then he pulled, but the beard wouldn't go off. "Ow!" Santa protested, when Roscoe pulled a second time. The beard was still in place. "Roscoe!" Madeleine chided. Jack had problems keeping from laughing. He thought the situation was funny. Roscoe still couldn't believe the beard was real and lifted it up to check, if it was stitched on or something like that. "Young man, stop this immediately!" Santa was loosing his composure. "Roscoe, what has gotten into you?" Jack asked. "I didn't believe that Santa exists, but he's real! Sorry, if I hurt you, Santa." The holy man was forgiving. Tina celebrated. She gave a little whoop. "See, I was right!" "Okay, okay." Roscoe admitted his defeat. It didn't have any further implications for Roscoe. Hue put a stop to Tina's gloating by remembering her daughter about Christian principles and that she wouldn't like it, if Roscoe would do the same to her. A year later or so Roscoe and Tina stopped finally believing in Santa.
©2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Travel Log: Holiday Inn Express Swiss Cottage London, United Kingdom
Having a busy month in December with various stays in Sintra, Dublin and London, we didn't have a very high budget for our trip to London.
After some consideration we chose the Holiday Inn Express Swiss Cottage.
We arrived at London Gatwick late morning and had bought our Gatwick Express train return tickets online. They were
59.10 GBP (ca. 77 Euro or ca. 96 USD). The journey takes only around 30 minutes, so we didn't book first class, which would have doubled the costs. The train can sometimes get very crowded, so first class is maybe worth it, if you want to travel more comfortable and have as perk refreshments included. The train terminates at Victoria Station. It was really humming with people. From Victoria we used the Tube, taking the Victoria Line to Green Park and changing to the Jubilee line. We got off at Finchley Road, which is the nearest stop from the hotel, and you can see it as soon as you leave the tube station.
The Holiday Inn Express Swiss Cottage is opposite the O2 Centre, a shopping mall. It opened in 2005 and has a modern facade. The entrance is small. There is a big public space, used for the bar, breakfast area, internet access and the reception.
Our check in was quick and the member of staff friendly. We were offered as Intercontinental Hotel Group's Priority Club Platinum holders a late check out until 14.00 hours instead of 11.00 a.m. We accepted and took the elevator to the 6th floor.
As Platinums we also received a welcome letter and two bottles of still water. Would we have stayed during the week a newspaper would have been also included.
Our room was overlooking the O2.
It was medium in size and had the typical Holiday Inn Express colors in red and brown. There was a writing desk, flat screen TV with regional channels (To our surprise over 50), a larger than usual bed and a chair. The bathroom was small with shower, sink and bathtub. There was no safe or mini bar, but we didn't expect this.
The room was overall very comfortable. Even though the room was on the highest possible floor the traffic noise was fairly loud. It didn't inconvenience us, but light sleepers should consider requesting a room at the back of the hotel.
Breakfast is served until 11.00 am on weekends and consisted of coffee/tea, milk, juice, plain yogurt, fruits, pastries, scrambled eggs, cold cuts and much more.
The quality was good and the variety okay, so we were happy.
Check out was efficient.
We liked the location and used the time to explore the neighborhood. There is a Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Iceland and some restaurants like Weatherspoon's, Pizza Express, KFC, Yo Sushi, Indian and Chinese, nearby.
The location is also suitable for sightseeing. Thanks to the tube Green Park station and with it Buckingham Palace is only three stops away.
Our purpose was different, though.
We went to see the Sigmund Freud sculpture in front of the Tavistock Clinic, the Swiss Cottage - after which the area is named - and St. Thomas More Presbytery. We didn't manage to go the Freud Museum, but there is going to be a next time.
After some consideration we chose the Holiday Inn Express Swiss Cottage.
We arrived at London Gatwick late morning and had bought our Gatwick Express train return tickets online. They were
59.10 GBP (ca. 77 Euro or ca. 96 USD). The journey takes only around 30 minutes, so we didn't book first class, which would have doubled the costs. The train can sometimes get very crowded, so first class is maybe worth it, if you want to travel more comfortable and have as perk refreshments included. The train terminates at Victoria Station. It was really humming with people. From Victoria we used the Tube, taking the Victoria Line to Green Park and changing to the Jubilee line. We got off at Finchley Road, which is the nearest stop from the hotel, and you can see it as soon as you leave the tube station.
The Holiday Inn Express Swiss Cottage is opposite the O2 Centre, a shopping mall. It opened in 2005 and has a modern facade. The entrance is small. There is a big public space, used for the bar, breakfast area, internet access and the reception.
Our check in was quick and the member of staff friendly. We were offered as Intercontinental Hotel Group's Priority Club Platinum holders a late check out until 14.00 hours instead of 11.00 a.m. We accepted and took the elevator to the 6th floor.
As Platinums we also received a welcome letter and two bottles of still water. Would we have stayed during the week a newspaper would have been also included.
Our room was overlooking the O2.
It was medium in size and had the typical Holiday Inn Express colors in red and brown. There was a writing desk, flat screen TV with regional channels (To our surprise over 50), a larger than usual bed and a chair. The bathroom was small with shower, sink and bathtub. There was no safe or mini bar, but we didn't expect this.
The room was overall very comfortable. Even though the room was on the highest possible floor the traffic noise was fairly loud. It didn't inconvenience us, but light sleepers should consider requesting a room at the back of the hotel.
Breakfast is served until 11.00 am on weekends and consisted of coffee/tea, milk, juice, plain yogurt, fruits, pastries, scrambled eggs, cold cuts and much more.
The quality was good and the variety okay, so we were happy.
Check out was efficient.
We liked the location and used the time to explore the neighborhood. There is a Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Iceland and some restaurants like Weatherspoon's, Pizza Express, KFC, Yo Sushi, Indian and Chinese, nearby.
The location is also suitable for sightseeing. Thanks to the tube Green Park station and with it Buckingham Palace is only three stops away.
Our purpose was different, though.
We went to see the Sigmund Freud sculpture in front of the Tavistock Clinic, the Swiss Cottage - after which the area is named - and St. Thomas More Presbytery. We didn't manage to go the Freud Museum, but there is going to be a next time.
©2012
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Travel Log: Penha Longa, Sintra, Portugal
Sorry, if I haven't published for a longer time not, but it was very important to have this review as correct and detailed as possible for you. Hope you enjoy the review and Happy Travels.
Introduction
Fulfilling another of our dreams, we returned to Lisbon to stay at the Penha Longa, a Ritz Carlton Hotel, for two nights.
We had contact with the hotel before, because I was inquiring how much limousine transfer from the hotel to the airport was. The question was dealt with efficient and in a friendly manner. It left a good impression and eased some of my unease. We had a very bad experience at the Arts, Barcelona, the sister hotel of the Penha Longa. Tripadvisor reviews and Flyer Talk (very few information) were positive, so we hoped our experience was going to turn out better than at the Arts. I didn't have had to worry.
How to get there / Arrival / Check in
Arriving at Lisbon Portelas Airport we made our way to the Tourism Information Desk and asked for a taxi voucher to Penha Longa. It cost 59 Euro / ca. 78 USD. Our taxi was a Mercedes E-Class and our driver an older gentleman, who was chatty and educated us about the history of the area, mythology, soccer and fauna and flora of the Sintra Mountains. The ca. 30 minute ride passed quickly.
The Penha Longa is a huge estate with two golf courses (the Monastery and Atlantic with 9 and 18 holes respectively). There is a security gate with a guard. Only guests, golf club members, residents or visitors, who have a reservation at one of the restaurants, can enter.
The Christmas tree and we arrived at the same time.
The door man was opening the car doors for us, and two members of staff were waiting in the lobby with refreshing hot towels. We were checked in the semi private area of the B-Lounge and offered a glass of water. We sipped on it while we waited for the return of our passports and my credit card. It was a pleasant experience. All formalities done, we were accompanied to our room. We had booked an Executive Suite. We were explained the features and then left in peace.
At time of check in we were also handed a list with restaurant on site, opening hours, what kind of cuisine they serve and a 20 Euro off voucher, should we use the Six Senses Spa. We were also offered to join the Ritz Carlton loyalty program.
The room
When entering our room, there was a long hallway. A door to the left led off to the guest toilet.
Our suite consisted of one large living room with a huge Samsung flat screen TV with regional and international channels, large sofa, coffee table and a chair with ottoman. There was another small table with interesting books about architecture and photography - just our taste!
In a separate area were a big, antique writing desk and a seating area with two chairs and a table.
Another door led to the bed room and the walk in closet. The bed room was medium in size. In front of the king bed was a bench and in one corner another flat screen TV.
The walk in closet offered enough space to for long staying guests. The safe and umbrella were also located there.
Last but not least there was the large marble bath room with separate bath tub and shower, double sink and a separate small room for the toilet and bidet. The amenities were from Bulgari.
Before I mention to forget it, we also had a large balcony overlooking the Monastery Golf Course and the forest, offering a 180 degree view. There was also a large seating area and beautiful tiles. Our suite was located in one of the corners.
The floor to ceiling windows allowed natural day light to flood the room.
The color scheme was neutral, mostly in brown, black, beige and white. We loved our room, because it was a mix between contemporary and classic design, detailed, quiet - even though it was located immediately beside the lift - and comfortable. It felt like a home.
There were also a 24 hour in room dining menu and magazines on the coffee table. Postcards, writing paper and general hotel information as well as the spa menu where located in the drawers of the writing desk.
When we had settled in, there was a knock at the door. Before I could manage to get there it opened and another member of staff entered with a welcome letter from the Guest Recognition Team. As a welcome gift we received a large bottle of still local water and local pastries. They were delicious and exotic.
Normally we would have also received turn down service. Since we had the "Do not disturb" sign outside each evening, we weren't disturbed, but still received a note about the missed turn down, the weather forecast and a Portuguese legend.
More about the hotel.
The estate started out as a Jeronomite monastery in the 14th century - hence the name of one of the golf courses - and a summer palace for the Portuguese Royal family in the 16th century.
The estate was acquired by Caesar Park, a South American hotel chain, which was recently bought by Accor. Caesar Park added a new building, where the guest rooms are located, as well as villas. Later Caesar Park sold Penha Longa to Ritz Carlton.
Of course no monks are living here any longer. The monastery has been changed into a convention center. There is also a chapel, which can be used for weddings.
The Six Senses Spa is also located in one of the older buildings.
The fitness center and one indoor and outdoor pool are located at the Golf Course Wing of the main building.
The outdoor pool with its sala is especially famous and beautiful. The wellness area felt inviting and warm. The staff there was helpful too.
There is even a playground and parts of the extensive gardens date from the 16th century, when the Royal family stayed here. Guests interested in cooking can check out the chef's garden too.
The hotel offers also two jogging/walking tracks. One is slightly over 2 km long, the other over 8. Parts of the tracks are along the golf courses, which were designed by Robert Trent Jones junior.
The restaurants and bars.
Arola, the restaurant of Michelin stared chef Sergi Arola, is located in the Club House. It offers Atlantic cuisine and Sergi Arola holds 2 Michelin stars.
Il Mercato is an Italian restaurant and is like Midori, the Japanese restaurant, located on the first floor of the hotel building.
The B-Lounge is on the ground level and serves a huge variety of burgers and cocktails.
Aqua is the pool restaurant and serves Mediterranean cuisine. It has open during the summer months.
We used the B-Lounge and in room dining.
At in room dining we chose chicken consommé, spaghetti Bolognese, pizza with Iberian ham, brie and arugula, Chimichurri chicken, red fruit salad with orange juice and maple syrup and tasting of petit pots de crème, French Toast, omelets and porridge. We were very happy. The portions were big, delicious, healthy, light and creative. Breakfast and dinner came in, depending what we ordered between 65 and 80 Euro or ca. 85 USD to 104 USD, including juices and hot chocolate or coffee.
The B-Lounge is the heart of the hotel. It is contemporary Asian with dark furniture and reminded us of the lounge at the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong.
We had a slightly unusual lunch there. I wasn't very hungry, so I thought, I order dessert, when my better half had eaten his Japanese Burger, so each of us could have something sweet. We both had cocktails - I a non alcoholic fruit punch, he a laboratory creation, called Pearl Martini. The martini was served with pineapple foam.
His burger came with fries in a rolled up "newspaper" (It was the burger menu printed on newspaper paper) and a side salad. The dish was served on a slate.
When it was time for dessert, he wasn't up to it, so I ordered rice pudding for myself. Unfortunately it wasn't available, so I took the other dessert I had been intrigued with. It was cheese with honey. I wasn't sure what to expect, but wanted to try it. I found out it was a bowl of cottage cheese mixed with honey and topped with strawberries. To my surprise I liked it. The tanginess of the cheese went well with the sweetness of the honey and the strawberries. My better half tried as well, but didn't like the texture.
We enjoyed lunch and the atmosphere. For some reason we didn't have to pay for the burger, so our bill came in at 36.50 Euro, ca. 47.30 USD.
Generally we didn't get charged for some of the things we ordered. For example on one morning we were told the juices were for free.
The staff
The staff found the right balance between being warm and personal, but not too much, attentive and leaving us alone.
Everyone encountered was helpful, efficient, knew their stuff and would have done much more for us, if we had asked for it. They did everything to make our stay smooth running and memorable for the right reason, even trying to anticipate our needs. We felt very much valued and welcome.
All members including housekeeping are an asset to the resort.
Check out / Limousine transfer
The day before our check out we requested the limousine service to the airport. For the first time ever we didn't have to provide our room number or name to receive the service. The receptionist didn't mention my name, but knew my fiancé’s. The pronunciation wasn't correct - making out of a Polish origin name, an Irish sounding, but the goodwill counted.
She promised to have a car and driver ready for us, if possible the hotels own limousine. The cost was 84 Euro, ca. 109 USD. We assumed it would be a Mercedes E-Class, as told by the concierge when I called.
The check out was quick. Before we left we were given a good bye present - Portuguese cookies - from the receptionist and accompanied to the waiting car by him, the second receptionist and the door man. The young driver welcomed us and gave us bonbons as a leaving gift. The car was to our pleasant surprise from the newest BMW 7 sports series. We had discussed the two BMW (a 7 and a 5 series model) parking in front of the hotel.
Even more food provisions were waiting for us in the limousine, like apples, water and napkins.
During the smooth ride we talked a bit with our driver, who is a Sporting Lisbon fan. The journey took around 35 minutes, and we arrived with ample time for our flight.
Verdict
It was the perfect retreat for us - leaving all the stress and worries of everyday life behind. It was made easy by the staff and the flawless experience.
Besides this we liked the art work - different sculptures -, antique furniture and books and the creativity of the public spaces. In our opinion it was aesthetic.
Mentioned earlier, the Christmas Tree was standing and fully decorated, when we checked the next day. It looked gorgeous and fitted the surroundings. It replaces at the moment the flower display.
I'm already missing the property and wish I could go back yesterday...
Introduction
Fulfilling another of our dreams, we returned to Lisbon to stay at the Penha Longa, a Ritz Carlton Hotel, for two nights.
We had contact with the hotel before, because I was inquiring how much limousine transfer from the hotel to the airport was. The question was dealt with efficient and in a friendly manner. It left a good impression and eased some of my unease. We had a very bad experience at the Arts, Barcelona, the sister hotel of the Penha Longa. Tripadvisor reviews and Flyer Talk (very few information) were positive, so we hoped our experience was going to turn out better than at the Arts. I didn't have had to worry.
How to get there / Arrival / Check in
Arriving at Lisbon Portelas Airport we made our way to the Tourism Information Desk and asked for a taxi voucher to Penha Longa. It cost 59 Euro / ca. 78 USD. Our taxi was a Mercedes E-Class and our driver an older gentleman, who was chatty and educated us about the history of the area, mythology, soccer and fauna and flora of the Sintra Mountains. The ca. 30 minute ride passed quickly.
The Penha Longa is a huge estate with two golf courses (the Monastery and Atlantic with 9 and 18 holes respectively). There is a security gate with a guard. Only guests, golf club members, residents or visitors, who have a reservation at one of the restaurants, can enter.
The Christmas tree and we arrived at the same time.
The door man was opening the car doors for us, and two members of staff were waiting in the lobby with refreshing hot towels. We were checked in the semi private area of the B-Lounge and offered a glass of water. We sipped on it while we waited for the return of our passports and my credit card. It was a pleasant experience. All formalities done, we were accompanied to our room. We had booked an Executive Suite. We were explained the features and then left in peace.
At time of check in we were also handed a list with restaurant on site, opening hours, what kind of cuisine they serve and a 20 Euro off voucher, should we use the Six Senses Spa. We were also offered to join the Ritz Carlton loyalty program.
The room
When entering our room, there was a long hallway. A door to the left led off to the guest toilet.
Our suite consisted of one large living room with a huge Samsung flat screen TV with regional and international channels, large sofa, coffee table and a chair with ottoman. There was another small table with interesting books about architecture and photography - just our taste!
In a separate area were a big, antique writing desk and a seating area with two chairs and a table.
Another door led to the bed room and the walk in closet. The bed room was medium in size. In front of the king bed was a bench and in one corner another flat screen TV.
The walk in closet offered enough space to for long staying guests. The safe and umbrella were also located there.
Last but not least there was the large marble bath room with separate bath tub and shower, double sink and a separate small room for the toilet and bidet. The amenities were from Bulgari.
Before I mention to forget it, we also had a large balcony overlooking the Monastery Golf Course and the forest, offering a 180 degree view. There was also a large seating area and beautiful tiles. Our suite was located in one of the corners.
The floor to ceiling windows allowed natural day light to flood the room.
The color scheme was neutral, mostly in brown, black, beige and white. We loved our room, because it was a mix between contemporary and classic design, detailed, quiet - even though it was located immediately beside the lift - and comfortable. It felt like a home.
There were also a 24 hour in room dining menu and magazines on the coffee table. Postcards, writing paper and general hotel information as well as the spa menu where located in the drawers of the writing desk.
When we had settled in, there was a knock at the door. Before I could manage to get there it opened and another member of staff entered with a welcome letter from the Guest Recognition Team. As a welcome gift we received a large bottle of still local water and local pastries. They were delicious and exotic.
Normally we would have also received turn down service. Since we had the "Do not disturb" sign outside each evening, we weren't disturbed, but still received a note about the missed turn down, the weather forecast and a Portuguese legend.
More about the hotel.
The estate started out as a Jeronomite monastery in the 14th century - hence the name of one of the golf courses - and a summer palace for the Portuguese Royal family in the 16th century.
The estate was acquired by Caesar Park, a South American hotel chain, which was recently bought by Accor. Caesar Park added a new building, where the guest rooms are located, as well as villas. Later Caesar Park sold Penha Longa to Ritz Carlton.
Of course no monks are living here any longer. The monastery has been changed into a convention center. There is also a chapel, which can be used for weddings.
The Six Senses Spa is also located in one of the older buildings.
The fitness center and one indoor and outdoor pool are located at the Golf Course Wing of the main building.
The outdoor pool with its sala is especially famous and beautiful. The wellness area felt inviting and warm. The staff there was helpful too.
There is even a playground and parts of the extensive gardens date from the 16th century, when the Royal family stayed here. Guests interested in cooking can check out the chef's garden too.
The hotel offers also two jogging/walking tracks. One is slightly over 2 km long, the other over 8. Parts of the tracks are along the golf courses, which were designed by Robert Trent Jones junior.
The restaurants and bars.
Arola, the restaurant of Michelin stared chef Sergi Arola, is located in the Club House. It offers Atlantic cuisine and Sergi Arola holds 2 Michelin stars.
Il Mercato is an Italian restaurant and is like Midori, the Japanese restaurant, located on the first floor of the hotel building.
The B-Lounge is on the ground level and serves a huge variety of burgers and cocktails.
Aqua is the pool restaurant and serves Mediterranean cuisine. It has open during the summer months.
We used the B-Lounge and in room dining.
At in room dining we chose chicken consommé, spaghetti Bolognese, pizza with Iberian ham, brie and arugula, Chimichurri chicken, red fruit salad with orange juice and maple syrup and tasting of petit pots de crème, French Toast, omelets and porridge. We were very happy. The portions were big, delicious, healthy, light and creative. Breakfast and dinner came in, depending what we ordered between 65 and 80 Euro or ca. 85 USD to 104 USD, including juices and hot chocolate or coffee.
The B-Lounge is the heart of the hotel. It is contemporary Asian with dark furniture and reminded us of the lounge at the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong.
We had a slightly unusual lunch there. I wasn't very hungry, so I thought, I order dessert, when my better half had eaten his Japanese Burger, so each of us could have something sweet. We both had cocktails - I a non alcoholic fruit punch, he a laboratory creation, called Pearl Martini. The martini was served with pineapple foam.
His burger came with fries in a rolled up "newspaper" (It was the burger menu printed on newspaper paper) and a side salad. The dish was served on a slate.
When it was time for dessert, he wasn't up to it, so I ordered rice pudding for myself. Unfortunately it wasn't available, so I took the other dessert I had been intrigued with. It was cheese with honey. I wasn't sure what to expect, but wanted to try it. I found out it was a bowl of cottage cheese mixed with honey and topped with strawberries. To my surprise I liked it. The tanginess of the cheese went well with the sweetness of the honey and the strawberries. My better half tried as well, but didn't like the texture.
We enjoyed lunch and the atmosphere. For some reason we didn't have to pay for the burger, so our bill came in at 36.50 Euro, ca. 47.30 USD.
Generally we didn't get charged for some of the things we ordered. For example on one morning we were told the juices were for free.
The staff
The staff found the right balance between being warm and personal, but not too much, attentive and leaving us alone.
Everyone encountered was helpful, efficient, knew their stuff and would have done much more for us, if we had asked for it. They did everything to make our stay smooth running and memorable for the right reason, even trying to anticipate our needs. We felt very much valued and welcome.
All members including housekeeping are an asset to the resort.
Check out / Limousine transfer
The day before our check out we requested the limousine service to the airport. For the first time ever we didn't have to provide our room number or name to receive the service. The receptionist didn't mention my name, but knew my fiancé’s. The pronunciation wasn't correct - making out of a Polish origin name, an Irish sounding, but the goodwill counted.
She promised to have a car and driver ready for us, if possible the hotels own limousine. The cost was 84 Euro, ca. 109 USD. We assumed it would be a Mercedes E-Class, as told by the concierge when I called.
The check out was quick. Before we left we were given a good bye present - Portuguese cookies - from the receptionist and accompanied to the waiting car by him, the second receptionist and the door man. The young driver welcomed us and gave us bonbons as a leaving gift. The car was to our pleasant surprise from the newest BMW 7 sports series. We had discussed the two BMW (a 7 and a 5 series model) parking in front of the hotel.
Even more food provisions were waiting for us in the limousine, like apples, water and napkins.
During the smooth ride we talked a bit with our driver, who is a Sporting Lisbon fan. The journey took around 35 minutes, and we arrived with ample time for our flight.
Verdict
It was the perfect retreat for us - leaving all the stress and worries of everyday life behind. It was made easy by the staff and the flawless experience.
Besides this we liked the art work - different sculptures -, antique furniture and books and the creativity of the public spaces. In our opinion it was aesthetic.
Mentioned earlier, the Christmas Tree was standing and fully decorated, when we checked the next day. It looked gorgeous and fitted the surroundings. It replaces at the moment the flower display.
I'm already missing the property and wish I could go back yesterday...
©2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Trapdoor
Here is the next adventure of Chastity as promised.
Chastity and Giovanni were looking forward to a romantic weekend in Sao Paulo. It turned out slightly more adventurous than planned.
The hotel they were staying at had an old fashioned revolving door. Giovanni had his doubts Chastity would fit through - not because she was overweight, but because of her balloon sized breasts. Chastity, as ever the optimist, thought she wouldn't have any problems. "Okay, let’s give it a try." Chastity said enthusiastic. She couldn't wait to see their room. Before the door man was able to help, Chastity was in the door. Of course her breasts were too large. One of them was uncomfortable trapped between the door and the wall. Chastity couldn't move forward or backward. "Umh ... Oh shit! Gio, get me out of here!" Chastity shouted. Giovanni couldn't help himself. He burst out laughing. "You idiot. Stop that immediately and help me!" Chastity lost her composure. Giovanni tried to stop, but just seeing his wife in that position made him chortle again. "Wait until I'm free, you fucking bastard, and I'll show ya!" Chastity's threats made Giovanni laugh even harder. "I'm so sorry." He spluttered and finally was able to stop laughing. The door man had trouble to keep his face straight, but tried his utmost to free Chastity - unfortunately unsuccessful. He went in search of a colleague to discuss the situation with. While Giovanni waited for the men to return some passers by stopped, enthralled by the views offered to them. They wanted to help. Some used the chance to touch Chastity's huge breast. She didn't like it a bit. Normally she wasn't prude, but now she was helpless and the attention unwanted. Chastity swore at them. They took it with humor. The hotel staff returned and shooed the helpers away. One member of staff cordoned off the entrance and security made sure no unauthorized persons came near, while the rest tried to find a solution. Nothing seemed to work, so the hotel called the fire department. The crowd had grown considerable by the time the fire truck arrived, including the press. Finally after more than an hour Chastity was released. Her breast hurt, and she later developed a bruise. When she was back in the US Chastity made a doctor's appointment to check, if her implants were okay. As a thank you to the hotel staff and fire fighters Chastity bared her balloons for them, who were delighted. Chastity didn't leave it to that. Each one was allowed to play a bit with her mega tits. When she was dressed again, she dealt with Giovanni, chasing him. To the laughter and amusement of the bystanders Chastity didn't manage to catch her husband. Somehow it was erotic, seeing her big boobs wobbling, when Chastity ran in her platform shoes, which were extremely high. After a few more minutes Chastity had to give up. Her breasts were heaving. "You promise you won't harm me?" Giovanni asked from a safe distance. Chastity relaxed and said: "Okay." Giovanni trusted Chastity. She seemed peaceful, when they finally checked in. For all her trouble, Chastity and Giovanni were upgraded to a suite and a bottle of champagne was already waiting for them. Giovanni opened the door to their room and was half way in, when Chastity got her revenge. She kicked him neatly in one buttock, when he least expected it. He fell more through the door than walked. Giovanni took it cool. He dropped the key cards on the nearest table and then turned around facing Chastity. "We're quit, aren't we?" He asked. "Yes, I think so." "Fine, then give me a kiss, darling." The kiss was brutal. Neither of them minded. Soon their clothing was strewn on the floor all the way to the bedroom of the suite. Even so Giovanni was smaller than Chastity; he was strong and could heave her up the bed. He was soon biting into her nipples. Because it turned her on immensely, she dug her nails deep into his back and scratched it. Giovanni's scream was muffled by Chastity's boobs. He didn't mind that much. He had already scars from their past passionate love making. Giovanna started kneading Chastity's tits. His free hand went exploring Chastity's skin, abdomen and genitals. His fingers found their way into Chastity's anus. She bit him in the shoulder, leaving marks. Chastity was more than ready for intercourse and shouted at Giovanni: "Fuck me! Now!" Giovanni needn't be told twice. Within a second Chastity was lying flat on her back and her legs were spread wide. He was in charge and thrust deep, making Chastity moan in pleasure. Giovanni was at first slow and took his time, then sped things up, collapsing on top of Chastity. She had climaxed slightly earlier than he. They cuddled briefly before exploring their room stark naked.
Chastity and Giovanni were looking forward to a romantic weekend in Sao Paulo. It turned out slightly more adventurous than planned.
The hotel they were staying at had an old fashioned revolving door. Giovanni had his doubts Chastity would fit through - not because she was overweight, but because of her balloon sized breasts. Chastity, as ever the optimist, thought she wouldn't have any problems. "Okay, let’s give it a try." Chastity said enthusiastic. She couldn't wait to see their room. Before the door man was able to help, Chastity was in the door. Of course her breasts were too large. One of them was uncomfortable trapped between the door and the wall. Chastity couldn't move forward or backward. "Umh ... Oh shit! Gio, get me out of here!" Chastity shouted. Giovanni couldn't help himself. He burst out laughing. "You idiot. Stop that immediately and help me!" Chastity lost her composure. Giovanni tried to stop, but just seeing his wife in that position made him chortle again. "Wait until I'm free, you fucking bastard, and I'll show ya!" Chastity's threats made Giovanni laugh even harder. "I'm so sorry." He spluttered and finally was able to stop laughing. The door man had trouble to keep his face straight, but tried his utmost to free Chastity - unfortunately unsuccessful. He went in search of a colleague to discuss the situation with. While Giovanni waited for the men to return some passers by stopped, enthralled by the views offered to them. They wanted to help. Some used the chance to touch Chastity's huge breast. She didn't like it a bit. Normally she wasn't prude, but now she was helpless and the attention unwanted. Chastity swore at them. They took it with humor. The hotel staff returned and shooed the helpers away. One member of staff cordoned off the entrance and security made sure no unauthorized persons came near, while the rest tried to find a solution. Nothing seemed to work, so the hotel called the fire department. The crowd had grown considerable by the time the fire truck arrived, including the press. Finally after more than an hour Chastity was released. Her breast hurt, and she later developed a bruise. When she was back in the US Chastity made a doctor's appointment to check, if her implants were okay. As a thank you to the hotel staff and fire fighters Chastity bared her balloons for them, who were delighted. Chastity didn't leave it to that. Each one was allowed to play a bit with her mega tits. When she was dressed again, she dealt with Giovanni, chasing him. To the laughter and amusement of the bystanders Chastity didn't manage to catch her husband. Somehow it was erotic, seeing her big boobs wobbling, when Chastity ran in her platform shoes, which were extremely high. After a few more minutes Chastity had to give up. Her breasts were heaving. "You promise you won't harm me?" Giovanni asked from a safe distance. Chastity relaxed and said: "Okay." Giovanni trusted Chastity. She seemed peaceful, when they finally checked in. For all her trouble, Chastity and Giovanni were upgraded to a suite and a bottle of champagne was already waiting for them. Giovanni opened the door to their room and was half way in, when Chastity got her revenge. She kicked him neatly in one buttock, when he least expected it. He fell more through the door than walked. Giovanni took it cool. He dropped the key cards on the nearest table and then turned around facing Chastity. "We're quit, aren't we?" He asked. "Yes, I think so." "Fine, then give me a kiss, darling." The kiss was brutal. Neither of them minded. Soon their clothing was strewn on the floor all the way to the bedroom of the suite. Even so Giovanni was smaller than Chastity; he was strong and could heave her up the bed. He was soon biting into her nipples. Because it turned her on immensely, she dug her nails deep into his back and scratched it. Giovanni's scream was muffled by Chastity's boobs. He didn't mind that much. He had already scars from their past passionate love making. Giovanna started kneading Chastity's tits. His free hand went exploring Chastity's skin, abdomen and genitals. His fingers found their way into Chastity's anus. She bit him in the shoulder, leaving marks. Chastity was more than ready for intercourse and shouted at Giovanni: "Fuck me! Now!" Giovanni needn't be told twice. Within a second Chastity was lying flat on her back and her legs were spread wide. He was in charge and thrust deep, making Chastity moan in pleasure. Giovanni was at first slow and took his time, then sped things up, collapsing on top of Chastity. She had climaxed slightly earlier than he. They cuddled briefly before exploring their room stark naked.
©2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Nurse Chastity
Here is another story for Chastity fans. It's slightly different, but hope you like it. :)
I'm planning to publish another one soon.
Coldham Fintan "Fin" Noose III was asleep. Suddenly he woke up with a start, because the door to his room opened and light flooded in. He saw a figure in a nurse's uniform. The door closed behind her, leaving the room dark again. The nurse came nearer. She switched on the night light. "Now, Mr. Noose, how are we doing?" She asked brisk. "My head is feeling like it's going to explode ..." "I will see if I can help ease your pain a bit." The nurse pulled away the blanket. Fin had had an accident and the doctors in ER wanted to keep him in for observation because of a light concussion. The nurse wasn't concerned with Fin's head and stared intently at Fin's midsection. Her left hand was pushing the gown the hospital had provided, up. Of course Fin wasn't wearing anything underneath. His penis was reacting to the huge breasts of the nurse. She was very dark skinned, tall and wore a ring studded with rubies and diamonds. Her hair was short. She bent down and gave Fin a blow job. Fin had to bite his hand to keep quiet. They didn't want to get caught. Fin forgot his headache. Before he could ejaculate, the nurse stopped, lifted her uniform, revealing more than just long legs and climbed onto the bed to straddle Fin. She dictated the speed and rhythm. Fin wanted to touch her balloons. They were enticing bouncing in front of him. Feeling them through the fabric wasn't enough. He tried to open the buttons. Since the nurse was moving quite fast, it was impossible for him to do it neatly. Being impatient, Fin simple tore at the uniform. The buttons sprang off in all directions. It gave Fin access to the woman's bare boobs. She liked the squeezing and demanded in a loud voice he'd do it harder. Fin obliged. He liked the heavy weight of the boobs and the smoothness of the nurse's skin. They were forgetting where they were and started to make loud noises. The door burst open, when they both climaxed. The light was switched on and the dragon, as Fin liked to call the head nurse, stared at them. "What is going on here?" she roared, taking in the scene. Fin had a bite mark on his throat. He wore the standard hospital gown, while the nurse was partly undressed. Head nurse Alexandria Franz didn't accept sex between patients and staff. She had never seen this nurse. On the other side she had just returned from a vacation. Some new nurses had started during her absence.
To her question Fin replied cheekily: "Sex. Want to join us?" At first Nurse Franz gaped at the two and then exploded. "Sir, this is outrageous! I'm going to deal with you later! Nurse, follow me." Fin smirked at Alexandria and winked at the nurse. It fueled Alexandria's fire further. With a sigh the nurse got up, smoothed down her dress and followed Head Nurse Franz. It outraged Alexandria even more that the nurse didn't bother to cover herself up.
Head Nurse Franz closed the door of her office with a bang. She looked for the name tag and found it dangling precariously on the shredded top. It read Betty Anderson. "Nurse Anderson, what were you thinking?! Haven't you read our handbook with all the rules in it? It clearly states sex between patients and staff isn't allowed. I am very ashamed you let yourself and the hospital down!" She watched Nurse Anderson's reaction closely. Nurse Anderson had her eyelids lowered, but seemed to study Alexandria. "I'm going to complain officially about you and make sure you are getting fired!" For a second Alexandria Franz believed she saw an amused flicker on Betty Anderson's face. "Please, Nurse..." Betty was squinting at Alexandria's own name tag. Alexandria drew herself up. "I am Head Nurse Franz." "I am really sorry, Head Nurse. I'm doing everything, but please don't fire me." Betty pleaded.
Head Nurse Franz had always dreamed about touching big breasts. She wasn't a lesbian, just fascinated. Still she behaved as if she wasn't interested in a deal. "Missy, I'm not bribable." "Please, Ma'am. My husband would be very disappointed..." "Your husband?!" Betty nodded ashamed. "You don't have any morals! I don't know how you got employed here, but your behavior has to improve!" "So you're giving me a chance?" Head Nurse Franz stared Betty down. After a long silence she said: "Okay, but I want something in return." "Anything, Miss." "Show me your breasts." Nurse Betty didn't have any problems with it and let the top fall off her shoulders. Alexandria was surprised how huge Betty's breasts really were. She guessed they weighed 6 kg each. "You can touch them if you like. They don't bite." Betty suggested. Alexandria hesitated only for a moment. She had expected that Betty's breasts felt rubbery, but they didn't. In fact they felt quite natural, but were over quelling from Alexandria's hands. "It took me thirteen operations to get them so large." "Did it hurt?" "Yes, but it was what I wanted, so it was worth it." Alexandria was curious. "Where are the scars?" Betty lifted one breast. There was a very thin, nearly invisible scar at the swell. "You had a very good surgeon." Alexandria was still handling Betty's boobs. "I had a few. My first was based in the US. It was hard to find a surgeon who was willing to enlarge my breasts further in the US, so I had to look elsewhere. I went to Caracas for the last eight operations. They have a lot of experience there, and the treatment was costing less. I'm very happy with the result and don't look back." "Interesting." With a sigh Alexandria let go of Betty's chest. "Okay. I'll suggest you go home and change. Come back afterwards." "Yes, ma'am." Betty replied demurely. Again Alexandria couldn't help it. She thought Betty was smirking at her.
When Nurse Anderson had left, Alexandria went to her patient’s room. The lecture she gave Mr. Noose fell on deaf ears. He was very amused and laughing, when Alexandria told him Betty was married. "Sorry. I know she's married. Her husband doesn't mind. They have an open relationship." It left Alexandria stunned. The next few hours Alexandria waited for Nurse Anderson's return. She never showed up. Getting suspicious Head Nurse Franz checked the personal files. There were in fact two new employees, but they were male. Inquiries at other departments didn't bear any fruits.
Puzzled who the mystery lady was, she went in the morning to Mr. Noose's room. He was fully dressed and ready to leave. There was a couple with him. She recognized the faked nurse. "Who the hell are you?" Alexandria asked indignant. "I'm Chastity Shelton. This is my husband Giovanni Fabini." She introduced the slim, small man. Giovanni gave Chastity and Fin a questioning look. "Sorry for the little charade yesterday. I couldn't help myself." Chastity apologized, smiling. "Where did you steal the uniform from?" "It belongs to me. My husband and I are producing movies. We used the uniform for one of the scenes, playing in a hospital. It was especially made for me." "Honey, what's going on?" Giovanni, who looked the same age as Fin and much younger than Chastity, asked. "Well, I tried to take off Fin's mind from his headache, so I visited him during the night. Since those uniforms look quite similar to the one I had, I thought I might be able to sneak in and ..." "You don't have to go on. I can imagine the rest. Did it work?" Giovanni addressed Fin. "For a while." Giovanni was amused about Chastity's escapade. "I apologize for my wife's behavior. Sometimes she is quite spontaneous... I hope she didn't destroy anything? If that's the case, we'll pay of course." "Nothing has been damaged. Now tell me what kind of movies you produce." Alexandria said. "Porn." That explained the disproportionate huge breasts and Chastity's behavior, like having no problems with letting other people touch her boobs. At first Alexandria was disappointed and angry, but her humor won the upper hand. In the end all four laughed about it.
I'm planning to publish another one soon.
Coldham Fintan "Fin" Noose III was asleep. Suddenly he woke up with a start, because the door to his room opened and light flooded in. He saw a figure in a nurse's uniform. The door closed behind her, leaving the room dark again. The nurse came nearer. She switched on the night light. "Now, Mr. Noose, how are we doing?" She asked brisk. "My head is feeling like it's going to explode ..." "I will see if I can help ease your pain a bit." The nurse pulled away the blanket. Fin had had an accident and the doctors in ER wanted to keep him in for observation because of a light concussion. The nurse wasn't concerned with Fin's head and stared intently at Fin's midsection. Her left hand was pushing the gown the hospital had provided, up. Of course Fin wasn't wearing anything underneath. His penis was reacting to the huge breasts of the nurse. She was very dark skinned, tall and wore a ring studded with rubies and diamonds. Her hair was short. She bent down and gave Fin a blow job. Fin had to bite his hand to keep quiet. They didn't want to get caught. Fin forgot his headache. Before he could ejaculate, the nurse stopped, lifted her uniform, revealing more than just long legs and climbed onto the bed to straddle Fin. She dictated the speed and rhythm. Fin wanted to touch her balloons. They were enticing bouncing in front of him. Feeling them through the fabric wasn't enough. He tried to open the buttons. Since the nurse was moving quite fast, it was impossible for him to do it neatly. Being impatient, Fin simple tore at the uniform. The buttons sprang off in all directions. It gave Fin access to the woman's bare boobs. She liked the squeezing and demanded in a loud voice he'd do it harder. Fin obliged. He liked the heavy weight of the boobs and the smoothness of the nurse's skin. They were forgetting where they were and started to make loud noises. The door burst open, when they both climaxed. The light was switched on and the dragon, as Fin liked to call the head nurse, stared at them. "What is going on here?" she roared, taking in the scene. Fin had a bite mark on his throat. He wore the standard hospital gown, while the nurse was partly undressed. Head nurse Alexandria Franz didn't accept sex between patients and staff. She had never seen this nurse. On the other side she had just returned from a vacation. Some new nurses had started during her absence.
To her question Fin replied cheekily: "Sex. Want to join us?" At first Nurse Franz gaped at the two and then exploded. "Sir, this is outrageous! I'm going to deal with you later! Nurse, follow me." Fin smirked at Alexandria and winked at the nurse. It fueled Alexandria's fire further. With a sigh the nurse got up, smoothed down her dress and followed Head Nurse Franz. It outraged Alexandria even more that the nurse didn't bother to cover herself up.
Head Nurse Franz closed the door of her office with a bang. She looked for the name tag and found it dangling precariously on the shredded top. It read Betty Anderson. "Nurse Anderson, what were you thinking?! Haven't you read our handbook with all the rules in it? It clearly states sex between patients and staff isn't allowed. I am very ashamed you let yourself and the hospital down!" She watched Nurse Anderson's reaction closely. Nurse Anderson had her eyelids lowered, but seemed to study Alexandria. "I'm going to complain officially about you and make sure you are getting fired!" For a second Alexandria Franz believed she saw an amused flicker on Betty Anderson's face. "Please, Nurse..." Betty was squinting at Alexandria's own name tag. Alexandria drew herself up. "I am Head Nurse Franz." "I am really sorry, Head Nurse. I'm doing everything, but please don't fire me." Betty pleaded.
Head Nurse Franz had always dreamed about touching big breasts. She wasn't a lesbian, just fascinated. Still she behaved as if she wasn't interested in a deal. "Missy, I'm not bribable." "Please, Ma'am. My husband would be very disappointed..." "Your husband?!" Betty nodded ashamed. "You don't have any morals! I don't know how you got employed here, but your behavior has to improve!" "So you're giving me a chance?" Head Nurse Franz stared Betty down. After a long silence she said: "Okay, but I want something in return." "Anything, Miss." "Show me your breasts." Nurse Betty didn't have any problems with it and let the top fall off her shoulders. Alexandria was surprised how huge Betty's breasts really were. She guessed they weighed 6 kg each. "You can touch them if you like. They don't bite." Betty suggested. Alexandria hesitated only for a moment. She had expected that Betty's breasts felt rubbery, but they didn't. In fact they felt quite natural, but were over quelling from Alexandria's hands. "It took me thirteen operations to get them so large." "Did it hurt?" "Yes, but it was what I wanted, so it was worth it." Alexandria was curious. "Where are the scars?" Betty lifted one breast. There was a very thin, nearly invisible scar at the swell. "You had a very good surgeon." Alexandria was still handling Betty's boobs. "I had a few. My first was based in the US. It was hard to find a surgeon who was willing to enlarge my breasts further in the US, so I had to look elsewhere. I went to Caracas for the last eight operations. They have a lot of experience there, and the treatment was costing less. I'm very happy with the result and don't look back." "Interesting." With a sigh Alexandria let go of Betty's chest. "Okay. I'll suggest you go home and change. Come back afterwards." "Yes, ma'am." Betty replied demurely. Again Alexandria couldn't help it. She thought Betty was smirking at her.
When Nurse Anderson had left, Alexandria went to her patient’s room. The lecture she gave Mr. Noose fell on deaf ears. He was very amused and laughing, when Alexandria told him Betty was married. "Sorry. I know she's married. Her husband doesn't mind. They have an open relationship." It left Alexandria stunned. The next few hours Alexandria waited for Nurse Anderson's return. She never showed up. Getting suspicious Head Nurse Franz checked the personal files. There were in fact two new employees, but they were male. Inquiries at other departments didn't bear any fruits.
Puzzled who the mystery lady was, she went in the morning to Mr. Noose's room. He was fully dressed and ready to leave. There was a couple with him. She recognized the faked nurse. "Who the hell are you?" Alexandria asked indignant. "I'm Chastity Shelton. This is my husband Giovanni Fabini." She introduced the slim, small man. Giovanni gave Chastity and Fin a questioning look. "Sorry for the little charade yesterday. I couldn't help myself." Chastity apologized, smiling. "Where did you steal the uniform from?" "It belongs to me. My husband and I are producing movies. We used the uniform for one of the scenes, playing in a hospital. It was especially made for me." "Honey, what's going on?" Giovanni, who looked the same age as Fin and much younger than Chastity, asked. "Well, I tried to take off Fin's mind from his headache, so I visited him during the night. Since those uniforms look quite similar to the one I had, I thought I might be able to sneak in and ..." "You don't have to go on. I can imagine the rest. Did it work?" Giovanni addressed Fin. "For a while." Giovanni was amused about Chastity's escapade. "I apologize for my wife's behavior. Sometimes she is quite spontaneous... I hope she didn't destroy anything? If that's the case, we'll pay of course." "Nothing has been damaged. Now tell me what kind of movies you produce." Alexandria said. "Porn." That explained the disproportionate huge breasts and Chastity's behavior, like having no problems with letting other people touch her boobs. At first Alexandria was disappointed and angry, but her humor won the upper hand. In the end all four laughed about it.
©2012
Monday, November 12, 2012
Murder
I'd like to say thank you to my friend and work colleague Dinesh. He gave me the name of Coldham's friend and choose the beer Scott Hillier is drinking.
If you want to read more stories about Robertson "Flanky" Brutus, please check out The Pick Pocket's Pick Pocket and The Train Conductor.
Coldham Fintan Noose II hated his son and name sake, whom the family had nick named Fin. Coldham's pulse started racing, when he thought about what Fin had done. In Coldham's opinion Fin was a failure, cold hearted, egoistic and a total bastard. Fin had always been a trouble maker and hadn't lived up to the expectation of Beverly, Coldham's wife, and himself. They had tried to mold Fin. It had never worked out. To Beverly's and his dismay Fin turned criminal. He was a burglar as far as they knew. The worst thing was, though, that he had turned their other son, his brother Mike, against them. It hurt so much loosing Mike, Coldham wanted to get rid of Fin.
Coldham was meeting with a friend at a bar in downtown to watch a football game and to drown his sorrow.
They were having a beer. Scott Hillier, Coldham's friend, nursed a San Miguel, while Coldham was on his second Budweiser. Scott was surprised how fast Coldham was guzzling his drink. Coldham wasn't the type to get drunk. "What's wrong?" Scott asked. "Fin has told Mike a bunch of lies! He believed them, caused a scene, has moved out and isn't talking to us."
Scott knew all about Fin and how - after another disappointment and one too many arguments - Coldham and Beverly had thrown out Fin. He was aghast Fin would try to alienate Mike and his parents. "Don't worry, Coldham. I'm sure Mike is coming to his senses soon."
The situation had been going on for months. Originally Coldham had hoped the same, but unfortunately Mike still refused any contact. He believed his parents were perverts and sadists, based on the video tapes Fin had played into his hands. Fin hadn't provided faked information. The video tapes had been made by Coldham and Beverly.
Neither Fin nor Mike minded the little sex games their parents liked to play. They were both very much shocked, angry and felt sick, when they realized their parents had recorded some of their spankings without their knowledge and gleefully discussed Fin's and Mike's reactions to the punishment.
Of course Coldham had never told Scott the full truth. When Beverly and he threw out Fin, he claimed they had a bust up, because Fin hadn't attended his college classes they paid for. It was only part of the truth. They found out he had lied to them for over half a year and pursuit his criminal career.
Scott tried to cheer his friend up. Coldham was inconsolable, though, and got hopelessly drunk. He slurred: "I want to get rid of him!" "Oh, come on, Coldham, you can't be serious!" Scott chided. "I am and I'm finding a way!" "Sh!" Scott was concerned. Coldham couldn't go around making threats. What was going to happen, if really something happened to Fin and an investigation was started? Coldham would be immediately a suspect. Coldham reacted to Scott's reprimands and didn't mention then or in the future he wanted to murder his son.
Scott left the table at some stage. Coldham downed another big gulp of beer, when he was approached by a dark haired man in his early thirties. "Hey, I heard you want to get rid of your son. I might be able to facilitate you..." Coldham had problems getting the man into focus. His mind wasn't working as quick as usual too. "What?!" He slurred. The man sighed. He came nearer and whispered into Coldham's ear: "I can kill your son. Against payment of course." For a moment Coldham was taken aback, then his blue grey eyes glinted. "Okay, how do we set it up?" The stranger studied the man for a moment. He seemed familiar, but didn't know where from. Coldham was light ash blond and in his late forties. "Give me your cell phone number and we'll arrange a meeting to discuss it further." Coldham agreed. The killer was gone by the time Scott was back.
Two days later the stranger from the bar contacted Coldham. He had completely forgotten about it. Sober again, Coldham wasn't so sure anymore if he really wanted to go ahead. Still Coldham went to the meeting in an alleyway in Little Cuba. He brought a photograph of Fin. He was nervous. Maybe it was a set up.
The profi killer was already waiting. He was alone.
After a little small talk, they discussed their business. Coldham showed the man the photograph. A shadow crossed over the man's face, before it was gone. "Everything alright?" Coldham asked Henry Sanchez. It was the name the killer had given him, but Coldham doubted it was his real name. "Yes, everything's fine." Henry Sanchez confirmed. "Do you know where your son lives?" "No. We haven't been in contact for about three years..." "What are his favorite hang outs, any friends I should know of?" "Not that I'm aware of. Wait a second. Fin has a favorite beach, where he likes to wind surf. Let me think... Oh, yes! It's called Windsurfer Beach." Henry didn't have a clue where that was. Not a problem, though. "Okay, I'll keep the photograph, so that I can identify your son. I'm charging 8000 USD. 4000 now, the other half, when I've done the job."
Coldham was struggling with his conscience. Could he really do it? He thought so. Coldham justified his actions by believing he was making the world a better place without Fin. Of course he didn't have 4000 USD with him. Mr. Sanchez wanted the cash before starting the project. They arranged for another meeting, when Coldham had the amount ready.
After handing over the money, Coldham didn't hear for weeks from Mr. Sanchez. He had nearly forgotten about the whole incident. An envelope was sent to him by courier. The black and white photographs were gruesome. It showed a dead man. The blond hair and body shape did fit Fin. The victim had been shot in the head. Thank goodness the face wasn't visible, but a big black puddle surrounding the head, indicated a massive blood loss. Suddenly Coldham felt guilty instead of vindicated. What had he done?!
He was withdrawn, unconcentrated and suffered from insomnia. Coldham was beating himself up. His friends and wife were worried when the symptoms lasted longer, and there was no explanation for his behavior.
To take off his mind, Beverly planned a trip to The Shops at Bal Harbour. It was their favorite mall. They loved the Koi Ponds and tropical gardens, the architecture and the luxury shops, of course.
Beverly and Coldham were leaving the Chanel shop - she had bought sneakers - when Coldham stopped dead in his tracks. His face was flushed, and it looked as if he had seen a ghost. Coldham's eyes rolled uncontrollable, he fell to the ground - unconscious. It didn't take him long to regain his conscious. Coldham tried to jump up. He was unbelievable angry and wanted to get Henry Sanchez! Still feeling dizzy and having banged his head, he had to lie down again. Beverly was concerned and wanted Coldham to go to E&A. He was stubborn and refused. He sat up, rubbing the bump on his head. "Have you seen Fin?" He asked his wife. "Fin?! No!" After a short pause she added: "No way!" Beverly always believed burglars were small time criminals, totally oblivious to the fact that some cat burglars could earn millions per heist. When Fin's mentor Reggie Smith retired he had a nest egg of roughly 119 million USD. Coldham was 1000 % sure he had seen his son. Coldham and Beverly devised a plan.
They went to one of the information desks and asked to have their son called over the public announcement system. They claimed Fin and they had arrived together, but gone their separate ways. They had agreed to meet at the fountain in front of Chanel at a certain time, but he hadn't come. The lady at the information desk complied and commented on how unreliable kids these days were. Beverly, who worked as a school administrator, couldn't agree more.
After waiting what seemed like ages, Fin approached. He hadn't spied his parents yet, so they thanked the information desk staff, claimed to have seen him and walked away in the other direction.
Coldham had his confirmation Fin wasn't dead. He had mixed feelings. Coldham was glad he wasn't a murderer, but was upset and angry Henry Sanchez had cheated him. If he should ever get his fingers on Mr. Sanchez...
Robertson Brutus a.k.a. Henry Sanchez was laughing all the way to the bank. He was a pick pocket and his job had brought him to the bar. When he overheard Coldham's conversation, he thought he might be able to make a quick buck without doing a lot. Somehow Coldham seemed familiar, but Robertson didn't know from where. The photograph Coldham provided made it clear. Fin and he had met earlier. Robertson had realized Fin had been stealing from him and beat Fin up for it. Later Robertson found out Fin was influential and was lucky his enemy didn't want revenge.
Robertson assumed since Coldham and Fin hadn't been in contact for years, he could easily trick Coldham and Fin wouldn't mind at all.
Robertson had a good memory, so he knew roughly what Fin's body looked like. Based on this and the photograph he had received from Coldham he created his own crime scene. He knew somebody with a similar figure than Fin. The hair color and facial features were different, but with some manipulations Robertson thought he was able to trick Coldham into believing his son had really been shot. It took a little bit of cajoling and bribery to get the other person to play Fin. In the end it paid off.
After his success Robertson avoided all the places he thought both Nooses might went to. He could imagine the older Noose would want to kill him, if he realized his son was still alive, and he didn't want to run into the younger one, because even though Fin had promised not to take revenge, you never knew...
If you want to read more stories about Robertson "Flanky" Brutus, please check out The Pick Pocket's Pick Pocket and The Train Conductor.
Coldham Fintan Noose II hated his son and name sake, whom the family had nick named Fin. Coldham's pulse started racing, when he thought about what Fin had done. In Coldham's opinion Fin was a failure, cold hearted, egoistic and a total bastard. Fin had always been a trouble maker and hadn't lived up to the expectation of Beverly, Coldham's wife, and himself. They had tried to mold Fin. It had never worked out. To Beverly's and his dismay Fin turned criminal. He was a burglar as far as they knew. The worst thing was, though, that he had turned their other son, his brother Mike, against them. It hurt so much loosing Mike, Coldham wanted to get rid of Fin.
Coldham was meeting with a friend at a bar in downtown to watch a football game and to drown his sorrow.
They were having a beer. Scott Hillier, Coldham's friend, nursed a San Miguel, while Coldham was on his second Budweiser. Scott was surprised how fast Coldham was guzzling his drink. Coldham wasn't the type to get drunk. "What's wrong?" Scott asked. "Fin has told Mike a bunch of lies! He believed them, caused a scene, has moved out and isn't talking to us."
Scott knew all about Fin and how - after another disappointment and one too many arguments - Coldham and Beverly had thrown out Fin. He was aghast Fin would try to alienate Mike and his parents. "Don't worry, Coldham. I'm sure Mike is coming to his senses soon."
The situation had been going on for months. Originally Coldham had hoped the same, but unfortunately Mike still refused any contact. He believed his parents were perverts and sadists, based on the video tapes Fin had played into his hands. Fin hadn't provided faked information. The video tapes had been made by Coldham and Beverly.
Neither Fin nor Mike minded the little sex games their parents liked to play. They were both very much shocked, angry and felt sick, when they realized their parents had recorded some of their spankings without their knowledge and gleefully discussed Fin's and Mike's reactions to the punishment.
Of course Coldham had never told Scott the full truth. When Beverly and he threw out Fin, he claimed they had a bust up, because Fin hadn't attended his college classes they paid for. It was only part of the truth. They found out he had lied to them for over half a year and pursuit his criminal career.
Scott tried to cheer his friend up. Coldham was inconsolable, though, and got hopelessly drunk. He slurred: "I want to get rid of him!" "Oh, come on, Coldham, you can't be serious!" Scott chided. "I am and I'm finding a way!" "Sh!" Scott was concerned. Coldham couldn't go around making threats. What was going to happen, if really something happened to Fin and an investigation was started? Coldham would be immediately a suspect. Coldham reacted to Scott's reprimands and didn't mention then or in the future he wanted to murder his son.
Scott left the table at some stage. Coldham downed another big gulp of beer, when he was approached by a dark haired man in his early thirties. "Hey, I heard you want to get rid of your son. I might be able to facilitate you..." Coldham had problems getting the man into focus. His mind wasn't working as quick as usual too. "What?!" He slurred. The man sighed. He came nearer and whispered into Coldham's ear: "I can kill your son. Against payment of course." For a moment Coldham was taken aback, then his blue grey eyes glinted. "Okay, how do we set it up?" The stranger studied the man for a moment. He seemed familiar, but didn't know where from. Coldham was light ash blond and in his late forties. "Give me your cell phone number and we'll arrange a meeting to discuss it further." Coldham agreed. The killer was gone by the time Scott was back.
Two days later the stranger from the bar contacted Coldham. He had completely forgotten about it. Sober again, Coldham wasn't so sure anymore if he really wanted to go ahead. Still Coldham went to the meeting in an alleyway in Little Cuba. He brought a photograph of Fin. He was nervous. Maybe it was a set up.
The profi killer was already waiting. He was alone.
After a little small talk, they discussed their business. Coldham showed the man the photograph. A shadow crossed over the man's face, before it was gone. "Everything alright?" Coldham asked Henry Sanchez. It was the name the killer had given him, but Coldham doubted it was his real name. "Yes, everything's fine." Henry Sanchez confirmed. "Do you know where your son lives?" "No. We haven't been in contact for about three years..." "What are his favorite hang outs, any friends I should know of?" "Not that I'm aware of. Wait a second. Fin has a favorite beach, where he likes to wind surf. Let me think... Oh, yes! It's called Windsurfer Beach." Henry didn't have a clue where that was. Not a problem, though. "Okay, I'll keep the photograph, so that I can identify your son. I'm charging 8000 USD. 4000 now, the other half, when I've done the job."
Coldham was struggling with his conscience. Could he really do it? He thought so. Coldham justified his actions by believing he was making the world a better place without Fin. Of course he didn't have 4000 USD with him. Mr. Sanchez wanted the cash before starting the project. They arranged for another meeting, when Coldham had the amount ready.
After handing over the money, Coldham didn't hear for weeks from Mr. Sanchez. He had nearly forgotten about the whole incident. An envelope was sent to him by courier. The black and white photographs were gruesome. It showed a dead man. The blond hair and body shape did fit Fin. The victim had been shot in the head. Thank goodness the face wasn't visible, but a big black puddle surrounding the head, indicated a massive blood loss. Suddenly Coldham felt guilty instead of vindicated. What had he done?!
He was withdrawn, unconcentrated and suffered from insomnia. Coldham was beating himself up. His friends and wife were worried when the symptoms lasted longer, and there was no explanation for his behavior.
To take off his mind, Beverly planned a trip to The Shops at Bal Harbour. It was their favorite mall. They loved the Koi Ponds and tropical gardens, the architecture and the luxury shops, of course.
Beverly and Coldham were leaving the Chanel shop - she had bought sneakers - when Coldham stopped dead in his tracks. His face was flushed, and it looked as if he had seen a ghost. Coldham's eyes rolled uncontrollable, he fell to the ground - unconscious. It didn't take him long to regain his conscious. Coldham tried to jump up. He was unbelievable angry and wanted to get Henry Sanchez! Still feeling dizzy and having banged his head, he had to lie down again. Beverly was concerned and wanted Coldham to go to E&A. He was stubborn and refused. He sat up, rubbing the bump on his head. "Have you seen Fin?" He asked his wife. "Fin?! No!" After a short pause she added: "No way!" Beverly always believed burglars were small time criminals, totally oblivious to the fact that some cat burglars could earn millions per heist. When Fin's mentor Reggie Smith retired he had a nest egg of roughly 119 million USD. Coldham was 1000 % sure he had seen his son. Coldham and Beverly devised a plan.
They went to one of the information desks and asked to have their son called over the public announcement system. They claimed Fin and they had arrived together, but gone their separate ways. They had agreed to meet at the fountain in front of Chanel at a certain time, but he hadn't come. The lady at the information desk complied and commented on how unreliable kids these days were. Beverly, who worked as a school administrator, couldn't agree more.
After waiting what seemed like ages, Fin approached. He hadn't spied his parents yet, so they thanked the information desk staff, claimed to have seen him and walked away in the other direction.
Coldham had his confirmation Fin wasn't dead. He had mixed feelings. Coldham was glad he wasn't a murderer, but was upset and angry Henry Sanchez had cheated him. If he should ever get his fingers on Mr. Sanchez...
Robertson Brutus a.k.a. Henry Sanchez was laughing all the way to the bank. He was a pick pocket and his job had brought him to the bar. When he overheard Coldham's conversation, he thought he might be able to make a quick buck without doing a lot. Somehow Coldham seemed familiar, but Robertson didn't know from where. The photograph Coldham provided made it clear. Fin and he had met earlier. Robertson had realized Fin had been stealing from him and beat Fin up for it. Later Robertson found out Fin was influential and was lucky his enemy didn't want revenge.
Robertson assumed since Coldham and Fin hadn't been in contact for years, he could easily trick Coldham and Fin wouldn't mind at all.
Robertson had a good memory, so he knew roughly what Fin's body looked like. Based on this and the photograph he had received from Coldham he created his own crime scene. He knew somebody with a similar figure than Fin. The hair color and facial features were different, but with some manipulations Robertson thought he was able to trick Coldham into believing his son had really been shot. It took a little bit of cajoling and bribery to get the other person to play Fin. In the end it paid off.
After his success Robertson avoided all the places he thought both Nooses might went to. He could imagine the older Noose would want to kill him, if he realized his son was still alive, and he didn't want to run into the younger one, because even though Fin had promised not to take revenge, you never knew...
©2012
Friday, November 9, 2012
Travel Log: Holiday Inn Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Dreaming about going to Cardiff, we were finally able to fulfill our wish, but had only a certain budget to our disposal, so we booked the Holiday Inn for two nights.
To get from Cardiff International Airport to the hotel we had different options available: Take the train, the bus or a taxi. We decided to take bus X91, which left at 11.34 (The interval is every two hours) in front of Cardiff International Airport to the Central Bus Station. The journey took around 20 minutes, and the cost per person for a single ticket was 3.90 GBP, ca. 5 Euro or 6.25 USD. We walked from the station around fifteen to twenty minutes to the Holiday Inn.
The location of the hotel is excellent. It's opposite the West Gate of Cardiff Castle and Bute Park.
Shopping, Museum, the river cruise/water taxi and the Millennium Stadium are just a short walk away.
We arrived early. Reception wasn't busy, so we could check in immediately. The check in itself was quick and all important features like restaurant / bar location, was explained to us. Still I couldn't help myself thinking, that the receptionist was disinterested and disengaged.
Our room was located on the 5th floor and overlooked the castle and the river Taff.
The room was medium in size with a small wardrobe, a wall mounted flat screen TV with regional channels, a queen sized bed, a small writing desk, chair, a standing lamp and a small coffee table.
There was also an iron and ironing board and tea / coffee making facilities. The color scheme was brown and blue. The room didn't have a mini bar or a safe. The minibar wasn't a big problem, but we were really surprised and slightly taken aback that there was no safe. Security is very important and a safe a necessity. We managed without it.
The comfort of the room, especially the bed, was great. We enjoyed both sitting together on it and watching TV. A good nights rest was guaranteed. It was very difficult to get up.
The room was a bit cramped, but I understand the reason behind it. The building is from the sixties and belonged originally to Trusthouse Forte. It was then a two star property. The hotel has to make the best out of the situation and meant it good by adding more furniture for the guest's comfort.
The work area of the writing desk was compromised by the tea/coffee making facility, taking away around half of the space, so spreading some documents or placing a larger lap top on the desk wouldn't be possible without moving the tea/coffee making facilities. Having used the desk, though, it was comfortable to sit there and work for a bit.
There was also a 24 hours in room dining menu and an extensive wine list, , a city map, a book called "This is Cardiff" and information about the benefits of joining Priority Club, Intercontinental Hotel Group's loyalty program.
The air conditioning was functioning properly and heating up the chilly room after our return quickly.
Traffic noise was clearly audible from our room. Since we aren't light sleepers it wasn't a problem.
The hair dryer was in the drawer of the writing desk.
The bathroom was small with a sink, bath and shower combination and a toilet. The water pressure was excellent. There were no problems with fluctuations in the temperature or that it was either too hot or too cold.
The bathtub was very comfortable, and even I took long baths.
The amenities were by Duke & Lyle and replaced regularly.
House keeping was attentive, never intruding and respecting the "Do not disturb sign".
We had a very positive experience. We left our room for the last time to check out. On our floor we met the maid, greeted her and she asked if we were checking out. We replied yes, not thinking further about it. We were already in the elevator, when the door opened again. The maid had chased after us, because she thought we had forgotten a brochure, which we didn't need any longer. We were impressed about her thoughtfulness.
As Priority Club Gold members we received a voucher for a free local beer called Brain at the Junction Bar, late check out until 2 PM and a free newspaper, which never materialized.
The late check out was granted without quibble.
The voucher was a good idea. Unfortunately we aren't beer drinkers, so we hadn't any use for it.
The first wake up call requested from the disengaged receptionist didn't arrive either. The second via TV arrived on time.
We didn't use the Junction restaurant and bar or Callaghan's sports pub, but had room service twice. Both, quality and value, were good. We had hot chocolate, toast over baked with cheese, a sandwich made from regional ham and cheese and a "Maggie" pizza. Very tasty indeed. We paid for the first meal ca. 21 GBP (ca. 27.30 Euro or 33.60 USD), for the pizza ca. 14 GBP (ca. 18.20 Euro / 22.40 USD) including tray charge.
The hotel has meeting facilities called The Academy, a business center and an ATM.
Another small note: We followed Tripadvisor reviews the months leading up to our stay and read around two weeks before that one of the two elevators didn't work. It was still not repaired when our stay was over. Sometimes it meant waiting and queuing for the elevator. Not a big issue for us.
Our days in Cardiff flew by and soon it was time for the check out. It went smooth and efficient.
My verdict: Considering this is Cardiff and even though there were a few glitches, we would stay here again, based on the excellent location, comfort of the room, good food and excellent housekeeping.
To get from Cardiff International Airport to the hotel we had different options available: Take the train, the bus or a taxi. We decided to take bus X91, which left at 11.34 (The interval is every two hours) in front of Cardiff International Airport to the Central Bus Station. The journey took around 20 minutes, and the cost per person for a single ticket was 3.90 GBP, ca. 5 Euro or 6.25 USD. We walked from the station around fifteen to twenty minutes to the Holiday Inn.
The location of the hotel is excellent. It's opposite the West Gate of Cardiff Castle and Bute Park.
Shopping, Museum, the river cruise/water taxi and the Millennium Stadium are just a short walk away.
We arrived early. Reception wasn't busy, so we could check in immediately. The check in itself was quick and all important features like restaurant / bar location, was explained to us. Still I couldn't help myself thinking, that the receptionist was disinterested and disengaged.
Our room was located on the 5th floor and overlooked the castle and the river Taff.
The room was medium in size with a small wardrobe, a wall mounted flat screen TV with regional channels, a queen sized bed, a small writing desk, chair, a standing lamp and a small coffee table.
There was also an iron and ironing board and tea / coffee making facilities. The color scheme was brown and blue. The room didn't have a mini bar or a safe. The minibar wasn't a big problem, but we were really surprised and slightly taken aback that there was no safe. Security is very important and a safe a necessity. We managed without it.
The comfort of the room, especially the bed, was great. We enjoyed both sitting together on it and watching TV. A good nights rest was guaranteed. It was very difficult to get up.
The room was a bit cramped, but I understand the reason behind it. The building is from the sixties and belonged originally to Trusthouse Forte. It was then a two star property. The hotel has to make the best out of the situation and meant it good by adding more furniture for the guest's comfort.
The work area of the writing desk was compromised by the tea/coffee making facility, taking away around half of the space, so spreading some documents or placing a larger lap top on the desk wouldn't be possible without moving the tea/coffee making facilities. Having used the desk, though, it was comfortable to sit there and work for a bit.
There was also a 24 hours in room dining menu and an extensive wine list, , a city map, a book called "This is Cardiff" and information about the benefits of joining Priority Club, Intercontinental Hotel Group's loyalty program.
The air conditioning was functioning properly and heating up the chilly room after our return quickly.
Traffic noise was clearly audible from our room. Since we aren't light sleepers it wasn't a problem.
The hair dryer was in the drawer of the writing desk.
The bathroom was small with a sink, bath and shower combination and a toilet. The water pressure was excellent. There were no problems with fluctuations in the temperature or that it was either too hot or too cold.
The bathtub was very comfortable, and even I took long baths.
The amenities were by Duke & Lyle and replaced regularly.
House keeping was attentive, never intruding and respecting the "Do not disturb sign".
We had a very positive experience. We left our room for the last time to check out. On our floor we met the maid, greeted her and she asked if we were checking out. We replied yes, not thinking further about it. We were already in the elevator, when the door opened again. The maid had chased after us, because she thought we had forgotten a brochure, which we didn't need any longer. We were impressed about her thoughtfulness.
As Priority Club Gold members we received a voucher for a free local beer called Brain at the Junction Bar, late check out until 2 PM and a free newspaper, which never materialized.
The late check out was granted without quibble.
The voucher was a good idea. Unfortunately we aren't beer drinkers, so we hadn't any use for it.
The first wake up call requested from the disengaged receptionist didn't arrive either. The second via TV arrived on time.
We didn't use the Junction restaurant and bar or Callaghan's sports pub, but had room service twice. Both, quality and value, were good. We had hot chocolate, toast over baked with cheese, a sandwich made from regional ham and cheese and a "Maggie" pizza. Very tasty indeed. We paid for the first meal ca. 21 GBP (ca. 27.30 Euro or 33.60 USD), for the pizza ca. 14 GBP (ca. 18.20 Euro / 22.40 USD) including tray charge.
The hotel has meeting facilities called The Academy, a business center and an ATM.
Another small note: We followed Tripadvisor reviews the months leading up to our stay and read around two weeks before that one of the two elevators didn't work. It was still not repaired when our stay was over. Sometimes it meant waiting and queuing for the elevator. Not a big issue for us.
Our days in Cardiff flew by and soon it was time for the check out. It went smooth and efficient.
My verdict: Considering this is Cardiff and even though there were a few glitches, we would stay here again, based on the excellent location, comfort of the room, good food and excellent housekeeping.
©2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Guilty ( A switching)
After a longer time a spanking story again. This is set in Alabama. Hope you like it, even though it doesn't involve a minor this time around. ;)
"Are you sure?" Arne Tillmann senior asked his offspring. Arne junior, who had black hair and green eyes, nodded. "Okay." Arne senior, who had more grey than dark hair and grey eyes, handed Arne junior a knife. "Please cut me a switch from the peach tree. I'll expect you in around ten minutes at the stables." Arne junior swallowed visible. He had requested to be spanked by his father, because he felt incredible guilty. Arne junior wanted to frighten one of the guests of his sister. Apollo, a horse, didn't like strangers. Arne knew exactly if the man was approaching Apollo's box, the horse would kick the door. It ended in a disaster. Apollo didn't react as planned. He bit the man. This hadn't been Arne's intention. Arne junior had apologized numerous times and taken the guest to the doctor's. After feeling really bad for a few days, he thought the only way to make him feel better was to pay for his stupidity. He discussed it with his father, who had agreed after hesitating because Arne junior was an adult and hadn't been spanked since he was fourteen. Arne junior had hoped his father would use the belt. The switch really stung and left welts, making sitting down painful for days. Arne junior preferred the other implement. He shrugged. Based on his age and what he had done, he thought it was fair enough.
Arne senior was waiting for Arne junior as promised. He trusted his son was going to choose the right implement. He knew Arne junior disliked the task. Arne senior had been raised that way, and he had continued the tradition that the delinquent had to cut his or her own switch. Arne junior was on time. The switch was 2.5 ft long and around the thickness of Arne's small finger.
While Arne junior had been doing as ordered he had been contemplating why he was in this position. He had never before asked to be spanked and thought he never would.
Arne senior thanked Arne junior and said: "This is your last chance to say no. Are you 100 % sure you want to go ahead?" Arne junior looked his father into the eyes and replied: "Yes." "Fine." Arne senior was torn. He felt odd walloping his twenty five year old son, but on the other side could understand Arne's request. Guilt could eat up somebody and if it brought some kind of relief to Arne, he was the last to refuse.
With a sigh Arne senior said: "Alright. Let's get it over with. I don't think I need to remind you why we are here, so let’s proceed immediately to the punishment." They went to one of the empty boxes. "Okay for the first batch drop your pants, please, bend over and hold on to the bars." Arne senior ordered. It seemed suddenly as hard for Arne junior as for Arne senior to go through with it. Arne junior hesitated a moment, then started to undress. His father took a step back and swished the switch through the air to test. Arne junior barely managed not to shudder. When he was ready he bent over and held on tightly to the bars. His knuckles were white. Arne senior asked: "Are you ready?" Arne junior nodded. He was wearing boxer shorts. The material was thin and didn't offer much protection. Arne junior thought he remembered how much the switch stung. He was wrong. It was worse. Arne senior waited a few seconds between each stroke, so that Arne junior felt each one. Arne junior didn't give in to shouting out his pain yet. He gritted his teeth, held on even tighter to the bars and sometimes stood on his toes or swayed his behind in order to get rid of the horrible burn. Arne senior waited patiently until Arne junior was in position again. The older Arne was quite happy with his son's conduct. Junior had much more self control than when he was a teenager. The father had given five strokes. Earlier Arne would have been crying by now. Arne senior lined up another five. He got a louder reaction. It was harder for Arne junior to stand still and take it. "We have roughly reached half point, son." Arne senior said. When Arne and his sisters had been smaller, they always got the same number of lashes or strokes as they were old in years. Arne junior guessed it hadn't changed. What had he lead himself into? Arne wasn't sure how he was going to be able to take the rest. After the twelfth cut Arne senior pulled the boxers down to just above Arne junior's knees. Arne junior felt a cold draft of air on his bare skin. It was soothing on his hot skin. Unfortunately it also meant the last and hardest part of his punishment was going to start. The next strokes were so painful Arne junior stamped with his feet and grunted. The movement caused his boxer shorts to slide down to his ankles. After the twentieth cut Arne broke down. He was crying freely and hanging limply on to the bars. It hurt so much. Arne needed a while to realize his punishment was over. Arne senior had dropped the switch and was stroking Arne's back in soft circles. "It's over. Cry it out, boy. I love you, no matter what you do..." When Arne had calmed down a bit, his father offered to get him cream. Arne wanted it badly. The cream was balsam on the tortured skin. He felt drained and in pain, but also lighter and less guilty. Soon Arne senior was back and treating Arne's very sore bottom. It always surprised Arne junior how soft his father's hands could be. "I hope you have learned something, Arne, and I won't have to repeat the action from today." Arne junior never felt the need again to ask for a whipping.
"Are you sure?" Arne Tillmann senior asked his offspring. Arne junior, who had black hair and green eyes, nodded. "Okay." Arne senior, who had more grey than dark hair and grey eyes, handed Arne junior a knife. "Please cut me a switch from the peach tree. I'll expect you in around ten minutes at the stables." Arne junior swallowed visible. He had requested to be spanked by his father, because he felt incredible guilty. Arne junior wanted to frighten one of the guests of his sister. Apollo, a horse, didn't like strangers. Arne knew exactly if the man was approaching Apollo's box, the horse would kick the door. It ended in a disaster. Apollo didn't react as planned. He bit the man. This hadn't been Arne's intention. Arne junior had apologized numerous times and taken the guest to the doctor's. After feeling really bad for a few days, he thought the only way to make him feel better was to pay for his stupidity. He discussed it with his father, who had agreed after hesitating because Arne junior was an adult and hadn't been spanked since he was fourteen. Arne junior had hoped his father would use the belt. The switch really stung and left welts, making sitting down painful for days. Arne junior preferred the other implement. He shrugged. Based on his age and what he had done, he thought it was fair enough.
Arne senior was waiting for Arne junior as promised. He trusted his son was going to choose the right implement. He knew Arne junior disliked the task. Arne senior had been raised that way, and he had continued the tradition that the delinquent had to cut his or her own switch. Arne junior was on time. The switch was 2.5 ft long and around the thickness of Arne's small finger.
While Arne junior had been doing as ordered he had been contemplating why he was in this position. He had never before asked to be spanked and thought he never would.
Arne senior thanked Arne junior and said: "This is your last chance to say no. Are you 100 % sure you want to go ahead?" Arne junior looked his father into the eyes and replied: "Yes." "Fine." Arne senior was torn. He felt odd walloping his twenty five year old son, but on the other side could understand Arne's request. Guilt could eat up somebody and if it brought some kind of relief to Arne, he was the last to refuse.
With a sigh Arne senior said: "Alright. Let's get it over with. I don't think I need to remind you why we are here, so let’s proceed immediately to the punishment." They went to one of the empty boxes. "Okay for the first batch drop your pants, please, bend over and hold on to the bars." Arne senior ordered. It seemed suddenly as hard for Arne junior as for Arne senior to go through with it. Arne junior hesitated a moment, then started to undress. His father took a step back and swished the switch through the air to test. Arne junior barely managed not to shudder. When he was ready he bent over and held on tightly to the bars. His knuckles were white. Arne senior asked: "Are you ready?" Arne junior nodded. He was wearing boxer shorts. The material was thin and didn't offer much protection. Arne junior thought he remembered how much the switch stung. He was wrong. It was worse. Arne senior waited a few seconds between each stroke, so that Arne junior felt each one. Arne junior didn't give in to shouting out his pain yet. He gritted his teeth, held on even tighter to the bars and sometimes stood on his toes or swayed his behind in order to get rid of the horrible burn. Arne senior waited patiently until Arne junior was in position again. The older Arne was quite happy with his son's conduct. Junior had much more self control than when he was a teenager. The father had given five strokes. Earlier Arne would have been crying by now. Arne senior lined up another five. He got a louder reaction. It was harder for Arne junior to stand still and take it. "We have roughly reached half point, son." Arne senior said. When Arne and his sisters had been smaller, they always got the same number of lashes or strokes as they were old in years. Arne junior guessed it hadn't changed. What had he lead himself into? Arne wasn't sure how he was going to be able to take the rest. After the twelfth cut Arne senior pulled the boxers down to just above Arne junior's knees. Arne junior felt a cold draft of air on his bare skin. It was soothing on his hot skin. Unfortunately it also meant the last and hardest part of his punishment was going to start. The next strokes were so painful Arne junior stamped with his feet and grunted. The movement caused his boxer shorts to slide down to his ankles. After the twentieth cut Arne broke down. He was crying freely and hanging limply on to the bars. It hurt so much. Arne needed a while to realize his punishment was over. Arne senior had dropped the switch and was stroking Arne's back in soft circles. "It's over. Cry it out, boy. I love you, no matter what you do..." When Arne had calmed down a bit, his father offered to get him cream. Arne wanted it badly. The cream was balsam on the tortured skin. He felt drained and in pain, but also lighter and less guilty. Soon Arne senior was back and treating Arne's very sore bottom. It always surprised Arne junior how soft his father's hands could be. "I hope you have learned something, Arne, and I won't have to repeat the action from today." Arne junior never felt the need again to ask for a whipping.
©2012
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Police Control
Check out Frieda's newest adventure!
Officer Michael Green was patrolling US-78 near Birmingham, Alabama. He was a traffic cop and liked what he did. Shortly before Easter he saw a Porsche from the sixties with a Florida number plate heading towards the border of Tennessee. It was a quite unique car and memorable for that reason. A white man was behind the wheel.
The next days passed quickly.
On Easter Sunday the same Porsche was travelling towards Birmingham. This time a Hispanic woman drove it. She kept slightly under the speed limit. Officer Green was immediately suspicious. He followed the vehicle with his patrol car, siren and lights on to indicate to the driver to stop. She complied. Michael Green was 6 ft 2 in, and weighed 199 lbs. He was trim, muscular and very proud of his figure. The officer was black haired and had brown eyes, looking serious. The lady was fairly young. He guessed around twenty. "Can I see your papers, please, ma'am?" "Sure, officer." Everything was in order. Still Officer Green wanted to be sure the young woman wasn't an illegal immigrant or a criminal. He asked for her work permit or green card, instead the lady gave him her passport. It confirmed her name was Frieda Dolores Pianas. She was turning twenty three in May and American citizen. Officer Green was surprised. For him it was still fishy. He took the documents to his car and asked his colleague at the station to run the name through their data base. "The lady is clean, Mike." It caused Officer Green some headache. He was still trying to figure out how Ms. Pianas could afford such a car at her age. He never thought Hispanics made enough money... Well, Ms. Pianas' parents must be wealthy. He was jealous, thinking about his own meager salary. Officer Green wasn't corrupt, so he didn't smash the Porsche's back light or claimed Ms. Pianas was over the speed limit. If he had had any reason to give her a ticket, though, he would have done it with glee. Officer Green was dismayed to let the Hispanic go.
Officer Michael Green was patrolling US-78 near Birmingham, Alabama. He was a traffic cop and liked what he did. Shortly before Easter he saw a Porsche from the sixties with a Florida number plate heading towards the border of Tennessee. It was a quite unique car and memorable for that reason. A white man was behind the wheel.
The next days passed quickly.
On Easter Sunday the same Porsche was travelling towards Birmingham. This time a Hispanic woman drove it. She kept slightly under the speed limit. Officer Green was immediately suspicious. He followed the vehicle with his patrol car, siren and lights on to indicate to the driver to stop. She complied. Michael Green was 6 ft 2 in, and weighed 199 lbs. He was trim, muscular and very proud of his figure. The officer was black haired and had brown eyes, looking serious. The lady was fairly young. He guessed around twenty. "Can I see your papers, please, ma'am?" "Sure, officer." Everything was in order. Still Officer Green wanted to be sure the young woman wasn't an illegal immigrant or a criminal. He asked for her work permit or green card, instead the lady gave him her passport. It confirmed her name was Frieda Dolores Pianas. She was turning twenty three in May and American citizen. Officer Green was surprised. For him it was still fishy. He took the documents to his car and asked his colleague at the station to run the name through their data base. "The lady is clean, Mike." It caused Officer Green some headache. He was still trying to figure out how Ms. Pianas could afford such a car at her age. He never thought Hispanics made enough money... Well, Ms. Pianas' parents must be wealthy. He was jealous, thinking about his own meager salary. Officer Green wasn't corrupt, so he didn't smash the Porsche's back light or claimed Ms. Pianas was over the speed limit. If he had had any reason to give her a ticket, though, he would have done it with glee. Officer Green was dismayed to let the Hispanic go.
©2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
What to do in .... - Part 1
These are some "mini travel guides", if you like. More parts are to follow. Hope you like the first part. Happy travels!
Poland
Try the local cuisine. The food quality is really high.
- Pirogi (crescent shaped dumplings filled with meat, potatos, cheese and / or vegetables) topped with fried onions and bacon. They can be also sweet.
- Fried breaded pork fillet with potatoes, similar to Wiener Schnitzel or Veal Milanese.
- The Polish love ice cream. There are ice cafes in every city. Its really delicious.
- Another favorite of the Polish are Doener Kebabs. Most outlets offer meal deals as well.
- Cakes, chocolate and wafer biscuits.
The coffee culture is very high in this country. One of the most beautiful coffee houses in my opinion is the Cafe Bristol at the Le Meridien Bristol in Warsaw. It's interior design looks as if hasn't changed for a century (of course it has been renovated). The cakes are really delicious, coffee is good too, and there are interesting mocktails.
One of the most famous Polish chocolate brands is Wedel. They even have their own stores and cafes.
Wafer biscuits are available in different flavors.
- Vodka. Famous brands are Belvedere, Wyborowka (rye), Chopin (potatos) and Zubrowka (bison grass)
Poland is steeped in history, be it in the golden age of the Polish Kingdom or more recently during World War II and the Communist period.
Every city looks different and has its own charm, so I would recommend visit the Old Towns and if you're interested in modern buildings the New Towns too.
Poland
Try the local cuisine. The food quality is really high.
- Pirogi (crescent shaped dumplings filled with meat, potatos, cheese and / or vegetables) topped with fried onions and bacon. They can be also sweet.
- Fried breaded pork fillet with potatoes, similar to Wiener Schnitzel or Veal Milanese.
- The Polish love ice cream. There are ice cafes in every city. Its really delicious.
- Another favorite of the Polish are Doener Kebabs. Most outlets offer meal deals as well.
- Cakes, chocolate and wafer biscuits.
The coffee culture is very high in this country. One of the most beautiful coffee houses in my opinion is the Cafe Bristol at the Le Meridien Bristol in Warsaw. It's interior design looks as if hasn't changed for a century (of course it has been renovated). The cakes are really delicious, coffee is good too, and there are interesting mocktails.
One of the most famous Polish chocolate brands is Wedel. They even have their own stores and cafes.
Wafer biscuits are available in different flavors.
- Vodka. Famous brands are Belvedere, Wyborowka (rye), Chopin (potatos) and Zubrowka (bison grass)
Poland is steeped in history, be it in the golden age of the Polish Kingdom or more recently during World War II and the Communist period.
Every city looks different and has its own charm, so I would recommend visit the Old Towns and if you're interested in modern buildings the New Towns too.
©2012
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Travel Log: Towers Rotana Dubai, UAE
We had a long deliberation before booking the Towers Rotana Dubai. The decision wasn't easy. In my opinion the success of a holiday is depending on the right hotel choice. In the end we booked a Club Rotana room.
We were in contact with the hotel around two weeks before our arrival. We organized our free airport transportation, which is included when booking a Club room/suite. We arrived fairly early. The hotel was aware of this and stated from the beginning a check in at 09.00 am couldn't be guaranteed. That was fair enough.
As promised a representative of the Towers Rotana was waiting outside the arrivals hall holding a sign with the hotel's name.
We were accompanied to our car, a BMW 3 series, and brought to our destination swiftly. The transfer took maybe 15 minutes.
The Towers Rotana is located in the middle of Sheikh Zayed Road and has easy access to the Dubai International Financial Center and the Metro. The nearest stop Financial Center is only a few minutes from the hotel and gave us the chance to explore the city by public transport.
When we arrived the doorman and bell captain were already at hand, opening the car doors for us and taking care of our suitcase.
Inside we were greeted by a lady and brought to the reception.
We had a trainee, but she did an excellent job with the check in. As expected our room wasn't ready yet, so we were brought up by the person, who greeted us, to the club lounge on the 24th floor.
There is a reception area with a check in/check out facility.
We were welcomed by the waitress of the club lounge and invited to have breakfast. Very shortly afterwards the hostess of the lounge introduced herself and told us she would take care of our luggage and advise us as soon as the room was ready. Good to her word she returned around an hour later with the keys.
Our large room was on the 20th floor and renovated only late last year. I liked the contrast between the light carpet and dark furniture. We had a sitting area with two blue chairs and a coffee table. A fruit basket, which was later exchanged with a beautifully arranged bouquet of flowers, was waiting for us as a welcome gift.
There was also a magazine holder, containing Time Out Dubai, the Rotana's own magazine and Concierge magazine.
There was enough storage space, even for longer stays, a large cupboard, a wardrobe and a luggage rack.
An iron and ironing board could be found in the wardrobe.
The hairdryer was located in the cupboard.
Internet access was free.
The mini bar was tempting with soft drinks, chocolate bars and Loacker biscuits.
We also received every day four free bottles of water.
The flat screen TV offered a wide range of regional and international channels, including CNN, BBC World and Bloomberg.
The writing desk and chair were comfortable and suitable to spend a few hours working there. Lightning was also well thought out and never felt too dark.
The bed was king sized and very comfortable. It was difficult to get up. The black out curtain was one of the best we ever had, making the room completely dark, and it was impossible to know what time of the day it was, when they were closed.
The bath room was medium sized and well stocked with L' Occitaine amenities. We like them. There was a large sink and an extreme comfortable bath tub - even I didn't want to get out. The shower wasn't separated. The water pressure was good though and it was easy to use the appliances to switch from the bathtub tap to the shower.
There was a bidet and toilet as well.
The view from our room was over the city and the Arabian Sea.
Housekeeping came twice a day.
The hotel is full service and offers a laundry, a spa, fitness center and outdoor swimming pool, hair salon, barber and a gift shop.
To get to the spa, fitness center and pool, you have to go out the back entrance, cross the street to the second tower, which is a parking garage, and take the lift to the top floor. We didn't use the facilities, because we were way too busy.
The Towers Rotana has 24 hours in room dining, Teatro, a fine dining restaurant, on the third floor, Flavors on Two (as the name implies 2nd floor), Long's bar (the longest bar in Dubai and is inspired by Raffles' Long Bar in Singapore), Wraps (the cafe on the ground floor) and Aquarius, the pool bar.
We went to Wraps on our last full day, having some fun with our waitress. I had a Turkish coffee and water. EW chose a juice and a tea. We both wanted the Chicken Tikka Wrap. It's served with either green salad or Greek salad. I asked for a green, he for a Greek. It seemed a bit unusual. The waitress repeated our order and giggled when she realized she just said we both had the Greek, correcting herself. Overall she was very attentive, friendly and had great humor.
Our lunch was excellent, very fresh, hot and delicious. It came in at 150 AED (United Arab Dirham), which was ca. 35 Euros or 41 USD.
The club lounge was one of the best we ever had. It is divided into three distinct areas: The reception, the restaurant part and the living room part. You can sit on the window sill and look out, use the two computers to surf the web or create documents. Internet was very fast and the printer worked too. There is also a small library and a sofa arrangement. There is a toilet, so no need to run to your room...
The lounge serves breakfast, juices, soft drinks, tea and coffee all day, Afternoon tea and Happy Hour.
We had breakfast every day at the club lounge.
Sometimes there were boiled eggs, but always scrambled eggs.
The sausages interchanged between chicken and beef. There was bacon, Foul Medames, baked beans, cheese, smoked salmon and mackerel, yogurt, fruits, fruit salad, bread, toast, cakes, margarine, butter, jams and pastries.
The choice was very good, considering the limited space, and the quality very high.
We managed twice to have Afternoon Tea. It was set up traditionally and the cakes were absolutely gorgeous. Some were decorated with edible silver or gold. There were also finger sandwiches, cookies and chocolates.
During Happy Hour there was a selection of white and red wine (mostly New World) and other spirits. There was always sushi, appetizers, at least three hot dishes (quiches, curry, shepherds pie, soup, quesadillas and much more), cheese, grapes, filled eggs (his favorite), grilled vegetables (mine), cakes and, and and...
We never needed dinner, when we went there. Everything was fresh, high quality and delicious.
Regarding service - everyone encountered, be it the bell captain, security, reception, the lounge hostess, waitresses, the operator or maids - they were all professional, warm, reliable and efficient. A big thank you to them. They made our stay so much more smooth running and relaxing.
Our ten nights just flew by, and before we knew it, it was already time to leave. The day before our departure I organized a wake up call and free transportation to the airport.
At the Towers Rotana the wake up calls were very reliable and to my surprise always on the dot. It didn't mean five minutes earlier or later like in some other hotels.
Having observed that the hostess arrives later in the morning than we had to check out, I asked the lounge waitress during our breakfast, if we had to go downstairs. She asked a member of the reception staff to come upstairs instead. Our check out was quick. A taxi, paid for by the hotel, was already waiting for us and the bell captain stored our luggage in the boot.
Our stay was a success and we would return immediately to the Towers Rotana.
We were in contact with the hotel around two weeks before our arrival. We organized our free airport transportation, which is included when booking a Club room/suite. We arrived fairly early. The hotel was aware of this and stated from the beginning a check in at 09.00 am couldn't be guaranteed. That was fair enough.
As promised a representative of the Towers Rotana was waiting outside the arrivals hall holding a sign with the hotel's name.
We were accompanied to our car, a BMW 3 series, and brought to our destination swiftly. The transfer took maybe 15 minutes.
The Towers Rotana is located in the middle of Sheikh Zayed Road and has easy access to the Dubai International Financial Center and the Metro. The nearest stop Financial Center is only a few minutes from the hotel and gave us the chance to explore the city by public transport.
When we arrived the doorman and bell captain were already at hand, opening the car doors for us and taking care of our suitcase.
Inside we were greeted by a lady and brought to the reception.
We had a trainee, but she did an excellent job with the check in. As expected our room wasn't ready yet, so we were brought up by the person, who greeted us, to the club lounge on the 24th floor.
There is a reception area with a check in/check out facility.
We were welcomed by the waitress of the club lounge and invited to have breakfast. Very shortly afterwards the hostess of the lounge introduced herself and told us she would take care of our luggage and advise us as soon as the room was ready. Good to her word she returned around an hour later with the keys.
Our large room was on the 20th floor and renovated only late last year. I liked the contrast between the light carpet and dark furniture. We had a sitting area with two blue chairs and a coffee table. A fruit basket, which was later exchanged with a beautifully arranged bouquet of flowers, was waiting for us as a welcome gift.
There was also a magazine holder, containing Time Out Dubai, the Rotana's own magazine and Concierge magazine.
There was enough storage space, even for longer stays, a large cupboard, a wardrobe and a luggage rack.
An iron and ironing board could be found in the wardrobe.
The hairdryer was located in the cupboard.
Internet access was free.
The mini bar was tempting with soft drinks, chocolate bars and Loacker biscuits.
We also received every day four free bottles of water.
The flat screen TV offered a wide range of regional and international channels, including CNN, BBC World and Bloomberg.
The writing desk and chair were comfortable and suitable to spend a few hours working there. Lightning was also well thought out and never felt too dark.
The bed was king sized and very comfortable. It was difficult to get up. The black out curtain was one of the best we ever had, making the room completely dark, and it was impossible to know what time of the day it was, when they were closed.
The bath room was medium sized and well stocked with L' Occitaine amenities. We like them. There was a large sink and an extreme comfortable bath tub - even I didn't want to get out. The shower wasn't separated. The water pressure was good though and it was easy to use the appliances to switch from the bathtub tap to the shower.
There was a bidet and toilet as well.
The view from our room was over the city and the Arabian Sea.
Housekeeping came twice a day.
The hotel is full service and offers a laundry, a spa, fitness center and outdoor swimming pool, hair salon, barber and a gift shop.
To get to the spa, fitness center and pool, you have to go out the back entrance, cross the street to the second tower, which is a parking garage, and take the lift to the top floor. We didn't use the facilities, because we were way too busy.
The Towers Rotana has 24 hours in room dining, Teatro, a fine dining restaurant, on the third floor, Flavors on Two (as the name implies 2nd floor), Long's bar (the longest bar in Dubai and is inspired by Raffles' Long Bar in Singapore), Wraps (the cafe on the ground floor) and Aquarius, the pool bar.
We went to Wraps on our last full day, having some fun with our waitress. I had a Turkish coffee and water. EW chose a juice and a tea. We both wanted the Chicken Tikka Wrap. It's served with either green salad or Greek salad. I asked for a green, he for a Greek. It seemed a bit unusual. The waitress repeated our order and giggled when she realized she just said we both had the Greek, correcting herself. Overall she was very attentive, friendly and had great humor.
Our lunch was excellent, very fresh, hot and delicious. It came in at 150 AED (United Arab Dirham), which was ca. 35 Euros or 41 USD.
The club lounge was one of the best we ever had. It is divided into three distinct areas: The reception, the restaurant part and the living room part. You can sit on the window sill and look out, use the two computers to surf the web or create documents. Internet was very fast and the printer worked too. There is also a small library and a sofa arrangement. There is a toilet, so no need to run to your room...
The lounge serves breakfast, juices, soft drinks, tea and coffee all day, Afternoon tea and Happy Hour.
We had breakfast every day at the club lounge.
Sometimes there were boiled eggs, but always scrambled eggs.
The sausages interchanged between chicken and beef. There was bacon, Foul Medames, baked beans, cheese, smoked salmon and mackerel, yogurt, fruits, fruit salad, bread, toast, cakes, margarine, butter, jams and pastries.
The choice was very good, considering the limited space, and the quality very high.
We managed twice to have Afternoon Tea. It was set up traditionally and the cakes were absolutely gorgeous. Some were decorated with edible silver or gold. There were also finger sandwiches, cookies and chocolates.
During Happy Hour there was a selection of white and red wine (mostly New World) and other spirits. There was always sushi, appetizers, at least three hot dishes (quiches, curry, shepherds pie, soup, quesadillas and much more), cheese, grapes, filled eggs (his favorite), grilled vegetables (mine), cakes and, and and...
We never needed dinner, when we went there. Everything was fresh, high quality and delicious.
Regarding service - everyone encountered, be it the bell captain, security, reception, the lounge hostess, waitresses, the operator or maids - they were all professional, warm, reliable and efficient. A big thank you to them. They made our stay so much more smooth running and relaxing.
Our ten nights just flew by, and before we knew it, it was already time to leave. The day before our departure I organized a wake up call and free transportation to the airport.
At the Towers Rotana the wake up calls were very reliable and to my surprise always on the dot. It didn't mean five minutes earlier or later like in some other hotels.
Having observed that the hostess arrives later in the morning than we had to check out, I asked the lounge waitress during our breakfast, if we had to go downstairs. She asked a member of the reception staff to come upstairs instead. Our check out was quick. A taxi, paid for by the hotel, was already waiting for us and the bell captain stored our luggage in the boot.
Our stay was a success and we would return immediately to the Towers Rotana.
©2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Foursome
This little hottie plays after a few other short stories like Reggie between all chairs, Calculated, Mischief, Sisters, Lost and Revenge.
Coldham Fintan Noose III is visiting Jamie Lu in Alabama, whom he met when organizing a heist in Taipei.
Fin Noose and his fiancée Frieda Pianas were intimate in the stables. A giggle made Fin look up - straight into the dark brown eyes of his friend Jamie Luella Tillmann. Instead of being embarrassed Fin continued what he was doing. His fiancée didn't mind either being caught in the act. Frieda and he had an open relationship. Sometimes they had threesomes. Since their taste in women was identical it wasn't very difficult to agree on whom to take home.
Fin had had slept with Jamie Lu, as Jamie Luella preferred to be called, a couple of times, when they were on an assignment together. Frieda had been aware of it and based on the description of Jamie Lu wanted to have sex with her, too.
"Want to join us?" Fin asked. "Why not?" Jamie Lu replied. It had been ages that Jamie Lu had a roll in the hay, so she climbed up the rest of the ladder and onto the landing. Fin and Frieda had made love in the missionary position. They separated now to allow Jamie Lu to take part. Jamie Lu didn't know at first what to do and felt a bit shy, which was unusual for her self assured and bubbly personality. Frieda made the first step. She embraced Jamie Lu and gave her a kiss on the mouth. Frieda was soft, touching barely Jamie Lu's lips. Encouraged by Jamie Lu's not so soft reply, her tongue went exploring and outlined Jamie Lu's full lips. The kiss deepened. "Jamie Lu? Jamie Lu?" They heard Jamie Belle, Jamie Lu's sister, looking for her. Jamie Lu groaned and to all three's disappointment Jamie Lu stopped the kiss. "Yes, what is it?!" Jamie Lu was impatient. "Am I disturbing something?" Jamie Belles voice came nearer. Soon they heard someone climbing up the ladder. A brunette head emerged. Jamie Belle was surprised to find her sister's friends in a state of undress and slightly dishelved. They were flushed, but they weren't the only ones. Jamie Belle studied Jamie Lu careful. She realized she had caught them inflagranti. "Yes, you have a really good timing." Jamie Lu replied angry. "Let me guess, you want to have all the fun and won't share it..." Jamie Belle replied. Fin snorted in amusement. Grudgingly Jamie Lu allowed Jamie Belle to have fun too. Fin and Frieda were entertained by the short banter that followed between the two sisters. Since Frieda and Jamie Lu had started something, Jamie Belle and Fin paired up. Fin was happy. Jamie Belle had nice sized boobs. They were bigger than Frieda's or Jamie Lu's.
Fin liked Jamie Belle's bossiness and that she was completely in charge. Besides enjoying the kisses, licks and the blow job, he also watched how Jamie Lu and Frieda got along. Both were turn ons. Frieda was flicking her tongue around one of Jamie Lu's nipples. Her partner sighed with pleasure. Jamie Lu's fingers went exploring further down and entered Frieda's holes. Frieda lost concentration for a moment. Her tongue missed the target. Jamie Lu giggled.
Fin was battling with his self control. In the end he couldn't take Jamie Belle's attention any longer. He was a bit rougher than usual, turned Jamie Belle around and asked her to kneel on all four. She obeyed and soon felt Fin behind her, taking her anal, his body slamming into her backside. Jamie Belle loved Fin's passion and how he played with her breasts. Their sex was fast and furious. After a few moments Fin collapsed on top of Jamie Belle.
Frieda was a bit sad, she hadn't had the chance to use her strap on, she had in her suitcase. It was satisfying enough, though, to investigate Jamie Lu's body in the 69 position, driving each other higher and higher until they both climaxed.
Frieda didn't mind Fin and Jamie Belle had watched them. She had also been a voyeur and found it erotic watching her partner interact with Jamie Belle. If there was a next time, she wanted to have Jamie Belle, though.
Coldham Fintan Noose III is visiting Jamie Lu in Alabama, whom he met when organizing a heist in Taipei.
Fin Noose and his fiancée Frieda Pianas were intimate in the stables. A giggle made Fin look up - straight into the dark brown eyes of his friend Jamie Luella Tillmann. Instead of being embarrassed Fin continued what he was doing. His fiancée didn't mind either being caught in the act. Frieda and he had an open relationship. Sometimes they had threesomes. Since their taste in women was identical it wasn't very difficult to agree on whom to take home.
Fin had had slept with Jamie Lu, as Jamie Luella preferred to be called, a couple of times, when they were on an assignment together. Frieda had been aware of it and based on the description of Jamie Lu wanted to have sex with her, too.
"Want to join us?" Fin asked. "Why not?" Jamie Lu replied. It had been ages that Jamie Lu had a roll in the hay, so she climbed up the rest of the ladder and onto the landing. Fin and Frieda had made love in the missionary position. They separated now to allow Jamie Lu to take part. Jamie Lu didn't know at first what to do and felt a bit shy, which was unusual for her self assured and bubbly personality. Frieda made the first step. She embraced Jamie Lu and gave her a kiss on the mouth. Frieda was soft, touching barely Jamie Lu's lips. Encouraged by Jamie Lu's not so soft reply, her tongue went exploring and outlined Jamie Lu's full lips. The kiss deepened. "Jamie Lu? Jamie Lu?" They heard Jamie Belle, Jamie Lu's sister, looking for her. Jamie Lu groaned and to all three's disappointment Jamie Lu stopped the kiss. "Yes, what is it?!" Jamie Lu was impatient. "Am I disturbing something?" Jamie Belles voice came nearer. Soon they heard someone climbing up the ladder. A brunette head emerged. Jamie Belle was surprised to find her sister's friends in a state of undress and slightly dishelved. They were flushed, but they weren't the only ones. Jamie Belle studied Jamie Lu careful. She realized she had caught them inflagranti. "Yes, you have a really good timing." Jamie Lu replied angry. "Let me guess, you want to have all the fun and won't share it..." Jamie Belle replied. Fin snorted in amusement. Grudgingly Jamie Lu allowed Jamie Belle to have fun too. Fin and Frieda were entertained by the short banter that followed between the two sisters. Since Frieda and Jamie Lu had started something, Jamie Belle and Fin paired up. Fin was happy. Jamie Belle had nice sized boobs. They were bigger than Frieda's or Jamie Lu's.
Fin liked Jamie Belle's bossiness and that she was completely in charge. Besides enjoying the kisses, licks and the blow job, he also watched how Jamie Lu and Frieda got along. Both were turn ons. Frieda was flicking her tongue around one of Jamie Lu's nipples. Her partner sighed with pleasure. Jamie Lu's fingers went exploring further down and entered Frieda's holes. Frieda lost concentration for a moment. Her tongue missed the target. Jamie Lu giggled.
Fin was battling with his self control. In the end he couldn't take Jamie Belle's attention any longer. He was a bit rougher than usual, turned Jamie Belle around and asked her to kneel on all four. She obeyed and soon felt Fin behind her, taking her anal, his body slamming into her backside. Jamie Belle loved Fin's passion and how he played with her breasts. Their sex was fast and furious. After a few moments Fin collapsed on top of Jamie Belle.
Frieda was a bit sad, she hadn't had the chance to use her strap on, she had in her suitcase. It was satisfying enough, though, to investigate Jamie Lu's body in the 69 position, driving each other higher and higher until they both climaxed.
Frieda didn't mind Fin and Jamie Belle had watched them. She had also been a voyeur and found it erotic watching her partner interact with Jamie Belle. If there was a next time, she wanted to have Jamie Belle, though.
©2012
Monday, October 1, 2012
What's in a name?
The title could be also how to choose a name....
When Coldham Fintan Noose III and his wife Frieda Dolores were expecting their first child it had been relatively easy to choose a name.
They didn't want to have another little Frieda or Fin running around. In fact Fin disliked Coldham and had been teased as a kid, so they didn't want to punish their child with a too unusual name.
Fin and Frieda didn't want to know the sex o f the unborn. Fin was sure it was a girl. Frieda didn't bet on it and demanded they choose a boy's name too.
After tossing a few names they realized they wanted to name a daughter after her great grandmother and his grand mother. "What about Lilian Xenia Noose?" Frieda asked. "I'd like to use Lil's complete name." Fin replied. "Okay. Xenia Lilian Rose Noose?" Fin shook his head. He didn't like it and wasn't satisfied with any other combination. In his opinion it was all too long and sounded awful. Frieda admitted it wasn't good. Suddenly she had an idea. "What was Lil's maiden name?" "Casey. Why?" "Your grandfather was given your great grandmother's maiden name, wasn't he?" "Yes." "So why not continue the tradition and name our daughter Xenia Casey Noose or Casey Xenia Noose?" Fin liked the idea. "If you agree, we can take Xenia Casey Noose." Frieda was happy.
As a boy's name they chose Christopher Giovanni. It were the middle name of Fin's mentor and the first name of Fin's best friend.
Fin was relieved when the baby was a girl. Frieda and Fin hadn't made up their minds by which name to call their daughter. Based on her personality they chose Casey. It sounded softer than Xenia, even if the meanings were opposites. Xenia was Greek and meant something like hospitable, while Casey was Irish and meant vigilant, brave or watchful.
When the couple was expecting their second child the girl's name was easy. Phoenix Ruby was the one they wanted.
The boy's name caused a headache. Christopher Giovanni suddenly didn't seem suitable anymore. Fin hoped it was another girl.
In the end Fin and Frieda agreed on Solomon after Fin's grandfather, but didn't know about the middle name.
When Solomon was born, it was obvious he was going to look like his father with his blond fuzz. Fin liked his own middle name. It was also a family tradition to name any blond boy Fintan, so it was Solomon Fintan.
Solomon was Hebrew and meant peace, while Fintan was Irish and meant little blond one.
When Coldham Fintan Noose III and his wife Frieda Dolores were expecting their first child it had been relatively easy to choose a name.
They didn't want to have another little Frieda or Fin running around. In fact Fin disliked Coldham and had been teased as a kid, so they didn't want to punish their child with a too unusual name.
Fin and Frieda didn't want to know the sex o f the unborn. Fin was sure it was a girl. Frieda didn't bet on it and demanded they choose a boy's name too.
After tossing a few names they realized they wanted to name a daughter after her great grandmother and his grand mother. "What about Lilian Xenia Noose?" Frieda asked. "I'd like to use Lil's complete name." Fin replied. "Okay. Xenia Lilian Rose Noose?" Fin shook his head. He didn't like it and wasn't satisfied with any other combination. In his opinion it was all too long and sounded awful. Frieda admitted it wasn't good. Suddenly she had an idea. "What was Lil's maiden name?" "Casey. Why?" "Your grandfather was given your great grandmother's maiden name, wasn't he?" "Yes." "So why not continue the tradition and name our daughter Xenia Casey Noose or Casey Xenia Noose?" Fin liked the idea. "If you agree, we can take Xenia Casey Noose." Frieda was happy.
As a boy's name they chose Christopher Giovanni. It were the middle name of Fin's mentor and the first name of Fin's best friend.
Fin was relieved when the baby was a girl. Frieda and Fin hadn't made up their minds by which name to call their daughter. Based on her personality they chose Casey. It sounded softer than Xenia, even if the meanings were opposites. Xenia was Greek and meant something like hospitable, while Casey was Irish and meant vigilant, brave or watchful.
When the couple was expecting their second child the girl's name was easy. Phoenix Ruby was the one they wanted.
The boy's name caused a headache. Christopher Giovanni suddenly didn't seem suitable anymore. Fin hoped it was another girl.
In the end Fin and Frieda agreed on Solomon after Fin's grandfather, but didn't know about the middle name.
When Solomon was born, it was obvious he was going to look like his father with his blond fuzz. Fin liked his own middle name. It was also a family tradition to name any blond boy Fintan, so it was Solomon Fintan.
Solomon was Hebrew and meant peace, while Fintan was Irish and meant little blond one.
©2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
Travel Log Flight Dublin - London Heathrow - Dubai International Airport
Earlier this year we bought a flight to Dubai. At the time we booked it with BMI. Since British Airways (BA) had taken over the airline, we didn't know what to expect.
The name BMI is going to vanish. Some of the planes have been already rebranded as BA.
We used the online check in, which is available from 24 hours before the flight. It was a bit difficult to use. The system wouldn't let me log in. I tried around five to six times, before it was finally working. From then on it was easy. It allowed me to print out the boarding passes for the leg between Dublin and London Heathrow, but not the leg between London Heathrow and Dubai International Airport, because the flight was co-shared with Virgin Atlantic.
I wasn't too concerned. Prior experiences taught me that we would get our boarding passes either at check in in Dublin or at the flight connection center in London Heathrow.
Our flight left early in the afternoon, so we tried to be at Dublin Airport three hours before the flight.
We took the Airlink bus from College Green/Dame Street and were surprised, because the whole city was blocked by fans of the Notre Dame American Football team. For a moment we feared we weren't able to get to the airport on time. Thank goodness a bus arrived and managed to get through. It took a bit longer, but we still arrived around 2 hours before our flight left at Terminal 1. The check in was quite. After a short wait it was our turn.
While the lady checked in our bag I asked her regarding our boarding passes for the second leg. We were advised we would receive them in London.
In Terminal 2 the boarding pass check is done by a person, in Terminal 1 it's automated, and there was a change: While BMI's boarding pass codes never worked, BA's did.
Security was not too busy, and it took us only a few minutes to go through.
Airside we passed the time by doing some window shopping and had hot chocolate, tea and cakes at Starbucks. The drinks were very good, but the cakes not fresh, so this was a disappointment, and we thought it was overprized.
When it was time for boarding we made our way to our gate.
First invited were families with small children and persons, who needed more time. Next were First and Business Class passengers, Executive Club members and members of BA's co-share partners frequent flyer programs. The boarding was then done based on seat number, starting at the back.
Our plane, an Airbus A319 had already the British Airways branding, but the interior was still BMI's.
Boarding was done quickly, and we left on time.
There was the usual safety demonstration. We found two British Airways magazines; one was about business, the other about leisure. Both were interesting. The time flew by with reading and drink service. We also could choose between a savory and sweet snack (Doorman's Masala chips or biscuits) there was a wide range of soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, tea and coffee available. I chose an orange juice and water. My better half wanted the same, but for some reason received an orange juice and a little Smirnoff bottle. EW didn't complain. Instead he mixed the juice and vodka together. I tried. It tasted good. No wonder he didn't want to return it.
Otherwise the flight was eventless. We arrived on time in London.
Connecting wasn't as difficult as we imagined. We had heard horror stories about Heathrow, but never experienced any of this. Previously we had booked separate flights with two different carriers, collected our luggage, connected to a different terminal, checked our luggage in and went through security without any hiccups.
Now our luggage was going through to Dubai, so we didn't have to worry about that.
Shortly before landing there was a public passenger announcement, telling connecting passengers to leave the plane, follow the emergency exit signs and wait for a bus. The exit could have been easily overlooked, if there wouldn't have been a ground member of BA, directing us down a flight of stairs. The bus was already there. After waiting for a few other passengers we could start our journey and were directly dropped off at Terminal 1 Connection Center. The bus for Terminal 3 was ready to leave, so we jumped on it.
We know all Heathrow Terminals landside, the only one missing airside is Terminal 4. Out of all terminals, 3 is my favorite. In my opinion it is the most luxurious and offers the best eating outlets beside Plane Food at T5.
Connecting from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 took around 45 minutes.
At Terminal 3's Connection Center we went to BA's desk, trying to get our boarding passes there. We explained our situation. The lady couldn't find our details. She was friendly and directed us to Virgin Atlantic.
At Virgin Atlantic we finally received our boarding passes. There was another passport control and security check.
We had six hours left and spent them strolling around, watching people and eating at Rhubarb and Strada. Both restaurants were to our liking.
It was our first time we flew with Virgin Atlantic in Economy. Since the airline presents itself as sexy and stylish, we hoped it would also have substance.
Our aircraft was an Airbus A340-600. The cabin was held in red and white colors.
A pillow and blanket were already waiting for each customer.
The chairs were overall comfortable. There was no foot rest and the leg room was slightly too small for EW. The magazine holder in front of EW's seat was worn out and hung down, restricting his space even further.
Soon the cabin crew handed out headsets for the entertainment system, a feel well pack (containing ear plugs and other things) and the menu.
A funny safety demonstration video was shown, and soon we were pushing back.
The entertainment system was good. There was a selection of Hollywood blockbusters, international movies, documentaries, TV programs, games and much more.
My favorite past time was to play Who wants to be a Millionaire, Trivia and Tetris.
Dinner was a three course. It was served ca. 90 minutes into the flight.
The starter was a mixed salad, followed by a choice of three main courses (chicken, beef or a pasta dish), bread roll, Irish butter and a Gue Banoffee dessert. Both of us had the minced beef with breadcrumb topping, potatoes and beans). We loved it. The quality was high, and in my opinion it was fresh and relatively healthy.
Drinks were also served regularly. With some other airlines staying hydrated can be an issue, but not here.
After another round of games, I went to sleep.
I could rest well until it was time for breakfast. Normally I have issues with getting sufficient sleep or ending up with tensions in the neck and shoulders. This time everything was fine.
Breakfast included tea/coffee, a fruit yogurt and a muffin. Again it was very tasty, light and one of the best in-flight breakfasts we ever had.
Soon after our meal we were approaching Dubai International Airport and landing. Our flight took 6 hours and 35 minutes.
Deboarding was done quickly.
Immigration wasn't busy, so after a few quick questions and having received our visa stamps we were free to enjoy our 10 nights/11 days in Dubai.
The return flights were as pleasant as the first two legs. This time around we received all our boarding passes at check in in Dubai.
Unfortunately on our return flight from Dubai to Heathrow the meal - fish - we had liked to have for our lunch wasn't available at all. It had been replaced with lamb. My better half and I weren't interested in the other two dishes. I like lamb, so it wasn't a problem for me, but EW doesn't. He left his main course barely touched. He didn't complain about the quality, though. Again the salad and dessert were excellent.
Since our flight was seven hours we also got ice cream, which was very much welcome.
The flight attendants came regular around with drinks.
We also liked the special cocktail served either with alcohol or without.
The afternoon tea with sandwiches was also very nice.
The only other gripe I had was the toilet.
Somebody had made a small mess in it and hadn't cleaned up, so it was a bit disgusting to use it. Shortly before landing I had to use the toilet again. Unfortunately toilet paper and hand towels were out, so to keep up with hygiene was difficult.
Connecting from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1 was slightly different. This time around we used the official way and followed the purple signs for Flight Connection.
Again it was very pleasant and quick, thinking about Heathrows' size.
Our time between the two flights was a bit more than two hours and was ample. We bought a perfume and had a snack at Prêt-a-Manger.
Soon enough it was boarding time. There was an unexpected gate change, and there was some confusion to which gate we had to go to due to the way the number was pronounced. 18 or 80? Since nearly all flights to and from Ireland arrive and leave generally from gates 70+, we knew we had to go to 80.
This time the plane was BMI branded, but the rest was as on our outbound flight.
Arriving in the early evening in Dublin we were hungry and tired. We wanted something quick to eat, so we used the food court landside. To our dismay our favorite Starbucks in the airport wasn't existing anymore. The only two options at the food court left were Alcock & Brown, which had closed, and McDonalds. Having no choice, we went to the Golden Arches. The quality has deteriorated over the years. This meal was the low point. Never ever McDonalds for us.
The Big Mac had an odd taste and the chicken wrap was undercooked and cold instead of hot. The cheese was not melted. After a few bites EW left it.
Having had great experiences during the twelve days we were away, this was a big disappointment.
The food court in Terminal 1 landside has changed very much - from thriving to being boring, offering a wide and good quality choice to only two outlets with low quality. This doesn't leave a good impression to locals and tourists/business travelers alike, and I hope this is going to improve. I doubt it though.
After Terminal 2 opened and Aer Lingus, Etihad and all American carriers have emigrated there, Ryan Air is dominating Terminal 1.
We have seen a lot of shops and food outlets close down and the cleanliness deteriorate since Ryan Air is the largest airline in Terminal 1. We all know Ryan Air isn't willing to pay high charges.
Anyway our mood recovered considerable, when our shuttle bus to the Holiday Inn Express Dublin Airport arrived on time.
Returning to British Airways and Virgin Atlantic:
BA
It is nice to have a carrier that offers full service to London after a longer period.
I liked the friendly staff and the concept they offer.
We are definitely considering flying with them again.
Virgin Atlantic
I understand Virgin Atlantic better now, and I'm glad I didn't let my prejudices stand in my way to try them out.
Without a doubt we are using Virgin Atlantic again.
The name BMI is going to vanish. Some of the planes have been already rebranded as BA.
We used the online check in, which is available from 24 hours before the flight. It was a bit difficult to use. The system wouldn't let me log in. I tried around five to six times, before it was finally working. From then on it was easy. It allowed me to print out the boarding passes for the leg between Dublin and London Heathrow, but not the leg between London Heathrow and Dubai International Airport, because the flight was co-shared with Virgin Atlantic.
I wasn't too concerned. Prior experiences taught me that we would get our boarding passes either at check in in Dublin or at the flight connection center in London Heathrow.
Our flight left early in the afternoon, so we tried to be at Dublin Airport three hours before the flight.
We took the Airlink bus from College Green/Dame Street and were surprised, because the whole city was blocked by fans of the Notre Dame American Football team. For a moment we feared we weren't able to get to the airport on time. Thank goodness a bus arrived and managed to get through. It took a bit longer, but we still arrived around 2 hours before our flight left at Terminal 1. The check in was quite. After a short wait it was our turn.
While the lady checked in our bag I asked her regarding our boarding passes for the second leg. We were advised we would receive them in London.
In Terminal 2 the boarding pass check is done by a person, in Terminal 1 it's automated, and there was a change: While BMI's boarding pass codes never worked, BA's did.
Security was not too busy, and it took us only a few minutes to go through.
Airside we passed the time by doing some window shopping and had hot chocolate, tea and cakes at Starbucks. The drinks were very good, but the cakes not fresh, so this was a disappointment, and we thought it was overprized.
When it was time for boarding we made our way to our gate.
First invited were families with small children and persons, who needed more time. Next were First and Business Class passengers, Executive Club members and members of BA's co-share partners frequent flyer programs. The boarding was then done based on seat number, starting at the back.
Our plane, an Airbus A319 had already the British Airways branding, but the interior was still BMI's.
Boarding was done quickly, and we left on time.
There was the usual safety demonstration. We found two British Airways magazines; one was about business, the other about leisure. Both were interesting. The time flew by with reading and drink service. We also could choose between a savory and sweet snack (Doorman's Masala chips or biscuits) there was a wide range of soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, tea and coffee available. I chose an orange juice and water. My better half wanted the same, but for some reason received an orange juice and a little Smirnoff bottle. EW didn't complain. Instead he mixed the juice and vodka together. I tried. It tasted good. No wonder he didn't want to return it.
Otherwise the flight was eventless. We arrived on time in London.
Connecting wasn't as difficult as we imagined. We had heard horror stories about Heathrow, but never experienced any of this. Previously we had booked separate flights with two different carriers, collected our luggage, connected to a different terminal, checked our luggage in and went through security without any hiccups.
Now our luggage was going through to Dubai, so we didn't have to worry about that.
Shortly before landing there was a public passenger announcement, telling connecting passengers to leave the plane, follow the emergency exit signs and wait for a bus. The exit could have been easily overlooked, if there wouldn't have been a ground member of BA, directing us down a flight of stairs. The bus was already there. After waiting for a few other passengers we could start our journey and were directly dropped off at Terminal 1 Connection Center. The bus for Terminal 3 was ready to leave, so we jumped on it.
We know all Heathrow Terminals landside, the only one missing airside is Terminal 4. Out of all terminals, 3 is my favorite. In my opinion it is the most luxurious and offers the best eating outlets beside Plane Food at T5.
Connecting from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 took around 45 minutes.
At Terminal 3's Connection Center we went to BA's desk, trying to get our boarding passes there. We explained our situation. The lady couldn't find our details. She was friendly and directed us to Virgin Atlantic.
At Virgin Atlantic we finally received our boarding passes. There was another passport control and security check.
We had six hours left and spent them strolling around, watching people and eating at Rhubarb and Strada. Both restaurants were to our liking.
It was our first time we flew with Virgin Atlantic in Economy. Since the airline presents itself as sexy and stylish, we hoped it would also have substance.
Our aircraft was an Airbus A340-600. The cabin was held in red and white colors.
A pillow and blanket were already waiting for each customer.
The chairs were overall comfortable. There was no foot rest and the leg room was slightly too small for EW. The magazine holder in front of EW's seat was worn out and hung down, restricting his space even further.
Soon the cabin crew handed out headsets for the entertainment system, a feel well pack (containing ear plugs and other things) and the menu.
A funny safety demonstration video was shown, and soon we were pushing back.
The entertainment system was good. There was a selection of Hollywood blockbusters, international movies, documentaries, TV programs, games and much more.
My favorite past time was to play Who wants to be a Millionaire, Trivia and Tetris.
Dinner was a three course. It was served ca. 90 minutes into the flight.
The starter was a mixed salad, followed by a choice of three main courses (chicken, beef or a pasta dish), bread roll, Irish butter and a Gue Banoffee dessert. Both of us had the minced beef with breadcrumb topping, potatoes and beans). We loved it. The quality was high, and in my opinion it was fresh and relatively healthy.
Drinks were also served regularly. With some other airlines staying hydrated can be an issue, but not here.
After another round of games, I went to sleep.
I could rest well until it was time for breakfast. Normally I have issues with getting sufficient sleep or ending up with tensions in the neck and shoulders. This time everything was fine.
Breakfast included tea/coffee, a fruit yogurt and a muffin. Again it was very tasty, light and one of the best in-flight breakfasts we ever had.
Soon after our meal we were approaching Dubai International Airport and landing. Our flight took 6 hours and 35 minutes.
Deboarding was done quickly.
Immigration wasn't busy, so after a few quick questions and having received our visa stamps we were free to enjoy our 10 nights/11 days in Dubai.
The return flights were as pleasant as the first two legs. This time around we received all our boarding passes at check in in Dubai.
Unfortunately on our return flight from Dubai to Heathrow the meal - fish - we had liked to have for our lunch wasn't available at all. It had been replaced with lamb. My better half and I weren't interested in the other two dishes. I like lamb, so it wasn't a problem for me, but EW doesn't. He left his main course barely touched. He didn't complain about the quality, though. Again the salad and dessert were excellent.
Since our flight was seven hours we also got ice cream, which was very much welcome.
The flight attendants came regular around with drinks.
We also liked the special cocktail served either with alcohol or without.
The afternoon tea with sandwiches was also very nice.
The only other gripe I had was the toilet.
Somebody had made a small mess in it and hadn't cleaned up, so it was a bit disgusting to use it. Shortly before landing I had to use the toilet again. Unfortunately toilet paper and hand towels were out, so to keep up with hygiene was difficult.
Connecting from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1 was slightly different. This time around we used the official way and followed the purple signs for Flight Connection.
Again it was very pleasant and quick, thinking about Heathrows' size.
Our time between the two flights was a bit more than two hours and was ample. We bought a perfume and had a snack at Prêt-a-Manger.
Soon enough it was boarding time. There was an unexpected gate change, and there was some confusion to which gate we had to go to due to the way the number was pronounced. 18 or 80? Since nearly all flights to and from Ireland arrive and leave generally from gates 70+, we knew we had to go to 80.
This time the plane was BMI branded, but the rest was as on our outbound flight.
Arriving in the early evening in Dublin we were hungry and tired. We wanted something quick to eat, so we used the food court landside. To our dismay our favorite Starbucks in the airport wasn't existing anymore. The only two options at the food court left were Alcock & Brown, which had closed, and McDonalds. Having no choice, we went to the Golden Arches. The quality has deteriorated over the years. This meal was the low point. Never ever McDonalds for us.
The Big Mac had an odd taste and the chicken wrap was undercooked and cold instead of hot. The cheese was not melted. After a few bites EW left it.
Having had great experiences during the twelve days we were away, this was a big disappointment.
The food court in Terminal 1 landside has changed very much - from thriving to being boring, offering a wide and good quality choice to only two outlets with low quality. This doesn't leave a good impression to locals and tourists/business travelers alike, and I hope this is going to improve. I doubt it though.
After Terminal 2 opened and Aer Lingus, Etihad and all American carriers have emigrated there, Ryan Air is dominating Terminal 1.
We have seen a lot of shops and food outlets close down and the cleanliness deteriorate since Ryan Air is the largest airline in Terminal 1. We all know Ryan Air isn't willing to pay high charges.
Anyway our mood recovered considerable, when our shuttle bus to the Holiday Inn Express Dublin Airport arrived on time.
Returning to British Airways and Virgin Atlantic:
BA
It is nice to have a carrier that offers full service to London after a longer period.
I liked the friendly staff and the concept they offer.
We are definitely considering flying with them again.
Virgin Atlantic
I understand Virgin Atlantic better now, and I'm glad I didn't let my prejudices stand in my way to try them out.
Without a doubt we are using Virgin Atlantic again.
©2012
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