Friday, May 25, 2012

School Paddling

Fin was bullied by Cadet Jefferson, so he decided to get his revenge and rid of Cadet Jefferson.

Cadet David Mark Jefferson stared at the content of his safety box. He broke into a cold sweat and felt sick. He had been framed by somebody! The day before there hadn't been a gold watch, a wedding ring and two large stacks of cash in his safety box. They were exactly the items that had been reported stolen, and he had opened the safe in front of his Wing Leader during a room inspection. He was screwed! His parents were going to kill him!

Commander Corey Richmond, who was in his forties, tall and red haired, was informed the thief of the military academy had been found out. He was surprised, when Cadet Jefferson was named. The cadet had been quite a long time with the academy. There had been so far three stealing incidents, starting only three years ago, but seventeen year old dark haired David had been with them for six. Why had been Cadet Jefferson stealing and why had he only started doing so a few years back? Commander Richmond didn't have a lot of options. He had to expel Cadet Jefferson, but before he was going to show Cadet Jefferson how wrong stealing was.
How humiliating the punishment was going to be depended on the cadet's behavior.
The miscreant entered Commander Richmond's office. Cadet Jefferson looked guilty and avoided eye contact with his superior. Commander Richmond asked Cadet Jefferson to take a seat and the reason why David had been stealing. Cadet Jefferson protested his innocence, making matters worse. The evidence wasn't on his side. Commander Richmond came to a decision. He lectured Cadet Jefferson about the importance of speaking the truth, respecting other's property and to behave honorable as a representative of the academy and a future soldier. Commander Richmond told Cadet Jefferson how disappointed he was in him and that he thought he had to make it clear stealing was unacceptable. In Commander Richmond's eyes Cadet Jefferson didn't show any remorse, so he was going to punish him accordingly. "You are going to be paddled and expelled. Please report to the Wing Leader's Room at 16.00 hours sharp. In the mean time stay on your room and think about why you are going to be punished." A look into Corey Richmond's face told David to keep quiet. David was angry that no one believed him and that he was going to be spanked, something he had avoided - at least at the academy - for a long time. He found it hard to swallow he should be punished for something he hadn't done. David's mind worked feverishly. He tried to figure out who had framed him, but he didn't come up with a solution. Time passed on the one side too quickly, on the other it seemed to be standing still. David started packing. He was dejected and didn't see a way out of his situation.

Punctual at 4 PM David was waiting in front of the Wing Leader's Room. He didn't want to enter, but thought to better get it over with. Unpunctuality wasn't accepted at the school.
To David's dismay all seven male Wing Leaders and Commander Richmond were present. They were all stern looking.
David had already calculated he would get the full amount of swats Commander Richmond could give.
"Cadet Jefferson, please step forward." Commander Richmond ordered. David obeyed.  He stood in front of the lined up Wing Leaders and didn't know where to look.
"Due to your dishonest behavior and because you showed no remorse and even went on further lying, I award you six swats with the paddle on your bare posterior." David swallowed hard. He hadn't expected that. Bare bottom paddling were allowed since it was a private school, but hadn't been enforced for a couple of years.
"Cadet Jefferson, remove your shoes, socks, trousers and underpants." Commander Richmond ordered. David hesitated for a moment. He thought it was absolutely not necessary to be bared completely from the waist down. "Cadet Jefferson?" Commander Richmond probed. His voice didn't leave any doubt he wouldn't accept disobedience. With a sigh David started to undress. He was asked to fold his clothing and put it on one of the chairs behind him. David was glad he wasn't forced to show his front, but it was embarrassing enough. David wished he was somewhere else. The paddle was lying menacingly on the table, where the chairs were grouped around it. The paddle was made from oak wood with drilled in holes and was around 16 in long, 4 in wide and 0.5 in thick. Soon it was going to warm up his backside.
When Cadet Jefferson was undressed, he was asked to bend over the table. The paddle was still clearly visible. After what seemed like ages, Commander Richmond picked it up. David wasn't sure if he was grateful or not. He felt the stares of the Wing Commanders and hoped he could take the paddling like a man. Commander Richmond started the spanking, when David least expected it. The paddle came crashing down on David's behind. He managed barely to keep quiet. His seat felt as if it was on fire. The next swat didn't follow immediately, giving David time to concentrate on the pain. He hated to wait.
The second lick landed with a mighty crack on David's sit spots. He cried out in pain and was standing up, before he knew what he did. David rubbed his behind. When he realized what he had done, David felt embarrassed he didn't have himself under control. "Bend over, Cadet Jefferson." Commander Richmond ordered. "I'm counting to ten. You better be back in position by then." With trepidation David bent over before Commander Richmond had arrived at five. The third swat was given as soon as David was in position. He was frustrated, because he cried out again and his eyes watered. Commander Richmond applied more force with each swat. He wanted to break Cadet Jefferson. The commander thought thieves were disgusting and he wanted to make the cadet pay for all the pain and trouble he had caused.
It was a hopeless case for David. All his willpower didn't help. He cried out after each stroke, no matter how hard he tried to be stoic and couldn't hold the tears back any longer, when after waiting for the last swat for what he guessed were five minutes, when it was finally applied. It was very embarrassing for him, having lost composure. Crying like a baby was shameful for David, because he thought he was a man at his age, and tried not to sob. It was no consolence to him that Commander Richmond had really blistered his backside. He wondered, if he ever could sit again. David was further humiliated, when Commander Richmond told him to get up. "Your father is going to collect you tomorrow morning. He told me he is going to pull down your pants and underpants and will teach you a lesson or two..." Of course all Wing Leaders were still there and heard everything. "When you get dressed, Jefferson, don't forget your underwear." Cadet Jefferson grimaced, when pulling on his clothing. He was red faced, tear streaked and his behind felt very, very sore. He so didn't look forward to meet his father.

To be continued...


©2012

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Fin's dinner menu for Eva Maria Koons

Since Fin knew Eva Maria has a very sweet tooth and owed her a dinner he tried to accommodate her. Here is what he served her:

Watermelon Gazpacho

Mixed Green Salad with Strawberries, Parma Ham and Vinaigrette

A selection of desserts

- Frozen Yogurt with warm Summer Berries and cinnamon cream
- Bittersweet Chocolate Tart
and
- Creme Brulee

Hope you like the choice




©2012

Monday, May 21, 2012

Revenge - Part 2

Fin is taking revenge on his grandfather, because Coldham F. hadn't allowed Fin access to Lilian Rose, Fin's beloved grandmother and wife of Coldham F., who was dying. 

Eva Maria Koons was chopping tomatoes for her dinner, when the phone rang. She wasn't expecting a call. Eva Maria dried her hands on a towel and answered. It was her friend Coldham Fintan Noose III. He was making her an interesting offer. "Okay, I'll do it. There's just one more condition." Fin, as Coldham Fintan was nicknamed, asked what it was. "You owe me a dinner." "No probs. What do you prefer? A restaurant or Casa Fin?" "Casa Fin." There was no doubt for Eva Maria. Of course she could have chosen the most expensive restaurant in town, but Fin had a reputation as an excellent cook, and since she once had tested a selection of home made desserts by him, she wanted more. In fact she had a very sweet tooth and could have lived from crème brulee, cakes and chocolate mousse alone. Unfortunately too many desserts weren't good for the waistline or teeth’s, so Eva Maria took care she had a balanced diet, whenever possible. Eva Maria's job was hectic, irregular, thrilling and boring at the same time, so it was difficult for Eva Maria to keep up her healthy eating habits.

Eva Maria Koons was five ft 1 in tall, had green eyes and reddish brown hair. She was two years older than Fin, who was twenty two. Both worked in the same profession.
Eva Maria began with the investigation first. Fin had provided her with some details to go on with. He wanted to dig up some dirt about his grandfather. Fin had been named after him and to make things easier, the oldest Coldham Fintan was called Coldham F., who was a famous surgeon.
When Eva Maria broke into the hospital, she was disappointed to find only the most recent personal file from three years ago shortly before Coldham F. retired. It didn't help her cause. She had to think about a different tack.
Eva Maria checked out the internet and newspaper archives. She saw Coldham F. and his wife had been quite active in the community.
After spending hours reading about Coldham F.'s successful life, she was fed up and getting restless. It seemed Coldham F. was squeaky clean. Eva Maria's eyes hurt from staring at the screen so long. By now she had covered the last thirty years. It was disheartening. Eva Maria was about to give up, when she scrolled over an article about the hospital Coldham F. had worked for most of his life. It was about a settlement outside court. A patient had been given medicine she reacted allergic to, even though it was stated in her file. The doctor's name at fault was Coldham F. Noose. "Ha!" Eva Maria shouted, garnering her some angry or startled stares and a shoosh from the librarian. Eva Maria researched the incident carefully and found more background information. She made copies of the newspaper articles and tried to find out, if the hospital had destroyed the old files or maybe kept them. Suddenly Eva Maria was re-energized. Working hard she figured out there must be the personal file or at least a copy of it somewhere. Eva Maria managed to befriend an older lady at the law firm, which had represented the hospital during the settlement process. The lady was cheap and easy to bribe and got her the desired documents.
Eva Maria was surprised Fin's grandfather hadn't been fired. When speaking with former employees of the hospital it emerged why. Coldham F.'s father Allman Gregory was himself one of the best surgeons in the country, sitting on the board of directors at the hospital and could influence the decision. Coldham F. was only suspended for six months. While talking to the former work colleagues, a picture emerged of Coldham F. Generally he was liked. Most described him as very thorough, concerned about the well being of his patients and overall friendly, but also as self-righteous, pompous, image conscious and short tempered. One or two also remembered when Coldham F. showed up drunk at work. He was saved by a friend and fellow doctor, who realized in what condition Coldham F. was and changed shifts with him.

Next Eva Maria broke into Coldham F.'s house, making a copy of his engagements. She then contacted Fin to ask, what appointment she should sabotage, since Fin was involved in a heist abroad. He thought he would be able to wrap up in Taipei in January or February, so they decided on a date in February, just to be on the safe side.
Shortly before Coldham F.'s travel, Eva Maria "visited" Fin's grandfather's home a second time. She stole a passport.
On the day of Coldham F.'s departure she followed him closely, and when the chance came, she nabbed Coldham F.'s passport. He had been careless, when grabbing sugar for his coffee, leaving his jacket unattended on a chair, so Eva Maria replaced Coldham F.'s passport with his dead wife Lil's. Fin had told Eva Maria she could keep his grandfather's travel document. She sold it at a later stage at the black market.
Of course Coldham F. was refused to pass the security check point and was asked to organize a valid passport. Coldham F. called somebody and was nervous and impatient, while waiting. The closing of the gate approached and went; Coldham F. had missed his flight by the time his son Stamford arrived with his driving license.
Eva Maria's job was done.

Fin took over. He had returned from Taiwan and inquired about the lecture his grandfather should have given. When he contacted the college, Fin claimed to be a student, wanting to know, if it had been rescheduled. He was told the date and location, so Fin broke into Coldham F.'s home - he enjoyed his grandfather was just a few steps away - and photographed the lecture Coldham F. had prepared. There was also a stack of copies about statistics belonging to it. Fin took one of them for his own purposes. He also checked out Coldham F.'s brief and suitcases. Fin calculated Coldham F. was taking his smallest luggage piece, because Coldham F. stayed only two nights in Los Angeles. His friend Augustus Shelton, a hacker, had found out which flight Coldham F. was taking and where and how long he was staying.
Fin bought the same brief case and luggage as his grandfather owned. He made sure they looked identical by adding the same scratches and dents to his. He also changed the statistics a bit, adding all the information Eva Maria had unearthed.
He stocked up on sex toys, too, and packed the suitcase with them.

On the day Coldham F. was flying out, Fin met Reggie Smith, his mentor and friend, at Logan International Airport to hand over the luggage. Augustus had made sure Coldham F. and Reggie were sitting beside each other. Reggie's job was to make Coldham F.'s journey as unpleasant as possible and to exchange the brief and suitcases.
Coldham F. didn't get his peaceful flight. His nerves were frayed at the end. Reggie alias Monday Scannell wouldn't shut up, telling Coldham F. all about his fake life story. Since Reggie had the middle seat, he left first and grabbed Coldham F.'s briefcase. At baggage claim Reggie's suitcase arrived first. He ignored it and waited patiently for Coldham F.'s.
Fin followed them on the next flight. He went straight to the college and was pretty sure his presents would upset and unsettle his grandfather. When the students were going to question Coldham F.'s past, Fin guessed his grandfather would loose his temper and accuse Fin. If Fin managed that, his grandfather would look like a total fool and uncontrollable. Everything went according to plan and Coldham F.'s career was destroyed.

Fin kept his promise and invited Eva Maria to dinner. He just created it for her. It made feel Eva Maria very special, when she was served a very delightful three course meal with a sweet component in every course.







©2012

Friday, May 18, 2012

Sheraton Poznan, Poland

So boys and girls after a longer time I'm back! I hope you like the hotel review. 
Currently I'm working hard on Revenge Part 2. It is, if it goes my way, finished latest next week.

After our flight from Warsaw we arrived at Poznan and took a taxi to the Sheraton. The ride took around 20 minutes and cost 22 PLN (ca. 5.50 Euro or 6.90 USD). This driver was very good. He was efficient and friendly.

The hotel is located beside the World Trade Center. At the time there was a huge building site in front of the Sheraton.
Our check in went smooth. The receptionist was friendly and quick.

The room was on a higher floor, overlooking the World Trade Center and the building site. It was large in size with color splashes of brown, red, yellow and green. There was a writing desk, large bed, chair and coffee table, TV with regional and international channels, personalized mini bar, a lot of storage space and a medium sized bathroom with a shower only, sink and Shine amenities. Generally we prefer to have either a bath tub shower combination or separate bath tub and shower. Since this shower was delightful, it didn't matter there was no bath tub. We had in room dining a couple of times, and it was really good. The Color Your Plate concept was already available. It's similar to Westin's Superfood RX, but was developed together with PreCore.
I had for example shrimps. They were fantastic, very well balanced and had interesting flavors and textures. The ricotta tart with fruits from the Color Your Plate selection was our favorite dessert.
The pasta comes also highly recommended.

On the ground floor of the hotel is the reception, to the left, when entering is the Fusion Restaurant, the Qube Vodka Bar and Lounge, an ATM and public toilets. In the center is the Link by Sheraton for free internet access and a small library with books about the region and the country. To the right is the entrance to the Some Place Else Pub.
We went to Fusion once. His main course was highly interesting. It is called fiocchi (pasta dough, shaped like a little bonbon parcel) and filled with cheese and pear. We both liked it. My main course was sea bass with potatoes and pok choi. Both were beautifully presented, were light and tasted excellent. The staff was friendly and non obstructive. We shared a large bottle of Acqua Panna and had to our desserts (Apple Pie and Crème Brule) coffee. The bill came in at ca. 180 PLN (ca. 45 Euro / 56.25 USD). It was time and money well spent.

The hotel also has a fitness center and spa on the top floor.

The location is good, maybe twenty minutes walk to Stary Reinek (the Old Town) and just opposite a campus of the University of Poznan. The building is very well integrated and could be easily overlooked, if there weren't Sheraton logos visible at the top of the sides. Across a huge intersection is the Mercure Poznan.
Public transport is easily reached, just a few steps outside of the hotel.

Overall we were very happy with the standards of the Sheraton. . There were some small issues, but nothing serious. The wake up call was completely forgotten. Sometimes we had problems communicating, because there was the language barrier in the way. With some patience it was overcome. Most of the hotel staff speaks excellent English, though, and all are eager to help.
When in Poznan we would stay here again.













©2012

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Revenge

Professor Coldham Fintan Noose I was at Logan International Airport and waiting for his turn at passport control. He handed over his document. The officer frowned. "Sir, this is not your ID!" "What?! But I ...." Coldham F. had a look and identified the passport as his deceased wife's. Coldham F. was shocked and sad. She had only died eight months earlier. When he had prepared for the trip, he had made sure to have the correct documents. It was unexplainable to him. "Sir, can I see your passport or another form of identification, please?" Coldham F. searched everything, but couldn't find his own. He was told he would have to step out of line and organize his travel documents. Coldham F. was embarrassed. Of course everyone was staring at him. He called his son Stamford to ask him, if he could drop everything and bring his drivers license. It took Stamford ages to find it. Coldham F. was nearly loosing his composure, because the flight was closing. Stamford arrived too late. Coldham F. kicked the wall in frustration. He had to give a guest lecture at a college in California, so he had to inform the organizer he was unable to attend, and the lecture had to be postponed. It was a big disappointment. Besides looking forward to talk about his experience, he had been excited about the travelling part. Coldham F. couldn't explain where his passport had gone. They weren't able to find it. Stamford was worried his father was going senile.

A month later Coldham F. was on his way to Los Angeles. This time Stamford and his wife double checked he had really everything with him. Security and boarding went smooth, so Coldham F. relaxed in his seat. Soon a gentleman roughly his age took a seat beside him. The man had very short, thick fingers, grey hair and brown eyes. Coldham F. hoped for a peaceful flight and quietness. It wasn't meant to be. "Hi, I'm Monday Scannell, visiting my son and his family in L.A. Want to see a photograph of them? I love them to bits!" Before Coldham F. could refuse, Scannell was already fumbling clumsily in his jacket. He found what he was looking for and showed Coldham F. a photograph, depicting a roughly thirty year old man, his slightly younger wife and two little girls and a boy. "Do you have grand children yourself?" Monday asked. "Yes, but they are much older." "Hm. What brings you to Los Angeles?" "I've been invited to give a lecture how pain management during and after surgery has changed from the fifties till now." Monday Scannell talked through most of the flight. Coldham F. was peed off. Not rested at all, he grabbed his briefcase and tried to get as much distance between Scannell and himself. Even at the baggage claim, he managed successful to avoid his seat neighbor. Coldham F. breathed a sigh of relief, when he was in the taxi on the way to his hotel. Check in was a breeze. To Coldham F.'s surprise he had been upgraded to a suite. It came with a butler and Coldham F. enjoyed he didn't have to bother with the unpacking of his suitcase. He held on to his briefcase, though, containing some copies for his lecture. Coldham F. was wondering why his butler was slightly red faced, when he asked what he should do with the content of the luggage. "Please hang it into the walk in closet. Thanks." The butler coughed discreetly and said: "That could prove a little bit difficult, sir." Coldham F. was puzzled. What could be so difficult to use hangers for his few suits and shirts? Was this butler really trained at the same school as the Queen of England's? "Do I have to show you how to do it?" Coldham F. asked disgruntled. "Well, sir, I don't have any problems with the ladies underwear and the strap ons aren't a problem either, but I don't know what to do with the..." Coldham F. raced to the suitcase and found sex toys in it. Now it was his turn to be embarrassed. "That is ... impossible!" He didn't understand it. The butler had his facial features under control, but thought he had an idiot in front of him, not knowing what was in his own suitcase and behaving as if the butler was stupid. Again Coldham had no explanation for this. He must have taken the wrong suitcase. Coldham F. contacted the airline to inform them. They promised to look into it. Coldham F. tried to figure out, what he should do next. Both choices weren't attractive. He could request to have his smelly shirt laundered or buy a new outfit. In the end he went for a new outfit, meaning he had less time to enjoy the suite and prepare for the lecture.

The next morning Coldham F. was nervous. He always had stage fright. Coldham F. double checked he had all the documents with him he needed.
The limousine ride to the college was quick, and he was greeted by the head of the department and shown the facilities.
Soon the first students were filing in. Coldham F. went a last time through his notes. His stage fright had increased. The head of the department introduced Coldham F.
The professor stepped into the lime light after taking a deep breath. His eyes were gazing along the front rows. He nearly swooned, when he saw one of his grandsons grinning broadly at him from the middle seat in the first row. Coldham Fintan Noose III, who was nicknamed Fin, was cheeky and waved at his namesake as if they were on good terms. In reality they hated each other. It wasn't a good sign Coldham F.'s grandson was there. Sweat beads developed on Coldham F.'s forehead. Suddenly the strange situations Coldham F. had found himself in made sense. Fin had been behind it. He was a criminal. All the family members had cut their ties with Fin, when they found out he had worked as a burglar, while pretending to study business and architecture.
When Coldham F.'s wife had an accident and was declared brain dead, Fin had somehow found out and arrived at the hospital. He wanted to see his grandmother a last time. The rest of the family refused. Coldham F. didn't want a criminal in the same room as his beloved wife. After Fin had shown up Coldham F. warned all staff at the hospital that they shouldn't let his grandson in. Coldham F. was satisfied, when Fin didn't return.
Fin was at the funeral, but like a stranger kept his distance to the rest of the mourners and was isolated. Coldham F. had felt vindicated. He never thought Fin would take revenge.
Coldham F. swallowed hard, not knowing what to do. He was worried what else Fin had for him in store. The lecture began positive, so Coldham F. started to relax. Too early as it soon proofed.
Coldham F. had prepared some statistics for the students and made copies for them. They were distributed. Murmurs started, when the students turned to the second page. Coldham F.'s own copy showed what he had selected and was wondering what could cause such a tumult. He continued with the speech. The murmurs grew louder. Coldham F. was irritated and concerned. He drew himself up to his full height and asked authorative for quiet. The atmosphere had changed from eager anticipation to puzzlement and hostility. The students obeyed, but the question and answer session turned to Coldham F.'s professional life instead of pain control.
"Is it true you overlooked a patient was allergic to penicillin and she nearly died?" The incident had happened around fifty years earlier. Coldham F. had worked a double shift and had been way too tired to think straight. The patient had developed an infection and was burning with fever. Coldham F. asked the nurse to give the antibiotic, overlooking the allergy advice. The patient had been weak already and Coldham F. wanted to ease the patient's discomfort. The female soon developed breathing difficulties and wheezed. Thank goodness a nurse had been checking on her and alerted another doctor. Epinephrine, oxygen, dopamine and an antihistamine saved the patient's life. When Coldham F. heard the news he felt guilty and relieved at the same time. The mistake had been costly for the hospital. The patient and the hospital settled outside court. There was also a hearing. Coldham F. was lucky his father Allman Gregory Noose was influential and instead of getting fired, Coldham F. was suspended for six months. Because it had been official, Coldham F. couldn't deny it. He explained why he had overlooked it and what he had learned from the past.
Another student was more aggressive, asking about the second incident: "Why did you show up drunk to work? Do or did you have an alcohol problem?" "That's not true! I never showed up drunk!" Coldham F. was lying. He once reported intoxicated to work. He had been celebrating the birth of his second son Stamford. There had been no reprimand or entry into his personal file, because a friend of his agreed to switch shifts, when he realized Coldham F. was slightly drunk. The influence of Allman also helped.
Coldham F. wondered how Fin had found out about the incidents. They lay way back in the past, and Coldham F. had learned from his mistakes and never repeated them.
Coldham F. was outraged. He lost his temper and shouted: "It's his entire fault!" indicating Fin with his finger. Fin shrugged. Both would have never admitted it, but the family resemblance was high. Fin looked nearly the same as Coldham F. had, when he was the same age. While Fin's hair was light ash blond, Coldham F.'s had been the color of ripe wheat. Both had blue grey eyes, the same facial features and roughly the same height.
Fin smiled. "What?!" Fin asked in mock exasperation. "I wasn't even born when all this happened. I came here to listen to your lecture, but I see I'm as welcome as a hole in the head." "Stay!" Coldham F. shouted. "I want my passport back!" "I haven't got a clue, what you're talking about." Fin stood up and left. Coldham F. was out of control and tried to get to Fin, still screaming for his document and clothing. Security restrained Coldham F., letting Fin vanish as quickly as he had appeared. Security threatened to call the police, if Coldham F. didn't calm down. Coldham F. realized he had screwed up and to avoid more embarrassment forced himself to calm down.
His outburst had cost Coldham F. his credibility. Fin achieved what he wanted. His grandfather was never again invited to the lecture circuit.

You want to know how Fin managed to organize the whole shebang? There is going to be an explanation how he did it in the next installment.





©2012

Friday, May 4, 2012

Calculated

Here you find out exactly what happened and why Fin punched Charles.

Coldham Fintan Noose III, nicknamed Fin, came to a decision. Charles Harold Fox had treated him badly, was constantly teasing him and spreading rumors. Fin had done everything humanly possible to try and stop Charles' behavior peacefully. It seemed Charles didn't get it. Fin saw only one way to make Charles shut up. He didn't like it, but deemed it necessary.

The team, Charles and Fin were working in, met after work at their favorite bar for drinks. Somehow they ended up talking about their childhoods. Fin kept quiet about his. Reggie, the boss, and Old Face, the driver, made the others laugh with their anecdotes. After having heard from the rest, Charles asked sarcastic: "What about you, Fin? Were you a poor, abused child?" Fin's childhood hadn't been too rosy. He had been neglected by his parents and if they paid attention to him, it had been mostly in form of criticism or a beating. Fin had just been waiting for another attack by Charles and saw his chance to test out his new strategy. Since Charles and he were sitting opposite, he could easily bend over the table, grab Charles by the collar of his polo shirt and punch him once on the nose. Fin didn't release his grip on Charles' shirt immediately. His own face hovered near Charles'. He ignored the blood gushing out of Charles' nostril and the pain in his hand. Fin said calm: "If you know what's good for you, shut up and keep your trap closed. In future leave me alone. The only time I want to talk with you is about business." He let go of the collar and left.
Even if Fin's action caused him some trouble with Reggie, Charles left him alone from then on.





©2012

Hilton Warsaw, Poland

The Hilton Warsaw is a tourquis glass tower in the New Town. We stayed there twice during our Poland tour, both times on points.
Since, we spent the first night after our arrival from Dublin, at the Westin Warsaw; we didn't need a taxi or public transport. The hotels are on the same road and even the same side, approximately 0.8 km apart.
Our check in was quick, but left something to be desired. The receptionist was cold, disinterested and treated us more like we were a nuisance. As Hilton Honors Diamonds we should have automatically received free internet access. I went down later to get a three day access for our three nights and the lady at reception couldn't have been friendlier.
We were upgraded from a Deluxe Room to a Deluxe Plus. Our Deluxe Plus Room wasn't on the Executive Floors, but we still had access to the Executive Lounge as Hilton Honors Diamonds.
Our room was large and overlooking the New Town with views towards the AXA Tower and the building site of the Warsaw Spire. Unlike the Dublin Spire, this is going to be a modern tower with offices, retail space and apartments. The Hilton has good soundproofing, and we couldn't hear any noise from the building site or the traffic.
Our room was divided into two spaces: The working area included a writing desk, with a lot of space for laptops, cameras, documents and so on and the relaxation area with a king sized bed, TV (local and international channels), DVD player, two chairs and a coffee table. There was also a book about Warsaw and Fozailoff Jewelry. The color scheme of the room was mostly in brown with red and white splashes. We had two wardrobes, so ample storage space. The writing desk was located behind the bed. To distinguish between work and relaxation there was a partition between the bed and the desk.
The bathroom was large with separate bath tub and shower, a TV, one sink and Peter Thomas Roth amenities.
Overall the atmosphere was soothing. The Serenity Bed allowed for a good nights sleep and the bath tub and shower were very comfortable too.

The hotel has a spa by Holmes Place, a casino, a restaurant called Meza and a large atrium. The atrium contains Fozailoff Jewelry, a gift shop and the restaurant. The Hilton also has the largest meeting and conference facilities in Warsaw. Sometimes there are also cars in the lobby, when there is a launch.

The club lounge is located on the highest floor and offers stunning views over the city.
It is open from 06.30 hours to 23.00 hours and offers healthy snacks, like dried cranberries, fresh and dried fruits, coffee, tea, juices and other beverages throughout the day. There are also Jaffa Cakes, Maltesers and salt sticks.
During Afternoon tea there is a wide selection of cakes and one or two savory dishes available. In the evening there are two hot dishes available (changing daily and included fish/seafood, pirogi and kofta) and a cold buffet with cheese, crudities, dips, bread, butter/margarine and small appetizers. We could choose from red and white wine, rum, vodka and other liquors. There was also sparkling wine from the Czech Republic. We enjoyed a glass or two nearly every night.
Breakfast was large with a good selection of fresh fruit, Bircher Berner Muesli, Yogurt, cold cuts, smoked salmon, scrambled or boiled egg, tomato mushroom skewers and sausage bacon skewers. The quality was high.

We didn't use the restaurant, but enjoyed in room dining, offered 24 hours. We loved especially the Asian Beef and the Goulash and Thai Chicken Coconut Soup.

I booked a spa appointment. The Holmes Place Fitness Center and Spa has an identical design as the Hilton. The locker room seemed more like an afterthought, but fulfilled the purpose of getting changed and store valuables.
My therapist was male. We had a chat and realized we had something in common. We had both lived in Dublin. While I love Ireland's capital, he didn't like it especially.
I had a sports massage, and it was really good. I was sore for days afterwards, but I got also rid of my tensions.

During our second stay after returning from Krakow we were upgraded to an Executive Deluxe Room. It was on one of the highest floors. The difference between a Deluxe Plus Room and the Executive Deluxe was the size and location. While we were quite high up during our first stay, we were on one of the highest floors available, when we stayed at the Executive Deluxe Room. Our second room was smaller and had a sofa instead of two chairs. There is a normal writing desk. This room overlooked the other side with views towards the Palace of Culture and Science and the Marriott Hotel.
Considering as a Diamond we had anyway Club Lounge access, the first upgrade to the Deluxe Plus Room was maybe better, because the room was larger.
We also received a personal note from the hotel manager and an apple tart as gift.

On each leg to/from the airport we used taxis. When we went to the airport for our journey to Poznan, the traffic was busy, so the journey took longer. We paid 41 PLN (ca. 10.25 Euro / 13 USD), the other two times we paid 27 and 29 PLN respectively (ca. 6.75 Euro / 7.25 Euro or 8.50 USD / 9.10 USD).

Besides the gentleman we encountered during our first check in, every one else was friendly and helpful.




Of course we would stay here again.





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