Four Seasons Dublin, Ireland

 This is just a short interlude before I write further about our hotel experiences in Malaysia and maybe a short story or two. 

Originally we planned to stay at another hotel in one of the suburbs of Dublin as our Christmas present for each other.

Realizing we wanted something more memorable we were looking out for our favorite hotels. We found a very good deal on the Four Seasons' website and decided to go for it. The deal included a guaranteed room upgrade to the next category and breakfast either in room or at the Seasons Restaurant.

We took Bus 7 from Trinity College towards Loughlinstown and got off at the RDS stop. The Four Seasons Hotel is just a few steps behind the Royal Dublin Society (RDS). The National Craft Show was going on, so it was really busy.

We had stayed at the hotel four years earlier and also visited for cocktails or lunch over the years.

It has changed quite a lot. For example check in is not any longer to the left side when entering, but to the right.

The lobby has been also modernized and has some daring pink splashes in the lounge for example.

Check in was very pleasant and we were offered another very special deal. We could upgrade for a reasonable amount to a Junior Suite, which we decided to take. Otherwise we would have received a Deluxe Room.  We were recognized as returning guests. We also asked for a late check out, which was no problem at all. Our room wasn't ready yet, so we went for lunch at the lounge.

It was ca. 1.5 hours before official check in time when we arrived. We were in the middle of eating our starter when the receptionist came with our key cards.

After finishing our meal we went up to see for ourselves what the Junior Suite looked like. It fulfilled our expectations completely. The suite was open plan and large. There was a hall way with a large wardrobe, leading off to the large bathroom to the right or to the bed room and separate sitting area, when going straight.

The room was kept mostly in gold, brown and green colors. We had views over the RDS and Ballsbridge.

The bed was very large with a credenza and a huge TV in front of it. The Four Seasons has the most TV channels available of any Dublin hotel we have stayed so far. There are regional and international channels including CNN and Bloomberg, Arabic, German, Italian and much more.

The minibar was stocked with Sunraysia juices, beer, water and other soft drinks.

The sitting area consisted of a large sofa, a comfortable armchair, large coffee table with Photography books and magazines and a writing desk. There was another credenza with a slightly too small TV.

The safe didn't function, but we had trust in the staff and thought it was unlikely somebody would break into our room. Valuables can be also handed over to reception. Staff will store them in the main safe.

The furniture was scratch free and having tested all, comfortable. We spent hours talking and watching TV.

The lightning was bright, which was a plus. We don't like too dark rooms.

The fully marbled bathroom had the typical Four Seasons set up with a separate bath tub and shower, one sink and a lot of storage space for cosmetics. There were also the usual L' Occitaine bath room amenities.

In room dining is 24 hours a day available. We enjoyed hot chocolate, a pot of green tea, a milkshake, a large bottle of still water, Farmhouse Chicken Soup and chocolate mousse with caramelized banana and peanut butter ice cream. The bill came in at 63 Euro (ca. 85 USD) including tip.

There was also a turn down service, but there weren't any free goodies, like free water or chocolate. The bed was made and slippers put out. The gentleman was very friendly and asked if he could also check the bathroom and if we needed anything else before leaving.

You might wonder what we had for lunch earlier in the day. We had two seasonal cocktails, a cappuccino, a hot chocolate, chicken lollipops (messy eating, but tasty), turkey with ham and root vegetables and venison with greens and red cabbage. The bill was 96 Euro (ca. 130 USD) including tip.

After a good nights sleep we had breakfast at the Seasons Restaurant.

There was a buffet with a selection of cold cuts, smoked salmon, fruits, vegetable, yogurt and much more. There was also an egg station and a la carte items were included in our rate. He had French Toast, which was large enough to feed two and me an omelet.

Afterwards we spent some time exploring the "Sculpture in Context" exhibition - the largest and most prestigious outdoor sculpture exhibition in Ireland by emerging and established artists. It is going on until early January 2014 in the courtyard.

Time Out by Ana Duncan, The Fat Lady Swings by Mike Duhan and A Gathering by Maureen Bush were a few of our favorites. All the art can be purchased ranging from 140 Euro to 30.000 Euro (ca. 189 USD to 40.491 USD).

Unfortunately and way too quickly check out arrived. Again it was quick, warm and friendly.

We can't say enough about the warm, welcoming and knowledgeable staff, the perfect condition of the hardware and the excellent food.

Naturally we are going to return.


 ©2013

Hilton Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

We monitored different hotels and their overnight rates for a few months, before making a decision and booking the Hilton Kuala Lumpur for one night.  One of our thoughts was that we didn't want to have a full blown KL experience after a long flight, so we had to make our mind up, if we wanted to stay at the airport or take the KLIA Ekspress into KL and stay at the Le Meridien or Hilton. In the end we decided to take the train to KL Sentral and walk the short distance to the Hilton.

We also deliberated fairly long which room type to take. We booked an Executive Room Plus with Lake Garden view.

As mentioned we took the KLIA Ekspress, a fast train, to KL Sentral. The journey takes 28 minutes. Two Return tickets cost 140 MYR (ca. 32.40 Euro or 43.80 USD). They are valid three months from the time of issue. At the central train station we followed the signs for the Hilton and Le Meridien. The hotels are located in twin towers opposite KL Sentral. We left the train station and crossed the street at the traffic lights. At the ground level of the buildings is a parking lot; an elevator leads up to both hotel entrances on the same level.  Keeping to the left led us to the Hilton. If we had turned right it would have brought us to the Le Meridien. In 2009 we had a night at the Le Meridien and now in 2013 at the Hilton.

We were impressed by the large, airy lobby and floor to ceiling windows over the Lake Gardens.


Cafe Oro, the Lounge, Vasco's and the Chambers Bar & Grill are on one side, the concierge and reception at the other side.

The lobby was nature inspired, contemporary and for example the barrier between the reception area and Vasco's was looking like huge trees.

Cafe Oro and the Lounge were understated. The cakes and chocolates were presented like jewelry. All was very beautiful and up to a high standard.

There are also Graze, Chynna (Cantonese), The Board Walk (poolside bar) and
Iketery (modern Japanese).

For relaxation guests can enjoy the fitness center, swimming pool and spa. Massages start from 250 MYR (ca. 57.85 Euro or 78.10 USD).

We arrived at around 09.00 hours. We were advised our room wasn't ready. If we preferred we could have another one with city view. Even if this would have been an upgrade we choose to wait and were sent up to the executive club lounge. After an hour we were handed our room keys.

Our room was on one of the highest floors. It was contemporary and large; mostly kept in brown, black and grey shades.

There was Malaysian artwork, wooden floors and a carpet, a huge bed, large TV, DVD player, a chaise lounge, a luggage rack, a large wardrobe, big writing desk and floor to ceiling windows.

The TV offered international and regional channels including CNN and Bloomberg. There was also a mini bar stocked with Sunraysia juices, Asahi or Carlsberg beer and Tau water. Prices ranged from 26 to 34 MYR (ca. 6.05 Euro to 7.40 Euro or ca. 8.15 USD to 10 USD).

The tea and coffee facilities were Nescafe and Hausbrandt from Italy and Ronnefeldt.

The bathroom was large with separate shower and bathtub. Both toilet and the bathtub were from Toto. Until then we associated the company with toilets only, so it was a bit of a surprise for us. The toilet had a bidet function.

The mirror had an integrated TV, but individual channel control wasn't possible. The person in the bathroom has to watch what the person in the bedroom chooses. In November 2010 we had also such a TV set-up experienced at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo.

There was also a weighing scale and Peter Thomas Roth amenities.

Unfortunately we couldn't use our balcony, because the door was locked.

The bed was very comfortable and allowed a good rest.

The wardrobe light wouldn't switch off, when closing the door and I thought this was going to cause problems, but that wasn't any issue. During the night my better half had to get up and use the toilet. Since the bathroom door was made of glass it let the full light into the bed room and woke me up as well.

The black out curtains were very good, making the room completely dark.

The rain shower had strong water pressure and the bath tub was comfortable too, allowing great views over the Lake Gardens, like the floor to ceiling windows did as well.

As Hilton Honors Gold members we received blackberries, apples and salted peanuts as a welcome gift.

In room dining is available 24 hours and offers a wide range of Malay, Chinese and Western dishes. Prices range from 19 MYR to 68 MYR (ca. 4.40 Euro to 15.75 Euro or ca. 5.95 USD to 21.25 USD).

Turn down was also automatically provided and delivered free water bottles.

Being tired after the long flight we went to nap for a few hours as soon as our room was ready.

Afterwards we ventured out to explore the area a bit.

Before we knew it was already evening and time for the happy hour at the executive club lounge.

The executive club lounge is located on the 33rd floor and offers stunning views over the city and the Lake Gardens. It is divided into two parts - a restaurant and a lounge set up. There is also a small library with books and magazines.

During the happy hour alcohol and food was served. There was wine, whiskey, rum, vodka and gin. Of course there were also non alcoholic beverages. The buffet was large and had western and eastern delights. It was enough to cover dinner. There were for example small sandwiches, sushi, cold cuts, Chicken Kong Po and short ribs.

The next morning we headed again for the executive club lounge for breakfast. There was a wide choice available, including Beef Rendang, noodles with ground chicken, dim sum, sausages, tomatoes, salad, mushrooms, cakes, yogurt, donuts and much more. Eggs were made to order at the egg station.

Every member of staff was friendly and efficient. They were also unobtrusive, but there when needed.

When it was time to check out, the electricity was suddenly gone and we were trapped on the floor, because we couldn't use the elevators and were unable to access our room again, since it was working via electric key. Thank goodness the black out lasted only a few minutes, but it had started to get uncomfortable hot since the air conditioning had stopped working when the electricity was gone.

When the elevators were working, we made our way down to reception. It seemed the hotels own generator had kicked in. Check out was fast and painless.

Unfortunately electricity hadn't been restored in the whole building and before waiting ages until the lift was working again, we decided to walk the stairs down. We were accompanied by a member of staff with a torch. Safely on the ground floor we crossed the street, ready for our next adventure: using the public transport and checking in at the DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur.

Would we stay here again? Yes, we would for longer than just one night, though, and we wished that the glass door could be replaced.


©2013

Flight Aer Lingus / Malaysia Airlines

We booked our economy class flight via Expedia, because we liked the price, timing, route and had good experiences with Malaysia Airlines on short haul flights in the past.  It also gave us the opportunity to fly the Airbus A380, which would be our first time.

We had an early flight from Dublin to Paris Charles de Gaulles, arriving at 09.00 hours at CDG. It was pleasant and eventless. Our luggage was checked through to Kuala Lumpur, but we had to get our boarding passes for the leg between Paris and KLIA at Charles de Gaulles. We had tried the online check in the previous day, but it didn't function the way we wanted it. We were checked in, but didn't receive any boarding passes.

At Charles de Gaulles was a short confusion - we were sure we simply had to go to the departure gate of our next flight and receive our boarding passes there, but an airport employee tried to convince us it might be better to go through security and go to the check in desk. After some discussions with her the time was running out to go to the check in desk and we headed to our gate. It let us believe, if we had followed the employee's advise we would have had problems later on with the counter being closed while we were stuck in security or something along the line.

No Malaysia Airline staff was there yet, so we waited and when somebody arrived, asked for the print out of our documents. Unfortunately there were problems with the printing, so it had to be done for us and other connecting passengers off site. We had to wait until the very last moment. All other passengers had already boarded. Finally we were on our way to Kuala Lumpur.

We were located on the main deck.

The seat configuration was 3-4-3. Both of us were happy with the seats. The leg room was okay.

The in-flight entertainment system was a bit own minded and always froze, when we wanted to check what kind of meals were going to be served. As soon as a public announcement was finished, the system was working again. Having learned our lesson, we didn't use this feature again and waited until the flight attendant gave us the choice for lunch. Our neighbor had the same issue and was a bit impatient. She rang the bell to summon a flight attendant quite often, which in turn didn't make the stewardess happy having to explain again and again they would restart the program for the passenger as soon as we had taken off and reached cruising altitude.
Another problem was the remote control. It didn't work either, so I couldn't play games. The touch screen on the other side was working fine.

The interior was designed in a way we didn't feel like we were going to spend around 13 hours on board of the world’s largest plane. The red and dark colors were great and the mood lightning a nice feature.

The staff was friendly and efficient.

Two hours into our flight lunch or dinner (It was around 2 PM in Paris or 9 PM in Kuala Lumpur, so you can decide what it was we had.) was served, either spicy chicken curry with rice and vegetables or fish in a creamy sauce and potatoes. The starters, side dishes and dessert were the same for either main course. There was vegetable salad, camembert, crackers, Kitkat and vanilla chocolate cake. Beverages to choose from were wine, different juices and water. After lunch tea and coffee were also offered.

Soon afterwards the lights were dimmed to prepare for our overnight flight. The crew regularly offered more alcohol free beverages. If any one was thirsty or hungry in the mean time, the galley had always something stocked, including snacks.

While my better half managed to sleep for about four to five hours or so, I couldn't and napped for about two. At least I could use the in-flight entertainment to its full potential.

Between lunch and breakfast we also received a snack box, containing a healthy bar, roasted peanuts, cookies and a fish snack.

We definitely weren't left hungry or thirsty.

Breakfast was served 1.5 hours before landing. Choice was Nasi Lemak (Malaysia's national dish) or eggs with sausage, potatoes and mushrooms.

I also used the toilet. The floor was a bit scruffy, but over all it was clean, there were enough hand towels, toilet paper, soap, moisturizer, perfume for him and her and aftershave lotion no matter if it was at the beginning of our flight or near the end. Thumbs up for this.

Time was passing fast and soon it was time to land at 07.00 hours the next day in Kuala Lumpur.

Having spent 23 days in Malaysia, learned a lot and tried a few things it was unfortunately time to return home.

Our route was slightly different. Our connecting hub was London Heathrow. Having experiences there, we knew how it functioned.

As always our luggage was checked through to Dublin, but we had to get our boarding passes for the leg between Heathrow and Dublin at the connection center.

We had again an Airbus A380 and were seated on the upper deck. We liked the experience better, because it felt slightly more intimate and had a configuration of 2-4-2.
As always the staff was attentive and friendly.

There was never a shortage of eating and drinking. The in-flight entertainment system was fully functioning and the flight took slightly over 13 hours.

There were slight turbulences over India, but otherwise it was an event less flight.

We were served two meals. The first was a choice of chicken or fish and served around two hours after reaching cruising altitude; the second beef or chicken arrived two and a half hours before landing. In between we also received ice cream and a snack box, containing the same as on the flight from CDG to KUL. Everything was tasty. We were stuffed at the end of the journey.

Having had a good experience on our connecting flight from Dublin to Dubai via LHR the previous year we thought this one would be also a breeze. Wrong.

After landing we at 16.15 hours the same day followed the signs for the connections and arrived at the transport center, where we waited for a few minutes before the bus arrived.

We had a long walk to security.
The queue wasn't too long, but somebody famous I won't name was in front of us and kept everyone up. The person didn't want to remove his electronic devices from his bags, when finally doing so, the lap top ended up on the floor. They also had an unbelievable amount of hand luggage with them, so it took ages. There were also constant reminders from security to have all liquids in sealable plastic bags and to remove all electronic devises. It started going on my nerves. Finally it was our turn. We were well prepared and weren't reminded or asked if we had anything in our pockets.

Then there was the passport control. The queue was very long and the whole process let me more feel like entering a fortress and was a marked contrast to our experience in Malaysia or Brunei, but I assume it is even there depending what nationality you are...

Finally having all security checks behind us we went to the connecting desk of Aer Lingus. We were wondering what was keeping the short queue from moving. After what felt like eternity it was our turn to have the boarding passes printed. The whole process from deboarding to finally hold our boarding passes in hand took over two hours. It was a bit frustrating.

The rest of the experience went flawless. Our flight back to Dublin was on time and eventless.

Would we fly again with Malaysia Airlines? Yes, we would.




©2013

Selamat Datang!

Dear Readers,

I'm back from Malaysia. This is just a short impression. More is going to follow soon.

The time flew by very quickly and we were really busy.

We split our time between Kuala Lumpur or KL as the city is nick named by the locals, Kota Kinabalu, short KK (Saba), and Miri (Sarawak) - both on the Malay part of Borneo.

It was our third time in KL, our second in KK and our first in Miri.

Malaysia is diverse and exotic.

We saw skyscrapers, visited a car and property show, the Petronas Twin Towers, the largest Taoist Temple in South East Asia, different mosques and Buddhist Temples, St. Mary's Cathedral at Merdeka Square in KL, tried the local cuisine and found our love for Parathi (Indian flatbread, filled sweet or savory). We also learned about oil, oil production and saw working oil fields in Brunei (day trip from Miri, including Bandar Seri Begawan - the capital of Brunei, organized by the tour operator based at the Marriott Miri).

We also used the public transport in KL. It's affordable, clean and easy to use.

All Malay - no matter if indigenous, Indian, Muslim or Chinese - were friendly and helpful.

KL and KK have changed a bit, but both were recognizable.

Our itinenary looked like this - It took us a year to prepare for it:

- 1 night at the Dublin Airport Hilton due to an early flight the next day.

- Flight from Dublin to Paris Charles de Gaulle with Aer Lingus, from there an overnight flight with
  Malaysia Airlines - another highlight the Airbus A380. It was our first time and we enjoyed it very
  much.

- 1 night at the Hilton Kuala Lumpur

- 8 nights at the DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur

- Flight from KL to KK with Malaysia Airlines

- 2 nights at the Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu

- Flight from KK to Miri with Malaysia Airlines

- 3 nights at the Marriott Miri

- Flight Miri to KK with Malaysia Airlines

- 2 nights Le Meridien KK

- Flight from KK to KL

- 4 nights Grand Hyatt KL

- 1 night Villa Samadhi - Secret Retreats

- 1 night Sama-Sama Hotel Kuala Lumpur International Airport

- Early flight from KL to London Heathrow - arriving the same day in the afternoon also with Malaysia Airlines.

- Evening flight with Aer Lingus to Dublin.

- Home, sweet home. :)


Here are some words we have picked up.

Selamat Datang                                  -                   welcome

Selamat Datang ke Kuala Lumpur     -                   welcome to Kuala Lumpur

Awas                                                   -                   caution

Bahaya                                                -                  danger

Tandas                                                -                   toilets/restrooms

Selamat Jalan                                     -                   Good Bye

Masuk                                                -                  entrance

Pintu                                                  -                 gate

Api                                                    -                 fire


Hope you liked my entry. If you would like to add something or share your experiences with Malaysia feel free to do so. :)


Your Writer1976


© 2013

Bye, bye!

Dear Readers,

I'm going on a trip, so please don't be surprised if you don't hear anything from me for a while.

I try, of course, to update you of our adventures as soon as I can.

Your Writer1976

©2013

Golden View Bar and Restaurant Florence, Italy

On our first day in Florence we went exploring a bit and found by good luck the Golden View Open Bar & Restaurant for lunch.

It is just off the Ponte Vecchio and overlooks the Arno. We choose it, because it was in a classic building, but the interior was modern with clean cut lines and had reasonable prices, plus that glorious views over the river, opening up the classical architecture of Florence before our eyes.

We were surprised how much space there was, when the waiter brought us to the back, walking along the stylish Bar area, where we found a large dining room.

We were offered a seat with a view over the river, which we gladly took. All glass doors leading to the terrace were open, allowing a breeze to come in. The table was on the smaller side, covered with white table cloth. The dining room looked elegant with contemporary artwork on the walls and was kept in white and silver. Pretty soon the menu arrived.

We had a wonderful and refreshing Aperol Spritz, a bottle of still San Benedetto water, Insalata Ponte Vecchio and a Fuego Pizza. The salad was made with green leaves, local ham, olives, parmesan shavings, courgette and crusty bread. Regional extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper were provided, so that I could make my own dressing. The pizza was topped with spicy pepperoni, tomato sauce, cheese, peppers and a lot of red onions. Everything was delicious and fresh.
 
The staff was attentive, not intrusive, which is always a plus and made us feel very welcome.

Cost were 56.50 Euro (ca. 78 USD) including cover charge.

We are going to return definitely when we are in town again.


 

©2013

Talk outside the shed

Sorry for posting only now, but I've been insanely busy.

This story builds up on Talk inside the shed I've published a couple of months earlier.  Hope you like it.

The day my life changed for the better was one of the worst in my childhood.

I was seven and had misbehaved at school. My father didn't accept such behavior, so I ended up with my bare rump over his lap. I knew this was going to happen and dreaded our "talk" in the shed. My father made his displeasure definitely known. When his hand connected for the last time with my behind, I was crying. Dad said he was sorry he had to punish me and didn't want to repeat it - me neither. He also said he loved me. I wasn't so sure about that. Dad hugged me and I cried for a while into his shirt. When the tears eased, Dad let go. I ran away. I wanted to be alone.
I headed in the direction of the rabbit cages. My younger sister Adrien and I owned one rabbit each.
Brewster was awake. I took him out of the cage and sat down in the grass. My behind was smarting a bit, but my father was never really cruel and the pain was gone after a few hours. I still cried, not from the physical pain. Brewster was a good listener, but it didn't help to quell my hurt feelings. I don't know how much time I spent with Brewster on my lap, but suddenly our new driver Mr. Noose took a seat beside me. He was silent for a few minutes. I desperately tried to stop the tears, but didn't manage. Mr. Noose was light blond, while I have dark blond locks. His blue grey eyes were looking concerned. He asked if I wanted to talk about it. I was too ashamed and didn't want to admit my father had just punished me. I shouted at Mr. Noose: "No, go away!" He didn't and to my surprise said something I didn't expect. "You know I cried each time..." He knew what had happened. Until then I thought I was the only one who got spanked. Since I was small and he was very tall I couldn't believe he had been spanked too. It was inconceivable for me, so I stammered: "But ... But... You are big!" "I wasn't always big." Mr. Noose replied with a smile. It made me wonder what he had looked like as a child. "Are you going to tell me what bothers you?" Mr. Noose asked gently. I tried hard to hold back the sob, but it escaped. "Daddy hates me!" "What makes you think that?" "I'm stupid! Wylie is smart, Johnny talented and Adrien... Well, she's cute." "Come here." Mr. Noose ordered me. He heaved me and the rabbit on his lap. "You aren't stupid, Javier! You just need longer to learn." It was balsam to my knocked down self esteem. "I know for a fact your dad loves you." Mr. Noose continued.  He wanted to know why I had been spanked. I explained it. Mr. Noose asked what I should have done differently and what I was going to do now. I said: "I hurt Mrs. Hale by calling her names, so I'm going to apologize to her." "Try to pay attention in class too. I know it can be difficult." Mr. Noose suggested. I have dyslexia, so anything to do with reading is problematic. Talking with the driver helped me more than Dad's spanking. Suddenly it seemed to make more sense why my behavior wasn't good. I felt nearly normal again. Mr. Noose invited me to the old carriage house on our grounds, his home as long as he was working for us.
We played a few rounds of car racing. To my amazement I won. Mr. Noose offered me hot chocolate. I wanted marshmallows on top. To my disappointment he hadn't any. "I'll make you something special. I promise." He returned about twenty minutes later. I had been playing on the games console, so I hadn't noticed how much time had passed. Normally our housekeeper Florence was making Nesquik. The hot chocolate Mr. Noose had made was very different. It was slightly spicy and cinnamon flavored. He served some type of bread with cheese. It was heart shaped. All the crying and emotional upheaval had made me hungry and thirsty, so I tucked in. It was really delicious. Even if Mr. Noose was calm and relaxed, he seemed to hang after his own thoughts. They mightn't have been positive. I had been thinking as well and was curious how Mr. Noose knew my Dad loved me. He said: "I've watched you, when you were together. Your dad likes to spend time with you, plays games and is open to your suggestions. He's also watching out for you." It reassured me. Suddenly I was very tired. Mr. Noose drove me home. I snuggled closer to him, wishing he could be my Daddy. I was nearly asleep when we arrived at the main house. I said good night to the driver and Mrs. Florence brought me to bed. 

The next morning the day looked brighter for me. The color of my butt had returned to its normal pale shade and didn't hurt anymore. I was still smarting emotionally, though. It wasn't so easy for me to forgive Dad and even if Mr. Noose had re-assured me I felt small and doubts began to settle in again, if my Dad really cared for me.

It was a day or two later, when Dad approached me on my room.  I was playing with my Transformers, when he entered. "Javier, can I talk to you please?" I didn't want to, so I shook my head. Dad took a seat on the floor. He picked up one of the figures. "Want to play with me?" Normally I had fun with Dad. He was really good at imitating the voices of the characters, and he was creative too. Since I was still upset, I refused outright. "Okay." Dad looked hurt. "Javier, can I ask you something?" I shrugged. "Do you think I love Wylie, Johnny and Adrien more than you?" I didn't want to answer and pretended not to have heard anything. "Why would you think that?" I shrugged again. "Javier, please look me in the eyes." Dad's voice was gentle. I slowly looked up, showing all my hurt. "Are you going to give me an answer?" I told him why I thought Dad appreciated me less than the others. Wylie was without a doubt the most intelligent of the bunch. He was a straight A student, no matter which subject. Johnny had an unbelievable knack for music. He wanted to be either a musician or music historian. My younger sister Adrien looked very cute with her black curls and blue eyes. She also said the funniest things, so everyone liked her. I felt with my learning disability I wasn't bright enough to keep up with my oldest brother and with no other visible talents or cuteness I fell short of my father's expectations. "Javier, I love you as much as I do any of your siblings. The reason I love and care for you is your positive energy and your inquisitiveness. Maybe I have shown it too few, but this is going to change. I'd like to spend more time with you. Is that okay with you?" I was torn, because I was still a bit upset about the spanking, but I loved my dad and would have liked more of his attention. I nodded apprehensive. "Glad to hear it." My father smiled. "There is another thing I'd like to speak with you. It mightn't be easy for both of us..." Dad stopped for a moment. "I've spanked Wylie and Johnny until they were ten and originally thought I would continue to do the same with you. Something tells me, though, that it might not work. Am I wrong?" I tried to explain how I felt. I also said I couldn't understand how Dad could claim he loved me when he had hurt me just moments before. "Hm, that's a good question." My dad paused before giving an answer. "It might sound odd, but I did it, because I love you. I thought a painful reminder works better than discussions. Having now heard how it impacts you and your feelings towards me, I think we have to change tack. I don't want that you resent me." "Okay." I wasn't sure where this was going to lead to. "We will try speaking about what you have done wrong in the first place. If I deem it necessary you will get a punishment, like being grounded or having a privilege taken away. Is that okay with you?" "Yes." I nodded fervently. I preferred discussing what went wrong and maybe get a privilege taken away than being spanked, which left me feel unloved and not worthy of belonging to the Loesing clan.
Dad kept to his promise and spent more time with me. Our communication improved as well, and mostly Dad had only to threaten me with taking away something or to ground me. It was more than enough to bring me in line. Since we talked more I understood also better why and how to behave. It made me be much closer to Dad and we still have a very good and trusting relationship.

©2013

Worse Timing

Beverly Noose stared in disbelief at her gynecologist. He had confirmed her worst fears. She was pregnant for the third time.
Her oldest son was fourteen months old, her youngest three months.  It would mean by the time the baby was due Coldham Fintan would be twenty two months and Holiday Michael, called Mike, eleven months.
Besides her husband Coldham Fintan II and she had agreed on having only two children. Beverly went home numb, not knowing exactly what to do.

The third pregnancy reminded Beverly very much of when she was expecting Coldham Fintan, whom they had nicknamed Fin.

Fin had been planned. Coldham and Beverly were delighted when they found out she was pregnant. It had been obvious even without a test. Beverly had very bad morning sickness and managed hardly to keep anything down. Because she was dehydrated she spent a few days in hospital. When Beverly had passed the first trimester it was better. The happy feeling lasted only nine weeks. She suddenly developed pre term labor and had to go on strict bed rest, meaning, she wasn't allowed out of bed -  the only exceptions were to go to toilet as needed or to take a shower once a day. Beverly, who liked to be active, hated every moment of it. She resented the baby. Beverly had dreamed about a perfect pregnancy and the perfect child. The pregnancy was a nightmare. Finally when the 37th week approached the bed rest was lifted. The doctors deemed it safe for the baby to be delivered. The contractions didn't return. By now Beverly was fed up. She was huge and felt like a rhinoceros. Her obstetrician told her to wait until the due date. Beverly tried to bargain to no avail.

Coldham had had imagined Beverly's pregnancy and becoming a father differently too. He wanted a wife with whom he could share his life, but with Beverly on bed rest, going out was impossible. Coldham grumbled, when they had to invest their hard earned money in a house keeper. Coldham didn't know how to do chores and didn't think about learning any of it, because it was unmanly. He only knew how to repair things and mowed the lawn, but the rest was Beverly's responsibility.

Beverly was overly glad when labor started. Fin was born ten painful hours later at 06.00 a.m. on his due date. He already had a blond fuzz and weighed 7 lbs 3 oz. There was no overwhelming love immediately flooding through Beverly as she had expected. Instead she was just happy everything was over and indifferent about the little bundle in her arms.

Fin proved to be a difficult child. He was clingy and slept only through the night when he was six months old. Neither Beverly nor Coldham had ever thought having a kid was such a live changing event and someone so small could be so demanding. Coldham and Beverly didn't bond with their eldest.

Even if the first pregnancy had been difficult they tried for a second child soon afterwards. When Beverly was expecting Mike everything was different. It was plain sailing. Mike was born two weeks too early, though. He was healthy and weighed 7 lbs 4 oz. He was the perfect infant, self content, smiling a lot and sleeping through when he was six weeks old. While Fin looked like his father, Mike was more looking like his mother.

The third pregnancy hadn't been planned. Beverly's doctor had told her if she was breast feeding the risk of getting pregnant was not very high. He proofed wrong. Beverly told Coldham when the boys were asleep. Coldham was shocked and dismayed. "Have an abortion." was his cold reply. Another kid was going to strain their finances, and Coldham didn't want more as he had made clear to Beverly from the beginning. It wasn't so clear cut for Beverly. She was struggling. Beverly thought about the growing life inside her, and it was nearly impossible for her to think about having the baby aborted. She hoped it might be a little girl. Beverly had dreamed of having a son and a daughter. Beverly also knew she was now barely managing with Mike and Fin. How would she cope with three children under the age of two? Beverly considered going full term and give the kid up for adoption. Being very conscious of her reputation, though, she dismissed it.  She didn't want to cause gossip. Maybe if Beverly gave birth Coldham would accept it... Beverly spent a few sleepless nights before she came to a conclusion.

As hard as it was Beverly decided to go through with the abortion.

The operation itself was short and relatively painless. The emotional distress was much greater. Beverly fell into a dark, black whole for many months. Coldham was understanding and tried to support her. Slowly Beverly returned to her normal self.

Even years later, though, Beverly wished she would have been able to keep the child. She mused what her life would have been like with it and also fantasized about a daughter. For some reason Beverly was convinced the aborted fetus was a girl, even though the abortion had been performed when she was ten weeks pregnant and the sex couldn't be determined, because the sexual organs only develop after the first trimester.

When Fin drove her mad or caused Beverly grief she fervently wished she had never had him or could exchange him with the baby that never was, believing it would have been a perfect addition to the family like Mike was.
Beverly came to the conclusion, if she had fallen pregnant a few years later Coldham and she would have made a different decision.


Beverly regretted her decision and would have changed it if she would have been able to turn back time.

©2013

The Fusion Bar & Restaurant Florence, Italy

On the last evening of our stay at the Gallery Hotel Art in Florence, Italy we went to the Fusion Bar & Restaurant, located on the ground floor of the hotel.

The interior was contemporary and airy. There is also an outdoor terrace with plush sofas in earth colors and dark wooden tables.

The music in the background was upbeat.

The bar is the center piece, where guests can also enjoy the drinks and watch cocktails being made. The rest of the space is set up restaurant style.

We were warmly welcomed and handed the bar menu. We not only wanted a cocktail - we also were looking for dinner, so we asked for the restaurant menu.

We had a large bottle of still water, two Violetta Valery cocktails with Stolichnaya vodka and Francacorta Bellavista Cuvee, salmon fillet with green beans, tortellini with burrata cheese, Italian sausage and fennel and strawberries with goat’s cheese mousse.

With the cocktails came wasabi peas and other nice snacks. The presentation was unusual. The Violetta Valerys came in their own cooler - another glass filled with crushed ice and a lime. It looked stylish and the drinks tasted devilishly good.

We loved our main courses too. Everything was very upscale and delicious.

The dessert was interesting. The strawberries were marinated in balsamic vinegar. The mousse was velvety and creamy. It wasn't sweet at all and a great finish to a fantastic meal.

The service was unobtrusive and there when we needed it. We had an enjoyable evening.

The cost was 78 Euro (ca. 105.30 USD).

Only remembering the fine cuisine and drinks makes me drool and I'd love to go back immediately.

©2013

Sotto Voce Barcelona, Spain

We had one night at the Hotel Porta Fira, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, not far from the El Prat Airport and we looked up their restaurant menu online we knew it wasn't for us, so we looked for an alternative at the nearby shopping mall Gran Via 2. 

We liked Sottovoce, an Italian restaurant.

It is located on the ground level of the food court and has outdoor seating.

The interior was understated in black and white.

We could choose to sit anywhere we wanted to and decided to use the terrace. The staff was efficient and friendly.

We ordered a large bottle of still water, two glasses of the red house wine, ravioli with romanseco sauce and shrimps, Pizza Sottovoce, Pana Cotta and Crème Catalan. The pasta was good, but having tried his pizza, I know what is better, so next time around I'm also going to have a pizza.

The Pana Cotta and Crème Catalan looked similar, the taste and consistency was different, though. It was delicious and the highlight for me.

When we arrived the restaurant was nearly empty, by the time we left it was full.

We paid a bit under 50 Euro (ca. 67.50 USD).

We enjoyed the atmosphere and the food, so we are going to return hopefully soon for another dinner.

©2013

Smöoy Frozen Yogurt, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

After our dinner at Newroz Kurdish Doener Kebab (see also review) we went to Smöoy for frozen yogurt as dessert. It's just a few steps away and interesting, because it has a white, contemporary interior livened up with a few color splashes in red, yellow, green and pink. There is also a nice seating area.

The counter assistant was very busy with a few people waiting in front of me. There were three choices: a small, medium or large cup with one topping, two toppings and three toppings respectively. The choice was huge from berries to chocolate to gummi bears.

We chose natural frozen yogurt, Dulce de Leche and fresh strawberries in a medium cup. We shared it, because the portion was fairly large. It cost around 3 Euro (ca. 4.10 USD). We must say it was delicious and loved the combination.

So there is no doubt we will have to go back, when we're in Santiago de Compostela.

©2013

Newroz Kurdish Doener Kebab, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

On one of our evenings we went to Newroz Kurdish Doener Kebab at Rua Nova de Abaixo, 20 (Pza. Fuenterrabia, 5) in Santiago de Compostela.

The restaurant is just about 100 m from the cathedral and in the Old Town.

The restaurant is clean and simple furnished.

We liked the dark furniture, colorful lampshades and the industrial kitchen.

When ordering we went to the counter. We had a set meal with a soft drink and a chicken doener kebab included for 5 Euro each, ca. 6.80 USD. Our choice was water.

We were then asked to sit down and our order was delivered as soon as it was ready.

The doener was different than what we were used to from Germany or Poland.

It was lighter, less spicy, had more salad leaves, which makes the doener healthier, and was easy to eat, aka "no mess here".

We liked the succulent meat, textures and flavors.

The staff was friendly and spoke good English.

Payment was taken at the counter.

When we are back in Santiago we definitely are going to stop at Newroz again.

It's an affordable option in the heart of this fascinating city.

©2013

Hilton Dublin Airport, Ireland

Before our flight to Brussels we stayed at the Hilton Dublin Airport.

This one is just a short review about the changes since our last stay. You can always check out an extensive review I wrote last year.

We took the shuttle bus from the airport to the hotel. Unfortunately the journey was not as pleasant as usual, because there was a rowdy group of Finns on board, who drank alcohol and were very loud. The driver reminded them that alcohol consumption on the shuttle was not allowed.

It helped for a bit, but then the bottle made the round again. 

We were glad when we arrived at the Hilton. While the shuttle bus to the hotel is free, from the hotel to the airport costs however 2 Euros per person, be aware of this and must be booked at check-in for your departure.

Check in was pleasant and quick. As returning guests we were warmly welcomed and explained what was new.
Our room was located on the 4th floor and overlooking the opposite apartment complex.

All rooms are refreshed now and have the Serenity bed, which is a Hilton standard.

Our amenity as gold members of the Hilton Honors program had changed to the better. There were two Doorman jars, one with gummi sweets and the other with salted nuts as well as two bottles of water.

We also received a free drinks voucher for two.

Major changes had taken place at the Burnell's Bar & Restaurant. Instead of serving two menus, there is only one, and guests can choose their own seating without waiting for a waiter at the restaurant.

The menu has changed for the better too. There are more healthy options. We had for example a melon medley with Greek yogurt, which was light, refreshing and delicious as a starter. Our main courses were pasta in spicy tomato sauce and vegetables and Pasta with chicken and pesto. My pasta was overcooked, but the sauce had a nice kick and the vegetables were plentiful. Each dish was tasty. We also used our voucher. It was a choice between beer and wine, would be nice when at least Baileys would be included, so there is room to expand this offer. We chose two glasses of red wine and a large bottle of water.

The staff was busy, but very friendly and efficient.

Overall the Hilton Dublin Airport has much improved and is now a solid 4 star. We are going to return soon, when we have an early flight again and are looking forward to our stay.

©2013

Restaurant Le Mystique Bruges, Belgium

Le Mystique is one of the best restaurants in Belgium, from our experience and has two red forks by Michelin, which considers Le Mystique a very pleasant experience. The ingredients are organic and from the Flanders region.

Executive chef Koenraad Steenkiste is responsible for all the culinary delights coming out of the kitchen, while Brecht takes care of the front of the house.

We were very lucky to enjoy dinner there at a very short notice.

We were guests of the Hotel Heritage (see also review), where the Le Mystique is located at.

Our table was at one of the windows. The restaurant is classic furnished with ceiling murals and beautiful decorated doors dating back to 1869.

We had had a long day, starting at 3 am, due to our travels, so we didn't want to have alcohol. We ordered a large bottle of still water. It was Le Mystique branded, and we liked it.

The menu offered an a la carte choice or two set menus. One was a taste of Belgium, the other the summer menu.

A la carte included three starters, three main courses and three desserts.

The two set menus were 45 Euro (ca. 60 USD) for a three course or 60 Euro (ca. 80 USD) with wine pairing, a four course 60 Euro (ca. 80 USD) and 80 Euro (ca. 106.50 USD) respectively.


A la carte appetizers started from 21 Euro (ca. 28 USD) up to 24 Euro (ca. 37.40 USD), mains were 30 Euro (ca. 40 USD) and desserts 12 Euro (ca. 16 USD) each.

A goose liver pate macaroon was served as amouse bouche. It was delicious and interesting that sweet and savory was working so well.

Next we had Artisan cured "Brasvar" ham with Cavaillon, rocket salad and tarragon sorbet. The sorbet was the perfect palate cleanser. We both loved the combination. It was savory and sweet with melon coulis and goose liver pate.

Our main courses were beef steak black and blue with gravy (Belgian style), vegetables and horse radish mash and Hake with black ink tagliatelle, mussels, Mediterranean vegetables and yuzu sauce.

The steak did melt in the mouth and the flavors were all well balanced.

My dish was very colorful and light. The tagliatelle and the yuzu sauce came in their own little china. The vegetables were served in a stack and everything was very delicious.

Our dessert was Eton Mess of summer fruits and berries, homemade vanilla ice cream from "Planifolia Sumatra". It was deconstructed and the apricot was really fantastic. There was also crushed strawberry meringue, which added crunch to the softness of the fruits, berries and ice cream. So far this was the best Eton Mess ever.

We spent two hours at Le Mystique and had a great time. In fact it flew by.

We thought the timing between courses was perfect and the service provided was great. It was non intrusive and always there, when we needed them.

The memories of the excellent flavors and textures are going to stay very long in our memory.

The bill came in at 96.50 Euro (ca. 129 USD). Booking ahead is highly recommended, like, when staying in the Hotel Heritage, Relais & Chateaux, in which Le Mystique is located, this combination is a fantastic treat. The breakfast @ 24 Euros per person with Champagne included is also served here each morning. A splendid experience.

Would we return? Anytime.

©2013

Hotel Heritage Bruges, Belgium

Since we had been already numerous times to Brussels we decided around two weeks before flying there to change our hotel and go to Bruges instead.

Making up our mind where to stay was fairly easy. While a lot of Small Luxury Hotel Group members were available we had our heart set on the Hotel Heritage - Relais & Chateaux - based on our excellent experiences at Le Saint Paul in St. Paul de Vence and A Quinta da Auga in Santiago de Compostela (Please see review.) only a month before.

We were also happy because the hotel had a restaurant, which the others didn't.

We took a slow train from Brussels International Airport to Bruges. We bought the tickets online and achieved a good deal with a weekend rate and paid 67.60 Euro (ca. 89 USD) for two in First Class. Of course there is also the option to take one of the express trains, which should take around an hour, but it means also changing trains, which we didn't want to do.

There was some track work going on and another train developed a problem in front of us, so the around two and a half hour journey turned into around three. It wasn't a problem for us. We had time and already bought something to eat and drink at the airport. We knew there wouldn't be any service on the train due to a journey years earlier from Brussels to Luxembourg, where we were left three hours without being able to buy anything. So we learned from our earlier experiences.

First class means more space and quiet.

At Bruges train station we took a taxi to the hotel. It took maybe ten minutes and cost 7 Euro flat (ca. 9.25 USD).

If you prefer public transport, there is also a bus going to the West Flanders Library, which is the nearest stop for the Hotel Heritage. We didn't use it, so we can't comment on the cost.

We arrived at around 2 PM. Official check in time is 3 PM and since there are only twenty rooms and four suites (the former living quarters of the owners), we weren't able to check in immediately and were asked to come back in an hour and our room would be ready. I was able to store my rucksack until our return.

At our return the room was ready. We were handed our key card and accompanied to our room, where my rucksack was already waiting for me, and explained the features. We asked if we could have a late check out at noon the next day - normally check out is at 11.00 hours, so a bit too early for us. It was granted with a smile and re-assurance it was no problem at all. Afterwards we were left alone.

We had booked a Superior Room - the only room type available to book online. Superior Rooms are one step up from the entrance category rooms. Our room was on the third floor and overlooked the roofs of Bruges and the theatre. We were very happy about it since we had requested one on the higher floors. The hotel has four storeys. The fourth floor contains the suites, so we had the highest floor possible.

The room was medium sized and lavish, but had everything one could ever wish for. The main colors were red, gold and dark brown. There were three classic paintings - one a still life, the other two depicting ladies. When booking I had told my better half, that I wished we would have a room with a portrait painting over the bed, so it was also fulfilled.

There was a writing desk, a coffee table with fruit basket and sweets, a handwritten welcome note from Isabelle Creytens (owner of the Heritage together with her husband Johan), two chairs, a large bed, night stands, a wardrobe and a small shelf containing the Nespresso machine, capsules, tea, cups and a Bose wave radio with Bose remote control.

On the writing desk was an IPad. The Hotel Heritage was the first to offer one on every room in Europe.

There were also information about the hotel and Bruges, Intelligent Live magazines, writing paper, a hotel branded pen and three Relais & Chateaux guides in German, French and English.

The ambience TV was placed over the writing desk/storage space for luggage. The channel choice was a delight. It had all the important international channels, a lot from the UK, like BBC1 and 2, but also regional ones.

The Nilson luxury bed was very comfortable. It was made up in a way so it looked like one large mattress. Instead there were two. It wasn't an issue for us to have twin beds instead of a queen/king. It was hard to get out of bed. We also liked the night light function and air conditioning, which was working fast and reliable. The large crystal chandelier in the room was a prominent feature in the room and was fitting with the ambience. Another unique feature was the two old fashioned looking telephones, but they were modern with a digital display.

The marbled bathroom with granite floor was smaller, but offered everything, with toilet, bath tub/rain shower head combination, sink and a cupboard to store the towels and an additional roll of toilet paper and hairdryer.

There was a double set of Durance toiletries.

The bath tub was very comfortable, and the water pressure of the rainfall shower good.

The hotel has a fabled history. The cellar for example dates back to the 13th or 14th century, where the fitness center is located. We went there to check it out - not to do sports, though. The cross rib vault is worth seeing. We also liked the palm and flowers.

Officially the building was mentioned for the first time in 1390 and was called the Vaulte House. In the 16th century a member of the city council lived with his family there. Later it was an inn. In 1706 Pieter Jessens, a prosecutor and notary bought the house. It stayed in the possession of the family for about seventy six years. It was then owned by Lievin de la Villette de la Haymade. He was also a council, played an important role at the Noble Brotherhood of the Holy Blood and had a busy social life.

It was also a bank and fell into a state of disrepair before Johan and Isabelle Creytens bought the house and opened it as a hotel in 1993. Then it was called the Hansa Hotel. When the hotel rooms were renovated in 2003 the owners thought Hansa Hotel wasn't suitable anymore and changed it to Hotel Heritage, to reflect the age and importance of the building.

The Hotel Heritage has a bar Le Magnum, lounge and restaurant Le Mystique. Koenraad Steenkiste is the head chef, while Brecht is the Maitre D'.

We had a really outstanding dinner at Le Mystique and are very grateful we received a table at very short notice.

Breakfast was a highlight the next morning. It wasn't included in our rate, but we had budgeted it in at 24 Euro per person (ca. 32 USD). The information was available on the hotel's website and the Relais & Chateaux guide.

The coffee and tea were served by a waitress, the rest of the breakfast buffet style. There were champagne included, grapefruit and orange juice, milk, water, cold cuts, cheese, yogurt, chocolate pudding, scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and other smoked fish, a wide bread selection, berries and much more. The price was reasonable and everything was of very high quality and fresh.

Le Mystique spreads over two rooms. It is classic designed and a mix between understated and lavish. Especially interesting are the doors. They date back to 1869. We enjoyed also the chandeliers and ceiling murals.

The staff was friendly and accommodating. They always had time for a chat and were genuinely interested in our well being.

The hotel is kept immaculate. There are flowers everywhere in different colors.

Guests can also buy the bath amenities, hotel branded umbrellas or in house made jams.

There is one elevator and a steep staircase. It's not recommended to use the stairs if you have vertigo.

We loved how warm the staff was, the atmosphere of the hotel and the little details, like a note at turn down wishing a good night or a card in the morning providing the weather forecast.

It felt again like visiting a good friend's or family member's home.

Would we stay here again? Definitely. The location is ideal, giving you both easy access on foot to the romantic canals of Bruges and the Grote Market. The staff and cuisine are a delight and the rooms gorgeous and comfortable.

©2013

Smoking

This another quite cruel story, so if you are against spanking children, please don't read. As always I'm totally against violence in real life.

Coldham Fintan Noose III was glad his parents had allowed him to go to a party. He was fifteen, a bit gawky, blond haired and had blue grey eyes. He was happy to escape their scrutiny for a while.

Fin didn't want to get into trouble, so he kept to all the rules his parents had set. He didn't drink any alcohol and didn't smoke. He was punctual at home too. Smoking had never interested Fin. He was a sports fanatic and an unhealthy habit would have only decreased his fitness level.

He went to the living room, where his parents were watching a movie to let them know he was back. Fin's mother Beverly followed Fin to the kitchen. Originally she wanted to hear about the party. When she smelled cigarette smoke on him, she was very unhappy. Her husband and she had made it very clear smoking was unacceptable. "Coldham Fintan, have you been smoking?" Fin, as the boy was nicknamed, looked shocked. His eyes widened. "No, I haven't!" "Don't lie to me!" Beverly replied harsh. Fin was the black sheep of the family, having been caught steeling only recently, and he disobeyed his parents' orders in general. "Let me explain, please." Fin said, trying to stay calm. He was panicking, because his parents were hands on, when it came to discipline. "Admit it." "No, as you know the parents of Patches are smoking and a few of the guests did too, so it's only second hand smoke you are smelling. I swear!" Beverly didn't believe Fin. He had lied before. "Go to your room. Your father and I will deal with you later." "Please speak to Mr. or Mrs. Sigrist. They will tell you I haven't touched a cigarette." "Don't make it worse. Go to your room!" Fin was angry. He hadn't done anything wrong and still got the wrath of his mother.

Fin changed into his pajamas feeling sick already. He bet he would get spanked either the same evening or the next morning. Fin couldn't shake off the feeling his parents were simply looking for an excuse to punish him. It made him even angrier. He hated his parents.

An hour later Fin's father Coldham asked Fin to come down to the kitchen. Fin was briefly lectured by his parents. He couldn't keep his mouth shut and protested, knowing exactly he would pay for it later. The reason was Fin's sense of fairness. He couldn't accept being punished for something he hadn't done. "Coldham Fintan, it is unbelievable you still lie to us. You are going to make your caning worse, if you don't admit it." Coldham said. Fin replied heated: "I can't admit to a crime I haven't committed." "Okay, that solves that. You are going to get two strokes for smoking and two for lying." Beverly concluded icy. "Before you bend over the table, drop your pants. Liars don't deserve any type of protection." Coldham added. Fin's eyes turned a steely blue. He had resolved not to comply. Only the threat of getting another four strokes for disobeying and being obnoxious made him do it. Fin knew eight strokes with the cane would test his self control to the limit and he didn't want to break down in front of his parents, so half were the lesser evil and the likelihood he was shedding tears immediately low.
With a sigh Fin complied. The cane was already resting on the table. It was about three foot long and 3/8 in thick. When Coldham picked it up, Fin knew his father was going to whip him. His mother flipped up Fin's shirt, so it wasn't in the way. Coldham took up his position. Fin braced himself. He raised his head, when Beverly walked up to face him directly. At the same time the cane swished through the air. Fin was caught by surprise since he had been concentrating on his mother. He yelped, when the cane connected with his bottom. The pain was searing. Beverly smiled. The smirk infuriated Fin. He swore when he was strong enough he would put a stop to all this. For the time being he had to endure it. The next cut seemed to hurt much more than the previous. Being prepared Fin didn't make a sound. He stared at the table and ignored his mother. Coldham let a few seconds pass before he placed the third stroke at the center of Fin's buttocks. The pain of all three merged. Fin hissed. It started to get unbearable. Fin forced himself to stay put. He would have preferred to shake his hips to try and get rid of part of the sting. Fin dreaded the last stroke. Knowing his father, he was sure he would get hit on an especially sensitive spot. The cane whistled again through the air and connected with the crease between Fin's legs and behind. The sting was incredible and left another angry red welt. As hard as Fin tried to take it quiet he let out a scream. Fin's eyes welled up. Coldham wanted to make sure the last cut counted for something. It had. Fin struggled with his composure and would have loved nothing better than crying freely and to clutch his throbbing behind. Since he didn't want to give his parents that satisfaction he kept the tears at bay and in position. He was till bent over when his mother said: "Look me in the eyes!" Fin barely managed to keep the hatred hidden. "I hope we have made it very clear for you smoking is off the limits." Fin didn't answer. He just stared at her, imagining what it would be like to put his hands around his mother's throat and throttle her. It calmed his feelings immediately. Fin managed to give a satisfactory answer, but still said he had been punished groundless. His parents didn't like it. Fin couldn't see what was going on behind him. He saw his mother, though, communicating silently with his father before nodding. The cane hit Fin for a fifth time. He was unprepared and shouted out loud. Tears threatened to spill over. Beverly bent down to Fin. Her face was very close to Fin's, asking very quietly: "Are you still denying it?" Rage cursed through Fin's veins. He was tempted to spit his mother in the face. Since Fin's emotions were overshadowing the pain in his backside, he forgot about bursting into tears. Holding barely on to his self restrained, Fin replied very cold: "You can cane me as much as you like. I'm telling you the truth. I didn't smoke." Mother's and son's eyes locked. Fin wasn't willing to give in and stared until his mother looked away. The room was silent for a while. Finally Coldham said: "Get up and out of our eyesight!  Don't leave your room until tomorrow. You are grounded until you come to your senses." Fin winced, when he pulled his pants over his swollen and smarting behind. He left without saying a word.

Fin made up his mind. He was going to hold out longer than them. They would after a certain time loosen their control and he was free to go as he pleased.
On his room Fin undressed. He was frustrated, angry and hurt. He felt as if he could murder his parents. Of course he didn't react on it. Taking a cold shower eased the physical pain a bit. When Fin checked in the mirror he knew he was going to have bruises beside the five raised welts. Sitting was going to hurt for at least a week.
Letting go, Fin sobbed for a few minutes before he went naked to bed, trying to sleep on his stomach. It took Fin a while to fall asleep. He woke up a few times thanks to being in pain.

Fin's mood was not the best when he got up the next morning and went down for breakfast. He wasn't able to sit and ignored his parents. He was very good in giving them the silent treatment. Coldham and Beverly were used to being ignored, sometimes for weeks, after they had punished Fin.
Fin's temper nearly reached boiling point, when his brother Mike told him he shouldn't behave like a baby. Mike had heard Fin's screams and knew he had been spanked. Mike thought Fin's spankings were similar to his - bent over the knee of either parent and getting a hand spanking on the bare. It hurt maybe for a few hours, but no real damage was done. - so he thought Fin's reaction was over the top by refusing to sit down and claiming he was still sore. Fin's eyes turned into blue daggers, when he heard Mike's offhand remark. He knew he would find himself at the receiving end of the cane again, if he punched Mike, so he said mildly: "Please don't comment on something you don't have a clue about or experienced yourself." Fin didn't want to discuss his caning or show the marks. It was embarrassing enough Mike knew he had been punished. Fin couldn't bear spending more than a few seconds with the rest of the family, so he grabbed his cheese sandwiches and glass of milk and fled to his room.
Fin felt like an outsider and was sure his parents didn't love him. It hurt more than the physical pain.
Fin and Mike made up fairly quickly. Fin still didn't talk to his parents even after the bruises and tram lines were gone. He hated them and the feeling didn't diminish over a long period. He was glad when he could go to the military academy his parents had decided to send him to after they caught him stealing.

©2013

Museo Salvatore Ferragamo, Florence, Italy

When we booked the Gallery Hotel Art, a Lungarno Collection property, which belongs to Salvatore Ferragamo we received free entrance to the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo beside some other perks. Normally entrance costs 6 Euro (ca. 7.90 USD).

The museum is located in the basement at the headquarters of Salvatore Ferragamo at Via dei Tornabuoni.

We were greeted friendly. In order to pay no entrance we had to show our key card and fill out a form.

The museum was entirely different than what we expected. There were some Salvatore Ferragamo shoes, designed by the master himself and some of his tools. The museum, though, evolves around myths, fables and fairytales and how shoes/shoemakers have influenced culture over the centuries.

There were video installations; one was inspired by Salvatore Ferragamo's autobiography, telling how he managed to make a pair of shoes for his sister without ever learning how to do it.

The museum is good, but in our opinion it has too few Salvatore Ferragamo designs exhibited and makes it difficult to learn something about the company's history.

We needed around 45 minutes to see the complete museum. Photography isn't allowed.

Would we return? If the entrance is included in our overnight rate at a Lungarno Collection hotel, yes. Otherwise the price feels too high for what you get.

©2013

Museo Gucci, Florence, Italy

Museo Gucci is located directly on Piazza della Signoria, near the famous Neptune fountain. It is housed in a classic building. Originally it had fallen into disrepair, but was restored to the highest standards. It not only houses the museum, there is also the museum's store and the Caffe.

We were greeted warmly and paid the 6 Euro per person (ca. 8 USD) entrance. We were then directed to the beginning of the exhibition. There were two floors open, containing the permanent and changing exhibitions. The museum gave a good background what Gucci is all about. It started with suitcases, clothing and accessories from the 50ies and 60ies until the 90ies and some parts of newer collections. The museum left out Tom Ford's tenure as head designer.

The current exhibition was by a Portuguese artist and included a sculpture and video installations.

We enjoyed our visit very much and would return any time. Photography in the museum isn't allowed, be aware of this. From our experience for the viewing of the exhibitions, we would plan in around 60 to 80 minutes.

 

©2013

Galician Contemporary Arts Center - Centro Gallego de Arte Contemporaneo, Santiago de Compostela Spain

The direct neighbor to the Museum of the Galician People is the Galician Contemporary Arts Center.

Entrance is free, and the building is modern - as expected - inside and out. The design is beautiful, understated and free flowing. I felt it let me breathe.

The entrance is small compared to the size of the building and leads either directly to the exhibition to the left or the restaurant/bar and gift shop to the right.

We were thirsty and a bit peckish, so we went to the restaurant. The space had white walls (like the rest of the museum) and contemporary furniture. Unfortunately our experience wasn't that good. A lot got lost in translation.

I went to the bar to order, only to find out there was a waiter service available, and I had to rush back to our table. It seemed we could only choose from a three course menu the waiter wrote up for us in English on a small note. Since we didn't have that much hunger, we decided to forgo it and take the brownies displayed at the bar. We also had a bottle of ice tea each. When I paid the bill, I thought the price paid was a bit high, costing over 10 Euro (ca. 13.20 USD). The brownie was good, though.
Feeling more refreshed and relaxed we went to the gift shop next. It has art books mostly in Spanish, but also a few in English. Room to move is a bit restrained.

We moved on finally to the exhibition. There are currently three different artists exhibiting. The shows run until October.

Victor Grippo was born in Junin and died in Buenos Aires. Ricardo Basbaum is Brazilian and Graham Gussin British.

All three were different approaches including video installations, prints, artwork with potatoes and marbles.

We liked it and thought it was inspiring.

We recommend the Contemporary Arts Center, but wouldn't go there to eat due to limited choices.

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Museum of the Galician People - Museo del Pueblo Gallego, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Since we wanted to learn about the region we were making holiday at, we planned to visit the Museo del Pueblo Gallego or Museum of the Galician People.

It is housed in a building ca. 700 years old and just a short stroll from the cathedral.

On Sundays the museum has open from 11.00 hours to 14.00 hours.  We expected to pay 3 Euro (ca. 4 USD) entrance per person.
To our surprise we were told the entrance was free, because it was Sunday.

It might also had to do with us arriving around 40 minutes before closing, so we couldn't see the whole exhibition.

Our backpack was stored in a locker.

Photography without flash is allowed.

We enjoyed the courtyard, the gallery with it's arches and stone reliefs depicting saints and the former church, now housing a memorial to famous Galician persons. The church was very simple, airy and a clean cut space.

Another highlight was the staircase. It was winding and looked very elegant. It was impressive and alone for that the entrance would be worth paying for.

Since we had a few minutes to spare we went into one of the many exhibition rooms. This one was dedicated to the history of the maritime life in Galicia.

We had visited a similar museum before, so we could understand what it was showing, like fishing boats, mussel picking and other things. Unfortunately there is no English signage, only Spanish and Galician, so it could be boring some or difficult to follow.

Overall we would highly recommend the museum for a longer visit next time.

 

©2013