Police Control

Check out Frieda's newest adventure! 

Officer Michael Green was patrolling US-78 near Birmingham, Alabama. He was a traffic cop and liked what he did.  Shortly before Easter he saw a Porsche from the sixties with a Florida number plate heading towards the border of Tennessee. It was a quite unique car and memorable for that reason. A white man was behind the wheel.
The next days passed quickly.
On Easter Sunday the same Porsche was travelling towards Birmingham. This time a Hispanic woman drove it. She kept slightly under the speed limit. Officer Green was immediately suspicious. He followed the vehicle with his patrol car, siren and lights on to indicate to the driver to stop. She complied. Michael Green was 6 ft 2 in, and weighed 199 lbs. He was trim, muscular and very proud of his figure. The officer was black haired and had brown eyes, looking serious. The lady was fairly young. He guessed around twenty. "Can I see your papers, please, ma'am?" "Sure, officer." Everything was in order. Still Officer Green wanted to be sure the young woman wasn't an illegal immigrant or a criminal. He asked for her work permit or green card, instead the lady gave him her passport. It confirmed her name was Frieda Dolores Pianas. She was turning twenty three in May and American citizen. Officer Green was surprised. For him it was still fishy. He took the documents to his car and asked his colleague at the station to run the name through their data base. "The lady is clean, Mike." It caused Officer Green some headache. He was still trying to figure out how Ms. Pianas could afford such a car at her age. He never thought Hispanics made enough money... Well, Ms. Pianas' parents must be wealthy. He was jealous, thinking about his own meager salary. Officer Green wasn't corrupt, so he didn't smash the Porsche's back light or claimed Ms. Pianas was over the speed limit. If he had had any reason to give her a ticket, though, he would have done it with glee. Officer Green was dismayed to let the Hispanic go.

©2012

What to do in .... - Part 1

These are some "mini travel guides", if you like. More parts are to follow. Hope you like the first part. Happy travels!

Poland

Try the local cuisine. The food quality is really high.

- Pirogi (crescent shaped dumplings filled with meat, potatos, cheese and / or vegetables) topped with fried onions and bacon. They can be also sweet.


- Fried breaded pork fillet with potatoes, similar to Wiener Schnitzel or Veal Milanese.


- The Polish love ice cream. There are ice cafes in every city. Its really delicious.


- Another favorite of the Polish are Doener Kebabs. Most outlets offer meal deals as well.


- Cakes, chocolate and wafer biscuits.

The coffee culture is very high in this country. One of the most beautiful coffee houses in my opinion is the Cafe Bristol at the Le Meridien Bristol in Warsaw. It's interior design looks as if hasn't changed for a century (of course it has been renovated). The cakes are really delicious, coffee is good too, and there are interesting mocktails.

One of the most famous Polish chocolate brands is Wedel. They even have their own stores and cafes.

Wafer biscuits are available in different flavors.
 

- Vodka. Famous brands are Belvedere, Wyborowka (rye), Chopin (potatos) and Zubrowka (bison grass)



Poland is steeped in history, be it in the golden age of the Polish Kingdom or more recently during World War II and the Communist period.

Every city looks different and has its own charm, so I would recommend visit the Old Towns and if you're interested in modern buildings the New Towns too.

©2012

Travel Log: Towers Rotana Dubai, UAE

We had a long deliberation before booking the Towers Rotana Dubai. The decision wasn't easy. In my opinion the success of a holiday is depending on the right hotel choice. In the end we booked a Club Rotana room.

We were in contact with the hotel around two weeks before our arrival. We organized our free airport transportation, which is included when booking a Club room/suite. We arrived fairly early. The hotel was aware of this and stated from the beginning a check in at 09.00 am couldn't be guaranteed. That was fair enough.
As promised a representative of the Towers Rotana was waiting outside the arrivals hall holding a sign with the hotel's name.
We were accompanied to our car, a BMW 3 series, and brought to our destination swiftly. The transfer took maybe 15 minutes.

The Towers Rotana is located in the middle of Sheikh Zayed Road and has easy access to the Dubai International Financial Center and the Metro. The nearest stop Financial Center is only a few minutes from the hotel and gave us the chance to explore the city by public transport.

When we arrived the doorman and bell captain were already at hand, opening the car doors for us and taking care of our suitcase.
Inside we were greeted by a lady and brought to the reception.
We had a trainee, but she did an excellent job with the check in. As expected our room wasn't ready yet, so we were brought up by the person, who greeted us, to the club lounge on the 24th floor.
There is a reception area with a check in/check out facility.
We were welcomed by the waitress of the club lounge and invited to have breakfast. Very shortly afterwards the hostess of the lounge introduced herself and told us she would take care of our luggage and advise us as soon as the room was ready. Good to her word she returned around an hour later with the keys.

Our large room was on the 20th floor and renovated only late last year. I liked the contrast between the light carpet and dark furniture. We had a sitting area with two blue chairs and a coffee table. A fruit basket, which was later exchanged with a beautifully arranged bouquet of flowers, was waiting for us as a welcome gift.
There was also a magazine holder, containing Time Out Dubai, the Rotana's own magazine and Concierge magazine.

There was enough storage space, even for longer stays, a large cupboard, a wardrobe and a luggage rack.
An iron and ironing board could be found in the wardrobe.
The hairdryer was located in the cupboard.

Internet access was free.
The mini bar was tempting with soft drinks, chocolate bars and Loacker biscuits.
We also received every day four free bottles of water.
The flat screen TV offered a wide range of regional and international channels, including CNN, BBC World and Bloomberg.

The writing desk and chair were comfortable and suitable to spend a few hours working there. Lightning was also well thought out and never felt too dark.

The bed was king sized and very comfortable. It was difficult to get up. The black out curtain was one of the best we ever had, making the room completely dark, and it was impossible to know what time of the day it was, when they were closed.

The bath room was medium sized and well stocked with L' Occitaine amenities. We like them. There was a large sink and an extreme comfortable bath tub - even I didn't want to get out. The shower wasn't separated. The water pressure was good though and it was easy to use the appliances to switch from the bathtub tap to the shower.

There was a bidet and toilet as well.

The view from our room was over the city and the Arabian Sea.
Housekeeping came twice a day.


The hotel is full service and offers a laundry, a spa, fitness center and outdoor swimming pool, hair salon, barber and a gift shop.

To get to the spa, fitness center and pool, you have to go out the back entrance, cross the street to the second tower, which is a parking garage, and take the lift to the top floor. We didn't use the facilities, because we were way too busy.

The Towers Rotana has 24 hours in room dining, Teatro, a fine dining restaurant, on the third floor, Flavors on Two (as the name implies 2nd floor), Long's bar (the longest bar in Dubai and is inspired by Raffles' Long Bar in Singapore), Wraps (the cafe on the ground floor) and Aquarius, the pool bar.

We went to Wraps on our last full day, having some fun with our waitress. I had a Turkish coffee and water. EW chose a juice and a tea. We both wanted the Chicken Tikka Wrap. It's served with either green salad or Greek salad. I asked for a green, he for a Greek. It seemed a bit unusual. The waitress repeated our order and giggled when she realized she just said we both had the Greek, correcting herself. Overall she was very attentive, friendly and had great humor.
Our lunch was excellent, very fresh, hot and delicious. It came in at 150 AED (United Arab Dirham), which was ca. 35 Euros or 41 USD.

The club lounge was one of the best we ever had. It is divided into three distinct areas: The reception, the restaurant part and the living room part. You can sit on the window sill and look out, use the two computers to surf the web or create documents. Internet was very fast and the printer worked too. There is also a small library and a sofa arrangement. There is a toilet, so no need to run to your room...

The lounge serves breakfast, juices, soft drinks, tea and coffee all day, Afternoon tea and Happy Hour.
We had breakfast every day at the club lounge.
Sometimes there were boiled eggs, but always scrambled eggs.
The sausages interchanged between chicken and beef. There was bacon, Foul Medames, baked beans, cheese, smoked salmon and mackerel, yogurt, fruits, fruit salad, bread, toast, cakes, margarine, butter, jams and pastries.
The choice was very good, considering the limited space, and the quality very high.

We managed twice to have Afternoon Tea. It was set up traditionally and the cakes were absolutely gorgeous. Some were decorated with edible silver or gold. There were also finger sandwiches, cookies and chocolates.

During Happy Hour there was a selection of white and red wine (mostly New World) and other spirits. There was always sushi, appetizers, at least three hot dishes (quiches, curry, shepherds pie, soup, quesadillas and much more), cheese, grapes, filled eggs (his favorite), grilled vegetables (mine), cakes and, and and...
We never needed dinner, when we went there. Everything was fresh, high quality and delicious.

Regarding service - everyone encountered, be it the bell captain, security, reception, the lounge hostess, waitresses, the operator or maids - they were all professional, warm, reliable and efficient. A big thank you to them. They made our stay so much more smooth running and relaxing.

Our ten nights just flew by, and before we knew it, it was already time to leave. The day before our departure I organized a wake up call and free transportation to the airport.
At the Towers Rotana the wake up calls were very reliable and to my surprise always on the dot. It didn't mean five minutes earlier or later like in some other hotels.
Having observed that the hostess arrives later in the morning than we had to check out, I asked the lounge waitress during our breakfast, if we had to go downstairs. She asked a member of the reception staff to come upstairs instead. Our check out was quick. A taxi, paid for by the hotel, was already waiting for us and the bell captain stored our luggage in the boot.

Our stay was a success and we would return immediately to the Towers Rotana.

©2012

Foursome

This little hottie plays after a few other short stories like Reggie between all chairs, Calculated, Mischief, Sisters, Lost and Revenge.

Coldham Fintan Noose III is visiting Jamie Lu in Alabama, whom he met when organizing a heist in Taipei.

Fin Noose and his fiancée Frieda Pianas were intimate in the stables. A giggle made Fin look up - straight into the dark brown eyes of his friend Jamie Luella Tillmann. Instead of being embarrassed Fin continued what he was doing. His fiancée didn't mind either being caught in the act. Frieda and he had an open relationship. Sometimes they had threesomes. Since their taste in women was identical it wasn't very difficult to agree on whom to take home.
Fin had had slept with Jamie Lu, as Jamie Luella preferred to be called, a couple of times, when they were on an assignment together. Frieda had been aware of it and based on the description of Jamie Lu wanted to have sex with her, too.
"Want to join us?" Fin asked. "Why not?" Jamie Lu replied. It had been ages that Jamie Lu had a roll in the hay, so she climbed up the rest of the ladder and onto the landing. Fin and Frieda had made love in the missionary position. They separated now to allow Jamie Lu to take part. Jamie Lu didn't know at first what to do and felt a bit shy, which was unusual for her self assured and bubbly personality. Frieda made the first step. She embraced Jamie Lu and gave her a kiss on the mouth. Frieda was soft, touching barely Jamie Lu's lips. Encouraged by Jamie Lu's not so soft reply, her tongue went exploring and outlined Jamie Lu's full lips. The kiss deepened. "Jamie Lu? Jamie Lu?" They heard Jamie Belle, Jamie Lu's sister, looking for her. Jamie Lu groaned and to all three's disappointment Jamie Lu stopped the kiss. "Yes, what is it?!" Jamie Lu was impatient. "Am I disturbing something?" Jamie Belles voice came nearer. Soon they heard someone climbing up the ladder. A brunette head emerged. Jamie Belle was surprised to find her sister's friends in a state of undress and slightly dishelved. They were flushed, but they weren't the only ones. Jamie Belle studied Jamie Lu careful. She realized she had caught them inflagranti. "Yes, you have a really good timing." Jamie Lu replied angry. "Let me guess, you want to have all the fun and won't share it..." Jamie Belle replied. Fin snorted in amusement. Grudgingly Jamie Lu allowed Jamie Belle to have fun too. Fin and Frieda were entertained by the short banter that followed between the two sisters. Since Frieda and Jamie Lu had started something, Jamie Belle and Fin paired up. Fin was happy. Jamie Belle had nice sized boobs. They were bigger than Frieda's or Jamie Lu's.
Fin liked Jamie Belle's bossiness and that she was completely in charge. Besides enjoying the kisses, licks and the blow job, he also watched how Jamie Lu and Frieda got along. Both were turn ons. Frieda was flicking her tongue around one of Jamie Lu's nipples. Her partner sighed with pleasure. Jamie Lu's fingers went exploring further down and entered Frieda's holes. Frieda lost concentration for a moment. Her tongue missed the target. Jamie Lu giggled.
Fin was battling with his self control. In the end he couldn't take Jamie Belle's attention any longer. He was a bit rougher than usual, turned Jamie Belle around and asked her to kneel on all four. She obeyed and soon felt Fin behind her, taking her anal, his body slamming into her backside. Jamie Belle loved Fin's passion and how he played with her breasts. Their sex was fast and furious. After a few moments Fin collapsed on top of Jamie Belle.
Frieda was a bit sad, she hadn't had the chance to use her strap on, she had in her suitcase. It was satisfying enough, though, to investigate Jamie Lu's body in the 69 position, driving each other higher and higher until they both climaxed.
Frieda didn't mind Fin and Jamie Belle had watched them. She had also been a voyeur and found it erotic watching her partner interact with Jamie Belle. If there was a next time, she wanted to have Jamie Belle, though.

©2012

What's in a name?

The title could be also how to choose a name....

When Coldham Fintan Noose III and his wife Frieda Dolores were expecting their first child it had been relatively easy to choose a name.
They didn't want to have another little Frieda or Fin running around. In fact Fin disliked Coldham and had been teased as a kid, so they didn't want to punish their child with a too unusual name.
Fin and Frieda didn't want to know the sex o f the unborn. Fin was sure it was a girl. Frieda didn't bet on it and demanded they choose a boy's name too.
After tossing a few names they realized they wanted to name a daughter after her great grandmother and his grand mother. "What about Lilian Xenia Noose?" Frieda asked. "I'd like to use Lil's complete name." Fin replied. "Okay. Xenia Lilian Rose Noose?" Fin shook his head. He didn't like it and wasn't satisfied with any other combination. In his opinion it was all too long and sounded awful. Frieda admitted it wasn't good. Suddenly she had an idea. "What was Lil's maiden name?" "Casey. Why?" "Your grandfather was given your great grandmother's maiden name, wasn't he?" "Yes." "So why not continue the tradition and name our daughter Xenia Casey Noose or Casey Xenia Noose?" Fin liked the idea. "If you agree, we can take Xenia Casey Noose." Frieda was happy.
As a boy's name they chose Christopher Giovanni. It were the middle name of Fin's mentor and the first name of Fin's best friend.
Fin was relieved when the baby was a girl. Frieda and Fin hadn't made up their minds by which name to call their daughter. Based on her personality they chose Casey. It sounded softer than Xenia, even if the meanings were opposites. Xenia was Greek and meant something like hospitable, while Casey was Irish and meant vigilant, brave or watchful.

When the couple was expecting their second child the girl's name was easy. Phoenix Ruby was the one they wanted.
The boy's name caused a headache. Christopher Giovanni suddenly didn't seem suitable anymore. Fin hoped it was another girl.
In the end Fin and Frieda agreed on Solomon after Fin's grandfather, but didn't know about the middle name.
When Solomon was born, it was obvious he was going to look like his father with his blond fuzz. Fin liked his own middle name. It was also a family tradition to name any blond boy Fintan, so it was Solomon Fintan.
Solomon was Hebrew and meant peace, while Fintan was Irish and meant little blond one.

©2012

Travel Log Flight Dublin - London Heathrow - Dubai International Airport

Earlier this year we bought a flight to Dubai. At the time we booked it with BMI. Since British Airways (BA) had taken over the airline, we didn't know what to expect.
The name BMI is going to vanish. Some of the planes have been already rebranded as BA.

We used the online check in, which is available from 24 hours before the flight. It was a bit difficult to use. The system wouldn't let me log in. I tried around five to six times, before it was finally working. From then on it was easy. It allowed me to print out the boarding passes for the leg between Dublin and London Heathrow, but not the leg between London Heathrow and Dubai International Airport, because the flight was co-shared with Virgin Atlantic.
I wasn't too concerned. Prior experiences taught me that we would get our boarding passes either at check in in Dublin or at the flight connection center in London Heathrow.

Our flight left early in the afternoon, so we tried to be at Dublin Airport three hours before the flight.
We took the Airlink bus from College Green/Dame Street and were surprised, because the whole city was blocked by fans of the Notre Dame American Football team. For a moment we feared we weren't able to get to the airport on time. Thank goodness a bus arrived and managed to get through. It took a bit longer, but we still arrived around 2 hours before our flight left at Terminal 1. The check in was quite. After a short wait it was our turn.
While the lady checked in our bag I asked her regarding our boarding passes for the second leg. We were advised we would receive them in London.

In Terminal 2 the boarding pass check is done by a person, in Terminal 1 it's automated, and there was a change: While BMI's boarding pass codes never worked, BA's did.

Security was not too busy, and it took us only a few minutes to go through.
Airside we passed the time by doing some window shopping and had hot chocolate, tea and cakes at Starbucks. The drinks were very good, but the cakes not fresh, so this was a disappointment, and we thought it was overprized.
When it was time for boarding we made our way to our gate.
First invited were families with small children and persons, who needed more time. Next were First and Business Class passengers, Executive Club members and members of BA's co-share partners frequent flyer programs. The boarding was then done based on seat number, starting at the back.
Our plane, an Airbus A319 had already the British Airways branding, but the interior was still BMI's.
Boarding was done quickly, and we left on time.
There was the usual safety demonstration. We found two British Airways magazines; one was about business, the other about leisure. Both were interesting. The time flew by with reading and drink service. We also could choose between a savory and sweet snack (Doorman's Masala chips or biscuits) there was a wide range of soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, tea and coffee available. I chose an orange juice and water. My better half wanted the same, but for some reason received an orange juice and a little Smirnoff bottle. EW didn't complain. Instead he mixed the juice and vodka together. I tried. It tasted good. No wonder he didn't want to return it.
Otherwise the flight was eventless. We arrived on time in London.

Connecting wasn't as difficult as we imagined. We had heard horror stories about Heathrow, but never experienced any of this. Previously we had booked separate flights with two different carriers, collected our luggage, connected to a different terminal, checked our luggage in and went through security without any hiccups.

Now our luggage was going through to Dubai, so we didn't have to worry about that.
Shortly before landing there was a public passenger announcement, telling connecting passengers to leave the plane, follow the emergency exit signs and wait for a bus. The exit could have been easily overlooked, if there wouldn't have been a ground member of BA, directing us down a flight of stairs. The bus was already there. After waiting for a few other passengers we could start our journey and were directly dropped off at Terminal 1 Connection Center. The bus for Terminal 3 was ready to leave, so we jumped on it.
We know all Heathrow Terminals landside, the only one missing airside is Terminal 4. Out of all terminals, 3 is my favorite. In my opinion it is the most luxurious and offers the best eating outlets beside Plane Food at T5.
Connecting from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 took around 45 minutes.
At Terminal 3's Connection Center we went to BA's desk, trying to get our boarding passes there. We explained our situation. The lady couldn't find our details. She was friendly and directed us to Virgin Atlantic.
At Virgin Atlantic we finally received our boarding passes. There was another passport control and security check.
We had six hours left and spent them strolling around, watching people and eating at Rhubarb and Strada. Both restaurants were to our liking.

It was our first time we flew with Virgin Atlantic in Economy. Since the airline presents itself as sexy and stylish, we hoped it would also have substance.

Our aircraft was an Airbus A340-600. The cabin was held in red and white colors.
A pillow and blanket were already waiting for each customer.
The chairs were overall comfortable. There was no foot rest and the leg room was slightly too small for EW. The magazine holder in front of EW's seat was worn out and hung down, restricting his space even further.
Soon the cabin crew handed out headsets for the entertainment system, a feel well pack (containing ear plugs and other things) and the menu.
A funny safety demonstration video was shown, and soon we were pushing back.

The entertainment system was good. There was a selection of Hollywood blockbusters, international movies, documentaries, TV programs, games and much more.
My favorite past time was to play Who wants to be a Millionaire, Trivia and Tetris.
Dinner was a three course. It was served ca. 90 minutes into the flight.
The starter was a mixed salad, followed by a choice of three main courses (chicken, beef or a pasta dish), bread roll, Irish butter and a Gue Banoffee dessert. Both of us had the minced beef with breadcrumb topping, potatoes and beans). We loved it. The quality was high, and in my opinion it was fresh and relatively healthy.
Drinks were also served regularly. With some other airlines staying hydrated can be an issue, but not here.
After another round of games, I went to sleep.
I could rest well until it was time for breakfast. Normally I have issues with getting sufficient sleep or ending up with tensions in the neck and shoulders. This time everything was fine.
Breakfast included tea/coffee, a fruit yogurt and a muffin. Again it was very tasty, light and one of the best in-flight breakfasts we ever had.
Soon after our meal we were approaching Dubai International Airport and landing. Our flight took 6 hours and 35 minutes.
Deboarding was done quickly.

Immigration wasn't busy, so after a few quick questions and having received our visa stamps we were free to enjoy our 10 nights/11 days in Dubai.

The return flights were as pleasant as the first two legs. This time around we received all our boarding passes at check in in Dubai.

Unfortunately on our return flight from Dubai to Heathrow the meal - fish - we had liked to have for our lunch wasn't available at all. It had been replaced with lamb. My better half and I weren't interested in the other two dishes. I like lamb, so it wasn't a problem for me, but EW doesn't. He left his main course barely touched. He didn't complain about the quality, though. Again the salad and dessert were excellent.

Since our flight was seven hours we also got ice cream, which was very much welcome.

The flight attendants came regular around with drinks.

We also liked the special cocktail served either with alcohol or without.

The afternoon tea with sandwiches was also very nice.

The only other gripe I had was the toilet.
Somebody had made a small mess in it and hadn't cleaned up, so it was a bit disgusting to use it. Shortly before landing I had to use the toilet again. Unfortunately toilet paper and hand towels were out, so to keep up with hygiene was difficult.

Connecting from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1 was slightly different. This time around we used the official way and followed the purple signs for Flight Connection.
Again it was very pleasant and quick, thinking about Heathrows' size.

Our time between the two flights was a bit more than two hours and was ample. We bought a perfume and had a snack at Prêt-a-Manger.

Soon enough it was boarding time. There was an unexpected gate change, and there was some confusion to which gate we had to go to due to the way the number was pronounced. 18 or 80? Since nearly all flights to and from Ireland arrive and leave generally from gates 70+, we knew we had to go to 80.
This time the plane was BMI branded, but the rest was as on our outbound flight.

Arriving in the early evening in Dublin we were hungry and tired. We wanted something quick to eat, so we used the food court landside. To our dismay our favorite Starbucks in the airport wasn't existing anymore. The only two options at the food court left were Alcock & Brown, which had closed, and McDonalds. Having no choice, we went to the Golden Arches. The quality has deteriorated over the years. This meal was the low point. Never ever McDonalds for us.
The Big Mac had an odd taste and the chicken wrap was undercooked and cold instead of hot. The cheese was not melted. After a few bites EW left it.
Having had great experiences during the twelve days we were away, this was a big disappointment.

The food court in Terminal 1 landside has changed very much - from thriving to being boring, offering a wide and good quality choice to only two outlets with low quality. This doesn't leave a good impression to locals and tourists/business travelers alike, and I hope this is going to improve. I doubt it though.
After Terminal 2 opened and Aer Lingus, Etihad and all American carriers have emigrated there, Ryan Air is dominating Terminal 1.
We have seen a lot of shops and food outlets close down and the cleanliness deteriorate since Ryan Air is the largest airline in Terminal 1. We all know Ryan Air isn't willing to pay high charges.

Anyway our mood recovered considerable, when our shuttle bus to the Holiday Inn Express Dublin Airport arrived on time.

Returning to British Airways and Virgin Atlantic:

BA
It is nice to have a carrier that offers full service to London after a longer period.
I liked the friendly staff and the concept they offer.
We are definitely considering flying with them again.

Virgin Atlantic
I understand Virgin Atlantic better now, and I'm glad I didn't let my prejudices stand in my way to try them out.
Without a doubt we are using Virgin Atlantic again.

©2012

I'm back!

Sorry for not longer posting, but I'm busy at the moment to write about our travel experiences and one or two short stories are also in the making. I hope I have more to publish next week. See you then. :)