Caxton Bar, St. Ermin's Hotel, London

Before we travelled to London we informed ourselves what was in the Intercontinental Westminster's vicinity. Of course we had heard about the St. Ermin's Hotel before. It had re-opened ca. a year ago after a refurbishment.
It is built horse shoe shaped, in Queen Anne revival style and located in Caxton Street. Originally the St. Ermin's Hotel was an apartment complex, but in 1899 it opened its door as a hotel and has operated as one ever since.
St. Ermin's is quite quirky and has a checkered history. It has a connection to MI6 and Winston Churchill.
During our visit we went to Caxton's Bar. When entering the hotel the restaurant and bar are to the left.
Overall the room felt very decadent with rich stucco on the ceilings, a library and interesting artwork.
The tables were interesting too. There was a table cloth underneath a large glass plate and a nice plant on top of it.
We had informed us on the internet and realized that the cocktail menu was different than the one online. When we checked with our waiter he advised that unfortunately the internet hadn't been updated and the printed menu at the hotel was correct. They didn't stock the ingredients for previous cocktails any longer, so EW's choice was not available. Instead the waiter suggested an Espresso Martini, which was similar to what EW wanted. My better half decided to have a think and studied the two page cocktail list. I had made up my mind already and asked for a Caxton Fallen Angel. He had in the end a Maple Leaf. Feeling a little bit cool from walking quite a long time outside we had a cappuccino and a hot chocolate as well as some desserts. He had the chocolate fondant and I the bread and butter pudding with peanut butter ice cream and banana. All was very delicious.  My dessert was served on a wooden plate, his came sprinkled with edible gold. We both loved the strong flavors.
The waiter was quirky too, btw. Because when we ordered dessert he said: "Why not?"
The other patrons were a mix of younger and older people; some were on leisure, others on business. Even though the bar was full, it was quiet. The atmosphere was relaxing.
The waiter was attentive and friendly.
The bill came in at slightly under 50 GBP (ca. 58 Euro or 75 USD) including 12.5 % service charge.
The impression the St. Ermin's left was so good we are going to stay at some stage there.

©2013

Travel Report: Intercontinental Westminster London, United Kingdom

We were waiting for the opening of the Intercontinental Westminster since we first heard about the plans to convert St. Anne's Chambers in the heart of the political district into a hotel.
As soon as it was bookable last year we grabbed the chance and used the points and cash option at Intercontinental Hotel Group's frequent guest program called Priority Club. We had a really good offer with 30.000 Points and 70 USD cash for one night.

We spent the night prior to our flight at the Hilton Dublin Airport and took the 07.45 hours hotel shuttle bus to Dublin Airport Terminal 2 for our 10.10 hours Aer Lingus flight to London Gatwick or at least so we thought. To our surprise we had been bumped up to an earlier flight leaving at 08.50 hours and only realized it, when we had gone through security. Without stress we managed to arrive at the gate before it closed. We were glad we could leave earlier and had a front row seat, so we had more time to enjoy London.

We took the Gatwick Express to Victoria Station. Due to the location of the hotel we were able to walk to the Intercontinental, passing Christchurch Gardens with sculptures commemorating Henry Purcell and the Suffragette movement, St. Ermin's Hotel, an MGallery Collection Hotel by Accor and New Scotland Yard.
Taking our time and photographs we arrived at around noon. If walking normal it shouldn't take longer than 15 minutes. The hotel is located opposite St. James's Park tube station.
We were asked by the door man, if we wanted to check in. He informed the bell captain, who asked for our name, offered to take our carry on luggage and directed us to reception, where he introduced us. He assumed the booking was in the name of my companion, so he used my last name, but added Mr. in front of it. It was a bit amusing.
The check in was smooth and very quick. Our room was located on the highest floor, the sixth.
The ground floor space is large with the lobby to the right. There are a lot of colorful flowers, art work, including the Queen without face, and a small atrium.
When heading towards the elevators, there is the lounge to the right, a staircase to the left and when heading straight you can reach the Blue Boar Bar and Restaurant.
With elevators you can access all floors, but there are no markings, for example stating where the lobby or restaurant is located. It wasn't a problem for us.

Our room was large with views over New Scotland Yard and the hotel atrium. We had a small hallway, a huge wardrobe with safe, umbrella, shoe horn and luggage rack.
The room was completed with a huge king sized bed, a medium sized writing desk with comfortable chair, a club chair and ottoman, a coffee table and a large mirror TV with all the channels one could wish for.
The color scheme was light brown, grey and white with dark carpets.
All carpets show a million finger prints, connecting with the building's past.

Guests don't have to worry about adapters either. In front of the writing desk is a panel with outlets from around the world.

On the coffee table were magazines - Tattler, Bazaar, Vanity Fair (one of my favorites) and the Economist.

The mini bar contained Folkington juices, chocolate bars, a good alcoholic and soft drink selection. There was also fresh milk for making coffee or tea, a Nespresso coffee machine including capsules and a kettle. The cups were by Heritage.

In room dining was available 24 hours a day and came directly from the Blue Boar Restaurant. If you want to you can also have a large bottle of for example vodka and make your own cocktails. All utensils you need are there, including a shaker.

The bath room was as large as the bedroom with dark and light marble and granite.

The towels were all made in Portugal. They were large and soft.

There was also a hanger for the bathrobe.

The bath tub and shower were separated.

The amenities were by Agraria, San Francisco. If guests have forgotten something it can be also found on the room, including shoe shine equipment, shower caps and armory board.

We enjoyed our room very much. The writing desk and chair were comfortable to use, the bed allowed restful sleep and we liked the textures and color scheme. One of the more interesting designs was the headboard. It was made from wood and leather and reached up to the ceiling.

The bath tub was excellent too. The shower had good water pressure and hot water supply was never a problem.
Both can get a bit slippery, though.

After photographing the room we went out exploring. At our return a welcome gift was waiting for us - a fruit platter and a handwritten note from the guest relations team.

I also requested additional bath gel. It was promptly delivered and followed up by reception, if we had received it. This was a nice touch.

The wake up call was on the dot and the ordered free newspaper was also waiting outside.

We had in room dining twice and used the mini bar.

Our dinner consisted of a rare tea from Taiwan for two, minute steak sandwich, Thai Green Chicken Curry with rice, two mini house salads, which were in reality two large ones and a pineapple dessert.
All was excellent. In fact the standards were so high we wouldn't be surprised, if the Blue Boar Restaurant earns a Michelin Star in the future.
We loved especially the dessert.
Dinner cost ca. 72 GBP including 12.5% service charge and 5 GBP tray charge (ca. 84 Euro or ca. 109 USD).

The breakfast choice is quite big, ranging from Continental to Health to full English. Of course items are also available a la carte. We chose Japanese Sencha Green Tea, Cappuccino, milk (choice of full fat, half skimmed, fat free), pink grapefruit and orange juice, Eggs Benedict, low fat yogurt with berries and a bakery basket, containing sourdough bread, toast, croissants and pastries, with butter and jam. Again it was the finest quality and worth every penny paid. Breakfast came in at ca. 58 GBP (ca 68 Euro or ca. 88 USD).

Check out came way too quick, but the experience went flawless.

The only thing that needed improvement was the hair dryer. It didn't function properly on the highest speed. I mentioned it at check out and was promised an engineer would take care of the problem. Since the hair dryer was just a bit slower and louder than usual, it wasn't really a big issue.

We loved how detailed the hotel was, the comfort of the room, the flawless, friendly, discreet and efficient service, excellent food and location.

This is the best hotel we have stayed at in London beside the Swissotel The Howard, which does unfortunately no longer exist.

Of course there are some other hotels we want to try in London, but this is definitely on the go back to list.

©2013

Afternoon Tea at the Gallery, The Westbury Dublin, Ireland

Our plans for the weekend were to go the Grand Canal Square to check out how far the Marker, a new hotel and member of the Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), had progressed, since the opening is only planned for 02.04.13. There is still some building work going on, but most rooms seem to be ready. After having spent hours outdoors, we were hungry and went from the Docklands to Grafton Street. Our destination was the Westbury, a fellow member of LHW. We had decided the previous evening to go to the Gallery. The Easter Cocoa Atelier Afternoon Tea seemed especially tempting, based on the description on the website.
The Gallery is located on the first floor and guests can either go up the beautiful staircase or use the elevator.
The staircase is split into two. When turning to the left you arrive immediately at the Gallery, if turning right you encounter the reception, concierge and elevators to the guest rooms.

There was a host already waiting to seat people. Unfortunately we didn't have a reservation, and the lounge was really buzzing, so our hostess asked us to take a seat at the bench and she would try and arrange something for us or we could head for the Marble Bar. Since we wanted Afternoon Tea we decided to wait. It didn't take more than a few minutes and we were seated near the piano and a group of ladies having a baby shower.
Soon a waitress handed us a menu. To our surprise there was no sign of the Easter Cocoa Atelier Afternoon Tea. On the website it didn't state from which date it was available. When we asked the waitress she had never heard of it before. She promised to investigate. After a longer wait our waitress returned with a print out, saying unfortunately the tea wasn't available yet. It is served between 27.03.13 and 07.04.13. It didn't matter to us, so we ordered the Traditional Afternoon Tea for 30 Euro each (ca. 40 USD). If you prefer to have it with Champagne it costs 36 Euro per person (ca. 47 USD). The Easter Afternoon Tea would have the same price. Additionally we ordered freshly squeezed orange juice for 4.50 Euro each (ca. 6 USD).

While we were waiting for our service we took in the scene. The hotel had originally only classic features, but thanks to a renovation a few years back it has completely changed and has a more contemporary flair. In the lounge are abstract paintings, a modern fireplace, sumptuous sofas and chairs. The colors are mostly grey, blue and red. There was a good atmosphere and the age group was mixed from young to old.

Back to our tea. To give it an elegant atmosphere our table was covered with a white linen table cloth. We ordered both the Granny's Garden Tea. There were at least nine different sorts of tea available. Ours was a fruit tea with rhubarb, vanilla and other flavors. It harmonized with the food. The tea was a bit unusual served, because the sandwiches came on a separate plate than the sweet items. We were asked if we wanted the cakes and scones at the same time or after we had finished the savories. We said we would wait for our sweets. There were egg, turkey and cranberry, ham and crab sandwiches. We both had as a favorite the turkey and cranberry sandwiches, but EW loved the egg sandwiches, while I had as second favorite the crab.
After a short wait we received the tower. On the lower part was the clotted cream, a pot of butter and jams. The middle one contained four scones (two plain, two fruit, and they could be ordered again without any extra charge) and the top contained the cakes, which was the highlight for us. There were pistachio cakes with a raspberry, cocoa and pistachio macaroons, meringue and chocolate brownies. All was fresh, full flavored and from the finest ingredients.

When we wanted to pay it was difficult to get the attention of one of the waitresses. In the end our hostess took care of it.

We spent around two hours at the Gallery and felt relaxed and rested afterwards. We also reserved a table during the week the Easter Cocoa Atelier Tea is available, so that we can try that one too.

©2013

Talk in the Shed

"No, Daddy, no!" Kenneth Loesing held his youngest son Javier by the arm. They were going to have a "talk" in the shed. Javier was struggling, but Kenneth was of course stronger. He pulled his seven year old along. Soon they arrived at the gardener's shed. One handed Kenneth opened the door, still dragging along Javier he switched on the light and pulled out an armless chair from under the work bench. Javier realized there was no escape, so he decided to cooperate, unbuttoned his trousers and waited until his father tipped him over his lap. After a little adjustment Javier's bottom was raised high up in the air, his upper body and legs were dangling above the ground. Javier held onto the chair's legs. He hated staring down at the cold concrete floor. It was interesting what he noticed. There were some cracks. Javier suddenly felt his father lower his underpants to half mast - as Kenneth liked to call lowering those to halfway of Javier's upper thighs. The cold air brushed Javier's behind and made him shudder. Javier clenched and unclenched his buttocks. Then the first smack came. It wasn't too hard, but Javier knew from experience the sting would build up with each spank following each syllable. Kenneth's hand was nearly as large as Javier's behind, so he was able to cover a lot of ground.  "You are going to pay attention in class and not disrupt it! Is this clear?" The pain had increased with the slaps. Javier was yelping soon. He knew his father was expecting an answer to his question, so he replied between gritted teeth and close to tears: "Yes, sir." The next volley of spanks followed. "You are not swearing at your teacher! This is unacceptable behavior." The last smacks were harder and landed on Javier's sit spots, making him screech. Javier had started to cry earlier. His behind was stinging and had taken on a darker shade of red. "Okay, have you learned your lesson?" This time Kenneth didn't raise his hand. Javier nodded vigorously. The whole "conversation" had maybe taken up a minute, but it wasn't too soon for Javier. Before Javier had disliked the cold draft, but now it cooled his burning skin. Kenneth pulled up Javier's underpants and helped him to his feet. Kenneth hugged Javier close to him and said: "I'm sorry I had to punish you and hope I don't have to repeat it. I love you." He let Javier cry in his shirt until his dark blond and grey eyed son had recovered somewhat. Kenneth helped Javier put on his pants and let him go. Javier fled into the darkness of the night. Kenneth sighed. He knew Javier was going to his pet rabbit Brewster, telling him about his sorrows. It helped Javier, so Kenneth let him be.

©2013

Bragging Rights

Here is another Chastity story. I hope you have to smile a bit, when reading it. 
Are you trying to figure out if Fin has given up his job as burglar? No, of course not. He's driving the Loesings to get to his target. :) Thanks also to EW for the inspiration.

Wylie Loesing had forgotten one of his school books in his father's car. He needed it to do his home work so he went to the garage. He opened the car door and froze. A naked African American lady with very, very dark skin and really huge breasts lay on the back seat. Confused he stammered: "I ... I ... wa... was looking for my ... my book." Wylie tried to look the lady in the eyes, but couldn't help himself and his eyes inadvertently wandered back to the boobs. He blushed furiously. The lady gave him more to ogle at, when she turned slightly to look for the book. She revealed her well rounded back side. Wylie swallowed hard. His hands twitched. The dark haired boy was tempted to touch the woman. "Is that what you are looking for?" She handed him the math book. Wylie snatched it from her and ran away without saying thank you. Suddenly he stopped, returned, just to check he hadn't seen a fata morgana. She was still there. This time around she smiled at Wylie. The grey eyed thirteen year old couldn't resist any longer and grabbed one of the large breasts. The lady enjoyed it. She moaned. "If you want to give me more pleasure, do the same with the other." She advised. Wylie didn't need to be told twice. He fumbled a bit. The lady placed Wylie's hands slightly differently and showed him what she liked. Wylie felt his penis growing and exploding. He was slightly embarrassed and uncomfortable in his now soiled pants. Wylie's eyes widened and he made some urgent noises. "I ... I ... I have to go." "Okay, it was nice to meet you." Wylie ran again. He couldn't believe it. He had not only seen huge tits but also touched them. Wow! Suddenly he remembered his good manners and returned. Slightly out of breath he entered the garage a third time. The lady hadn't moved. "Hi, I just wanted to say thank you." He said. "You're welcome. By the way I'm Chastity." "Wylie." "It was a pleasure meeting you, Wylie." Chastity smiled. Finally Wylie managed to tear him away and go to his room.
The next day he couldn't keep his mouth shut and had to tell his friends about his experience and of course embellish it a bit to make him look more grown up. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you are saying." One of them replied. The others thought either Wylie's fantasy had gotten the better of him or he was outright lying.
Wylie later found out Chastity was a porn star. How she ended up in his father's garage was a mystery to him. Maybe his father had invited her for a tet a tet? In the end Wylie didn't care about it. He treasured his first encounter with the opposite sex.
He was wrong on the part Chastity had been invited by Kenneth Loesing. She wanted to surprise her sometime lover Fin, who was employed by Wylie's father or so the Loesing family believed, and had sneaked into the car.
When Fin found Chastity naked in the car, they did just a bit more than Wylie had been able to do.

©2013

Good Bye and Hello

Sorry for only publishing now, but I have written further on my novel and have a few other short stories in the pipeline, i.e. Chastity and a few others. Hope you like how Reggie and Kiki meet. :)

Reggie Smith tried to keep his composure. Of course Dandy could see through him right away. The Schnauzer was getting tired, but still licked his master's hand and wagged his tail. Reggie couldn't keep his tears at bay any longer. It was hard to say good bye to his companion of 11 years.

Reggie was concerned, when Dandy had a seizure. It had never happened before, so Reggie was frightened and shocked. Of course he brought Dandy to the vet. The diagnosis was shattering. Dandy had a brain tumor, and it had spread further. There was nothing that could be done. Reggie took Dandy home and spoiled him rotten for the next few days with all the dog's favorite food, games and long walks until he made up his mind. Reggie didn't want Dandy to suffer, so he arranged an appointment with the vet to put his dog to sleep. The vet agreed to come to Reggie's beach house in Key West. Dandy knew it didn't mean anything positive, when the doctor arrived, and tried to hide. Reggie was prepared for that, grabbed the dog by the collar, before he could escape and carried Dandy to the sofa on the porch, overlooking the beach and sea. Reggie held down Dandy until the vet had given the injection. It was hard to watch. Dandy whimpered. Reggie said soothing words, keeping his voice calm and relaxed. He didn't feel any of it. "It shouldn't take too long." The vet said. "I'll let myself out." Reggie thanked the doctor and concentrated on Dandy, taking a seat beside him. He stroked Dandy. When the dog licked his hand Reggie's self control crumbled. Reggie felt Dandy's breathing go slower until it ceased. Soon there was no heart beat either. Reggie sobbed. Never ever again! Reggie thought he couldn't go through the heartbreak again.
For every dog Reggie had owned during his adulthood he had made funeral arrangements. He organized Dandy's cremation, and the ashes were buried at the dog cemetery beside Reggie's other dogs. He remembered them all fondly and visiting them regularly had helped overcome their deaths.
Reggie gave some of Dandy's things to charity. Others were thrown out. Life seemed to go on for people, while it was standing still for Reggie.
He felt lonely and missed Dandy. It was on the one side hurting to remember how Dandy arrived as a puppy and had a lot of mischief in mind, gnawing Reggie's favorite shoes, trying to sleep with Reggie in bed, having accidents on the carpet to developing into a quiet and dignified dog, but on the other side it were good memories. After a few months the pain eased. Since Reggie had retired from being a successful burglar, he had more time and started to get restless and feel bored without a dog. Reggie was torn, if he should get a new dog or not. He had to consider his own age. He had turned seventy one in September, so if he got a dog, would he be healthy or live long enough to take care of the pet? What would happen if he was incapable or dying before the dog? Reggie checked with his daughter Debra and his friend Augustus. Both said they were willing to take care of the dog should anything happen to Reggie. It was a relief. Even though Reggie had sworn earlier not to adopt a dog, he couldn't resist the temptation any longer. Reggie went to a dog charity, filled out all the necessary documents, provided references and could go to the puppy cage. There were a few Yorkshire Terriers, cross breeds and a Grand Anglo-Francais Blanc Et Noir. Reggie didn't want a big dog. He preferred small to medium sized ones, suiting his lifestyle better than larger dogs. Only one puppy was interested in him. It was a little Yorkshire Terrier. The rest was interested in their toys. The terrier demanded attention, wagged its tail and barked excitedly. Reggie gave the dog his hands to sniff on. The two clicked immediately, so it was obvious which one Reggie wanted. There was also a short interview and the member of staff advised Reggie somebody would make a house visit to check if Reggie had a dog compatible home.
Shortly after the house visit Reggie received the outcome. He was able to adopt the dog he wanted. The background story was sad. Reggie's dog - a little headstrong lady - and her two siblings had been found in a dumpster, only a few weeks old, together with their dead mother. They were barely alive and had lost a lot of weight. The charity had done a good job in raising them.
When Reggie arrived to pick up his new pet, she didn't want to go into her transportable cage. She escaped and thought it was fun being chased by the staff through the building. Her tail was wagging furiously and she barked madly, causing some uproar with the other dogs. Before she could cause more mayhem Reggie used his abilities as a burglar. Reggie tried to think which route the dog would choose, placed himself hidden behind one of the kennels and waited. The terrier careened around the corner, where Reggie had placed himself. Reggie snatched the dog. The dog and he looked each other in the eyes. Suddenly the dog quietened down and was willing to be placed in the cage.
During the journey home the dog scratched and bit at the door, trying to get out. Reggie was glad it was secure. An accident because of Reggie's attention being diverted thanks to the Yorkie wasn't anything he was looking forward to.
At the beach house Reggie let the pet out of the basket. She wasn't grateful at all, looked up at Reggie and barked. Like she was trying to tell him she hadn't enjoyed the trip or being in a small cage. Then she went with high held head exploring.
Reggie decided to name the Yorkie Kiki. It was short, sounded cute and playful at the same time. At first it wasn't easy for Kiki to be separated from the other dogs at the shelter. She whimpered and was withdrawn. Reggie was there for her and helped her as good as he could. Kiki's personality soon resurfaced. She was fun to be with. Kiki was extrovert, intelligent and curious. Training her was a bit difficult, because she had her own mind.
In the end Kiki and Reggie made a good team.

©2013

Travel Log: Park Hyatt Milan, Italy

When we stayed slightly over a year earlier at the Park Hyatt Milan, we couldn't explore the city, because it was raining the whole time. We decided to have another two nights stay on points this January. As always we organized a limousine transfer from the airport. Our driver was the same as in November 2011. We recognized each other immediately. The journey was smooth in the Mercedes E-Class and took around 25 minutes from Milan Linate. The price was up from 120 Euro to 135 Euro (ca. 162 USD to 182 USD).

Check in was quick, and we were greeted as returning guests. As such we were upgraded to a Deluxe Room on the highest floor. We were told by the receptionist that there are mostly suites on the higher floors and our Deluxe Room was one of the few available on higher floors. We were accompanied to it, and on the way got a refresher regarding the dining outlets and services the hotel offered. The member of staff explained the features of the room. After that we were left alone.

The elevator system has changed. You now have to swipe your key card when entering the elevator. It only stops on the floor where your room is located.

It was clear that the room belonged to a suite and could be used as the children's bed room or the nanny quarters. It was medium sized and had a king bed, chairs, a writing desk, table and flat screen TV with national and international channels. The room was understated, but felt elegant. A lot of marble was used.

To our surprise we also had a small balcony. It offered great views over Milan. There were also two chairs and a table. We loved to go out and enjoy the mild weather and the views. The neighboring suite had also access to the balcony. On our first night nobody was staying there, so there were no concerns about privacy. On the second night it was in use.

The marble bathroom was large - as big as our bed room - with Laura Tonatto toiletries, a sink, separate bathroom and rainforest shower (there was also a handheld shower) and a separate room for the toilet and bidet.
The mini bar, wardrobe and safe were also located in the bath room.

There was a slight difference between the bath room layouts we had in 2011 and this one.  The entrance room's was smaller and when entering the bath tub we had to climb in front, at the Deluxe room's we were able to enter the more traditional way from the side.

Overall the room was very comfortable, especially the bed. Minor gripes were the uncomfortable back rests of the chairs and that the taps of the bath tub and shower were difficult to use, i.e. switching from the hand held shower to the other tap or when turning off the water and then on again you had suddenly too hot or cold water, because the temperature regulator moved with the tab.

Turn down was provided each night and included two bottles of still water.

During our stay we had lunch at La Cupola Lounge and in room dining. The hot chocolate, smoothies, juices, risotto, Veal Milanese, omelet and French Toast were delicious. The quality was high and the prices fair.

All staff was friendly, efficient and helpful.

Time to check out arrived too quickly. The invoice wasn't correct, but the wrongly charged item was removed without quibble. Otherwise the the check out was fast and pleasant. Our driver and limousine were  already waiting for us and within minutes we were on our way to the airport.

Of course we are going to return at some stage.

©2013