UKCruiseJeff

I differ in a very very slight hue about our wonderful lady. In a way, ..... well my way of thinking at least, she was the first post-colonial, post-empire monarch who cemented all of the angst of those days into a commonality. Perhaps one of her most important legacies has been the way in the which she moved on from those times without ever really mentioning them and cemented the extraordinary variety of different nations of Colony and Empire of what is - let us not forget- today a third of the whole world's population into The Commonwealth. Let us dwell for a moment. A third of the whole world's population. Many of these peoples were from those earlier not unblemished and sometimes divisive and painful regimes that we often made so much worst but she managed to generate from scratch the commonality of harmony that made people see and believe and agree that all ordinary people have so much more in common than they do have as differences even when we are all are so, so different. The commonwealth is perhaps her very greatest gift to so many and therefore perhaps her greatest legacy. Those who are anti-monarchist have tended to say "Well I'd be Queen and do her job if I could lead her lifestyle" but I think we should just remind ourselves that she was born into that lifestyle and was enjoying it without any of the downsides and it was all a perfectly normal life for her that she would have preferred to see go on uninterrupted and changed. She really didn't receive much of a lifestyle upgrade when under the most upsetting of circumstances she was forced into a role she never expected or wanted to have. And has she ever really put a foot wrong? Some people say she handled Diana wrongly but not everyone agrees with that. Some feel that in the pre-Meghan days she was alarmed by things as she saw them and she certainly observed things in closer proximity than any of the rest of us. And she didn't want to be hypocritical. And on every barb then and since, "she never explained and never complained" and had an extraordinary knack of always doing the right thing. Some also think of things in a rather black or white way. Republicanism or a monarchy? That is the choice. But in a way I have always felt we have both. We have an odd and fragile at times bewildering democracy and we have had in my opinion the most experienced states-woman of all time to advise and listen to our leaders. And who wouldn't listen. I have always believed that subtle difference between some nations that many will disagree with is that there is some important subtly differences between nationalism where it is claimed that criticism of one's political leaders is unpatriotic or as I have always believed the opposite is true in that true patriots will always be critical and take the #@&$ out of their democratic leaders. I think in an odd way that I cannot explain or justify to others is that I feel having both a monarch and a democracy enables you to feel that subtle difference more clearly. We have had a permanency of our queen in our daily lives who quietly cements a third of the world and at the same time who has inducted and seen fourteen leaders ( .... count up to fourteen slowly .....) come and go who we can viably treat as temporary. Whe really loves a temporary President or Prime Minister? There's a difference between temporary relationships and the reassurance of permanent ones. Anyway as usual I ramble on aimlessly and I want to thank those who post and those who might not and simply quietly think and contemplate for sharing any fondness they might express or feel about the passing of this unique person who I believe has been the most important head of state, perhaps of all time. She will not be replaced in our lifetime. RIP x

Sad news. We have lost our beloved Queen.

Thanks both. For what it's worth, I think any affected Brit will know what you mean when the "heart" button is used. In many ways ... perhaps the "heart" is more appropriate to the sentiment of solidarity and understanding than it is fornormal simply "like".

I know that the codes attatched to these proceedings will seem odd and bewildering to non-Brits and also the extreme depth of feelings that many here feel about The Queen. But the Palace never comments about the monarchs health unless there is no avoidable other option and it isn't like being told for example in the routine way we regularly read that Biden or Trump are receiving medical treatment. It is simply never ever done. So I guess many are holding their breath and would give almost anything for a miracle. Sadly our much fairly reviled BBC are now all putting on black ties for live broadcast which is totally inappropriate.

She decided to go to Balmoral which is her much loved haven I guess around 6 weeks ago for her summer holiday but has been cancelling local events she normally attends, and decided not to travel back to London to the Palace for the normal process of a change of Prime Minister. I guess many of us were worried for a week or two.

She is under close medical supervision and the immediate family are either with her or no their way.

In case non_brits haven’t picked up this news, The Palace has just announced that doctors are concerned about the Queen’s health. Terrible news that will worry many.

Good Morning Coolers, For those not of a currently British disposition or heritage we have a new Prime Minister and a fuel crisis and eagerly waiting to hear of our new leaders cunning plans to save us from freezing penuric Armageddon. Long-term inmates will know of my squint-eyed idiotic log obsessions and I thought I’d share a picture of our brand new additional fully stocked log store (we now have two …. 😊) …. as well as an item in today’s times. I hope it kindles (see what I did ….. ) interest! Energy crisis? I am stockpiling wood for winter https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/energy-crisis-i-am-stockpiling-wood-for-winter-svfshrslv?shareToken=8534d6b86d52bacd912d7d2f5911bb50

Thanks! I’m happy to respond to Brit, Limey, Pom or even “OY …. you …. !” 😀

QSS, What a lovely post. What it says to me is that a “yank” (are we allowed this well meaning endearment in these hyper-sensitive times) can visit such a lovely totally underestimated part of the homeland and appreciate it’s pleasures. The secret is that it is all about the people and what it has made them from their struggles. Soda bread. How delicious and simple …. and quick. A bit like me so my wife says. 😉 I tried to understand single malts. From Scotland. I tried to understand and persevered with bourbons. But Jamiesons ….. that needs no perseverence. Thanks again. Jeff

Thanks for providing your personal and highly thoughtful insight into this issue. It is useful because your story of a person going to a Spanish speaking country and objecting to them speaking Spanish did make me share with you a chuckle. What complete idiots! But from that point on I must admit you have lost me. Is “dressing up” so all consuming that you believe that anyone else that doesn’t want to dress up even if it is at a “dressing up” party should be treated so angrily and not allowed in? Or might there be just a glimmer of niceness within you to look upon the rest of us lessor mortals with a bit of indulgence? What is wrong with sharing a room - or even the whole house - with people of a sightly different colour? Jeff

What have you been eating since then ? Give us this daily someone else's yesterday bread. 😄 But I genuinely cannot convey my genuine appreciation of my earlier efforts even if you have it turns out let me down by not doing it and joining the dough clan. We had us a potential convoy. Snif … snif …. Jeff x

M, You must continue to make the cooler what it might be and is. You are the beacon and saviour of the club we “suggested” all those years back and started all those years ago. And you have hung on in there and elevated your position from entering and taking the stool at the far end of the bar through to tap dancing on the bar to keeping it open and flourishing. The continued renewed threads I suspect has had some millions of views. Good grief. My inquisitiveness on whether there might be a place where in the future good health of what might be of the interweb the thoughtful and strident people who might be strident and demanding but who are also courteous and inquisitive at the same time thoughtful and receptive has proved to be reliant on one or two elusive components. The first is whether all those that understand this can drown out as a clear majority of the wonderfulness of the world genuinely represented or will the louder voice of those that are nasty will make those others not bother. I think it turns out that the interweb will not be the goodness for all because the negatives and commercial imperatives will always conspire against what might have been wonderful for what will in the end be the product of all the lowest common denominators. It is and has been a wonderful exploration but lovely decent people will I believe turn out to be shouted down by those that are not. And so sadly we either all reverse this or shrug and move on. And if so curiosity might have been sated but aspirations thwarted. But for you. Simply do the best you can on any given day. Jeff

The secret in life is having wonderful alternatives to both cruises and vacations like having someone you really love to irritate being locked in a home or two or car with you and realising that they do not hate you sufficiently to be irritated with you. It is also about recreating all the things you have enjoyed about your travels when you are locked in back at home and find yourself incarcerated. For example, spending silly amounts of time being obsessed. Being obsessed is good. For example learning how to make and then repeatedly making the best bread you have ever experienced or tasted and sharing it with the previously mentioned incarerated partner. Or the best pizza you have ever tasted. Or the best espresso you have ever tasted. Or the best pizza AND espresso you have ever tasted. Or the best battered fresh fish AND chips (fries!) you have ever tasted. Or the best curry you have ever tasted. Or the best char siu you have ever tasted. Or the best beer you have ever tasted. And having a truly world class wonderful partner who doesn’t understand how much better they could have done. And a balcony overlooking the clear blue sea on a sunny day somewhere or other. With a plate of seafood and very cold champagne. In other words having alternatives under your own limited control. Love muchly xx. Jeff

I agree. I understand fully that some do enjoy dressing up and why it adds so much to their personal experience and I understand how much they might look forward to this elegant element of a cruise. I do genuinely do get that and appreciate that. I also understand why they might tut at people not adhering to rules - I tut at people wearing some stuff in restaurants even at the easier going lunches - but a shrug and tut is all I indulge myself in and I push on. It is the only way of me coping comparatively healthily with the other 7bn people on this planet. To a lessor degree I understand why some who feel so strongly on this topic might be mildly irritated about what others are wearing at the same table. But why some worry about what others wear on other tables or other parts of the ship at the same time or get so angry about the topic I genuinely find bewildering. I understand that the defence of this high degree of anger is based on the idea of others not following of rules. I do get that. But that position is only sustainable by those that ALWAYS follow every other rule in life rather than simply those that they choose to respect. Otherwise it is hypocritical and unfair. So do the same people who seem to get so angry aout this in the rest of their lives always follow every rule that might not be so important or unjustifiable to themselves that might be important to others? Doing 31mph in a 30 limit for example. So to be clear, I ALWAYS personally respect AND FULLY adhere to this dress rule even though I routinely break the speed limit. I do so because I have taken pretty advanced driving instruction and I delude myself into believing that a little speeding is not too bad, but on this topic I remain bewildered about the depth of other peoples feelings but because I simply feel it better for harmony and to respect others - so allow them my adherence to that rule because of how it is so important to them. So on cruises I have remained suite imprisoned on the relevant nights and do sandwiches or whatever. My continued bewilderment will remain that I understand people getting a little bit irritated and tutting - but what I don’t get is the depth of anger and sort of hatred it generates. I do so hope that those that feel that way will respect the balance I try to show in understanding their position and can see the genuineness with which I’d like to better understand why it makes people who otherwise think of themselves as being extremely nice to others, but on this subject appear to get so extremely agitated and rather intolerant and angry to others. Who is being nasty to who? Jeff

Well, by coincidence Gerald has just delivered my bag and having clutched it to my bosom (yes we do have them) we’ve just had the first two shots of the new heavily promoted bag! The blend he does for me is from three small growers in Nicaragua, Mysore and Brazil. The first the farm was so small and the crop so small he bought the whole crop then and there and bought it back with him on the plane. Sad day today, as at this moment we were supposed to be packing our bag in prep for a flight home from Vienna, (by coincidence the home of the coffee culture ….) and we should have flown out on Monday but didn’t feel sufficiently comfortable about the trip. It is so sad cancelling trips. Here is a small celebration of the bean a few minutes ago, and apologies to Coolers for hijacking the thread on this very narrow self-indulgent interest.

Thanks PP, Forgive me, I missed that you were "flying them in" only that you had a local supplier - and in any event I'm far too thck and slow for hints :( But you must post more about your exporations. 🙂

Lovely to read of your love for the bean. Forgive me if I'm not up to speed - I am only a spasmodic visitor.. But is this your first visit to "The Establishment!? If so then welcome. The only thing I'd offer is that if you love what you love then there is always the more sensible option of never changing what you are doing. The only thing I learned is that in a way coffee is not in the same way to me like wine where a single harvest of a single chateau offers the best experience. Different coffee countries and beans with different growers , terroirs and climates all have their individual strengths. And then there is the art of blending and roasting. So in my experience, whilst a single source coffee offers the maximum romance per buck compared to blends, it is in the hands of a really talented artisan blender roaster that blending and alchemism is really experienced. Particularly if the blender / roaster has a quiet establishment where he pulls up a bottle of Armagnac and starts to blend some magic. You can also say to them. "I like this but want a bit more of this ..." and those descriptions can be quite esoteric and he'll say. I think I know what you mean .... let me have a go. So if I have made you in the slightest more adventurous and you develop that niggling desire to expore more then my job here is a bit more complete. 🙂

Good Morning Rochi, The most important thing is that you like it and it gives you pleasure. My only argument against that is that you never know what you're missing until you venture forth and my own journey started with Illy and I loved that. What Gerald (my blender/roaster) has taught me is that the brands buy the cheapest bean they can source (ethical stamps mean nothing ....) and they never tell you what the bean actually is and where it actually came from and then it is all about the marketing and branding and making as big a margin as they can. So by the time the manufavturer makes the profit and the supermarket makes their profit and all of that is completed at less than £20 per kilo it cannot add up to much by way of decent quality. Their descriptions are simply written in an elaborate romantic style to suck old gullible soppy romantics like me in. They also rarely give you the "roast date" which is in a way more important than the "use by date". So in my experience one has no idea where the bean is from and whether they were properly paid, what it is blended with and when it was roasted. In a different post at some time I'll tell you a bit about Gerald and why he is so important and why I pay more for his travels. And then ... well you can become a compulsive degenerate like me or be sensible and stick with where you are. The key thing is to be discontent and try new things. Or not.

Absolutely right. The WMF machines are intended for the public to use ie you just press a single button and your coffee arrives magicially in the cup. So the milk sits inside the machine and although it flushes it still needs some more careful periodic and regular cleaning and can be a mess and needs more constant attention. They use them in the Intercontinental in Vienna with the very good Meinl beans. In the professional machines as you know the milk is steamed using the wand and on my one as soon as you finish frothing you simply wipe the nozzle with your rag and push the nozzle down and the machine then forces a few squirts and whooshes of steam down the nozzle and both the inside and outside of the nozzle is spotlessly clean and hygenic in a second or two. So far as the rest of the machine is concerned it tells you when it wants to have a bit of a flush and asks you whether you want it to get on with it and you shout "YES PLEASE!" at it ( ... oh ... alright ... you press the "yes" button on the touch screen!) and it thoroughly cleans itself. Every so often it tells you to put a tablet in the head and it does a bit of a deeper clean all by itself. It doesn't need plumbing in as it has a big reservoir that you fill up from your water filter jug when it needs more. My very first machine is still made and was a great introduction to real coffee. It's the Gaggia Classic. It's a single boiler machine with a hearty professional machine quality pump. Single boiler simply means that it keeps the temperature just below the critical steaming point so you don't burn and ruin the coffee for the extraction - it uses pressure rather than steam to extract.. And then you switch it over to the wand to do the frothing and just wait a few seconds. Double boiler machines simply means you can froth the milk whilst it's handling the espresso shot at the same time. Cheap machines tend to not use pressure pumps but rely on the pressure by steaming the water above 100c so it's impossible to get a perfect shot but the machines are cheap. The Classic is a great first machine to learn with and takes no room and it does almost exactly what any good machine does that you'll encounter in the very best coffee shops. I've as usual gone on a bit and bored for England, but I think most people that grudgingly by a decent coffee machine are always pleased they did and wish they'd done it earlier. I just wish I could stop myself constantly buying shinier ones. Jeff

Oh … never thought or meant it a matter of cost, just really responding to your shared interest with me in the magic of the bean! My time spent years ago buying different green beans and roasting and blending - I’m obsessive about learning how to do things - led me through the interest in all things espresso. I’ve had many machines over the years. One year for some reason I ordered an industrial strength fully automated Gaggia and they sent four and refused to collect three! But …. As you know too bitter can often mean to much robusta in the blend or roasting to dark and good flavour tends to come from a decent less roasted arabica. You mentioned you buy bottled water and you left me wondering whether you’ve simply tried a filter. A few decades ago we were staying in a decent hotel who served us our favourite tea and we couldn’t understand why it tasted so much better than exactly the same tea at home. Of course we discussed it with them and it was the water. As a part of setting up a decent coffee machine you measure ph levels and ours was poor from the tap but perfect from the filter. They also have an additional filter in the machine and a setting for the hardness level. We had tried even distilling but became concerned that we were removing the good as well as the bad in the water. We can leave filtered water out for months as we use it in the iron as well and it never discolours or smells. Might be a simple solution as it is my instinct that filtered might be better than bottled. The machine is largely self cleaning and what is left to do is no more work than making coffee in any other way. I feel like an espresso …….. 🙂

Not a cheeky question at all. We use a water filter.

For what it’s worth JB, I think it is one of the cheapest self indulgences to buy real coffee beans from a specialist local blender / roaster who buys direct and has a relationship withe the grower and ensures that both growers and pickers are properly paid. This sadly does involve a bit of engagement with your local roaster and paying much more for each cup. I currently pay around £30 per kilo delivered. But is this too much for such please? But in the overall scheme of things the coffee isn’t the most expensive of self-indulgences. I use to buy green raw beans and had a roaster and blended and experimented. That was short lived. Specialist blenders and roasters are much more knowledgeable and talented than me. I have spent a packet over the years on coffee machines and all have ended up being given up for something that is new and shinier and smells newer and has glowing reviews. Our current machine is the Sage Oracle Touch.It is a thing of shiny beauty and even I will eventually learn how to use this fully automatic machine.

Governments protect politicians, industries protect industries and individuals use their common sense and protect themselves irrespective of the self-interests of the previous two. 🙂

Always listen to to the “voice inside`’ is a wiser choice. 🙂