UKCruiseJeff

Lirio, I only know about Brazil from Brazilians. It is better to only love one girl at a time! ‘Er indoors. (but I share your joy! 😀) Jeff

Good Afternoon Coolers, A light summer lunch of trout steamed with some lovely olive oil and butter with a Charlotte potato salad and Laurent Perrier Rosé. And lovely leisurely chattery with my adorable extraordinary wife ….. Jeff

That is a lovely garden. Jeff

Today at La Cucina is individual Ragu Pasta Cheesy bake with our house red. Obviously it is a Cheddary cheesy sauce. 🙂 Jeff

Great to see Murray. Some of the athletes who are no longer able to eat in the athlete canteens are saying that in previous Olympics the thing they most enjoyed was being able to experience other nations' food which is now not available to them. They are disappointed. I see that swimming triathlon practice in The Seine has been cancelled due to dangerous pollution levels. EDITED: My wife has reminded me of when I took her to one of my favourite bars in Paris, Le Caveau des Oubliettes. It’s 15th century oubliette and I got my favourite table beside a guillotine. She said “that looks authentic.” I said “It IS authentic.” She never wanted to return for some reason. Jeff

Drron, Reported today that the British team has bought in their own chefs who are in The British Pavilion. Our teams aren’t eating in the official canteens complaining of getting cold eggs and green stuff leaving them hungry but are eating in the British Pavilion with bought in proteins and food instead. Jeff

Drron, You speak sanity even if you are speaking upside down so to speak. 🙂 Of course the opening celebrations of The Olympics is the best place to impose unexpected and unsuitable diets on your guest participants and is almost as good as celebrating politically motivated bloodthirsty executions I guess. Why not. Vive and let Vive. It’s good to share. It might even be the participants Last Supper before going off for a proper Big Mac with Frites and some full sugar Coke to get some energy. 😁 Jeff

They spent three times as much on this as we had spent although clearly some inflation has to be factored. I don’t see where it ws spent. I don’t see any thought given to the uncertainty of weather. I simply see a degree of self indulgence and too much shruggery. I’ve thought a lot about his over the last day or two and my theory is simply this. They were absolutely obsessed with the privilege of winning The Olympics but once won it was subject to the “gallic shrug” that many of us have grown to understand. It is painful to reflect these things because one wants to preserve the moment for the participants but this is a situation that has been solely caused by the organisers. I hope that all participants enjoy their moments. Jeff Jeff

They actually featured several Marie Antoinette’s holding her own head in many windows of a palace where she was held captive before her execution. It was the most bizarre thing. They treated it as though it were a hugely funny thing. I find the judgement of this incomprehensible. Just the stuff you want kids to see. Jeff

I think back-pedal makes it worst because having been called out on this misjudgement they compound their failure by treating those that have been offended as though they were fools. It is always better to own up quickly and admit that you now accept that the “humour” was ill-judged and offer a prompt whole-hearted apology. The heat would rapidly dissipate almost as quickly as it had materialised. Jeff

I agree. People are far too easily offended or say they are. But everyone feels that way until they find something that offends themselves? But I didn’t say I was offended. I wasn’t. I’m not a Christian or subscribe to being offended by proxy. I am just annoyed at the bad judgement and the offence and hurt it has caused others. I think it was simply poor judgement. The explanation offered seemed to be a retro-fit as on the TV I was watching it was described as a depiction of the last supper. 🙂 Jeff ps added a piccy to illustrate how this has been interpreted. Note the similarities ie 3 windows, colours, spacing of the “central character” etc ….

I bought the car when they were in short supply and so had to commit to buy it when we received a call to say one had been found whilst we were on Eurostar going to Paris for a few lunches. When I asked for a discount they roared with laughter as though I had been joking. It is however a thing of great beauty. But it really looks forward to going to the garage and having new expensive bits fitted. It hasn’t even got to 30k miles yet. My only regret is that it came with a shelf load of heavy instruction manuals, one of which I think tells you how to turn the lights on and off inside. Being a bloke I naturally refused to read the instruction manuals, it’s a car after all. Two pedals, and a steering wheel. What could be complicated? So even after all these years I have no idea how to turn the lights on and off. Or to be more accurate I know how to turn them on because I simply stab away aimlessly until there is light but then cannot work out how to switch it off. I have to stop the car and stab away until it is dark again. I wish someone would steal it. I want to buy a shiny new Marco Polo so I can go out for lunch but not deal with waiters or disappointing food and then have a sleep and then come home. I keep watching them on Youtube and as soon as I start saying “I ……” I hear a sharp “No. you’ll buy one because it is shiny and smells new and use it once then you’ll grumble about it.”. So I’m destined to be outlived by Helga who remains “she who must be obeyed.” Jeff

An SL who’s sole mission was to take us backwards and forwards to Seaside. That is all we ever ask of her. For some reason or other she begrudges even doing this. She is also incredibly thirsty, and refuses to travel further than 21 or so miles for each gallon high octane it glugs. I’m not allowed to sell it. My wife loves it but has never driven it. She likes being driven in it instead. So I have two bosses. Jeff

I know this might be a daft question, but when I look at these they always seem to leave the stalks on the strawberries. Why is this? Jeff

My Merc is highly complicated beast and of a temperamental nature and so breaks down when bored. Eerily it is often just as we pass Stonehenge. Jeff

It’s Brussels. If you have a chance in Amsterdam then a rijstaffel is a an absolute must if you are so inclined. I’ve taken my whole family to Amsterdam just for a day just so we could have one together. Enjoy your trip. Jeff

Macchiato and brandy and Biscoff. Some freshly roasted Columbian Planadas EP10 was delivered yesterday. It is lovely. Jeff https://peaberrycoffee.co.uk/products/colombia-planadas-ep10

Good Morning Coolers, Harper is a six week old macaque here with his mum and grandma. Thought it sweet! Jeff

I have fears whenever I return to London, which is now increasingly rare. It’s probably just me, but when I was a Londoner I felt a sort of ownership. And I lived where Barbican now is when it was all bomb site and stayed in London until long after we got married. I’d walk from Whitecross Street to The South Bank as a kid on a sunny Sunday morning and rarely see a car or other person. London was a quiet place on an early Sunday summer’s morning. I think I’m scared of the monumental scale and rate of change. Sometimes you want stuff to simply be where you left it and don’t want to be confronted with change. It’s best not to have the memories compromised by new reality. I feel that about Singapore, Vienna, Nice, etc etc. and of course my much loved Soho. I guess I’m condemned to be imprisoned by that fear Jeff

It’s great you’ve bagged those seats as it will give you a great experience. A relative of mine was Harry Pitch. He played with his band (he called it orchestra) at my 13th Birthday Party and he is considered a great harmonica player possibly one of the best. He played on Last of The Summer Wine and other stuff. Jeff https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Pitch There’s a fair amount of him on youtube … eg

Edith: Tonight I will sing as I have never sung before. René: What, in tune?

They even managed to put the Olympic flag upside down. Jeff

Sympathies. I hope you get your cash back. Jeff

And now The French have put on a chap singing in sign language which must be bewildering for the blind.

And you are suprised?