Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Four

[mysty]

Thanks RP! I don't stand straight enough to properly wear a tiara. They tend to slip sideways and I end up looking like an old dame that has tippled way too much. :) Safe travels and have an awesome cruise!

[MissSophia]

G’Day All.....loving all the pics and banter....still envious of the balcony view particularly today Jeffers as you’ve had my favourite fish for luncheon!

 

It’s been a busy week....builders are coming in to finish the renovation work while I’m away so Instructions have to be left...gardener has been in for three days planting all the begonias....and the local council tax folk have decided they want to come and inspect tomorrow to re-assess the costs....such fun🙄

 

I literally locked myself in yesterday to pack and so glad l did....I’m trying to de-stress!!

😊

[rosepark]

Thanks RP! I don't stand straight enough to properly wear a tiara. They tend to slip sideways and I end up looking like an old dame that has tippled way too much. :) Safe travels and have an awesome cruise!

 

That sounds like me - on a good day.

Rp

[UKCruiseJeff]

Myster is working in his office set-up in the living room. He has his laptop, ipad, coffee and comfy chair. I am doing laundry. :( However, on Sunday we will celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary at a tiny local restaurant that we love. Decor is simple, food is delicious and service is amazing. Perfect little retreat for us. We don't exchange gifts because there is really nothing either of us needs or covets in material goods. Our current focus is to save for travel. Making memories which are much easier to pack. :)

 

How lovely! Absolutely for no gifts. The day is for thinking back about joint adventures and shared experiences and about what is planned to do together. Happy 40th. :)

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good plan, mysty! Just to be clear, the "saving for travel" is what I was referring to, and not the laundry! Chris and I do that as well. Digital pics take up far less room than gifts.

 

We are starting to think about #25 in two years. Where to go...? Exotic and new, or revisit an old favorite? Adventure, or relaxing? Climb Kili? So many choices!

 

Looking at restaurants in Paris for our brief overnight sojourn in September. There are some nice authentic-sounding bistros in the immediate vicinity of Gare du Nord that would probably work. We found a Condé Nast article listing some interesting wine bars in Paris as well, so that could be another option...

 

We'll arrive in town a little after 7pm, and we'll have to leave the hotel for CDG quite early that next morning for Copenhagen. It will be a lightning visit...as long as we don't stay up too late, and we can still get up in the morning!

 

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I do SO hope you just got to somewhere typically Parisien that is informal but good. Flo, Coupole, or Bofinger .... but Coupole is our favourite and is a short metro ride (Montparnasse) and is something you must do at least once. You must go somewhere where they shuck oysters in full view. :)

[mysty]

Thanks J! It really doesn't feel like it has been 40 years of marriage. Actually been together since 1973. We fit together like two old slippers at this point. Comfortable and well-worn. :)

 

And RP...I think you and I would make an interesting pair! :)

[Bill B]

It’s been a busy week....builders are coming in to finish the renovation work while I’m away so Instructions have to be left...

 

I want to get half my balcony/veranda/patio (it's unique and difficult to describe) covered. It faces SE, and between 11:00 & 12:15 it's unbearable because the wall of the building is white, and there is no shade; plus, when monsoon season starts...

 

I drew up plans for corrugated polycarbonate roofing sheets on a wood frame. Last Thursday a recommended builder came, the landlady translated (the builder is Vietnamese) and he said he could do it. He took my plans and said he would call later in the afternoon... so I could go to the 'shop' and pick the polycarbonate colour when another worker who spoke English was there; and they would give me a price. I waited from 14:30 to 17:00 - no call. On Friday - no call. On Saturday, the landlady called the builder. He told her he was not interested because the job was too small. :mad::mad: I asked the landlady if she "...gave him #@". The look on her face was priceless - :o. I think the Vietnamese are like the Koreans and Chinese i.e. they don't want to loose face by telling a foreigner they can't/don't want to do do something... so they say "Yes" and end up 'screwing the foreigner over' instead. :mad: :(

 

There's a building boom going on in Vung Tau. I can't get a builder (or at least one who does not do '3rd world-quality' work). :rolleyes:

[jillyf]

Happy anniversary Mysty. My husband and I don’t give presents either but we like you have a celebratory dinner.

Next year it is our 50th and we are celebrating with a cruise from Broome to Cairns.

 

Jeff, love your balcony. You would never get me to move!

 

JP. Here is a link to a website I follow. https://parisbymouth.com/our-favorite-paris-restaurants/

We did a food tour of the Marais with them a few years ago and it was very helpful for our 3 week stay in the Marais. We have a week in Paris with our family in September ( part of my big Birthday celebration) and I am about to start deciding where to eat with help from their reviews. Also John Talbot has a website where he reviews restaurants. He visits for lunch but he posts food porn photos.

[mysty]

Thanks Jill! Your anniversary celebration sounds wonderful!

[Lois R]

Mysty, Happy Anniversary:)...40 years? Wonderful:D

 

Jill, 50 years? Even better..........Happy early.....will wish you one next year for sure:)

[mysty]

Thanks Lois!

[UKCruiseJeff]

..... and we’re at 45 years next year ...:)

 

Jilly we love the Marais and I’m so pleased that I use to take wifey to St Sulpice regularly BEFORE the Da Vinci Code when it was sublimely peaceful. We use to wander the Marais and choose from the menus of the day. It is a lovely area. Our favourite long walk was all the way from Montparnasse to Place du Tetre and I never used a map .. just a sense of direction which isn’t easy in the narrow Parisian streets. I use to have onion soup and red wine for breakfast in a hut in Luxembourg gardens.

 

Paris is also so lovely in winter when there are less tourists and the lights and mirrors of the brasseries are particularly magical. I love Pigalle in winter and tuillerie gardens.

[jpalbny]

Jeff, we stayed near Luxembourg Gardens a few years back before our Rhone cruise. Nice area - wandered to St-Sulpice, the Tower, etc. Our hotel was about two blocks from Coupole at that time. Too bad we didn't know about it then!

 

Have to see if any of the other two that you mentioned are near Gare du Nord. Not that I'm opposed to a quick metro ride if Coupole is worth it. We can negotiate the metro without a problem but if something is within walking distance, so much the better.

 

Jilly, thanks for the link. Will check it out. BTW, which ship are you taking from Broome to Cairns? That was Silversea's big-ticket itinerary when they first got Discover. Would love to do that some time.

 

MissS, good luck with the packing and setting up the renovations. Love having that done while we are away too. Bill, good luck. I could probably build what you want, but the airfare would make it an expensive proposition!

[UKCruiseJeff]

JP,

 

Haven’t tried it myself but I have heard good reports of Terminus Nord which is as close as you could get!

 

http://www.terminusnord.com/en/?utm_source=tripadvisor&utm_medium=referral

 

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g187147-d719935-Reviews-Terminus_Nord-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

[UKCruiseJeff]

May be of interest to some ......

 

 

http://photobucket.com/beginner-plan/?utm_source=ga&utm_medium=email&utm_content=subscriber_id:16318279&utm_campaign=2018-05-17%2013905%20(2)%20Changes%20100K

[jpalbny]

JP,

 

Haven’t tried it myself but I have heard good reports of Terminus Nord which is as close as you could get!

 

http://www.terminusnord.com/en/?utm_source=tripadvisor&utm_medium=referral

 

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g187147-d719935-Reviews-Terminus_Nord-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

 

That certainly looks good... Thanks for the links!

 

I'm also looking at La Ville de Provins. Both of these are within stumbling distance of our hotel. La Ville has a great FB page with tons of food pictures to make one salivate.

 

A little further away, I'm looking at Le Rigmarole. I just read a feature on it in my Food and Wine magazine, and it's also in the list JillyF provided. It's a shorter metro ride than Coupole, and it's also by a few of the wine bars that were in the CNT article. But, the style here is different; it's not a bistro, rather a small plate place.

 

Choices, choices!

 

Jeff, also marked your Frankfurt recs and discovering more great dining options the more I look. I am getting excited to be there next weekend! It looks like it will be lots of fun.

Edited May 18, 2018 by jpalbny

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers! Sun and warming up nicely.

 

JP...it's fun following along with your gastronomic travel plans and the wonderful suggestions from the Cooler crowd! For this computer chair traveler it is most entertaining.

 

We seem to have moved from winter almost directly into summer. Today's funny...

 

 

 

And with a nod to spring.....snowdrops in my garden.

 

 

Have a great day all!

[spinnaker2]

Happy Annversary, Mysty!

 

 

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[mysty]

Thanks Spins! I hope you have recovered from your bout with the nasty cold/flu!

[jpalbny]

I love spring flowers. Thanks for the pic, mysty!

 

Our hyacinths have already bloomed and some daffodils are hanging on. Green everywhere. Very pretty at this time of the year.

 

We are both working this weekend. And there will be stuff to do around the house. We need to paint the trim in the entryway so it looks as nice as the walls that we did last weekend. That will be a pain but it will be really sharp when it's done.

 

Then it's time to think about packing a backpack or two for Germany! [emoji629] [emoji3] [emoji482]

 

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[spinnaker2]

Thanks Spins! I hope you have recovered from your bout with the nasty cold/flu!

 

 

 

Still sick.

Almost a week now.

Stock in Kleenex should be on the rise.

 

 

 

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[UKCruiseJeff]

Good Afternoon all .....

 

lovely pics as usual M. Happy packing JP .. and hope you recover soon Spins.

 

The UK is in the middle of wedding fever and wifey has threatened to watch the whole thing.

 

Today was dover sole with too many peas and potatos.

 

 

 

 

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[spinnaker2]

Jeff.

That plate looks yummy.

 

Wedding fever is here in the USA too.

 

I am so discombobulated from this head cold that when I awoke this morning I thought I missed it.

But DH pointed out its tomorrow.

We can wake very early to get live coverage streaming on all devices.

 

What will the bride be wearing?

Is it true Prince Charles will walk her down the aisle?

 

 

 

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[UKCruiseJeff]

Hi Spins,

 

Yes Charles is playing dad and the colour is normally “off-white” of some description. Prince Philip is also well enough to attend.

[spinnaker2]

Wonderful news about Prince Philip.

Will Louis be there too?

 

 

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