Well here it is Wednesday afternoon and I have taken the old poster “When Life Gives You Lemons make Lemonade” to heart. Got up this morning after popping 4 tylenol through the night to get rid of a very BAD headache – no there was no liquor involved at all – all in how I slept. Terry told me to stay in bed and sleep, but I had to be at the market first thing to get a fresh chicken for dinner.
Now, before I go any further, let me give you a little background on the first issue. When we came back to China from Italy (Ed. note: Oh the life…), we stayed at the Ramada Pudong Airport since it was midnight. The next morning she couldn’t find a favourite pair of earrings despite looking everywhere. She surmised that she had lost them on the airplane. Nevertheless, being the attentive, dutiful husband, when we got home I sent the hotel an email asking if the had been found.
My email:
Hello. I hope you can assist me or forward this email on to the appropriate department.
My wife and I stayed at the Ramada Pudong Airport last night (October 11), checking out this morning. We were in Room 708. My wife is quite sure that she left her silver earrings in the room – most likely on the surface near the bath tub, next to the shower. They could have fallen on the floor. The were silver, elongated loops for pierced ears.
Could you please check with your cleaning staff and see if that is where she left them.
Thank you for your help.
Their response:
Dear ,
Thank you for choosing Ramada Pudong Airport Shanghai.
The reservation 1297263 for Papachristidis Basil has been cancelled.
Best Regards,
Talk about something being lost in translation. I hope Basil can find a room when he gets to town!
The next morning began an exchange of 9 emails, with the first saying that the earrings and her pandora bracelet had been found. They are now back in her possession, but only after two phone calls to me in Chinese – when I told them not to phone me but to to phone Daisy our Chinese liaison because I DON’T SPEAK CHINESE! (Ed. note: I could go on about this, but for the sake of brevity, I will leave it there.)
After delivering the chicken home, I go off to Starbucks – only to find that their internet is down. You don’t have any idea how upsetting that is to someone whose only addiction is the internet.
Then it is off to RT Mart to get the necessary stuff for dinner – only to get home to realize I forgot 4 things!
Now – how do you make lemonade out of lemons? YOU WRITE A BLOG!
- On the way back from RT Mart, I heard a bus honking at the car in front of him. Picture this – the car is travelling at a normal speed on an average city street. They are within 75 yards of the intersection. The bus isn’t honking to get him to go faster, he is warning him that he is about to pass him – which he does about 20 yards from the intersection. Then cuts him off and he hits the brakes because he has to stop at a bus stop 20 yards past the intersection, which allows the car to pass HIM. TIC
- You go through your photos from your trip and you remember.
First, a couple from England
How can you not feel better when you realize you are related to an English pub –
and that Liz and Bill have their own canal boat? On the other hand, they never offered to let us use it…
Then on to Venice
When we were leaving Venice, we came across the Regal Princess. Terry-Ann and I were on its inaugural sailing 23 years ago. A nice memory.
Followed by Florence
This woman was making beef tartare by hand – hand some for lunch – it was fantastic – with a glass of red wine – on a food floor of all places.
Baguette has a different meaning in Italy than it does in France.
Street Art in Florence is quite unique…
…as is Wall Art
Picking up the garbage has a different meaning in Florence.
These large garbage containers are underground under smaller ones which are at street level. The truck comes along, picks up the whole thing and then opens the bottom when it is over the truck. It was an incredibly creative solution to the problem of garbage in the city. (Think Canada Post Mailbox with a huge container underneath)
Off to Perugia and Todi
Who knew you could get Heineken Shanghai beer in a gas station in the middle of nowhere in Italy?
I have no idea
A postie at work getting the mail from her delivery van.
Who crochet’s a bicycle? Especially in Todi where it can rain REALLY REALLY hard.
Positano was next
Mal didn’t care if she dropped the bread crossing the road from the restaurant to the table, but be careful with the beer
And finally ROMA!
Within an hour of our arrival in Rome, we saw this old guy. He was so drunk he could not even get on to the bike. We saw him about 3 hours later totally passed out on the sidewalk about 10 feet from here. The bike was nowhere to be seen.
Street Art in Rome is different too. More on this in a future blog
This beautiful bride was having her photos taken just outside the Colosseum – very cool.
The “official” photographer told her to smile and wave to the “tourista”.
And then there was this young lady. She was plenty peeved at something that was going on.
Parking in Rome. There are many ways to do this. 1. Angle Parking 2. Perpendicular Parking 3. Parallel Parking and 4. Double Parking (Ed. note: There are actually 2 photos here – #4 is separate, but it very well could have been one.)
Oh yes, there is also the “I own a BMW so I will park here and block access to the lane and the crosswalk and make the pedestrians walk behind me into the traffic” parking.
This guy was cute as a bug and a real throwback – and parked nicely, to boot. (Ed. note: Sell the beemer, buddy)
This reminded me of my Dad who drove a 1968 Dodge Coronet up until we took his license away in 1994. (Ed. note: That is 26 years and over 225,000 miles.) How? He used mactac to hold it together – and at least it was brown and worked.
Terry and Geoff go “Segwaying” through the Borghese Gardens
Mao and friends in a very trendy shop in a very trendy part of Rome – what would he think?
Hey Calgary, what are you complaining about? Your big blue circle art thingy at least doubles as a lamp standard
All the National Museum of Modern Art in Rome (Ed. note: Art Capital of the World?) gets is a rusty metal round thingy – and no lights
“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire” – in September on a day that was about 28º. Many sales, fella?
Just how they hell do they do that?
When next you all see Geoff…
Wine comes in many sizes in Italy
Warning – Adult Content Ahead
Before you look at the next photo, please be aware that I am solely responsible for its inclusion in today’s blog. Terry, Mal and Karen (Ed note: All prudes, I might add) thought that IF I include it I should so some photoshopping to make it less, uh, accurate. I have chosen, in the name of Art and Free Speech and the 1st Amendment and lots of other good reasons, to let you view the original. If you feel you might be offended by imagery, please skip the photo and go directly to The Shoe Blog (Ed. note: which I think only offends Ken, sometimes)
And now something you will never see on wine bottles in the good old BCLB.
These five were on display (there were even more) at Pinsa e Buoi – one of the best restaurants we have ever eaten at. If you ever are in Rome GO. It is in San Lorenzo – a safe, but sketchy looking neighbourhood and is fantastic and fantastically well-priced.
The Shoe Blog
Aaahh yes Rome, home of two thousand year old streets, some of which are paved with asphalt, some with concrete but mostly just 4″ cobblestones which leave HUGE gaps. This woman was a disaster waiting to happen – and almost did. She caught her right heel and came out of the shoe. Rather than take the left one off, she hopped around on it trying to get back into the right one and then fought with it trying to get it loose – all the time on her cellphone. I see a hospital visit in her future one day.
Lovely shoes though
Hey – thanks for listening – I feel WAAAYYY better!
Are ya’ll sure you were in Italy? An awful lot of Asian faces in the photos!
The levitating guy looks like he has one heck of a strong right arm. Maybe not real? I can envision a platform to sit on with a pole up inside his costume, and a cross member out to the pole you see, either made to look like an arm, or also hidden the folds of costume. Would work with the vertical pole either above or below the cross member…On the other hand, I once knew a meditator who swore he could levitate himself an inch or so off the floor. Could be true…I guess…
I thought the crocheted bike was wierd, as well. Then on close inspection, it appeared that the tires also had crochet work completely around the tires. Is that true? If so, wierd became either just stupid art, or just stupid, one.
So Dave has the street performer figured out. They are all over London, with the floor base, rod through costume and to pole… They are also in Prague this week. Obviously the “in” act for the tourists. The bottles are great. Nice to have ideas for activities while sipping wine. Two sentences in to this blog I thought “well, look at who you married… duh!” but then it turned out it was Geoff! And he did such nice things for his Terry that day! Redemption!
Ha, we just saw the big blue circle just outside of Calgary! Sounds like you guys had a wonderful trip from all the posts.
Hi ho… Hey Geoff… What kind of chicken were you planning to make ?????
The fellow with the laurel wreath has just graduated from university. He will wear the wreath for the day.
Famous names in foreign places…there is a Marsden Inn in England which we visited, tried to tell them we were beneficiaries from Canada here to take over. The laughing was short lived but we enjoyed the free drinks…but we did not stay…only one bathroom for the top floor. Also Marsden Rock and the village of Marsden…..
Ah, yes… Calgary’s Blue “Circle”….I think the only person truly happy about out it’s “claim to fame” is the “artist”….. how can something so uninteresting cause so much derision?
Love the trip… thanks for sharing… Dad would be surprised to se himself ‘referenced’ in a travelogue of Italy!
Hi! Sorry to hear about the headache…. as a fellow suffer-er I know how frustrating it is to wake up with one and know the day will be long. Mine usually lift after sunset. It was good to read your Blog this a.m……sigh….as I look out at an overcast sky with a temp of 5C at 7a.m. and by the look of it it won’t get much better all day…..
Now that I know I don’t have to go to work on the really miserable days to come I’m stocking up on activities, filling the freezer, and cupboards so that I can truly enjoy the benefits of retirement when it’s 25 below with a howling wind….. ah, something to look forward to.
Hugs to you both, Love, J.
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