mskatiemae

Check out differentportugal.com for this kind of personal guide service. I have done his Sintra tour twice and am looking to go a third time when I'm next in Lisbon! Filipe Cordeira is the owner. https://www.differentportugal.com/sintra-tour

Beautiful landscape and "sculpture" park. Are those flowers the bluebonnets loved by Lady Bird Johnson?

Yes probably true. Here in St Paul we do the car parking shuffle so snow plows can get in to plow, ambulances and fire trucks can get through, and meters are paid via an app using your credit card, bank account, etc. Also if it were the old Crystal who had to pay for parking of the ships, I think the locals would want the quarters!!

I hope you have extra salt and ketchup for those and that they are still hot enough to eat... Oh, oops, I thought they were for me!

Thanks for sharing these memories. I was too young for them in those days (became a teen after their breakup) so it is great to Get Back and get to know them as appealing hip youngsters. Oh and not to mention Geniuses**4 (that is for the coding and math geeks here).

Okay, this might just be me, but it really doesn't matter any more. The Chicago Cubs finally won and life is complete. Pass the wine!

Oooohh, thanks. I found the secret in the link, you double-fry the potatoes and use bintje (high starch) potatoes.

+1 on NZ Green Lip mussels. I have been able to get the frozen ones in Minnesota and they're pretty tasty. Can you clarify what you mean by Belgian style fries? I had the best fries of my life in a restaurant in Belgium in 1971, and we call those "steak fries".

Also waiting on details from Crystal... Tried Seabourn and Azamara this year for the itineraries. About to go on my first Ponant expedition ship, hoping it will have some of the Crystal Mozart qualities - being similar in it's capacity. NB Ponant has expanded to offer quite a few trips with no solo supplement! Happy New Year to everyone!

Wishing you and OLoPP and your car a wonderful happy HEALTHY New Year!!!

Hi Korimako, I am going on Le Bellot in January to Central America, though not Tauck or Smithsonian or an alumni trip I could have booked. I was for awhile a bit terrified because my only language is American English. However I was convinced by a lovely French Canadian couple on my summer Baltic trip who loved their Ponant Antarctica voyage. What I hope to enjoy is a relaxed set of people with no pretensions and great activities and scenery. I have enjoyed Crystal myself for ten years, and have to try other lines while they regroup. I always look for value and the Ponant offers with no single supplement are quite numerous. I already deposited on a 2024 Arctic Circle cruise on Ponant.

And please, sir, might I have the option of hand pies at my next (actually first) visit to the Chez? Are you going to soon produce a take-out menu, and if so can the hand pies be on the take-out menu? P.S. I know a guy with initials BWIV who is an international culinary expert who might have some recipe ideas...

Thanks for taking me back to the "before times", Roy. It helps me in processing the pandemic traumas... I went on Mozart that month with my son and celebrated my birthday. Sonja Gruber as always exquisitely managed the hotel functions and it was in my plans to go on Mozart again. I hope for the best for Sonja and that lovely ship!

If you win it, will you perhaps be so kind and get me one in yellow? I would like to especially see if I can pass as a "young Italian". Or just "young".

Kenz, Could you put "With mustard scarce, dogged France will relish the day it can play catch-up" on your menu at the Chez? With a side of fries or chips? Thanks ( a fan )

Since we are sharing our recent meals: The owner of my local organic meal kit company Homegrown Foods provided notes on one of my recipes this week. Delivery included the local farmed pork, sweet corn, habanero pickled onions, corn tortillas, sour cream, and banana leaves. So easy and Yummy! I love Yucatecan flavor. Good with beer. Puerco Pibil con Escabeche de Cebolla COOK TIME: 30 MIN, PLUS SLOW COOK 807 cal, 41g fat, 68g carbs, 48g protein, 8g fiber Alright I admit it, the first time I made puerco pibil it was because I was inspired from Robert Rodriguez’s recipe in the DVD Extras of “Once Upon a Time in Mexico”. It is a unique dish that originates from the Yucatan, achiote-marinated pork shoulder is slow-cooked in banana leaves. Served with some fire-hot pickled red onions, corn and corn tortillas.

Oh thank you for the culinary update! I was just thinking of asking you what is on your menu this summer. Sounds like your beans are a success and what a nice use of the pressure cooker. I hope you took some good notes and will add this to the Chez offerings soon. Also, don't British people eat beans for breakfast? Not Kansas City style ones, but I believe it is a thing there in the UK.

I remember having the Merlot at lunch on Serenity. When the waiter told me it was a C brand it really surprised me as it was so tasty! Enjoy your discoveries!

Crystal never paid for or helped any positive pierside testing passengers. I was cool with that as the risk should be on the passenger not on the line. This is because (1) the cost ends up in passenger fares and (2) the incentive should be on the passenger to avoid catching or transmitting the virus. One idea that made sense to me was that each one of us can choose what level of insurance we want to purchase. The result is that I don't end up responsible financially (by paying higher fares) for other passengers having carelessness or bad luck in getting a positive test.

Thank you for the reply! I will now be looking for something in 2023. Please enjoy NZ to Bali, I'll do that someday.

Anybody have any recent experience getting refunded back to credit card on a cruise canceled by you (a guest) on Seabourn? Asking specifically about a new deposit with cancellation before the pay in full date (when it should be 100% refundable)? What is the actual turnaround time, when it is canceled thru the TA who booked it for you?