Silversea Water Cooler: Part 3, Welcome!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good Morning Coolers,

 

Good news this week for Clive and the Reprieve team who has been working tirelessly for Kris Maharaj ..... fingers crossed ..

 

Briton ‘wrongly jailed’ for Escobar killing https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/briton-wrongly-jailed-for-escobar-killing-v989pn2s8?shareToken=e741cee2d2435e58c944cc62e79de12b

 

http://www.reprieve.org.uk/case-study/krishna-maharaj/

 

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Edited April 5, 2017 by UKCruiseJeff

[ShotsnCruises]

Quiet day on the boards!

 

We had a surprise blast of SNOW this morning. At least 3 inches covering the grassy areas and making roads slick. There are power outages all over as well. It was heavy, wet snow. Not what I want in April. BUT.... the weatherman is predicting highs in the 70's this weekend! Hoping to get some work done outside, if they are right. For now, it looks like Christmas, not Easter weather.

[Camillus112]

Yes, we've been quite sleepy lately. Just saw your post and, to commiserate with you, it's really dark grey and rainy in Central New York... Maybe Michigan is at least sunny.

 

I read the fromthedeck review of the Muse today, with photos, and looks pretty stunning. We'll wait for comments from the first CC sailors before taking the plunge. Our first cruise ever was in 2009 in the Wind, and we've kept mostly with SS, except for 3 cruises on Seabourn. Initial comments on their Encore have been mixed, hopefully the Muse will do better.

 

How do you Coolers feel about no MDR, and dress code by venues?

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good Evening Coolers,

 

Back home at just after 3 am and didn't bother with any sleep!

 

Made wifey some nice sea bream for her first home lunch - very simple, nothing flash - but warned her they'd be no carbs due to all those currys! She asked just for some veg and that is what she got with a few dressed baby leaves.

 

 

 

 

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[Camillus112]

Lovely, healthy dinner, Jeff!

[jpalbny]

Yeah, it is slow around here. Feeling a bit long in the tooth after working last weekend. Friday can't come soon enough!

 

Yesterday's dinner was short ribs (stewed in the crock pot overnight) and I have leftovers for tomorrow. Since the weather will be cold, damp, and dark tomorrow, I will probably shred the meat from the remaining ribs and cook it down with some gravy and vegetables until it's a thick ragu. Then I'll put it over some semolina for dinner. Going to see how that comes out when I use the newer, finer-ground stuff that I got at Eataly 2 weeks ago. I'm thinking that this will be a nice dish for the nasty weather.

 

Tonight's dinner was simple stuff, pasta all'Amatriciana. I used the last of my pancetta, fried up with onions, tomatoes, and a touch of hot pepper to make a nice thick sauce for fettuccine. I let it simmer for a while on the stove with an old rind of pecorino Romano thrown in for flavor. It was tasty, but not so filling - a good appetizer! ;p

 

I paired it with a French wine from a place we visited back in 2006 on our first Oceania cruise to the Med - Chateau de Flaugergues, outside of Montpelier in the Languedoc-Roussilon region of France. It was a GSM, 65% G, 30 S, and only 5 M. So the acidity of the Grenache married well with the tomatoes.

 

It still gives me a thrill to see something from Flaugergues at our local wine store...back in 2006 we brought a few bottles home, but haven't been back other than in spirit. It is nice to pick up a bottle now and then closer to home.

 

Nice conversation between Observer and Jeff on the other thread. Wonder if the OP will respond?

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good Morning Coolers, from a lovely hot Blighty!

 

Thanks Camels, yes - she misses her fresh veggies when we are at Seaside so basically for a week or so everythig comes with veggies whether I think it elegant or not!

 

JP .... you're getting older and it sounds like it's time for you to take yourself away from the coal face and take some easier work patterns. Your cooking and drinking puts me to shame and I'm clearly lurking in a shadow with my 'umble productions! That sounds extremely good .... and rich!

 

Today she went into town for a mooch and I did some food prep for the next few days. I prepped a sort of greek shepherds pie ie lamb, soffritto, mixed herbs, a little tomato and topped with a cheesy mash potato topping for a slow warm up in the oven. That saves me cooking on Sunday! I also flattened and breadcrumbed some chicken thighs which I added some Cajun spicing, herbs and garlic to. The deep fat fryer is clean and I've filled it with a sunflower/vrigin olive oil mix (70/30) and tommorow we'll have Southern fried chicken with large potato wedgey type things from Mrs Maris Piper! So most of Saturday cooking done! And today I'm doing big Kofte which are large beef patties with a fair bit of pepper, celery and garlic salt, a squirt of tomato paste, ground onion and some Mediteranean herbs. I'm doing that in a tomato sauce and serving it with mash to mop up with and I'll give her some veggies! And that's the back of today's cooking done!

 

A bloke's work is never done! :)

[UKCruiseJeff]

........... and I fermented a biga for 24 hours and batch made the next fortnight's or so dough for pizza. I'll let it mature cold for another 24 hours or so and then portion and ball them, bowl them and then into the fridge for a nice slow mature! It has it's little bathing cap on to keep it nice and fresh and give it a nice and gassy micro-climate.

 

Life doesn't get much better than a batch of dough in the fridge on demand, a pizza oven and a box of wine!

 

 

 

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[MissSophia]

Good Day All.....

 

Jeffers you seem to be very well organised in the galley!

Right now I'm eating scraps from the fridge in order to clear it out before l leave on Sunday.

 

Have finally finished the packing along with all the usual chores of leaving the house clean and tidy. With our weather being so kind means l won't need to leave the heating on!

 

It's going to be a delight to leave here in light summerish wear with the forecast for the Med being quite similar......and I'm looking forward to our pre cruise party night in Monaco on Sunday when around a dozen of us will meet up for cocktails and christen the ship before we board on Monday......☺️

[UKCruiseJeff]

I was just in the process of sending you a note from wifey and me wishing you a really lovely trip on Sunday and for the rest of the cruise ... when you posted!

 

Life doesn't get much better than flying over the alps and into Nice airport on a nice sunny Sunday .....

 

Make sure you raise a glass by the pool to absent friends who are all thinking of you!

 

:)

[Camillus112]

Cheers, MissSophia! We are all smiling our best wishes for a wonderful cruise to you. Nice...aaahhh, nice too, specially the pre cruise party night. Enjoy!!

[spinnaker2]

Enjoy It all! Fair winds and following seas Sophia!

[Camillus112]

Dear Coolers, I hope you can help me.

 

We will disembark in Southhampton on May 22. We asked out TA to get us a quote from SS to use their transport to central London and it was $119 per person! We do not want the train, nor a public bus, and would much prefer something similar to RomeCabs, which we frequently use while to/fro Rome and ship. We will be staying at the Montague on the Gardens, which DH selected due to its proximity to the British Museum and theatres. Is there any private company that you would recommend? Do you have any idea what would be a reasonable price to pay? Thanks for any light you can shed on this quandary.

[jpalbny]

We've had good luck with David Stubbs of London Country tours. http://www.londoncountrytours.co.uk/

 

It's been 7 or 8 years since we've used him but back then, we used him twice. Both times it was a pick up in London, then a 1/2 to 3/4 day tour on the way to embark our cruise ship. Once in Southampton, once in Dover. He's a great tour guide.

 

If you just want transport I think he does that too. I can't promise he'd be much cheaper than Silverseas' pricing, though, as I don't know what he charges these days. But if I were doing this, I'd make at least a half day trip of it and stop somewhere along the way, so I didn't get to London too early.

 

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[Camillus112]

Thanks a mil, JP! I'll search the web page and will ask for a quote.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Hi Camels,

 

This is our neck of the woods but not certain how much help I can offer. We use a one man band for our limo transfers between home and Heathrow and he is fine, but I don't want to recommend a one man band to you. In all other places we regularly go to we use Blacklane ie Singapore and Vienna for example. I've just looked at their prices and the basic back is around £240 for their standard offering which is a Merc E or BMW 540 less 10% for your first booking. The issue is that there will be a fair price difference for all companies when you compare a Heathrow run and a British Museum run. They charge £185 for a Heathrow run less your 10%. That doesn't sound too far out to me as you can buy taxi services cheaper but cheap always brings risks. I'd normally pay the extra and get the S class Merc which I'm afraid adds a bit of a premium.

 

So Blacklane I'd recommend on the basis it is an international company with high'ish standards, an app, and a 10% discount. Register both of you on different IDs and get your 10% off your British Museum to Heathrow ride or use a referral which you will be sent.

 

https://www.blacklane.com/en

 

Good luck.

[Camillus112]

Thanks for your recommendation, Jeff! I'll be looking into it. It's great to have knowledgeable friends!

[MissSophia]

I was just in the process of sending you a note from wifey and me wishing you a really lovely trip on Sunday and for the rest of the cruise ... when you posted!

 

Life doesn't get much better than flying over the alps and into Nice airport on a nice sunny Sunday .....

 

Make sure you raise a glass by the pool to absent friends who are all thinking of you!

 

:)

 

 

Thanks Jeff.......I shall most certainly raise a glass! 😊

[MissSophia]

Thanks for all the good wishes ☺️

 

Cam, have a look at these for transfers

 

http://www.smithsforairports.com

 

They used to be very popular with the Cunard cruisers to and from Soton.

 

S

[turnip eater]

Thanks for all the good wishes ☺️

 

Cam, have a look at these for transfers

 

www.smithsforairports.com

 

They used to be very popular with the Cunard cruisers to and from Soton.

 

S

Yes, they are frequently mentioned over on the Ports of Call thread for U.K.

 

John Bull is a fount of all knowledge.:)

e.g.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2477346

[UKCruiseJeff]

I'm so pleased that Soapy and TE chipped in. Both are knowledgeable ...

 

Well it was warmer than I expected and the dough made it's bid for freedom and I have even had to throw away one of my Intercontinental Hotel shower caps! Anyway, all balled, bowled, lidded and rehoused in 320gm balls in the beer fridge - so now the world is our pizza for a day or few.

 

I really hope these piccies are tempting closet pizza dough ballers into the sensible proposition of always keeping a ball or three in the beer fridge. Come on now coolers, get kneading .......

 

 

 

 

 

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[Camillus112]

MissSophia and Turnip Eater, great recommendation. Two good things in their favor: based on Southhampton, and willing to wait with no charge if any delay occurs. Lots of good options to study, thanks!

[UKCruiseJeff]

As no one else has mentioned it, may I be the first Brit on the Cooler to say how impressed I was with Trump for his decisive action in Syria.

 

 

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[tgh]

Sometimes great leaders come from the most unlikely prospects.

I just noted elsewhere to some Amercican friends , he may make y'all or break y'all.

He is clearly not a vacillator so there will be a result .. either way….

[ernieb]

Thank you Jeff. As you may have noticed, I have been and still am a supporter of President Trump. I am very glad he took such decisive action and really appreciate the marked differences with the last administration.