Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Four

[MissSophia]

G'Day All....

 

Mysty.....hope you are keeping warm over there....''tis a pretty good day here so far with more storms on the way for the weekend...

 

Interesting photos of HK....not too sure about dogs in pushchairs or the same day slaughtering of animals for fresh meat.....whilst l respect other cultures I'm not sure it's something I'd like to see.

 

Building work is ending early today....time to have some peace for the weekend.....Have my annual checkup with Dr on Monday....can't wait!! 😉

 

S😊

[UKCruiseJeff]

They do not have a breed of dog called "chow" for nothing. Those two may have been lunch .......:eek:

[Camillus112]

Dear Cooler friends,

It's so refreshing to read about all your comings and goings and in-house projects. We have been both down with a nasty case of the influenza but today I'm feeling much better. This means my stomach won't hurt when I see all the yummy food pictures! It's been a week since I submitted my cruise review to the CC Reviews Section and I haven't heard from them. Hope it isn't being censored...

You all have a lovely weekend!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good afternoon Coolers ....

 

The key think is to always ensure that you've closed all windows tight and the roof when you go through the car wash.

 

C - hopefully the grippe will leave you soon.

 

Today has been ribeye with spuds, lovely sweet onions and some mushrooms, cauliflower cheese and garlic bread .... and some wine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Bill B]

Where are the sprouts? ;p;)

[TLCOhio]

Interesting photos of HK....not too sure about dogs in pushchairs or the same day slaughtering of animals for fresh meat.....whilst l respect other cultures I'm not sure it's something I'd like to see. Building work is ending early today....time to have some peace for the weekend.

 

Following Terry's SE Asia adventures with interest. Great pics so far! Keep it up.

 

Appreciate these two good follow-ups. Yes, there are aspects of Southeast Asia that can be a little "different" and/or jarring. We just arrived in Bangkok mid-day yesterday. The metro area is not up to twenty million people. That's much bigger than Hong Kong. Without the charm of Victoria Harbour. We will see much more in and around Bangkok today. BUT, it is clear, like in Hong Kong, that there are many extremes and great diversity. Some enjoy those experiences, others do not.

 

For us, it has been an interesting experience, so far, with much, much more to come. Our InterContinental Bangkok hotel is located within the core of the city's business and commercial districts. Lots of shopping and other facilities are here and closeby. The BTS skytrain station is right across the street. This hotel is ranked by TripAdvisor as: #19 of 891 hotels in Bangkok. From someone here on the Cruise Critic boards, we received an excellent room tip for this hotel: Get a high floor room facing Ratchaprasong intersection. Yes, we were lucky. 32nd floor, large room with sweeping views of the very contemporary architecture and other sights, including their horse racing park. Plus a room with tons of marble, nice wood detailing, etc. Spectacular hotel!! Getting ready for a big breakfast here. Then, dealing with the days' heat and humidity.

 

Glad remodeling is progressing well for MissSophia. Hope all are feeling better and progressing with any and all health challenges. I'll skip the debate about the missing sprouts. Jeff's dinner did look tasty and good.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 222,002 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[jillyf]

Last night at Australia Day BBQ.

Not far from home, and not too hot.

Packing to move in 2 weeks and this sort of view will be something I will miss.

Trying to be ruthless but it’s not easy! New life - no "junk".

[jillyf]

Sorry, thought I had successfully posted the photo.

Did think I was clever!!!

It looked ok.

[UKCruiseJeff]

I had my very worst dose of food poisoning in my whole life from the IC in Bangkok. I think it understandable that we'd never return ...... :(

 

On our last visit to Bangkok I found the street food conditions just a bit too much for me … genuinely filthy – photogenic “yes” - but not something I was happy to eat from. In fact |I ended up with very serious food poisoning on that trip. Bizarrely the culprit was the Intercontinental in Bangkok that had a celebrity guest Indian Chef and I had some of his chicken. 3 stone lost in a week or so and seriously ill.

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showpost.php?p=44951610&postcount=2971

[Lois R]

Good morning coolers:)

 

Today is "National Chocolate Cake Day":D

 

 

 

 

Thought I would post 2 different styles:)..........the small photo of the bundt cake with some glaze on the top...........the BIG photo

of the BIG CAKE:)

[spinnaker2]

Good morning coolers:)

 

Today is "National Chocolate Cake Day":D

 

 

 

 

Thought I would post 2 different styles:)..........the small photo of the bundt cake with some glaze on the top...........the BIG photo

of the BIG CAKE:)

 

 

 

I will have a small piece of each!

 

 

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[Lois R]

Ok:)

 

I googled Chocolate Cake Images....LOL...........I will post a few more.............there are SO MANY:D

 

[Lois R]

 

 

 

 

[spinnaker2]

Lois,

Which one are you making?

[Lois R]

Looks like cupcakes are in the mix too:D

 

[Lois R]

Lois,

Which one are you making?

 

I am not:)..........I am watching tv in bed and decided to post some photos is all;)

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers! Happy Chocolate Cake & Cupcake Day! I lost my sweet tooth a while ago but in the past I loved chocolate.

 

In the course of my distraction efforts I stumbled on a 3 part documentary with Joanna Lumley and her travels across Japan. Each episode is about 45 minutes long. The visuals are beautiful and she is a joy to travel with. Here is the link if you are interested:

 

https://ihavenotv.com/part-1-joanna-lumleys-japan

 

 

The web page gives access to all three episodes.

 

Have a great day all!

[Camillus112]

Good morning Coolers. Feeing better today and, thanks to Lois, I'm getting an appetite for the cakes. Starting to feel bored, which is a good sign of recovery. No other news to share.... boring!!

[MLeh]

Greetings all. Rain, rain, sunshine, rain. A bit of a tsunami warning the other night, but fortunately it came to naught.

 

I’ve been trying to lose my sweet tooth, but still have to confess to a weakness for chocolate. My indulgence is a square or two of 85% dark chocolate with my evening cognac. I will pretend it is cake tonight!

 

 

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[MissSophia]

Ooh those cakes look delish....I can take or leave chocolate depending on the mood.....I have a more savoury than sweet tooth.

 

M..Ms Lumley is brilliant isn't she...l watched all her travels...her Russian ones are also good.

 

Have been into town today with DD to collect wallpapers.....plastering should be finished this next week so l need to be ahead of the game!

I've seen such a lot of lovely accessories but am having to be patient and wait until all rooms are finished.....🙄

 

Jeffers...what a horrid experience you had in Bangkok.....the only place l have ever eaten street food is in NY...I'm always a bit wary to be honest!

Your steaks looked delicious.....I've just prepped a slow cooker beef casserole for tomorrow which I'll put on slow before l retire....hopefully I'll be able to rustle up an appetite....it will of course be better on Monday warmed up!!

 

It's been a very rainy day here with a nasty cold wind....needless to say l was glad to get home....too many people about ....made me grumpy!!

 

Happy Weekend 😊

[TLCOhio]

I had my very worst dose of food poisoning in my whole life from the IC in Bangkok. I think it understandable that we'd never return

 

Sorry to hear, Jeff, about that bad luck in Bangkok. So far, all has been good for us here in Bangkok. Hot and humid, but doing well, seeing lots, enjoying much, etc. Below are a few visual samples from day one here.

 

My live/blog has been commenced on the River Cruising board of Cruise Critic. Look forward to any questions, sharing of your personal experiences in these key locations in Southeast Asia. Here is that link:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2591474

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 70,708 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

 

Here is an initial, quick sampling from our first major day for touring and visiting around Bangkok. First is the view from our 32nd floor hotel room window with this view/sample for some of its dramatic architecture here. Second is a unique welcoming looks we received at one of the temples visited. He's serious!! And, no, this not a statue of either Jeff or me. Third is one small sample from the spectacular nature of these Bangkok temples and their design. Fourth was the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace of the King. Fifth is one sample from our initial boat ride around their main river and the adjoining canals. The boat shown in this picture was like our (and with a big, noisy truck engine to power it). Lots of sights and experiences from that introductory vantage point.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

 

 

 

[Mudhen]

All of the chocolate cakes were delicious! I had a slice of each.....and best of all, no calories at all! I may even have seconds!

[jillyf]

Power has just gone off - 37C (98F) at 7 pm.

Sitting outside which is better than inside with no aircon! Having some biscuits and cheese while we decided what to eat. Wine still cold!

Apparently off till after midnight.

 

If you get a chance, watch Joanna Lumley's India. We were there last February and it brought back lots of memories.

[jpalbny]

Hi jillyf, hope you haven't melted away into a pool of sweat. That sounds like terrible sleeping conditions.

 

Somewhat relaxing weekend here. We moved back to the master suite on Wednesday so we didn't have to do any moving this weekend. Luckily.

 

Went to Saratoga, about 30 minutes north of us, for Friday night. Had lots of wine and a nice dinner then went to a late movie before spending the night in a beautiful old restored hotel right in town. Love it there; you can drive up, park, and walk everywhere. The restaurant scene is quite nice too. It's a nice quick getaway.

 

Quiet weekend other than that. Lots of shopping, and took down some of the last Christmas decorations. Roasted a chicken yesterday. Probably some Wiener Schnitzel tonight as I found some cheap veal that expires today at the grocery store.

 

On Thursday we were stumped over what to make for dinner so I saw the butternut squash that we had lying around and had an idea. I halved it and baked until it started to soften. While that was going on I sauteed mushrooms, onions and garlic, then added quinoa and broth, I cooked it down until the quinoa was ready. Scooped out some of the squash to make a hollow, mixed the pulp with my sautee, then stuffed it back into the shells and baked some more.

 

I made a sauce with yogurt, lemon juice, grated garlic, and some spices. It tasted great. This is a modification of a recipe for stuffed eggplant but it was pretty tasty with butternut squash too.

 

 

Time for some pre-dinner wine. Enjoy what's left of the weekend, all.

[Camillus112]

Hi JP, glad you are now safely home and happy to have enjoyed your amazing trip! Your posts were both informative and entertaining.

You mention going to Saratoga Springs for a date night. Lucky you to to be so near. Such a lovely town with so many amenities! I remember going in the summer to the Philadelphia Orchestra residency, and also going to the horse buggy races, with people parading (women, I should note) with hats and gloves as the old Macy's parade. Sorry to say we have not been there in quite some years.

I'd like you to know your shrimp recipe has been a blast at our house. Keep them coming!

 

PS: In case any of you Coolers will be near Rochester, NY, on February 6, the Eastman Wind Ensemble will be playing Roberto's Saxophone Concerto, with the well known jazz sax player, James Carter. Please let me know .