#7 - Dumbo, Snip, and Eat

Steve writes -
Today was spent at an elephant sanctuary called Elephant Nature Park. This is one of many elephant joints In Thailand, but one of the only that is a rescue sanctuary - they take in injured and maimed elephants and let them live out their days without the need to work or perform, or give rides. It was really weird to just walk among them all day, but after a while it seemed pretty normal. They are gentle but dangerous, as they can crush you all too easily without trying. Feeding them is a bit silly for adults, and I passed on participating in the group bathing opportunity. Still, it’s nice to support a place that is helping animals that have stepped on land mines, or broke their hips and were never cared for. A feel-good day......

Back in time for a haircut at the first place I saw.....I have started to look too much like Dr. Irwin Cory for my taste, what with the oppressive humidity and unruly length. My young Thai hairdresser never stopped talking, but was pretty entertaining. She would like to visit the USA, but thought that Trump seems a bit like a baby.....she is right.

Lastly, a fine dining experience at David’s Kitchen, a restaurant run by a Londoner who came and stayed. Both he and it were charming, and his staff were unbelievably efficient and cute. They even had my name on my table....

Food was very good (not great), and we could see that this place was mostly for tourists and wealthy Thais. I have never seen any place get higher ratings on TripAdvisor...and they send a car for you and bring you back, so no need for a tuk-tuk.

Here’s Marci’s soup .....a Pumpkin Veloute with Truffle Foam and crunchy Pumpkin Fritter.

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June 24

From Vivaldi to Vincent (Van Gogh) THE VIVALDI PART Rewind a bit back to Saturday, June 22nd. We had dinner at home and then at 8:00 took a walk down the Seine to Saint Chapelle. Last time we were there in 2000, it was Christmas week and we froze waiting in line for two hours to see the chapel. This time, we simply stood in line to buy tickets to be treated to a six piece string classical concert in this magnificent setting. The concert was Vivaldi...not just Vivaldi but theFour Seasons.....not just the Four Seasons but played spectacularly....not just played well but in a stirring setting. The last time the music and its venue engendered such magic was in 1977 seeing the Vienna Boys Choir sing in the 12th century Cathedral in Durham, England. The lead violin played with the speed and finesse of the finest rendition of the Flight of the Bumblebee. The light was still subtle through the stained glass though the chapel was dark. The e...

#8 - Two whirlwind days ( and the WTF Answer )

We've literally got about 30 hours to see as much of Sydney as we can before we meet up with our friends on Wednesday at 6PM. And we vow to make the most of it. I've got a list of about six musts that I let Steve vet and although he doesn't tick anything off, I know he's thinking that I am making a killer schedule. We start off the day with a coffee and the first Opera House tour at 9AM. The structure is surely impressive, the tour not as much, but since there is no Opera or symphony while we are right at the Rocks, the tour is the best we can do to peek inside. The architect was Danish, and the design shows it - from the two-woods paneled concert hall that the Kimmel Center is surely a total knock-off of, to the incredibly comfortable sleek seating that has stood the test of time, like all Danish design. ...

#120 - SURPRISE....ONE LAST READ WITH YOUR MORNING COFFEE

Did you think we wouldn't do a wrap up - the woulda, shoulda, coulda list along with our very salient observations of the current state of fashion, food, and fun in France and Spain? Well, we got a bit sidetracked. So here is the last of Paris and the rest of the Euro 2019 blog. Our last night in Paris, Laurent returned and we had a dinner at Eels as planned. About a thirty minute walk (perfect, since once we are home I can't get Steve walking at all) but it was raining, so we hopped in an Uber and headed over to the 10th arrondissement in heavy traffic. Rather than describe the great five course chef tasting menu we did- here it is in photos. Everything was excellent, especially the bottle of Pinot Noir- too bad it was their last one and we had to switch wines for the next bottle - but that is the only criticism. The next morning we were packed, said our goodbyes, and were off to the airport for our non-stop to Dulles...

Marci and Steve Go Back to Europe

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