Finishing up Phoenix LA and Home

Tuesday morning and I watch the two soccer games and am really enjoying the combination of a few hours of work watching soccer and not doing much in beautiful hot but desert heat weather. After the soccer and a quick lunch off for my eye examination which goes very well. No macular issues, none of the normal diabetic spots and only a minor change in my vision. Interestingly they don’t dilate the pupils any more they have a machine which can completely map the retina and rear of the eyeball.

I order one frame and two sets of lenses for less than my last frames alone cost and about 30-35% of what the package would have cost in Australia and equally importantly excellent results.

I meet Graeme for lunch which is hard as he is all over the place. I asked him what happiness looked like for him and he was unable to answer which was sad. Anyway I am mildly confident that it may get worked out as Penny is certainly committed to it happening. She is an angel and while I am sure she is part of the problem as is always the case she just wants him back. Anyway…….

Back for a short nap and then to Penny and Graeme’s where Penny has made lovely salsa, guacamole and chicken quesadillas which really hits the spot. I watch US Masterchef with Gordon Ramsay and back to the hotel.

Wednesday morning and another two soccer games after which I go to have a haircut only the sixth time in 37 years that Joseph has not cut my hair and after my haircut I remembered why I am so loyal. Not bad but…..

I go to a few stores and buy a few odds and ends and wind up at the Stingray Sushi at Scottsdale Commons.

Frighteningly I know my way around most of Phoenix without my GPS or maps but I have been here maybe 6 or 7 times so not too surprising. Also streets are laid out in an easy grid pattern with street numbers punctuated every 10 or so with a major 3 lane each way road. No traffic issues at all in Scottsdale. Food was good especially lobster tempura.

Next morning but today only one soccer game Italy/Croatia before I head out for lunch with Penny. A great salad of greens, pecans, blue cheese, grapes etc – very yummy. Penny and I drive around and mooch including a Judaica shop.

Back to the hotel for a teleconference and then Dominic’s for dinner.

While on my computer I book a restaurant for lunch on Saturday and notice:
LOCAL OYSTERS
Cocktail Sauce, Mignonette, Horseradish
Half Dozen 15
One Dozen 35
Think I will have two half dozen serves. Anyway that’s for another day.

Friday is driving day. It is a six hour drive from Phoenix to Los Angeles – boring as.....

Drive goes smoothly with a drive through Palm Springs which I quite liked to the look of. The contrast of the rocky desert mountain with the lush green gardens and beautiful houses is interesting. While there I stop for a lunch at a Mexican Restaurant with a Mariachi Band. I ordered the small serve of Nachos – yeah small, I managed to eat less than a quarter of it don’t think my three dogs could have finished the rest between them.

I stopped at a 130+ shop factory outlet but didn’t buy anything but I would have been interested in the Armani Suit reduced from $1195 to $300 if they had my size – Oh well I know the solution for that. On that note I feel heavy but don’t think I have put on any weight. Haven’t eat much crap like chocolate or such at all but have eaten well at some great restaurants.

David is having an interview for a sound engineering course he would like to finish and the interviewer has come from San Diego especially to meet with him. David keeps messaging me to come and rescue him but after 2.5 hours we meet up for dinner at Farmers Market. It has been maybe 20 years since I went to Farmers Market so I walk there (1.3km) and we have a light meal at a French Eatery. There is a lovely looking precinct around the market called The Grove which I wouldn’t mind exploring some time - lovely looking shops, live bands, movie theatres etc.

Home for some much needed sleep after a long drive. Next morning I pick David up from his place in Torrance (30kms) and we drive down to Laguna Beach (40kms) to help a friend of his a Priest move house to Huntington Beach. I love doing things like this because I get to meet new people. He is a 53 Priest at a gay parish in North Hollywood and has just split up from his 26 year old boyfriend and is moving out of their apartment. I learn about the breakdown of his relationship which is quite interesting.

He knows an awful lot about Judaism and jokingly says the Borucha for wine before his drink at lunch. He explains that he was brought up in Michigan where the church was opposite the Shul. One day there was an arson attack on the Synagogue and the Priest at the church raced over and managed to save the Torahs before firemen arrived. They then allowed the Synagogue use part of the church for two years while they were rebuilding.

We lunch at the Montage at Laguna Beach while watching Greece beat Russia and advance, with Czech Republic to the knockout stage of Euro 2012.

Back to the hotel to change where David picks me up and we go to see Iris by Cirque du Soleil. Dinner was a very poor excuse, nay the worst possible excuse for a Chevre Chaud (warm goats cheese salad) accompanies from a Tomato soup (from a can) – worst meal for a long time.

I thought I was over Cirque du Soleil but this got good reviews so I was keen. The show, the athleticism and the themes were awesome. I would certainly recommend it to anybody visiting Los Angeles.

We then head to WeHo (West Hollywood) and a nightclub called the Abbey, a mainly gay but somewhat mixed nightclub. Apparently Beyonce and Lady GaGa had just left. Mercifully I am not the oldest person there as the crowd is VERY mixed, older younger, male female. I am guessing a drug raid would have proved very fruitful.

I estimate that there are 2,000 people, maybe more, partying hard to loud electro style music which was enjoyable notwithstanding that it was totally impossible to speak with anybody. How did I know it was mixed – there were male AND female lap dancers having $1 bills stuffed into their G-Strings – how did I know mainly gay – One female and maybe four male such dancers.

Back to the hotel where I order a Caesar salad notwithstanding that it is 01:00 and off to sleep.

As I am leaving the USA tomorrow night and don’t have much planned this will be my last blog for this trip.

I really enjoyed almost everything about this trip. Being with friends throughout was really good - Nye/Ally, kids and Alex in St Petersburg, David who has been very generous with his time in Los Angeles and Penny/Graeme in Phoenix. This is quite rare for me so it was a lovely change.

The beauty and history of St Petersburg, the new to me gay scene in Los Angeles as well as exploring wonderful new Parts of the city that I had heard of and had never visited and the relaxing desert heat (40 degrees every day) all added to a trip that turned out to be much better than I had planned.
The only thing I wish I had done this trip – learned better and earlier how to use the StP metro system – oh and avoided the tinned soup and crappy salad.

Next trip is in 30 days when I spend 3 days in Shanghai, work (ok I call it work) for 10 days at a bridge tournament 60kms outside Shanghai, 3 days in Paris followed by two weeks work (again I call it work) at the World Bridge Championships in Shanghai followed  by three days where I am thinking of driving back to Paris through the Loire Valley and then home for the rest of the year.

Yes you doubters I will not bother locking my passport away as that would be a wasted effort as I have a possible week in Bali in October/November but no plans for a major trip. Well I am considering South America in January including Peru, Columbia and maybe even Venezuela where I have a bridge friend Perlita Sultana a lovely Jewish Lady who I am sure would love to show me around.

Next year bridge will likely see me do Las Vegas/Phoenix in May and World Championships in Bali in October but who knows what lies around the corner.

Thanks to those of you have followed my blogs and sorry for any boring bits and pieces.
Love to all
David

More LA and Phoenix

Thursday morning and I am full of good intentions as to what I will do for the day but fundamentally it ends up in a most satisfying day of doing not much. I go to some shops and wander around. I did recall that in the 1980’s and 1990’s Linda and I used to come to the USA to buy Reeboks for the kids and that shopping, being a much less universal experience was much more fun. Nowadays same shops same stock. That said I still and always enjoy mind emptying wandering around shops.

In the afternoon I decide on something slightly offbeat – A Sony Studios tour and it was great. I drove to Culver City and arrive at 1:30 for the 2:30 tour and luckily was allowed to join the 1:30 tour. Sony only do four tours a day and there were only 12 on this particular tour.

The history of Sony Entertainment is interesting in itself but in summary it is the accumulation of Columbia Pictures and MGM and a large number of others such as Screen Gems etc. The studio is located on the original (1920’s) Columbia Studio Lot.

The night we are there Shirley McLean is to receive an AFI Lifetime achievement award so there is a lot of activity all around the place for the event.

One interesting titbit is that Merv Griffin, the king of quiz shows sold the rights to Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune to Sony in the early 1990s but excluded the theme song from Jeopardy which he had in fact written and on which royalties would continue to be paid. To date he and his estate have received over $80 million in royalties.

I do astound myself at just how much I know about studios, films and actors. It must be stored in the little used part of my brain but I was able to answer a lot of questions which the excellent tour guide posed.

Anyway a very interesting and not overly structured studio tour which I would recommend.

I head back to the hotel for a brief relax and am dining alone tonight so head towards the Beverley Centre and decide on something that I may, nay will never try again. I opt for an Organic Vegan Restaurant called RFD. I don’t really want to relive but having a latte with almond milk – nup it’s not happening

Friday morning and I wake up the opening ceremony and opening game of Euro 2012. Poland versus Greece and it is a very exciting game. I have to move hotels and choose the Westin at the Airport which is not ideal but with Gay Pride on this weekend choices are very limited and it is only for two nights before I head off to Phoenix.

I arrive at the hotel just in time to watch Russia versus Czech R. another great game and if I wasn’t footballed out I also watched USA vs Antigua and Barbadu in a World Cup 2014 qualification match. I am calling this football Friday.

At 20:00 I meet David at Sherman Oaks and he takes me to meet a film producer friend (Jewish – surprise surprise) of his who lives at Calabasas which is North West of Hollywood. I must say that Calabasas is a most beautiful area of most beautiful homes and I am guessing the “beautiful” people. It boasts the Kardashians, Will Smith, Justin Beiber and many more celebrities. Apparently the area does not suffer Los Angeles pollution and the temperatures in winter can be 10 degrees Celsius higher than Los Angeles proper.

Mark is an interesting guy who lives in a spectacular house atop a hill. He lived for three years in Australia in the early 1990’s sub-contracting to the studios chasing film piracy until each studio realised how fertile Australia was for sales and each established their own staff to deal with piracy. He did lose me a little (ok a lot) when he used the cloth napkin as his handkerchief throughout dinner.

Anyway he showed me around his house and we head down to the Commons which is a most beautiful looking shopping/food district where I am guessing the ‘beautiful’ people gather. We try an Italian restaurant and despite being huge and only open two months is full so settle for another restaurant which proves very ordinary indeed.

Mark worked with Michael Jackson for 20 years and invites us for a swim the next day where Michael Jackson's three kids will be there. This doesnt have a lot of appeal and it doesnt happen.

David drops me back at my car and I drive the 25kms to the hotel. LA is a difficult city to live in because getting anywhere requires a car and distance. For example David lives about 35kms from his work and if traffic is good that is 45-60 minutes but can be up to 90 minutes and people here think nothing of that.

A broken night’s sleep is greeted by another fine soccer game of Netherlands versus Denmark which gives me a good opportunity to catch up on work while watching this excellent game.

Between the first game (09:00) and second one (11:45) I drive down to Long Beach -  another area I haven’t visited before. I find a Sports Bar and watch another excellent game Germany vs Portugal. While I didn’t plan it being in the USA with Euro 2012 has been a lot of fun watching games from 09:00 till 14:00.

I walk around Long Beach which is a strange place. It used to be a naval base and is now the Port of Los Angeles and it is as though time stopped here. No shopping malls just a main street with a mix of old world and new world shops. I look at housing prices and basically $A200,000 will buy you a 150 square metre house on a block of land – and that’s just the asking price.

I head back to the hotel to change and pick up my friend David to head into WeHo (West Hollywood) for Gay Pride night. This is the night before their “Gay Mardi Gras” and David, two of his friends and me are going clubbing. Well my opening statement is that Gays know how to party and party hard. We go to a bar called Eleven which is just how many millimetres there is between each person packed in there. Loud but pleasant techno music, lots of alcohol, people dancing and everybody happy and smiling.

After a while we head to D’Etoile for a very pleasant French style dinner which really hit the spot as it has been eight hours since I had eaten. We head to Mickeys and a whole new scene – sure loud music, dancing, alcohol but here there are dancers scantily dressed leaving nothing to the imagination in one case having one dollar bills stuffed into their socks, g-strings and other parts of their bodies that I can only imagine. But past that it is awesome to watch so many people truly enjoy being there and being who they are.

A few more bars/clubs and I wind up home at 2:30 which is a bit of a bummer as I have a six hour drive to Phoenix the next day. I wake at 07:30 check out and head to Pasadena to meet David and his boyfriend, Dan, to watch Italy vs Spain at a sports bar. There are a lot of Italian supporters wearing their blue jerseys. I start talking to Dan about things Jewish (he’s not) and a young guy sitting at our table tells me he is Jewish and applied for Birth Right this year which is an interesting program which is most interesting.

Taglit-Birthright Israel offers the gift of a free, 10-day educational trip to Israel for Jewish adults between the ages of 18 to 26. Since its inception in 2000, Taglit-Birthright Israel has sent nearly 300,000 Jewish young adults to Israel. They come from 54 countries, all 50 U.S. states and Canadian provinces, and from nearly 1,000 North American colleges and universities. The trip aims to strengthen participants’ Jewish identity; to build an understanding, friendship and lasting bond with the land and people of Israel; and to reinforce the solidarity of the Jewish people worldwide. Taglit-Birthright Israel is a partnership between the Government of Israel, Jewish communities around the world (through the Jewish Federations of North America, the Jewish Agency for Israel and Keren Hayesod) and some 25,000 individual supporters in North America and around the world.

Anyway off to Phoenix six hours of shit boring driving through hot desert. I wanted to stop and go through Palm Springs where I have never been but the extra 45-60 minutes of driving was more than I could handle but I do plan to do it on the way back. I am thinking next time I am in the USA to use my timeshare to stay in Palm Springs based on what everybody has told me.

I arrive in Phoenix and check into my timeshare which is an excellent and very spacious 1 bedroom apartment importantly with a washer and dryer.

The Phoenix portion of the trip has been a bit of a bust as firstly Riley (11) was going to be at camp but when he got there he was nervous and worried so his brother Hunter (12) offered to stay as well so I won’t get to see the kids who are great fun.

Anyway Penny Graeme and I have one of the best Mexican meals I have ever had which wouldn’t be too hard and head back for some much needed sleep.

Next morning England vs France a non miss match and I then meet Penny for a light salad lunch at Kierland Commons which is a lovely shopping district think Yummy Mummies “doing” lunch.

Penny takes me on her rounds of errands which includes Costco which I love. I notice that designer frames at $60, lenses $110 and I am due for an eye examination $55 which means glasses for around $200 – 1.4 of what my last pair cost and as it has been two years since I had my eyes tested and I have time I make an appointment for tomorrow.

Back to the apartment to change and back to Zinc Bistro for Dinner. This is one of my ‘preferred’ eating places in Phoenix especially Parmesan Truffle Fries. The waiter clearly understood my need for fresh and hot fries as they were cooked to perfection and beautifully hot.

Not sure if I mentioned the Truffle popcorn at Bouchon in Los Angeles but that was awesome to try.

Home to bed and another good night’s sleep and ready for Greece vs Czech and what I am guessing could be a fiery Poland vs Russia.

Anyway am having a good time and doing what I do best in Phoenix – nothing and relaxing in the 40 degrees of wonderful dry desert heat.

Hope all are well and talk soon
Love to all
David

Who loves Travelling !!!! Not me any more !!!

Sunday morning and we get going about 10:00 and head towards the Hermitage, probably the largest museum in the world spanning 5 buildings. The collection of the State Hermitage includes more than three million works of art and artefacts of the world culture of which only 5% are on display at any time. To see the entire museum you would have to walk around 40 kilometres and one minute for each exhibit would take 11 years to see everything.

The main architectural ensemble of the Hermitage situated in the centre of St Petersburg consists of the Winter Palace. The collection was started by a substantial purchase by Catherine the Great in 1764. Among exhibits are paintings, graphic works, sculptures and works of applied art, archaeological finds and numismatic material.

We focused on the halls which I wanted to see (impressionist art, Malachite Room and Lapis Room and some others) missing the ones that had limited interest such as Roman and Egyptian periods.

In keeping with what normally happens to me in Museums these days I have a need to get out after around three hours feeling slightly claustrophobic.

We head to spilled blood church. This marvellous Russian-style church was built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in March 1881. Alexander II initiated a number of reforms in 1861 freeing the Russian serfs and undertook a rigorous program of military, judicial and urban reforms, never before attempted in Russia. Alexander II was assassinated in 1881 by a group of revolutionaries, who threw a bomb at his royal carriage outside this church.

We had decided to do a river/canal audio tourist cruise so hop on a boat which turns out to be a food/drink one hour trip up the river but it was good fun and relaxing so no issues. It is around 18:00 when we return to the hotel where we decide n program for the evening. I catch up on sleep waking at 22:00 and go out for a forest style clear mushroom soup and pelmeni dinner – yum. Finally get to sleep around 02:00

Up early on Monday and feeling sleep deprived but with a long plane journey (tuens out longer than I had hoped (see below) I wasn’t too fussed.

We decide to take a chance on the Metro which proves to be dead easy ($A0.80) including one change arriving near the Mikhailovky and Summer Gardens which are both spectacular and a not to be missed adventure.

Being the last night we agree to a pub dinner which for me was again Pelmeni – last chance and off to bed as I have to wake at 03:00 to catch my 06:20 flight to Frankfurt/Los Angeles.

I go to the front desk and ask where the taxi I had organised through them was and when it would be there. After a few phone calls turns out I was waiting inside and he was waiting outside for 15 minutes. YAWN. I get to the airport and luckily try my hand at checking in Business Class rather than economy despite my economy ticket which proves VERY lucky. No sign of my booking – well of course not my travel agent had booked it for the following week. Off to the office to sort out and luckily I didn’t have my blood pressure meter as I am guessing it would have been off the Richter scale.

Luckily I find an obliging German (hmm I was thinking of a comment but won’t) in Lufthansa whose first words are sorry can’t fix this but after tapping her computer for what seems like an eternity finally says yes I can do it and believe it or not no charge.

Down to the check-in manage an exit seat with no seat in front of me and empty seat next to me and then the security guard has to be woken up to inspect the contents of my bag. I race for the plane and a breezy flight to Frankfurt where I exit through customs/immigration to have a nice Crab Salad and Coffee as I did on my flight out of Frankfurt a week earlier. Went to go back in only to be told no you need to go to the other end of the terminal for different gates. So I get there and queue up for security and after I get through I go to reclaim my E19 Tax refund to find that the office is closed but they end somebody around after 15 minutes whose sole function is to stamp my form as they don’t actually process the refunds except in the terminal I had just come from. My day improves by the minute. But that’s not all keep watching this space.

Lovely flight on an old shitty 747-400, but at least bulkhead and empty seat next to me. I have a drug assisted 7 hour sleep and wake in good shape with a fast passage through immigration and as I get to the baggage carousel a tap on my shoulder from the Customs Border Protection Officer “sorry sir I couldn’t get your ETSA visa confirmed”.

I get dragged back to his station while he makes some enquiries and get taken to the CBP Admissibility Review area. Summary as I don’t want to relive every moment:

• rude arrogant gun toting pieces of shit
  
• 60 year old lady told she wouldn’t be allowed to go to the toilet and they finally let her go
• held for 3 hours in a holding area with illegal immigrants and others in my situation.
• told I wouldn’t be allowed into the USA and resisted the urge to say that sounds like a plan to me
• All that had to happen was for me to fill in a form and for Lufthansa to go online pay $14 and enter my details
• I found a senior officer who had been a shining light among a group of very unpleasant people and suggested that their staff needed some sensitivity training and just as if to prove my point the officer at the entry point starting screaming and being abusive to a woman without reason.
• oh and they all carry guns because I am sure there is a huge history of violence in customs halls.

Anyway I get to my hotel, unpack and meet my friend David for drinks and dinner at a excellent restaurant (Foi Gras/Lobster Macaroni/Sorbet) on the 17th floor of my hotel the Angeleno as it is the best priced hotel I could find as this weekend is Gay Pride (think Mardi Gras). It is located in Bel Air and only 500 metres from the Getty Museum which will work well. Even though I was there in January I am good for another visit (its free) if it is a walk from the hotel.

I ring my friends in Phoenix and find that things are a little strained again and they are driving their son to camp on Sunday so will likely stay two extra days in Los Angeles and drive to Phoenix on Sunday spending 5 days with my friends. David has offered to take me to a Gay Pride Party with his friends on Saturday night which could be fun.

Anyway four hours sleep and I am writing my blog. No real plans for the next two days which suits me just fine after a busy schedule of touring.

I finally leave the hotel around 10:00 and head to the TMobile shop to sort out my US Sim Card and go to Noah’s Bagels for a breakfast bite. Noahs are great and I discover something they have made just for me a thin bagel. Now I have always felt that the bread to Lox ratio is very poor and a thin everything (poppy/sesame/onion/garlic etc) bagel with Lox addresses this perfectly. Back to the car and a F*$%&^g $58 parking ticket – oh well could be worse although at that second I don’t know how.

I go to a few of my favourite haunts, Frys Electronics etc. and wind up at Bouchon Café Beverley Hills for a great lunch complete with his unbelievable macaroons. A fe more shops and back to the hotel to change. I pick David up from his work and we go to….OK now folks the things we do for friends……the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Clinic where David is to have his regular check-up for HIV and STD’s/ Moving right along we go to Fogo da Chao Churascaria Brazilian Grill which proves very disappointing as we are out in one hour due to their serving us so quickly. In a sense that is OK as I am very tired so I drop David home and back to the hotel. David has his own car but he normally car pools with his mum so wound up at work without a car hence my driving him.

Over the past 9 months David and I have become very good friends. He is an exceptionally charming guy having been raised in Italy. One thing he has done is take an interest in my health and whereas I used to buy chocolates and sweets continuously I almost never do any more after his tirades as to how I was harming myself so there has been a nice dividend to this friendship. The other dividend has been his insights into the gay world and to be honest it is an amazing world and very interesting – but that’s for another time.
I manage a drug assisted seven hour sleep which I certainly felt I deserved and needed.

Talk Soon

Love to all

David

More St Petersburg

Don’t know if I mentioned it but at the airport on arrival I bought for $A12 a one month unlimited data SIM card which gives me internet at all times which is very handy when touring.

Anyway we get going at around 09:15 on Friday heading down to the ferry point (read hydrofoil) to Petershof Palace. This is the is a series of palaces and gardens laid out on the orders of Peter the Great. These Palaces and gardens are sometimes referred as the "Russian Versailles".

There are magnificent gardens, gold domed spires on the main buildings and chapel with the most beautiful array of fountains and lakes. We walk around and decide against going inside the palace especially with the two kids and I have after all been in many palaces before including Versailles.

We have some refreshments including a caviar blinis for me which Justin tops by sending me a picture of him having Churros with Aden and Josh but I get him back later when I send him a picture of Cinnabon – score one for DS.
On the hydrofoil back to the hotel with the kids who grab some corn sticks at the jetty.

We chill at the hotel for a while and I actually fall asleep for an hour before I go to the Westfield down the road and meet Ally, Nye and the kids. I have arranged that they should go out with Alex for dinner and I would look after the kids, something which Ally is very nervous about. Anyway Nye and Ally slip away without incident and we have dinner at TGIF because it is easier than other options. Jules and I play a game where if he misbehaves he goes back into the stroller and after establishing the rules he sits on the chair for thirty minutes - unheard of!! Went to playland for a short while which of course was very popular and back to the hotel where the fun and games begin. Jules decides to cry, well scream would be a better description, for an hour while I try to get him to sleep but I wasn’t in the least bit concerned as there is not one tear in his eye – just a battle of wills.

Anyway Nye Ally and Alex come back after about 3.5 hours and 10 minutes after Jules has finally succumbed to sleep. I head off for bed while Nye Alex and Auryn go for desert and some nightcaps. Things stay open here VERY late. The restaurant we went to the night before closes at 06:00!!!

A good night’s sleep for a change and I wake at 08:00, catch up on emails, chats and the like and my blog writing while everybody else is asleep.

Next morning Alex and I go one stop on the Metro to a cake shop where we have coffee and cake. Interestingly St Petersburg sits on a bog and the stations are so deeply buried that the escalator going down makes London’s Underground look like shallow. No photos due to terrorism. The stations are quite grand although the one we started on was new(ish) wide, well maintained and quite impressive. Trains run every 3 minutes which is kind of cool.  Oh and BTW the cake was excellent (ok the cakes were).

Alex goes off to visit his grandfather who is much better, I walk back to the hotel and then Nye, Ally, kids and I go to the Peter Paul Fortress. Arm up in the air and a seaman who speaks good English pulls over and takes us there for RUB300 (see below). The fortress has a number of elements including the Burial Cathedral of the Czars, a prison which only ever housed political prisoners.
Unfortunately the weather is lousy and I only get to see the Cathedral while Nye/Ally visit the prison and space museum. While standing under shelter a tour guide latched on to us and told us so much about the history of the place it was amazing. Although we did tip her she wasn’t looking for money she was, I suspect, between jobs and was a passionate St Petersburger who wanted to draw us into the beauty of the place.

To get to the hotel I hail a taxi asking how much he says meter. A taxi with a meter how bad can that be? BAD the meter ticked so fast I thought it would take off. RUB900 later and lots of choice words between us with his English skills vanishing in a twinkling I get back to the hotel where I relax for a while before our planned dinner at 21:00.

We finally get going at 21:30 and when we find that Ally and the kids have decided not to come along we change our plan and go to Palkin Restaurant, the number one of 715 rated restaurants on Tripadvisor.

Alex knows I enjoy the occasional fine dining and had planned to go here all along especially as he hadn’t ever been. The Palkin Restaurant, founded by the merchant Anisim Palkin in 1785, was a favourite place of such outstanding persons as Tchaikovsky, Dostoevsky and many others.

Well this ended up making it into my top 10 list of dining experiences on every count. The room was grand without being opulent, the service was outstanding without being officious and the food was sensational. Amazingly the Maître Di was just 23 years old and was awesome at his job. My meal comprised Foie Gras with figs and foam, Crayfish Bisque, Chateaubriand and berries flambéed with Ice Cream made at the table – and of course Amuse Bouche and mid-course sorbet. I should explain that the berries were flambéed at the table, raspberries frozen in nitrogen to break them into pebbles to sit atop the ice cream and wearing goggles and gloves the Maître Di took a mixture of cream etc put it in a bowl with liquid nitrogen to make the ice cream freshly. Towards the end of the meal the pianist stopped playing and they put on a selection which could have been a playlist of my favourites from my iPod. $A150 a head including a sizeable tip and lots of wine and vodka.

We walk home to the hotel where Nye and Alex decide on a nightcap while bed beckons me – it is 01:00 after all.


St Isaacs

Petershof

Talk Soon
Love to all
David

St Petersburg - City of the Czars

Note to self – don’t access EVER my usual websites from Russia!!! I have had to verify myself, change passwords, been challenged with every website that I normally used while here in Russia - Facebook,  Messenger, Hotmail and heaps more start playing up. I need to contact my bank but I will be farked if I will try that from here!! Now way!!

Anyway Ally, Nye the kids and I walked down to a shopping mall just down the road. Think Westfield Anywhere and you have got the picture. I did my normal thing of walking around the supermarket and I could have Been in Woolworths or Coles - except for the prices.

Back to the hotel and our mini bus, guide and driver await us. We have a most delightful tour in less than delightful weather but all if OK as we visit churches, palaces, squares, bridges and get an excellent feel for what is a wonderful city.

Everything is very close and in the inner city there are no buildings more than four stories as the spire at the Czar’s church had to be the highest point in the city. That said we are told that apartments sell for $A10,000 psm and some have 6 metre high ceilings.

The tour guide has been asked to take us to the Synagogue which is the second largest in Europe and which is beautifully Sephardic style albeit that I had a slight church feel about the layout. Interestingly when permission was granted for the construction of the Synagogue it was limited in height below the normal, there were to be no churches built in proximity and the Czar’s normal route had to be well clear of it.

We wanted to stop at the Summer Park but the weather was anything but summer so were dropped at a restaurant where we had typical Russian fare although I must say that they were very accommodating as the restaurant was closed except for tour groups but they accommodated us anyway, made a salad which was not on the menu (cucumber, sour cream and dill) and brought us some treats as well.

We went back to the hotel for a power rest while Alex takes the train to spend the night at his ailing grandfather’s place. Nye, Ally and the kids went to Westfield Anywhere (The Galleria) which had an enormous kids play area with video games etc. and we met for dinner around 19:15. We have been having a lot of Russian fare so were happy to try and American Chain called TGIF which provided just what everybody wanted for a change.

Another night of mixed sleep and I meet Nye and Ally for late breakfast That’s the one from 10:00 till 12:00 as opposed to early 04:00 till 06:00 or full breakfast 6:00 till 10:00. Not including breakfast at this hotel would be a mistake based on availability. Quality is OK with herrings, cheese, salamis, meats and usual hot food.

Nye has some work to do so Ally and I wander down the road and sit in a park while the kids play. Their kids are very sweet and I have bonded well with both of them. I am guessing bringing Auryn a huge plastic egg with 7 kinder surprises inside may have helped this cause.

We meet Nye and walk about 4 kilometres along Nevsky Prospekt lunching on the way to St Isaacs Cathedral and the nearby palaces which are all quite stunning,

There are 300 steps to the Collonade which has sweeping views of the city. Nye Ally and the kids walk up but I pass and we meet up inside the church which is now a museum. It is quite an amazing place. My photos couldn’t do it justice so try http://tinyurl.com/brfsu7x

We decide on a cab back which is interesting. First price $A27 – no, wait for 10 minutes next cab $A21 which I negotiate down to $15 no. I stick my hand in the air and a private car pulls up and we do the business for $A9. My first lesson in StP transport. Private cars often act as taxis.

We meet Alex back at the hotel and Nye and I go with him for a bus ride to a stop near the Mikhailovsky Theatre for our performance of Verdi’s The Masquerade stopping along the way at a funky restaurant whose surroundings were great and whose menu I can only describe as interesting – pic here http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/Shater.Cafe. Their Facebook page describes the cuisine as Food Style American (New), American Traditional), Barbeque, Breakfast, Brunch, Burgers, Delis, French, Greek and Mediterranean, Italian, Russian, Spanish/Basque, Steakhouses, Sushi Bars. This would definitely pass Danielle and my mixed cuisine no go rule. Anyway the food was great.

The theatre was fully restored and truly amazing. I will post some pictures when I have more time. Alex tells us that St Petersburg is one of the cultural capitals of the world with a high proportion of residents attending opera or theatre regularly. There are around 12 operas on at any one time in St Petersburg.

Wiser after my recent opera experience in Turin I read up on the story which meant I was only 50% confoozled. I thoroughly enjoyed it but would have loved to have had the libretto screen in English not Russian – oh BTW it was sung in Italian.

We leave the Mikhailovsky at 23:15 to full and total sunlight and revisit the same restaurant after the opera and a relaxing supper. Alex phoned for a cab but something didn’t happen right and we stuck a hand in the air and got picked up in what I can describe as a very poorly maintained Lada(?) Russian car that in just a few year’s time will be saleable as a vintage automobile.

Back to the hotel where I take a sleeping pill to ensure a good night’s sleep only to be woken at 02:00 by a business call – OK it was an important one but I have little recollection of the sagely advice I gave the caller.

Anyway here I am at breakfast waiting for others to wake up so we can meet our taxi which is taking us to the river cruise and Summer Palace visit.

The weather although forecast to be rainy the whole time – there are only 65 days of complete sunshine in StP – but has held up pretty well. A jumper and scarf is just fine against the 17 degrees but sometimes accompanied by a cool breeze.

I am very fond of St Petersburg. I was here for a day on a cruise around 2003 and always wanted to revisit the city and am so glad I did, that I was able to do it with friends and that one of my friends speaks Russian and has organised everything. If I have a criticism and it is only a mild one, it is that it has and continues to be westernised. The upside is that it manages throughout this to retain its charm.

Talk Soon
Love to all
David

Chilling and St Petersburg

I spent around three hours walking around Strasbourg. It is a most beautiful Medieval City with a wonderful relaxed feel. I am staying near Petit France which is the historical centre and will explore that more tomorrow.

I go to the supermarket and I should explain that visiting French supermarkets are one of my favourite holiday adventures. The produce and variety of foods is unparalleled anywhere that I have been. I bought some raspberries, blackberries, salad ingredients including goat's chees (Chevre), smoked salmon and packaged lobster bisque one of my discoveries on a previous visit. All of this is for lunch and dinner today and breakfast tomorrow and turns out to last most of my time there.

I am amazed at how cheap EVERYTHING is in the supermarket. I am guessing a basket of my regular items would cost 50% in France of what it would in Sydney and the produce maybe 33%.

I drop that off at the hotel and continue my exploratory walk picking up brochures (including a chocolate museum) for tomorrow’s activities. Sleep consists of three patches of two hours each and I don’t feel too bad in the morning but it will likely hit me later in the day but I am so chilled that a sleep in the afternoon will be OK too. The upside to that is a totally empty inbox and all my todo emails attended to which is kinda nice when holidaying.

I make breakfast and leave the hotel around 09:30 heading towards the Cathedral. I had my usual internal debate, a jumper or not - I hate carrying things - and I decide not which was good as it was around 18 degrees when I left the hotel but soon warmed up to mid to late twenties.

Now when you travel a lot churches are a dime a dozen and one can easily become blasé about 'another' church but I must say this church was quite something. The stained glass windows were stunning.

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cath%C3%A9drale_Notre-Dame_de_Strasbourg

Just behind the cathedral are five museums but not really in the mood as my plan was to get the bateaux mouche, a glass topped river boat to tour the city. Talk about Deja Vous all over again!! Last year I went to Brugges and did a river tour and knock me over if it wasn’t almost identical in look, feel, buildings etc. as the one I have just taken. The only real difference is the new buildings of the European Parliament which I am guessing is having its own crises at the moment.

Strasbourg is a very beautiful Mediaeval city with wonderful little streets here there and everywhere. There is something wonderful about cities built around rivers - for me anyway.

I spend a few hours in the afternoon just walking the streets occasionally going into some quaint little shops which grab my attention but not buying anything which in itself is worthy of noting herein.

Back to the hotel for a soup and prawn salad which I made for dinner - exactly what I felt like so didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything. I am planning a good meal tomorrow night (perhaps).

I wake up at 05:00 Sunday morning but having had 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep so ready to face the day.

Well I get moving around 10:00 walk out of the hotel without a jacket which was fine as the weather was around 18 and rising to 26 apparently quite unseasonal. Sunday in France and the shops are all closed but  there was something quite tranquil and peaceful walking the streets with shops closed and only a few people around. I enjoy this and do it for around three hours stopping only once for a coffee.

Now if it looks like a tourist trap sounds like a tourist trap it probably is a tourist trap. I decide to drive the 14kms to the Chocolate Museum which was quote interesting and good value at E8 in exchange for a bag of 10 truffles and I did learn a lot about cocoa and chocolate but hey it was a tourist trap albeit an interesting one.

Back to town and I stumble on a Sushi Train with nice sushi including Nutella, which I resisted and which serves me well for lunch/dinner. Then back to the hotel for an early night as I have to wake at 01:00  for a teleconference. Lucky I had an early night because it went for 3.25 hours - oh well. I manage another few hours before waking, packing and checking out of the hotel only to find it is Pentecost Monday and another holiday. I normally check for these things but as it didn’t really matter I didn’t bother this time.

I head towards Frankfurt and take a detour to Baden-Baden a town I had visited in 1978. There are a few places I have been to which ooze class (and wealth) and Baden Baden is one of those places. It is such a  beautiful place again around a central river. The bad thing is I arrive to find out it is Fingstag (I am guessing Pentecost Monday) and everything is closed. Oh well a coffee and walk around for an hour and I keep going towards Frankfurt, my stop for the night before the short plane trip (2:45) to St Petersburg tomorrow morning.

I looked around for an airport hotel and managed to find an EXCELLENT 3.5 star brand new hotel about 1km from the airport at just E44 a night versus the E179 the Sheraton wanted. It surprises me how some marketers don’t get it. The hotel is built on a brand new road which doesn’t exist on my GPS and I am guessing all GPS (and yes Justin my maps are up to date). I write to the hotel asking for the coordinates which I can enter manually and they send me a map. When I arrive at the hotel they tell me that people have been complaining since the hotel opened in January and arrive very angry after spending time to find the place. So I get the co-ordinates for them and they say oh that’s a good idea....yawn.

I dump my bags and go into Frankfurt only to affirm my utter dislike for the place. I head back to the airport to return the car and was feeling a little lazy intending to return the car only half full and paying the premium on the fuel. Well that was until I worked out the premium was just.....$A60.....out the garage to the nearby service station fill the car and return it. Shuttle back to the hotel and it is now 19:00 so I watch a few episodes of The Wire, write my blog and will soon go to sleep.

I have really enjoyed the past 3-4 days chilling out relaxing and now ready for a holiday.

Interesting how many people and young ones at that still smoke in Europe. And if you want to make money here then gear yourselves towards Russian Tourism they are EVERYWHERE how do I know well have you ever heard anybody speak Russian quietly.

I wake up ridiculously early and head to the airport managing fast checkin and its two hours before the flight. There are lot worse airports to have time to kill than Frankfurt so the time goes quickly and I board my 2:45 flight on what I can best describe as the most budget plane I have seen in a long while. No entertainment as in NO entertainment music or otherwise, Spartan uncomfortable seats etc. They did serve a meal but luckily I had eaten at the airport not that the meal was that bad but I preferred what I had already eaten.

I arrive at St Petersburg (from herein StP) and see a lot of planes lined up on the tarmac with steps which is one of my pet hates having to schlep down the steps get on a bus to a terminal then usually schlep up stairs etc. But...I was spared from this when the plane taxied for what seemed a long term to well how to describe it. Justin had it best - imaging every cold war movie you have ever seen and you’ve arrived there.

I queue up to get through passport control and it isn’t too crowded except for this guy that seems terribly intent on invading my space and maybe wanting to get ahead of me. I was pretty pissed off so I turned to him and said "you are obviously in a hurry go ahead of me" to which he replied "you obviously haven’t been to Russia before and learned how to queue up. My final retort "no I haven’t but I have been to the school of manners". Now if I were him there was no way I would go ahead of me but he clearly isn’t me.

Mercifully I remembered I had a black (or was it green) bag and collected it to be met by my German (born in StP friend Alex Smirnov - the name indicates his taste in drinks). He arrived yesterday and spent the night at his grandfather's place and will share a hotel room with me. He hands me a bundle of money on account which we had prearranged for him to exchange for my trip which at 30 Rubles to the $A seemed like a lot but was only $A400. has phoned for a fixed price taxi to the hotel.

Well StP. At first all the buildings were drab, old, run down and basically summarised as "shitty". But as we got closer to the city and the traffic got worse and worse things improved kilometre by kilometre. After what must have been 40 minutes to complete the last kilometre or so we arrived at the iBis Hotel. Standard Accor 3 star fare and it will work fine for the week. I unpack and go downstairs to meet Alex and his father Alexander who take me for a walk around nearby streets including a wonderful fruit market with fresh LOVELY Ukrainian cherries - yum.

The two Alex’s take me to a restaurant which turned out to be closed so we went to a nearby pub. We then go to the Russian Orthodox Church where Alex (Jnr) was confirmed. After I found out that there are no seats and you stand there for two hours I decided not converting. The service was underway and it was quite nice to listen to with a choir in the background. Lots of Russian Icons around the walls and pillars.

We then take a walk along Nevsky Prospekt described as the Champs Elysee of Russia. Well the Champs Elysee it isn’t but it was a beautiful street with all the “beautiful” shops. We stopped at a gourmand shop which had a live band (think Peace Hotel in Shanghai) playing on the balcony.

The Alex’s go to the Metro to pick Nye/Ally and the kids up from the train they have caught from Helsinki (3 hours). We all meet in the lobby at around 21:15 and head to the VodkaRoom restaurant. It was old world in a wonderful old world way. It had a Vodka Museum which had only passing interest given that it was all in Russian and curated in an equally old world way.

The meal was very good. Usual Russian fare starting with Beers for all (ok most) some entrees Alex Jnr had Pelemeni (Russian Ravioli/Wonton), Nye/Ally had fish while Alex’s half-brother Sergei who had joined us and Alexander had breaded cutlets. We had communal desserts which were VERY nice and each course was accompanied by a toast of vodka. Nye and I split the very reasonable $50 a head bill.

We leave the restaurant at midnight Auryn (5) had fallen asleep as soon as we arrived and Jules (1+) was wide awake. It was kind of nice that when Jules first saw me his face lit up and he came running to me for a cuddle – c-u-t-e I am so ready!! And as we left the restaurant the sun was just setting – at midnight for G-d’s sake how weird.

Anyway next morning I wake up at 06:30 so I toss and turn and check emails on my iPhone under the covers and chat with sundry people until 08:15 when I can stand it no more so I shower and shave and leave Alex who is a late sleeper for breakfast downstairs. No breakfast starts at 04:00 – well people it is full sunlight then isn’t it – with continental switches to full breakfast and then back to continental finishing at midday. There has to be an angle here to save money and have two breakfasts – have to think about that one.

 
Anyway 10:30 and we have a minibus, driver and guide organised for 3 hour tour which is going to cost all of $A125 which seems very little to me for 5 people. Anyway I have asked for the Synagogue to be included and we were going to a beautiful park later so I suggest that the tour drops us there at the end which is well received.

Weather not expected to be too good but we’ll play it all by ear.

Catch you all soon around these parts.

Love to all
David

Up Up and Away

Not surprisingly I'm often asked why I travel so much to which I usually reply "because I can.  But the reality is that I find it incredibly liberating to step on a plane, it's as though a weight is lifted off my shoulders as I put my bag in the overhead locker on the plane.

This trip came about in a strange way. I had been to Petersburg for just one day on a cruise and it made my must return list. In 2009 I tried to go back there but the visa obstacles were to trying that I just couldn't be bothered.

About three months ago my great friends Nye Griffiths and Ally Morris said they were going to a wedding in Helsinki with their sons Auryn (5) and Jules (15 months) and as part of that trip they had arranged to meet Alex Smirnov in St Petersburg. Alex Smirnov is a thirty year old German world class bridge player who has stayed at my place five or six times but whose great strength in these arrangements was that he was born in St Petersburg and speaks Russian.

Well I didn't have to be asked twice and I booked soon after getting an email from Alex asking me to come so he could return my hospitality.

No Visa problems this time as my travel agent James Deering of Flight Centre of whom I cannot express enough superlatives arranged it all.

So here I am sitting on a Singapore Airlines A380 with perhaps the only empty seat in economy right here next to me which is good as I was moved to a centre seat to the window seat I now occupy. My ticket is actually a Lufthansa Round to World hence the Singapore Airlines.

I usually plan my departures and arrivals around Board Meetings so I am leaving five days before the appointed meeting time in St Petersburg. OK I am OCD or Justin says CDO because the letters have to be in the right order and I arrive in Frankfurt wi four clear days and nothing to do. Me stepping on a plane that arrives at 05:40 no hotel no car it's simply unheard of.

I had looked around at flights to places which interested me such as Budapest or Norway to visit friends but I have noticed in the past 12 months that the era of super cheap flights has gone and my only real options we're Paris where I will spend three days in my next trip in July or Amsterdam.

I just got lazy but as I was driving around just five hours before my flight and chatting to my son-in-law Dave Lechem and asking for distances between various cities we stabled on Strasbourg just 2+ our drive from Frankfurt. A quick online search and a car and accommodation os secure so I now have a home to go to. I have been to Strasbourg for one day with Danielle but I believe there is a rich Jewish history there and if I can find a synagogue on Friday night and I am not totally wrecked I may go along.

So my basic itinerary is three days Strasbourg: seven days St Petersburg: here days in LA or Palm Springs: a week in Phoenix visiting my friends who have now reconciled which is kinda great and three days somewhere before heading home.

Some may know that May is usually Las Vegas month but the tournament attendances have been down during the last few years so it is now planned  to hold it in Las Vegas and Monte Carlo alternately.  So hopefully my regular junket will return next year.

Sometimes you can very lucky in life. I normally have a house sitter who looks after the house and the dogs but two young bridge players, one of whom I have known for almost ten years were looking for a place to stay so I offered for them to stay in the house and look after the dogs. They asked if a NZ girl could join them and, having met her, I reluctantly agreed. Well as some will know my 13 year old dog had had a cataract operation and I think he has also had a stroke so is on seven meds a day and is not in great shape.  The good luck I had was that the girl who is moving in is a veterinary assistant so I am much more comfortable about leaving my faithful companion in her hands.

About two hours out of Frankfurt and managed to doze for most of the 16 hours so far - only watched three episodes of The Wire. That show really tests my powers of concentration.

Off the plane and I discover getting old and forgetful ain’t no good! I wait at the baggage claim after a very quick passage through immigration. I wait and wait and wait and no bag. I go to the baggage services counter and am told that the bag has definitely been scanned as received in Frankfurt. Phew. The most helpful lady starts filling out the form and I say I will just have one more look. Well there is black bag and it is mine as I have forgotten that at the last minute I changed suitcases. Bugger I feel like an idiot.

Collect my car a brand new VW Golf Wagon and drive the 220kms to Strasbourg without any problems. I feel remarkably awake and alert.

Arrive at a hotel right in the middle of Strasbourg and am pleased with ever aspect of it including the kitchenette so may cook dinner some time.

Well certainly enough from me for now but that's the background and start to my trip.

Talk soon
Kisses to all