Thursday nights are karaoke nights here at Blue Water Resort. This is fantastic news, if you are inclined to drink yourself brave, grab a mic and murder your terrible version of "Country Roads". However, if you have a sleeping toddler and you long for a peaceful meal and an early night, this is rather unfantastic news. Especially if the karaoke has been set up in such a way that the background music is soft and the slurring off-key butchering of a melody is so loud that you feel like inflicting the same kind of pain to the so-called singers. (Even if the crooner is Sean Connery who, allegedly, sings at Compass Point on the odd occasion. He lives down the road but so far we haven't had a Sean-sighting). Death (slow and extremely painful) to karaoke!
Talking about pet hates... The Adastra Zoo here in Nassau sounded like a swell idea. Tiny would be able to run around and see exotic and wonderful animals. Turns out there is one jaguar, one monkey, one invisible boa constrictor (Tiny! Where are you?!), a rooikat (lynx in English, Myrtle thinks) and then an assortment of birds running and flying around freely. Myrtle had an emotionally scarring experience when she was about ten years old. Her brother followed her into the chicken coup and threw a chicken towards her as she was about to leave the coup with four eggs clutched in her sweaty paws (Myrtle has never trusted those beady little chicken eyes. They follow you around, one slow step at a time). Myrtle was scared witless when the chicken's claws got caught in her knitted top and, in an attempt to free itself, the chicken's flapping wings slapped Myrtle silly for a minute or so. Claws, feathers and beaks have never been the same...
So, when Tony decided to participate in the lory (loerie, in Afrikaans) feeding event, Myrtle politely declined to join in the feathery fun. Tony and Tiny excitedly entered the cage and were handed apple slices. The lories flocked to their outstretched arms and when one perched on Tiny's head, Myrtle knew she had made the right decision to observe from the outside. While Tiny didn't like the bird on her head, her face just crumpled and she said: "Pappa!". Tony shooed it away and they continued the feeding. Myrtle knew that, if a bird had landed on her head, she would've gone postal in a second. She would've swung her backpack above her head, screaming and swearing like a cavewoman and if she had some sort of batting instrument handy, feathers would've flown. Birds are not your friends, as demonstrated by the free-wheeling flamingoes.
The Turtles sat down to watch the much lauded flamingo show. They were supposed to precision-march with a human drill sergeant putting them through their paces. In reality a person ran after the flamingoes, chasing them from one side of the arena to the other... Charming. Of course they picked Tony to participate in the show and Tiny refused to let go of her daddy. So the two of them entered the arena with three other silly people. Myrtle looked on with trepidation as a flamingo circled one of the female human sacrifices. The flamingo stopped right behind her, stretched himself out as tall as possibly could and pecked her on the noggin! Myrtle's motherly instincts kicked in (and she was heavily supported by two grandmothers sitting next to her) and she grabbed Tiny from Tony's arms. No child of her is going to be pecked senseless by a sly pink flamingo, no way!
Sunday, 26 September 2010
Sunday, 19 September 2010
Out and About
Renting a car proved to be a good move. The Turtles took the tiny Turtle-mobile and drove west, looking for a beach. Beach access is not really clearly marked and the Turtles spotted a gravel road towards the ocean, which they decided to take. “No, Myrtle” a worried Tony said, “this can’t be right”. “Keep going, Tony, don’t give up so easily, the sea must be here somewhere!” (no flies on that Myrtle). They saw an entrance leading into a townhouse complex and Myrtle suggested that the Turtles turn in “just act like we live here” she whispered (because security guards have supersonic ears and can hear inside moving vehicles…). The Turtles parked the Turtle-mobile and confidently gathered their beach gear and climbed down the stairs and rocks leading to the beach.
This outing was in stark contrast to our drive, and walk, through Nassau’s downtown… The Turtles imagined colonial buildings filled with off-shore banks and accounting firms. Professionals bustling about before knocking off at 5pm to watch the sunset, cocktail in hand. The Turtles didn’t see much of those. They may be hidden out of sight, but the downtown area was pretty much deserted except for the ship-load of tourists getting hammered at Senor Frogs and the touts trying to sell cheap trinkets expensively. There were many run down and derelict buildings, as if the money dried up and no-one cared.
The population of Nassau is apparently about 200,000 and this swells with another approximately 30,000 people every day as the cruise ships dock. The Turtles spotted five massive cruise ships docked on Saturday – some of them complete with super tubes (waterslides).
The Turtles went to Paradise Island yesterday, a short hop and a skip over a bridge from Nassau downtown, the home of Atlantis. Atlantis is owned by Sol Kerzner, well known to South Africans as the brains behind Sun City. The Turtles headed past Atlantis to Cabbage Beach, a beautiful strip of white sand, where Tiny quickly made friends with a four year old boy. The four parents dug a “pool” while Tiny followed and copied every move made by the boy – which included running up to the pool, jumping in while screaming “cannonball!” Tiny copied by running up to the edge of the pool, hopping on the edge and putting one foot inside the pool, screaming “tennisball!” She’s the cute one. Last night Tiny slept as if she finished a five set match against Roger Federer. Tennisball!!!
Room with a view:
Room with a view:
Island Life
It took only five days in the Bahamas to forget about the rat race and clock. Tony’s watch batteries hastened relaxation by dying on day three. Which means the Turtles wake up when Tiny climbs on top of them, prying their eyes open with her little fingers. “Hello Pappa! Hello Mamma! Stand up.” She then continues to pick Tony and Myrtle up by grabbing hold of their shoulders and pulling. The first four mornings started in this manner at 3am, 4am, 5am and 5:30 am. This morning the older Turtles (and the more tired of the Tired Turtles) were spared until 7am! This didn’t mean an uninterrupted night’s sleep, mind you. Tiny still does not sleep through the night (yes, we know, we are failures as parents by not getting her to sleep through the night…) but the older Turtles have taken to afternoon naps like British tourists take to the sun. With gusto and without fear. The difference is that the Turtles do not have to go to hospital suffering from sunstroke….
Other relaxation techniques the Turtles have employed to help them get into the Island Way are:
1. No more razor blades (for Tony. Myrtle still has to use the odd blade, cactus legs just don’t go well with summer dresses and shorts). Tony’s beard is starting to resemble the famous pirate of old, much to Myrtle’s delight (dangerous biker-look, don’t ask questions…).
2. Kalik. The Bahamian beer of choice. Not too bad, not too bad at all.
3. Taking public transport. This takes the form of minibus taxis (well known (and much hated) by South African readers) and they can be flagged, and will stop, anywhere. They sport numbers which are indications of the route they follow and as soon as they come to a screeching halt, you hop on and sit down (quickly). They then take off again at the speed of light, barreling down the road. All this while the door is still ajar. It ain’t workin’ no more, mon. Payment is made when you alight, which can be at the end destination or when you yell out “please stop at xxxx!” Due to the limited number of routes the Turtles decided to rent a car so they are now doing some barreling of their own.
4. Not getting upset when the wi-fi is down. It has been down for two weeks and nobody knows when it will work again. Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week, maybe never. Myrtle is now blogging on Word and will paste and post when she gets anywhere near a working wi-fi connection. Tony and Tiny are swimming while Myrtle is sitting under an umbrella next to the pool, writing. When she looks up from the computer screen (which is often), she sees the different blues that colour the ocean, about ten palm trees and a couple of clouds. Oh, wait, a cruise ship in the distance!
So far, the Turtles are having a great time. Myrtle misses her friends but possibly not as much as the missing Tiny is doing. Her little face lights up when we mention her little friends’ names and unfortunately there aren’t many toddlers around. She’s stuck with her parents, poor little thing!
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
The South African rednecks are in town...
The Turtles arrived in Nassau, Bahamas yesterday morning. They were greeted by waving palm trees, sunshine, blue skies, white beaches and crystal clear water. The locals have huge, white smiles and even strangers give a friendly "hello" when they pass you in the street. In Hong Kong you may be considered deranged if you tried a silly thing like that...
The apartment is oldish and somewhat run down but the pool and the sea make up for it. The Turtles had to find a supermarket to buy the basic goods (like soap and food) and headed down the road. As Tony has a permanent 10 kilogram fixture on his hip, the Turtles decided to take one of their, now unpacked, suitcases with to the supermarket. An hour later they returned with a suitcase full of food... The looks, as they packed their suitcase in the supermarket were ones of amusement and disbelief. Hey, the Turtles never said they were classy...
The apartment is oldish and somewhat run down but the pool and the sea make up for it. The Turtles had to find a supermarket to buy the basic goods (like soap and food) and headed down the road. As Tony has a permanent 10 kilogram fixture on his hip, the Turtles decided to take one of their, now unpacked, suitcases with to the supermarket. An hour later they returned with a suitcase full of food... The looks, as they packed their suitcase in the supermarket were ones of amusement and disbelief. Hey, the Turtles never said they were classy...
Sunday, 12 September 2010
I'm a Big, Big Girl...
...in a big, big world... OK, so America is HUGE! Everything seems oversized: the cars, the houses, the roads, the malls, the shops and the people.
This didn't escape Tiny's beady little eyes but let me start at the beginning: The Turtles set off to a mall for shopping. Merely to assist the United States of America with their current economic crisis, of course. It's not like they wanted to spend their money (it is not a bottomless pit...) but one should assist in any small way possible.
While waiting at the cashier to pay for Tiny's brand new pink Crocs, Tiny spotted a staff member standing close by. This lady's clothes was far too small for her body and she was definitely not a size 8... There is probably a better, more PC way to say it, but Myrtle will hide behind the excuse that English is not her first language and just say it the easy way: she was fat. Tony and Myrtle were in conversation when Tiny, who was sitting on Tony's arm, said (very clearly and quite loudly): "A big aunty!" (The "big" was said in a low tone and stretched out a little - A beeee-eeeeg aunty!) Myrtle moved into Tiny's line of sight, hoping to distract her but it didn't work. "A beeeeeeeg aunty!" rang out again. The Turtles grabbed their purchases and tried to disappear undetected. Unsuccessfully...
Tiny Turtle does not discriminate and she is notching up socially unacceptable comments like her mommy is picking up kilograms. The Turtles were swimming in the hotel pool and Tony was splashed in the face. Tiny, who hates water in her face, is usually praised when she gets water in her face without crying with: "Well done Tiny, such a big girl!" After Tony wiped his face and laughed Tiny scrutinised his face, obviously waiting for him to burst into tears. When it didn't happen she happily said: "Well done, Pappa, such a big girl!"
The three big girls have an early night tonight for a 8am flight to the Bahamas tomorrow. Yawn!
This didn't escape Tiny's beady little eyes but let me start at the beginning: The Turtles set off to a mall for shopping. Merely to assist the United States of America with their current economic crisis, of course. It's not like they wanted to spend their money (it is not a bottomless pit...) but one should assist in any small way possible.
While waiting at the cashier to pay for Tiny's brand new pink Crocs, Tiny spotted a staff member standing close by. This lady's clothes was far too small for her body and she was definitely not a size 8... There is probably a better, more PC way to say it, but Myrtle will hide behind the excuse that English is not her first language and just say it the easy way: she was fat. Tony and Myrtle were in conversation when Tiny, who was sitting on Tony's arm, said (very clearly and quite loudly): "A big aunty!" (The "big" was said in a low tone and stretched out a little - A beeee-eeeeg aunty!) Myrtle moved into Tiny's line of sight, hoping to distract her but it didn't work. "A beeeeeeeg aunty!" rang out again. The Turtles grabbed their purchases and tried to disappear undetected. Unsuccessfully...
Tiny Turtle does not discriminate and she is notching up socially unacceptable comments like her mommy is picking up kilograms. The Turtles were swimming in the hotel pool and Tony was splashed in the face. Tiny, who hates water in her face, is usually praised when she gets water in her face without crying with: "Well done Tiny, such a big girl!" After Tony wiped his face and laughed Tiny scrutinised his face, obviously waiting for him to burst into tears. When it didn't happen she happily said: "Well done, Pappa, such a big girl!"
The three big girls have an early night tonight for a 8am flight to the Bahamas tomorrow. Yawn!
Things to avoid when you travel
List of things to avoid when you travel:
1. Toddlers.
If you have one that you can't give back, this will be impossible. Try anyway.
2. Lufthansa.
Even if you have to pay more. May the Turtles never see the sourfaced air hostesses, the sauerkraut served for lunch (what were they thinking? Cabbbage for 600 people confined in a small space?) or the hostess who gave the free seat next to them to the tallest German giant they have ever seen, ever again.
3. U.S. Immigration.
The Turtles drew the strange Ugandan (yes, a Ugandan) and Myrtle knew their gooses were cooked. The Turtles carry South African passports and they are pale (this automatically makes you a racist) and the Turtles were properly interrogated. Tony proved to be a hard nut to crack:
"Where do you live?" (The real answer is: "We don't really have a home at the moment, but that may not be a good answer in this situation..." Tony answered: "Hong Kong"
"What do you do there?" Tony: "Work"
"What work do you do?" Tony: "I work for an investment bank"
"Do you speak the Hong Kong language?" (I promise, this was a real question). Tony: "No"
"Then how can you work there?" Tony: "English is widely spoken."
The Immigration Officer had the strange habit of baring his teeth in between sentences and in between vigorous bubblegum chewing. He would suddenly look up, bare his pearly whites while staring intently into each Turtle's eyes before continuing... The Turtles were so intrigued by the unusual behaviour that they stared right back. Probably with fairly quizzical and confused looks on their faces.
Stamp, stamp in the passports.
"OK"
The Turtles: "Thanks"
Immigration Officer: "Have you ever been in Uganda?"
The Turtles (now more confused than ever): "Umm, no. But we would like to go..."
4. Jet lag
Impossible to avoid if you have the aforementioned toddler. Say hello to very early mornings (3:30 am...) for a couple of days.
5. Getting stuck without nappies (diapers).
The Turtles assumed they would find a supermarket right at the hotel to replenish the stock which had dwindled down to the last nappy which was on Tiny's body... Off to the nearest mall (The Dolphin Mall) who had shops of all kinds - clothes, toys, electronics, restaurants and shoes. Not one shop sold nappies... Myrtle was in tears (partly out of exhaustion, this was two hours after a gruelling 9 hour flight, partly out of frustration and mostly out of guilt because she is such a bad mother...). The Turtles stopped two American families in the mall to ask where they could buy diapers (the word nappies was met with confusion). The Turtles were pleasantly surprised - even though both families indicated that nappies could not be purchased in the mall, both families offered extra nappies. One father insisted we take at least one napy, just in case. The kindness almost drove Myrtle to further tears but there was no time. They were on a mission - nappies! At last they found a supermarket, right behind the hotel...
OK, so this was a less succesful day, but bad days make the good days so much better (or that's what the Turtles keep repeating to themselves!).
1. Toddlers.
If you have one that you can't give back, this will be impossible. Try anyway.
2. Lufthansa.
Even if you have to pay more. May the Turtles never see the sourfaced air hostesses, the sauerkraut served for lunch (what were they thinking? Cabbbage for 600 people confined in a small space?) or the hostess who gave the free seat next to them to the tallest German giant they have ever seen, ever again.
3. U.S. Immigration.
The Turtles drew the strange Ugandan (yes, a Ugandan) and Myrtle knew their gooses were cooked. The Turtles carry South African passports and they are pale (this automatically makes you a racist) and the Turtles were properly interrogated. Tony proved to be a hard nut to crack:
"Where do you live?" (The real answer is: "We don't really have a home at the moment, but that may not be a good answer in this situation..." Tony answered: "Hong Kong"
"What do you do there?" Tony: "Work"
"What work do you do?" Tony: "I work for an investment bank"
"Do you speak the Hong Kong language?" (I promise, this was a real question). Tony: "No"
"Then how can you work there?" Tony: "English is widely spoken."
The Immigration Officer had the strange habit of baring his teeth in between sentences and in between vigorous bubblegum chewing. He would suddenly look up, bare his pearly whites while staring intently into each Turtle's eyes before continuing... The Turtles were so intrigued by the unusual behaviour that they stared right back. Probably with fairly quizzical and confused looks on their faces.
Stamp, stamp in the passports.
"OK"
The Turtles: "Thanks"
Immigration Officer: "Have you ever been in Uganda?"
The Turtles (now more confused than ever): "Umm, no. But we would like to go..."
4. Jet lag
Impossible to avoid if you have the aforementioned toddler. Say hello to very early mornings (3:30 am...) for a couple of days.
5. Getting stuck without nappies (diapers).
The Turtles assumed they would find a supermarket right at the hotel to replenish the stock which had dwindled down to the last nappy which was on Tiny's body... Off to the nearest mall (The Dolphin Mall) who had shops of all kinds - clothes, toys, electronics, restaurants and shoes. Not one shop sold nappies... Myrtle was in tears (partly out of exhaustion, this was two hours after a gruelling 9 hour flight, partly out of frustration and mostly out of guilt because she is such a bad mother...). The Turtles stopped two American families in the mall to ask where they could buy diapers (the word nappies was met with confusion). The Turtles were pleasantly surprised - even though both families indicated that nappies could not be purchased in the mall, both families offered extra nappies. One father insisted we take at least one napy, just in case. The kindness almost drove Myrtle to further tears but there was no time. They were on a mission - nappies! At last they found a supermarket, right behind the hotel...
OK, so this was a less succesful day, but bad days make the good days so much better (or that's what the Turtles keep repeating to themselves!).
Friday, 10 September 2010
The Amazing Race
Let the Games begin! It felt like we were taking part in the Amazing Race. The first ferry departed from Bellagio at 8:14 and the Turtles were first in the ticket line, taking the lead in the imaginary race. After arriving in Como almost an hour later, we ran to find a taxi to get to the station in time to catch the first train to Zurich.
Due to immaculate planning and Tony's brute strength (he has to lug two huge suitcases, a back pack, another bag, Tiny's Trunki and her pram around...) we reached the gate with plenty of time to spare.
The next three hours sped past as Tiny made a friend on the train and the two girls unpacked the Trunki in no time, jabbering away in Afrikaans and English (Tiny) and German (friend). The older Turtles had to tear their eyes away from the beautiful "chocolate box" views lining the windows as we entered Switzerland.
We arrived in Zurich 5 minutes late (must be the fault of the Italians, surely the Swiss have never been late?) and scrambled about like headless chickens in search of the right platform. Myrtle spotted the information counter and the Turtles were pointed to platform 12. Much running and panting followed. Myrtle hoisted Tiny onto the train while poor Tony did all the heavy lifting. Well, he did say that he wanted to use the next 6 months to get fit and Myrtle is just helping him reach his goal by allowing him to run around with weighty luggage. Kind Turtle, that Myrtle.
The train departed as Tony hopped on with the last bag. Phew! Made it! And we were still leading the pack (of the fake Amazing Race...). Reached Frankfurt earlier this evening, off to bed now to be fresh and ready for the morning flight to Miami. Need to get there first!
Due to immaculate planning and Tony's brute strength (he has to lug two huge suitcases, a back pack, another bag, Tiny's Trunki and her pram around...) we reached the gate with plenty of time to spare.
The next three hours sped past as Tiny made a friend on the train and the two girls unpacked the Trunki in no time, jabbering away in Afrikaans and English (Tiny) and German (friend). The older Turtles had to tear their eyes away from the beautiful "chocolate box" views lining the windows as we entered Switzerland.
We arrived in Zurich 5 minutes late (must be the fault of the Italians, surely the Swiss have never been late?) and scrambled about like headless chickens in search of the right platform. Myrtle spotted the information counter and the Turtles were pointed to platform 12. Much running and panting followed. Myrtle hoisted Tiny onto the train while poor Tony did all the heavy lifting. Well, he did say that he wanted to use the next 6 months to get fit and Myrtle is just helping him reach his goal by allowing him to run around with weighty luggage. Kind Turtle, that Myrtle.
The train departed as Tony hopped on with the last bag. Phew! Made it! And we were still leading the pack (of the fake Amazing Race...). Reached Frankfurt earlier this evening, off to bed now to be fresh and ready for the morning flight to Miami. Need to get there first!
Thursday, 9 September 2010
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
The Turtles "planed" it from Hong Kong to Milan, "trained" it from Milan to Como, "ferried" it from Como to Bellagio and "automobiled" it in the Lake Como area.
The "automobiling" part was somewhat daunting for two Turtles used to driving on the left side of the road and another Turtle who doesn't yet have a driver's licence.
However, brave Tony took the wheel and drove the Turtle family from Bellagio to Lecco via winding, wet and windy paths (all that plus a nagging back-seat driver: "Keep right. Stay right. Whoa! Mind the old man! Tiny, hush, we're almost there.")
Despite the continuing rain and general miserable weather, Lecco charmed all three the Turtles with beautiful views, good coffee and, best of all, a playground! Tiny(and her parents) had a ball on the swings (with, arguably, the best view ever), round-abouts and the spinning chair. It was a welcome respite from the screaming emanating from the creature in the car seat... OK, so travelling with a toddler is not always romantic or easy. All is forgiven when a little voice pipes up: "Latte for the bambino!"
This morning arrived in a glorious fashion - bright, blue sky and the sunshine glittering on the lake. La dolce vita, once again!
The Turtles raced to their tiny, red Turtle mobile as fast as their stubby legs could carry them and sped down the lanes out of Bellagio towards Como. More winding and dodging of old people until the Turtles experienced severe caffeine withdrawal and started searching for an open ristorante (that, and Tiny who started whining... "Out, Mommy, out!" Mommy was contemplating out the window but that was just the lack of coffee talking...or not.)
Anyhow, Tony spotted a sign pointing the Turtles down a road towards coffee. The Turtle mobile made a sharp right down a road that was so narrow that not even Kate Moss would've been able to squeeze between the side mirrors and the walls. The road suddenly gave way to steps and, it was at about the same time that we spotted an old senor with a cane climbing up the steps that we realised we were heading down a pedestrian path!
The little Turtle mobile came to screeching halt as the Turtles pondered their options. They could try driving down the steps (Tony's idea), they could reverse back the way they came or they could try to turn around in a tiny alcove a couple of metres back. The decision was reached by considering the least embarrassing story to be relayed to the insurance company and Tony miraculously turned the car around without as much as a scratch. All the while with Myrtle barking directions standing at the back of the car, the senor barking directions at the front of the car and Tiny yelling (because everyone was) inside the car. Tony kept his cool and soon afterwards the Turtles were sipping lattes in Como. Tony and Tiny were feeding doves while Myrtle kept an eye out for another type of bird - George Clooney owns a house in Como... A girl can look, right?
Tony's view of Bellagio...
The "automobiling" part was somewhat daunting for two Turtles used to driving on the left side of the road and another Turtle who doesn't yet have a driver's licence.
However, brave Tony took the wheel and drove the Turtle family from Bellagio to Lecco via winding, wet and windy paths (all that plus a nagging back-seat driver: "Keep right. Stay right. Whoa! Mind the old man! Tiny, hush, we're almost there.")
Despite the continuing rain and general miserable weather, Lecco charmed all three the Turtles with beautiful views, good coffee and, best of all, a playground! Tiny(and her parents) had a ball on the swings (with, arguably, the best view ever), round-abouts and the spinning chair. It was a welcome respite from the screaming emanating from the creature in the car seat... OK, so travelling with a toddler is not always romantic or easy. All is forgiven when a little voice pipes up: "Latte for the bambino!"
This morning arrived in a glorious fashion - bright, blue sky and the sunshine glittering on the lake. La dolce vita, once again!
The Turtles raced to their tiny, red Turtle mobile as fast as their stubby legs could carry them and sped down the lanes out of Bellagio towards Como. More winding and dodging of old people until the Turtles experienced severe caffeine withdrawal and started searching for an open ristorante (that, and Tiny who started whining... "Out, Mommy, out!" Mommy was contemplating out the window but that was just the lack of coffee talking...or not.)
Anyhow, Tony spotted a sign pointing the Turtles down a road towards coffee. The Turtle mobile made a sharp right down a road that was so narrow that not even Kate Moss would've been able to squeeze between the side mirrors and the walls. The road suddenly gave way to steps and, it was at about the same time that we spotted an old senor with a cane climbing up the steps that we realised we were heading down a pedestrian path!
The little Turtle mobile came to screeching halt as the Turtles pondered their options. They could try driving down the steps (Tony's idea), they could reverse back the way they came or they could try to turn around in a tiny alcove a couple of metres back. The decision was reached by considering the least embarrassing story to be relayed to the insurance company and Tony miraculously turned the car around without as much as a scratch. All the while with Myrtle barking directions standing at the back of the car, the senor barking directions at the front of the car and Tiny yelling (because everyone was) inside the car. Tony kept his cool and soon afterwards the Turtles were sipping lattes in Como. Tony and Tiny were feeding doves while Myrtle kept an eye out for another type of bird - George Clooney owns a house in Como... A girl can look, right?
Tony's view of Bellagio...
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Then the rain came...
The Turtles are baffled. What is it about Italian food that shrinks clothes? The more they indulge in the pastas, the pizzas, the gelatos, the lattes, the tiramisus, the glasses of red wine, the more shrinkage. It must be the terrible quality of their threads from Hong Kong...
Milan was great. Good friends who joined for a short part of the journey, sunny skies, long lunches, trendy Italian people and "plenti cappucini".
That changed as we arrived in Bellagio, on lake Como... It's raining, we're falling, the whole town is snoring. The Turtles arrived in Bellagio on Monday night. The accommodation, booked on the internet, was somewhat disappointing. Far from town and no public transport to speak of.
The Turtles threw their bags down and raced to the alimentari (supermarket) to buy food for the night. Just to find, after a 15 minute walk with a very tired little turtle, that the supermarkets are closed on a Monday... No, we don't know why. Tony managed to find a restaurant and bought a pizza (elastic waistbands for all the Turtles...) for the larger Turtles and begged a bottle of milk off the restaurant owner for Tiny. Tiny supped on Weetbix and Tony and Myrtle felt guilty for being such horrid parents - not a fruit or vegetable in sight! Ah, tomorrow we'a try'a again!
Milan was great. Good friends who joined for a short part of the journey, sunny skies, long lunches, trendy Italian people and "plenti cappucini".
That changed as we arrived in Bellagio, on lake Como... It's raining, we're falling, the whole town is snoring. The Turtles arrived in Bellagio on Monday night. The accommodation, booked on the internet, was somewhat disappointing. Far from town and no public transport to speak of.
The Turtles threw their bags down and raced to the alimentari (supermarket) to buy food for the night. Just to find, after a 15 minute walk with a very tired little turtle, that the supermarkets are closed on a Monday... No, we don't know why. Tony managed to find a restaurant and bought a pizza (elastic waistbands for all the Turtles...) for the larger Turtles and begged a bottle of milk off the restaurant owner for Tiny. Tiny supped on Weetbix and Tony and Myrtle felt guilty for being such horrid parents - not a fruit or vegetable in sight! Ah, tomorrow we'a try'a again!
Friday, 3 September 2010
Like a Virgin...
...touched down in Milan for the very first time! Indeed, it was a day of firsts for the Turtles.
The first day of their journey kicked off well: a flight without hiccups and Tiny who slept well and generally behaved herself. Then we arrived in Milan and Tiny made a weewee on her clothes while Myrtle was changing her nappy and vomited (for the first time in her 22-month old life) on herself within a period of about 4 minutes... When the first vomit started, Myrtle grabbed the wee'd-upon babygrow and held it at Tiny's mouth. The result? Only one piece of clothing that could be rolled up in a ball and thrown away.
Myrtle had her first espresso ever, but it wasn't very effective in fighting off the jet-lag. The Turtles will all be retiring very soon, hopefully to wake up rested and ready for the rest of Milan tomorrow.
Myrtle booked the hotel on the internet and it was chosen due to the discount received based on Tony's frequent flyer card. Myrtle didn't have the presence of mind to find out the exact location of the hotel and when they ventured into the streets after checking in, they had the eery feeling that they flew for 13 hours just to be back in Hong Kong. Chinese people everywhere and shops selling dried seeweed and other strange creatures in jars... Tony looked perplexed as he asked: "Did you book this hotel because you knew you would be missing Hong Kong? " We are in the heart of Milan's Chinatown... It is easier to find a plate of dim sum than a plate of pasta in this joint...
The first day of their journey kicked off well: a flight without hiccups and Tiny who slept well and generally behaved herself. Then we arrived in Milan and Tiny made a weewee on her clothes while Myrtle was changing her nappy and vomited (for the first time in her 22-month old life) on herself within a period of about 4 minutes... When the first vomit started, Myrtle grabbed the wee'd-upon babygrow and held it at Tiny's mouth. The result? Only one piece of clothing that could be rolled up in a ball and thrown away.
Myrtle had her first espresso ever, but it wasn't very effective in fighting off the jet-lag. The Turtles will all be retiring very soon, hopefully to wake up rested and ready for the rest of Milan tomorrow.
Myrtle booked the hotel on the internet and it was chosen due to the discount received based on Tony's frequent flyer card. Myrtle didn't have the presence of mind to find out the exact location of the hotel and when they ventured into the streets after checking in, they had the eery feeling that they flew for 13 hours just to be back in Hong Kong. Chinese people everywhere and shops selling dried seeweed and other strange creatures in jars... Tony looked perplexed as he asked: "Did you book this hotel because you knew you would be missing Hong Kong? " We are in the heart of Milan's Chinatown... It is easier to find a plate of dim sum than a plate of pasta in this joint...
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