Alas, as I’ve said to many of you in response to your generous comments on previous posts, I’ve been the worst possible blogger/writer/storyteller this past week. My goal—our goal, actually, because The One wants to try his hand at writing—was to keep you in the loop literally each day. We wanted to regale you in the evening with tales—comic as well as tragic—from our day spent tromping through London. And, more importantly, we wanted to fold your copious ideas and suggestions into our travels and posts. (By the way, thanks for the restaurant reccos and the directives to visit St. John’s and have tea at Fortnum & Mason. And Kate Jackson, I will forever be your love slave for recommending Dinner by Heston Blumenthal.)
But we failed you. The city and its offerings got the better of us. Damn you, London (shakes fist at ye heavens)! We’re now somewhere off the coast of France headed for Vigo, San Sebastian, and Bilbao, Spain; Porto, Portugal; and, finally, Bordeaux and Mont St. Michel, France, after setting sail on the Constellation, the flagship of Celebrity Cruises. (Wait. Does one “set sail” on a cruise ship?) We’re on a wine immersion voyage—not a booze cruise, mind you. This is too classy, too civilized for that—although The One didn’t hesitate to buy the five-bottle wine package despite the fact that we were already booked for four wine-and-food-pairing dinners. So our “we-interrupt-this-vacation-for-this-urgent-message-from-David-and-The One” posts from our London bureau will have to come in fits and starts as we wedge them in between our other assuredly late posts about the rest of our trip.
Bottom line: We beg your eternal lenience. In the meantime, enjoy this (rather shaky) picture I took from our veranda as we entered the English Channel at 8:00 p.m. last night. Think of it as the first of many postcards from our ledge, er, edge.
Love slave – hurray! Does that mean you have to bake me your amazing chocolate chip cookies whenever I ask? So glad you liked the amazing Dinner by Heston. 🙂
If that is your definition of a love slave, then, yes, mistress.
David, I’m so glad you and The One did not waste your brief time in London sharing every breath with us, your devoted readers! London is too vast and the pleasures too thick on the ground to spend much time communicating about it.
You know, Jean, I never thought of it that way. Now I don’t feel so guilty. But I do feel honor bound to share, but sometimes life does get in the way. I have been tweeting and Facebooking, so that has taken up some of the slack.
You’re coming to Porto! All I can say is: Welcome! I’d love to catch a glimpse of you. (I live about 1 km from the port where cruise ships land), but since that isn’t likely, I wish you enjoy this beautiful city at least as much as I do!
We are, Helena. And I love Porto. It’s such a beautiful and gracious city. I was there several times when I was writing my book. The tour we’re taking will take us from Porto then upriver to Amarante and Regúa. If you just happen to be at the port, we’re on Celebrity’s Constellation. We’re scheduled to disembark between 8:30 and 9:00 am.
I can’t believe I missed you! I had to leave and still haven’t made it back… Hope you enjoyed Amarante (I know it very well and think it’s a wonderful place) and Regua. And thank you so much for being so generous you’d be willing to meet me! Have a wonderful cruise and vacation, we’re all anxiously awaiting your regular return!
Helena, I looked for you…but as I don’t know what you look like, it was difficult. We had a lovely time in Amarante. We had the best pastéis de bacalhau we’ve ever had there. And lunch was at Quinta do Vallado. I’ve been there before, and it was spectacular.