Eva's Wine Cellar

Yes, spendius does have a twisted mind.

Have you been to Prague? Their food is just outstanding too, especially game. We had some wild boar there - superb!

We're doomed for living in beautiful California, George. Taxed to the max. and it's still not enough to balance our state budget. We all know that the
unions voted Jerry Brown into office and now he's to reciprocate the favor.
I don't even want to think about our local politicians and the mess they created, especially the pension benefit fiasco.

He's a very naughty cat, continually seeks food, but he is adorable!! His name is "Bigsy" how did you get that?




Did you hear that Osso? I thought they looked a bit , well, strange......didn't really want to pull them apart.....

Off to have a coffee, that was exhausting, especially after I had 3 Chardonnays straight after

Well spendius, I am not that innocent or young for that matter, I assume you are getting carried away with your pub fantasies. Aren't you a bit old for wet dreams?

I've not been to Prague, but Elise, an inveterate traveller, has been there several times. it's on her list so I expect I'll be there soon. It was spared most of the destruction of WWII (but not the architectural depredations of Soviet socialism), and, I've read, is avery beautiful city. Actually looking forward to it and interested in any tips you may have.

I do want to go back to Berlin and to Riga, both of which I found both very pleasant and (so far) endlessly fascinating.

In Berlin, Elise found the site of her grandfather''s old home - in Charlottenberg - rebuilt now, but one can get an impression from some surviving & restored structures in the area. (My grandparent's homes in Ireland were far more modest.) After some (fairly extensive) searching we also found a surviving concrete block GDR apartment building in Berlin - VERY low ceilings, dull and depressing. ugh ! The Germans have rebuilt and largely restored their (mostly) beautiful cities with remarkable skill. (One of the saddest contrasts I have ever seen was in the (now) Russian enclave between Latvia and Lithuania that was once East Prussia. Amidst all the dull, depressing stuff there, one occasionally sees a structure that is a relic of the earlier era - beautiful, but sad and worn. The people too - nothing like the cheerful, talkative Latvians, or even the more taciturn, but very pleasant Berliners.)

I've also been to Prague several times, and have enjoyed my visits there every time! Try to take in a concert, in addition to visiting the astrological clock and their famous square.

I have also visited Berlin several times, and in November of last year. During one of my visits, I did visit Shloss Charlottenberg (palace), and even went up the TV tower on a previous visit. I enjoy East Berlin (Mitte) more because of their museums, historical sites, and also enjoy walking on many of the side streets from Unter din Lendin. Even visited Sony Center many years ago, and enjoyed their Marlene Deitrich movie museum.

Call Walter, he may join you there, and he's always an excellent local guide who can direct you to the most interesting sites.

Thanks Cicerone. Walter did provide me the info on Cafe Einstein - I breakfasted there almost every day for the two weeks I was there. We later on met here in San Francisco - at the Tadich Grill . He's a nice guy, and they are a very pleasant couple.

George, as Elise will tell you, Prague - at least the inner city, has been mostly spared by cement monstrosities the Russians call modern architecture. I thoroughly enjoyed the Jewish Quarter (and seeing Kafka's house of birth) and the lovely and lively bridges where musicians and street artists make up for the right ambiance. One piece of advice: wear heavy shoes, those darn cobblestones wreck your feet. When we got back to the hotel on our first night, I walked like John Wayne....

We did Berlin last year and this year (August) we're heading for Amsterdam so the kid can experience the den of iniquity She's old enough now!

Dresden is also on my list, I think it's been restored beautifully and everyone is raving about the city.

right

Are you kidding Cal? Wet dreams are the only place the perfect woman now exists. It's the intervals between them that's the drawback for the shagged out has-beens like me. The real world is rather mundane truth to tell.

That's the general idea George. Dishearten you enough to pass the torch to a younger generation. You must be slowing down by now. All the scientists say so. And they have brain scan movies to prove it.

Is not the problem that too many old, senile fuddy-duddies are refusing to let go of the levers.

Not that a candidate will admit it for fear of losing the senior's vote.

Actually most European nations are going to have to significantly delay the retirement age in order to have any hope of sustaining their economies or standards of living, given their low birth rates and rapidly ageing populations - Germany, Italy Spain and most of the Central European countries particularly (Greece too, but they don't work when they're young either, and I think few in Europe will regret their disappearance). Soon enough we will have that problem as well.

You are right though that at some point we all slow down. I can't run as far as I once did, and I benchpress just 135 lbs, not the 205lbs I did 10 years ago. I'm beginning to notice a little trouble hearing soft voices (though my wife says it's just her's), and I'm sure it will all progress. However, the mental faculties appear to be holding up, and, what the hell, I own a big part of the company, so I don't give a damn.

I started losing my hearing in my late fifties, but the biggest surprise for me is that my night vision is still pretty decent at my age.

Actually I'm fortunate in that most of my old squadronmates have lost far more of their hearing than me. Jet engine noise up close is bad for the upper part of your hearing spectrum (800-20,000 Hz), particularly affecting frequencies above 15,ooo Hz. Every year we used to be tested for our spectral thresholds and the lab techs used to brag they could tell what kind of aircraft we flew by the results. I assumed that was BS, but who knows?

It turns out our sight starts to go in our late '20s as the lenses in our eyes lose their elasticity -- shifting your focal plane gets harder and takes longer. It catches up to most folks in their early '40s when they start needing some magnification for reading. In an aircraft you are constantly shifting your vision from the cockpit instruments to the (very) distant horizon. It used to bug me that it was usually the junior Lieutenant on my wing who first sighted approaching aircraft (or bogies as we called them - just dots on the horizon): now I know why.

I fear I'm divertijng the thread. Apologies to Eva.

No apology necessary! This is why we're here. Carry on.......

(If you get tired, you can sleep on the sofa over there by the fireplace.)

Thank you Eva. I do like the topic and will shut up and follow along for a while. (You have attracted a good crowd).

Yeah, old age is not for sissies, whereas I still think that men are better off than us women, right Eva?

Grey hair, wrinkles, a heavier physique - all distinctive and chic in older men, while women are titled "old bags". The entire cosmetic industry would be filing bankruptcy if women stopped buying. Those few soaps and razors men buy, they couldn't live on.

I think I have another croissant .....

I won't go on about my hearing, low to no sense of smell, or my baaad eye - I'm used to all of that.

Time for me to make some pesto (parsley/garlic/walnut/parmesan) scrambled eggs and have another cup of coffee. Will show up later in the day to have some of that fine red wine, Eva.

We humans are indeed funny animals. I eat almost anything and everything which I try to be in moderation, but when I hear " croissant," my immediate response is "no way!" I wonder why?

I don't know, cicerone, they only have 180 calories....compared to bacon & eggs, it's not bad. The French aren't big breakfast eaters - coffee, croissant and perhaps a bit of jam is enough for them.

How about an Italian breakfast for you then, cicerone?

Hey, I love Italian sausage.