I have been meaning to update this blog for over a year now, and it’s embarrassing that crass commercialism is making me do it today, but there you have it.  We moved into Fountaingrove Lodge last June, and now that the place is decorated to our taste and we have a bunch of great new friends, we couldn’t be happier with it.  I only took one trip, and it was a month ago, a cruise to Alaska, with Joan Westgate’s fabulous family.  I was too busy, working and playing to write, but do email me if you need tips on Alaska.  I wrote them up for another client who should just be back now.  But let’s stay with the décor, because it will lead me to my selling point.

The focal point of our living room is this custom made cabinet:SculptureCabinet170614small

It was made by Dennis Douglas in Napa, at the behest of Deborah Robertson, who, with the help of Valerie Lasker, was our Interior Designer.  I had a lot to do with this cabinet, myself, and I am very proud of it.  Our little apartment is lovely, and we are very happy with it.

But, wanderlust still guides my life.  Elvon and I will be going to Montreal on August 17, and staying a couple of weeks.  Last year’s adventures taught me what I need to do to keep him well and happy.

Luckily, the Holiday Inn Express, pedestrian though it may be, fits our needs.  It’s flat, with elevators.   It has a good breakfast buffet, that I can forage at every day, just like here at Fountaingrove Lodge.  It has a gym, and they let us use the Breakfast room to entertain in the evenings.  So, when it rains and he won’t go out, the friends scheduled for that night will come to us, stopping at Chalet BBQ, or Chenoy’s or any on a zillion Montreal restaurants with good take out.  I am told it had been raining a lot this summer.  It’s a good thing we can eat a lot of warm dead bird.  It’s the best in the world.

Then, in February 2018, I am going back to work as a Concierge Host – Singapore to Hong Kong. 

If you’re looking for a special trip to beat the February blues.  I think I have it for you.  I have just been named Travel Leaders’ Distinctive Voyages concierge host for Celebrity’s Pingxi Lantern Festival Cruise, and I am taking Pat Gustafson along as my co-host.  FGL has proven it can take good care of Elvon.  I am so happy we live here.  So happy, that I sent this out to the entire lodge.

I’ll customize a three-day add-on in Hong Kong, where Elvon and I lived for many years.  My Hong Kong tours top Abercrombie’s.  I take my guests to the private clubs, where we, or our still good friends, were or still are, members.  That means horseracing at the Jockey Club in a Members’ Box, dinner at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, maybe the Hong Kong Club, or The American Club or the China Club.  We don’t have time for them all.  There are special Chinese restaurants to sample, too.  We can hire a junk and go eat at Lamma Island or Cheung Chau, anything the group decides.  Planning it is going to be half the fun.

So, first thing I did was call Celebrity, and here’s what I found.

It’s a very special cruise, because of the Lantern Festivals, and it’s almost sold out!  There were only 3 Verandah cabins left, 2 Family Verandah cabins, 5 Sky Suites and 1 Celebrity suite.  I grabbed the 3 verandah guarantees with fictitious names and I am holding them until August 13.  Want one?

It’s a deal!  Cruise only, but with a lovely choice of perk packages, including a $909 per person beverage package –  Total fare for two people occupying the cabin, the perk package, services of a concierge host (moi), a free shore excursion in Hue that includes lunch:  $7,353.60 for TWO!!  That’s 14 days of cruising on a gorgeous ship, for $3,676.80 each.  The Family Verandahs are just a bit more and the suites are almost double that.

I’ll put us up in fabulous hotels in Singapore and Hong Kong, because you haven’t lived until you’ve been pampered in Raffles, or the Mandarin Oriental, or the Shangri-La – and there are more.  I’ll also invite Hong Kong friends along for dinner, so you can interface with real people who are my real friends.  They won’t be shy with you, because they’ll know you are my friends, too.  The ad-on will be optional and you don’t have to take it.  You’ll still get my best advice, for free.

Here’s the Itinerary:

DAY PORT
1 Singapore
2 At Sea
3 Ko Samui, Thailand
4 Bangkok/LaemcHabang, Thailand
5 Bangkok/LaemcHabang, Thailand
6 At Sea
7 Ho Chi Minh(Phu My), Vietnam
8 At Sea
9 Hue/Danang(Chan May), Vietnam
10 Hanoi (Halong Bay), Vietnam
11 At Sea
12 At Sea
13 Taipei(Keelung), Taiwan
14 Taipei(Keelung), Taiwan
15 Hong Kong, China
 Number of Nights: 14

 

And here’s the link http://tinyurl.com/SporeHKFeb2018

Call or email me to grab one of the very few cabins that are left.