Ruminations from the Silver Muse.

[drron]

Tomorrow we fly out but in typical fashion it will be 2 weeks before we board the Muse. Spending 6 nights in Bangkok,3 nights in Tokyo and 3 nights in Yokohama before we board on October 9th.
We are using a new limo service but reports from others are that they are good. Also on Sunday a QF J flight but on the BA code to make sure I have the 4 flights up for status. Unfortunately have already fallen to silver and seeing my year ends in December unlikely to even stop there. But by the end of January should be back to Silver and should make gold again by June. No real problems though as at the moment all our booked domestic QF flights are in J and International flights out of SYD are in BA F. Who needs status?

Unfortunately not starting of well as now BA 16 on Monday will be at least 5 hours late meaning an arrival into SIN after 2am. Fortunately our flight the next day to BKK is after midday. So hopefully will get some sleep.
Six nights in Bangkok at the Kimpton Maa Lai. We stayed over the road from it last Christmas and liked the area. Then back to SIN and overnight.

Next is JAL J to NRT. 3 nights at the IC Tokyo Bay with a confirmed suite upgrade and 3 nights at the Yokohama IC which is close to the cruise terminal.
The cruise goes via Taiwan,Hong Kong,Vietnam,Thailand, singapore,Bali. Komodo island,Darwin and Thursday Island before arriving in cairns. Fly home that day on QF to BNE.

 

[love_the_life]

I like the Muse so looking forward to hearing how you think she is travelling these days. Will be on her at the end of the year again.

 

[drron]

So disaster strikes on day 1. Left my pink jacket at home. We are not very organised this time. Way too many senior moments.
However the new Limo service is very good. Got a reminder last night. Turned up 10 minutes early and a very comfortable ride to BNE. So Skydrive at Currimundi recommended.

Straight to the QF premium entry. The computer at the Services desk crashed and took an age to restart. Take some of AJ’s bonuses back and put the money back into IT.

At security the new imaging machine showed a warning sign over my groin. Unfortunately not for the reason I was hoping but the metal fastener on my trousers. Pleased to know as well that I am not explosive.

So now sitting in the J lounge with a lovely car park view.

 

[cosi]

Next is JAL J to NRT. 3 nights at the IC Tokyo Bay with a confirmed suite upgrade and 3 nights at the Yokohama IC which is close to the cruise terminal.

Stayed at IC Yokohama in Feb 20 and we were bitterly disappointed. I hope it has been upgraded during Covid. IC Tokyo Bay is excellent and even the Tokyo Bay staff acknowledge IC Yokohama needs work.

Safe travels

 

[drron]

Stayed at IC Yokohama in Feb 20 and we were bitterly disappointed. I hope it has been upgraded during Covid. IC Tokyo Bay is excellent and even the Tokyo Bay staff acknowledge IC Yokohama needs work.

Safe travels

Probably not as there is now a new IC virtually next door but we are paying $150 a night as against $800+ at the new IC.

But back to the TR.
We went to the gate early but the plane was delayed. So as about an hour to wait we went back to the lounge. I decided to sit in the QP and assessed their offerings. Exactly the same wine on offer. The salad was nearly identical but no salami but an extra pasta salad. No hot dish apart from the same soup. However the hot dish in the J lounge wa white rice and a not very nice looking stew. I had a salad sandwich with salami. Whilst getting it a woman piled her plate with rice and I thought she wouldn’t be able to get much stew on it. However she managed 8 large ladles of stew. Then went back to her table and took photos of her dish.

About 30 minutes before probable boarding went back to the gate only to find it was for a MEL service. The board suggested that the SYD service had moved from 22 to 23. But as we arrived at 23 it changed to 18. Got to 18 as they called premium boarding. Not policed as many from the general line just merged with the premium line.

Then a wait until the last passenger was found. They weren’t so their bag was unloaded.
So a 1310 departure turned into a 1400 one.

 

[Flyfrequently]

I had a salad sandwich with salami. Whilst getting it a woman piled her plate with rice and I thought she wouldn’t be able to get much stew on it. However she managed 8 large ladles of stew. Then went back to her table and took photos of her dish.

Perhaps she is doing her own a TR @drron
Looking forward to your TR, happy travels

 

[drron]

Perhaps she is doing her own a TR @drron
Looking forward to your TR, happy travels

I did think that. So I will check all TRS for the picture.

 

[drron]

Turns out that we weren’t going to leave any earlier as one of the pilots on the delayed arrival flight was out of hours and they had to find another.So my second QF domestic flight this
year but first in J. So the seat


And what I have missed over Covid.



Then lunch. 3 choices. Mrsdrron had the roast pumpkin salad and I had the chicken with Hokies noodles.




Fairly cloudy at first but fine from the Hunter to SYD. First Newcastle then Lake Macquarie.




Then some lovely coal power stations.



And to the Central Coast.

 

[love_the_life]

Enjoy - MySilversea seems to have dropped our cruise altogether - not showing at all. No doubt a website glitch but annoying as I wanted to add some stuff. TA notified to follow up.

 

[Pushka]

Enjoy - MySilversea seems to have dropped our cruise altogether - not showing at all. No doubt a website glitch but annoying as I wanted to add some stuff. TA notified to follow up.

I’ve noticed that US based websites are maintained overnight in the US on the weekend which is of course very inconvenient. Mine disappeared off celebrity yesterday.

 

[drron]

The wines were a a Hayshed hil SSB
And a Schilds Barossa cab Sav.
So back to the Central Coast. Than Barrenjoey and the Hawkesbury.








Long reef and Manly.




The Sydney CBD.

 

[drron]

Then past SYD and down over the National Park before turning and landing over Kurnell.

 

[drron]

Now we were to meet with our granddaughters and daughter in law at Rydges at 1600 and we only got to the gate at 1515. A wait for the airbridge then our bag out near last before a walk to T1 to get the Tbus which then drops you as far from Rydges as possible. So our family were waiting for us in the lobby.

Up to our room on floor 7 with views over T3.











I missed the best shot when walking to Rydges as I was wheeling 2 bags. About the same time a Rex Saab took off from the short runway and aQF A380 took off from the main runway. A great contrast.

 

[drron]

We were going to have afternoon tea with the family but they had had an early lunch so we decided on an early dinner at Smithy’s bar as the restaurant wasn’t open yet. Wasn’t too bad.
We had a Pinot Gris with the meal.


So to the food. The granddaughters had a steak sandwich and spaghetti with meatballs.




Our daughter in law a Greek salad with chicken.


Mrsdrron a Caesar salad with chicken.

And I the pork ribs.


A very pleasant meal.
Our grandson is at Cadet camp and our son is in Berlin having a run with Eliud Kipchoge.

 

[AviatorPJ]

Turns out that we weren’t going to leave any earlier as one of the pilots on the delayed arrival flight was out of hours and they had to find another.So my second QF domestic flight this
year but first in J. So the seat

And what I have missed over Covid.

Then lunch. 3 choices. Mrsdrron had the roast pumpkin salad and I had the chicken with Hokies noodles.
View attachment 345132

This looks like one of the most unappetizing dishes imaginable, Drron! Sorry for Mrsdrron. Another Qantas J mega fail.

 

[drron]

This looks like one of the most unappetizing dishes imaginable, Drron! Sorry for Mrsdrron. Another Qantas J mega fail.

No the dishes didn’t look great but the food tasted very nice so the both of us were happy.
The obvious problem with the flight was the continued lack of priority baggage on QF flights for J passengers.

 

[Major]

The photos from the aircraft look very hazy. Was it light cloud, bush fire haze or just dirty windows ?

 

[drron]

Dirty windows was the reason @Major .
Absolute disaster today. Because of our delayed BA flight we did get a 1pm check out from Rydges.
Strolled over to the airport and looked at the departure board. At 1930 no BA flight. But looking at every flight there it was at 1450 and check in open.
And it was so checked in and told departure time is 1930.
So now we have to spend 6 hours in the F lounge. Quelle hottest.

 

[drron]

So off to security.This time the scanner showed that the whole of my left trunk was a problem. Probably sweating as nothing else showed up on sanding or pat down.
Than to the egates . Mrsdrron had no problem. I had to scan my passport twice and then as I waited for the photo to be taken an officer runs over and says follow me. She took me to another agent who scanned my passport again, looked me up and down, handed my passport back and said go. No explanation.

Didn’t take too much time off our Flounging time. So straight to the lounge. My Nestor looks a lot older. But I guess I do too.
Arrived a bit after 1300 so straight to lunch. That next.

 

[drron]

The spring menu.