Luxury Holiday at Home - All Aboard

Hello Everyone,

I am gathering notes for the next talk, but it will be a few more days before I can make a broadcast. I am busy getting ready for the luxury train trip for my children and grandchildren. Some of them are coming early so I only have time for this brief message.  One of the children has cleverly created tickets for the passengers, which I will receive at the door. For those of you who haven't kept up with me, my home is the train. I have spent quite a bit of time watching luxury train videos and looking up the itinerary, menus and activities.  I have the cabins, the dining car, lounge car, off-train activities and have even ordered some train whistles. I hope I don't regret that.

I thought you might like to see the invitation I sent:

Join us for the two day trip on the luxury train called The Royal.

A steward will bring a wagon to your car in the parking area to allow you to load your luggage to be brought to the train. 

The guest rooms at The Manse are turned into sleeping cabins and there will be off-train excursions.

 

The dining car will be open for Scottish lunches. British tea fare is served in the English Garden gazebo during a stop.

 

As with all luxury trains there will be activities, lectures, live music ( train tunes) and a listen to real train whistles of the nearby passing freight train in the morning and a passenger train in the evening. 

The observation car will be the front porch. Please do not use it during the upcoming rain storm.

I’m in training for the foot races during an off train excursion.

 

Since some luxury trains have programs like cooking lessons, select passengers will be shown how to eat boiled eggs in an egg cup. ( I only have two egg cups).

 

Last month at The Inn, the art director taught how to make board games. This month on The Royal, will be featured making jigsaw puzzles. 

We will also be having theatre in the evenings when there no longer any visible scenery. Passengers will all have a role, including prop maker and stage manager.

 

Passengers will have self service hot beverages in their cabins before breakfast and throughout the day. Each cabin has its own coffee/ tea center with electric kettle, distilled water and English teas, coffee. Lime and lemon wedges provided for for that morning health giving, anti virus drink.

 

Due to sudden stops, the Royal requires all baggage stowed under table or chair in cabins, out of the pathways. The owner is not liable for accidents and carries no insurance.

 

Each passenger is required to present one thing for a “ teach something—thrive class” session. I expect to hear the history of trains and much more.

 

We have researched and chosen menus from The Royal Scotsman luxury train.

 

In lieu of fare for this exclusive trip, each passenger can choose one “ working holiday “ job, from computers to screen door repair to overhead light bulb replacement. 

 

ALL ABOARD!!!!

 

The management.

This video was the best I could find of the Royal Scotsman.  I think we will have a unique trip aboard our own train, but we don't have such a nice video of it.  There are numerous other videos that show the off-train excursions and other activities. 

I have been amused by Darren McGrady, former chef of the Queen and later, Princess Diana. His video collection is a treasure trove of recipes and good humor. He left England to cook in the White House in the 1980’s and has been in the States for 20 years, based in Dallas Texas with his own catering business. He wrote the book “Eating Royally “ which I reviewed on a video last year, (I’m sorry I didn’t label my videos but the blog posts have labels so search words can be used) .I’m using his scone recipe and his Scottish shortbread recipe, with some substitutions for health considerations. He has a stuffed animal corgi he calls Winston, who he talks to in the videos. (His grandkids must love it). When he was reading his hate mail in one of his videos, he said to a comment about Winston being a fake dog: “Winston is real! Some people don’t know how to enjoy life!”

In one video where he cooks fish, he has a toy fishing pole for Winston. Like I said, his grandchildren must love his happy personality.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSlqs4QmCxc

On a more somber note:  So far, in these crazy political times, we have been relatively untouched by tragedy and sorrow. However, this month already we have received calls from people we know who have lost loved ones suddenly, due to illnesses unrelated to the one heard regularly on the media.  These are such sad times for them, and for us. I extend my sympathy, and if you are one of these people enduring such deep loss and sadness, I extend my heartfelt sympathy.  We went through this a few years ago, losing all the aunts, uncles, grandparents, parents, and the people in our lives we dearly loved and who  made the world more interesting. Life was very bleak without them.