Maisie and Fred's Excellent Adventure (comments thread)

[Gustavo]

Gordon, looks like Maise was enjoying a bit too much champagne before that first picture!

I love the shot with the wedding cake - there can't be too many couples who have had the honour of M&F at their wedding.

If it was a Pete & Rob composition, she'd be into the glass ...

But it's Masie: she wouldn't ... (...)

Hi Gus, it never occurred to me that Rio was ever anything other than sunny!  Anyway, they've got a taste of some of the sites and can see them again in better weather.

No doubt, Gordon! There's more sun than rain in this town, no doubt. We Cariocas have a strange superstition that, when someone comes to Rio from a rainy place (at least for the first time), they "bring rain" with them ... Are Masie & Fred from England? Or New York, maybe? ... (Ontario, god-knows ...): anyway, maybe the superstition worked out Or maybe they only planned badly this time, and came on Winter days

Next time, they'll come on Summer, as good first-time tourists -- even though in the second Masie & Fred visit to Rio


Gus

[Gustavo]

MAISIE AND FRED ARRIVE IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS


After a long trip from Martin's London home, our world travellers wait patiently to be greeted at Crown Bay Marina.

They seem to be cooling their shoes. Apparently the pavement was a bit too warm on their feet ... 

After they have had an opportunity to rest up, we'll show them some of the island's highlights.

However, their journey has just really begun. Next week, we leave for Denver, Colorado. Then it's off to Houston, Texas for a few days before we drive to Fort Lauderdale.

So, Masie and Fred will get to see some of the Rocky Mountains, most of the Gulf coast and the best of south Florida before we head back to the Virgin Islands.

Thanks, Martin!

All the best from F&M and me.

see attachment

Hello Richard!

It seems that they got a bit more lucky in the sunny Virgin Islands than in the quick visit to Rio on the Winter ...

When "they're back", on Summer, you'll all have some better photos of sunny Rio ... It may be increadible, but we do have winter days here, from June to August, with rains, even a few days of cold (22 C degrees, don't know Fahrenheit correspondence ...).

Tom Jobim, a famous composer and musician of my father's (& yours Richard, and (late) F. Sinatra Senior) wrote a (bossa nova) song (he was actually one of the creators of the style ...), named "Águas de março", which means "March waters", a reference to the rain waters that begin to drop, late on the month of March ... It's, the beginning of cold winds (and ocean waters), coming from the south, from Antartida, from[through] Patagonia (region in Argentina).

I'm glad Fred & Masie "are in a warmer place" now ... It's good for them to take some Summer sun , specially, told me Masie, because of Fred's bones!

Good trip!

Gus



Ps. By the way, do they have a travel schedule? ... If we don't pay attention, they'll be in two places at the same time / G.

[playmofire]

Hi Richard, they're certainly seeing the world and a range of weather.  With all the travelling they're doing, it's a pity they don't get AirMiles.

[Gepetto]

Thank you Playmofire,

What an excellent adventure! That looked like a very nice day trip and also very educational ( not to mention nutritionally sound!). I always like to see pictures of follys (even the grotesque ones, because someone had the moxie to build something they wanted regardless of what anyone else thought).




Gepetto

[Martin Milner]

Thanks Gordon for a great, if exhausting, day out for Fred & Maisie! 

Good to see Fred can still get up all those stairs even with his worn-out knees.

I took F&M with me to the British Museum yesterday, but was too shy to get them out for a photo in front of the huge crowds. I must remember to caryy them everyerywhere in case a good photo opportunity presents itself.

[Richard]

Hello, Gordon ...

Hi Richard, they're certainly seeing the world and a range of weather.  With all the travelling they're doing, it's a pity they don't get AirMiles.

Now I know why Maisie and Fred were so exhausted when we picked them up at Crown Bay.

Climbing lighthouses and cliffs ... at their age ... 
(Great photos, Gordon!)

After they've had a couple days rest here, we'll put them on a plane with us to Fort Lauderdale where we'll spend the night. Then, the next day we fly to Denver, Colorado.

We'll be in Colorado through the weekend, then we fly to Houston, Texas. (I'm thinking that by the time we get to Houston, Maisie and Fred will be begging me to send them back to you for some more "restful" cliff climbing.) ... 

We'll let them rest up in Houston for a few days before we begin our three day drive along the Gulf Coast to Fort Lauderdale. We'll be in Fort Lauderdale for a few weeks before we fly back to the Virgin Islands.

Gus seemed somewhat concerned about Maisie and Fred being in several places almost at the same time. Since they obviously have an International First Class Pass, they're really only (at most) a day or just a few hours from any of us. So, we need to assure Gus that an itinerary is probably not necessary for our two jet setters ... 

Thanks again for another great adventure, Gordon, and hope to see more of Rio, Gus!

All the best,
Richard


Edit: For some reason I seen to keep misspelling "Maisie" ... 

[Gustavo]

I took F&M with me to the British Museum yesterday, but was too shy to get them out for a photo in front of the huge crowds. I must remember to caryy them everyerywhere in case a good photo opportunity presents itself.

SO DO I !!! ! (Very, VERY with myself ...)

I should have taken them to church, today ... When those guys come from the States, someone in church wants to take them all around (as well as they, usually, want to go all around Rio ...). Well, today's guy did happen to go all around Rio, and there was room to me, because I was one of the only (two) available speaking English guys around, so, I had NEVER been to both the Corcovado mountain (where the Christ redeemer statue is, 700 m high) & to the Sugar Loaf (300 m high) ON THE SAME DAY!

I can't say I thought about Fred & Masie all the time, but I did think with myself ... "Blllllaast!!! I S H O U L D have brought Fred & Masie!!!". (Specially because these guys got a real & unusual luck: a sunny & warm day in the middle of the Winter ... Not that it doesn't happen of us having sunny days on Winter, but one week ago, as I went to Forte de Santa Cruz (two pictures I took of Fred there, one of'em with Masie), it was a luck that it didn't rain, but it was cloudy, and it was really cold! (About between 20-22 Celsium degrees ... Today, 37: Just like some Summer days!) (The guys were really (and unusually) VERY lucky!!!

But what happens here is that I'll NEVER, E V E R get out home without Fred & Masie packed in whatever pocket/bag I manage to take them with me!

-x-

Still, eventually I'll go back to these places, although it isn't in plans, not yet. Carioca daily life don't usually include going up these places, you know? ... Only when tourists (erm, friends, and not only from the States ... last time were from Sampaulo, Brasil) ... so, only when tourists come.

Even so, we come by these places rather frequently, so, many nice pictures can be taken, in moments of bonne chance ...

Gus

[Gustavo]

Hello, Gordon!
 

I loved Fred & Masie picture near the emergency light (third of this post)! It seems they're having great fun there!

Good pics!

Thanks!

Gus

[Richard]

(I'm thinking that by the time we get to Houston, Maisie and Fred will be begging me to send them back to you for some more "restful" cliff climbing.) ... 

I had no idea what Maisie and Fred were going to be going through with Susan and me when I wrote that comment ... (see Maisie and Fred's race with Hurricane Gustav) ... 

[Gustavo]

Very nice pictures, Richard!

I like the mixture of them little on the big stuff and big as though they were average size people
I'll try to do both. But I like dearly that they appear in all photos!

Thanks
It's delightful

Gus


Ps. So you were/are on vacations ...