Loading ...merrily merrily
Hello from Helsinki!
Life for me is like a dream, in the sense that I sometimes think I know what I experienced, but then I realize I’m not really sure, that maybe I just made it all up. Maybe that’s one reason I take so many photos, to have proof of what I experience, but after a short time even the photos don’t seem real. They are more like reminders of a dream.
Today, I began the final leg of a current dream, a trip that isn’t yet completed but already seems un-real in its entirety. I couldn’t make up any let alone all of what has happened during these past three months, so it must be a dream. The ending in Paris was a perfect example of what I mean.
The night before last, I enjoyed a wonderful dinner with friends, accompanied by a few bottles of wine, all of them at least 50 years old. As proof, below is a photo of the bottles. In spite of the proof, the best description of my experience is dream-like. And the centerpiece was the perfect dream wine. So, even with this evidence, the experience seems somewhat un-real.
After dinner, we had a glass of Malaga that was bottled before the Eiffel Tower was constructed. I’m still thinking about that. It’s like a direct connection to the past, a method of time travel.
Speaking of the Eiffel Tower, I’ve had the good fortune of seeing it many times in the past, but yesterday afternoon I decided to go see it again, just to make sure it’s really there and I didn’t dream it up, too. I took a photo of it, so I guess it’s real. Weird, because when I look at that thing and walk around it, from every angle it looks so un-real to me.
At the moment, I’m between flights. Even though I’ve flown so many times, the idea of flying still amazes me. I still remember my very first flying dream; it’s like the dream took form in ‘real life’.
So, here I sit at the airport in Helsinki, absolutely amazed by everything, with no real idea of what will happen next. The only thing it seems I can be sure of is that whatever happens, it won’t seem real.
Happy dreams to you.
Bill
Row row row your boat.
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily.
Life is but a dream.
On the flight from Paris to Helsinki, we flew right over the site of the Nord Stream Pipeline sabotage in the Baltic Sea. Gazing out the window at the scene far below, I swear I spotted the Gilligan’s Island crew on a boat, with the Skipper at the helm. Or maybe I just made that up, too 😉
Maybe they will try to blame the “Professor”.
OK you have me curious now. What will it set me back to buy a bottle of 50 year old Malaga wine and was it worth it? I am imagining vinegar or something quite acidic after such a long storage but have no idea really. Would you drink it twice?
Would I drink it twice? I would drink it thrice x thrice, just to get started.
The condition of such old wines depends on many factors, including the grape(s) and how it was vinted, but primarily the storage. These wines were all stored well.
The Malaga was a very special treat, but it was by no means the star of the show. If you did not immediately spot the star, you probably shouldn’t be drinking any of these wines before ‘working’ your way up to understanding and appreciating such things. It takes time before one hears the what the wine is saying. The star whispered such sweet things in my ear as you can only imagine!
My question was what does it cost. No I would not know the star of the show so don’t worry. I am not a drinker.
OK, now I understand. The cost of such bottles varies greatly. Ours was not a 50-year-old Malaga, but from 1872. I don’t have any idea of the value of that particular bottle, but it was not a run-of-the-mill bottle. A quick search shows there are relatively inexpensive bottles of 1872 Malaga available.
The star of the evening was the Richebourg Domaine de la Romanée Conti 1966. It was perfect. The value of that bottle alone is higher than what I spent in total during these past three months of travel! I’m fortunate to have such a friend who invites me to share such treats with him and his family.
I’m still intoxicated.
The door of the aircraft has now closed and we’ll soon be headed towards LAX.
So can we put you down on the Poll as a Red Wine 🙂
Great stuff GB…GREAT STUFF !
GoldBalloon, flying high !
Good story, GB. Keep’em coming.