Bakker Bugle Blog » B&B

Begging your patience

Will — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:35:37 +0000

We beg your patience once again. It has been a busy month at the BBB&B.

Incidentally, we have a new policy regarding maximum occupancy at the BBB&B. Without prior arrangements, we can accommodate two (2) adult guests at one time. Children under a parent’s care do not count against this limit. Any pet over 30 kg — whether horse, dog, cat or honey badger — counts as two (2) adult guests.

In the near future, the Bugle will celebrate Halloween, visit an ancient spa in the southeast of Luxembourg, and taste test the baked goods of many lands and most prominently the Low Countries.

In the meantime, we’ll offer a special bonus for past BBB&B guests who can identify the location of each of the photos below!

A day in my life at the BBB&B

Sharon — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:26:54 +0000

[Editor's Note: Sharon is a founding member of the Friends of the Bugle. Due to our recent crisis in content-generation, the Bugle's editors foresee an expanded role for Friends of the Bugle. To learn more about this exciting development, please contact us!]

I was a guest of the Bakker Bugle B&B just a few weeks ago. I could tell you how much fun we had traveling & enjoying time with our friends & their hospitality, as well as Belgium beers, wine, and food, but instead here is a snippet of what Will & I did one day……

We decided to walk around the city center in Luxembourg City, then the crazies came out… but this isn’t about them…it’s about us. We strolled through the park near the B&B and found a fading smiley face.

Minutes later, a strange girl handed us a free hat & pen without so much as a credit card application. As we walked farther, we saw a balloon plaza with the same emblazoned emblem of TANGO. Not only is it my favorite dance, but also a communications company in Europe. But this was no ordinary balloon….it was gigantic & Helium filled!!

Our two magnificent balloons were tied to my purse & I proceeded to carry them for at least the next hour. Wind, sharp street signs, tree branches, French tourists, crowds tried to deter me from goal, which was to arrive home safely with balloons intact — for my joy & the delight of others.

On our last stop before home…..I decided to sit for a minute on the new space-saucer-shaped bench. To my dismay Will continued to snap photos….which resulted in a stop-animation/ short-French inspired
film that I like to call Balloons Bleu.

I have to say I was really impressed with the outcome…. it was way more entertaining than my accidental digital shorts which were odd but funny. [Ed. - Thanks to FotoosVanRobin and Atelier Vanessa Maurer for the CC-licensed photos.] Click on the image below to see the award-winning compilation.

So what were the balloons for? Pure enjoyment and the promotion of the advertisers for the night marathon… but more about that later.

Here are some additional topics for further blog posts on my trip to Luxembourg. I’ll write more based on popular demand….

Homonyms and other problems when trying to speak English
Can cheese really be too stinky?
What’s wrong with day old croissants?
Hoegaarden is not what it sounds like
How much wine is too much?
What’s wrong with a nightmare-athon?
I never knew that Anita was a cat person!
Tantrum! Tripoint! Tantrum!
1 flush 2 flush, red flush, blue flush
Land pirates!
Ducks are great but swans are evil spawns of satan.

BBB&B guests relax during travel turmoil

Will — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:15:58 +0000

Rest assured that the guests of the Bakker Bugle B&B are comfortable during their extended stay in northern Europe. Luxembourg is not blanketed in ash as of Sunday morning — indeed, we’ve had an unusually long stretch of sunny weather.

Only one guest has been affected by the air travel restrictions across northern Europe. The BBB&B has made all our facilities available to her, in order to make her prolonged stay as serene as possible. Our laundry facilities and our kitchen will help her cope. Remember as you plan your summer holidays that our laundry and kitchen are available to all guests at all times!

In the local community, the Bakker Bugle has organized relief efforts for families with members stranded far away from Luxembourg. We’ve provided pet-oriented nutritional aid and home security operations for those who have opted to travel across the continent to retrieve their loved ones.

At the time of publication, it looks like nobody is flying into or out of northern Europe until late this week. But somebody is enjoying some extra time in Luxembourg! (And it is unusually quiet without Cargolux 747s landing every hour.)

We’re also coming to understand how important air travel is to Europe. (And how easily Nature can upend our daily expectations.) Consider:

Business and political deals relying on express document services (FedEx, DHL), some of which may be renegotiated or abandoned, if delayed
Organ transplants, both scheduled operations and those waiting for opportune donors far away
Perishable goods, stranded at their points of production — flowers in Holland; food all over Europe, especially seafood.
Travel insurance, personal and derivative
No contrails, leaving skies as blue as that dreadful week in September 2001
Unusual professions that require tight schedules: musicians, performers, lecturers; military, both the soldiers deployed and the army of civilians who manage deployments; emergency services and NGO personnel, such as election supervisors and Red Cross volunteers
The inevitable call-up and vacation cancellations for those who will make up for the lack of air transport: truck drivers, sailors on rivers and seas, travel agents and administrative assistants (of course), and more

Have you heard any surprising stories in the past few days?

BBB&B Update: September shakedown

Will — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:26:40 +0000

Please forgive the staff for their negligence of the blog these past few weeks. We had an important visit from the mother company to see whether the B&B is ready to open for business. The final report hasn’t been released yet, but the initial feedback was favorable. We’re sure that our new facilities in Luxembourg will meet the high expectations set by our Dublin operation.

The September dress rehearsal also brought the debut of a new series of Bugle products — guided tours. Our premier package is a whirlwind tour through a large part of France, an excursion that includes three wine regions and almost four days in and around Paris.

Our first stop is an afternoon in Reims, with sunny skies custom-ordered to show off the graceful Gothic arches of its Cathedral, where many French kings were crowned.

On the way to the cathedral, you’ll see the grapes of Champagne, and on the way out, you’ll taste their culmination in a glass (or two) from the caves of Taittinger.

After a relaxing night in the “real Versailles” beyond the palace gates, we enjoy a mid-morning garden tour especially scheduled to avoid the hordes of tourists.

From there, we pass through the lovely Parisian suburb of Rungis to arrive at our three-star accommodations in the 7th arrondissement. The city is yours for the next three days and nights. Our clients select from a broad menu of attractions, including the Arc de Triomphe. Let us escort you through the Metro system, where all of Paris is just a few stops away!

Louis XIV went to Versailles to escape the hubbub of Paris, and we offer the same experience, as seasoned guides take you through the main palace and the captivating Domaine de Marie-Antoinette. You’ll revel in the luxurious surroundings of the last of French royalty, but we guarantee that you’ll still go home with your head!*

You’ll find yet more relaxation in the verdant fields of Bourgogne (also known as Burgundy), not to mention the wineries therein.

The tour ends with one day and one night in Colmar, an extraordinarily picturesque town in Alsace. Colmar offers sights and museums for some, the famous Wine Road of Alsace for others, and quiet squares for those who want to return home feeling like they had a real vacation.

This tour is just one of the many available through the Bugle. Make your reservations soon! (Thanks to cindy for the last two photos — Will took too many and now he can’t find the good ones!)

* Guarantee not valid in all cases or for all jurisdictions. Contact Bugle legal services for terms and conditions.

The wine glass that ate Luxembourg

Will — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:07:55 +0000

We knew that Ville-Haute was the premier shopping district in Luxembourg before we even visited the city. When we arrived, we learned that the shops would be open for a very special Sunday sale in June. That Sunday, Anita discovered the Villeroy & Boch store. It is, in her words, “a place of wonderful prettiness and stuff that I want.”

Today, we want to share her discovery on that day: the mostest wine glass ever. A goblet of manifestly Brobdingnagian proportions.

Pictured below, from left to right: the new glass, a standard 750ml wine bottle, and one of our old wine glasses.

The old wine glass holds, at full capacity, 450ml — well short of 16oz. The new glass holds much more than that. How much? We have a video to demonstrate the prodigious proportions of our new glassware.

That’s a full wine bottle, folks. Seven hundred and fifty milliliters, not a drop less. Yet another benefit of visiting the BBB&B: generous helpings.

Thanks to Neurowaxx for the music in the video above.

Neurowaxx / CC BY-NC 3.0

B&B progress report

Anita — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 19:37:24 +0000

Greetings, faithful readers! The Bakker Bugle enterprise appreciates your interest in the latest advances in Bugle products and services. We’d like to give you a sneak peek at the new B&B in Luxembourg, to open Fall 2009.

Our team of B&B-specialized master builders have had access to the worksite for four weeks, and we’re happy with the progress so far.

You can learn much, much more by reading the captions of the new photoset at Flickr.

And remember, we’re accepting pre-bookings for the new Bugle B&B in Luxembourg. Call today!

It’s All the Finale, for National Day

Anita — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:19:13 +0000

Last night, we attended the pre-event festivities for National Day. By my early analysis, it would seem that the pre-event activities are the best part of the holiday. We walked from our apartment down into the city center just before dusk — about 9pm, after we had dinner. The streets were packed with both with families and young adults, with everyone in high spirits. There were lots of tents with food, beer, wine and cocktails, and every restaurant was open with lots of outdoor seating.

The torch-light parade began at 10 and it was enthralling. The torches were like swords that burned from the top down. They were held by almost all the parade participants, including very young children. There seemed to be little concern that anyone would catch fire. I cannot imagine trying to do the same type of event in the US. The safety warnings that would have to be given and permissions slips that would need to be signed would take more energy than you would get from the torches!

After watching the parade for a while, we cut through the main plaza and ended up at the end of the parade route. Cutting through the plaza was quite a project – most of the young adults were packed in any available open area, enjoying a mild refreshment and some quiet music (cough). I think I lost at least 5% of my hearing capacity from the sub-woofers alone.

After the parade ended, it was nearly time for the fireworks. We found a spot in the direction of home and waited patiently for them to begin. To be fair, Will waited patiently. I was irritated because the fireworks were to start at 11:30 and they didn’t begin until 11:50.

Oh, but once they began…..

There are words to describe the fireworks, but I’m not sure they would do them justice. While it was a short program, lasting only about 20 minutes, I would expect that easily 50% more fireworks were shot off than a typical Fourth of July celebration. When you can literally turn a sky red with fireworks, you are setting off a lot of them. It was amazing.

The BBB&B Luxembourg reservation book is officially open. I encourage all of you to take a look at your calendars now and see if a 23 June visit would work for your schedule next year. Remember – reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis!

Bakker Bugle B&B booked to the brim

Will — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:23:49 +0000

We announce, with both pride and sadness, that the Bakker Bugle B&B is fully booked through the end of its presence in Ireland. We will begin taking bookings for our new location in mid-summer 2009.

Here are two photos of the new location:

The building is under construction, so there’s not much more to show. For geographiliacs, it is in the Belair neighbourhood of Luxembourg City, not far from Parc du Merl.

Until the Bakker Bugle B&B re-opens on the Continent, whet your appetite at the outstanding Luxembourg City Tourist Office. Be sure to take a look at few of their gorgeous pamphlets and leaflets.

To a new country, to find new adventures

Anita — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:51:54 +0000

The staff had some fun on the first of this month, but our move to Luxembourg is no April Fool.

My work will take us from Dublin to Luxembourg City later this year. We will take the Bakker Bugle with us, and our beloved readers, of course. We’re excited about the move and, in the next month or two, we’ll find out more about where and when we’ll take up residence.

Will and I will be learning a new city and new languages. You’ll read about our adventures at our new home and all over Europe. Plus, the BBB&B will be open and accepting reservations as soon as possible.

This change is no fault of Ireland, of course. We have a long list of things we love about this island and its inhabitants, and an even longer list of things we’d like to do before we go. It is simply time to take new opportunities elsewhere. Thank you, Ireland, for your hospitality, for your good graces, and for letting us be part of this exciting place.

And thank you, dear friends, for being our patient audience for the past two years. Your support means the world to us. We are so glad that we can take you with us!

Bugle to move corporate HQ

staff — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:40:57 +0000

DUBLIN, 1 April 2009 — The Bakker Bugle, an Irish B&B and internet services company, said today that it would relocate its corporate headquarters to Luxembourg.

Although the announcement took many by surprise, Bugle officials said that the move was part of a plan announced in mid-2007 to grow the Bugle brand throughout Europe. Also part of that plan is the today’s acquisition of The Bakker Bugle by the Luxembourgish edutainment giant, Bastelengebläers SARL.

In a brief teleconference before the opening of European markets today, Bastelengebläers officials announced the change of ownership and predicted a bright future for the beloved Bugle website and tourist destination.

Also speaking on the call were spokespersons for Bakker Bugle Holdings, which will soon be renamed Ewing Shelf Corp to reflect its change in focus. Ewing Shelf Corp will retain one lone Bugle property, the copyrights and film-options for the Bugle PI oeuvre.

During a short question-and-answer period, Sidd Finch of Bastelengebläers addressed legal concerns related to the company’s role in the attempted Flemish secession of three years ago.

“Our embrace of The Bakker Bugle brand is not related to that unfortunate period,” Finch said. “Today, more than ever, our leadership of the content-based industry comes from the value-rich expansion of our suite of market-oriented solutions.”

The move of jobs and assets out of Ireland leaves some industry observers with questions. Isaac Bickerstaff of London’s “Eye on Hibernia’s Business” said, “It is hard to see what The Bakker Bugle and Bastelengebläers have in common, beyond the first letters of their names. I am afraid that the merging of corporate DNA may be a rocky road. And The Bakker Bugle, as a corporation, has not offered good value for money since San Serriffe.”

Eight months ago, the Bugle’s corporate directors were embroiled in a public-relations nightmare regarding the San Serriffe offices of one of its subsidiaries. Two international business newsletters carried stories by Janet Cooke that alleged that company executives opened the offices in the idyllic haven in order to entertain friends and potentially friendly politicians. The company’s spokespersons immediately called parts of the stories “fabrications,” and both newsletters ran partial retractions within weeks.

“The Bugle can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube,” says industry expert Kazuo Uzuki, “but the larger narrative of being acquired and moving a corporate headquarters is likely to divert attention from the San Serriffe fiasco.”

At the end of the teleconference, Masal Bugduv of The Bakker Bugle said, “Many of the executives that held roles in both the Holdings company and The Bakker Bugle have decided to spend more time with their families.

After the announcement, Bakker Bugle Holdings director Henri Mensonge commented from his office in San Serriffe, “I’m rich, b****! That’s all there is to it. Those Liechtensteinian thugs can have their intellectual property. I’ve got beach-front property and plenty of booze.”

In a separate press release, Bastelengebläers announced that all staff in Ireland will be offered attractive relocation packages.

Links:

Bastelengebläers Press Release: Bugle Acquisition
Bastelengebläers Press Release: Bakker Bugle HQ to move to Luxembourg City

The BBB&B No-Rain Pledge™

Will — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:24:29 +0000

Since its founding, the Bakker Bugle Bed & Breakfast has provided a special experience for visitors to Ireland. This spring, the BBB&B started making that experience even more special, through the BBB&B No-Rain Pledge™. (See below for more details.)

We are proud to announce the preliminary results of our innovative Irish Precipitation Undermining Programme. The I.P.U.P. began as a collaboration between Bugle Inc, Raytheon, LexCorp, and other parties not subject to disclosure for reasons of various nations’ security. After BBB&B personnel noted an unusually dense grouping of guest bookings in the months of May and early June, the I.P.U.P. Group initiated the final testing phase of the Programme.

A device, on loan from the good folks at Alaska’s HAARP, was deployed on a remote island west of Ireland. Through a mechanism that remains strictly Classified to date, the device ensured relatively sunny and warm weather for visitors to the BBB&B in May and early June.

One set of guests requested a lengthy trip to Switzerland, which presented the I.P.U.P. with an opportunity to test its range. The Swiss Alps created an extraordinary technical challenge, but we are pleased to report that glorious conditions were attained during that trip.

Although the I.P.U.P. was a success for its primary targets, the guests of the BBB&B, there were collateral effects. The I.P.U.P. cannot change the fundamental climate of Ireland. Thus, the exceptional meteorological states of those halcyon weeks must be offset with dreary weather at a later date.

Irish Independent, 8 July 2008 — The Irish summer, which has been conspicuous by its absence in recent weeks, may be dead in the water. Most of the country will again be hit with heavy showers for the rest of this week and longer-term forecasts indicate that unsettled Atlantic weather systems will move in regularly during July and August. There was more rain in some parts of the country — including Dublin and Cork — in the first six days of this month than would normally be expected in the whole of July.

The BBB&B and the I.P.U.P. affiliates consider this to be nothing more than a return to the usual Irish climate. As Mr Myers of the Independent observes, these meteorological tendencies are the source of the distinctive features Irish culture:

Words can tell you a lot. In England, hay is made: Ireland, it is saved. The word “hay” shares its roots with the word “hew”, which means “cut”. And the summer routine in the land from which we take our language is to harvest the long grass by blade, at which point, it instantly becomes hay.

But in Ireland, with a climate as unrelated to the greengage summers of Mercia and Wessex as they themselves are to that of Provence, cultivating grass is an altogether problematical affair. To take it as we really want it, as hay, means we must rescue it in the dry breaks between the usual sieges of rain. If not saved dry, it must be harvested wet, and allowed to ferment in the modern equivalent of the ancient Greek siros, literally “hole in the ground”, from which we ultimately take our modern word “silage”.

…This is to be an almost hayless season, a silage summer yet again, as the fond hopes of spring have again been dashed by the inescapable truths of our meridian. Our fields are marshlands, and the grasses grow rank and brown where, still uncut, they lie in swathes, flattened by wind and waterfall.

In a way, hay is the crop which symbolises so many of the differences between Ireland and England…

Incidentally, the BBB&B welcomes the recent finding of Ireland’s High Court, that the I.P.U.P. Group is not liable for any meteorological phenomenon in Ireland or any other EU member-country. (See you at Lillies this weekend, Mr Justice.)

The economic situation in Ireland may lead to the withdrawal of funding from the Irish Council for Science Technology and Innovation (ICSTI). This was foreseen, and Friely Enterprises will partner with the remaining affiliates to develop the I.P.U.P.-Friely device further.

To get to the point: Book now, and you’ll get great weather free! (See legal restrictions below.)

The BBB&B No-Rain Pledge™ (hereafter “Pledge”) is neither a binding warranty nor a contractual commitment. The term “No-Rain” shall mean that guests will not directly experience precipitation in such quantities that make Bed-and-Breakfast-related activities (1) deadly, or (2) involving pain accompanying deadly physical injury, such as organ failure. BBB&B staff may at any time change the agenda to avoid death or severe pain, and such changes shall not constitute a violation of the Pledge. This Pledge shall be void if it conflicts with any action taken to meet the requirements of any law, private guarantee or implicit contract. This Pledge may be invalid the jurisdictions of all G8 countries.

BBB&B does not warrant that the Pledge will meet your requirements, or that your stay at the BBB&B will include uninterrupted sun, or that the weather will even be pleasant. Regardless of whether any Pledge or Warranty given by BBB&B fails of its essential purpose, in no event will BBB&B, or its affiliated entities, or its suppliers, or its neighbours, be liable to you for any special, consequential, indirect or similar damages, including any loss of vacation time, arising from the Pledge, even if BBB&B has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In no case whatsoever shall BBB&B’s liability exceed three US dollars or one Euro, whichever is lesser.

THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR ANY BBB&B PRODUCT, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING BBB&B AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF ALL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES IS WITH YOU. SHOULD BBB&B PRODUCTS OR SERVICES PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION.

One year in Dublin

Anita — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:11:08 +0000

Ireland is a strange place right now – it’s warm and sunny. Will and I aren’t sure exactly what is going on and we’re concerned that it’s some sort of strange apocalypse. Our guests at the BBB&B have been enjoying sun, warmth and good time. One guest even got a sunburn!

Today was another great day of weather, which was perfect because today was the Flora Women’s Mini-Marathon. Last year, the marathon ran on the third day of Will’s arrival, so that means we’re celebrating Will’s one year anniversary in Dublin! I arrived earlier in May, so I celebrated a few weeks ago. It was exciting last year to have the event in our neighborhood – the first of many throughout 2007. If you’re curious, take a look at a few photos from this year.

As we celebrate our anniversary, we want to thank everyone who lived through the past year with us. Knowing that our friends and family were with us in spirit (and in comments!) was a great help.

We’re not sure what the next year will bring, but we hope that you stay with us! We have more guests arriving tomorrow, so the Blog staff is still over at the B&B helping out. But in a couple more weeks, the Blog staff will be back to work and the posting frequency should increase dramatically.

Temporary Staff Re-assignment

Will — Fri, 23 May 2008 14:06:09 +0000

The Bugle B&B is currently enjoying unprecedented success. Bugle management accurately predicted a major increase in the B&B sector, but due to the overall business climate, it also opted for a conservative approach to headcount and staff overtime during the Early Summer period.

The delightful weather of the past few weeks (together with Bugle’s world-class service) proved a boon for B&B guests, but behind the scenes, the ballooning business became troublingly busy. So, Bugle brass bounced Blog labourers to Beds and to Breakfasts. The bountiful beams and balmy breezes were a mixed blessing, because they built a brand-new burden for our Blog staff.

The Bugle is happy to report the capable employees of our blog division are helping keep our B&B operations at a 100% level of satisfaction. Unfortunately, customers of our blog have experienced reduced posting frequency and a mitigation of post noteworthiness metrics. We appreciate your loyalty during this time.

Today’s expatraveltainment industry requires adaptability. The Blog division of the Bugle family is confident that this period will grow a versatile knowledgebase that will serve all our stakeholders very well in the near future.

Ray & Cindy Visit!

Will — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:43:30 +0000

We have guests at the B&B! Last week, Ray, Cindy and Will visited two new destinations near Dublin: the Glendalough park in the Wicklow Mountains and the archeological sites of Knowth and Newgrange (which are part of the Brú na Bóinne complex).

There’s lots of information and photos from those two days in the Flickr sets. This past weekend, we visited Switzerland. We’ll add those photos to overall collection of photos for their visit.

Required Reading for Ex-pats in Ireland

Anita — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 19:43:17 +0000

Before we moved to Ireland, our good friend and frequent commentor Dave gave me a copy of The Lonely Planet’s Irish Language and Culture. The book, unlike a tourist guide, goes into lifestyle and society, sport, slang and entertainment.

For many months, I would read a little bit about Ireland before I went to bed. It helped give me insight into the Gaelic Games, helped me memorize the four provinces and the 32 counties. I also picked up several classic Irish phrases, included “You’re grand,” “No bother at all,” and “Jaysus!”.

Here’s a big thank you to Dave for the book. Now that Will and I have finished it, it will move to a place of honor in the guest room, so all our visitors can have the opportunity to learn just a little bit more about the country they are visiting.

Holiday Traditions, Observed

Will — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:37:15 +0000

We Bakkers have pride in our willingness to immerse ourselves in new cultures. That said, we are not about to ignore the great American holiday that celebrates our great nation’s 400-year-long, mostly-well-intentioned imperialism. What’s more, we had fellow Americans in town on Thanksgiving Day!

Will made chicken, because the turkey steaks in the grocery store were intimidating. He also located something approximating cranberry sauce, at the local exotic foods store. Anita came home from work early, so she could mash up the best potatoes Ireland had to offer, finish the sweet potato casserole, and set the dining table. The pièce de résistance was Anita’s pumpkin pie.

It was all possible due to our dear guests, Sharon and Jaime. They brought genuine, A-grade canned pumpkin. This substance, although not well-understood by chemists, is a necessary ingredient in the American version of holiday cheer. In addition, it appears to be more valuable (and more rare) than uranium yellowcake, outside North America. (I suspect that it is banned by the health authorities, due to undocumented process deviations and nonconforming primary substances — that is, they simply don’t believe it comes from pumpkins.)

Throughout October and November, Anita, Will and Kathryn searched the province of Leinster for canned pumpkin, to no avail. But Sharon and Jaime smuggled in the matériel just in time, and we had pie for Thanksgiving. As for any evidence that we now possess a large enough stockpile to begin weapons research — it’s a forgery.

Last week, we escalated the holiday spirit by obtaining a Christmas tree! We brought a small supply of ornaments from Gurnee, and they covered the tree perfectly. It’s in our front window, so we like to think that it cheers up the workers who trudge past our window to face a long commute from our neighbourhood to their overly mortgaged homes in the suburbs.

In the St Stephen’s Green mall, the closest to our house, children line up with their families to take photos with Santa Claus. In this mall, Santa stays in the fo’c'sle of a pirate ship, which is not bedecked in any holiday paraphanalia (see crappy mobile photo). There is no obvious reason for the pirate theme. That is all.

Flickr Photos Update: The Visit of Jaime and Sharon

Will — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 15:20:20 +0000

At last, the photos from the epic visit of Jaime and Sharon are available to the loyal readers of the Bakker Bugle Blog. Each photo has a title and most have comments, so click through and enjoy the stories! (For the real details, ask the ladies yerself.)

The best way to view the photos is to start at the Collection Page and click through each day:

Flickr Collection for the Great Visit of November 2007

5 Stars *****

Sharon — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 00:26:52 +0000

I am no Rick Steves, but here’s what he won’t tell you about Dublin, Ireland….

There is a new place called the Bakker B&B, est 2007. Conveniently located to the airport and is walk-able to many tourist attractions, such as Trinity College, Grafton St Shopping, St Stephen’s Green, etc.

The Bakker B&B is very homey & welcoming. Don’t let the name of the address fool you. “The Basement” is the place to be with a radiantly heated stone floor & crazy fireplace. This place is comfy & warm, not damp & misty, like the Ireland outside its door in November.

The guest accommodations are suitable for double occupancy & are the same rate for singles even during the peak season…(more about that later). Your stay at the BBB includes breakfast, but upon request may also include lunch & dinner (or dinner & supper).

Be sure to engage the owners in local and national news in the States. If you are lucky, they will even share a pint with you at the local pub, whether Guinness or Jameson, both are sure to make fast friends, especially if you buy a round or two.

Extra Special Perks include – a free walking tour of Dublin and Tourist information, such as info on local customs, maps, pamphlets, & reading materials. Internet connection is available by request.

The BBB is open all year round, but only exclusively by reservation. A minimum of 6 weeks notice is required.

Though the Euro is currently a lot stronger than the dollar, this visit is a must for all loyal (passport carrying) Bakker Bugle Blog readers. During the high season (April/May/June) visitors should book their exact dates of travel to lock in their stay.

Your satisfaction, like the coffee…….may be instant.

Ten Things to Do, from a tourist, not Rick Steves

Sharon — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 12:50:59 +0000

In no particular order:

Embrace the culture. It is easy to do without much effort.
Explore by walking about each day.
Partake of a local alcoholic beverage — beer or whiskey, it doesn’t matter. Disclaimer: Number 3 is not for the pregnant or those who could become pregnant … you know who you are.
See a castle … and while you are at it, a babbling brook or a nearby river or canal.
Observe the local wildlife from a safe distance.
Go on a brewery tour … see #3 above. (No, I am not an alcoholic.)
See a round tower — though rare — it lends itself both to fairy tale and phallic visions.
Buy some postcards and mail them back to your jealous friends in the States … Try not to rub it in too much when back home.
Buy local artisan souvenirs (wool, lace, marble, pottery) for family and friends, because it is cool and you rubbed it in too much in #8.
Take pictures to remember the fun and hospitality, and to quote a friend, how it was “f*ing picturesque” (said in an Irish accent).

Visitors, Going to the Ring of Kerry

Will — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 22:53:42 +0000

The B.B. B&B hosts Sharon and Jaime, great friends and honoured Commenters of this blog. Their visit started with a chilly walk around Dublin, but all four of us were pleasantly surprised to see that Grafton Street has been decorated for Christmas.

Tomorrow, we depart for the Ring of Kerry. Anita and I saved this famous Irish destination for our esteemed visitors. Our first stops will be the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren, followed by a night at a B&B in Killarney. On Monday, we’ll drive around the Ring of Kerry clockwise — the opposite of the direction that the tour buses use. On Tuesday, we plan to visit the Rock of Cashel.

By coincidence, we served Cashel Blue cheese at our party last night.