Patong - The Wake

[xylophone]

2 hours ago, HighPriority said:

I’m more on the bah humbug side of things but compliments of the season and I’m hoping you enjoy a better 2025 xylophone and extend the same to all the contributors to this thread.

Its always been an interesting, informative read, thank you.

Many thanks for your kind words HP and I hope you have a healthy and prosperous New Year.

[LivinginKata]

4 hours ago, HighPriority said:

I’m more on the bah humbug side of things but compliments of the season and I’m hoping you enjoy a better 2025 xylophone and extend the same to all the contributors to this thread.

Its always been an interesting, informative read, thank you.

 

I second that

 

And a Happy New 2025 Year to all members

[grumpyoldman]

Xylo mentions a California Petite Syrah. One of my favorite wines I drink (and sell as part of my portfolio) is the Stags' Leap California Petite Syrah. Epic inky purple, bursting with berries.

[xylophone]

On 12/29/2024 at 11:37 PM, grumpyoldman said:

Xylo mentions a California Petite Syrah. One of my favorite wines I drink (and sell as part of my portfolio) is the Stags' Leap California Petite Syrah. Epic inky purple, bursting with berries.

Good to hear that there is someone else out there who likes this particular wine and for those that don't know, Petite Sirah is called Durif in France (named after the botanist who "discovered" it there) and also in Australia and a few other places, whereas in the USA and perhaps a few other countries, it's called Petite Sirah.

 

I had tried a couple in Australia and found them to be very high in alcohol and also very tannic, and didn't take to them, however these from California are a different matter altogether, as GOM says, "bursting with berries" and absolutely delightful.

[marin]

I really wish we could get a good Pinot Noir here. With the heat here it would be a perfect red. 

[xylophone]

3 hours ago, marin said:

I really wish we could get a good Pinot Noir here. With the heat here it would be a perfect red. 

I've never been impressed with the Pinot Noir wines I've had here, however a few weeks ago I sampled one at the Wine Connection, a French Pinot Noir and I thought it was a nice wine, not outstanding, but had all the attributes of a typical French Pinot Noir.

 

Can't remember where I posted it, but I'll have search through to see if I can find the name for you. 

[xylophone]

3 hours ago, marin said:

I really wish we could get a good Pinot Noir here. With the heat here it would be a perfect red. 

The French Burgundy (Pinot Noir) I tasted at the Wine Connection was a:- Pinot Noir from Henri de Bareuil in the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, and they sell it in the Wine Connection store/shop.

[xylophone]

On 12/29/2024 at 11:37 PM, grumpyoldman said:

Xylo mentions a California Petite Syrah. One of my favorite wines I drink (and sell as part of my portfolio) is the Stags' Leap California Petite Syrah. Epic inky purple, bursting with berries.

"One of my favorite wines I drink (and sell as part of my portfolio)"

 

Intrigued by your comment GOM........do you trade/buy/sell fine wines?? Send me a PM if the info is confidential.

[xylophone]

On 12/27/2024 at 5:51 PM, LivinginKata said:

 

I second that

 

And a Happy New 2025 Year to all members

Thanks LIK, and I'm hoping 2025 is better than 2024 for me, but NY Eve threw up a few disappointments..........

 

Although I wasn't planning going out for actual New Year celebrations, I did phone La Capannina to see if I and a friend from England could go along for dinner, and they said it was okay.....

 

So at 7 PM I hailed a Tuk Tuk outside of my apartment block and asked him if he could take me to the restaurant, and his response was, "how much you give me?", So my response was, how much you want, and he said 500 baht, so I replied I will give you 200 baht (which was the figure quoted by a couple of other Tuk Tuk drivers recently) and he gesticulated angrily and started to drive away!

 

He then turned round and said 300 baht, so I couldn't be bothered haggling and said okay.

 

Arrived at the restaurant and they had no knowledge of my booking although we did manage to get a small table, although the chairs were the most uncomfortable I have ever sat in!

 

To say that I was very disappointed that the menu had been altered for that particular evening, would be an understatement, because the fare on offer was much reduced and there were no pizzas available and very little else that I liked or wanted for that matter. Anyway getting over that disappointment I and my friend ordered and waited.

 

What came was nothing like I had been used to at this restaurant and as we were both hungry, what was brought to the table was mostly eaten, although my friend could only eat half of his main course because he said it was far too salty, and I have to say that mine was also.

 

I had suggested that we could walk back to our respective apartments, which were no more than about 100m apart, but my gluteal muscles which had been aching after sitting on that awful seat, and which had been damaged in my recent accident, were hurting like the clappers and they made it very difficult for me to even walk, but I did manage to walk bit by bit, slowly back to Soi Banzaan which is where there is a massage shop owned by a friend of mine, so I reasoned that if I could make it back to that, then they might be able to do something to loosen up those glutes.

 

It was a long, slow and painful walk for me, but I did manage to get to the shop and the older lady there was superb, finding out the areas which were painful and working on them and after 45 minutes I'd had enough because it was a little painful, so I paid her and tipped her handsomely and set off home.

 

I took an Ibuprofen, had a shower and got to bed about midnight and thankfully slept reasonably well.

 

In conclusion, a disappointing end to a disappointing year, so let's hope this New Year brings better luck and health for me.

 

And finally, the traffic last night was like something I have never seen in my life, with idiots, more idiots and even more idiots driving as if they had a death wish and if you were a pedestrian trying to cross the road, then you were sh!t out of luck and some!

 

[London Lowf]

Going out on NYE in Patong? You really should know better Xylo'.

 

 

[xylophone]

27 minutes ago, London Lowf said:

Going out on NYE in Patong? You really should know better Xylo'.

 

 

Well LL, it wasn't my intention to go out for the evening celebrations, just to go out for a meal and be home way before they started. This because I'm not a "party animal" any more, and I do get home in plenty of time, but even early on in the evening the traffic was horrendous.