Category Archives: √√√

Good bet – worth the money, worth the travel, worth the time.

Nov 7 – Kaziranga National Park – Day 6


Sunrise – Yoga – Quick Coffee and cake – and we’re off.

Today we are going to hit the Central Entrance twice – morning and afternoon. So Lunch is going to be in the major tourist area around the entrance.

True to plan – we arrive at the opening bell and enter the park as the 2nd jeep. Cool.

And immediately run into the daily Elephant Ride! There is a ride at 5:00 AM, and a second at 6:30 – and the 6:30 one ends at 8:00 – so as we enter the park – they are just leaving!

Of course these are domestic Elephants – with slightly pink ears. Each Elephant has a driver with a long stick to provide the Elephant with directions – and on their back is a platform that holds 4 people – 2 to a side. They have ‘seat belts’, and even so seem to be leaning downwards. I guess they know what they are doing.

All I can say is you couldn’t catch me on one of these! First – there are probably 60 Elephants walking past us – so for most the front and back view is the Butt of one Elephant and the Head of another. And if you are sitting on one side – that’s your view. No way to turn around in your seat. And here’s the worst part – the Elephant bumps and sways – no way you are getting a decent picture.

But hey – they got to see us!

We prowl the park trying to find a tiger. We do spot some monkeys, plenty of one-horned Rhinos and some deer – but tiger’s are on holiday! Abi even tries having the driver stop to car and just stand still at a known tiger crossing – but no matter how long we wait – there’s no tiger showing up.

We do see a large reptile in his home in a tree trunk, and watch an eagle take off, catch a snake on the ground and then gracefully fly back to his perch to spot another tasty morsel. This is rather cool.

But no dice on the Tiger.

For Lunch we go to one of the nicest hotels/restaurants near the Central Entrance – the Igore. Delicious.

Back to the Park Entrance – more tourists, more noise, more cars – and no Tigers.

Bummer. 4 Safari’s done – and no tiger.. Just one left to go.

We make it back to the Park Entrance right at 5:00 – and they nicely don’t give Abi a warning. Whew.

On the way back to our place – we again drive thru the villages of the tea people – and realize they are having a celebration.

They have set up a tent made of bamboo poles by the river – and women and girls have gathered by the river. The men are sitting in chairs in the tent – and there’s music and singing. I will always stop for festivals – particularly ones that seem religious and this one looks perfect.

Abi directs the driver to park the car, and we hop out. We admire from afar – but then one of the men chats a bit with Abi – and we’re invited down to see what is going on – and are welcome to take pictures.

Cool!

The festival is in celebration of the Water Goddess – and Sunrise. They celebrate by carrying baskets of food down to the river, spend the night singing and praying and fasting, and then at dawn – go for a swim in the river and break their fast.

We are invited to sit with them to sing along – and then someone works up the nerve to ask if we’ll pose for a picture with them. That opens the flood gates – soon everyone wants a picture – from little 3-5 year olds to grannies and grandpas. We are the hit of the day!

As we are leaving – a group of young teen boys – who have been holding back and trying to look too mature for this – approach me for a hand-shake. I shake each and every one of their hands – wishing them health and Happiness.

Oh was this fun!

When we get back to the HomeStay – our host reports that one of the villagers had figured out we were staying with him – and had called him to let him know we’d be late for dinner because we were at the festival. This is a very small world.

I’m so glad we stopped – I had so much fun!

Great dinner – early ish to bed – tomorrow is another early day!

Signing off – The Soup Lady

Nov 6 – Kaziranga National Park – Day 5


Tigers, Rhinos, Elephants and Buffalo – Oh My!

Our day starts early – glorious sunrise, lovely weather, a quick cup of coffee and some homemade cake to get our engines going! Today is our first day at Kaziranga National Park.

We climb aboard Abi’s lovely and extremely comfortable car and head out to the Park. We starting with the East Entrance – and since the roads are still cut off from the recent flooding (happens every year) – each entrance is a one road Round Trip. That’s quite different from Manas – which did have one main road – but dozens of side roads allowed us to dodge crowds. This won’t happen at Kaziranga – so our only defence are early starts and late finishes..

Unlike Manas – which has a relaxed approach to leaving the Park on time – Kaziranga is so busy that it has strict rules. And guides and drivers found guilty of breaking the timing rules face huge fines – and a week’s banishment from the park! Given that we left Mangas after 5:00 every night – I’m concerned that we will run afoul of the rules here. The Park also closes from noon to 2 – to give the animals a chance to rest I think.

Ok – early start – we want to hit the gate at opening time – 7:30.

From our HomeStay to the Park East Entrance is a short 15 minute ride – but we wind our way thru several Tea People of Assme villages. The Tea People originally came to this part of India 150 years ago to work the tea fields – and they stayed. Just recently – they have actually been recognized as a unique community within Assme.

And they are unique. They have a unique way of dancing, several unique festivals – particularly ones that celebrate water – and their homes are also unique. They live on flood plains – every year they will be flooded.

This isn’t just a bad thing – the yearly floods leave slit that fertilizes their fields – and in addition to picking tea (mostly women) – they grow Rice – lots of Rice. And they are proud of their homes and their status as a unique community.

Our host is particularly concerned with introducing his guests to the villagers around him – his home is the hunting lodge of his grand-father, and most of the people he employs are members of the Tea People. He explained to us that this is on purpose – education isn’t a huge priority – and that means adults find it challenging to get jobs outside of low level agriculture. He is offering on the job training in Hospitality – not to mention living wage salaries.

I love our drive thru the waking up villages – women are sweeping the front drives, doing laundry the old fashioned way – as I can see from the clothes lines – and the men are working in the Rice Fields, setting up huge fishing nets that get filled as the tide goes in or working on their homes. It’s a busy place – but everyone is pleased to smile and wave as we drive by.

Soon enough we are at the East Entrance – and we switch from Abi’s car to a 4×4 jeep. Like the jeeps in Manas – there is a row for the driver and the armed security guard (these are wild animals), then two rows for guests. Abi and I share the middle road, Helmut and Andrea are in the back.

We are the only jeep we see! Perfect. We slowly bump our way into the park – immediately finding ourselves face to face with several Indian Buffalo – huge animals that sport horns that are at least 5 feet wide from tip to tip. Glorious photo opportunities abound and I’m very happy.

The animals are close enough to us that I have no issues with focus – and are calm enough to pose for picture after picture.

Abi stops the driver at a pile of brown – well – shit. It’s Rhino scat – recognizable by its ground up look and lighter color than Elephant dung. It turns out that Rhinos like to have bathroom spots – and they will return to that spot as often as they can.

Abi explains that this used to make it easier for the poachers – all they had to do was find a dung pile and hang around. Now the Indian Government and the Animal Agencies have drastically reduced the amount of poaching – so the Rhinos can go to the bathroom in peace. I definitely share that pain…

We also see Sus scrofa or Wild Pigs. These only faintly resemble pigs from North America. These pigs have long noses, oblong bodies, short legs – and no snout. We see at least one family – Mom, Dad, and a few younger ones – checking out the grasses right in front of a pair of grazing Buffalo. Lovely.

Carefully placed and well maintained towers afford higher view points over the marsh lands that border the park between India and Butan. We spot herds of deer grazing – and as expected – Abi is happy to point out bird after bird. My camera is only able to get out of focus shots of the birds – but it is fun to know you’ve seen them.

I do get a decent shot of a Roller – that’s a small but magnificent bird that has bright blue wings that shine when it flies!

The Rhinos of India have only one horn – hence the marketing slogan – One Horn Nation. And Kaziranga has over 1000 Rhinos. Here at the Eastern Entrance the Rhinos are relaxed, easy to spot and fun to photograph. I’m loving it.

We don’t manage a close up encounter like we had at Manas – but there are still lots of Rhino photos to take! Such fun.

There’s the ruins of a wooden bridge we must drive around – and I love my photo looking thru the remaining wooden structure to the water and wilderness beyond. The lighting is definitely with us this morning.

The Tiger and Jaguar Gods however – are not. We don’t spot a Tiger – or even hear birds and deer calling out their ‘Tiger Alarm’ calls. Oh well – we have 4 more Safari’s here – lots of chances.

Towards the end of our drive – I spot a Dragon in the water! It’s actually a log – but it really looks exactly like a dragon in the water – complete with fire coming out of its mouth. It makes for a Great photo!

We also run into a gal from Mumbai who is on her own, touring with just a driver. She’s clearly a birder judging by her camera, and her set-up. The middle seat of her jeep has been removed, and there’s a mattress and several bean bags arranged for long waits for just the right bird to appear. We exchange hellos – and continue on our ways.

It’s getting on to noon – and we must exit the park. So we drive out – back thru the villages and to our lovely HomeStay. The first of several Great meals and head off for our afternoon adventure.

This time we’re going to hit the Central Entrance to Kaziranga National Park – and we’ve been warned by other folks – as well as by our host and by Abi – that it is going to be a lot more crowded.

It’s about a 30 minute drive to the Central Entrance – thru the animal crossing zones – so the ride is bumpy! Not as bad as inside the park where I promise you – I feel like I’m on a 1970’s weight loss machine -but bad enough.

We arrive at the entrance to discover a huge line-up of jeeps filled with tourists – mostly Indian’s – not ‘foreigners’ like us – waiting for the gates to open.

I’m going to guess that there were probably about 100 jeeps waiting at 2:00 – and another couple hundred or so drove in later. Groups of giggling school kids on day trips to the National Park, family groups packed 5 and 6 into a jeep that comfortably sits just 4 with at least one screaming kid, and a much smaller sub-set of serious folks with serious drivers.

It’s a mad-house – and it’s not going to be better inside the park because there is just one main road with only two short spur roads. If you stop to catch a shot you can expect at least 4 jeeps to try to squeeze by. And if you don’t leave passing room – and they must wait behind you – they will leave their engines running. On the wooden bridges that abound this makes for enough vibration to be sure to ruin most shots.

But this is the best place to see Tigers. We are going to have to make the best of it.

But despite Abi’s best efforts – again we are Tiger disappointed. And with so much noise – the animals seem more timid – and tend to stay further away from the road.

Tomorrow is another day.

So it’s home (sleeping policeman yet again), a great dinner, lovely conversation with our host who takes us on a tour of ‘The Big House” – and then it’s bed time.

Signing off with hopes of tiger sightings tomorrow…

The Soup Lady

Manas National Park – Manas, India – Day 3


I meet the Minister of Tourism for this part of India.

It’s another early morning – and when we arrive at reception – there’s a crowd. I spot a man carrying one of the those massive birding lens – and ask – Wow – 600 or 800? Answer – it’s 800.

Abi quickly joins us to introduce me to the Minister of Tourism and I take in the rest of the crowd. There the manager of the Retreat, several staff, lots of police looking ‘protective’, and us.

Oh – hi.

The Minister gets into his jeep, most of the rest get into their jeeps – and the three jeep parade takes off – heading for the entrance to the Park.

Abi says – ok – here’s the plan – we need to try some off the path trails to avoid getting stuck behind those guys – our goal – be in front!

So we quickly load up and leave. The Minister and his entourage haven’t gotten far – they found a bird in a tree right outside the retreat, so we scoot past and head for the park.

After yesterday – our decision is not to do that long drive again – not worth it. Instead we want to explore the paths less visited around the park.

And it’s a winning decision. Lots of great photo opps – although we sadly don’t see any monkeys. I’m getting a lot better at spotting the birds when Abi points them out – and also getting better at using my cameras.

I’m up to about 1000 photos to edit – but some of them are winners.

The highlight for me of our two safari’s today – besides dodging the Minister’s party – is our rest stop.

We are parked on a higher ridge line overlooking the river – just enjoying the view of Butan and enjoying a brief snack. In the distance in the river there is a solitary true Buffalo with his giant horns – and in the far distance two juvenile Rhino are playing in the water.

After a bit – Diplip says – excuse me – I need to use the little boys room. On one side of our admittedly tiny hill is a guard house – on the other side is a path down to the river. And there’s a bit of shade.

Diplip gets out of the jeep – walks along the ruts on the ridge line about 25 steps – and then quickly hassles back to the jeep! There are 2 Adult Rhinos just behind the guard house.

We slowly drive forward to take a look at- then Abi says – Back up Diplip – they are going to go around the back of the Guard House. We return to the shade of our tree – and are treated with 2 HUGE Rhinos just munching their way thru the back path of the Guard House, around to the ‘front’ yard right under our noses. One has a single horn – this is the older of the pair.

We shoot and shoot and shoot.

They hear the noises of our cameras – but can’t quite figure out where it is coming from – so we get full face views!

Awesome.

After a bit the Rhinos decide that they would like to join us on the ridge – Diplip slowly and carefully moves out of their way – and with surprising speed for such massive beasts – they run up the jeep path – up and over the ridge – and head down the way towards the river.

Perfect.

Absolutely Perfect.

We head back to the Retreat for breakfast/lunch – a break – and then we head out again. Before we go – I’m tasked with ordering dinner. And I ask if they do Tandouri Chicken. Turns out they just got a Tandouri Oven – so the answer is yes! It’s Chicken tonight people!

After this morning’s adventures – the afternoon is quite relaxed. We spot up close a true Indian Buffalo (not a Guar) with it’s Magnificat horns spread about 5’ wide – have a face to face encounter with a Guar with only one horn who poses for pictures, and find more stunning sunset pictures.

Tomorrow we’re leaving Manas for another Park – and 8 hour drive away. So at least I’ll get to sleep in until 5:30… but then I must pack.

Dinner was predictably delicious – Helmut even gets a Cold Beer – not the easiest thing to find apparently – and we are all happy campers.

Signing off – The Soup Lady

Manas National Park – Manas, India – Day 1


Today starts off bright and early! 6:00 AM and the sun is just starting to rise. As asked – we gather at the reception area of the resort, are greeted by Abi, and load up our personal 4×4 Jeep.

The lovely driver will be with us for the next 3 days – so today is a ‘getting used to the tourists’ day for him and ‘getting comfy with our cameras’ for us.e

Our transport is an open air jeep with three rows of 2 seats each. First row is for the driver on the right side, and there is a passenger seat on the left.

Helmut opts for the middle seat – behind the driver on the right – Andrea wants to sit in the back next to Abi, and the passenger seat is reserved for the park employee who is tasked with keeping us safe.

He is carrying a rifle. I’d feel a lot safer if the rifle weren’t rusted, and looks like it dates back to the days of British control of India. But Abi explains that the guard is just there to fire the gun if an animal attacks – not to actually hit the animal. The noise will scare them off.

We’re talking tigers and leopards and Rhinosaurs here.. and Elephants. There is no roof to our 4×4 jeep – and as our driver says – it’s seen better days. Lots better. Maybe better years. Maybe 30 years…

But we are not here to worry about the luxury of our travel – we’re here to see animals.

As with Safari’s I’ve taken in Africa – you get up early, return for breakfast/brunch, rest for a few hours, then go out again in the evening – and that’s the plan here as well.

Our ‘retreat’ is just around the corner from the entrance to the Park, and at 6:00 there’s no traffic. So we zip out, and are quickly at the entrance.

Our fees have been pre-paid, so we are simply waved in – and Abi directs the driver as to which path to take. The roads in the park (and you aren’t allowed to drive off road like we did in Kenya) are poorly maintained and very rutted – so I have to brace my knee against the metal door frame. It’s actually not uncomfortable. But to take photos – I generally need to stand on the seat – which means taking off my shoes!

Today we spent quite some time taking pictures of monkeys – they aren’t spoiled brats like the ones in Bali who will attack you – these guys are simply adorable. Doing their things in a monkey way. I got some great shots.

We also passed a very touristy Elephant Ride activity – but in the morning haze – the pictures looks awesome.

Abi is a bird fiend – and we stop time and time again for him to identify and get us to see (trust me – the latter was the hard part) – bird after bird after bird.

We wind up actually in Butan. There is a National Park in Butan that shares a long border but only one entrance with the Manas National Park. We pose for pictures at the border, but can’t cross – there’s a lot of paper work involved for non- Indians.

Eventually it’s home for lunch and a break – then back on the road again. This time we score an Elephant family (Mom, Dad, Junior) who pose for pictures for at least an hour. We also take a photo of a lovely butterfly, some other birds, and then end up at sunset in a grassland area with a stunning sky and wonderful trees. I go snap happy!

Then we spot a guard tower (these are all over the park – and free to climb) – and see a herd of Guar headed our way. Yup – they have two kinds of buffalo here in the Manas Park. These giants have white socks on all 4 legs, and smaller horns then the true buffalo of India. Their horns curl out and up and they are generally found in herds.

They move closer and closer until they are just maybe 30 feet away. Our guard is not happy that they are this close – but clearly we have parked the Jeep where they think they should be walking. We take pictures – say good bye to the guard house and the Guar – and head home.

The rutted roads of the Park taken at speed feel like those exercise machines that jiggled you to take off wait – and it’s about 40 minutes in the dark to the park gate. My watch asks if I want to record my outdoor walk!

An early night. Can you believe it.

I’m so happy I can’t stand it.

For dinner I order Onion Pakora – and a Ginger Soup. Abi thinks I’m starving myself – so under pressure I add Butter Chicken and Rice.

We have WAY too much food. The Butter Chicken goes back to the kitchen to keep for dinner the next night – and I gleefully scarf down the best onion Pakoras I’ve ever eaten.

It’s bed time – I’m done. I transfer my pictures to my ipad, plug in my batteries to charge.. and drop.

Signing off – The Soup Lady

*** Stop the Presses ***


OMG – there’s an even MORE beautiful first class lounge!

The Dubai airport is divided into three interconnected buildings – reasonably called A, B, And C. Very creative, right?

Anyway – I was in C – stayed and ate in the first class lounge there. Then following the directions of the lovely host of the lounge – made my slow way to B concourse – and the B version of the first class Emirates Lounge.

It’s about 10 times the size of the one I was in – has a Pizza oven section, a SPA! (You have to be kidding me), Showers, and – this really stopped me – A Sushi Bar with Sushi Chefs. Plus a standard for the Emirates huge buffet with various dishes, and yet again another dessert selection.

All the folks cooking sport tall, tall, tall Toque Blanche – or white hats. And one section of the lounge actually lets you walk past the kitchens – all stainless, all spotless clean at almost midnight – and with the staff cheerfully saying good night to each other.

The lounge also has fountains at the entrance. Huge fountains. Check out my picture – clearly it’s the Soup Lady on the Prowl!

The Soup Lady after 30 hours of travel – in the First Class Lounge Dubai

And here’s something I didn’t mention earlier – there are at least 2 five star hotels IN the airport. I mean the front desks are right off Concourse C and B – and the hotel rooms overlook the Concourse. I’m reminded of those huge 5,000+ passenger cruise ships where some folks pick the rooms looking over the center part of the ship. Who wants to see water when on a cruise ship anyway?

The hotels are designed to look different from the concourse architecture – one featuring Moroccan influenced arches, the other a unique facade. Beautiful. And my walk from C to B was filled with more neon flashing. And another two Duty Free Shops.

You have GOT to be kidding me.

And the ladies bathroom have sections for folks to wash their feet before services. That is definitely not something I’ve ever seen in North America.

This time – I’m really signing off.

Next stop Kalkata, India – which if all goes to plan will consist of us being picked up at the airport and driven to another airport to fly to another city to drive to our first Safari Park!

Yes – I’m exhausted just typing all that.

The Soup Lady

Emirates First Class Lounge in Dubai


I have died and gone to heaven! This place is insanely beautiful – not just the lounge which puts many of the fancy restaurants I’ve enjoyed over the years to shame – but the airport here in Dubai itself is worth seeing to believe!

I’m reminded of the line from the Movie “Crazy Rich Aliens” when they arrive in Singapore and the heroine quips – all JFK has is Salmonella and Despair.

This airport definitely rivals the one in Bali for sheer beauty. There are huge – like 60’ high – Palm trees growing inside the atrium of the Airport Walkways.

And there is the largest Duty-free shop I’ve ever seen. Plus more neon than in some areas of Tokyo. (Those of you who have been to Tokyo know what area I’m talking about…)

So how did a 76 year old traveling grannie – who admittedly tends to travel on the cheap side – end up sitting in this lovely lounge enjoying – get this – a Wagu Burger and fresh French fries?

Let’s start at the beginning – Many years ago we did a ‘cheap’ safari in Africa which emphasized camping outdoors in the game parks. I didn’t see nearly as many animals as I’d have liked – but we made good friends with a couple from Bavaria! And we’ve stayed friends over the years.

Our Bavarian Mates come from Munich – and over the years have teased us with their enthusiasm for wild and crazy travel. They are also very good friends!

So in May 2024 – when they told us they had planned a trip to India (a Safari to see Tigers, Red Pandas, and Rhinoceros) – I asked if I could tag along. Victor wasn’t the least bit interested – but I was totally determined to take on this unique challenge. Consider – at 76 – how many more times will I be willing/able to take on a 36 hr air flight – do homestays in a country that requires a lot of vaccines – and is often described as noisy and crowded and smelly.

And if your next thought is why would I want to – you are in the same mind as my husband! Even the Intrepid Traveler has no interest.

So here I am – part way thru my 36 hour flight to Kolkata. My Bavarian friends are also flying into Dubai from Munich – so we will meet at the gate to the Emirates flight to Kolkata.

Now you know why I’m sitting and waiting – but not why I’m doing it first class.

I have only flown first class once before in my life – and it was under similar circumstances. Neither Victor nor The Intrepid Traveler was coming along, I was joining friends in Bali – and the flight was in the 36 hr range. I figured the difference in price between economy and first class was just $20 an hour – and I was so WORTH it!

The same is true this time. The differential wasn’t that great – not when you thought of it per hour – and because I was going to have 2 long waits in airports (Toronto and Dubai) – Going first class sounded more than reasonable. It sounded like a deal!

The flight from Toronto to Dubai was on Air Canada – and while I enjoyed the service and the lay flat beds – I wouldn’t rate the experience as 5 star. The ‘Maple Leaf Lounge’ in the Toronto airport had mediocre food at best – my ‘dinner’ was Nachos with Pico de Gallo and shredded cold cheddar. It was food. And I ate it. The only desert options were cookies – chocolate chocolate chip and white chocolate with Macadamia nuts. They were my favorite part of the meal.

Food even in first class wasn’t that good either, I’m sorry to report. Waste of calories to be honest. I ate what I had to be sure my stomach wasn’t growling, but it was hardly memorable. Or maybe it was truly memorable in how deplorable it was.

Highlights – the fresh oranges in the fruit basket available near the service area. Those were indeed yummy. And the big TV to watch movies was quite a nice touch. But storage was non-existent, and because I’m so short – reaching the Touch Screen TV to change movies wasn’t easy. At least the headphones they gave us were noise cancelling. That was a nice touch.

On the other hand – the Emirates Lounges here in the Dubai Airport – and I visited two – were awesomely beautiful. The first one was the business class version – described by the hostess as smaller than the similar one in the B terminal. I think I need to check out that one – I thought the one I was in was huge. There was a vast display of food options – cold, hot, room temperature, an ice cream trolley with 8 different flavours and 4 types of cones, an entire desert display, and around a corner – another section with Indian specialities like Samosas.

A full pour it yourself Bar – plus bottles of several different wines were available.

I was just settled into the Business class Lounge when the hostess came up to tell me I was in the wrong place. I should be in the much much nicer First class lounge. And she helped me gather my things and walked me across the concourse.

Wow – This lounge is truly special – and I don’t blame her for saying – it was much nicer. It’s smaller, with a specific dining area – with get this – service! And the food is prepared to order! Wow. In an airport lounge. And the menu goes on and on for several pages. So many choices.

I opted for the Wagu Burger because I know I won’t seeing Beef for the next two weeks. Get it while I can I figure! And it was delicious. A huge portion I couldn’t finish – although I gave it my best effort. Easily the tastiest food I’ve had since leaving home!

Time for desert – there’s a lovely desert selection – and of course Ice cream. I’m having macaroons – and Pistachio Ice Cream.

Then it’s on to my gate, my friends (I hope), and my flight to Kolkata!

Signing off to gather and walk on – The Soup Lady

Tags – a Lesson Learned about Banktivity


For years my husband has counted on Banktivity to monitor our spending money and accounts. Finally I convinced him to let me work with it too.

What followed, after the – it won’t sync, you’ll mess it up – among a long list of reasons I should steer clear, was a day of lessons.

The first thing we had to check was syncing – if I made a change, could he see it quickly on his computer – and visa-versa. Answer – absolutely YES. And when it’s fast, it’s very very fast since you are effectively reading and writing to the cloud. But it’s not always fast – and sometimes the things that are slow (like the list of categories showing up) are frustrating. But it does Sync – both immediately upon a change, and again when you close the session.

Once I got a bit of experience under my belt – I quickly starting asking questions about reports and categories and tags. My husband had never used tags – and I decided to experiment. I’m here to report that the Tags in Banktivity are super powerful.

I’m using Banktivity on an ipad – so some of the following won’t work quite as described if you are working on a computer or a phone. Just FYI.

Tags are pre-setup using the Manage Tags option found in Configuration on the Summary Page. It worth spending time thinking about HOW you’ll use the Tags you create before setting them up. And knowing HOW you’ll use the Tags requires understanding how Tags differ from other ways of looking at your transactions.

So – Step 1 – How do Tags differ from other ways of looking at your transactions?

A) Tags run across currency, across bank accounts, across methods of payment (different credit cards). So say you want to quickly know how much a particular trip will cost you in total. Using a Tag and carefully assigning it to every transaction that impacts that trip will work perfectly, no matter what method of payment you use. And it easy to check the totals – and individual impacted transactions. On the Summary screen is a heading entitled Tags. Just click on that to ‘see more’ and you’ll see totals for the current month for all the Tags you’ve created. Click on a specific Tag to show all the associated transactions. Cool.

B) Multiple Tags can be assigned to one Transaction. So you can have #Dining as a Tag, and #Trip to India as a different Tag – and assign BOTH Tags to a transaction with the Payee of a Restaurant in India. Then when you look at the Summary across Tags – you’ll see that single transaction amount included in both Tag Totals.

C) Tags can be ‘renamed’ in the Configuration Routine on the fly, and all transactions that use that Tag will be updated. You can’t delete Tags already in use – but you can rename them and search for them.

Step 2 – What Tags should you create?

A) Think Small – Do you want to know what you’ve spent on Dining this month/year? Make #Dining a Tag. Do you want to know what you’ve spent on a particular activity – like a trip to Paris, or a Weekend with Friends? Make #Paris a Tag, or make #Weekend with Friends July 2024 a Tag. Tags can be rather long – and it doesn’t matter because you just tap to assign them to a Transaction.

B) Think Big – Do you want to be able to see the total you’ve earned over several different activities – say renting 2 condos, or selling Coasters and selling Painting, or buying Clothes and buying Furniture for a specific home? Since Tags accumulate the money spent or earned across all the other types of transaction divisions – just create them and assign them – Use the Tag option on the Summary page to see how the totals compare. Just remember that you can assign multiple Tags to one transaction – and the money spent/earned will be accounted for again and again.

Step 3 – How easy is it to add/remove Tags?

A) Very Easy is the quick answer

B) To add a Tag – go to a transaction, even one that has been verified – Edit the transaction, pick a Line and click on the Message/Tag blank. Click on a Tag to add it to the line. Click on a Tag already associated with a line to remove it. Close the Transaction – Job done.

Step 4 – Can you use Tags in your history?

A) I haven’t really explored reports yet to see how Tags are handled – and since it’s thru Reports that you can do historical analysis – the quick answer here is – I’m not sure. Perhaps you can comment if you have more information.

I hope this quick and easy description sounds worth trying – I love being able to quickly see how much a particular activity (biking) is costing me – or to evaluate how much a trip has cost so far (Paris July 2024).

Signing off the add some more Tags… The Soup Lady.

Crazy Month – July 2023


In the planning – the summer of 2023 started out boring!

We had a blank slate – no plans, nothing doing. So we decided it might be a really good idea to spend a month in Niagara on the Lake. That’s a small town near Niagara Falls – known for it’s summer Shaw Festival, and lots of period correct (for us) re-enactments at Fort George.

So It made a lot of sense – we’d get a change to see what it would be like to live in Ontario – and we could check out that part of Ontario. Win-Win. And my sister and my brother-in-law would gleefully join us for a Shaw Festival/Stratford Play-a-ton!

And our friend Sonia could join us. This would be awesome.

Then we thought – gee – maybe it would be great to spend some time on the beach in Wells. And then a friend asked me to join him at the Chicago Bridge National. So I said Yes and Yes.

Then my grand-daughter and aspiring Actress/Singer Sophie decided she would love to go to the 2 week long Stratford Shakespeare Camp. And – Grannie and Grandpa – how about I join you in Maine…

Great stuff Sophie – always take advantage of any time older grand-kids are willing to spend time – and at 16 going on 17 – how many more summers will she want to spend with us? It’s the countdown that all Grannies face.

So our boring summer turned into anything but boring! We’d start in late June on the Beach in Wells with Sophie, then Victor and Sophie would drive to Cape Vincent for a Napoleonic Re-enactment while I hang out in Maine, Then the Sophie Shuffle. Her partners would drive to Cape Vincent and pick up Sophie, and Victor would drive back to Maine.

When our Maine holiday ended – Victor would drop me off in Boston at Logan to fly to Chicago for the Bridge tourney – and drive back to Montreal. Then on the next day, Victor would fly to Chicago – eat dinner with our buddy Todd – then fly home. I’d play bridge for the week, then fly to Toronto to meet Victor on our way to Stratford to pick up Sophie and drive back to Montreal.

Whew – you tired yet? I am just thinking about all this planning. And we haven’t even gotten to Niagara Yet.

Then we layer on a layer – a weekend re-enactment/Theatre experience in Montreal – some time to chat with friends – then the trip back to Ontario and Niagara;

Well – we’ve now done part 1. And it was – well interesting. Very weather dependant.

Maine had a lousy first two weeks. Rainy and Cold until it wasn’t. And we were 3 adults camping out in a hotel room. Great view of the beach- but it was raining so hard you couldn’t do any outdoor activities. Sheesh

So we ate. And ate. Fisherman’s Catch, Wells Lobster Pound (more than once), and even the Steakhouse. Good meals I tell you!

Meanwhile we have our first sunny day in Maine – and Sophie tries to get a tan – and since she missed the first 3 days due to rain – does the 16 year old trick of just spending the day toasting – and somehow not applying sun tan lotion.

Result – burned to a crisp. But completely evenly! It actually looked like she’d painted on a white bikini. A perfect burn everywhere!

I smear her with Aloe, dose her with Motrin (looked it up on Dr. Google – highly recommended) and pack her off to her summer camp in Stratford.

Two lovely days on my own in Maine – mostly spending painting – my newest passion. I’ll have you know that I’m up to painting #4! Take that stinky art teacher when I was 15 who told my mother to stop wasting money giving me painting lessons!

Victor returns from a very successful parade in Cape Vincent – and we make plans to meet up with friends from STX who have a ‘camp’’ in Maine. They join us for lunch one day (3 hrs over fried fish – what’s wrong with that) and then a full day at their camp.

In between I have art class – and I know it’s just flattery – but one of the other students (all of whom have reams of more experience than I) comments that she can’t believe this is just my 4th painting – it’s stunning.

I admit it – I like it too. I’m going to get it framed. Maybe hang it in STX….?

The camp is lovely – truly lovely. 2 bedrooms, nice kitchen/living space – and a quick walk to the ‘beach’ where they keep their Boston Whaler. They feed us lunch (yum) and take us to see the ‘rustic camp’ they are selling. It is truly rustic. No – seriously – rustic. Outhouse and everything. Cute camp area with lots of other homes – some rustic, some rebuilt – very cool. Then we go back to their ‘camp’ and spend several hours just burning gas and circling their lake and chatting about this that and the other. Kisses – and see you guys in STX – and we head for dinner.

Ok = it has been said that Eiser’s plan dinner while eating lunch – and unfortunately – it’s mostly true. The next meal is very important to us. And this one is going to be at one of our most favorite restaurants – The White Barn.

Yes – it’s a multi-course tasting menu – Yes Victor gets the Wine Pairing – and Yes – it’s delicious! My 3 favorite courses are a Tomato Tartar, a Shortbread sandwich filled with truffles, and a Wagu Beef in a completely yummy sauce. Got to give it to the White Barn – they don’t have a Michelin Star – but that’s Michelin’s problem!

Now we pack and leave Wells Beach. Originally our thought was that Victor would drive me to Logan – but it turns out that there’s a bus that goes from Portsmouth, NH direct to Logan – for $27. So instead of taking Victor miles and miles out of his way – he drops me off at the bus depot and I take a surprisingly nice bus ride into Boston.

Naturally – the plane is delayed. I’m grinding to suspect that an on-time plane doesn’t happen – but eventually I get to Chicago – navigate my way to the Bridge Tournament – and play bridge. Earn Master Points – Yeah me.

Then I fly to Toronto – relatively on time I’ll have you know – get to Stratford, Cheer like crazy for my grand-daughter – and then head back to Montreal.

Whew – That’s some July – right?

Wondering how August turns out? Me too! Stay tuned.

The Souplady signing off.

Don’t you just love a Wedding? I do!


COVID has really taken a tole on Weddings and I suspect Wedding Planners – but we do seem to be rounding that corner as more and more weddings and other life events are starting to pop up like fleas on a dog.

So not to anyone’s surprise really – I was fortunate enough to be invited to an over-the-top, absolutely fabulous wedding on Long Island last weekend. The Groom was my cousin’s son, and the bride was the love of his life. As befitting both my cousin, her son – and the bride – it was at once traditional, and fun, and well attended!

Our family made what we thought would be a solid presence – 13 in total! But we barely made a table full – the rest of the over 200 attendees were friends of the parents, friends of the bridge and groom, and family of the bride.

The wedding was very very nice – the dress was ‘Black Tie Optional’ so there were lots of runway ready gowns on display – including a gal wearing a ‘Rent-a-Runway’ purple number that screamed ‘FABULOUS’ My sister actually asked her – apparently ‘Rent-a-Runway’ features dresses that have actually been on a Runway. Of course they do – it’s NYC of course. Note here – apparently only in sizes 4 and below. I’m not wearing one – ever.

And there was a ton of food. The catering team took the ‘we want the best’ idea to heart – and delivered, and delivered, and delivered. As certified ‘foodies’ – of course I wanted to try everything – but it wasn’t even close to possible. So I just relaxed, went with the flow – and had a blast.

The party started at 6:30 when the opened the doors to the temple. Why 6:30 PM? It’s an odd time actually in Jewish circles on a Saturday night – turns out there was a bar Mitvah book before – and that had to be cleaned up and the temple proper re-set. That makes sense. The Bar Mitvah would be a luncheon thing – so the cater and florist would have had about 4 hours to get the room reset – maybe only 3 if the party before ran late….

Can you imagine the organization needed to pull this off? I can’t even begin to imagine it – but I’m guessing experience counts big when doing something this big that fast.

Anyway – the temple was glorious – the floral artists outdid themselves. The Canopy over the bride and groom was huge – at least 20’ high, and frosted silver with drapes from top to bottom. On the front edge was a flower arrangement to die for. Huge flowers draped and interlaced with orchids and smaller buds – and Roses of course – hung about 2’ high across the entire top and then spiralled down the sides.

And they had spread rose petals all up and down the aisle – which was far better than having one poor flower girl try to do it. Lovely. While the ‘crowd’ – and I’m guessing maybe 200 people – were clustered waiting for the temple doors to open (dud – they were removing the Bar-Mitvah and getting the flower arrangements up) wait staff was circulating with nibbles. I had a white fish in a pastry cup that was completely yummy. But I spotted at least 5 other options – just none that came within grabbing distance.

I’m still a bit COVID-shy – so We hung back and stayed outside – waiting till the crowd got seated. Then we snagged a back row of seats for the 13 of us.

I wasn’t keen to get too close to anyone – so the hanging back and the waiting made me much more comfy. And as the groom told me – the synagogue has huge high ceilings and a very very effective air treatment system. It felt very safe.

Unlike Friday night when, I admit it, I panicked. The plan was to go to the ‘out-of-towners’ dinner party at an Italian Restaurant nearby. My sisters and their husbands, some of my nieces and nephews, and my son and his family were going to be there – so I was totally looking forward to a fun chat and a chance to meet the bride. I’ve know the groom since he was born!

When we arrived – all looked fine. The restaurant was large, and had a lovely outdoor Terrace. But that wasn’t where our party was being held.

Our room was in the basement, and it wasn’t just my family – it was all the ‘out-of-towners’ – around 50 people. So it was crowded, with a low ceiling, and lots of folks all gathered together.

Way way too much in my face for me. I did what I did months ago at a funeral. I got short of breath, felt overwhelmed, and did the wussy thing – I walked out.

My husband, Victor, eventually found me (I was sitting in the back of the restaurant near our car – outside – open air. Just sitting). I explained my issue – he went in and gave my excuses – and we went out for a quiet dinner – just the two of us. I felt better.

But I paid for it however – my sisters were very concerned that I was having a nervous breakdown – particularly my baby sister – who’s had COVID (as has her husband) and treated it like an imposition that kept her out of some parties. I keep flashing on folks I know who have long COVID and think – yeah – not so easy for everyone. If I’m not comfy – I’m not staying.

By Saturday morning – my family had forgiven me, and we walked in the AM. Then we went for a lovely lunch at a place called – no joke – Schmeers – and then walked back from there to the hotel. I think the total distance was over 5 miles – so when we finally got back to the hotel – I promptly passed out. 2 hours later I was up, primped, and ready to party!

So – back to the Wedding …

After the nibbles and drinks, they opened to doors to the synagogue and we all went in. The wedding ceremony was lovely – the fun part was when the groom – instead of stately and slowly walking down the aisle between his parents – instead dragged his parents down the aisle – about 1.5 feet in front with his arms and hands behind him pulling them along. Guess that’s why normally the groom just appears on the side – no chance to make that mistake.

Clearly this is a love match, and he was really ready to get on with it.

The bride is a lovely gal – she was wearing a lovely gown, and had clearly paid attention to the instructions to walk slowly. But it was clear that she shared the grooms excitement. Together they were adorable.

They had all the makings of a lovely, lovely wedding. The Rabbi who officiated was charming, everyone looked great – and no one fainted. It was clearly a win-win for everyone.

After the wedding proper – and I’m guessing during the photo session – there was a cocktail hour – because we all needed more drinks. They had set up stations of food – I saw and enjoyed a veggie dip station, a Taco station (fish, chicken, two kinds of veggies), A tacquila station, a sushi station, a tartare station – and that’s just what Victor brought me to nibble on. There were folks walking around with more food – including deep fried lamb chops – which is a SIN to do to a lamb chop. I can’t even remember the other options.There was a lot!

Then they opened the dinning/dancing area with a crystal chandelier that had to be at least 25’ high over a huge dance floor and a 10 piece band! No joke – 4 singers, 6 musicians… and LOUD. As my son explained – they had a sound guy – but he might be deaf.

They were handing out ear plugs.

Despite the volume – the play list was perfect. Songs I knew – Songs I didn’t know but loved, and the singers would actually go among the dancers – inviting them to sing into the mike. It was fun. They had baskets of flip-flops for ladies or guys to grab if they needed out of the fancy shoes – and after the first rounds of toasts to the bride and groom – they served dinner.

There was a huge plate with soft cheese and tomato salad, a choice of steak and salmon or a vegetarian bowl, and then dessert…

Ah – dessert. You know how I love dessert – and this was over the top fabulous. The ‘main’ dessert was a hot chocolate chip cookie on a mini skillet. In addition, wait staff with trays that reminded me of those ‘cigars, cigarettes, tiperalo’ trays of yore wandered around with other kinds of pastries to grab on the go! My favorite was a Napoleon that was positively yummy. But again – not sure I spotted all the numerous options. Did my best of course.

Outside was a box filled with chocolate roses – delicious. And just as you walked outside the cater has set up a popcorn and Hot Pretzel stand. Such a fitting NYC frame to a really nifty wedding!

I danced till my feet hurt!

Not true – I was wearing my jazz shoes – so my feet never hurt – but I did finally get tired!

It was a blast.

Sunday brunch was in comparison a quiet and peaceful affair – time to just say goodbye to friends and family – and the bride and groom!

Great weekend.. for sure. Just had to share the experience. Signing off till my next adventure – The Soup Lady

Sorry Chief – I’m Air Frames


That’s a very British Military way of saying – not my party!

And frankly – I love it. Craig, my daughter’s husband’s father – or as my grand-daughter tells me – her daddy’s daddy – is a retired British Officer – and he taught me this one! Thank you Craig

Back to the car – or as Craig would say – Sorry Chief – I’m Air Frames.

The car is still lying dead on it’s back – despite a momentary glimpse at life after death.

We drove back to Sutton Courtney on Saturday, we had to revisit the rental agency to extend the lease since at that point the car was still dead. They had tested everything they could think of – including replacing some electrical something (Hence the Sorry Chief – I’m Air Frames). Didn’t help.

We met up with Craig and Jan and had a delightful adults only lunch at the Barley Mow. This is a gastronomic Pub that is well worth it’s full bookings and occasional – sorry, no room apologies.

The pub is nestled in a village that if you squint your eyes and ignore the recycling bins is straight out of the 1800’s – maybe the 1600’s for all I know. Thatched roofs on all the brick cottages, narrow roadways, it even has a stream that rambles thru so it can be featured on narrow boat trips. It has everything – including the Barley Mow.

We knew we were in the right place this time because the decor was upper cottage. Dark beams across a white washed ceiling, well spaced tables, lots of tiny rooms that linked up in some strange (is there a map) way – and a lovely fireplace in every room.

We were escorted into the very oldest part of the Barley Mow – a low ceilinged room (under 6’ for SURE – and maybe topping out at 5’8” in places) that featured 4 tables and a lovely roaring fire. Cozy, cute, comfortable – and one hoped – food to match.

Like most gastropubs – the menu was filled with pub classics – fish and chips in several varieties, shrimp scampi and the like – plus oddities like French Onion Soup and Beet Salad – kinda 2022 meets 1920.

I loved the presentation of my fish and chips – I ordered the sweet potato fries, and opted for garden peas over mushy peas – so not truly traditional. But yummy. Even the onion soup was yummy although I don’t think the restaurants in France are going to lose any sleep over it.

The true food highlights were the conversation on how to make Tarter Sauce (never eat with foodies if you don’t want to know those details), and the best Bakewell Tart I’ve had since I’ve been coming to London.

I’m sorry Costa – your commercial offering, while yummy, is not up to this offerings scratch.

We had a nice long leisurely lunch – it’s really pleasant when it’s just adults, something you forget quickly when constantly accompanied by a lovely, and well behaved, but still 5 year old.

Then we checked in on the dead bug. Still dead. So we headed back to London. 2.5 hours later, we arrived in London to be told that the garage had called – and the car was fixed!

Miracle of Miracles!

Turns out that there was a blown fuse. His fix of the obvious electrical whatever (I’m Air Frames remember) didn’t appear to work because the fuse was blown. When that was fixed – the car ran!

We decide that another 4 hour plus drive just isn’t going to happen – so the plan is for Adrienne to take me to Heathrow Monday morning early (I’m heading to Utah next), then drive on to pick up the car.

Best laid plans

This morning we are greeted with an oops – not quite.

Craig – completely helpful soul that he is – decided to walk to the repair shop and get the car. In doing so – he discovered that the cure wasn’t permanent. The fuse had blown again. Three fuses later – and the conclusion is that there is something blowing the fuses.

Ya think?

So bug is still dead. I’m still going to Heathrow on Monday – but when the car will be deemed healthy remains a mystery.

Signing off to do VeriFLY – the newest wrinkle in an already painful flying experience… Can they possibly make it worse?

The Soup Lady