there is a (for many years already) ongoing legal battle/fight about who created the first 'original' Sacher chocolate-cake between the Sacher (hotel) and the confiserie Demel.

Hunki (husband of Punki) can tell you how the former (hotel Sacher) tastes.

Demel
http://www.demel.at/demel-englisch/n...inframeset.htm

Hotel Sacher
http://www.abnet.at/hotel/vienna/sacher/

If everyone is coming to Manchester then there are two possibilities. A: You can get a train direct from the Airport direct to Windermere. B: if everyone is arriving at more or less the same time then I would be happy to pick up as many as I can.

I'm game for whatever dates everyone else decides upon. Just let me know which & then should we all contact the B & B directly to make our reservations?

You may like me to assist you on that - I am the owners son Once I have confirmed numbers I was going to try and get the better rooms reserved in the nicer part of the house (remodeled this year) I am keen for as many of you as possible to have the best views of the lakes as possible. Please email me the dates you wish to stay and I will email by reply a list of prices and room details, you can them make the booking direct with the hotel. Please include your real name in the email so I can have a pencil booking put in the system.

Looking forward to this even more

Looks like Windermere is about 85 miles from MAN.
http://www.fayrergarden.com/map.html
That'll be the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend, so holiday traffic will be mad on roads and rail.
I'll look into train schedules and road directions.
I'd assume that we'll be consolidating our stays to ensure that we get the best deal as a group.
I'd plan to arrive in MAN on Fri am probably, and depart on Mon lunchtime most likely.

I was in MAN between 9-11/11 and I enjoyed the city so much I plan of going back. Easter 2002 is to far ahead for me to plan something right now but it does sounds very intresting.

What happend to Oslo? Are you also considering Stockholm?

I will try and put a website together over the weekend to show the itinery and all other items. In the meantime please continue to use FT board

I am in the process now and have nearly finished the first draft of the webpage. Unfortunatley I cannot send it through my company proxy so wont be able to post it until sunday or monday night (i am moving house over the weekend and my connection is in Windermere, not London where I am now). I will register a proper domain name, but for the time being it will be http://www.geocities.com/jongarside/

Have fun and thanks to the 4 people who have already confirmed

Yes, we were the recipients of a wonderful gift which showed up unexpectedly on our doorstep. Inside the shipping carton was this beautiful wood box with a brass clasp. Upon opening the lid, we were greeted with the sight of a beautiful dark chocolate (yum) torte. Unfortunately, since Punki only enjoys a taste of chocolate every once in a while, the reponsibility fell on my shoulders to fully enjoy this gift. The frosting is a hard sweet chocolate covering which melts slowly in your mouth, while the cake underneath melts much quicker. The consistency of the cake is a more firm and less sweet than, say, a devil's food cake, enjoyable none the less. However, none of it went to waste because it ended up on my waist.
I think that my "brother-in-law" needs to convince his sister that a skiing trip to Wengen is a necessity to help me lose the extra pounds that the torte added.

On the way home from work tonight, Punki also expressed some interest in attending this gathering, but unfortunately, her cold which she had been able to forestall during the PiP this last weekend, has reasserted itself, and she headed onto bed before we could commit to attend. Put us down as a possible maybe. We have a couple of SWUs that will expire if we don't use them.

[This message has been edited by Hunki (edited 11-14-2001).]

Jon, not sure if you included me as one of the four already confirmed, but if not, please do add me to the list. I'll be arriving in MAN on Friday AM for the 3 nights.
PS--Thanks so much in advance for developing this idea, which was barely a thought on that train ride to Nice!

The site http://www.geocities.com/jongarside/ is now up and running. I will make some major changes over the weekend.

JonGar

[email protected]

[This message has been edited by jongar (edited 11-15-2001).]

You'd be pleased to knwo that for 20,000 LH miles, you can redeem (which I did) 2 8" Sacher Tortes flown in all the way from the Hotel Sacher in Vienna. I've given one to a friend and I'm just sort of admiring the other one ... on the kitchen counter. Sigh... okay it'll be gone by Thansgiving!

Well what a difference a day makes. Not only is the site up, but I even got the forms working so, I would like to ask all those intrested to check things out. Have a look at the tarrifs and decide what kind of room you want, then go to the bookings part and send me your details. I will be in Windermere from Monday next week, so I will take care of your bookings personally.

UPDATE : I have added the EuroTour Section and would now very much like your feedback and suggestions.

Go to www.geocities.com/jongarside

Have fun out there

jongar

[This message has been edited by jongar (edited 11-15-2001).]

Jon,

Visited the website - looks great !!! Thanks for all your work.

However, you did mention that we might get a good rate on the accom. - looks like the rates you've put up are the summer (high season) rates !!!
Let us know what your "old man" might be able to do for us on a special !

I look forward to the reply.

JAP