Travelling in Style

     Dreaming of taking a luxurious vacation?  Well, this week’s “Find of the Week on the Used Book Floor” will most likely top any thoughts you may have about how to travel in style.

     First, we have to tell you that the book our find was discovered in represents the absolute opposite of what a dream vacation consists of.  Entitled, “Insect Pests,” this colorful reference book serves as a guide to “more than 350 pests of home, garden, field and forest.”  Published by Golden Press in 1966, (the same publisher responsible for the beloved Little Golden Books) this handy-dandy pocket-sized book leaves no stone unturned (literally) when it comes to insects of any kind. 

  

   But, let’s not get bogged (or bugged) down in the creepy and crawly, we say.  Hidden away in the pages was our find - an official envelope from The Peninsula in Hong Kong, China, or “The Grande Dame of the Far East.”  What is The Peninsula, you may be asking?  Only one of THE most luxurious hotels in the world and the flagship of the hotel series!  Let us tell you why.

     Before you even arrive at The Peninsula in Hong Kong, the pampering begins.  Don’t want to take a taxi from the airport?  No problem!  The staff at the hotel will send one of their fleet of famous Rolls Royce vehicles for you, or you can fly in on one of their helicopters, as they have two helicopter pads on their roof!  Coming by boat?  Also not a problem.  The Peninsula is happy to give you a ride in their giant yacht.  Oh, and by the way, if you didn’t get to try all three modes of transportation on your way in, they are happy to give you tours of the area on any of them during your stay.

     Once checked in, you can settle into your room, adjust the lights, temperature, curtains and order room service all with their hi-tech iPad-like device that comes with every room.  While doing so, be sure, of course, to order their very own champagne, the Cuvee Peninsula.  Want to get out to eat, instead?  You can dine at one of the hotel’s seven restaurants, all specializing in cuisine from different cultures (French, Cantonese, Swiss, Japanese, etc.).  Yes, the hotel contains SEVEN separate restaurants within its giant structure!

     After dinner, stroll through one of The Peninsula’s many fashion arcades, as through the years, the famous hotel has housed international brands such as Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Cartier and Tiffany.  You could also take part in their Peninsula Academy by learning about Hong Kong’s lifestyle and culture through classes that teach everything from historic lantern-making to gourmet cooking.

     We could go on and on, here, but we think you get the picture.  Can’t afford to stay in The Peninsula in Hong Kong?  Fear not - the insect guide and official hotel envelope, while not quite the same, can be yours for $4.99.  You can catch up with our previous finds of the week from the used book floor at bayswaterbooks.com and on facebook.  Better yet, stop by the store in Center Harbor and check out the used book floor for yourself!

How-To

     Our most recent "Find of the Week on the Used Book Floor" is one giant "how-to" experience.  If you like to learn new things, (and if you have read any of our past blogs, you know we do) this post could very well be right up your alley.

     Our book that held the find is truly a discovery all of its own.  Published in 1950 and titled, "150 Ways to Play Solitaire," this 128 page small paperback details how to play the classic card game in - you guessed it- 150 different ways.  Ok, we need to take a pause, here, to say - seriously?  Who knew it was even possible to play solitaire anywhere near that many ways? 

     Upon looking at the table of contents, we found that the possibilities are categorized by ways to play using one, two, four, and multiple packs of cards.  To add to the charm, each game has been given a unique name.  You could try your hand at playing "Beleaguered Castle," (a one-pack solitaire game) "Miss Milligan," (a two-pack experience) or "Empress of India," (a multiple pack extravaganza) just to name a few choices.  If none of those struck your fancy, you could always give the "Idiot's Delight" or "Blondes and Brunettes" games a whirl.  Really - those are just the beginning of your solitaire options according to this 69 year-old gem.  

     As if the book, itself, was not enough, while flipping through the many pictures of card layouts, we found a paper from the Wild Salmon Seafood Market in Seattle, Washington.  Providing fish from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, the Wild Salmon Seafood Market ships their all-natural, wild salmon overnight across the world.  While detailing the many kinds of salmon that are caught in the Pacific, Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean, (Keta, Coho, Sockeye, King and Pink salmon, etc.) the Wild Salmon Seafood Market also provided a chart that guides those cooking the salmon at home.  From baking, broiling, grilling, barbequing, poaching, steaming, sauteing or microwaving, the well-known Seattle salmon provider walks you through what to cook the fish on, how long it needs to be on the heat and other incidental bits of info that could be very helpful.  If you remember nothing from this paragraph but one thing, remember this: in short, overcooking salmon is a common issue and, regardless of how you cook it, all salmon needs to be checked for doneness between 8-10 minutes.

     So...150 ways to play solitaire games with creative names, salmon types from the Pacific and how to cook the perfect fish in any way imaginable...yes, that about covers it for this week's Find of the Week on the Used Book Floor.  We promised a "how-to" experience when you first began reading this and we think we've delivered.  As always, however, we have only touched on the highlights from the book and the find.  To gain the full experience and learn more, "150 Ways to Play Solitaire" and the Wild Salmon Seafood Market's Guide to Salmon can be yours, together, for the grand total of $4.99.  You can catch up with our previous finds of the week from the used book floor at bayswaterbooks.com and on facebook.  Better yet, stop by the store in Center Harbor and check out the used book floor for yourself!