french film reviews and sipping tea near the piano player

darlings

a lovely day yesterday.

our friend Arianna published our review of the French Film and then who-we-are-in-RL had some Splendid news (which we are Not Allowed to Divulge – she was Very Strict about this, our feelings were a Tiny bit bruised but we said we’d Obey) about some work – and while she was squealing on the corner of Wilshire and *saidvaguely* some side street-in-beverly-hills we got a bit peckish and said:

could we go and have a pot of tea at that nice five star hotel over there?

and she agreed that would be lovely.

yes – that’s a real italian piano player and he knew his audience – mostly back catalogue of Streisand hits with delicious musical re-arrangement…..

like standing under the largest pearl necklace on the Planet

or a ladies’ up-do with pearls as an adornment?

now this is where it gets interesting……see those doors to the left?

we walked through them onto the Terrace (we Adore a Terrace)

and then THE DOORS LOCKED BEHIND US!

now if you’re going to be stuck on a Terrace, it isn’t so bad if it’s a very balmy night in southern california and it looks like this

but nobody passed by the doors and we walked the perimeter of the Terrace but the doors to the ballroom (we adore a ballroom) were Also Locked.

so what did we do?

well – thank goodness for the cellular telephone – we called the reception desk of the Four Seasons Beverly Hills and described where we were and asked them to Send A Security Man (or a woman, but unlikely).

there was a pause on the other end

we can’t quite picture where you are, madam

it’s the long hallway from the restaurant where the gift shop and the powder rooms are – keep going – into the Veranda Room 11 and past the Chinese screen – the room with that big – not really a chandelier but sort of the biggest pearl necklace scooped up to the ceiling

(pause)

we have your number – we’ll find you, madam.

and then we waited.

nobody came.

so we called back.

welcome to the Four Seasons – how may we direct your call?

it’s us – we’re still locked out from the Veranda Room on the back Terrace!

(pause)

and then we realized what had happened…….we were Not At the Four Seasons.

(gulp)

oh. we’re terribly sorry – we’re at the Peninsula

(relief on the other end – they had lost an englishwoman in their hotel and there had been Consternation among the Staff)

(dialing)

welcome to the Peninsula – how may we direct your call

(small voice)

I’m stuck on the Terrace could you come and get me?

security man rushes down the long corridor where the gift shop and the powder rooms are, past the Chinese Screen and the biggest pearl necklace in the World and Opens The Doors.

relief.

thank goodness it was a lovely evening.

sometimes it is Very Hard to tell between all the Five Star Hotels as they all have such lovely gilt – gold – heavy cream pillows – and general Versailles-esque decorative touches.

we admit this is a quality problem.

but an amusing anecdote (after the fact).