Friday List of Things To Do

Spring cleaning takes on a whole new dimension when one is an innkeeper. It presents the opportunity to throw out stuff stored in the extra room, or transfer it to the attic. There are screens to repair or replace, windowsills to wash, flaking paint on doors to be scraped. I cannot detail all that needs to be done here because I do not have the time. Know that we are busy. Here’s my to-do list for the day, once the Green Room guests have had their breakfast.
1.) Clean the cottage
2.) Order new faucet
3.) Bake organic bread
4.) Plant pansies
5.) Install new telephone
6.) Plant 60 leeks
7.) Wash sheets and hang them out to dry
8.) Iron pillowcases
9.) Take trash to the dump
10.) Get a massage …

Have You Reserved for This Summer Yet?

If you have not yet made a reservation for summer and intend to visit Wellfleet for less than a week, I suggest you book a room now. The Stone Lion Inn was sold last year and has been undergoing renovation, with the construction of a sturdy brick basement. The inn was purchased by a family, so is no longer available to the public. Appletree closed as well at the end of 2010, and this year Sweet Liberty will no longer be open to guests. In other words, the number of bed & breakfasts in Wellfleet has greatly diminished over the past two years. Not good news for the innkeepers who remain, or for folks visiting the Outer Cape, in need of accommodation. Why? It's nice to be able to recommend a place people can stay when they call at the last minute. In April, I will try to visit some of the B&Bs that remain and write them up for this blog. Anyone have a suggestion of where I should start?

Something New at Chez Sven ...

It's tax time. Part of the fun of running a B&B is that you can buy beautiful objects for the business and deduct them. Take this clock from the ICA, for instance. The old clock in Seagull Cottage featured birds. While we enjoyed hearing the birds, their "singing" on the hour proved upsetting to some of our younger guests. Toddlers want to see real birds. It's confusing to have birds at the feeder out the bathroom window, and a clock that sounds like a bird in the kitchen. So, I knew our old clock had to go. While doing museums last month with Sven, I found this new beauty. Colors, not birds! Colors make no noise. Perfect, don't you think?

What's Innkeeping Like?

For those of you who dream of innkeeping, here's The Lowdown. Today WOMR's Ira Wood interviewed Janet Loewenstein, above, former owner of Wellfleet's Stone Lion Inn, on the reality vs. the fantasy of running a bed and breakfast. Janet ran her popular Commercial Street establishment for eleven years before calling it quits last winter. The inn was sold and has become a summer residence. Janet explained that it's hard to leave the house while innkeeping and that a social life becomes something the innkeeper remembers with nostalgia. Janet had to train a dozen helpers over the 2010 season, which would make anyone eager to be in a different line of business. She also mentioned the need for more "high-caliber lodging" in Wellfleet and the pleasure derived from receiving, as guests, the fascinating people who come to our town, two very accurate observations, in my opinion. I think those of you who read this blog on a regular basis will find it interesting to listen, once today's show becomes available online, since so much of what Janet said corroborates my posts on innkeeping. So, Ira, when are you going to do a show on local blogging?

Why Innkeepers Need an Occasional Break

Psst. Don’t tell anybody, but Sven and I took a day off yesterday and, boy, did we enjoy it. How delightful to relax after a very busy Labor Day weekend! No Main House guests until late this afternoon. Yesterday night, I settled two businessmen into the cottage for the night. The weather is not ideal, but at least Cape Cod has been spared the heavy rain that caused flooding in Pennsylvania today. The businessmen were going to stay in Liberty Coin Suite, but I was able to give them an upgrade, since no one had booked the cottage. They were very happy with their accommodation. I’m glad I could offer this upgrade, but even more pleased that Sven and I have our home back for a short period. That’s the thing: when you run a B&B in a private home, sometimes your personal space gets reduced dramatically. The last group of folks even commandeered the living room. I was glad they were happy but equally glad to see them leave. Why? We always feel a responsibility towards our guests, so cannot totally relax when the house is full. Why? An innkeeper is on call 24 hours a day.

What’s more, innkeepers must be on best behavior at all times. After weeks and weeks of best behavior, the urge to let loose creeps up on you. For a day or two, we can do whatever we want, make as much noise as we want, choose when to wake up and when to go to sleep … After a couple days of R&R, we'll be ready to interact with new guests again.

Any innkeepers out there have suggestions on how to get the most out of a break?

In Which Fritzi Comes to Call

Check out my new T-shirt! The front also carries a message: "Don't spray where our kids spray." I had just tried it on for the first time, and was enjoying the soft feel of the organic cotton, when the doorbell rang. Outside stood one very hot lady, who immediately introduced herself as Fritzi Cohen. From the photo, you can tell she's a real firecracker. Wiping sweat from her brow, Fritzi announced she had stopped by, on foot, because of my blog and my concern for the environment, having obtained my name at the library. She was here from Nahcotta, Washington and had just spent two lovely weeks in Wellfleet with her adult children. Fritzi had been gorging herself on oysters at our local restaurants, she reported. Apparently the oysters in her home town are no longer safe to eat, due to the spraying of pesticides in the mudflats to kill a saltwater marsh grass "infestation." You have probably already understood that Fritzi and I have a lot in common. Despite the fact that I had guestrooms to prepare, I sat down outside and chatted with her for a while.

And, guess what she told me next: Fritzi owns an inn called Moby Dick Hotel and Oyster Farm. She described how she started her business, almost by accident, which is very similar to my route to innkeeping. Fritzi told me she had gotten a big kick out of my Glass Half Empty or Half Full post since she has received many complicated guests in her day.

To summarize, it was a great visit.

We share something else in common. We both believe toxic chemicals are dangerous to health and are doing our best to raise awareness. Check out Fritzi's latest effort to stop the spraying of herbicides on spartina, pegged as an invasive species out on the West Coast: Fearless Fund. Who would have thought innkeeping could lead to environmental activism!

What I Like Best About Innkeeping

As the month of August draws to an close, Chez Sven has been blessed with exceptional guests, folks who thought to book these coveted August days during the winter. Above, Allan and Pablo, from London, England. The couple arrived by taxi from Provincetown, got around by bike, and left by bus for Hyannis where they caught the ferry to Nantucket. They loved Wellfleet so much they plan to return, next time in the fall when fewer tourists are around. When Allan and Pablo left, I told them they were among the nicest people to ever visit, and this declaration came from my heart. Yesterday a charming yoga teacher from the state of Georgia moved into our Green Room. Today a new group of people from Britain took possession of Liberty Coin Suite. I can tell already that their nine-day visit will be one to remember. Last week we had a family from Holland. Rare are the guests who give me presents, so I am all the more delighted when this happens. The Dutch family figured out what would make me happy, then went about finding it: a "back to homemade" cookbook. "How to brine, brew, salt, smoke, dry, pot, press, pickle and preserve, all in your own modern kitchen." They found this book at the Friends of the Wellfleet Libraries second annual book sale and had their elder daughter Thora present it to me last night. I've said it before, and will probably say it again: what I like best about innkeeping is the opportunity to meet and interact with such lovely people. It's the little gestures that mean the world to me.

Glass Half-Empty or Half-Full?

Above, a photo of a charming family that visited from England. They spent six days here and thoroughly enjoyed their stay. If only all guests were as amiable and discreet! They took full advantage of all Wellfleet has to offer. These days innkeepers must spend extra energy worrying about how happy guests are, more so than ever with the growing influence of Trip Advisor. To illustrate this point, let me tell you a little horror story. …

In July, a guest was negligent with leaving food out in the cottage kitchen. It was like sounding a gong for all the local mice that live in the woods. When I discovered the situation two weeks later, at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Sven placed mousetraps in appropriate places. I warned the new guests who arrived at 2 pm sharp and explained the mousetraps were primed for action. The wife bubbled over with excitement, like the bottle of champagne I almost put in the refrigerator for her 40th wedding anniversary but didn’t. Although both she and her husband could not say enough treacly things about the accommodation, I guess I had a hunch something would go wrong…

I was tired after cleaning both the cottage and Liberty Coin Suite, so went to bed early.

At 10:30, Sven woke me up. “They’re leaving,” he announced.

“Who’s leaving,” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes.

“The cottage people. She’s hysterical about mice getting guillotined.”

I got dressed and encountered the couple as they packed up to leave. There was an empty bottle of wine in evidence.

“Won’t you spend the night in our personal guest room?” I asked, still rubbing my eyes.

“No,” the man said. “We’re driving home.”

They lived at least four hours away. I tried to convince them to think it over, but no. And, they wanted their money back. Otherwise, and I quote, “This could get nasty.”

By “getting nasty,” the man implied a very bad review on Trip Advisor.

I asked a friend in rentals the following day how I should have handled the situation, and she said that since they had been forewarned and we had done our best to provide a remedy and alternate lodging, there was no need to return all that money. We killed three mice and that was that.

Sven can shrug off such experiences, but not me. I found the whole thing very upsetting.

I already described an occasion where Chez Sven was given a bad review in May. I had an awful cold and was pushing myself to receive guests in the best way possible. The couple seemed happy. They ate up all the food I served, including a special request for toast with almond butter. They made no complaints to my face, wrote something nice in our guestbook, yet posted a negative review to Trip Advisor.

Now, I know potential guests take the reviews with a grain of salt and read a bunch of them, but such nastiness is unnecessary and offensive. I checked the other day and 29 people had said this review was “helpful,” ie. they chose other accommodation.

Fortunately, we also have guests who raise my spirits and make innkeeping feel worthwhile, guests who return several years in a row, like Betsy and her two lovely daughters, or contact me years after staying here, like Elise did yesterday:

“I have been reading your blog regularly since my sweetie and I stayed at Chez Sven in 2008. It was a magical vacation for us. Your hospitality and our days on the ponds (and Mary Oliver's poetry) made it a visit at which we are still marveling. Thank you.

I am writing because I understand your tiredness at working so hard for so many hours each day. While the idea of having a B&B seems so romantic, the work of it is intense. My friends and I, of our age (55 - 60's), are feeling scared and worried about our future. I would like to transition from my job to something else but am frightened at not being able to get affordable health insurance. I feel stuck and worried and stressed.

Chez Sven is an amazing place and your blog is doing an incredible support to educating people about the idea of the importance of small changes and thinking locally.

Perhaps there is a way that you can continue your B&B, but not have to deal with people who don't appreciate your sensibility?

Thank you for your ongoing public thoughts. Thank you for giving me a memory of an incredible vacation in Wellfleet.”

You have to take the good with the bad. The unpleasant experience remains rare.

Sven was a teacher for over 40 years. He tells me that you can’t please everyone. “In a class of 30, there were always one or two who disliked me, for reasons unknown. Sometimes you see the glass half empty, and I see it half full.”

Which type of person are you, half-empty, or half-full?

How I Spend My Day & Summer Chaos

Sometimes I envy the tourists, who spend the whole day at a beach or pond, relaxing, enjoying vacation, or have the leisure to clown around while visiting the National Seashore, but there are simply too many of them this year. Those of us who live in Wellfleet year-round keep our heads low. We are all trying to simply get through the summer. Everyone seems to agree that July was as busy this year as August is usually. Here at Chez Sven, we have hardly had time or energy to walk at the beach.

Last week a reader asked, “How many hours do you spend just caring for the B&B in high season?” My response: “That varies.” Every day is different.

Room prep takes about an hour or two for each room and bathroom. Rooms "changeover" every three days, and so require new sheets every three days. Cottage prep takes longer because there’s a whole house to clean. Cottage guests stay a week and spend a lot of time inside, which means more intensive cleaning is required.

Every few days there’s laundry to wash, sheets to hang out to dry, pillowcases to iron.

Every morning, in summer, I prepare breakfast and set the table outside. Each group of guests eats at a different time, 8:30, 9, or 9:30. I often sit and chat with the guests over breakfast. I get up at 7. I grab a cup of coffee, check email, shower, bake, ie. from 7 to 10, I’m on my feet, 7 days a week.

Every other day I shop for organic fruit and stock up on provisions for breakfast.

Shopping in town is a challenge in summer. There are only so many parking spaces in the town hall lot, and newcomers do not always follow the directional arrows. The best time to shop depends on the tide, the weather, and the day, with Saturday and Sunday being the worst. I tend to venture out in late morning or early afternoon while most tourists are at the beach.

Before guests arrive, it is necessary to wait for them. It’s hard to start a project because their arrival will interrupt whatever I'm doing. When guests do arrive, I spend a half hour on orientation.

We have extensive flower gardens at Chez Sven. Since it had not rained for weeks before yesterday evening, we have been watering the gardens every day to keep the flowers alive. It is actually pleasant to water at the end of the day, but still, it’s work. And, then there’s the general household to maintain …

August is intense here with traffic jams on dirt roads that normally see no traffic.

Thanks to our new pharmacy, it’s no longer necessary to take Route 6 to Orleans, twenty miles away, which is a relief. Often Route 6 is bumper to bumper with tourists looking to stock up on food, get to the beaches, place beer in coolers, etc. When I shop in Orleans, I try to go early in the morning.

Last week I wrote a post about noisy tenants at a neighbor’s house. Now that Facebook exists, I have noticed Wellfleetians will voice their frustrations with the summer chaos online. I am not alone in feeling overwhelmed. Here are a few of their comments:

“It's August and it is better to laugh than to cry when driving on Route 6,” Suzanne

“Oh my good God. Our little road was so quiet that only the foxes and coyotes were here with me for weeks on end. Now it's Beerfest-Party-On, Dude.” Carol

“I love watching the tourists who think they know the tides and set up huge camps on the beach, loudly telling the wives and kids the tide is going out. Meanwhile, half an hour later it's a huge SHIT SHOW, and I stand there laughing. Ha-ha-ha. Don't be a know-it-all. We are here to help you if you only ask.” Settie

Would you like to be an innkeeper? Do you live in a tourist destination? Is tourist season as intense in your town?

B&B Etiquette: Be Respectful over the Phone

Everyone wants to come and enjoy Wellfleet's fabulous ocean beaches, beautiful even at twilight. From now on we have guests non-stop through Labor Day. Yesterday we received a lovely couple who had never before stayed at a B&B. They didn't know what to expect and were pleasantly surprised. We also had a return visit from Betty and Al, who did not do as much kayaking as usual due to the hot weather, but enjoyed their Cape visit all the same. When Sven expressed embarrassment at the hour they had spent together over breakfast, Al said, "It's not usual that I have a conversation like this, so it wasn't a waste, on the contrary. This is the way a good breakfast conversation should be."

Guests like Al and Betty are the absolute high of innkeeping. They are fortunately the majority at Chez Sven, guests who have studied our Web site, know what to expect, and have booked months in advance. Still, we get the occasional phone call that drives me crazy and demonstrates why innkeepers burn out so fast.

It's 8 PM, Saturday night. The phone rings.

ME: Hello, Chez Sven.

HE: Do you have any rooms for August 5-7?

ME: I'm sorry but we are almost fully booked for the whole month of August. Have you consulted our Web site? There's an availability calendar. I suggest you contact the Wellfleet Chamber of ...

By the time I have made this suggestion, the fellow has already hung up on me. No one wants to be treated like a door mat. I have a hard time understanding how anyone who thinks he might stay at my B&B could behave in such a manner. I was actually glad I was able to tell this person we were fully booked. I did not want him here.

Maybe it's a matter of culture? B&Bs are very common in Europe. Staying at a B&B means you are invited into a private home. B&BS ARE NOT HOTELS OR MOTELS. B&Bs are a step above. Innkeepers make a personal connection with their guests. At Chez Sven, people return year after year. And when they leave, it feels like saying goodbye to old friends ...

10 Surprising Things about Innkeeping

1.) Some people think nothing of calling after normal business hours, ie. as if Chez Sven were a hotel, open 24/7.
2.) Strangers will drop by and expect to be able to tour the premises.
3.) Some guests equate innkeepers with maids.
4.) No one has ever asked if our scrambled eggs get cooked in Teflon.
5.) Nor have they asked who the General’s Green Room is named after.
6.) Some guests think nothing of making a racket when they return after midnight, which is not appropriate since the B&B is also a home.
7.) Some guests bring and take drugs. How do I know? A couple flushed leftovers down the toilet, and the capsules did not disintegrate.
8.) People expect B&B hosts to be experts on accommodation in town, including the motels, and will sound irritated over the phone if I’m unable to name the “best” motel around.
9.) I expected our guests to be middle-aged, but actually most are young.
10.) Innkeepers get to meet some really nice people!

B&B Etiquette: How to Pick and Choose

Above, another photo of Seagull Cottage. As a writer, I am very sensitive to words. The way a request for accommodation is phrased often indicates what type of person seeks accommodation. My goal is to attract guests with a similar mindset because both guests and innkeepers will have a more pleasant experience. For instance, there’s no doubt in my mind that over the past few years, we have accommodated more Democrats than Republicans. Of course, political affiliation is not obvious from a brief email, but liberals do seem more tempted by Chez Sven than conservatives. Now, in 2011, with two local B&Bs having shut their doors, the supply/demand equation works in our favor. Knowing this, to some extent, we can pick and choose. How, you might ask? Look for clues in the wording of a request for accommodation. Here’s a lesson in reading through the lines:

• “I've just found your lovely B&B after much searching around for one that accepts children but is still beautifully decorated and comfortable. We were hoping to come to New England in August with our (then) 26 month-old son and myself several months pregnant, for a relaxing break. Unfortunately you seem to be pretty much fully booked for August 2011. Is that right? I'm hoping beyond hope that it's a computer glitch and you are going to tell me that you have availability for the dates of 15th - 24th August in either the suite or the cottage. But I doubt very much that you are. If you have a cancellation, please do let us know.” I would have loved having this person stay but have learned not to offer Liberty Coin Suite, with its steep stairs, to pregnant women, and that was the only room available for the dates requested. This potential guest writes from the heart. She does not confuse us with a hotel. I suggested bookmarking Chez Sven for a future year.

• “Earliest check-in: 6/24. Latest check-out: 6/29. Two adults. Attending family reunion. Please confirm deposit/cancellation policy. Thanks!” From this terse email, I do not get the impression that the writer has seriously examined our Web site. Fortunately, we were already fully booked for these dates so the inquiry was easy to answer.

• “We need a spillover …” This message, on our answering machine, was hard to decipher, leaving both a garbled phone number and an email address. Last month I explained we specify on our Web site preference for emailed requests. The caller went on to explain he had rented a house in town and did not have room for his son’s friend. Anyone who sees Chez Sven as “spillover” does not get what we are about. Experience has taught me to guide this type of caller to a motel. In this case, since the rental house was on Chequessett Neck, I was able to help secure a reservation at Aunt Sukie's, nearby.

• “My wife and I are touring New England in May and wondered whether the Liberty Coin Suite at Chez Sven might be available for the night of May 12th?” This was an emailed request, but the words were chosen so well that you could almost hear the tone of voice. I regretted telling these people that we do not do one night. Why not? I'm 64; Sven is 74. We do everything ourselves and have realized one night stays create too strenuous a rhythm. Also, had I said yes, I would have been obliged to turn away other guests, looking to book longer periods that week.

• “Is there a reason that you do not post your telephone number on your website?” I would like to reserve the General Green Room for this Sunday night. I would like the opportunity of speaking with you.” Who wants to be challenged straight away on policy? Not I. A small intimate B&B is very different from a hotel. At Chez Sven, we treat guests like family friends. There is no maid service, no staff. I have discovered our guests from Europe understand that they are being invited into our home if they choose to stay here. The attitude of Europeans is a world away from guests who confuse a B&B with a hotel. (I refused this request because it was for one night.)

• “My husband and I are looking for a place for 3 nights. We saw that you have availability, but we are concerned about the breakfast. Both of us are vegan - we will starve before we consume any product that inflicts pain, suffer, torture and death on innocent animals - including meat, eggs, dairy, honey etc. We would like to know if this is something that you know how to accommodate, and what type of food is offered to vegan couples.” I'm always happy to work with guests who have special food requirements and emailed back and forth with these folks until they felt reassured.

And – and ...

• “Hello, Alix? I’m calling for the vouchers.” Dead silence on my part. First off, no one calls me Alix. That’s not my name. Second, vouchers? Does he mean gift certificates? Third, grrr! Yet another phoned request, rather than email! Actually, the call turned out to have nothing to do with the B&B. It was about two watches I had left for repair in Boston!

What Happens When the Innkeeper Gets Sick?

Not much. At a B&B, there's often no staff to pick up the slack, and Sven is sick, too. Last week we must have brought home a germ or a virus from the Prez. Hall opening. I have had trouble breathing all week. Lots of handwashing going on, let me tell you. And, coughing. Today I went to the doctor for antibiotics. Therefore, curtailed activities here at Chez Sven as we end Blogathon 2011. I will pick up the Name That Loon contest later. Right now I can barely think. Fortunately, the weather is sunny, so our guests are happy. Lots of visitors to the Cape for Memorial Day Weekend. Are you doing something special to celebrate?

"Hello? Chez Sven After Hours ..."

It’s 9:37, on a Saturday night, in late MARCH. The phone rings.

ME: “Chez Sven, hello?”

CALLER: “How far are you from the Gstalt Center?”

ME, (in reflex-response mode): “Chez Sven is 8/10ths of a mile from the center of Wellfleet.”

CALLER: “Do you serve just breakfast? Could we come tomorrow for breakfast, or does one have to stay there, too?”

ME: “Sorry, but we only serve breakfast to our guests.”

CALLER: “Next time I’ll stay with you.”

ME: “Just so you know, there’s a two-night minimum.”

CALLER: “Thanks. Bye.”

ME: “Bye.”

SVEN: “What did they want?”

ME: “Breakfast! Just breakfast”

SVEN: “Well, this is a bed AND breakfast. What do you expect?”

Analysis:

1.) I should have responded, “Chez Sven After Hours,” as Janet of Stone Lion Inn suggested in 2010, and that way the caller would have realized it was really too late to be phoning a B&B.

2.) Word of our great organic breakfasts must be getting out ....

Save the Bees!

Laura Kelley's team of organic gardeners will be busy at Chez Sven today, busy as bees. The ladies will be mulching, and edging, making our gardens as beautiful as last year. It is important for a bed & breakfast to look nice. Bees buzzing through the flowers adds an element of peace.

Speaking of bees, Mother's Day is right around the corner. Yesterday I got the following urgent message: HELP HONEYBEES THRIVE IN SOMEONE SPECIAL'S HONOR FOR MOTHER'S DAY!

It read, "Bees are incredibly important to our food supply: one out of three bites of food you take is made possible by bee pollination. And bees are way cool! But our hard-working bee friends have it tough right now. Commercial beekeepers reported 30-50% bee losses over last winter, and pesticides are likely part of the problem. Your gift will help our legal team protect bees, especially against pesticides that are extremely toxic to them."

So, please go to the NRDC Web site and order up a $35 gift card for Mom. Your gift will help save the bees and our food, which needs pollination to grow ...

B&B Etiquette: Email or Phone Contact?

Check out the wisteria from last year! As soon as the sun returns full-time, our wisteria will bloom. Seagull Cottage looks so marvelous covered with lavender blossoms. The cottage is already booked from the beginning of June to the last week of August. Our reservations are way up this year. Strangely enough, almost three-fourths of the guests will travel here from Europe.

Some innkeepers prefer to be contacted by phone. Others prefer email. On the Chez Sven Web site, our preference is mentioned. It should be clear that we prefer email.

I multi-task and tend to be very busy. Answering the phone is not always convenient, like earlier in the week, for example, in the middle of dinner, when I was rushing to get ready for the second night of Town Meeting. Now, I could have not answered, true. But, perhaps someone important was calling? So I picked up the receiver and sat back down at the computer clicking open the online availability calendar.

CALLER: “I want to reserve for August.”

ME: “For what dates?”

CALLER: “August 4, 5, 6, 7. Do you have availability?”

ME: “Yes, those dates are free. We do prefer contact by email. I’m running out, going to town meeting. Sorry, I’m really in a rush. Could you email me your request? Oh, wait a second. I was looking at April. Nope, I’m sorry, we are fully booked August 4, 5, 6, 7.”

The man hangs up on me. Now I realize I was a bit short with him, but still. This phone call was a stark reminder of why innkeepers burn out so fast. Some strangers have no respect.

An April Day in the Life

I got up early yesterday morning in order to have breakfast ready for our Green Room guests at 8:30. I sat with them and chatted for a while. He’s an organic farmer, and she’s an environmentalist, so we had a lot to talk about. Here was another opportunity to share Our Stolen Future by Dr. Theo Colborn! I have given away almost a dozen of her books now. After breakfast, I helped Sven prepare Liberty Coin Suite for a family from Germany. Then off I went in the rain, to the bank in Orleans. After depositing two checks, I headed around the corner to Phoenix Fruit and bought their last three containers of organic strawberries, not yet available in Wellfleet. I continued on to Yarmouth for a visit with my dentist, where I waited a half hour while he finished up with an earlier patient. On the way back, I stopped in Orleans again at Stop & Shop. Easter means many folks return to the Cape to open up second homes after the winter, and the parking lot was full. Fortunately, there were spaces at PB Boulangerie! I stopped for bread and waited about ten minutes in line. Since Philip's wife Valeria seemed quite frazzled, I deduced PB must have been having a busy Easter weekend. Once home, I chatted with our guests some more. They had braved the rain in Provincetown and were now in search of a restaurant for dinner. Once we had made them a reservation at Wicked Oyster, I waited for the Liberty Coin guests to arrive. I read the newspaper. I read Facebook. I paced a bit – it’s hard to start a project when you know it may be interrupted at any time – then I read Facebook some more. Sven and I sat down to dinner at 6. By 8 pm, I had really begun to wonder what had happened to the Germans. Was their plane late? No doubt. At 8:26 I received an email saying they had just crossed the Sagamore Bridge. Another hour of waiting lay ahead of me, but at least I knew when they would get here. Waiting for guests is definitely one of the worst parts of being an innkeeper!

Now Taking Reservations for 2011 ...

I made four reservations this week, one for spring, two for summer and one for fall, so it's about time I announced officially that reservations are now open. Every year, at this time, I look through last year's reservation book, and remember all the lovely guests we have had. Check out some more of the happy faces ...

Finishing the Season in Style

This weekend Chez Sven received its last guests of the season. (If more book over the next two months, that’s fine, but for now our calendar is empty.) When guests check in, I usually ask what their professions are. If I forget at check-in, I will ask over breakfast the following morning. Knowing professions helps with activity-choice recommendations here on the Outer Cape. So, anyway, on Saturday, over breakfast, I asked these guests what their professions were. The husband said cardiologist. The wife hesitated half a second and said, “Member of Congress.”

Whoa! You can bet that response caught my attention. We have had a judge from the UK who knew the Prime Minister and folks who work at the United Nations on behalf of the Swedish government, but this is the first time a member of the United States Congress has chosen Chez Sven. Now, I am not going to tell you which district she represents, or why she was on Cape Cod, because our Congressmen and women deserve to have a private life, too. I can share that she's a Democrat. You can bet the morning conversation suddenly veered into environmental issues. I also shared the weekly Provincetown Banner, with photos of Dan Wolf and Sarah Peake on the cover, suggested PB Boulangerie for dinner, and promoted "Promise" at WHAT. On Sunday, we had progressed to talking Food Inc. and the need for labeling on genetically-modified salmon. When the couple left, I gave them a copy of Our Stolen Future by Theo Colborn, the world's specialist on endocrine disruption.

Prior to departure, the Congresswoman toured the premises. Everything met her approval. She’s even going to tell her friends about us. More members of Congress in perspective …. Woo-hoo!

Why do you think I chose the photo above to illustrate this post? Where do you think the photo was taken?

Nightmare Scenario

Now that the renovation of Seagull Cottage has begun, and the cold makes it impossible to book Liberty Coin Suite, our Green Room is the only room available for guests. It is beautiful (see above, and yes, the walls of the Green Room ARE yellow.) Indeed, the Green Room never fails to produce smiles. All our rooms usually please our guests. They say, “Wow!” when they climb the blue stairs to Liberty Coin Suite. Seagull Cottage guests often exclaim, with delight, “Why, this is a whole house!”

Despite all the praise, whenever I show guests to their room, I always worry something may go wrong. So, I today I'm imagining what would be a nightmare scenario, ie. worst-case remarks, none of which anyone has ever said to me, thank goodness ...

TAKE 1

Mm: "And, this is going to be your room …"

Guest: "Don't you have anything larger?"

TAKE 2

Me: "Here's your room …"

Guest: "Where’s the water view?"

TAKE 3

Me: "And, this is going to be your room …"

Guest: "Did my husband remember to tell you I’m allergic to down? Ah-choom! No, guess not."

TAKE 4

Me: "And, you will be staying in this room …"

Guest: "There’s a strange smell in here. Do I get to look at other options before moving my stuff in?"

TAKE 5

Me: "And, this is going to be your room …"

Guest: "The last place we stayed had bedbugs. Sure hope there are none here …"