I’ll call your cell.” She trotted off, pausing after a few steps to turn back to me. “Did Vern, Gus, and Reno really love my book?”
“I kid you not—three huge thumbs-up.”
“So they lied to Portia.”
“Through their teeth.”
After chewing on that for a moment, she headed off again, the look on her face hinting that she intended to find out why.
“For a city that was founded as a trading post in the sixteenth century, Helsinki has blossomed into one of the most cosmopolitan capitals in the world,” Annika told us as we trooped back to our hotel later that night. “So now that you have seen most of the attractions, what did you like best?”
“I liked the buildings that looked like gigantic pastel butter mints,” said Lucille Rassmuson, obviously feeling the effects of her diet. “They looked good enough to eat.”
“I liked the street performers,” said Grace Stolee. “I thought that couple who were painted gold were actually statues until Emily threw a coin into their bucket and they broke out in a minuet.”
“It’s nice that street people have a way to take your money other than mugging you,” Helen Teig conceded. “Maybe that’ll catch on back home.”
“I liked the electric trams,” said Osmond. “But I can’t figure out if they’re green and yellow because they’re made by John Deere, or because the Finns are Green Bay Packer fans.”
“I liked that Bernice decided not to come with us,” said Dick Teig.
Bernice was so sullen after her run-in with Portia that she’d decided to skip Annika’s walking tour.
“It’s too bad she’s missing this,” I commented as I strolled beside Nana and George. “It’s not every day you get a chance to visit Helsinki. What can she possibly be doing in her hotel room that’s more fun than soaking up local color?”
“Sulkin’,” said Nana.
“Or complaining to the front desk,” added George. “She’s figured out that’s a good way to get an upgrade.”
“Could take her a while to get over her hurt feelin’s,” Nana predicted. “That Portia cut her right to the quick. All’s I hope is that the bad blood between ’em don’t end up causin’ you problems, dear.”
I shuddered at the thought of keeping the two women apart and their tongues in check for the rest of the trip. “How’s your nose?” I asked George to divert my mind.
“Don’t feel a thing.” He fingered the purple bruises beneath his eye sockets and tapped the hard plastic nose guard the medics had given him to strap around his face. “Can’t believe it’s broken.”
Nana gave his hand a squeeze. “Jackie done a crackerjack job pullin’ him outta the harbor.”
It would have been even more crackerjack if she hadn’t broken his nose in the process. “In the interest of self-preservation, George, the next time one of Nana’s Polaroids blows away, would you just let it go?”
He shook his head in disgust. “I woulda been okay if I hadn’t run out of real estate. Another five feet—that’s all I needed.”
“Where is Jackie?” asked Nana. “Wasn’t she supposed to call?”
“That’s what she said.” But I’d shopped all afternoon, dropped my packages off at the hotel, eaten dinner, and taken the walking tour without hearing a peep out of her. I checked my cell. “She hasn’t left a message.”
“Could be she hooked up with some a them Florida folks,” Nana suggested. “They seemed real anxious to suck up to her. None a them is here neither, so maybe she’s off readin’ to ’em somewhere.”
I’d thought it odd that the Floridians hadn’t participated in the walking tour, but I’d attributed it to dinner schedules. Since none of the seniors had to worry about night blindness in Helsinki, they could actually hit a restaurant later than four o’clock.
We huffed and puffed our way up the slight incline to our hotel and pushed through the sparkling glass doors to the lobby. “Check the itinerary board before you head
“I kid you not—three huge thumbs-up.”
“So they lied to Portia.”
“Through their teeth.”
After chewing on that for a moment, she headed off again, the look on her face hinting that she intended to find out why.
“For a city that was founded as a trading post in the sixteenth century, Helsinki has blossomed into one of the most cosmopolitan capitals in the world,” Annika told us as we trooped back to our hotel later that night. “So now that you have seen most of the attractions, what did you like best?”
“I liked the buildings that looked like gigantic pastel butter mints,” said Lucille Rassmuson, obviously feeling the effects of her diet. “They looked good enough to eat.”
“I liked the street performers,” said Grace Stolee. “I thought that couple who were painted gold were actually statues until Emily threw a coin into their bucket and they broke out in a minuet.”
“It’s nice that street people have a way to take your money other than mugging you,” Helen Teig conceded. “Maybe that’ll catch on back home.”
“I liked the electric trams,” said Osmond. “But I can’t figure out if they’re green and yellow because they’re made by John Deere, or because the Finns are Green Bay Packer fans.”
“I liked that Bernice decided not to come with us,” said Dick Teig.
Bernice was so sullen after her run-in with Portia that she’d decided to skip Annika’s walking tour.
“It’s too bad she’s missing this,” I commented as I strolled beside Nana and George. “It’s not every day you get a chance to visit Helsinki. What can she possibly be doing in her hotel room that’s more fun than soaking up local color?”
“Sulkin’,” said Nana.
“Or complaining to the front desk,” added George. “She’s figured out that’s a good way to get an upgrade.”
“Could take her a while to get over her hurt feelin’s,” Nana predicted. “That Portia cut her right to the quick. All’s I hope is that the bad blood between ’em don’t end up causin’ you problems, dear.”
I shuddered at the thought of keeping the two women apart and their tongues in check for the rest of the trip. “How’s your nose?” I asked George to divert my mind.
“Don’t feel a thing.” He fingered the purple bruises beneath his eye sockets and tapped the hard plastic nose guard the medics had given him to strap around his face. “Can’t believe it’s broken.”
Nana gave his hand a squeeze. “Jackie done a crackerjack job pullin’ him outta the harbor.”
It would have been even more crackerjack if she hadn’t broken his nose in the process. “In the interest of self-preservation, George, the next time one of Nana’s Polaroids blows away, would you just let it go?”
He shook his head in disgust. “I woulda been okay if I hadn’t run out of real estate. Another five feet—that’s all I needed.”
“Where is Jackie?” asked Nana. “Wasn’t she supposed to call?”
“That’s what she said.” But I’d shopped all afternoon, dropped my packages off at the hotel, eaten dinner, and taken the walking tour without hearing a peep out of her. I checked my cell. “She hasn’t left a message.”
“Could be she hooked up with some a them Florida folks,” Nana suggested. “They seemed real anxious to suck up to her. None a them is here neither, so maybe she’s off readin’ to ’em somewhere.”
I’d thought it odd that the Floridians hadn’t participated in the walking tour, but I’d attributed it to dinner schedules. Since none of the seniors had to worry about night blindness in Helsinki, they could actually hit a restaurant later than four o’clock.
We huffed and puffed our way up the slight incline to our hotel and pushed through the sparkling glass doors to the lobby. “Check the itinerary board before you head
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