From November 2, 2007:
The creaking of the onion carriage’s wheels and the clip-clop of the two white horse’s hooves on the pale cobblestone pavement met Donkey’s ears as he gazed at the fairytale-like kingdom spread before him. He pranced around anxiously at the smell of well cooked cuisine wafting around him, setting a tranquil, hypnotized look in his eyes. It was a gorgeous, humid summer day with a beautiful, baby blue sky speckled with picture perfect white clouds that seemed to be made of 16 thousand tons of cotton, hanging over the city. Luscious, vibrant green grass lined the roadside, setting a sweet smell into the air, and well kept, emerald colored pine bushes dotted the countryside. The chariot moved along like a tap dancer, over the rolling hills, and Donkey peered up at the sky overhead. Bedazzled with the look of it all he breathed, “Woooow!” Ahead of their cart he spotted the delicately fashioned gate leading into the city, standing tall like a soldier waiting for the next command. An intricate, mahogany wood carved sign, the writing in the stone entrance, half covered with grape vines, and the lettering on the mountain beyond that seemed to touch the horizon all seemed to shriek the kingdom’s name proudly: “Far Far Away!” They passed under the stone wall, with the orange and scarlet dyed flags above waving brilliantly in the lukewarm mid afternoon breeze, silhouetted against the sky. Donkey tried to take in the sights all at once: the Starbucks coffee sign proclaiming it’s world famous coffee, the people selling maps off their small wooden pushcarts, the billboard that read “For all your happily ever after, Fairy Godmother”, but he was distracted by a large wagon rumbling by pulled by a team of horses. Taking notice to an especially elegant, chestnut brown horse up front he called “Hey good looking, we’ll be back to pick you up later!” and grinned, letting his cracked, dirty gray teeth show. They took a turn and moved down the next alleyway, and Donkey began to get quite hyper, as if he had drank twenty cups of coffee for breakfast and was having a caffeine kick, because of all the sounds overwhelming him from all around. He heard the whirr of a well dressed policemen curtly blowing through his whistle to let people cross the street, the yelling of venders standing in front of stores trying to sell their items, and, even louder now, the melodious commotion of horse’s feet stepping in rhythm up the road. Impressed by it all he shouted, “It’s going to be champagne wishes and caviar dreams from now on!”
