Birthday Cruise – Day 3 – Celebrating on Nassau

Graycliff Hotel and Restaurant

Today is it, today is my birthday.  Today we are docking at Nassau, The Bahamas and I have to decide what to do.  As I mentioned before we have been here several times each time doing something different with one constant.  Each time we came to Nassau we stopped at our favorite spot Señor Frog’s.

Last year we were in Nassau with our friends Bob and Sandy and found a small beach and the Tiki Bikini bar not too far from the shadow of the cruise ships where we enjoyed some cold beer and a Bahamian favorite dessert called Coconut Duff.

But what to do on this visit?  As we were walking around town I remembered Dick and Joyce mentioning a restaurant they had discovered on a previous trip that was just wonderful.  Problem was I could not remember the name so we asked a very nice woman on the street, and while she couldn’t remember the name either she pointed and told us to walk a few blocks, turn left, go past the Dunkin’ Donuts and walk up the hill.  Well, off we went.  It was a pretty easy walk at first until we reached the hill.  Oh, my, it was a bit steep and the sidewalk was in disrepair.  But we kept going until I saw a building across the street with a very small sign saying, “Graycliff”.   “That’s it,” I said and we quickly crossed the street.

Graycliff was everything Dick and Joyce said it was and more.  It was before noon when we arrived so we decided to look over the grounds before sitting down to lunch.  We walked out the back door into a lovely palm tree shaded garden with three ferocious looking weathered wood carvings of lions.  We continued our walk discovering a beautiful tiled-bottom pool, crossed a little bridge over a coy and turtle pond to the beer garden.   At the beer garden we walked into an open-air building furnished with overstuffed couches and chairs where several guests were working on their computers.

A few stairs to the left led us to the Graycliff Cigar Company.  Just as we arrived a tour guide was escorting two women into the production area and we were invited to join.  It was really amazing watching this group of cigar rollers (torcedores and torcedoras) working with the tobacco leaves, spraying them with water, rolling then cutting them with a chaveta knife.   They were amazing to watch.  My son-in-law Kevin enjoys smoking a cigar once in a while so I stopped in the gift shop and after many questions settled on one I thought he would enjoy.

Lunch time rolled around so we headed back to the restaurant.  The hotel/restaurant dates back to Captain John Howard Graysmith who built the hotel in 1740.  As we walked through the rooms I felt as though we were stepping back in time to a more elegant time of crystal chandeliers, rich wooden floors and ceilings and tables set with fine china, sterling silver and crystal goblets.

When traveling I love to order dishes that reflect the tastes of the island or country I am visiting.  So, today Randy and I started with a wonderful rum punch with a combination of banana and coconut rums and delicious fruit juices. I started with a wonderful caprese salad, followed by a simple salad of greens, julienne carrots, grape tomatoes, red onions, yellow peppers and topped with a creamy dressing.

I chose a local favorite the Bahamian Grouper for my main dish. The grouper was cooked perfectly in a wonderful tomato sauce with thinly sliced red, yellow and green peppers.  It was served with one of my Caribbean favorites, red rice and beans and a variety of vegetables. Every dish was wonderfully delicious!  Randy enjoyed a cup of Conch soup and a beautiful house salad.

The service was impeccable with every need anticipated and taken care of.  The maître d’ visited our table and was quite pleased we were eating a local favorite for lunch.  As we readied to leave she introduced us to the owner and suggested that we take a tour of their famous wine cellar.  What a wine cellar.   It seemed as though we walked a long way looking left and right seeing bottles lining the walls from floor to ceiling.  As we readied to leave we were shown a room in the cellar where guests could enjoy a dinner experience like no other.  We thanked everyone for their kindness and made our way back to the ship.

On our way we stopped at Randy’s favorite stop the Straw Market.  As we excited the market we noticed there was some commotion on the other side of the street and stopped to see what was happening.  We watched as a man, concentrating very hard, was slowly walking along checking shot glasses filled with colorful liquid that would represent Senor Frog’s attempt at being put into the Guinness Book of World Records as having accomplished the world’s longest domino drop shot.  Unfortunately the contest was the next day so we did not get to see it but I learned after we returned that they had indeed broken the previous record dropping 3,500 shot glasses.  We would have loved to have seen that.

Needless to say, when dinner time arrived we were both full from our wonderful luncheon experience and just ate a small salad.  After dinner we made our way to the theatre and enjoyed a very funny magic and comedy routine by John Ferrentino.

Today was absolutely perfect!  I loved every moment and will be holding each detail of  my birthday in Nassau and the Graycliff in my memory and heart for a very long time.

Tomorrow we will be at sea and enjoying a day poolside.

Enjoy,

Mary

Birthday Cruise- Day 2 – Dancing on Coco Cay

View from our tender

The second day of our cruise we arrived at Royal Caribbean’s private island, Coco Cay.   As I mentioned yesterday, we had been on the island in May and October of last year and just loved it.  This little island has beautiful white beaches, wonderful rock formations, a nature trail, and many activities and excursions to participate in.

We enjoyed a small breakfast at the Windjammer, and then bathing suits on, beach bag packed we headed down to board a tender that took us to the island.  Now what I like about this little island is all the beach chairs scattered around the island.  We have a favorite spot that is close to the bandstand and Black Beard’s Grille.  The key is to get there early in order to garner a chair under a palm tree offering a little shade from the hot Caribbean sun.

Beautiful sun-bleached rock formations separating swimming areas.

The temperature when we arrived was in the high 70’s eventually reaching the low 80’s.  But, oh, the water was a bit chilly.  Of course, that did not keep many from scuba diving, snorkeling, wave running, floating on mats and just enjoying being in the water.  We were a bit limited when it came to activities.  Randy had just had surgery on his arm and did not feel comfortable getting into the water and me, well, I have been dealing with a back problem since November and decided to just take it easy.

I had fun taking pictures of the little sandpipers, seagulls and hens scurrying here and there around the beach and picnic area in search of little bits of food.  I also took quite a few pictures of the beautiful sun-bleached rock formations around the island.

We enjoyed a tasty lunch at Blackbeard’s and had fun watching the hens walking under the tables.  Not sure, but Randy and I speculated that the hens were introduced to Coco Cay by islanders that work in the straw market.

Seagull landed on the beach chair next to mine

Let me tell you a little about the island’s aggressive seagull population.  I was sitting in my beach chair and watched as a woman returning to her chair with a plate full of food when all of a sudden a seagull came swooping down from behind and flew away with a piece of chicken in its bill.  The woman sitting in front of me said she watched as another seagull came swooping down on another woman flying away with her hot dog away. Wow!

Beachgoers were entertained throughout the afternoon with a fun Caribbean band playing wonderful island music and encouraging everyone to join in a variety of line dances. I made an attempt but decided it was really not a good idea so contented myself being an observer.

Before boarding the tender to return to the ship we spent a few minutes walking around the straw market looking at all the fun and colorful tee shirts, dresses and various souvenirs.  We returned to the ship at 3pm wanting to shower, change  and get down to the Schooner Bar and play 50’s and 60’s music trivia.  One thing I learned after playing several trivia games on board was that six brains are much better than two.

The evening was very busy.  We changed our dinner time to the early seating and were joined by two very nice couples one from Michigan and the other from England.  As we chatted the evening away I enjoyed a dinner of chilled papaya and pineapple soup; a filet of beef with a green peppercorn sauce, creamy mashed potatoes and sautéed crimini mushrooms.  Everything was tasty and cooked just right.

The rest of our evening was filled attending the Captain’s welcome aboard reception, a wonderful show called ‘Can’t Stop the Beat’,  played the Majority Rules Game and attended the Cowboys and Cowgirls Dance Party.  The production shows are quite colorful, fast paced and the singers and dancers are very entertaining.  The band for the dance party is from Vancouver, Canada called The Liberty Hounds.  The leader of the band told everyone that they love country and southern rock music and that the most requested song on the ship is Sweet Home Alabama.  Actually he said, “Sweet Home Alabama has become the Monarch of the Seas anthem”.  I found that to be very funny.

Happy but very tired we returned to our cabin for a good night’s sleep.  Next stop,  Nassau, The Bahamas.

Enjoy,

Mary

Birthday cruise on the Monarch – Day 1

The starting of sunset 5:14pm

I love birthdays!  I love cruising!  So, imagine how I felt when Randy surprised me with a birthday cruise on one of my favorite ships, Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas.

We have traveled now five times on this lovely ship.  Last year we traveled on the Monarch in May and October and had a great time.  There is just something elegant, warm and friendly cruising down to the Bahamas on the Monarch.  I have met many people over the years that have traveled on this ship many, many, many times.

We enjoyed a small lunch, checked out our cabin then Randy and I headed up to the pool deck for the sail away party.  As we slowly sail through the channel I love watching the seagulls soaring around the ship periodically landing on the railing.

One of my favorite sites as we move along is the pristine beach of the space coast on the port side of the ship.  I still feel a little sad as we see the space shuttle assembly plants and launch pads sitting idle.  I walked over to the starboard side and watched as tourists enjoyed walking along the beach enjoying yet another of Florida’s beautiful sunsets.  The sunsets are always amazing so much so I tend to forget that there is a party going on.

I finally turned my attention to the music and watched as the pool deck, packed with vacationing revelers, had fun line dancing to fun island music.

Beautiful sunset

Randy and I decided to forego the welcome aboard party to just walk around the ship with just a twinge of sadness.  You see, the Monarch has been sold and will be leaving our shores at the end of March and will be heading to a new berth.  We stopped in the Boleros Lounge and watched as the sun set further behind the horizon.

It was time for dinner so we made our way to the late seating at Claude’s.  We shared a table with a very nice couple from Ocala.  Dick and Joyce were fun dinner companions.  We shared stories about other cruises and places we had visited at each port.  I was not particularly hungry so decided to eat light.  I started with the strawberry, kiwi and pineapple medley.  I followed that with a cup of Mexican tomato soup garnished with fried julienne tortillas.  The soup had a very hardy flavor but would have preferred that the julienne strips were served separately to keep them crisp.  I followed that with a wonderful spinach salad with plum tomatoes, sliced mushrooms and toasted sunflower seeds.  Each selection was just perfect, light and tasty.

One of the things I really enjoy about cruising is that there is so much to do on board and on shore so even if you travel on the same ship stopping at the same ports there is always something new to do.  This evening we decided to go to the 70’s Disco Inferno Dance Party in the Boleros Lounge.  What fun!!!!!  Many of the crew members were dressed in beyond funny costumes from that period and joined everyone on the dance floor.  Then we were treated to a rendition of  Y.M.C.A. by who else, the Village People (not really they were crew members, but you knew that.)

It had been a long day and a wonderful start to our cruise but we were tired so we decided to head back to the cabin.  Tomorrow we would be at Coco Cay and a wonderful day at the beach.

Enjoy,

Mary

White Cheddar-Potato Gratin

I must tell you that I am a die-hard creamy scalloped potato girl.  However, I am always open to new and healthier substitutes.

We traveled back to Northern Virginia this holiday season to visit with our children and grandchildren and share Christmas dinner.  My daughter Jennifer is a really good cook and always treats us to a wonderful dinner and this year was no different.  We enjoyed a dinner of baked ham, white cheddar-potato gratin, asparagus, corn, rolls, and pumpkin pie.  It was all just wonderful.

Normally she would make scalloped potatoes as a side but the other half of the Delicious Divas, Kristine requested that Jennifer substitute the scalloped potatoes for a recipe she found in the December 1999 issue of Cooking Light called ‘White Cheddar-Potato Gratin’.  Kristine is always looking for recipes that are not only delicious but healthy as well.

I love scalloped potatoes.  I love the rich creamy sauce with just a little hint of onion and potatoes that just melt in your mouth.  Scalloped potatoes, for me, add that touch of moistness to a meat than can sometimes be a little dry. These potatoes infused with garlic, white cheddar added to the sauce, and the wonderfully crunchy rye bread topping
offered a delicious symphony of tastes and textures that I really enjoyed.  Jennifer was kind and told her sister that she would make the new recipe and we were all glad she did.  These potatoes were rich and creamy  and was just the perfect side dish for our dinner.  I had two helpings and probably could have eaten more but, remember, there was still pumpkin pie to enjoy.

White Cheddar-Potato Gratin

2 pounds baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/4 – inch-thick slices (about 5 cups)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 (1-ounce) slice rye bread

1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine, melted

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups 1% low-fat milk

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded white cheddar cheese

¾ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Place potato and garlic in a saucepan, and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, and cook 8 minutes or just until tender.  Drain.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, place bread in food processor; pulse 10 minutes or until coarse crumbs form to measure ½ cup.  Combine the breadcrumbs and butter, and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350°.
4. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.  Place flour in a medium, heavy saucepan; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended.  Place over medium heat; cook until thick (about 8 minutes), stirring constantly.  Remove from heat; add cheese, salt, and pepper, and stir until melted.  Arrange potato and garlic in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Pour cheese sauce over potatoes.  Sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture.  Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until bubbly.  Let stand 10 minutes.

[Nutritional information: (Calories 173; Calories from fat 30%; Fat 5.7g; Saturated fat 3.5g; Monounsaturated fat 1.6g; Polyunsaturated fat 0.2g; Protein 6.6g; Carbohydrate 23.6g; Fiber 1.5g; Cholesterol 17mg; Iron 0.6mg; Sodium 307mg; Calcium 150mg.]

I know the holidays are but a wonderful memory at this point but I thought this recipe was definitely worth passing on.

The super bowl is just days away, so tomorrow I will be trying a new dip recipe.  Stay tuned.

Enjoy,

Mary

The Holly and the Ivy Tea

It is January and yet I find myself on a cold afternoon, sipping a warm cup of tea thinking of one of my very favorite events of the past year.  The event is the annual Tea-Quila Rose club’s Christmas tea.

What makes this holiday event so special is all the care and attention that is paid to turn our ballroom into a beautifully decorated, warm and inviting tea room for an afternoon.

The Holly and the Ivy Tea hostesses

Club members volunteer to host a table decorating it with beautifully ornate or very simple holiday china and silver.  The beautiful centerpieces are as individual as the hostesses.

The Holly and the Ivy Tea butlers

The Holly and the Ivy Tea tea pourers

This event is a huge undertaking requiring many, many volunteers.  Some volunteers chose the wonderful tea menu, some prepare all the delicious dishes, some decorate the ballroom, some pour endless pots of tea and some of the ladies husbands serve as our wonderful butlers.

2012 Tea Quila Rose board: Terri D’Amico, Beth Houtz, Phyllis Novak, Linda Ferucci, Elaine Lies (not pictured is Sue Cianci)

“The Holly and the Ivy” was the theme for this year’s wonderful and highly anticipated holiday tea.   When asked how she came up with the idea for the tea chairman, Beth Houtz explained that she and husband Jim had been on a long road trip and was experiencing too much windshield time and just came up with the theme.

“I am part English, on my dad’s side of the family, and so the theme lends well with my heritage,” Beth said.

“Also, I just like the song, “The Holly and the Ivy,” a traditional English Christmas carol, and envisioned a quiet afternoon of tea and conversation,” Beth continued.

Our tea started with a wonderful cup of tea filled with an aromatic combination of fruit and spices called Sugar Plum tea.  My tablemates for the afternoon were hostess Dolores Holroyd, co-hostess Susan Smith, Sharon Ashmore, Eileen Jones, Christel Galvin, Judy Davis and Rosemary Crowley.

Once again Connie Cunningham and many volunteer cooks and kitchen helpers prepared a menu filled with wonderfully delicious dishes.

Our first course was Merry Christmas scones and Gingerbread with lemon curd.  I loved the gingerbread it was so very moist.  What would have made it perfect for me was just a small dollop of whipped cream.  I enjoyed my lemon curd with the mini scones filled with wonderful little pieces of pecans and dark and light raisins.

Our salad course lived up to its name ‘Heavenly Delight Salad’.  We were presented with a small plate with this beautiful pink mound of delicious sweetness filled with maraschino cherries, miniature marshmallows and pineapple.

There were four sandwiches for the savory portion of the tea.  We enjoyed: Ham and Boursin Pinwheels; Turkey and Cranberry Sandwiches; Zucchini Squares; and Creamy Dill Cucumber Toasties.  They were all good but the cucumber toasties were my favorite.

Oh, my, the desserts were just perfect.  There was a mini pumpkin pie, a chocolate raspberry bar and mini peppermint meringue cup.

During the afternoon we were entertained with a wonderful video presentation filled with beautiful images and music of the holiday season prepared by Carol McQuilkin.   Linda Morello, accompanied by pianist Peggy Morton, treated everyone by first singing “The Holly and the Ivy” and then several times during the afternoon leading guests in sing-alongs of many Christmas carols.

Tea cups empty, sweets and savories finished it was time to enjoy one last delicious treat before leaving.  Beth invited everyone to raise their glasses filled with a wonderful liqueur called, Tequila Rose Strawberry Cream as she said:

“Christmas is not about tinsel, lights and outward show

It’s friends gathering,

Friends of Tea Quila Rose

Tea and friends, how devine

We got together and had a good time

So, I lift my glass to you and say

Merry Christmas as you go on your way”.

Attending the annual Tea-Quila Rose Christmas tea has become a holiday tradition that I look forward to each year.  For two hours I am whisked back to a gentler time when ladies would dress up in their finest gowns and pearls and while away the afternoon sipping tea and eating sweet and savory delights.

I loved all the dishes at the tea but the Gingerbread was my favorite so I will share the recipe that was supplied by the club.

Gingerbread

1 cup boiling water

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup molasses

½ cup honey

4 large eggs, beaten

2 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

¾ teaspoon allspice

Pour boiling water over the butter, sugar, molasses and honey.  Stir until butter melts.  Cool slightly, add beaten eggs and beat well.  Stir in dry ingredients gradually and beat until smooth.

Pour into greased 9×13 pan.  Bake at 325° for 45 minutes to 1 hour until toothpick comes out clean.  Makes 24 – 2”x2” squares.

I will be making this several times during the winter months to enjoy with my afternoon tea.

Enjoy,

Mary

Celebrating the New Year on the Jewel of the Seas – Day 5 At sea

Today we are at sea and on our way back to Tampa and then home.  The day started with a beautiful clear blue sky filled with puffy cumulus clouds that seemed as though they were hovering just over the water.

What to do?  What to do?  There are so many activities to get involved in on a ship the only question is, “What to do?”  There was trivia, puzzles, exercise, a movie, seminars, the ever popular, bingo, ice carving demonstrations, art auction, dodge ball tournament, gambling, Wii bowling, and so much more.

Putt putt golf course

Randy and I had decided the night before that we wanted to play a game of putt, putt golf.  When we arrived, however, the wind was so strong there was absolutely no way that could be done.  The rock wall and children’s pool and waterslide had been closed too.  We decided to just leisurely walk around the ship and take pictures of things that interested us and return to our favorite spot, the solarium pool.

As windy as it was the main pool was packed and every lounge chair occupied with people trying catch that last ray of sunshine and warm Caribbean air before going back home to colder climes.  Once I got Randy settled at the Solarium pool I reflected on one of my favorite activities, walking around the ship and looking at the many wonderful art pieces for passengers to enjoy.

You would be amazed at the wonderful art original/copies/prints that exist on cruise ships.  The ship that I loved most for its artwork was the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas.  I fell in love with a mixed media piece.   The year we traveled on this ship, trust me the art was just wonderful eye candy.

“Infinite Abyssal” Miguel Chevalier

The first piece that caught my eye was a piece by piece by Miguel Chevalier called “Infinite Abyssal”.  I loved it.  This beautiful glass block was filled with 0’s and 1’s is such an explanation point on today’s society as everyone needs to be endlessly ‘connected’.

“Turbulence” Miguel Chevalier

Another piece by Mr. Chevalier was his piece titled “Turbulence”, a holographic film on Pexiglas that was just alive with so many colors.

“Sweet” – Kim Koga

Then there was the simple but interesting pieces by Kim Koga called “Sweet” and Original”.  My first reaction to these two pieces was: Who would re-create a jar of pickles and plums?  Fortunately there was a plaque that explained that the pieces represent sweet memories of her grandparents who emigrated from Japan to America and raised and canned various fruits and vegetables.

“Original” – Kim Koga

Kim wrote, “My grandmother continued to can pickles and plums even after their ranch was sold.  While my existence has been more urban, I am still inspired by her rural lifestyle”.  I loved simplicity and sentiment of these two pieces of art.

Beautiful piece of art in the Safari Lounge

But these are only a few examples of the many simple, complicated, beautiful, and thought provoking pieces of art that adorn the many ships that ply the waters.  Next time you take a cruise take a few moments to stop on the landings, in the passageways, in the bars, etc. and look with an interested eye.  You will be at times intrigued, amused and perplexed, but trust me you will be happy you did.

I returned to the pool around lunch time and decided to go and grab a small salad.  When I entered the Windjammer I was blown away by the sight of a green, wide-eyed, large toothed alligator cake.  What a sight!  The culinary and service teams of the Windjammer created this wonderful 6’ long, 3’ wide, 126lb. cake as a thank you for sailing on the Jewel.

There were seven layers.  To make this cake the staff used 50 lbs. flour, 8 pounds of sugar, 12 lbs. butter, 180 eggs, 5 oz. baking powder, 3 gallons of milk, 8 lbs. of chocolate, 36 liters Cream and 2 liters lime juice.  It took 7 man hours to complete.  The cake was just wonderful to look at but the best thing about this cake, it was delicious.  It was fun to watch as people, especially children, come into the room and see the cake.  Priceless!

Dinner time rolled around and we were happy to see that our tablemates, Jim and Erin, would be joining for our last meal on the ship.  As I read the menu all I could think of was comfort food so when I saw that roasted turkey was one of the choices I stopped reading.  I started with shrimp cocktail and Caesar salad.  The turkey was served with roasted red bliss potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrot sticks, apple bread stuffing and cider gravy.  I asked if I could substitute the vegetables for mashed potatoes, asparagus and cranberry sauce and, of course, they were accommodating.  Staying with the comfort idea I finished my meal with a scoop of vanilla and a scoop of chocolate ice cream.

After dinner we set off to the Coral Theatre to watch the ‘Farewell Showtime’ show.  The show was a nice combination of entertainment and farewell statements by many of the crew members.  The opening act was a comedy and magic routine by Matthew DiSero who brought several members of the audience up on stage to complete his acts.  The routine was very funny.  The ships singers, dancers and orchestra regaled everyone with several numbers and the Cruise Director Steve Davis took to the stage thanking everyone for cruising on the Jewel and inviting many crew members to join him on stage to say a fond farewell to the audience.

It was time to return to the cabin and pack up, fill out all the paperwork associated with disembarking and spend one more night listening to the sound of the water as the ship made its way through the waves.

The next morning found us at the Windjammer for a quick breakfast where we ran into Jim and Erin.  We exchanged contact information and said our farewells knowing that we would travel with them again in the future.

In a short while I will be back in the kitchen cooking and posting wonderful epicurean delights.  Stay tuned.

Enjoy,

Mary

Celebrating the New Year on the Jewel of the Seas – Day 4 Cozumel

I just knew today was going to be a wonderfully, glorious day as soon as I stepped out onto the balcony and watched the sun rise high into the sky.  The air was warm and inviting and there was a very gentle breeze.  Add to that we were docked at yet another one our favorite ports, Cozumel,Mexico.  We have been here several times over the years and always had a great time no matter what activity we engaged in and the people are always very friendly.

The other reason it was going to be a great day, Randy was finally feeling great.  We started our day having a continental breakfast on the balcony just enjoying the view as we pulled alongside the International Pier.  We realized as we pulled in that this pier was a bit further away from the downtown area than we were accustomed to.  No worries, we thought, just catch a cab to downtown and visit our favorite watering hole and do a little shopping.

When we got to the end of the pier we decided to take a look around and then without realizing it we were further and further away from the pier, so much for the cab.  What made it worse was that I did not put my tennis shoes on and by the time we got half way to town I had blisters on two toes and one on the ball of my foot.  Oh, my.  But the walk was wonderful.  We passed by some lovely views of the water front, restaurants, homes and interesting vegetation.  The sun was hot so the trick to staying comfortable was to staying in the shade.

Before long we could see the stacks of the Disney ship and knew that Starbucks, could not be far away.  Once again Randy was interested in getting ‘connected’.  All I could think of was getting a very cold bottle of water.  On our way we passed a very large square that was all decorated for Christmas with Disney characters.  I can just  imagine how much fun it would have been to be in the square on Christmas day with the tree and all the other decorations all lit up.

We finally arrived at the Starbucks, Randy got connected and I got my bottle of water while I took time to enjoy the nativity scene in the shopping center plaza.  We sat for a little while then walked a short distance more to downtown St. Miguel.  We have been to Cozumel several times and have always had a great time.  But in February we participated in an activity called Salsa and Salsa that to this day Randy and I talk about exuberantly.

But today we were just going take a walk around the downtown, stop and have a beer at Mr. Chili’s and shop some more for magnets for Kristine.  Oh, my, Randy’s disappointment when we reached Mr. Chili’s was palpable.  Things had changed.  Beer had risen from $1 to $2.50, our favorite bar tender was nowhere to be seen.  Shoulders down, we left and went back out to the main street in search of a $1 beer.  We were successful just a few steps away.  By now it was lunch time.  We came upon a very nice gentleman, with menus in hand, encouraging passerbys to come and enjoy a refreshing lunch at his restaurant.

The restaurant was Toro’s Place and it was wonderful.  We were early so had our pick of tables.  We chose one that gave us a wonderful view of the waterfront.  We ordered beef and chicken nachos and were surprised when they were delivered.  We are used to ground beef on our nachos, not here.  The beef was cut into small chunks as was the chicken.  It did not matter the nachos were very good.  We also got an order of guacamole and salsa, and, of course cold bottles of Sol beer. The waiter brought over a squeeze container filled with habanero salsa and said it was, “Caliente”.  Not only was it hot, it was yellow.  It caused my mouth to feel like it was on fire but it was really good.  I used it on my nachos but gingerly.  Before we left I walked over to where the food was being prepared and said to the cooks, “Esta bien.  Muchas gracias”.  They smiled and laughed and said thank you back.

Appetite sated we were off again picking up another dollar beer at a local shop, a magnet for Kristine, caught a cab back to the port.  It was nice to see our ship come into view. Before you knew it we were, once again luxuriating at the Solarium pool.

Dinner time found us alone again as our tablemates, Jim and Erin, decided to dine at Portofino’s Italian restaurant.  I ordered and enjoyed my entire meal of roasted peach soup, Caesar salad, Thai chicken breast (mild red curry, edamame in shitake sauce, bok choy and steamed rice.  The chicken was so moist and tender it almost melted in my mouth.

Dinner was followed by a Captain’s reception where Captain Thore Thorolvsen updated everyone on future plans for the cruise line.  I could not believe that he had been with the line for 42 years, he looked so young. The beautiful capelike top I am wearing was given to me just before we left on vacation by friend and neighbor, Dee Manin.  She knew that Randy and I were going on a cruise and made this beautiful top that fit just perfectly over my tank top and gently moved as I walked and swayed as I glided across the dance floor.  I loved wearing it.  It had been a wonderful but long day so we decided to retire back to our cabin for the rest of the evening.

Tomorrow we will at sea heading home.

Enjoy,

Mary

Celebrating the New Year on the Jewel of the Seas – Day 3 Grand Cayman

Elmslie Memorial United Church-Grand Cayman

Today promised to be a very good day, Randy was finally feeling well enough to eat breakfast at the Windjammer.  We had discovered that if you walked straight through the Windjammer towards the back of the ship there was a wonderful eating area with a beautiful view of the water.  The other reason it was going to be a really good day, today we drop anchor at Georgetown, Grand Cayman.  We love Grand Cayman.  The island is beautiful, the people are very friendly, there is a lot to do and we always have fun.

We have been to Grand Cayman several times over the years and have loved each and every visit.  The first time we visited the island we did the touristy round of many points of interest around the island.  We visited the Turtle Farm, went to Hell and Back, and the Tortuga rum cake factory.

Our next visit we asked a very nice local resident how to get to a beach that is frequented by the locals.  He gave us the directions to a beach that was beautiful, had great snorkeling and best of all only a few people would be on the beach.  He also gave us directions for taking a local bus to the beach and it only cost $1.  While Randy was snorkeling he came face-to-face with a barracuda.  It was very exciting.  We returned to the port jumping on another local bus.  Not really sure what the bus would cost today but it was a pleasant way to travel around the island.

This visit we decided to just take a leisurely walk around the town.  The first place that caught our interest was a beautiful, small church that was celebrating its 90^th anniversary of the dedication of the sanctuary.  We took a few moments to walk inside of the Elmslie Memorial United Church.  I loved the wooden pews, the stained glass windows and enjoyed seeing the church still decorated for the holidays.

While we were there we notice a beautiful rooster and hen walking around the parking lot.  I’m sure to people walking by I looked a little weird stalking this rooster through the bushes and around parked cars but I was determined to get a picture.  Yes, I was successful.  I did a little research and could not find a reason why roosters roam free on the island but that is fine with me I just think it is wonderful!

Now it was time to turn our attention to important quests.  Like so many people today Randy was having withdrawal not being able to access his email and Facebook
accounts so one of our objectives this morning was to find a shop that had Wi-Fi.  I asked someone if there was a Starbucks around and he said, “No”, but told us that there was a coffee house just a few blocks down.

We stopped at the Café del Sol and I have to tell you it might as well have been a Starbucks, or for that matter any other coffee house that offered free Wi-Fi.  Every seat along the windowed wall was full of patrons using laptops, iPhones, etc. to get connected.  Randy was a happy camper.  Me, I ordered a Chai Latte and enjoyed my surroundings while he got ‘connected’.  The outside seating was very island sporting sectioned brightly colored benches and tables under a grass roof.

While drinking my latte I kept hearing a rooster crowing.  Intrigued I got up and went to search him out.  I finally found the rooster in the town square.  He was beautiful.  Eventually he made his way across the street all to the amusement of every tourist that walked by.

We struck out again stopping periodically in shops looking for magnets for Kristine.  Some years ago we brought Kristine a colorful magnet from one of the islands for her refrigerator.  Now, every time we tell Kristine that we are traveling she says, “Don’t forget to bring me back a magnet”.  Her refrigerator door is loaded with fun magnets that we have picked up from all over the western Caribbean.  On our trek we stopped for a cold, refreshing local beer called Caybrew at the Cayman Cabana bar.  The beer was very good.

We returned to the ship and promptly went back to the Solarium pool and enjoyed writing, reading, swimming, and at times, napping the afternoon away.

We were joined once again by our friendly tablemates, Jim and Erin and enjoyed lively conversations about food, travel and how we spent our day on the island.  The topic of food seems to be a favorite of Jim’s.  Dinner was lovely as usual but my favorite was tonight’s dessert.  The menu had as one of its choices a dessert sampler that included a flourless-chocolate cake, vanilla cheesecake and elderberry mouse with strawberry jelly.  Each dessert was just yummy and perfectly sized.  I walked away from the dinner table satisfied but not full.

The entertainment this evening was a comedic routine by John Joseph and Johnny B.  Randy loves comedy routines so he headed to the theatre.  I needed a quiet evening so I returned to the cabin and caught up on some reading and my  beauty rest.

Today was wonderful.  Tomorrow we stop in Cozumel.

Enjoy,

Mary

Celebrating the New Year on the Jewel of the Seas – Day 2

I awoke this morning to a beautiful sight.  I went out to our balcony and watched as the sun was rising over the beautiful dark blue/black water of the Caribbean.  While I was watching, I found myself lost in thought about all the wonderful sights, sounds, food and most of all, relaxation that awaited us on this beautiful day.

It has become our custom to order room service to start the day.  We sat on the balcony enjoying orange juice, warm cups of coffee, bowls of granola and a plate of mini pastries.  Still not feeling well Randy wanted only to go up to the Solarium pool, find a chair, read his magazines and perhaps take a dip in the pool.  He chose this pool because it offered a quiet setting; the pool was heated and was for adults only.

It was a bit windy causing the ship to rock back and forth creating quite a wave action in the pool.  The pool was a wonderful 6’ deep and filled with salt water.  If you closed your eyes for just a moment you could imagine yourself swimming in the ocean.  We stayed there until lunch and then returned to the cabin.  Randy really was not feeling well and needed to go to bed.

What to do?  I decided that once Randy had fallen asleep I would take my new Canon Digital Single Reflex camera and roam around the ship and take pictures.  I was always complaining that I needed a better camera to take pictures of the food I prepared and posted on the Delicious Divas website.  My plan was to take pictures with this camera and my Sony Cyber-shot and compare the two.

I started in the Centrum taking a picture of a wall that had a beautiful ‘water fall’.  Next, I went back to the Solarium pool.  The setting is just beautiful and has a very Indian/Asian flare with a beautiful temple with elephant heads on either side, stone wall with intricate carvings, lush greenery everywhere, and recorded sounds of birds chirping.  The lounge chairs are padded making your stay very comfortable.  There is also a retractable roof allowing guests to luxuriate under the warm Caribbean sun.

I eventually went back to the cabin, woke up Randy and prepared for dinner.  Tonight we dined alone as our tablemates made reservations to go to specialty restaurant, Chops.  We noticed that the menu was very different and asked the head waiter about it.  Ms. Jackson said that, “Yes, all the menus were changed in October.  The menu now is one page making it easier to read but still contains all the choices guests are accustomed to”.

My eye caught the word, “MOJO” and after reading the information decided that I would order the dish on the menu that used this marinade.  My dinner included watermelon and raspberry soup that was light and refreshing, a Caesar salad, and Mojo-marinated grilled pork chops.

The pork chops were served with sweet potatoes (I asked to have mashed potatoes) and broccoli with a cumin-orange-lime reduction.  Every choice was wonderful but the pork chops were absolutely outstanding.  So much so that later in the week I asked if I could please have the recipe and to surprise and pleasure the recipe was place on the door to our cabin. I was very excited until I opened the sheet of paper and realized the recipe was for not one, two, or four pork chops but 50.  I could not help myself, I laughed and laughed.  After I have been home for a while I will cut the recipe down and post.

This evening we also decided to order wine with dinner and was very pleased.  I ordered a glass of Clos du Bois from Sonoma, California.  This was a beautiful multi-layer Merlot that was a perfect pairing for my dinner.  I ordered a most wonderfully yummy dessert: BBB Crème Brûlée a Baileys Irish cream-flavored crème brûlée with caramelized bananas. The custard was amazingly sweet and creamy, the hard caramel topping was crunchy and the banana ripe and sweet. This truly was a perfect dessert to put an exclamation point on a perfect dinner.

We topped the evening off attending a wonderful song and dance production called, “West End to Broadway” by the Royal Caribbean singers and dancers and the Jewel of the Seas orchestra.  The show was wonderful but our two favorite numbers were Bohemian Rhapsody and Copacabana.

It was time to put Randy back to bed.  Tomorrow we stop at George Town, Grand Cayman.  Stay tuned.

Enjoy,

Mary

Celebrating the New Year on the Jewel of the Seas—Day 1

I have to start by saying that I cannot believe we actually made it to the cruise.  We left Florida on December 16^th and drove to Virginia to visit with the children and grandchildren for the holidays.  December 26^th we left Virginia and spent 14 ½ hours on the road making detours along the way to avoid snowy and icy conditions to get to Alabama to visit another daughter, Kara and granddaughters Fiona and Lauren.

After our visit in Alabama we spent another 12 ½ hours finally arriving home on Saturday, December 29^th around 7:30pm.  We had just one day at home, just enough time to empty the suitcases, open the mail, pay the bills, repack and head out on Monday, December 31^st to board the Royal Caribbean Jewel of the Seas for a New Year’s Eve cruise to Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

First stop on the ship was the Windjammer lounge for a quick and refreshing lunch of mixed greens, vegetables and lemonade.  It was time for us to take our customary walk around the ship to get our bearings.  The ship is beautiful!

I was so excited to see that the ship was still decorated with a beautiful Christmas tree in the Centrum and garlands draped on the bannisters.  I made a mental note that I wanted to get a picture of Randy and I in front of the tree on our way to dinner.  We also noticed that way up hanging from the ceiling were two very large nets bulging with silver and black balloons. We surmised that they would be released at the stroke of midnight.

It was New Year’s Eve so the dress code for the evening was semi-formal.  We entered the dining room and spied black top hats, feathery tiara’s, a silver beaded necklace and noise makers on each table.  As we approached the table a touch of sadness swept over me as I saw the two empty chairs at the table.   Our dear friends John and Lorraine were to accompany us on this trip but had to cancel a few weeks before the cruise because Lorraine needed surgery for a bad rotator cuff.  A few moments after we sat we were joined by a lovely couple, Jim and Erin. We learned that James and Erin live in Mt. Dora which is only about a 45 minute drive from our home.  It really is a small world!

There was also a special menu for the evening.  There were so many wonderful choices but I finally chose the Double Beef consommé to start, Seasonal Winter Greens with toasted walnuts, shaved fennel and Champagne vinaigrette for my salad choice.  For the main dish I chose the Slow Roasted Beef Tenderloin with a Leek, tomato and blue cheese quiche and vegetables in a port wine reduction.  To end this perfect dinner I chose the Harlequin Soufflé with Bailey’s Irish Cream and coffee sauce.  Every bite was heavenly.

A very nice touch at the end of the meal was watching the entire dining room staff gather on the staircase Old Lang Syne and taking turns saying, “Happy New Year” in their respective languages.  Very nice, very nice!

After dinner we walked around a bit looking through the shops and made our way to the theatre where we caught the last few minutes of the “Welcome Aboard” show.  Unfortunately, Randy had developed a very bad headache and sore throat and was feeling quite miserable.  I convinced him into going back to the cabin, taking some medication and going to bed.  I assured him that I would stay up until the balloon drop and take pictures.

Now here is where it all went awry.  I had taken off my dress clothing and put on a robe and sat on the bed to watch television.  My next move did me in: I got a bit chilly and put my legs under the covers.  It was all over for me.   I fell asleep and did not wake until 7am the next day.

While a little disappointed we both had to laugh.  And, I must say there was a little part of my heart that sang as I thought that we could go again next year.  You see, this trip was actually Lorraine’s idea.  Celebrating New Year’s Eve on a cruise ship was a dream of Lorraines and an item on her ‘bucket list’.   So, we will make plans to go again next year and this time stay awake, see the balloon drop and watch the count-down clock usher in the New Year of 2014!!!!

Enjoy,

Mary