Update - Food and Weather - Sea Days #4, 5, and 6
We’ve been aboard 7 days and 6 nights now and have completely settled into the rhythm we so love on long cruises. Go to bed a little later, wake up a bit later, and get to the gym each morning. We are all reading and finishing books at a rate you can only achieve when you aren’t trying to live today’s “multi-tasking” lifestyle. You also tend to adjust meals and meal times…
When you first get aboard, the idea of breakfast, lunch, and dinner — sit down or buffet — makes you feel like you’re at an all inclusive resort. But after a day or three, you figure out what and where you want to eat, and stop eating every meal. Everyone has different tastes — I love sushi and Asian food with a strong backup of Italian food. Valerie is an Italian first with an appetite for Thai or Indian as variety. So lunch wise, the buffet is perfect for both of us… On one side is a varying selection of Country specific Asian food, on the other, cook to order pastas and pizza. On the Asian side, we’ve visited China, India, Thailand, and Indonesia so far and each lunch is accompanied by three different types of freshly made sushi. Since we’ve had lots of sea days, we have also eaten lunch in the formal dining room which was quite lovely - perfect service and good food. And dinner…?
We have truly enjoyed dining in the main dining room for each of our 6 nights so far. Highlights? “C n C” Why C n C? Chilled Soups and Crisps - soups and desserts… Aunt Sarah and I are true soupers - last night we both started with warm butternut squash soup, followed by a second soup course of chilled toasted coconut. Another home run coming out of the kitchen - in fact, each chilled soup (blueberry, pina colada are two more that still make my mouth water) we have had has been delicious. Then a good main - very good variety each evening. We have noted that fish courses - regardless of the specific fish or preparation - have been excellent. And the Crisps - yes, the old fashioned things your grandmother used to make - except perhaps taking them to the next level because each of them - with a different fruit each night - has been amazing. We have also been most happy with our primary server, Andry, assisted by Yoga and special note for our Wine Steward, Pearly Ann who has a 1 in 100 personality - every time she visits your table its like a ray of sunshine has just arrived.
Weather-wise, we’ve had a mixed bag, pretty much what you’d expect of a more northerly Atlantic Crossing. Tropical Storm Arlene which kicked up good sized ocean rollers for two days has dissipated and we had relatively flat seas from yesterday afternoon until about mid-day today (Tuesday). As we approach Horta and Ponta Delgada in the Azores, we are also approaching a relatively deep low to the south of the island which is generating 30 knot plus winds and increasing seas. Nothing ugly yet but forecasts may involve missing one or both of our Azores port calls. Better safe than sorry to be sure.
Each afternoon at 2pm, Uncle Jack and I have been attending lectures on the evolution of modern warfare presented by Commander Tall, former Royal Navy Submariner, who is presenting a 10 lecture series - one lecture for each sea day. They have been well presented and I never cease to be amazed at the sacrifices in life and limb our grandfathers made - the sheer scale of death and destruction (thousands or tens of thousands in each battle) in WWI and WWII dwarfs anything I’ve experienced in my lifetime — these lectures are a fitting lead in to our upcoming tour of the Normandy battlefields on May Day - a day I strongly suspect will cost me many tears as I walk on ground sanctified by the blood of our greatest generation.
The Captain announced today that our Horta port call will be a tendering operation - so most likely Aunt Sarah and Uncle Jack will be staying aboard - remains to be seen if weather actually permits going ashore but if it does, will try to get ashore, see things, and take a few snapshots.
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