You can tell when we get to open sea, as the ship moves differently. Even when the seas are calm, there’s a sort of swaying, rolling motion that you don’t get in a bay. Tonight we are promised the superb music and hilarious comedy of Dan Riley (which turned out to be neither). For myself, I find my fellow passengers more entertaining than most of the entertainment shows. From the chatterboxes to the perennial grumps, the barflies to the card players, I have fun talking (or watching) each of them.
Lovely table setting for the International Dinner
Tonight was the international dinner, with individual menus from four different categories: North/South America, Asia/Australia, Europe/Africa and the Tour Around the World. (You certainly can mix and match from any group.) I’m divided as to whether it’s fun or just … ‘meh, whatever’. I’m leaning toward ‘meh’ but maybe I’m headed for perennial grump-hood. The food is tasty, but the service is a bit slower, as our excellent servers have to adjust to a different menu and dining pattern. And then the March of the Baked Alaska, though fun, pulls servers and cooks into the march, carrying baked alaskas, waving napkins, and clapping h, further disrupting the schedule. (This is not a complaint, just an observation.)
March of the Baked Alaska
We move our clocks forward an hour tonight, which means our cruise is reaching its end. A day at sea tomorrow, a day in Victoria and then home.
For the foodies: Karin started with the Latin-America style Gravlax (salmon cured with pisco sour, kosher salt, sugar, cilantro and crushed peppercorns served with a mellow jalepeno-honey mustard dressing) and I opted for the Brie in Crispy Phyllo with Apple Cranberry Chutney (warm creamy Brie topped with a chutney of tart apple, sweet-dried cranberries, and toasted almonds, wrapped in crispy phyllo dough).
Latin America Style Gravlax
Karin followed up with the Guiso (a traditional Argentinian soup with pieces of tender beef, sweet potato, carrot, onion, potato, squash and tomato) and I had the Shiitake Salad with Sesame-Ginger Vinaigrette (a combination of crisp, colorful vegetables and grilled shiitake mushrooms tossed with a flavorful sesame-ginger vinaigrette).
Entrees: Karin stuck with her Latin American theme, having the Poblano Stuffed Pechuga De Pollo (golden baked chicken breast filled with roasted, mild-spicy pepper and melting Queso Blanco, accompanied with braised tomato-cilantro rice, roasted carrots and roasted cumin-buttered corn kernels. I kept with my totally random, non-coordinated menu, having the Bourbon Glazed Beef with Grilled Portobello Mushrooms (grilled to perfection and presented on a bed of cheddar cheese grits and sautéed greens).
Bourbon Glazed Beef
None of the desserts appealing to either of us, we opted for cheese and cappuccino.
Two Cruising Sisters 