AND ON THE MENU TONIGHT

December 13, 2015

Today we took a tour of Antigua (you don’t pronounce the “u” unless you are Pat Sajak, host of America’s game).  I had booked it online and we were treated to a five hour excursion around the island, complete with several neat photo stops.  The tour was offered with beach or without beach, and of course, we chose without.  Our guide, Sean, was excellent.  A very good day, indeed.

Oh, there was free wi-fi on the bus, and I got to check my email.  All who had written were answered.

We got back on board around 1:30 and went to Deck 16 where we had hamburgers and French fries for lunch.  We took seats in the shade, in front of the giant screen TV and watched the first half of the Pittsburgh Steelers game.  They were ahead when I went for naptime – I hope you other Steeler fans held on to the lead.  I did think for a while that I was watching an NBA game, with all of the thuggery – on both sides.  Holy cow!

We choose to share a table tonight with two other couples and had an enjoyable dinner.  For her appetizers Bonnie chose plantain chips with dipping sauce (which she did not enjoy) and a salad with cucumber strips (which she did enjoy – except for the cucumbers).  Her main course was Turkey Pot Pie, a very generous portion of turkey, peas and carrots in a nice gravy, all cooked in a flaky crust.  She had apple cider sorbet for dessert.  Your humble scribe chose the afore mentioned salad with ranch dressing, and did enjoy the cucumbers, plus a roasted garlic soup – very good.  My main course was a large bone-in pork chop, with appropriate garnish and a mashed Paleo vegetable which was good, but whose name I forget.  I had New York Cheese Cake for dessert, followed by a double espresso.  A very good dinner, and very good companionship (one couple flew in from Maui to take the cruise and the other drove down from Huntsville, Alabama – near to Greenbow, Alabama).

I spoke to Lisa, our cruise director, last night for the first time, and realized it was not the first time.  She had been the C.D. on the Crown Princess a couple of years ago when we did back to back sailings in the Caribbean, and I did a series of destination lectures.  When I introduced myself to her, she said, “I know you.  We’ve sailed together before.”  When Bonnie read her bio to me later, I figured it out.

The show tonight was “What the World Needs is Love.”  It included a lot of golden oldies that we knew and could hum along with.  Bonnie thinks their choreography is strange.

Later we sat and listened to a quartet ensemble with an incredible female vocalist, and watched couples dance who were more interested in showing off their dancing skills, or lack thereof, instead of enjoying each other.

St. Lucia tomorrow.  Our plans are to just wander around.  Until then ...

TTFN!