If you’ve not been back “At Sea” since yesterday, you should check out the previous posting as well. The web was very unreliable on Friday night and Saturday was a very busy day in port, so I didn’t post anything new until this morning. Tonight’s entry continues from then.
Friday Evening
Went to dinner as usual at 8 pm, and sure enough my main table server was back. When I asked about his absence he said he had not been feeling well. Perhaps illness rather than personality was the cause of his earlier demeanor; we shall see.
Just as dinner was getting underway, seven blasts on the ship’s whistle pummeled the dining room—had it been followed by one more long blast, it would have been the call to abandon ship (during dinner, no less). Fortunately a few minutes later the captain announced that the fire alarm had sounded because there was an accidental release of the “free moisture system” (is that like “Free Willy”?—the British meaning), because of excessive heat in the engine area. So, there never was any fire. But he didn’t tell us where all that excessive heat had come from! Several passengers reported that the low-lighting emergency strips were briefly turned on in all the passageways.
We all calmly resumed our dining; my choices were “Trio of Salmon with Jumbo Prawns” (hot-smoked, gravalax, and pickled); “Cream of Asparagus and Chicken Soup”; a traditional “Wienerschnitzel” (garnished with lemon and hard-boiled egg); “Chocolate Mousse Cruoquant Praline”; all accompanied by a bottle of Italian Pinot Grigio (I’ll give the vintage details in a later blog).
I’ll also talk more in another blog (which you will be able to skip if you grow tired) about the incredible variety of food available on the ship. What impresses me most, however, is the quality. Although foods are not generally heavily spiced, they are presented with subtlety and always served at exactly the right temperature (even at the buffets). The Cream of Asparagus soup arrived at the moment of perfect temperature and texture.
After dinner Jeff Nease performed a comedy routine in the Main Stage Theatre. He stayed on for about an hour and was very funny—with, unexpectedly, only one off-color joke.
Saturday Morning
Laundry Day: which means I filled two bags, filled out the forms, and left them to be picked up by the cabin steward. The laundry will be returned tomorrow.
After room service breakfast (ham and cheese omelet), I watched our entry into the port of Ponta Delgado (Narrow Point), from the upper deck. The Island of Sao Miguel is a long and narrow strip, the largest of the nine islands that make up the Azores. The town lies flat against the sea and rises to the volcanic green hills behind it (200-300 meters). All the land is either cultivated for cattle or forested for the lumber industry. The lush greens are perfectly demarcated by dividing lines of shrubs, trees, and volcanic stones, manicured and pretty. The ship pulls in at the new pier located right at the center of town and since this was my first time in the Azores, I disembarked quickly to spend an hour walking around before having to report for my tour and a quick lunch.
Friday Evening
Went to dinner as usual at 8 pm, and sure enough my main table server was back. When I asked about his absence he said he had not been feeling well. Perhaps illness rather than personality was the cause of his earlier demeanor; we shall see.
Just as dinner was getting underway, seven blasts on the ship’s whistle pummeled the dining room—had it been followed by one more long blast, it would have been the call to abandon ship (during dinner, no less). Fortunately a few minutes later the captain announced that the fire alarm had sounded because there was an accidental release of the “free moisture system” (is that like “Free Willy”?—the British meaning), because of excessive heat in the engine area. So, there never was any fire. But he didn’t tell us where all that excessive heat had come from! Several passengers reported that the low-lighting emergency strips were briefly turned on in all the passageways.
We all calmly resumed our dining; my choices were “Trio of Salmon with Jumbo Prawns” (hot-smoked, gravalax, and pickled); “Cream of Asparagus and Chicken Soup”; a traditional “Wienerschnitzel” (garnished with lemon and hard-boiled egg); “Chocolate Mousse Cruoquant Praline”; all accompanied by a bottle of Italian Pinot Grigio (I’ll give the vintage details in a later blog).
I’ll also talk more in another blog (which you will be able to skip if you grow tired) about the incredible variety of food available on the ship. What impresses me most, however, is the quality. Although foods are not generally heavily spiced, they are presented with subtlety and always served at exactly the right temperature (even at the buffets). The Cream of Asparagus soup arrived at the moment of perfect temperature and texture.
After dinner Jeff Nease performed a comedy routine in the Main Stage Theatre. He stayed on for about an hour and was very funny—with, unexpectedly, only one off-color joke.
Saturday Morning
Laundry Day: which means I filled two bags, filled out the forms, and left them to be picked up by the cabin steward. The laundry will be returned tomorrow.
After room service breakfast (ham and cheese omelet), I watched our entry into the port of Ponta Delgado (Narrow Point), from the upper deck. The Island of Sao Miguel is a long and narrow strip, the largest of the nine islands that make up the Azores. The town lies flat against the sea and rises to the volcanic green hills behind it (200-300 meters). All the land is either cultivated for cattle or forested for the lumber industry. The lush greens are perfectly demarcated by dividing lines of shrubs, trees, and volcanic stones, manicured and pretty. The ship pulls in at the new pier located right at the center of town and since this was my first time in the Azores, I disembarked quickly to spend an hour walking around before having to report for my tour and a quick lunch.
Saturday Afternoon
Three-and-a-half-hour bus tour to Sete Cidades and the crater lakes:
Tour begins (notice the present tense) with a 45-minute drive northeast out of Ponta Delgado up into the volcanic craters that make up the western side of the island. As we rise over a series of switchbacks and curves, we see on both sides large numbers of very happy cows grazing and socializing. How do I know they are happy?—the guide says so (and she is a very good guide). But how can they not be happy in such beautiful surroundings, where they live outdoors all-year round, 24 hours a day? Although there is some beef production, the herds are mainly dairy cows originally imported from Holland. As we traverse around a series of extinct low volcanic cones dressed in green, at the crest of the road we can briefly see the ocean on both the north and south sides of the island.
We reach the village of Sete Cidades (Seven Cities), situated at the convergence of two volcanic crater lakes, one with green water and one with blue (caused by differences in cloud cover and surrounding foliage reflected by the water). The village is Tyrolean in aspect and very prosperous; the streets are lined with colorful stone and concrete cottages, surrounded on one side by the lakes and the other side by the undulating hills.
We reach the village of Sete Cidades (Seven Cities), situated at the convergence of two volcanic crater lakes, one with green water and one with blue (caused by differences in cloud cover and surrounding foliage reflected by the water). The village is Tyrolean in aspect and very prosperous; the streets are lined with colorful stone and concrete cottages, surrounded on one side by the lakes and the other side by the undulating hills.
On the way back to Ponta Delgado we make brief stops high over two additional crater lakes and then visit a pineapple plantation. The pineapple cultivation is unlike that of Hawaii. In the Azores the fruit is grown inside greenhouses (each house produces 300-500 fruit per season), are harvested in 13-15 months, and are smaller than the ones we are used to eating.
We return to the ship in time for a snack of pizza (with fresh tomatoes) and cookies as we sail from the harbor at 5 pm. I continue to be amazed at how the huge ship pushes itself sideways parallel to the pier, backs out into the harbor, and then does a 180-degree turn (all in about 20 minutes).
Saturday Evening
The highlight of dinner was an appetizer of Forest Pâté Brioche (chicken, port, mushroom pate)—although it was a teeny serving. The main course, Pan-Seared Salmon with tomato-mango salsa, served with mashed potatoes and broccoli, more than made-up in size and was prepared excellently. The Chocolate Avalanche Cake with Strawberries in Syrup wasn’t bad either.
Saturday night’s entertainment was an early and long-night’s sleep.
We return to the ship in time for a snack of pizza (with fresh tomatoes) and cookies as we sail from the harbor at 5 pm. I continue to be amazed at how the huge ship pushes itself sideways parallel to the pier, backs out into the harbor, and then does a 180-degree turn (all in about 20 minutes).
Saturday Evening
The highlight of dinner was an appetizer of Forest Pâté Brioche (chicken, port, mushroom pate)—although it was a teeny serving. The main course, Pan-Seared Salmon with tomato-mango salsa, served with mashed potatoes and broccoli, more than made-up in size and was prepared excellently. The Chocolate Avalanche Cake with Strawberries in Syrup wasn’t bad either.
Saturday night’s entertainment was an early and long-night’s sleep.
__03.jpg)