Category Archives: travel

March 19, 2011 · 12:42 pm

Barbados and The World

Today we hit Barbados, a glittering gem and the eastern-most island of the Caribbean. We’ve now been to this island five times, and for us it never loses its charm. While here we took the opportunity to stock up on Mount Gay Extra Old Rum and our favorite soap—Harmony Fruity Soap—which comes in lemon (Ursula’s favorite), orange (my favorite), strawberry, and apple. I also had two bottles of my favorite Caribbean lager—Banks Beer. That’s saying a lot because I usually don’t drink lagers or pilsners, preferring instead a nice ale. But there’s something about Banks and its distinctive aftertaste (remarkably reminiscent of Old Bay Shrimp Spice) on a hot, humid, Bajan day in the sun.

Bridgetown is a lovely little walking city and an absolute photographic jewel. I never fail to get some winning shots here, and the myriad views available give the photographer some neat little compositional challenges. But if you’re more into shopping than scenery, Bridgetown doesn’t disappoint in that category, either. All the usual suspects are here—Diamonds International, Columbian Emeralds International, Little Switzerland, et al—ready to pry your cash from your wallet or redline your credit card before you ever realize what hit you.

But the real excitement for me this port was the ship docked in line with ours. As many followers of this blog are aware, I’m currently writing a murder mystery set aboard a ship called The Globe, which is based upon the very real cruise ship The World. As such, I’ve been doing quite a bit of research on this vessel. So, imagine both my surprise and delight when, while seated for breakfast, I saw that the ship docked just off our bow was . . . you guessed it . . . The World. We even stopped and chatted with the security officer (ironically, it’s the security officer aboard The Globe who is both my story’s narrator and protagonist). And, no, we did not get a tour. That’s reserved for those who pre-clear through The World’s corporate headquarters in Miramar, California.

Nevertheless, I did get a few exterior shots, and that alone helps immensely in determining interior descriptions for the settings of my current work-in-progress.

Enjoy the photographs, and I’ll try to get back to you after our visit tomorrow to Antgua:

MS The World

MS The World

MS The World

MS The World

MS The World

Today we hit Barbados, a glittering gem and the eastern-most island of the Caribbean. We’ve now been to this island five times, and for us it never loses its charm. While here we also stocked up on Mount Gay Extra Old Rum and our favorite soap—Harmony Fruity Soap—which comes in lemon (Ursula’s favorite), orange (my favorite), strawberry, and apple. I also had two bottles of my favorite Caribbean lager—Banks Beer. That’s saying a lot because I usually don’t drink lagers or pilsners, preferring instead a nice ale. But there’s something about Banks and its distinctive aftertaste (remarkably reminiscent of Old Bay Shrimp Spice) on a hot, humid, Bajan day in the sun.

But the real excitement for me this trip was the ship docked in line with ours. As many followers of this blog are aware, I’m currently writing a murder mystery set aboard a ship called The Globe, which is based upon the very real cruise ship The World. As such, I’ve been doing quite a bit of research on this vessel. So, imagine both my surprise and delight when, while seated for breakfast, I saw that the ship docked just off our bow was . . . you guessed it . . . The World. We even stopped and chatted with the security officer (ironically, it’s the security officer aboard The Globe who is both my story’s narrator and protagonist). And, no, we did not get a tour. That’s reserved for those who pre-clear through The World’s corporate headquarters in Miramar, California.

Nevertheless, I did get a few exterior shots, and that alone helps immensely in determining interior descriptions for the settings of my current work-in-progress.

Enjoy the photographs, and I’ll try to get back to you after our visit tomorrow to Antgua:

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Filed under Photography, travel, Writing

March 16, 2011 · 7:33 pm

Fortaleza . . . It’s No Recife

Originally, the itinerary for this cruise called for a stop in Recife after Salvador. Approximately three weeks before the cruise, however, we were advised that Recife had been dropped in favor of Fortaleza. That’s unfortunate, because Recife grants nearby access to Olinda, which is a World Heritage Site renowned for its old colonial architecture and churches. Fortaleza on the other hand is, well, Fortaleza. It’s grown a lot since the last time I was here back in 1995, and that’s about the only really nice thing I can say about Fortaleza. Indeed, my only positive memory of Fortaleza was actually from an area to the north of the city, the incredibly tall sand dunes we braved in near-vertical descents while riding in dune buggies some sixteen years ago.

Alas, there would be no dune buggies on this trip. It was raining when we arrived. It rained while we were there. It continued raining upon our return to the Star Princess. In fact, the rain did not let up until just before departure, affording me a brief respite during which I used to produce a few photographs of the skyline and harbor.

During our brief yet seemingly endless stay, we visited a local market located in a former prison. Indeed, the individual vendors’ shops were the old cells, replete with barred doors and windows. And, yes, those prison bar doors still work. I know, because Ursula got locked inside one shop when the owner left for a bathroom break and padlocked the cell upon her departure. Ursula was incarcerated for probably close to twenty minutes before the screws returned with the key to her release. Yet she was totally unaware that she’d even been locked away until I told here, as she was lost in admiring the various crafts contained within her two-story digs. And even after she managed her daring escape, she advised me that she could have happily stayed a while longer perusing the various handmade items.

Next up is Barbados on Saturday. Until then, have a great St. Paddy’s Day and enjoy a few photographs of Fortaleza, including one shot of the prison-turned-market.

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Filed under Photography, travel

March 14, 2011 · 7:03 pm

Trattoria Sabatini—A 17-Course Meal

Yep. You read correctly. Seventeen courses.

Cruise ships nowadays have specialty restaurants which attempt to separate cruise ship clients from their money by offering an enhanced dining experience over and above that which is available in the main dining rooms or the buffet. On the Star Princess there are two such restaurants—The Crown Grill for upscale dining including high-end cuts of meat, and Sabatini’s for an Italian experience. Ursula and I are scheduled to try The Crown Grill later in the voyage, but tonight it was Sabatini’s turn.

For $20 per person, Sabatini’s offers the aforementioned seventeen courses with the patron basically being called upon to make only one selection—the main course, or the Secondi Piatti (second plate) as it is called. The courses come in six basic waves, and you really need to pace yourself if you’re going to escape the dining room relatively unscathed.

The first wave was the Antipasti, and it included prosciutto with cantaloupe; shrimp and marinated artichoke with white truffle oil; porcini mushrooms with tarragon; black mussels steamed with fennel, garlic, and saffron; Sevruga caviar served on potato latkes; deviled crab cakes with salmon roe; air-dried beef with grilled zucchini, eggplant, red peppers, mushrooms, and sundried tomato; and a small wedge of fried brie cheese.

The second bombardment came in the form of pizza, four slices each with a different topping. The toppings included wild salmon; prosciutto with pineapple (an interesting twist on the old Hawaiian-style ham); Parma ham with tomato, buffalo mozzarella, and fresh, sweet basil; and a vegetarian offering with lots of peppers, mushrooms, and grilled zucchini.

The third assault was the Zuppe e Insalata (Soup & Salad) course. Ursula opted for the Seafood Cioppino. I had the Minestrone alla Milanese. Neither of us wanted to tempt fate with the fresh Mesclun Greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Next up was pasta on parade. Mussels and claims accompanied spaghetti tossed in a creamy tomato sauce. Gnocchi (a type of potato dumpling) were served in a smoked Fontina fondue. And bringing up the rear were the cannelloni filled with ground veal.

Finally the main course arrived. Available selections were sea bass in a Pinot Gris/lemon sauce with squid inked risotto and broccoli; langoustines in lime and cilantro; cold-water lobster tail with pilaf and broccoli; rosemary-infused chicken with a truffle demi-glace; jumbo sea scallops; tiger prawns with a garlic peri-peri glaze; and a veal chop in a shallot crust cooked in marsala. Ursula went for the sea bass while I attacked the lobster.

And then there was dessert—that ever-present Italian mainstay, tiramisu; a cappuccino crème brulée; white chocolate mousse; and at least three other offerings whose descriptions escape me now but which are photographed below.

Overall the meal was well worth the cost of admission. I would definitely recommend trying this at least once on your cruise. My biggest quibble was, why so seafood-intensive, especially on the main course selections? There was only one four-legged creature in the bunch. That made a bit of a mockery of the red wine selections offered in the wine list. Nevertheless, we settled for a Pinot Noir that was touted as being on someone’s (didn’t specify who’s) 100 top wines list. Alas, it was all right but certainly wouldn’t make my personal 100 best list. It was a bit sweet for a Pinot Noir, which is probably why it found itself recommended as a possible selection for all that seafood. But although it had the classic Pinot Noir nose, it certainly fell a bit short in the taste department. If I had it to do all over again, I’d have stuck with a medium-bodied white or, more likely, skipped the wine altogether.

Here are a few photographs of Sabatini’s as well as a couple of other pictures I took after dinner while walking off those seventeen courses: