The Coffee Chronicles Part 4

Today we were in Cagliari on the island of Sardinia. It is Sunday and almost everything is closed. As we left the ship we were given tourist maps of the town which directed us to the various historic sites and shops that were closed. Historic here means 2000 years old, generally speaking, anything built after 1000 AD is “new”. Unbelievable. Anyway, we passed a number of restaurants, coffee shops and gelato shops. Today it was very hot so Linda wanted a gelato but I still need my coffee.
We found a nice little cafe that sold both. Unlike other cafes we'd been to, at this one you ordered from the counter and took it to the table yourself, I believe the sign did say caffeteria, so now that makes sense. Linda had a strawberry gelato, getting her message across by pointing, and I ordered a cappuccino. When my cappuccino was ready the barista waved me to the counter to pick it up. I picked up my Illy cup and saucer and sat down. This coffee was so smooth, the milk had such micro-foam, it was like coffee cream. There were two downsides; first, it wasn't hot enough and second, there wasn't enough of it! I wanted a nice hot cup full of this stuff, it was very good. The restaurant was immaculate and down the far side it was also a pastry shop that was doing brisk business.
When it came time to pay I had to go up to the cashier and tell him what we had so he could ring it in. The cappuccino was easy but to get the message about how much gelato Linda had was a little tricky, one scoop in a bowl is not the easiest thing to describe with hand gestures. The lady who served the ice cream came over and helped out. The total price was 2.60 (Euros of course) and the cashier managed to get me to give him a dime to make change easier, I don't remember how that worked but somehow we communicated. The lady who was from the gelato counter was still there and asked me if I spoke English and I said “yes, do you?” to which she replied no, we both laughed about how this knowledge didn't help us...
Tomorrow Naples!

Photos from Cagliari

From the tower


QE2 in the background

Lots of Graffiti in all the ports we have been at - since worse than at home

Cagliari, Italy

I woke this morning not feeling as good as usual. I think it was because of the big meal which caused a restless night of sleep for me. We usually don't eat that late and now I know why.
We docked at 8am in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. We went up to the buffet. I am very tried of the breakfast food at the buffet. There is way too much fish, (served 3 different ways and who eats fish for breakfast??), beans, black pudding and soupy scrambled eggs. All I have been eating is bacon and pastries or waffles and now I am even tried of them. Carnival does a much better breakfast buffet.
We left the ship and boarded the complimentary shuttle to town and were in town by 9:30am.
We walked up to the old part of town and there is an old tower. For 4 Euros you can walk up to the top. Since I am not a fan of heights, Wayne went up alone and took some great photos of the town.
We walked around looking at stores but since today is Sunday not many were open, so we did a lot of window shopping. We did find a couple of places open like grocery stores, cafes (where we stopped and I had real Italian gelato – strawberry and it was delicious!!
There were also lots and lots of stores selling things from India (and each store sold the same as the next store) but we were looking for things from Italy. I did find one store selling authentic Sardinia stuff and bought some yummy pink almond nougat (to bring home) which they were taste tasting!
We walked around a while longer and then decided to head back to the ship. We were back on board by 2pm for a 3:30pm all aboard. As we were on the shuttle headed back to the ship we saw the Queen Elizabeth 2 had docked next to us. I forgot to mention we were docked starboard side next to the pier and we had a great view of the city until the QE2 docked.
We headed up to the buffet again because it is so close and easy to get there. The lunch also doesn't change very much. Beans again, lots of curries, rice and stir fries. There are hot dogs and hamburgers but the burgers are not tasty and neither is the pizza (tastes like frozen) I find the food very bland on the ship. Maybe they are trying to appeal to the Brits but not sure how popular it is with people from North America. I ended up having a small slice of pizza and fruit salad and Wayne had salad and cold cuts. We both had a small dish of ice cream.
We then went to the pool bar and bought the bucket of beer special and headed back to the cabin to sit on the balcony and watch sail away.
We went up to the buffet. Again and dinner was the best meal we have had there. Still lots of curry choices but I had the Chicken Supreme which was chicken and veg's in a cream sauce. I also had a baked potato. Wayne had another salad. I had a crepe for desert and Wayne had a caramel square.
After dinner we went out on the Promenade for a walk and met up with David & Carol. We all got our cameras (well the guys went and got them) and we stood at the stern of the ship and took pictures of the sunset over Sardinia.
Now I am in the library again on the Internet and Wayne is here having a coffee.
Tomorrow Naples, Italy!!

Sea Day #2

As today is a sea we decided not to ordered room service ahead and just phoned when we woke up. We just ordered coffee to have out on the balcony and then went up to the Blue Lagoon for breakfast. Wayne had the special breakfast – eggs, bacon, sausage, hash brown, grilled tomato and beans and I had the French toast with bacon. We then came back to the cabin and sat out on the balcony reading/writing. Wayne then went out for a walk around and I met up with him at noon at a NCL future cruise presentation (they had free mimosas!!)
We are not big fans of sea days and there is not a lot going on that interests us but it is a good chance to rest and relax. Wayne went down for a coffee and I spent more time on the balcony (I will never cruise without one)
For lunch we went up to the buffet and had burgers.
The Captain had a presentation at 3pm about the building of the Jade and behind the scenes which was really interesting.
Now it is time for a drink on the balcony before getting ready for dinner. Tonight we are going to the French restaurant “Le Bistro” which is part of the romance package that we ordered. Dinner comes with a bottle of wine. We missed the cake and champaign party this afternoon because it was at the same time as the Captain's presentation and we wanted to see that.
When we arrived at Le Bistro at 7pm for dinner, a window table was not available so we waited for one – it took 30 minutes but was worth the wait.
For appetizers Wayne had the foie gras and a Roquefort salad and I had the seared scallops. The bottle of wine that came with the Anniversary package was a lovely Chardonnay. We both had the beef tenderloin as an entrée. For dessert they brought out a little Anniversary cake and sang “Let Me Call You Sweetheart”. We asked to take the cake back to our cabin for later so we could try the yummy deserts on the menu. We couldn't decide so we split the chocolate fondue and the chocolate hazelnut torte. Wayne also ordered a cheese plate. We waddled out of the restaurant a little after 9pm. It was a lovely meal and everything was delicious!
Now we need to do a few laps around the ship.
Tomorrow Sardinia, Italy!!

Photos from Malaga and area

My feet are in the Mediterranean

The marble condos in Puerto Banus

Malaga Main shopping area

The Coffee Chronicles part 3

Today is an “at sea” day, so I didn't bother writing my blog yesterday knowing I was going to have time on my hands today. Cruising isn't about the ship activities for me, I like the floating, moving, wake-up-in-a-new-city hotel part of cruising. So today I'm trying to remember yesterday's coffee... Oh yeah, Marbella! That's where we were. We took a bus tour to Marbella and Puerto Banus from Malaga. In Marbella we stuck our feet in the Med and then found a cafe. I ordered the usual and tried to get a Churro, they didn't have any, how about Magdelane's? None of those either, the waiter made some hand motions of what looked like a little cake, I accepted and he brought a... donut. Plain glazed donut, fresh, but otherwise just like home.
The coffees were very good. Tasty and smooth cappuccino, and Linda's cafe con liche came with just a small pour of coffee and he brought heated milk to add at the table (the waiter poured the milk and took the decanter away). We were pleased with the drinks, but we were rushed. Typical bus tour issue, get sat down order, guzzle, try to find the waiter and get a bill, pay and run. There was another couple from our tour who ordered a full breakfast and almost missed the bus.
Since I'm enjoying an at sea day I thought I would have a Latte from the coffee bar on board. I'm drinking it now. They use fresh ground Lavazza coffee from a doser, and the espresso machine is a Simonelli. I've kept an eye on the bar over the last few days and it's almost always the same guys working, so I was hopeful that they knew what they were doing. It didn't really matter, the machine seemed to do most of the work by push buttons. He did have to steam the milk, which he did to such a high temperature that the hot milk hid the taste of the coffee. I've had the coffee in front of me in a take-out cup for about 15 minutes and I still can't taste it.... Well, eventually I could taste it and it was unimpressive to say the least. Hardly worth the 3.45 they charge for it.
In the cafeteria you can get a Latte or Cappuccino from a full automatic dispensing machine for free, even decaf if you prefer. When the machines are working they're not bad, but the staff has to keep an eye on them because they often seem to need cleaning or refilling. Nevertheless I'll probably stick to these machines for the rest of my Lattes on board.
Tomorrow we are in Sardinia, I can't wait to finally reach Italy! How do you say cappuccino in Italian??

Malaga, Spain

We woke to our room service call today at 7:30am and the bacon had returned!!.
We have booked an excursion to Marbella and Puerto Banus for this morning. Both towns are on the Costa del Sol. We boarded the bus and were on our way by 9:10am. The drive to Marbella was lovely. We arrived in Marbella at 10:10 and had an hour to explore. We headed to the beach. Since it was early the beach was empty but we had to put our feet in the water. Not as warm as the Caribbean but still much warmer than home. We then decided it was coffee time so we stopped at a cafe for our usual. Then we wandered the old part of town until it was time to board the bus. The distance to Puerto Banus is 6kms and the drive passes lots of 5 star hotels. We arrived in Puerto Banus at 11:30. After we left the bus the first store we see is Cartier and it is across the street from condos made of marble. We walked toward the water and docked along the pier are HUGE yachts. The further down the pier we walked, the bigger the yachts were. One yacht had a family sitting at an outside table with their guard standing watch behind them.
I LOVE this town. I loved looking at the yachts, the cars and window shopping at stores like Prada, Versace, Dior, Hermes, etc...
We would have preferred to skip Marbella and just have spent all our time in Puerto Banus..
The bus ride back to the ship was long due to an accident and Friday traffic.
We came back on board and had lunch and then went into to Malaga. The ship has a free shuttle into to town since it is too far to walk and the area is under construction so it would not be safe.
We walked around town and noticed it is not as nice as the other ports in Spain. The sidewalks were dirty and smelly. The other ports when we arrived , the storesworkers were outside washing the sidewalks and windows (In Spain there are no public washrooms and the sidewalks get used for this purpose at night which if not cleaned is very smelly) This is another reason to stop for a coffee because then the cafe will let you use their washroom.
Malaga just didn't seem as friendly and nice as Vigo and Cadiz (still my favorite but Puerto Banus is a very close second))
On the way back on board the ship we met up with the couple from Tasmania (David and Carol). We invited them up to our cabin for a drink before dinner. David had some photos of Tasmania and they were lovely to see. They then went off to dinner in Alizar and we went to the Blue Lagoon. We split an order of chicken wings for an appetizer and Wayne had the fish and chips and I had chicken tenders and fries. We both enjoyed our meals. We decided to go walk around before stopping up at the buffet for desert – peanut butter pie which was tasty.
Another early night. We are both usually very tried at the end of the day from all the walking we are doing. We haven't gone to any of the show in the main theater and from what I have heard we haven't missed much. I do miss my trivia buddy (Carleigh) since Wayne does not want to go to trivia.
Tomorrow is a sea and our feet can use rest!!

Marbella, Puerto Banus and Malaga Spain

Since we had a long day today and the couple from Tasmania stopped by our cabin for drinks before dinner, I am going to write about our day tomorrow. I will post a couple of photos but since tomorrow is a sea I will have lots of time to write.
Until tomorrow...

Pictures of Gibraltar

The first 2 photos are of Ceuta - so close and yet so far.



Wayne in the sunny haze on our way to Gibraltar

Ceuta, Spain???

We ordered room service again for today and our wake up call came at 6:27am. Wayne had ordered our usual with bacon but today on the phone I was told they only offer continental breakfast for room service. Oh well we will try again tomorrow as I think it just depends on who fills the order.
We had booked a tour to Chaouen, Morocco and had to be in the lounge at 7:45am. We made it just in time and sat with the couple from Tasmania who were also on the excursion. We then proceeded to wait and wait. Finally at about 8:45am the Captain made an announcement that he was canceling Ceuta and we would be going to Gibraltar instead due to rough seas at the breakwater into Ceuta. We went out on deck and the seas were as calm as we had seen them so we think there was another reason to cancel the port. This would have been the first time the Jade would have visited Ceuta and maybe things didn't work out right but we don't believe that rough seas were the reason.
While we were watching the ship sail to Gibraltar there was a school of dolphins swimming beside the ship. I have added a photo and I hope you can see them. There must have been a dozen of them swimming right below our cabin. This is another reason why I love balcony cabins!!
We docked in Gibraltar and were walking into town by 10:45am. The ship had put together a couple of excursions but we really like just walking into town and finding our own way around.
The town was very busy as there was another ship (P&O Ventura) in port and the town is very small. We walked around and got off the main streets and on to ones with less people. We stopped at a cafe/bar for lunch and split at pizza and a had a couple beers. I then decided that the huge blister on the bottom of my foot would stop me from walking up the Rock but Wayne was up for the challenge so we said our good-byes and I came back to the ship to write this while Wayne walked up the Rock.
I do have to mention to all my family reading this who love Britain (and you know who you are) that you would LOVE Gibraltar - weather is so much nicer, it is very British and everyone speaks English. And for my brother – they have normal bathrooms!!!
Wayne got back around 6pm and had a great walk. The views from the rock were amazing. He also saw the wild monkeys. We had a nice day in Gibraltar – not the day we had planned but still a very nice place to visit.
We decided to go to Alizar again for dinner. We ate alone this time since I wanted to catch up on Wayne's adventure.
Wayne had the Frog's legs as an appetizer which he said tasted like chicken and I had the Sweet Corn Soup which was not bad. Wayne had the Lamb as a main course which was just OK and I had the Chicken Parmesan which I found quite salty. For desert Wayne had the Fresh Fruit Trifle which was good and I had the Chocolate Cheesecake which was also good.
We then wandered out on the Promenade deck to watch the ship sail away. We are only 19 knots from our next port but there is no land in sight. The dolphins were back to play in the ships waves!!!
Tomorrow Malaga, Spain

Cadiz Part 2

After sitting in the park for awhile we decided to walk over to the beach. It is a lovely walk around the water but it was quite hot. As we came around a bend in the road there was a wonderful breeze and a wonderful view of the city. We walked back through the town and finally back to the ship. We were back on board by 6:30pm for an 8pm sailing.
For dinner tonight we went up to the buffet and sat with a couple from Tasmania. Then the 4 of us went up on the top deck to take pictures during sail away.
Wayne and really enjoyed Cadiz today. It is a lovely little city that we felt very safe walking around in. We would love to go back for a longer visit someday.
Tomorrow Ceuta, Spain (and Morocco)

Photos of Cadiz

The Coffee Chronicles Part 2

I forgot to mention yesterday that we are also keeping our eyes open for bike shops (as in bicycle) and we found a small shop in Lisbon called Stress Relief. It was very crowded and almost all MTB oriented. We saw Giants that were pretty much the same as we see at home, but the were also BH's and Scotts which we rarely see in Canada. The Sidi shoes were well priced and seem to be in colors and styles not available at home. Since Sidis are Italian I will look for a pair in Italy at maybe a sale price, pretty much unheard of in Canada.
In Cadiz we walked many narrow lanes and came across cafes almost every 50 paces. We tried our luck at a busy one on a square, ordered a cappuccino and a cafe con liche as well as an order of Churro's. The churros came by the plateful, like a plate of fries, and resembled deep fried curly donut bread, if that makes any sense. For 1 euro it seemed a good deal, but I found them to be greasy. The cappuccino came with what appeared to be real whipped cream on top, not foamed milk, but it was still very tasty. The cafe con liche was hot and came in a glass, and was very good.
We will probably get more this afternoon. Hasta luego (see you later).

Cadiz, Spain Part 1

It is another beautiful day today here in Spain. We had ordered room service for breakfast today and woke to the phone ringing telling us it was on the way (a great way to wake up) The ship was just sailing into port and starboard side was going to be next to the pier again. We sat on our balcony and watched all the tour buses lining up and as soon as we docked people were off and boarding the buses. We were off by 9:30am (docked at 9). Cadiz is very easy to walk around on foot – no bus needed. We walked maybe 2 blocks and we were right in the town. What a wonderful town!! We have decided we LOVE Spain! and this is our favorite port so far. Diane you HAVE to come to Spain!

Wayne is having a really easy time with the language because of his French background.

We discovered every park area in town has free wi-fi so I am writing this earlier than usual to take advantage of it. I will write about the rest of the day later after we leave .
Walking around town there are different colored lines painted on the sidewalks. These are walking trails. You just follow the line (blue, purple or yellow) and it leads you around – it is a great way to explore without a guide. We stopped for a coffee (more about that from Wayne) while following the purple line and ended up not being able to find the line when we were done. The town is not very big so it is very easy to get around without the lines too.

We came back to the ship for lunch and went to the buffet. Food selection at lunch in the buffet has been pretty much the everyday. Then we sat out on the balcony so I could type this up and sort through photos.

Now we are sitting in the Plaza de Mina enjoying a cold beer in the very hot sun and accessing free wi-fi.

Shawn, check out the comments for Wayne's reply to your comments.

To be continued - Adios

Photos from Lisbon

Lisbon, Portugal

Today was another sunny and warm day. We were docked starboard side again so we had a great view of Lisbon. We decided to have breakfast on our balcony this morning. Wayne called and they said it would be 45 minutes but it was there is about 15. We had pastries, fresh fruit, bacon (not on the menu but Wayne asked and it was delivered no problem), juice and a tiny pot of coffee. Next time we will ask for a larger pot. I think we will do this most mornings from now on as it makes for a really relaxed breakfast.
We got off the ship a little after 9am. The port is more of a container pier than a cruise port so there wasn't an info booth. There was a map that I picked up that helped us see where we wanted to go. We headed out and came across a train station. We got in line to buy tickets but the man in the booth said we could not use the ticket he was selling to go into the city and we would have to go up stairs to the platform to the ticket kiosk. We went up following a British family who also had no idea where to go. On the train platform there wasn't a ticket kiosk so we just waited for the train. The train was there in a few minutes and we were on board without a ticket. Right after the train left the station the man came looking for tickets. The British family tried to explain why we didn't have tickets and he took pity on them and explained where we should get off (only 2 stops and also the end of the line)
Wayne and I then headed off to find the main shopping area. On the way there we had to stop and take a picture of the street/sidewalks – really neat. Not far along we passed a BIKE shop. Wayne was a very happy camper. We then continued on our way. One thing I couldn't help but notice as we walked was the smell – all kinds of little shops selling fish – very, very smelly!! Look at the picture with the fish and look where they keep the bottled water!!!!!
We arrived in the main area which is pedestrian only and is wonderful. We walked and walked and walked passing Cartier, Hermes and many, many very fancy stores.
Since we were quite a way from the ship we decided to eat lunch ashore. We stopped at a little outside Cafe in the middle of a lane and had a sandwich and pop. While we sat eating, people kept coming up to us trying to selling us stuff or bagging for money – not a very relaxed lunch.
After eating quickly so we could get moving we just continued walking and walking. Around 2pm we decided we should start heading back to the ship. This time we bought tickets for the train (1.20 Euros to go 1 stop) We were back on board by 3pm.
We then sat on our balcony watching people coming back on the ship.
For dinner we decided to go to Alizar. For an appetizer Wayne had the cold avocado soup which he liked and I had Vietnamese summer rolls which I didn't like at all and couldn't eat. Main course Wayne had Prime Rib which was very good and I had the Gnocci which was ok, For desert we both had Caramel Flan which Wayne ate but didn't think much of but I couldn't (and I usually love deserts)
We sat with a nice couple of guys from Ontario for dinner and that was the most enjoyable part of the meal for me.
Tomorrow Cadiz, Spain!!!

The Coffee Chronicles

After a recently developed bad habit of Latte consumption I decided to go on a quest to find real cappuccinos. In Vigo Linda and I found a little neighborhood cafe about 30 minute walk away from the ship. We hoped that this put us out of the tourist zone and into genuine local territory. We went in and saw that there were locals drinking coffee with the free newspapers from the counter, relaxing and talking, a laid back kind of place. And I saw the staff deftly using an Expobar espresso maker. I asked for a cappuccino and a coffee with milk. The barista (probably just a waiter here, minimum standards to know how to use an espresso maker) pulled espresso and steamed milk. He made Linda's coffee with a long pull and steamed milk, looked like a latte to me. He presented it all by very swiftly assembled the cups and saucers, several kinds of sugar in packets, along with a plate with two churros (?? I think that was the word, they were like plain donuts only they were straight instead of round). The coffees were excellent. Very reasonably priced as well.

Before we left other cruisers found the little cafe as well, we got to say hi to two Tasmanians and three Newfoundlanders from the ship. I hope they enjoyed it as much as we did.

In the second port we visited, Lisbon, we didn't exactly have the same luck. We found a cafe in a touristy area that we hoped was atleast a little genuine since they had a constant stream of business customers from the local offices. Having checked a multilingual menu I found that cappuccino in Portugese was cappuccino, but a coffee with milk was a cafe con leche. So that's what I ordered. Linda got a long pull espresso with milk, which wasn't too bad, but the cappuccino, to my horror, came from a Nescafe packet! Instant Cappuccino!! Just like what I could buy off the shelf at the grocery at home. First major disappointment from a European Cafe. Hopefully we'll do better in Cadiz.

Photos from Vigo

Vigo, Spain

Today we awoke to a beautiful day in Vigo, Spain. We have a starboard side cabin and we were docked starboard side facing the pier so the view of Vigo from our deck was wonderful.
We head up for breakfast and both the dining rooms were closed so we went to the buffet. We were disappointed the food choices were the same as the day before. We grabbed a quick bite and headed off to explore the town. Because we took our time getting off the ship there was no line which was nice.
We were given a map on the way out of the terminal building but we didn't really need it. We came across some nice pedestrian only areas which were really busy and we found some quite cobblestone alleys which were empty. We walked around and found a HUGE department store called the English Court which must of had 8 floors. It sold everything from appliances to clothing to a full grocery store. I love visiting grocery stores in foreign places. We picked up a few goodies to take back to the ship. Now that we had a few bags to carry we decided to head back to the ship for lunch. After we ate we went back out to explore.
While standing staring at a pay phone looking like we had no idea how to make a call, this local man stopped and asked if we needed help. We said we wanted to make a call but wanted to find a place to buy a calling card. He said he was going right by a place where we could buy one and he would show us the way. He walked us right to the store. He was very nice and very helpful. We had been looking for quite awhile and had actually walked right by the store we ended up at.
We continued walking around and stopped for an ice cream before finally heading back to the ship.
The line to get back on the ship at 4pm (4:30 was our all aboard time) was a bit long but moved very, very quickly.
We had made reservations the day before for the Tex-Mex restaurant for 5:30pm so since we had a bit of time, we each took one of the beers we had in the mini-bar and went up on deck to watch sail away.
Our dinner at Paniolo was wonderful!!!! Between 5:30 & 6:30pm most pay restaurants are 2 for 1 so it only cost $10 for dinner – well worth the price.
Wayne had the Nachos Grande for an appetizer and the Chicken Fajitas as an entrée. I had the Spicy Chicken Spring Rolls for an appetizer and the Beef Burrito as an entrée. Everything was very good! The only thing that Wayne would have preferred was real cheese and not cheese sauce on the nachos.
We then came back to the cabin and sat on the deck resting our tried feet.
Not sure if I would visit Vigo again unless on a cruise but we did enjoy our day there very much!.
Tomorrow Lisbon, Portugal!!!

First Sea Day

We had to change our clocks last night so we lost an hour sleep (again) Wayne got up at 7:30 and went to check out the gym and returned at 8:30 with a coffee for me. We went up to the buffet for breakfast and the food was the usual breakfast buffet stuff. By the tine we found a place to sit the food was not very hot.
We had our cruise critic meet & greet at 11am. I went a few minutes early to help get things ready. It was so great to finally put faces to the names from the message board. We have a wonderful group of people. We had a gift exchange. People brought things from their home towns to share with the group. I received a set of Russian nesting dolls, a Russian doll pen and a set of Russian postcards!!! (I gave moose droppings (chocolate covered almonds), some maple syrup and a souvenir CD with pictures of the Maritimes) After the M&G some of us went on a cabin crawl. We saw many different categories of cabins from an inside to a penthouse suite. I did find the colors very bold in the suites – hot pinks and vibrant greens. The penthouse has a wonderful bathroom!!!
After the tour, Wayne and I went for lunch at the Blue Lagoon Cafe. Wayne had the tuna melt on rye bread and I had a grilled cheese – both were very good.
We then wondered around a bit and stop in to watch a digital photography lesson. The instructor was horrible – rude and very boring. I saw one lady dozing. A woman asked a question and he was so rude to her. After that we decided we had had enough and left - we were not the only ones to leave.
We then headed to the Spinnaker Lounge for FREE bingo. Needless to say we did not win anything.
We wondered around a bit more and stopped for a latte which we took out by the pool to drink. The weather today was very winding and not very warm but around the pool it was not bad as long as the sun was shining.
Now it was time to get ready for our cruise critic group dinner. We had reservations for 61 people in the Grand Dining room for 6pm. I was disappointed when we arrived to see they were putting us at tables for 6. I would like to have sat at bigger tables but the 2 couples we set with were very nice. Actually one of the couples was not a member of cruise critic but a couple we talked to on our flight and then saw them on board the Jade. They are from Saint John, NB and we invited them to join us for dinner. The other couple is from New York. We really enjoyed dinner but did not get to talk to all the other people. For dinner Wayne had the asparagus and scallops as an appetizer. The scallops were the size of large peas. For an entrée he had the duck and it was delicious. I had the pumpkin & ginger with crab bisque which was really good and the beef wellington which was OK. For desert we both had the apple strudel pie which also was just OK
We then headed off to watch second city which I had read really good things about. Well they must have been having an off night. Wayne fell asleep during the show. We left and came back to the cabin so he could have a nap. It will be another early night for us tonight. Tomorrow – Vigo, Spain!!!

Headed to Southampton and the Jade

I tried to post this yesterday but it didn't post. I'll post more tonight

We woke up this morning and went down for breakfast at 7am. Not the best breakfast but it would hold us over until be boarded the Jade. Checked out around 8am and walked to Waterloo Station to board the train to Southampton. Our hotel was very close to Waterloo – less than a 10 minute walk and we were there. Our train left at 8:39am and we were in Southampton at 10:15am. We took a cab from the station to the pier. The cab cost 9 pounds. The cab let us off, our luggage was taken, we were processed and given a ticket (green) and shown to a very large waiting room to wait for our color to be called. This all took about 10 minutes but the wait took almost an hour. We were on the Jade by 11:45 with champagne in hand! One thing I did notice was that the line up for people in suites was much shorter but moved much slower than the regular line.

The rooms were not supposed to be ready until 2pm so we wondered around the ship. The Jade is lovely!! We had a peek in some of the cabins as all the doors were open. The inside cabins did seem quite small but the oceanview rooms were a nice size. The balcony rooms were also nice but I am glad we decided to get the mini-suite. I think they are well worth the extra money for the extra space, larger balcony and bathtub. They only suites we saw were the AB's on deck 11 and they are very nice but the second bedrooms are tiny.

Around 1pm we did go have a look to see if our room was ready and it was.

We then continued our tour and discovered that all the fee restaurants were all offering free samples so we filled up on them and decided we really didn't need lunch.

The life boat drill was at 3:30pm and when that was over we headed up on deck for the sail away. The weather was a overcast and not very warm.

We decided we needed a drink so we got the bucket of beer special – buy 5 get one free. It cost $25. We asked for only 2 bottles to be opened and we took the others back to our cabin for later. There is a $5 fee for the bucket but you get it back when you return the bucket.

We went to the Grand Pacific dining room for dinner. For an appetizers I had the Wild Mushroom and Buffalo Mozzarella Tart (very tasty!!) and Wayne had the Beef Broth with Ravioli which he enjoyed. For the main course we both had the Jerk Chicken. Our only complaint was that it didn't come with anything but 4 thin sliced carrots that the chicken sat on – some rice or potato would have been nice.

For desert I had the Chocolate Cream which as I am a chocoholic, I found it was not very tasty. Wayne had the Vanilla Bean Soufflé which he liked.

After dinner we had some much needed down time in the cabin which my feet and Wayne hips (they have been bothering him since yesterday) needed.

We have arrived in London!!

Our flight was a little late taking off but the pilot made up time and we landed a little early in London.
We took a bus to Victoria Station and then a cab to our hotel. We decided to walk to Piccadilly Circus to meet my brother. What a great city London is – so much history! The 3 of walked around going to Trafalgar Square where they a have a huge video screen for people to watch the Olympics, stopped at a pub (Punch & Judy) for a pint, then walked by Buckingham Palace. We then walked to Harrods (what a huge store!!) and my feet decided I needed to sit so we found another pub and stopped for a second pint. By this time Wayne and I were feeling pretty tired so David thought we should all take the Tube back to our hotel. We got out at Waterloo station and walked around the London Eye and area for a little longer before we said our good byes to David and went back to our hotel. Our visit here was much too short and I know I will have to come back for a longer visit next time.