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Cruise Day #2 — At Sea

Nov 21st, 2010 by

This is my second attempt at writing this post. My first attempt failed when after typing for 40 minutes, the damn iPhone app locked up. Grrr!

So, here’s an abbreviated version:

It’s now 3am. I’ve been up for 2+ hours already after being awakened by the banging of drawers (now wedged securely shut) in some modestly rough seas.

Our day at sea was largely uneventful, save for an unfortunate incident on the balcony involving all of us getting covered in banana and mixed berry baby food. :-)

We ate a yummy late breakfast in the ship’s Matisse-inspired dining room, attended a culinary demonstration, watched a movie (or two), and generally just relaxed. Dinner was at Salsa, the ship’s Tex-Mex venue.

E’s done remarkably well and is a huge hit with the staff. That’s no small feat, since this is all new to her and she’s in the midst of teething. But, she seems to be fascinated by this new world.

Posted in Dawn | No Comments »

Cruise Day #1 — Miami

Nov 19th, 2010 by

We left the house at 6:45 this morning and arrived at the port around 11:30. We actually managed to drive for 4+ hours, deposit our luggage, pass through security, check-in, and have an hour or more lunch (starter, main, pudding) without any screaming, temper tantrums, or meltdowns (and in addition to me, Emerson was perfect as well). :-)

Lunch was good (though not great). They’ve finally changed the menus! I guess the 6th NCL cruise is the charm… though it’s a bit bittersweet since the former “welcome aboard” was so familiar.

Despite never sailing on the Dawn, it feels familiar, and we’re getting settled in nicely. I’m on the balcony now drinking a Bass Ale (well deserved, I might add) while L and E play in the cabin.

Here’s a photo from lunch in the dining room this afternoon:



Will try to post again tomorrow (though Internet at sea is always sketchy). Should certainly be able to post again on Sunday or Monday at the latest.

Posted in Dawn | 1 Comment »

Packed, Ready, and in Need of a Sherpa

Nov 18th, 2010 by

Tomorrow morning we head down to Miami for our 9 day cruise aboard the Norwegian Dawn.

Here’s a map of the planned itinerary:

NCL Dawn 9 Day Southern Caribbean

NCL Dawn 9 Day Southern Caribbean

We’re (finally!) packed and ready to go. As regular readers will know, Libby and I pack light. Very light.

Our new world traveler, Emerson: not so much on the light packing!

1 baby = five (FIVE!) pieces of luggage and related gear
2 parents = one mid-size suitcase (also crammed with baby gear) and a small backpack for camera/electronics

Wow. We had a baby, but now I need a sherpa!

Posted in Antigua, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Dawn, Dominican Republic, St. Kitts | No Comments »

Dinner @ Craftbar

Sep 6th, 2010 by

Last night, we ate dinner at Tom Colicchio’s slightly more casual version of his signature restaurant Craft, called Craftbar. It’s located in the Flatiron District off of Broadway. We arrived a few minutes early and were promptly seated. The space is contemporary with a palette of gray and red — sort of like eating inside of a Rothko painting.

For our starters, Libby opted for the pecorino risotto balls w/ spicy tomato sauce (good), and I had the chorizo sage leaves w/ saffron aioli (little chorizo ‘fingers’ wrapped in sage leaves, breaded and fried — excellent). For her main, Libby had the goat cheese ravioli w/ fresh mission figs and honeyed onion (excellent). I had the sweet corn agnolotti w/ shrimp, summer truffles, and purslane (very good and bursting w/ summer freshness). For dessert, we shared a ricotta cheesecake w/ blueberry compote and lemon sorbet (very good).

We were impressed by the quality of the food. I think the standout dishes were my chorizo sage leaves and Libby’s ravioli. The portion sizes in the case of the main dishes are rather modest for the prices (not too high by NYC standards, but a little spendy for this Tampa boy). Given the opportunity again, I think I’d treat Craftbar more like a tapas bar and share a variety of small plates and appetizers, skipping the second course. This ‘strategy’ would allow for sampling a wider range of dishes and provide a little more culinary bang for the buck.

Posted in New York | 1 Comment »

Sunday in the City

Sep 5th, 2010 by

This morning we took the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island–something we’ve never done in many visits to NYC. Lady Liberty was glorious and all that… but, really, like the Pyramids — it’s so familiar that it was a bit underwhelming.

In contrast, Ellis Island was great and far more personally moving. I don’t **think** any of our family passed through this gateway, but it was nonetheless remarkable. To leave one’s homeland for a new country… I can only imagine the range of emotions that the immigrants must have felt.

After our sojourn to lower Manhattan, we headed up to SoHo to do a little window shopping. It’s a pretty cool area with trendy boutiques and art galleries. Saw some awesome Damien Hirst prints for sale. Too bad I was $27,900 short of the $28,000 price tag. :-)

Next we went to MoMA to see the Matisse exhibit and view works in the permanent collection. The Matisse show was interesting but packed with crowds. It focused on an important and somewhat transitional period of Matisse’s work: 1913-1917. Unfortunately, much of the permanent collection wasn’t on view, as galleries were being rehung. Disappointing. And really, that’s sort of crap after paying a $20/pp. entry fee. We did at least get to see a number of Mondrian paintings, as well as some works by Daniel Buren.

We walked back to the hotel. En route Libby stopped in a few shops on Madison Ave. and picked up a new Furla purse. It “spoke” to her. But, you’ll have to ask her what it said…

Posted in New York | No Comments »

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