Once again

PANAMA CANAL
This was a relatively quiet day. At about 11 am I went up to the Pacific Lounge to make a poster for the video and other foolishness. It was fun to see what people were doing; saying Hello to various people back home and hoping they didn’t forget anyone. I took pics of many of them at work and visited with many. I made contact with “Ken” the guy who’s blog Ihave linked on mine.
We went to lunch and visited with yet a different group of fun folks. Food as always was terrific.
In between all this the narrator about the Canal was excellent and pointed out various things along the side that you could then attach to part of the history. The weather was warm and the sun is blistering hot so you must be very careful out in the open.
Lounge lizards
Are baking in the sun around the pool. I still can’t begin to understand why folks would do that to their skin including the rise in melanoma and other skin related cancers. And the leathery dry skin is not attractive. Oh well, to each his own.
I’ll try again to upload some of the pictures from yesterday but I’m still stumped about parts of it all.
CHEF’S DINNER
This was supposed to be 12 people but turned out to be 18. We met on deck 4 and were met by the Matre D and we all trooped through the dining room where we were given lab coats to wear. Mine was enormous yet they said it was small. It didn’t matter. Then we were taken to wash our hands in the galley. Finally we came to an elaborately prepared area with bread loaves with our names on them in chocolate. This must have been for show because we never saw them again but they were pretty.
We were plied with (actually good –as you know I don’t like it) champagne and several appetizers (easier than trying to remember how to spell the French version) of various kinds. There were expensive ingredients in several: caviar and truffles. The truffles I like but the fish eggs are a waste. The Commandatore ate my caviar with sour cream and potatoes when I declined.
Some of the assistant personnel were trembling when they handed us stuff such as napkins and while we were there, one poor soul wandered into the wrong area and was immediately stopped by someone to read him the riot act. This part bothered me but I do know they have to be very exacting and many of these folks are new I suppose.
Imperial Table
Then we were escorted to Sabatini’s restaurant where an Imperial Table (who knew?) had been set up for it. It was gorgeous of course and there were probably more wait staff than folks at our table. We were served wines to fit the food we had at the moment. One I knew and liked was Santa Marguerita Pino Grigio. The Malbec was also a waste for me.
The lemon sherbet was fantastic, never minding the breathtaking presentation. Then we had the main course which was a beef and a veal dish with vegetables cut into divers shapes. For example, the small potatoes were cut as toadstools. We also had turnips which I love and which one rarely finds outside of a home.
Our neighbors were folks we had met at lunch one day. The conversation included the laundry room. I was not the one who brought it up: honest. The lady was telling about going down to use the iron. One washer was not working and the hoards of people waiting and not very patiently.
Our dinner ended with two wonderful desserts. The Commandatore made almost everything major on site so we could watch it all. He sat down to join us (but did not eat since he has to observe a diabetic diet; most of these chef’s who are heavier are diabetic). He gave each couple a copy of the latest cookbook he’s written. It is actually quite a nice coffee table book as it has photos of major cities where the Princess ships port. The recipes are of course, outstanding and look so easy.
We didn’t go to the entertainment as it was an imminently forgettable man we had endured before.
Feb 3
I woke up well before 8 but Ed was sleeping soundly and I didn’t want to wake him. So I waited quietly until it was a little after 8 and crept into the bathroom to get my shower and such out of the way. When I came out, he was still with his mask on. Pretty soon he told me I could turn on the lights. I had some fruits and then left to see the culinary demonstration which was the usual amusing experience. Some of the folks from the dinner last night were there and we were chuckling over events.
Ed joined me toward the end and I left to go check the photos taken in the canal yesterday; only one was up. It was OK, but I can live without it. There are more we’ll find later.
TRIVIA
We sat with a couple from Austin Texas and had a good time. We did fairly well but didn’t win. We didn’t have to hang our heads in shame that’s for sure. They want us to come this afternoon but there’s a talk on Copper Canyon at the same time so we’ll pass.
I went back to the cabin to finish the downloading of photos from yesterday and to get the technology stuff ready for upload.
The marketplace today
Svorsky crystals are on “sale” today along with the usual T-shirts and Huichul handicrafts. Nothing is tempting.
All things technological
Ed had taken the laptop to the internet café to discuss our problems with the tech there. We discussed it and decided trying to do things in the room was almost impossible and is wasting a lot of our time. So while Ed went to lunch, I went to the internet café.
It’s busy. One couple came in and the wife complains about everything related to the computer. She’s very demanding and the tech tells them to do something and they don’t do it exactly as he tells them so of course it doesn’t work and the woman becomes even more petulant. Finally logged on and had their email up. By then they had him there permanently essentially helping them do everything as if they personally paid him. God bless him.
Amy’s note:
I see the note about the movie Dear John opening. I’ll have to look it up when we are in town to see if I think they’ve done justice to the book.
This afternoon we have the econ lecture again and copper canyon. There are lots of other things going on and it’s hard to choose sometimes.
Tomorrow
We are in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. We have an afternoon tour that will take us into a village where they have many crafts and another area where the largest ox cart in the world is ready for our cameras.