There we take a bus tour that’s part of our cruise package and wind our way up steep hills and around switchbacks.
We discover the Portuguese of Madeira are as skilled at building vertically as are the French of the Côte d’Azur and the Italians of the Amalfi Coast.
We follow our guide down exceedingly steep sidewalks and stairs to reach the home of Mr. Octavio, a well known local winemaker.
He and his family treat us with genuine hospitality. It’s never too early in the day for a few glasses of wine.
Cheers, Tom!
We learn that bananas are grown extensively here and spot bunches here and there. This crop has great appeal.
Brother Greg goes on a different tour that travels even higher and offers spectacular views, but we drink more wine, so it balances out.
So far we’ve dined three times in four evenings specialty restaurants. A favorite is Red Ginger. We know we’ve arrived when these splashy Versace charger plates are sitting in front of us.
The food is generally outstanding, from Tempura…
to Duck Watermelon Salad…
to Bulgogi Steak…
to desserts.
What else to love about Oceania? Baristas, the specialty coffee bar up on Deck 14. We start every day with a Cappuccino Doppio, a double-shot Cappuccino.
The only glaring negative so far is that one of the two aft elevators is permanently out of order until (rumors have it) a new elevator can be installed in the home port of Miami.
First world problem and we expect no sympathy.
The weather seems to be slowly improving.
Greg manages to secure us a second bonus night in Jacques, the French specialty restaurant named after celebrity chef Jacques Pepin. Our second dinner is superior to opening night’s offering, which suffers from dry and overcooked Prime Rib that several of us unfortunately select.
We choose wisely this time and hit the jackpot.
Incidentally. A highlight of Oceania is the quality of the baked goods (and the French butter).
Appetizers include Scallops Tartare…
Foie gras cold and hot…
Lobster Gnocchi…
Kathy and Brian savor our Dover Sole, an Oceania signature dish deboned and served tableside.
Among the classic dessert choices, some of us round off our meal with Crêpes Suzette.
We’ve picked up one more hour as we sail west, so Portugal’s 10:00 AM on embarkation day is now 8:00 AM, and we’re proud of ourselves for being up bright and early.
We’ve sadly confirmed that Lobster Tail are now only offered twice per cruise, rather than nightly, at the Terrace Café dinner buffet, and our favorite Wente California Cabernet Sauvignon has been removed from the wine-by-the-glass list. Still, like Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, we must “bear our misfortunes as best we can.”
It’s all good, and the newly-installed Starlink WiFi is the best we’ve ever experienced on a ship.
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