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Author Archives: steve
The Weird World of Princess Cruises Food
I’m baffled by the mediocrity on-board the middle-brow cruise lines such as Princess. It’s not from a lack of quality ingredients: the ships hold produces amazingly fresh (albeit often previously frozen) lobster tails, lamb chops, beef, fruits and vegetables through … Continue reading
Posted in Dining
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Qaqortoq, Greenland
Greenland is a land of small towns, and this one’s population is about the same as the cruise ship’s. It was pretty funny watching 3000 passengers try to fit into the town’s only gift shop.
Posted in Greenland
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Polar Ice Cap
That dirty snow you see in the gap is the beginning of the polar ice cap. Check it out before it melts.
Posted in Greenland
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Ice Field
We traveled up a fjord in Greenland and found this ice field.
Posted in Greenland
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Iceberg
Cruising off the coast off Greenland we spotted several things: A large iceberg, whales (actually didn’t see these, but heard reports), and a bright object in the sky; we hear it’s called the sun. I liked this juxtaposition of Iceberg … Continue reading
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Crown Princess Chef’s Table
We had an interesting experience tonight after a quiet day at sea. The Crown Princess Chef’s table is a dinner for twelve offered three times during the cruise. It begins with a tour of the kitchen conducted by the ship’s … Continue reading
Not Quite Iceland
It looks like this is the closest we’re going to get to Iceland. Although we can’t really detect it on the ship, apparently there is a 35 knot wind blowing across the harbor entrance, which makes it impossible to dock. … Continue reading
At Sea
Somewhere in the North Atlantic. 15 foot swells, 35 knot gusts, but it’s a big ship, so not too rocky. Running late because the storm kept us in dull Dublin 24 hours extra, missing Belfast completely. Scheduled to get into … Continue reading
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Nowhere
We were supposed to be in Belfast today, but due to a 25 knot wind with 50 knot gusts and rain we stayed in Dublin overnight, and will depart for Iceland in stormy weather, skipping Belfast. Too bad, as I … Continue reading
Posted in Ireland
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Dublin
We visited Dublin two years ago on our Ireland/Scotland/England tour, and I tried hard to like the city, but it just never clicked for me. I had the same experience (and the same dreary, drizzly weather) this time. Pubs, a … Continue reading
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Cornwall
We awoke in the harbor at Fallmouth and tendered over (a slow process because of the small dock) for an hour drive to Lizard, the southernmost point of England. There we took a five-mile two-hour coastal hike along the perilous … Continue reading
Southampton
Today we bid farewell to London, and its extraordinarily nice weather during this week of gastronomic exploration. We had a painless transfer by private car to Southampton, a 90 minute drive south. The boarding procedures in the new terminal were … Continue reading
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
We had lunch at Benares, an Indian restaurant near our hotel. It’s run by a chef with one Michelin star. I was a bit disappointed, as I didn’t really find the food to be the creative twist on Indian cuisine … Continue reading
Love Never Dies But This Tooth Did
For the past month I’ve had sinus headaches and jaw aches, but when I went to my dentist at Starbase Dental last week he couldn’t identify a particular tooth that was the problem. He prescribed antibiotics and told me to … Continue reading
Maze
We tried another Gordon Ramsay restaurant for lunch, Maze. It was a short walk through Mayfair, a really charming part of the city. Maze is near all the embassies that cluster around Grosvenor Square. It’s fairly different from Petrus, more … Continue reading
Into The Woods
I was awakened by Linda informing me it was 11:30AM and we were about to miss our lunch reservation! A quick shower and short cab ride took us to Petrus, one of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants, where we had a leisurely, … Continue reading
Fleming’s Mayfair
I wasn’t sure about the place we booked. It sounded good, but you never know in England, where the rooms can be small and tired. But Flemings turned out to be a real gem. Just a couple minute cab ride … Continue reading
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The Gatwick Express
The Gatwick Express train from Gatwick Airport to Victoria Station runs non-stop and only takes about a half hour. It’s easy to buy tickets at the machines, but less confusing to buy them on the train.
Posted in England
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Food Fail
There’s something truly fascinating about the indescribable awfulness of airline food, especially the food on American-based airlines when they try to compete internationally. It begins right in the international departure lounge, where the cheese tray offers: Yes, that says it’s … Continue reading
England, Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, New York 2010
By Land and Air and Sea And so we set out for a three week adventure, first to London, then a peculiar repositioning cruise that will take us to odd places on the way back to New York. Our morning … Continue reading
Dragonfly Sushi
I spent today getting organized for my brief week back in Orlando, sorting mail, going to the office to pick up boxes (mostly wine and books), and getting AAA to jump start Linda’s car, which had a dead battery due … Continue reading
Leaving Evanston
So ends the summer in Evanston. We packed up, cleaned out the refrigerator and prepped the condo for a month of idleness, then headed to the airport. Not exactly traveling light, because I needed to get everything back to Orlando, … Continue reading
Mission Acomplished!
Dani took her chemistry final this morning. While she was away I put up the banner Jackie made for her. She was very surprised when she arrived home to find that, and my lame excuse at cake decorating. In all … Continue reading
NU Library
Today was my last day to walk around, so I wandered up through the Northwestern campus and visited the library, which is really, really large. And confusing. The three towers are linked in a very unintuitive way on all but … Continue reading
Posted in Books and Writing, Cooking, Evanston
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Bombay Indian Grill and Merle’s #1 Barbecue
For lunch I was going to try the local JK Sweets, which is the bizarre combination of an ice cream parlor and Korean restaurant, but it looks like they’re on vacation. So I walked over to Sherman and on a … Continue reading
Winding Down
This week I’m beginning to get ready for the return to Orlando. I have mixed feelings, as I’ve loved spending the summer with Dani in Evanston, but it will be nice to see Linda again, and I’m sure we’ll all … Continue reading
Al’s Deli
It really is true that you need to live in a place for a while to discover its secrets. I’ve been in Evanston for two months, yet it’s only in the past two days that I’ve happened upon two of … Continue reading
Posted in Books and Writing, Dining, Evanston
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Bistro Bordeaux
After a quiet morning reading, we went to Kansaku for lunch. I recently read Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, and Getting the Girl by Markus Zusak, and I’m now reading his I Am The Messenger on Kindle … Continue reading
Sepia
Dani spent the day writing new material for The Last Telepath. It’s very vivid. Tonight we went to Sepia, which was recommended to me by Scott Joseph. What a different experience from last night at Graham Elliot! We could actually … Continue reading
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Graham Elliot
This morning while Dani was taking her midterm I unlocked Jackie’s bike from its parking meter and examined what was keeping the front wheel from turning. Not only was the hand brake pressed against it, but the wheel was bent. … Continue reading
Posted in Books and Writing, Dining, Evanston
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