SECOND SEA DAY IN A ROW

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AT LAST WIFI IS BACK. HELLO ALL!


Another lovely sleep in, today until 7:30. It is still grey out there but the seas have calmed. Found myself a $10 watch to replace the one I lost. At lunch today I met two ladies who live in Nairobi, actually the outskirts of Nairobi because no one lives right in the city. A mother and daughter originally from San Francisco, who moved to Kenya in the mid seventies, came back to the states and then returned to Kenya where they plan to end their days. They are very interesting women and deeply love their African home. They have visited 43 of the 54 African countries.
Went up in the Crow’s Nest to read and watch the arctic terns circle the bow of the ship and then went back to the cabin in curl up in a blanket. The fog broke and we entered onto bright sunshine and blue skies. It was brilliant and so very welcome.
This afternoon I enjoyed a premium wine tasting in the Pinnacle Grill. We sampled six different wines with paring of tidbits of food. The first was Mumm Gordon Rouge Brut, Champaign from France. For Champaign it wasn’t too bad. Next was a Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. It had an interesting nose but was to dry for my taste. A Laboure Roi Pouilly Fuisse from France followed. This is made from the Chardonnay grape and used to be one of my favorites. Now, next to the fruit forward taste of Australian and Californian Chardonnay I find bland and uninteresting.
On to the reds and a Chianti Castiglioni Frescobaldi from the Tuscany region of Italy. This was a full-bodied ruby red wine with legs like the Rockettes and a full-bodied taste. Next to last was a Silverado Cabernet Sauvignon from California that took my breath away. It was complex, fruit forward with hints of vanilla and raspberries. From nose to aftertaste it was by far the best of all.
Finally we tasted a Port, W & J Grahams Six Grapes, from Portugal that was OK for a port I guess.
The standout of the day was from the good old USA! If was a fun afternoon and I learned a bit about wine and wine and food parings. Smoke and Oak go well together, for example smoked or barbequed food and a wine finished in an oak barrel. Fish or fatty foods are enhanced by acidic wines that breakdown the fat and release the flavors.
After the wine tasting it was naptime and I may have even got a tan at the same time with the brilliant sun shining in the window.
Dinner was meat loaf, very tasty and chilled leek and potato soup and you know what.
No poker game tonight so I enjoyed the show instead. Mark O’Malley has a glorious voice and an energetic stage presence. His musical theater selections are much more successful than his rock ones.
If is daylight outside at 11:00pm and it will remain that way for the next few days. Tomorrow we visit Ny Alesund on the island of Spitsbergen, the northernmost settlement in the world and maybe see a polar bear.
Today’s tidbit of information; A Champaign cork from the bottle travels at 38 meters and can easily inflict damage if it hits someone.

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