Oct 24.2009 - Monaco Overnight

DKP : By late afternoon we received a suprising bit of news... the Captain pulled a few favors and got us a spot at the pier in Monaco later in the afternoon - an overnight in Monaco - what a gift, all were thrilled. We quickly pieced together a group of our Dining Room cohorts and took off into the night after dinner service subsided.

We spent the evening strolling through one of the classiest and most expensive Carnival's I've ever experienced, then made our way to a neighborhood restaurant where we enjoyed bad red wine and portions sized for a family of 4. We thought Americans were the purveyors of "over" portions... a Beef Carpaccio starter on a platter for 6, plate size Steaks so thick they couldn't be cooked all the way through, a flying saucer bowl/plate combo filled to the brim with Gorgonzola Ravioli. Needless to say we ordered one Tiramasu for the entire table of 8, which was more than enough.

The food was actually very tasty and even though the wine was nothing to rememer, the laughter and stories ensued and we found ourselves IN the very thing we value most... time with good friends, appreciating every moment we had together, off the ship and away from the hectic work schedules. For me there's nothing like seeing my Dining Room friends being served themselves :-) There's also something very comforting eating with "food" people, like our friend (award winning chef and wine seller) Doug Ahlstrand, back home. It's one of my favorite experiences in life. You don't have to think, you just experience, a mini-vacation in a way and one of the best ways to enjoy friends.