Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Two

[jpalbny]

Here are a few pictures of the climb. I may be biased but the view at the top was quite pretty, I thought! :D

 

 

The climb and more scenery:

 

 

Very old steps:

 

 

Nice view of the cathedral and baptistery:

 

 

Jeff, you may well have a point. I haven't taken the elevators at work in 10 years. My office is on the 7th floor (and it was on the 8th floor a few years ago). So there are some health benefits to stair climbing...

Edited February 22, 2016 by jpalbny

[UKCruiseJeff]

:D

 

Nice piccies!

 

So what did you do to the ground floor in order to get the 8th floor become the 7th floor!

 

:eek:

 

Jeff

[jpalbny]

We introduced the European convention of floor numbering... ;)

 

Just moved offices one floor down. Will probably move back to 8 in a few months. Have to get my legs back into shape...tall stories at work, at least 19 steps per story!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Last night's supper. Thai Chilli Shrimp (prawns ...) with La Boite Blanc de la Maison.

 

EDITED: I missed that picture of the duck last night. That looks delish .... and that duck shows great skill if you don't mind me saying so. JP. :)

 

Jeff

 

Edited February 22, 2016 by UKCruiseJeff

[jpalbny]

Thanks Jeff. It has taken a few tries to get comfortable cooking duck breast, so that it comes out the way we like it. I'm getting better at it, and learning to judge doneness by feel.

 

I've found that I have to first cook it skin-side down, and leave it there sizzling for a much longer time than you think, to get the crispy skin with rendered fat. Then, flip it and start feeling for doneness after a minute or two, depending on size. When it starts firming up, remove from the pan and let it rest a few minutes. Slice and enjoy!

 

Your shrimp are making me hungry! Think I'll roast a pork loin for dinner tonight, then get the duck ragu ready for tomorrow.

 

Hope all the coolers are well! Has anyone heard from Terry since he left Africa? He's probably still jet-lagged! :)

Edited February 22, 2016 by jpalbny

[les37b]

Cheers for the replies on Livorno guys.

 

Its definitely Florence we'd like to get to. I'm not convinced Pisa is on the menu, though I guess it would be easy to stop there on the train for an hour before going on to Florence. (Or doing in reverse.)

 

I'm effectively trying to cut costs. It would seem the return train fare is 19 Euros. There doesn't seem much point in doing a bus transfer for 75 Euros, when nothing extra is provided.

 

Our first trip is on the Wind, so will be nigh impossible to get an 8 seater tour share with our 2 passengers, hence wanting to find out the destination of the Silversea courtesy bus. From comments elsewhere, it would seem the taxi drivers want 25 euros each way just to get to the train station 1 1/2 miles away. If we did get stung on that, I probably would attempt to do a tour. (out of principle - I hate being taken "when you have no alternatives", which these taxi drivers are doing. This is why finding this info was important - especially with the 12 Euro shuttle cost on the second trip just to get to the gates.

 

For the second trip, the kids are coming too... so those tour prices get doubled!

 

In truth, where we have easy public transport options, I'd always do that. (I'll be doing the same for Rome and Sorrento - but a tour from Naples as its cheap and only way to get to Herculeneum, Pompei and Vesuvius. Messina will probably be a tour as well.)

 

Taking 2 cruises within a couple of months of each other and with the kids..... some corners need to be cut

[UKCruiseJeff]

Les, absolutely nothing wrong with optimising budget! That is clever. Enjoy Florence and I hope you get your answers.

 

:)

 

Jeff

[UKCruiseJeff]

Todays's lunch! Sea Bass fillets with a light sweet Thai Green Curry sauce and some home made country bread. Not very good piccies but I ended up really enjoying the bread and wine .....

 

:)

 

Jeff

 

 

 

[UKCruiseJeff]

Thanks Jeff. It has taken a few tries to get comfortable cooking duck breast, so that it comes out the way we like it. I'm getting better at it, and learning to judge doneness by feel.

 

I've found that I have to first cook it skin-side down, and leave it there sizzling for a much longer time than you think, to get the crispy skin with rendered fat. Then, flip it and start feeling for doneness after a minute or two, depending on size. When it starts firming up, remove from the pan and let it rest a few minutes. Slice and enjoy!

 

Your shrimp are making me hungry! Think I'll roast a pork loin for dinner tonight, then get the duck ragu ready for tomorrow.

 

Hope all the coolers are well! Has anyone heard from Terry since he left Africa? He's probably still jet-lagged! :)

 

Hi JP,

 

No Terry has dumped us. Doesn't like sharing this thread when he can start his own. :rolleyes:

 

Re Duck and things. The best thing I do which I rarely read others get passionate about is to use my temperature probe on virtually everything I cook. Including even the sea bass today. I wish I understood why more chefs on TV don't talk about it. They talk about cooking steak and using the finger hand firmness test, but how much easier and more accurate to use a probe? :confused: I think it is an idiotic macho thing. "Men don't use probes but do it by time or touch". Anyway I feel very strongly about it because quality isn't about inconsistency it's about consistency and the way you get the best every time is to understand what temperature you like your protein to be and then always cook it to just below and let it rest to be that exact temperature you want by using a probe every time. No dissapointments that way and everyone gets exactly what they want every time. Glad I go that off my chest.

 

You mention pork, I'm still thinking of the Shanghai Braised Pork Belly I made a week or so back. Wifey thinks it is the nicest Asian meal I have prepared. Can't resist posting a piccy again!

 

Jeff

 

[jpalbny]

I think Terry is still recovering from the trip. He hasn't posted in his own thread either, so I'm sure he'll come back to talk to us soon!

 

RE: cooking and temperature measurement, you are have a good point. I should, but I'm too cheap to buy an instant read thermometer with a very thin probe. They run at least $80 when I've seen them.

 

I have one that attaches to a receptacle in the oven that I used while roasting a nice pork loin tonight (I always use one for roasting meat).

 

I don't like to use my cooking thermometer when grilling or pan-sauteeing, as it leaves big holes and the juices splatter all over. Ruins the aesthetic! You could make the equally valid point that overdone meat ruins things equally... When I get over being a cheapskate, maybe I'll get one.

Edited February 23, 2016 by jpalbny

[UKCruiseJeff]

JP,

 

I never cook chicken or steaks or lamb, fish etc without using a probe and it doesn't leave holes and no juice is ever lost. It's a small hole you cannot see. I always cook steaks for example to 115 to 117 and let it stand for a while to let it reach 120 to 125 ie ie exactly "rare". Lamb is always 140 ie medium and chicken is cooked to it's safe temperature of 165.

 

After you've bought one you'll wonder why it too you so long .... the key is to buy a decent one that is fast.:)

 

Jeff

[UKCruiseJeff]

[TLCOhio]

I think Terry is still recovering from the trip. He hasn't posted in his own thread either, so I'm sure he'll come back to talk to us soon!

 

YES, am back, alive and well!! Slept till 6 am this morning, which is good given that my body had gotten adjusted ahead to a seven hour time difference. Just posted more on my live/blog.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 136,564 views for this posting.

[Catlover54]

Here are a few pictures of the climb. I may be biased but the view at the top was quite pretty, I thought! :D

 

 

The climb and more scenery:

 

 

Very old steps:

 

 

Nice view of the cathedral and baptistery:

 

 

Jeff, you may well have a point. I haven't taken the elevators at work in 10 years. My office is on the 7th floor (and it was on the 8th floor a few years ago). So there are some health benefits to stair climbing...

 

JP, I totally understand your desire to climb up, if there is somewhere to climb. DH and I always made a point of hiking up towers, peaks, and churches while traveling, if there were any, not only to enjoy the view from the top, but to get the endorphin rush of exercize. Weight control was not an issue then.

Before my health suddenly changed a few years ago, relegating me to the physically less challenging world of cruising, we routinely did small group organized luxury hiking trips with companies such as Backroads and Butterfield Robinson ( they also do biking) where everyone tried to outdo each other on climbing higher, then would have communal gourmet dinners and spent the evening talking about food and wine. You and Chris seem ideally suited for those kind of trips, and shared climbs!

 

Your Pisa pix remind me of my trek up the tower with my mom as a little girl, no lines, when there were no guard rails or fall protectors between the columns and I easily walked within inches of the edge and when combined with the discombobulated feeling of the tilt, made me think I would most certainly fall off. No tort lawyers to speak of in Italy back then, so even without fencing, everyone just relied on common sense not to have them or their kids walk off the edge. As an adult, decades later, the tower was less impressive when I went back, but worth seeing if never done before if you can stand the lines.

Edited February 23, 2016 by Catlover54

[UKCruiseJeff]

Lovely post catlover, and a timely reminder to slothes like me that you should never take for granted mobility we have when a touch younger and just about to move around under one's own steam, because when it goes, it goes.

 

Your memories of Pisa from times past, and pre-compensation-for-everything times are great.

 

:)

 

Jeff

[jpalbny]

Catlover54, thanks for your post, and sharing those memories! That's how we travel now, though we like to mix in some "slower" relaxing trips, such as cruises, part of the time. On our last few trips to Germany we climbed so many church towers, we thought our legs would drop off! We even climbed the one in Ulm with over 700 steps.

 

We haven't ever tried an organized (guided) hiking or biking trip. Will have to check that out. We have always preferred to do that on our own so we can go at our pace. But it requires a lot of planning, and also requires the courage to strike out on our own. So far, that hasn't been a problem, but I'm sure that in some places it would be better to have a group and a guide. I suspect that we'll be guided when we go hiking in Madagascar this fall.

 

We're getting together with our group of 8 this weekend. Looking forward to seeing everyone and catching up, finalizing plans for Madagascar in October, and having some preliminary discussions for our 2017 group trip. Looks like a Mekong River cruise is in the future. :D

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

We were in port at Thursday Island, Australia on February 22. Once again, extremely hot and humid. We did not have a tour from this port so we just walked around this sleepy place. Here is the welcome sign on the wharf.

 

 

And here is a view from the wharf.

 

 

After a sea day yesterday, we docked in Darwin, Australia this morning. Myster has gone of on a "Jumping Crocodiles" tour. He has taken the camera with him. Pictures may follow.

 

Have a great day/evening all!

[specialcruisegirl]

As the adventure continues its lovely to see your pics Mysty....Jumping Croc pics will be fun!!

 

Cooking here is not good as l currently have little appetite, but l paid a visit to my local butcher yesterday and bought some of his home baked ham which is delicious teamed up with his wife's beetroot chutney...can't beat local fayre.

 

Father is about to be moved to the rehab stage so quite busy right now co ordinating with the powers that be....give me strength..[emoji6]

 

Finally got time this week to pay my dressmaker a visit for various alterations to be done for the looming voyage...I've lost a good 12llb so lots to be sorted or I'll be looking like a bag lady!! [emoji15]

 

Sophia [emoji5]

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Thanks Sophia!

 

Today is a sea day en route to Bali. Here are a couple of pics from Myster's Jumping Crocodile excursion.

 

 

 

Have a great day/evening all!

[jpalbny]

Wow! That looks pretty wild... I hope those crocs don't try to jump in the boat!

[spinnaker2]

Sophia

only 46 days to go

but who's counting :-).

The travel journal is available for download and printing(should you want to do so...a lot of wasted pages of repetitive stuff, for the sake of paper conservation I would select only certain pages to print) on MySilversea website. I have already made dinner reservations and excursion selections.

 

Mysty,

Gotta love the flying crocs. Those animals can do a lot of things. Just ask Peter Pan and Captain Hook.

 

I have been sorting through books in my library to give away. It is very hard to find anywhere that actually wants print. There is a bookstore here in town that takes the books and resells them to benefit a university. People actually drive many hours to bring them books, a worthwhile cause. I once made the mistake of offering my neighbor some mystery books, he promptly advised he only reads a kindle and would have no use for any books. How sad. I have a kindle but I only use it for travel, otherwise I like to hold a real book, feel the paper and enjoy the weight of it.

 

Enjoy the day.

 

May all have the gift of Asbestos Gelos.

[specialcruisegirl]

Spins.......I'm counting [emoji6] I haven't done any forward planning at all as I'll just be glad to make the voyage!!

 

Many many years ago whilst on holiday in Fla we took a private air boat ride on the Everglades.....as l was sat by the guide he gave me a bag of marshmallows.....which l proceeded to eat until he told me that they were for the alligators....whoops...DD though it quite hilarious..... I was mortified especially when one such beast rose from the swamp waiting for the said treat!

 

I also take my kindle books for reading when at sea but l still love holding a real book...most of which are still in boxes following last years move.....study project is last on the list!!

 

Sophia [emoji5]

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[gacruisergal]

I laughed over your marshmallow story...............Having lived near or on golf courses for many years, I am well versed with the love of marshmallows by gators.................unfortunately, golf balls and marshmallows look alike to these fellows and I have lost many of the expensive ones to a very large fellow who swallows then whole thinking they are a treat!

[Mark_K]

Mysty,

 

Loving your pics. You're really making me wish I could figure out a way to do a world cruise.

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers! Thanks all for your continued interest! Myster was very pleased with the Jumping Crocs excursion! None of the crocs attempted contact with anything other than the dangling piece of meat (apparently part of a pig head).

 

I also use a kindle for travel and "real" books at home. And no one wants the used "real" books. Even the library will not take them. Sad really!

 

Mark....This adventure will probably be our one kick at the can. And I have to say that I would highly recommend the experience!

 

Today is a sea day.....