Eretz Israel here we come

o.k. so not yet but in a few short days I will start doing laundry, then shopping (Ash has given me a list of items needed) and then we will pack and then we will be off.

Now when I last wrote about Ash in Israel (yes I know it has been a long time) I had mentioned that she was going to Ber'Sheva. Well that plan has changed and she is now living and working in Karmel (as Barry puts it 120 miles north of Jerusalem and 10 miles south of Lebenon). In the morning she is working in the morning she is working at the local elementary school and in the afternoon she is working in the Mercaz, at last conversation she does not know what she is doing in either place. But she is excited because The Bear and I will be coming to see her.

So when Sam was there just a few short years ago Bubbie and I went to visit it was a great trip my first Bubbie's third. We basically stayed in Jerusalem visiting with Sam and seeing the sights of the old city and other local hangouts. But this trip will be different... for starters Ashleigh has moved on to the second half of her year in Israel and she is no longer in Jerusalem, and second it is not my first trip but there are still so many new things for me to see. and third... The Bear will be with me and it is his first time in Israel.

So back to the plan, since Ash is in the north so we will be staying up there for a few days at a little bed and breakfast in Amirim called Eretz HaGalil and then we will be going down to Jerusalem for a few days including Shabbos. It is all starting to get very exciting as the plans come together. As I know more I will post.

Who's sleeping in my bed

yes I know it's me and the bear... but every night when we came back to our state room there was something new made of towels on our bed.



Everyone want's to know about our room. So we have the standard stateroom with a balcony we were on Deck 9 there was plenty of room it was very nice even the shower had plenty of room. Our room was located up towards the front of the ship right under the the helm. and when we were on the balcony of our room he could wave at us and we could wave at him...and we did on a regular basis.



so here are the lobsters, swans, bunny's stingrays, bats and hearts on our bed at the end of the day.

Food Wonderful Food 150 Central Park

I now understand how it is that people can go on a cruise one weight, still do a lot of walking and sightseeing and come home heaver than they started.


The Bear and I were discussing how great the specialty restaurants were and I said that all of the food was great it was just that Chops, 150 Central Park, Vintages and The Chefs Table were so amazingly fabulous that everything else paled by comparison.



So the first place we ate was 150 Central Park and yes you are looking at popcorn...carmel corn to be exact in my soup. Yes it was kind of weird for us to but then we tasted it and well who cared what it looked like because it was delicious.


But again I have gone out of order ... so here we are all dressed up and walking through Central Park on deck 8 when we
found 150 Central Park. The restaurant has warm rich interior and chairs that can create a very privet encounter even in the middle of the restaurant. We are created and offered a wine menu or the option of doing the chef's paring. This evening we did our choice and had a wonderful Ferari Carano Fume Blanc. So on our table was a covered dish that actually looked like a flower when I opened it we first thought it was salt and pepper but what we found out was that the miniature sour dough baguette was served with sweet cream butter and that these were actually 6 different salts from around the world each one having a distinctly different flavor. I was impressed enough with that part of the meal but then we had the soup Camembert and Lager with the popcorn crouton (still my favorite). Now this is a tasting menu which means that the Chef has created this and we get a taste of it all. It is actually wonderful because it is just enough to get the flavor and not to much that you feel full so you can go on to the next course (6 in total). By the time the evening was done we thought we had been fed the most wonderful meal and it couldn't get any better, boy were we wrong but more about that in the next post

Food Wonderful Food Chops

So here we are in Central Park again a little calypso music in the background, it is day 4 and we have been busy today.

We have finally gotten off the ship and spent the day touring St. Thomas (more about that in another blog).


It is time for another specialty dinner at The Chops Steakhouse and
I can't wait.

What a wonderful experience, we arrived at 7:30 to a quiet restaurant nestled in Central Park. You open the door and you are in a completely different world.

The first thing that hits you is the aroma ooohhhh so good. Then you are seated and they hand you a menu and you realize you are in trouble... way to many choices and each one looks better than the next.



The wait staff is no help if you can't decided and ask for a recommendation they tell it is all good and bring you both.



So now we move on to the main course and side dishes...again way to many decision but they are all good and yes the potato was that BIG.





Up to now each course is probably worth 2 laps of deck 5 (that will be explained in another post) but it was all delicious and we enjoyed it but now they brought the dessert menu and the waiter kept saying if you can't decide we will bring you both...I know he thought he was being helpful but I would be on deck 5 all night but it would be so worth it.

Food Wonderful Food Vintages

If you like to taste new and interesting wines (and we do) then Vintages (in Central Park) is a must. Not only is it a quaint warm and inviting area with over 150 different wines to taste it is also a Tappas bar. But what it really is, is just plain our favorite place on the ship after the chefs table. We actually went there on 3 different nights.

On Monday night we had some reds with some rustic hearty appetizers. My favorite is the cherry tomatoes mixed with some garlic ( how can it go wrong) basil, olive oil and tarragon and some toasted baguettes

then we came back on Wednesday for some of the whites... and we had some quecsos machengo along with them yes even Barry liked these whites.

on both Monday and Wednesday we just stopped for an appetizer before we went on the the main dinning room for dinner.

Which brings me to Friday when we just stayed at Vintages for the entire evening we started with some whites and then moved on to the reds and then it was Robert the Sommelier's choice. We also let him choose the tapas to go with each course it was a wonderful evening.

Food Wonderful Food ~ The Chefs Table

This is the meal that you always hear about and then when you are actually a part of it well it is everything you dream of.








On Wednesday we received a invitation in our state room from the chef inviting us to his table on Thursday the other dress up day. So a maximum of 10 couples (we were at the maximum) met in the library on deck 11 dinner would be held in the concierge lounge (a special area for those who are diamond members or have reserved a suite). The area was magnificent and the chandelier was quite unique. and that was the beginning of our experience each step of the way Maarten Smeets our Sous Chef would come come out and talk to us about the way he prepared the course, why he choose the ingredients and how we were suppose to eat it if there were any specific directions. Then Phillipe our Sommelier would tell us about the wine that was recommended and served with each course. it was an amazing meal and if you are ever offered a chance to
go you have to do it.

I want one