happy 2010

A mix of traditions and a toast for a new year that will hopefully be blessed with more good food, exciting travels and new adventures! This was our very simple new year's eve dinner. We had a comforting and spicy soup with black-eyed peas and thin sausage slices garnished with green onions, which is popularly known as Hoppin' John. I like having this with steamed white rice. I learned that it's usually eaten on New Year's day for good luck. To go with the soup, I also made some crispy springrolls. Fresh roll (called "pan de sal" in the Philippines) filled with pan-fried ham slices and edam cheese, was always my favorite New Year snack in the Philippines. My mother would always buy Chinese ham from a busy food store in downtown Manila. The cheese was usually aged gouda imported from Holland which has been a part of the Christmas season there for many years. A good sign that the holiday season has began is when groceries and markets start selling Chinese ham and round gouda cheese (dipped in red wax). Having this sandwich for New Year's eve will always remind me of Christmas in the Philippines. Fresh round fruits that the Filipinos believe to be for good luck is a favorite centerpiece for the table. Some like to have as many as thirteen different kinds of round fruits but for me, the number is not as important as the meaning it conveys. As for my husband and me, our New Year's eve wouldn't be complete without our traditional toast.

~ our quiet setting and simple new year's eve celebration ~ happy 2010!

cruise food highlights

Finally, as one of the highlights of the cruise, here are some of the good food served to us mostly at the main dining. Their capability to prepare and cook all the food was simply amazing. Aside from those served at the main dining, there was also non-stop cooking and serving at the all day buffet located at the upper deck. To think that they did this every single day, over and over, is just unbelievable. This was our fourth cruise (our second Christmas cruise) but I will continue to be amazed by the skills of the professional chefs and the hardworking kitchen staff in a cruise.

(1) salmon with crispy onion rings and snow peas (2) slices of braised beef with asparagus (3) grand marnier souffle (4) roast rack of lamb (5) spicy grilled chicken on top of Asian noodles with coconut cream sauce (6) dulce de leche cheesecake (7) asparagus and brie tart with arugula (8) banana creme brulee (9) grilled butterflied prawns with asparagus and sticky rice (10) coconut cream pie (11) lobster and shrimps served with yellow rice (12) smoked salmon appetizer (13) grilled skewered teriyaki chicken cubes served with white rice (14) crispy tortilla chips with a cheesy spinach dip (15) layered dark chocolate cake and chocolate mousse with dark chocolate shell on top.

a quiet day in Tortola

We docked early in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. This port was the least busiest of the other ports of call. Our shore excursion here was at 8 a.m. so we were out at the promenade deck before sunrise. The view was incredible, very calm with only a few sailboats passing by. We signed up to go on a morning hike to Sage Mountain National Park followed by a beach break. Our ship was scheduled to leave the port by 1 p.m. that day so our time at the excursion was limited. The hike in the rainforest was very interesting and not extremely tiring. From there, we continued to drive downhill to the beach. It was very laid back and relaxing. It was our first visit to the British Virgin Islands but hopefully not our last.

(1) a peaceful morning in Tortola (2) the view of the mountains and a few buildings from the ship (3) a secluded cove at the beach (4) my quiet spot at the beach was a perfect place for a nap (5) shiny rocks piled on the beach sand (6) exotic coco plums grow around Sage Mountain (7) lush elephant ear philodendron at the Sage Mountain National Park.

exploring Philipsburg & Marigot

(1) Old Street passageway in Philipsburg decorated for the holidays (2) a colorful restaurant that's hard to miss (3) bell at Oranje School (4) old Oranje School (5) a Catholic Church

It was our second time in Saint Marten, our next stop. We reached the port early allowing many of the passengers to get off the ship by 7 a.m. A convenient round trip ferry boat ride took us to Philipsburg in Saint Marten. We were supposed to join a shore excursion but it got cancelled so we just took a taxi to Marigot on the French side. Our plan for the day was uncomplicated. We just wanted to look around and find a good French restaurant for lunch. Dark rain clouds were forming as we headed back to the shopping and restaurant areas. The heavy rains which immediately followed made us think about the travel umbrellas in our cabin that we should have brought with us. It was a good decision to stay out of the rain and get some drinks at Le Vie en Rose, another restaurant we wouldn't hesistate to try. Unfortunately, their main dining is only open for dinner but we got very good recommendations from them for a French restaurant to try for lunch. I must say O'Plongeoir was the exact restaurant we were looking for. The food was great, the service was quick and the staff was friendly. It turned out to be quite a memorable meal. Despite the rains, it was an unforgettable and enjoyable day.

(1) local Marigot produce market (2) Serafina, a French pastry & bread shop (3) escargot appetizers (4) very fresh, light and airy French baguette slices were served with our meal (5) my green salad with grilled chicken strips, anchovies and crispy bacon was so good and full of flavor that I almost finished the entire serving (6) au gratin potaoes, roast duck (hidden behind the alfalfa garnish), served with a rich creamy dip, made us want to come back someday.

back in Saint Thomas

It was exciting to be back in St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands on Christmas day. The first time we came here, we visited Water Island where we joined a bike tour around the island. This time, we planned to go to another island, St. John. As part of the tour, we sailed on a small boat passing a few other islands along the way. Our guide also pointed to us a couple of vacation homes owned by well-known celebrities that were built on cliffs. I can just imagine the amazing views from their homes. When we got to St. John, we transferred to a tour bus which was more like a truck than a bus. Our tour guide and driver made sure that we see all the breathtaking views of the beach and mountains as we went up the hilly island. It was another fun day of discovery at a beautiful location.

(1) colorful Christmas lanterns we call "parols" at the Fiesta, a Filipino restaurant in St. Thomas (2) the boat which took us to St. John Island (3) Fiesta Restaurant where most Filipino crew from the cruise ships docked at St. Thomas go for a little R & R and for some good Filipino food (4) a quiet setting at one of our stops in St. John (5) shopper's paradise in St. Thomas (6) native rooster out on a morning stroll (7) these suntan flowers are also very common in the Philippines and it was nice to see them in St. John Island.

(1) a local snack bar in St. Thomas (2) breathtaking view from a high point in the island (3) a colorful tropical hut (4) bright pink bougainvilleas

our first visit to San Juan

After two long days of sailing, we finally reached our first port of call in Puerto Rico. We were ready to get off the ship to explore Old San Juan for the first time. We spent the day just walking to and around El Morro fort and other landmarks in the old city. The temperature was 82 degrees, sunny and very bright. It was a perfect day for a new adventure.

1) the Spanish fort of El Morro as seen from the ship's promenade deck. 2) San Juan, the capital city of Puerto Rico. 3) El Morro's thick walls. 4) a quiet and shady spot by the fort entrance.

We were hungry even before we started our stroll, so as soon as we passed by La Mallorquina restaurant located at the busy main street of San Justo, we didn't hesitate to stop for lunch. A full day of walking under the heat of the glowing sun left us thirsty and dry. Refreshing pineapple sorbet from a local vendor was a welcome treat.

1) the interior of La Mallorquina restaurant in Old San Juan. 2) asopao with chicken, a thick Puerto Rican soup cooked with rice and served with fried sweet plantains. 3) an appetizer plate of fried Spanish cheese. 4) Spanish flavors dominate this chorizo appetizer cooked in tomato sauce. 5) my plate of steaming hot yellow rice with crab was also served with fried sweet plantains. 6) a snack cart selling all kinds of native Puerto Rican snacks. 7) a local vendor selling fruit sorbets and shaved ice flavored with syrups. 8) refreshing scoops of pineapple sorbet 9) an old cobblestone street.

pre-cruise visit to Tampa

We spent two nights in Tampa before our cruise to the Caribbean. It was our first time in the city so it was a good opportunity for us to check out the attractions close to the port and also to unwind after the long drive. We stayed at Ybor City and had quiet strolls along the main street during the day.

It was a sunny day but a bit chilly when we visited the Florida Aquarium, one of the main attractions in Tampa, located just beside the port. The photo above was taken from the second level of the aquarium.

A giant stingray welcomes the visitor to the Florida Aquarium.

American Victory (above) ship docked at the port.

This streetcar (above) was a very convenient means of transportation around the city. As we crossed the street, we saw this weekend market. They were selling all kinds of food. There were an assortment of fruit preserves, rustic loaves of bread and fresh produce. Some stalls were offering handmade soaps, plants, jewelry and other interesting decorative items.

We had a late lunch at La Creperia at Ybor City. They had both sweet and savory crepes in their menu. I was torn between the sweet Nutella and banana crepe and the ham and cheese breakfast crepe. I finally decided to get the savory crepe. La Creperia has an all-day breakfast crepe menu as well. We also tried the the Spanish-Cuban food at Columbia restaurant in Ybor for dinner but didn't get the chance to take pictures there.

We also stopped by one of the biggest home furnishings store, IKEA. We weaved through the creative furniture displays inside the store, checking out a few interesting ideas as we went along. After the cruise, we remembered to stop by at IKEA once again to pick up a few food items from the grocery and to try the Swedish meatballs with lingonberry preserves for lunch.