Day Three

Today the recurring theme was beauty and food. Nicholas and I managed to sleep until 8 am this morning, which was a much needed treat and we started our morning with room service for breakfast.

Some of the chefs held a cooking demonstration this morning, and they drew quite a varied crowd of onlookers. They made Apple Strudel and a Penne with Gorgonzola White Wine Cream Sauce. The pasta smelled simply divine while it was cooking and given the crowd that had gathered, I figured my hopes of scoring a taste were slim and none, but surprisingly I got to try each. I will definitely be making the pasta recipe when we get home … the recipe is simple to make and the combination of the salty prosciutto, the creamy gorgonzola and the fresh basil were perfect. It would make a great company dish and is easy enough to make during the week. They distributed the recipe, and I’ll share it when I get back, I promise. They also had one of their chefs do a carving on a watermelon during the demonstration. It’s amazing what they can do with a simple paring knife. Their deft skills never cease to amaze me, and you’ll get a chance to see more of them when the Midnight Buffet occurs. The Head Chef spoke during the entire demonstration, sharing little tips about cooking and choosing ingredients. One thing that I found interesting was what he called “the great extra virgin olive oil conspiracy.” He said that extra virgin olive oil should only be used for cold stuff, more towards salad dressings and such, and we should use just regular olive oil for cooking. I managed to score an interview with one of the chefs and will be turning it into a magazine article, so stay tuned for that in the coming months.

This afternoon, I took the plunge and signed up for some spa treatments. Never having done the “spa thing” before, I figured this would be a good time to do some pampering. Heck, I barely even get manicures, so this was quite a treat for me. They were running a special and for $89, you could choose three treatments. I ended up going with the facial, eye spa treatment (perfect for getting rid of those undereye circles which I definitely have) and scalp massage. A quiet relaxing afternoon followed by nap time – sublime.

We love Peterson and Franky. Have I said that already? Yeah? Well, it bears repeating. Another dinner with excellent service, fruit cups waiting for the kids, and this time, the added bonus of crayons as well. At the end of the meal, Peterson shared pictures of his two-year-old son, Donovan. I don’t know how they manage the separation from their families. Their contract is for six months at sea, and then they have 2 months off before they’re back to work. I couldn’t do it, and admire their commitment.

Our day ended with a dip in the pool and the hot tub. The Husbands have disappeared upstairs to smoke cigars (blech) and watch sports on tv, while The Neighbor Wife and I are hanging out with the kids awaiting room service (late night munchies). This time, we got connecting cabins, so the kids are keeping busy playing back and forth between the two rooms.

Alright, we’re finally reaching our first of four destinations tomorrow, so it’s time for the first installment of Where in the World is Sweetnicks. The first person to correctly guess our stop tomorrow (in the comments section) wins a copy of Donna Hay’s Christmas book. This one is a perfect addition to your library, and is hard to come by (not even available on Amazon).

Your clues:

– Northern coast borders the Atlantic
– 56,000 population
– Beaches on the Southern coast skirt the Caribbean Sea
– Atlantic Standard Time
– Was once a pirate sanctuary

Good luck!

Until tomorrow…

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