Cafes and
Scooters (part 3)
by Jerry Guarino
My first cruise! Before we
got to the cafes and scooters, we boarded a
cruise ship in Barcelona. I didn’t realize
there were all these activities on board. There
was a walking deck on the top level, with ocean
views and the salty air aroma, as well as a gym
with workout machines. Beyond those, a ship
offers endless miles of walking space. That’s
fortunate because a cruise ship is a non-stop
buffet.
We begin our day with
breakfast, with the plethora of offerings of
omelets, fruit, meats, hot and cold cereals and
the best French toast I’ve ever had,
including when we were in France (a close second
called Kozy, excellent). They used brioche or
panettone with cream and spices (I’m still
trying to find the exact recipe). But that’s
just breakfast. During the day, you can have
almost anything you like. At night, there are
specialty restaurants with gourmet Italian, Asian,
Steakhouse and Seafood delights. Often, you meet
others who have interesting backgrounds and
stories to tell.
At the steakhouse, we sat
next to an Asian couple, a biomedical doctor and
his wife. I don’t drink, but he did and
after a couple of hours, he was inviting us to
visit and stay with him in San Diego, one of my
favorite cities. We reciprocated for our home in
the Pacific Northwest and took contact
information. While we had a delightful time, we
never followed up and I didn’t want to take
advantage of his kind invitation.
Another day, we had
afternoon tea, guided by Darren McGrady (via
video), the chef for the royal palace, on how he
made scones for the queen. Here is the
recipe for these perfect scones. https://cafestories.net/recipes Now we make scones for ourselves
and guests.
At a port in Rome, we had a
chance to make pizzas with experts in a charming
restaurant. Those pizza recipes are also at that
link above. So, the gastronomical adventure
continues. At each stop in Barcelona, France,
Italy and London, we had great meals, but I won’t
describe them here. Just imagine the best food
you ever had for reasonable prices—Shepherd’s
pie in London, crepes in Paris and great pasta
dishes in Rome. My wife had croissants every day,
while I preferred pastries. Gelato is required in
most countries. Italy and France had the best,
but always get the price before ordering.
But of course, a cruise
ship offers much more. Dozens of hot tubs and
pools, places to lie in the sun and even a casino.
Many people spend time there, but I don’t
gamble. No worries, I never had to pass through
it. Oh, but there are shops. Especially on days
the ship is at sea, you can spend hundreds to
thousands of dollars on luxury items, from liquor
to jewelry to clothing. They had raffles to pull
people in. I bought a nice Tommy Bahamas shirt (overpriced,
of course), but I wear it often in the summer.
I used to criticize cruises
as a needless expense, but I’m a convert. We
are looking forward to another cruise soon. If
you combine it with some stays in countries, like
we did, it’s a life-altering experience.
But there is one thing I’ll
never forget about our European trip. The French
Toast!
Cafes
and Scooters (part 3) by Jerry Guarino
Copyright June 2025 – All Rights Reserved
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