The ship hit Naples as the last port of call. With all the classes and demos finished, we had the entire day free. Mike had been out to Pompeii, and we briefly discussed that option. But then we realized that with three massive cruise ships at the dock, there would be nothing but … [Read more...] about Lunch on Capri
Tea in Tunisia
We spent Mike’s 45th birthday in Africa, hanging out in 100+ degree heat in the ancient city of Carthage. This was our first real “shore excursion” experience, one of those ghastly ordeals where they load up cruisers like cattle onto large air-conditioned tour buses and ship them … [Read more...] about Tea in Tunisia
Recipe: Paella Valencia
Paella occupies a special place in my heart. It was the subject of the first food story that I ever had published. Determined to get the recipes from the dueling chefs that I interviewed right, I ended up making paella more than nine times in the course of three weeks. When I … [Read more...] about Recipe: Paella Valencia
Barcelona
Mike and I got engaged in Barcelona on St. Patrick's Day in 2004. Neither of us will never forget the date; newly engaged, we emerged from our hotel greeted by Spaniards in enormous Guinness beer hats. After I spent the morning writing, we headed straight for the Sagrada Familia, … [Read more...] about Barcelona
What does a guest chef do, anyway?
For this cruise, I’m contracted to put together two demonstrations and two hands-on classes. It doesn’t sound like much, but it's still a lot of work. The demonstrations make up part of the at-sea offerings aimed to keep the 1,981 guests amused while the boat lumbers onto the … [Read more...] about What does a guest chef do, anyway?
