World Cruise #9

World Cruise 2018 #10 Gayle  Wed, Jul 18, 2018 

Hello once again, Today we cruised three beautiful sounds on the southwest coast of New Zealand.  Photo number one has a good explanation of the gorgeous area.  Rarely do I wish to have back our sailboat but cruising here looked like it would be stellar.  I won’t write much about that, nothing much to say except WOW.  And we had the best weather.  Others who had visited before kept telling us how lucky we were.  

It was a bit cool and they served their famous Dutch Pea Soup out on the bow.  It’s really good. 

 We had another Celebrity Chef Dinner that evening in the Pinnacle.  The beautiful glass door in the photos is at the Pinnacle entrance.  I don’t have any photos but Chef Mitchell Phillip Taits is from New Zealand and he in pictures with us a couple nights later at Sip and Savor.  

At the dinner we were seated with two couples with the same name, Bob and Judy and Bob and Judy (makes it easy) and Lauren who is the girlfriend of the Chef.  She is 23 and from Britain and a character!!  And also Abbey, the American Test Kitchen chef, that we already know and love.  It was a fun dinner with venison as the main course.  Yum. 

 We were on our way across the Tasman Sea to Sydney, Australia, where we were to say goodbye to John and Mary.  Luckily we had a Wines of the World that next day and really had a crazy time with those two.  Kathy from Sip and Savor joined us as well and I believe Marshall was there for at least a while.  John had us all in stitches.  Gonna miss those two. 

 Our last sea day before Sydney we had a Sip and Savor that was very fun.  The “Savor” was prepared by Chef Mitchell Phillip Taits and he and Lauren stayed with our little group after and drank lots of wine.  This was one of the occasions that the Jacques, the head wine guy, brought us a bottle of wine.  

This was almost John and Mary’s last night (they actually left the second Sydney day) and Joyce had been making a scarf that she planned to give to Mary.  We usually would see them up at the Crow’s Nest before dinner but that night they weren’t there.  So, we just went to their table in the dining room.  Unlike us, they had a regular seating.....we were wanderers..lol.  They insisted that we join them which was not a tough sell.  

So, Mary got her scarf and it even matched what she was wearing.  After our dinner we all decided a drink was in order rather than go to the show.  We went to their room and John was all excited and proud of the booze he’s been able to buy at the duty free shop since they were departing.  Did Joyce want some?  Why ever not. 

So, John makes two trips to the Duty Free Shop (not sure how this all happened) and somehow Joyce winds up with four bottles of Scotch.  Bloody Hell, as they say in the land down under!  I may have to learn to drink scotch.  

We made plans to see them the next day for fun in Sydney and morning came too early as I recall.  They’re so much fun. I hope they decide to go on the Tales of the South Pacific next year with all of us.  

More to come, Gayle