April 30, A Day Like No Other

Today started out like any other day at sea. We decided to have a late breakfast in our room, so we ordered room service around 10 o’clock. After eating, I suggested that we go to the gym to get some exercise. Doug agreed and thought that it was a great idea. We started our workout with slow walks on the treadmill to loosen up our muscles. After that both of us worked with a few weights and I started riding a stationary bike. While I was on the bike, Doug came and sat next to me to say that he was exhausted and tired. He wanted to go to the room to rest a little before doing anything else. I got off the bike, only to witness Doug passing out and having to be taken to the Medical Center for evaluation.

Everything was fine, his blood pressure was normal and so was his blood sugar levels. As he told me before he passed out, “I guess that my body just isn’t up to a regular exercise routine”. How prophetic he was.

After the work up in the Medical Center, Doug was discharged and he spent the rest of the day knocked out in our cabin. I stayed with him at the Medical Center and while he was sleeping, until he encouraged me to go get something to eat at the Concierge Level; and he encouraged me to go to dinner at Wonderland, since we had reservations for tonight. I did follow his advice, but I brought him some soup from the main dining room before I left for dinner.

Dinner at Wonderland is hard to explain. Wonderland is this highly sought after restaurant that prides itself on creative cuisine. Most of the recipes are deconstructed versions of a more familiar dish, and they are done in a fantastical, magical style. The magic started with the menu that had to be brought to life by brushing it with magical water which made the invisible ink reveal the items on the menu. Here is a copy of the menu along with the brush and the “magic” solution.

(The Wonderland menu, revealed after painting the paper with a "magic solution".)

(The magic solution and paintbrush used to reveal Patrise's menu in Wonderland.)

After I retrieved my menu, I selected the Crispy Crab Cone and the Shrimp Kataifi as my appetizers and the Terroir Beef as my entrée. This beef dish was a short rib which was succulent! It was served on a glass plate with dollops of seasoned root vegetables, including beets, celery root, and carrots. It also included whipped mashed potatoes and 2 dollops of applesauce. The dessert was a raspberry mouse coated in a red gel that was shaped as an apple along with cookie crumbs. The flavors were delicious, but I am afraid that everything was a little too out there for me. It is a restaurant that I would not recommend enjoying again.

When I returned upstairs from dinner, Doug had finished his soup and was feeling better. The two of us retired for the evening. Tomorrow will be a better day!