Month: January 2011 (Page 3 of 4)

by Chris Owen

After a 12-day Alaskan tour on the Coral Princess, followed by a two-day ride on the Norwegian Epic, the thought occurred to me:

“There has GOT to be some way to go on one of these things and NOT gain weight.”

I have tried all the normal suggestions; use the stairs instead of the elevators, stay away from the buffets, and continue exercising at sea as you would on land. That was all fine and dandy when the cruise first started, but after the first day or so, lazy feet wanted the elevator, a demanding belly wanted more desserts, and those bars were too conveniently located.

I thought long and hard about a truly effective plan of action, and came up with the following suggestions to spare you a few hours at the gym shedding that cruise-bulge.

1)       Weigh yourself every day. It keeps you body-conscious and has the added benefit of forcing you to make the trek to the fitness center where the scales are. The short walk to the gym alone won’t help you, so make sure that you track what you eat. Keep a notebook and write down everything you consume. iPhone users can keep track of this  easily with the “Lose It” app. Begin tracking your healthy habits before you depart, and resolve to stick with them as closely as you can on your cruise.

2.)     Try not to stray from your normal routine. Don’t forget that you are on vacation, so by all means, indulge a bit. It’s not often that such culinary variety and quality are right at your fingertips, but limit your indulgences in portion and frequency. Pick dining times closest to when you eat at home (the Open Seating dining option is good for this). Get up early to see the sun rise over the ocean, stay up late to dance the night away (exercise) or see an unspoiled view of the stars. You can always nap in the middle of the day, maybe even on deck as the waves and breeze lull you to sleep. Do whatever you must to make sure you aren’t too tired to take those stairs!

3.)     Eat 5 or 6 meals a day, 3 is not enough. Many nutritionists and medical professionals agree that eating many small meals a day is better than eating three big ones. The metabolism boost that new food gives your body is substantial. What better place to test that theory? With 24-hour buffets and room service, you don’t even have to lift a finger to do so. Keep the meals nutrient rich (veggies, lean meat, fruit, whole grains, etc) and between 200 and 300 calories depending on your required daily caloric intake.

             (You can calculate this information at http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm)

4.)     Begin good eating habits now. If you haven’t established good eating habits off-ship, you probably won’t have good eating habits on the ship. Hopefully you planned your cruise far in advance and have time to determine what diet and exercise plan is best for maintaining a healthy body. It also gives you time to scour the Internet for previous dining menus so that you have an idea of what to expect. There are plenty of opportunities for exercise and activity on and off-ship. Opt for a walking tour of a port town versus a bus tour. Plan your day around activities that require movement.

Staying trim on a cruise takes a little planning, but it can be done. After all, vacations are supposed to leave you feeling rejuvenated and energetic—not bloated and regretful. Imagine looking back at those vacation pictures; will you be overcome with fond memories, or will you curse yourself for repeatedly over-indulging in the bread basket at dinner?

You can have your cake and eat it too, just remember to stop after a few bites.

About Chris Owen

Chris Owen is a travel writer, blogger and agent from Orlando Florida charged with sharing frank, inside information on cruise vacations with travelers.  A graduate of Washburn University in Topeka Kansas, Chris moved to Florida after successful careers in the restaurant and newspaper business to focus singly on travel with a concentration on cruise vacations.  Certified a Master Cruise Counselor by the Cruise Lines International Association, Chris can be found via his popular cruise vacations column on Examiner.com, through his blog, ChrisCruises.net and on his long-running cruise information website, YourCruiseDream.com. 

by Peggy Markel

My mother had a poster on the back of the bathroom door when I was young, of a woman foraging through a brass market. “Majorca” (the Americanized spelling) was written on it. Although the name confused me, I remember letting it roll around my tongue. I loved the sound of it. Some years later, I learned of its origin in the Balearic Sea. Now, I was headed there, at the invitation of a friend. Mediterranean islands float my boat, but these islands are not off the coast of Italy; instead they lie off of the coast of Spain in a neighboring sea.

Pleasantly surprised, the food on Mallorca is super. I won’t say superb, as it would give the wrong impression. There is an attention to the food that is most definitely “Mallorquin” and distinguishes itself from mainland Spain.  Everything is most definitely local. When they say “lechona”, they mean the suckling pig from the farmer down the road. Tender, juicy, and dripping with crackling fat, the tradition is to dip it in aioli, a garlicky, olive oil-based mayonnaise. I knew I was in trouble. 5 days on this island would be all I could take.

The covered marketplace near our neighborhood of Santa Catalina in Palma, offered an array of local fare. There were three stalls that stood out and grabbed me instantly. The first was the corner café for ‘caffé con leche’. It was a long, narrow bar that barely left room for the barista, yet small wooden tables were still crowded inside. It strikes me how we love to be in the thick of things. Men were already drinking at 9 in the morning. A couple was exchanging intimate stories while stirring spoonfuls of sugar into their coffee, while my friend and I, bellied up to the bar. Old bars tell stories and bartenders know exactly what you want if you come a second time. They place things in front of you without asking. You don’t challenge their intuition, you gesture thanks with a nod.  Old men inevitably stand around with a cane, a hat and a dangling cigarette. Their clothes are still from the 50’s.

The other stalls are no less intriguing. One couple sells dried local figs, soaked in anise liquor, wild fennel, and honey from the shop owner’s bees. We ate our weight in them, before coming face to face with a lady in a sweet apron making doughnuts. If I told you that I don’t make a habit of eating such things, you wouldn’t believe me. I don’t. But here, it’s a must. It’s what they eat and have eaten for ages. We are privileged to visit the other side of the world and be in their cities and homes. And it’s a good excuse to eat succulent and fattening food. We all know that when we travel, calories don’t compute the same. 

October rain came and fall descended on the sunny island. Three sweaters and a scarf sufficed to take a drive to the Santa Maria del Cami for the open-air Sunday market. The market and the Cathedral with the blue dome draw an impressive Sunday crowd. Festive red pepper ristras decorated a house along the road between the two. I bought natural sponges and dark beeswax candles. We didn’t buy Jamon or cheese–or bread for that matter. We had been eating ‘pombolly’ (bread with garlic and tomato rubbed into it), jamon, and cheese at every meal. Besides, we were driving to the hills to eat wood-fired oven-roasted lamb at Es Verger, a family-run farmhouse restaurant.

A soft, terraced hill of gnarled olive trees and brush came alive with a bit of moisture. The road made switchbacks almost to the top. The smell of sheep permeated the air. We could even hear the bells. A crowd of people were gathered around the door of what looked like an old general store; sheep

looked on from a neighboring stall. Inside, a 10 year old boy was working the cash register for a bustling room that looked like an old barn. Plates of food were being served from pots being pulled in and out of an old wood-fired oven. A grey haired woman the height of my shoulders was in charge, minding a lower oven of coals that kept a bowl of roasted potatoes warm.  At least 200 people were sitting at long tables in various rooms of the barn. We sat up in what must have been the old thrashing room.

Bottles of homemade red wine came to the table along with hand-cured olives with herbs and alli-oli. It was the best and most garlicky aioli to date. I had been avoiding eating too much of the stuff, but this rustic scene inspired me to forget and I got caught up in swathing my bread into it, scooping large heaps onto my bread just like the Mallorquin, with the same passion of screaming for dabloons at Mardi Gras. We were hungry for the roasted lamb and it was taking a while.

When we finally got our plates, we dove in. The wine already has us singing but now, we were full of gusto. Our friend and driver, Tomas, showed us how it was really done. Afterwards, bones were piled high and just like the olden days, we fell onto our stretched-out arms on the table in a veritable food coma. We sobered up with a walk on the “comino del Castillo”. We needed fresh air and the ride down was zig-zaggy and tight.

Paella was no small thing at Club Nautico in Porixol; it was a bit pallid, but tasty enough. Eating it in the sunshine is a must, especially with some nice vino tinto. A strong traditional dish, everyone has their way of preparing it. I find restaurants heavy handed. I prefer to have it in someone’s home. That being said, saffron rice cooked in a seafood broth, topped with shrimp, mussels, clams, and savory chorizo must not be dismissed.

A walk on the beach was in order and it wasn’t just around the bend. Tomas drove us to the southeast of the island to the Solobrar of Campos, where the salt mines are. These salt mines come from 130 reservoirs of saline water that provide a home to a wealth of vegetation, birds and wildlife. The “flor de Sol” delicious and sun-dried, has a particular flavor, no doubt something special from the Balearic Sea.

Further down a small winding road, we arrived at the beach. I couldn’t wait to take off my shoes and take a walk on the cool sand. Summer must be wonderful here in Mallorca.  We drank local beer while the sun went down. A sailboat passed in front of the sinking sun. Our days in Mallorca had come to a bright red ‘round’ end.

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About Peggy Markel

Peggy Markel is the Owner and Operator of Peggy Markel’s Culinary Adventures. In 1993, she started The Ligurian School of Poetic Cooking (1993–2000), with Angelo Cabani, master chef and proprietor of Locanda Miranda in Tellaro, a small village on the Italian Riviera. For the past 17 years Peggy has traversed the Mediterranean and North Africa, from Elban fishing villages and Moroccan markets to the homes of Tuscan artisans and chefs, furthering her own exploration of culture and cuisine. “For me, a connection to real food is a connection to life.” Peggy’s journeys help people explore the cuisines of Tuscany, Sicily, Morocco, Almafi, and India.