ALASKAN CRUISE 2018 - DAY 12

Day 11 Sunday - June 3rd, 2018

This was our last port day, where we visited Victoria, British Colombia, Canada. I took 113 photos through out our day. Below are a few samples. Since we arrived to port so early, we decided to order breakfast from room service. It was quicker than going through the whole process of the main dining room. We selected fresh fruit, juices, coffee, an English muffin, ration of bacon & a breakfast sandwich.

The view from our balcony

We chose to do a 4 Hour Grand City Tour with Victoria's London Taxi Tours.

Once we got off the ship, we met up with our tour guide Sandra & her driver Linda. 

Here's the itinerary, sent to my wife via email: "We will pick you up and head to our downtown Beacon Hill Park where there are small gardens, ancient trees, peacocks that come and eat right out of your hand, and the world's tallest free standing totem pole. 

After the Park we head over to the grounds at Government House, this is where the Royal Family stay when they are in Victoria. The house is a private residence so is not open, but the grounds are and are lovely, and free, to walk through. We then head over to Oak Bay Marina where there are wild seals that come to be fed by locals and visitors alike. 

Followed by a quick snack at the Marina Dockside Eatery.

Then we drive along our beautiful Marine Drive where you will see beautiful scenery and gorgeous homes as you learn all about this area we will then drive up at Mount Tolmie Park, where you will have a fantastic views of the city below."

We returned to the ship, just in time for lunch in the main dining room. I started off with a quesadilla. The description sounded interesting, but the flavors were not. I will not be ordering this again.

 

Seafood Quesadilla with Guacamole
pico de gallo salsa

My beautiful bride selected the fresh fruit & a soup, as her appetizer. I wish I had ordered the same.

Seasonal Fresh Fruits

Chinese Egg Drop Soup
chicken broth, parsley

For our entrees, she had a pasta dish & you all know my love affair with burgers, so it should be no surprise what I had. 

Spaghetti with Seafood in Tomato Sauce
Italian parsley, grated parmesan

Princess Homemade Bacon Cheeseburger
traditional garnish, French fries

On the dessert menu, I saw something that I had never heard of before. A quick Google search told me that the Stracciatella was something I should enjoy. Google was correct.

Stracciatella

Shelly is absolute fiend for anything lemon, so her choice for dessert was a simple one.

Sicilian Lemon Jello

We wandered around the ship before retiring to our stateroom, for a nap, then headed to Sabatini's Italian Trattoria for dinner. This is a 6 course dinner with a cover charge of just $29 per person.

Our reservation card & coupon

Complimentary bread

Shortly after the bread arrives, they bring out a wonderful appetizer, that is meant to be shared:

APERITIVO - Stuzzichino Della Casa
warm rustic whole-wheat loaf, tuscan zonzelle with roasted tomato & bell pepper passata, prosciutto crudo, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar

Next is the antipasti course. Shelly & I both eagerly chose the same dish. Lamb is one of our favorite foods. These skewers are always expertly grilled. I especially like the crispy edges that happen only a few lucky pieces. Simply delicious!

ANTIPASTI - Arrosticini di Agnello
grilled lamb skewers marinated with oregano & extra virgin olive, arugula salad

For the soup portion, we again both ordered the same thing. A nice rich bowl of goodness!

Soup - Grana Padano Fondue
celery, foraged mushrooms, toasted hazelnuts

For the pasta course, Shelly went with the tantalizing tortelloni, while I chose the perfect pappardelle.

DAL PASTAIO - Tortelloni
mint-speckled pasta, roasted lamb, pecorino crosta nera, cacio e pepe sauce, broccoli rabe

DAL PASTAIO - Buckwheat Pappardelle
wide ribbon pasta, celeriac, nabbioli-braised beef cheeks

Now it's time for our second course. Shelly of course gravitated towards the one dish that had lemon, while I excitedly chose the pork belly! 

SECONDI PIATTI - Scaloppine di Pollo, Salsa al Limoncello con Rosemarino
seared chicken breast, sorrento lemon, asparagus, rosemary sauce, garlic, pine nuts, capers, olive oil & parsley mashed potatoes

SECONDI PIATTI - Porchetta
rolled pork belly toscana, potatoes, spinach, roasted tomato

Last but not least is the most important part of any meal, the dessert. This was a delectable overload of sweetness.

DOLCI - Rocher
A blend of chocolate, pralines and hazelnut ice cream sealed in milk chocolate, surrounded by candied hazelnuts

DOLCI - Specialità dello Chef - chef's specialty

Then we received a pleasant surprise anniversary dessert:

In summary, here are a couple of pics of the souvenirs we grabbed on this journey: 

mini license plate

drink coaster