Faithful Followers,
I am writing my last blog of this momentous trip 33,000 feet above the earth…now that’s a trip in itself! Even Bears have to marvel at the technology available to us! I am cruising along above the clouds with my fellow airline passengers, thinking about my last day on the ship.
Waking up on a bed that was moving from side to side and up and down, made me sit up and look outside the balcony window…powerful waves, from 10 to 12 feet high were crashing against the ship! Our ship was headed into 40 knot winds! And, I had a hard time moving my legs in a straight line. All I could do was sway from side to side and hang on to the railing in the hallway. My tummy felt a bit queasy, and I wondered how long this would last. Maybe I should go back to bed.
I took a deep breath and told myself to continue with my very important appointment of the day. I was invited to tour the ship’s galley with my four traveling friends. This was my opportunity to see where and how all the food is prepared for both the passengers and the crew. How do you cook for 2,800 folks?
This ship loaded 13 tons of food for our cruise! That’s 26,000 pounds! All the food is stored in an area the size of a football field, and when it’s time to prepare and cook, they use 5 kitchens! There were 7,000 pizzas, 1,000 pounds of pasta, 15,000 pounds of shrimp and almost 5,000 hamburgers…along with pounds and pounds of apples, bananas, melons… Eggs? 48,000. Milk? 900 gallons.
They had a huge grocery bill, too. It cost $350,000 for all the food.
The entire food service staff work long hours to prepare hundreds of meals each day, and then the waiters have to serve it quickly and efficiently, while it is hot. Just think of all the dishes, silverware, glasses, and pots and pans that have to be scrubbed and sanitized in very hot water. The staff is very careful to keep their hands washed while cooking and serving the food. I personally wash my paws with warm soapy water while I sing the Alphabet Song. I learned that from Gretchen.
My travel friends and I all enjoyed (too much!!) the appetizing food. Thank you Carnival ship Spirit! Now I need to get back to just blueberries,
Saying good bye to all the helpers on the ship who cleaned our cabin twice a day, who cooked for us and served us, who entertained us with music and funny shows was a wee bit sad. But, I have all my pictures (1,000) to help me remember each day and my adventures.
Traveling with my good friends, meeting new friends along the way, sharing experiences and fun times will give me sweet dreams for MANY nights to come.
I hope you will visit me back in the library and see my collection of travel pins. We will all be ready for reading adventures this summer as we CATCH THE READING EXPRESS!
Bear Hugs to All,
L.L. Bear
Catch the Reading Express
...this summer at the Aubrey Area Library! Get onboard for fun programs and great books with our Summer Reading Program!
Tuesdays @ 11 am....June 8 thru July 20
June 8 - Catch the Reading Express with Maggie and Puppets
June 15 - Dan Gibson, Stories and Banjo Music
June 22 - Texas Tom, Teller of Tall Tales
June 29 - The Mad Scientist Returns
July 6 - Creature Teacher and Animals
July 13 - Brett Roberts, the Magic Reading Railroad
July 20 - Tom McDermott, Music and Stories
July 27 - Ice Cream Party for Readers...Ticket Event
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