Olive Oil is Like Women

 At this point, we had a much needed sea day. I’m not sure how many days we’ve been on the boat but back to back to back port days get very tiring. I used the morning to catch up a bit on the blog and we just sort of chilled out, lingered over a delicious flat white coffee, read a little. It was the perfect slow start we needed.

We’d decided to host another wine tasting later that day and we’d invited all the usual suspects and Laura and Bob, who have continued to share their wines with us. Remember, they are the couple who one day randomly were like - oh, we’ve got our SilverOak opened and we wanted you guys to taste it.

But first, there was an art auction and we were bringing buddies with us this time. Rich and Ginny and Jerry and Sue (the couple who retired to Montana) all met us there. Now, Ginny has been wanting this beautiful hummingbird painting. We happen to own the same one - it is hanging in our hallway at home! We were eager to see if she would bid on it. Kent, the gallery manager and our new friend, came to say hello and told Ginny he would bring it up for auction. She said, “I bet you will.” Lol. Sure enough, later in the auction, here came the hummingbird and…she got it! Woohoo! 

This reminds me - several nights before, or possibly the very night before because time no longer matters to me. I can’t even speak the right language in the right country. What do I care? But anyway, some night, Jason and I went to the gallery later at night and spent time chatting with Kent and Charl, another art associate. They are both younger men from South Africa. We ended up all sitting down and talking- we were trying to find out how to get involved with the art gallery on the boat- it seemed like a great job on ship but also a great career in art. We have been trying to track possibilities for Karla, on Roatan, but we were also curious for Nat, our niece, who is studying art education. We had a great time talking about their experiences and lives. They seemed happy to share about it- I think passengers forget all the crew have real lives, families, and that for many, this is their “career”.  One of our favorite hosts who books the wine events, Albert, has been doing this for 20 years. He hopes to retire in 5 more! That’s a career! 

Anyway, fresh off the auction in which we again managed to not buy something (a modern day miracle), we headed to the room to open up the wine and get it ready to share!

We cruised down to vines early and, in perfect coordination, the one large 10 person table was empty. Shazam! Stanley hooked us up with 10 of the lovely, coveted large glasses and soon Mike and Diana, Jerry and Sue, Laura and Bob, and Rich and Ginny were all gathered around. We only had 1 Nicora left- a Bien Nacido Syrah. To say it was a hit, is such an understatement I can’t believe I even wasted time writing this stupid sentence. 2 couples immediately joined the wine club when they drank it. I’m not kidding! Laura and Bob committed to ordering wine when they get home. I bet they’ll join, too. Shazam! Mike and Diana loved it but she’d already told me a winery near them that they love has expensive wine and when I inquired what that meant she said $30. I didn’t think Nicora would fit their wine budget but we were delighted to share it and even more so that they loved it. We also shared a Paso fave, Chateau Margene Cab Franc- another big hit. 

After this amazing tasting, the table just went crazy and people starting order all kinds of things. One couple would order a bottle and share it. Then another. Then another. Then Laura and Bob went and brought some bottles down. Then Ginny ordered everyone Limoncello shots because that made sense at the time.

Stanley, James, and Khrystina (aka e-Katarina) did an amazing job of keeping the water, the snacks, the glasses, the bottles flowing. We made sure we tipped them all for letting us do this and for being absolutely fantastic servers during this…whatever that was that occurred. 

At some point, what felt like hours - 5 years later people started staggering away to eat dinner. Oh wait. I forgot an important story. Mike, the Marine lieutenant colonel, is a great question asker. He’s very curious and likes to get to know things. He started asking me the difference between extra virgin olive oil and virgin and plain old regular. He said, “I have a theory before you tell me.” I said, “Let’s hear it.” 

I’m so glad I did.

He begins, “Extra virgin olive oil is like a young lady raised properly by her parents. She waits till marriage.”

“I see. Go on.”

He says, “Virgin olive oil is a good girl. But maybe not on Friday night.”

“Yes- I think you are understanding.”

Then, he says, “Regular oil. She’s a slut.”

I said, “That’s right. She’s dirty. There are faults. But she can still get the job done. But later, you’ll wish you had better quality.”

Nailed it. Everything you need to know about olive oil, thanks to Mike. 

We decided we would just go to Alfredos for a quick pizza dinner before dragging ourselves up 6 flights of stairs after drinking half the wine in the Mediterranean. As one does. 

There was a family of 4 sitting in there. They had just finished up their pizza and were just lingering a little. I hadn’t seen them before, so I guess they got on in Rome. All 4 of them, mom, dad, son, daughter, sat silently staring at their phones. It made me so sad. Not only are we floating through the actual Mediterranean at sunset after 2 years of nothingness…but also…I bet every day is like that for them. I’m so thankful for 46+ years of invigorating dinner conversations with my family.