Dutch High Tea
January 21, 2007
At Sea en route to Lima Peru: Dutch High Tea with a member of The “Club”
As we continued smooth sailing toward Peru the highlight of the afternoon’s activities was the Dutch High Tea. Having had a very light lunch I ventured to the Queen’s Lounge to check it out!
Standing in line just before me stood a striking woman about sixty-five or seventy years old. Beautifully dressed in her Channel suit, pumps and pearls, every finger meticulously manicured and every hair coiffed to perfection, she made me feel very underdressed in my khaki slacks and linen shirt. She turned, smiling, and said, “Are you here for the apple fritters?” “I’ve hear they are divineeeeeee!!!” she exclaimed. “Why” she continued, “haven’t I had them before?” “Are they really that good?” she asked.
“I don’t know” I replied, “I have never had them either.”
“Well” she frowned, “I thought I was the only one on board who had never been to teaaaaaaa”. “I don’t know why I have never been to teaaaaaaa. It’s just never seem to work in my schedgggeeeeule.” (British, she wasn’t…but she still was on a schedggeeeeeule!). “Why haven’t you been to teaaaaaaa before, my dear?” she inquired with deep sincerity.
“This is my first cruise with Holland America” I answered.
“Oh!....well, with whom do you normally cruise?” she asked.
“This is only my second cruise and my first was with Royal Caribbean” I replied, trying not to chuckle in her face.
“Royal Caribbean!?” she hummed, batting her eye-lids quickly as she searched for something to say….”I seeeeeeeeee!” she said, apologetically. “Did they serve apple fritters on the Royal Caribbean?” she asked appearing relieved that she had actually found some way to carry on the conversation.
“So, you have traveled with Holland America before?” I asked as we continued to inch our way toward the famous apple fritters….knowing already she was a member of the “club”….that’s what I call it…the “club”….those people who seemingly live on the seas and delight in sharing the fact.
“Oh yes, dear” she charmingly replied as her head shifted slightly upward, “This is my seventh world cruise.”…”And then, of course, there are those shorter trips that one takes, you know!” she continued. “So why, I keep asking myself” batting those heavily made-up eyes once again, “haven’t I had the apple fritters?”
Soon we progressed to the beautifully appointed buffet table. Tons of silver trays and bouquet after bouquet of creatively arranged flowers surrounded hundreds of small delicate canapés, sweets, and bites of rich concoctions. Madame van Something-or-another (She had introduced herself as Diannnnnneeaaa von Something-or-Another…a name that she implied with the lift of her eyebrow that she was sure I would recognize) peered over the table searching for the famous apple fritters. They didn’t seem to be there! She asked each of the efficient waiters…calling each by name…I mean…it is her seventh cruise….”Where are the apple fritters, Gutsie?” Gutsie looked at her and said, “Sorry, Madame…I don’t think we have any fritters today.” Still not satisfied, she turned to the next waiter ready to assist her with an even larger tray of special treats…a young man I recognized from breakfast….he calls himself “Superman”. “Superman!” she sheepishly called, turning her head to whisper to me…”Isn’t it preacioussss that he calls himself Superman?” “Superman, where are the apple fritters?”
Superman smiled that wonderful white-tooth smile that all the staff seem to have and very quietly and graciously said “I am so sorry Madam von Something-or-Another, but we don’t have any apple fritters this afternoon.”
“Oh no!” she complained, “I was soooooo looking forward to the apple fritters” Obviously disappointed, she turned to leave without taking anything from the generous buffet . Superman confidently approached her saying “I’ll suggest to the chef that he prepare some apple fritters for your dinner tonight, Madame von Something-or-Another”
“Isn’t he preacioussss!” she whispered through clinched teeth as she whisked out of the Dutch High Tea back to her seventh-world-cruise suite.
Oh to be a member of the “Club” and have apple fritters for dinner!
January 21, 2007
At Sea en route to Lima Peru: Dutch High Tea with a member of The “Club”
As we continued smooth sailing toward Peru the highlight of the afternoon’s activities was the Dutch High Tea. Having had a very light lunch I ventured to the Queen’s Lounge to check it out!
Standing in line just before me stood a striking woman about sixty-five or seventy years old. Beautifully dressed in her Channel suit, pumps and pearls, every finger meticulously manicured and every hair coiffed to perfection, she made me feel very underdressed in my khaki slacks and linen shirt. She turned, smiling, and said, “Are you here for the apple fritters?” “I’ve hear they are divineeeeeee!!!” she exclaimed. “Why” she continued, “haven’t I had them before?” “Are they really that good?” she asked.
“I don’t know” I replied, “I have never had them either.”
“Well” she frowned, “I thought I was the only one on board who had never been to teaaaaaaa”. “I don’t know why I have never been to teaaaaaaa. It’s just never seem to work in my schedgggeeeeule.” (British, she wasn’t…but she still was on a schedggeeeeeule!). “Why haven’t you been to teaaaaaaa before, my dear?” she inquired with deep sincerity.
“This is my first cruise with Holland America” I answered.
“Oh!....well, with whom do you normally cruise?” she asked.
“This is only my second cruise and my first was with Royal Caribbean” I replied, trying not to chuckle in her face.
“Royal Caribbean!?” she hummed, batting her eye-lids quickly as she searched for something to say….”I seeeeeeeeee!” she said, apologetically. “Did they serve apple fritters on the Royal Caribbean?” she asked appearing relieved that she had actually found some way to carry on the conversation.
“So, you have traveled with Holland America before?” I asked as we continued to inch our way toward the famous apple fritters….knowing already she was a member of the “club”….that’s what I call it…the “club”….those people who seemingly live on the seas and delight in sharing the fact.
“Oh yes, dear” she charmingly replied as her head shifted slightly upward, “This is my seventh world cruise.”…”And then, of course, there are those shorter trips that one takes, you know!” she continued. “So why, I keep asking myself” batting those heavily made-up eyes once again, “haven’t I had the apple fritters?”
Soon we progressed to the beautifully appointed buffet table. Tons of silver trays and bouquet after bouquet of creatively arranged flowers surrounded hundreds of small delicate canapés, sweets, and bites of rich concoctions. Madame van Something-or-another (She had introduced herself as Diannnnnneeaaa von Something-or-Another…a name that she implied with the lift of her eyebrow that she was sure I would recognize) peered over the table searching for the famous apple fritters. They didn’t seem to be there! She asked each of the efficient waiters…calling each by name…I mean…it is her seventh cruise….”Where are the apple fritters, Gutsie?” Gutsie looked at her and said, “Sorry, Madame…I don’t think we have any fritters today.” Still not satisfied, she turned to the next waiter ready to assist her with an even larger tray of special treats…a young man I recognized from breakfast….he calls himself “Superman”. “Superman!” she sheepishly called, turning her head to whisper to me…”Isn’t it preacioussss that he calls himself Superman?” “Superman, where are the apple fritters?”
Superman smiled that wonderful white-tooth smile that all the staff seem to have and very quietly and graciously said “I am so sorry Madam von Something-or-Another, but we don’t have any apple fritters this afternoon.”
“Oh no!” she complained, “I was soooooo looking forward to the apple fritters” Obviously disappointed, she turned to leave without taking anything from the generous buffet . Superman confidently approached her saying “I’ll suggest to the chef that he prepare some apple fritters for your dinner tonight, Madame von Something-or-Another”
“Isn’t he preacioussss!” she whispered through clinched teeth as she whisked out of the Dutch High Tea back to her seventh-world-cruise suite.
Oh to be a member of the “Club” and have apple fritters for dinner!
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