#maasdam

max verstappen as maasdam & carlos sainz as apple cider

notes:

maasdam is sweet, creamy, and lightly aged. its flavor is mild and can be overtaken but its texture tends to drown out others around it

apple cider has many varieties: alcoholic or nonalcoholic, sparkling or still, hot or cold, spiced or plain. despite this versatility, its unique personality is a constant

together, the two make a sweet, nostalgic pairing by complementing each other in unexpected ways. where one should shine, the other does instead

serving:

enjoy as a variation on a ploughman's lunch: sliced maasdam, sliced onion, crusty bread, and alcoholic apple cider

serve alongside mustard, walnuts, and toasted rye bread

Dueling thunderheads....

TIMOR SEA (January 14, 2019) -- Tropical thunderheads begin to boil upwards in the sultry afternoon humidity over the placid seas between northwest Australia and southeast Indonesia.

The photo above was taken from the decks of the luxurious Holland America Line cruise ship Maasdam....by a great friend and shipmate who is circumnavigating Australia and cruising the tropical waters of southeast Asia with his wife....and avoiding another bone-chilling Pacific Northwest winter.

The yellow dot marks Maasdam’s position....as the ship cruised from Darwin, Australia to Dili (the white dot -- known as “The City of Peace” -- just above “Timor” in “East Timor”), Indonesia.

Holland America’s Maasdam -- home to 1,200 pampered passengers and 600 of the world’s finest staff and crew

                                            *          *          *          *

I loved sailing these exotic waters during both my U.S. Navy career and, afterwards, on cruise ships. Yes, it’s incredibly hot and humid in this part of the world....but the beauty of the sea, the skies and the clouds make up for any discomfort.

In addition, for a Navy man, the history made in these waters -- especially during some of the great naval encounters of World War II -- is further reward.

I’m going back!

                                    ____________________________

マースダム初入港。母港ロッテルダム。この後結構来てる。雨だし夜だし(出航が22時で、しかもその時間に見送りイベをやるというイレギュラーだった)画像があれなのはあいほん撮影＆わたしの腕前が「腕前」と言えるレベルにも達していない為ご容赦。

ホーランドアメリカラインの子たち特有のファンネル(煙突)のマークがかっこいいよね。ウエステルダムよりちょっとちいさめかな。でも大きい。船体にある船名が夜になるとキラキラするのもよし。ABバースに入ると、船内のカジノやらゴージャスな吹き抜けやらいろいろ見えておもしろい。

とにかく22時出航っていうのだけどうにかしていただきたい…。いや行ける可能性は高いし、今は夏だから夜遅い大さん橋で潮風に吹かれまくっても凍えることないんだけどね。ただその前の予定がなくて一旦帰宅すると、22時に大さん橋に行こうと自らを奮い立たせるのは徒歩圏内でも結構大変。