Day 7 – Friday Night/Saturday August 8, 2015. last supper.

Well, Shabbos started around 8 and we all met in my parents room for dinner.

We watched the sun set (their balcony has a sunset view, ours does not), and then started dinner.  We started with chicken soup and matzo balls, a few of which had leaked into the packages.  The soup was okay, but the matzo balls were pretty grainy.  Next we had the entrees.  There was a choice of chicken or steak, so Tzvi and I shared chicken and steak.  The chicken was five small pieces of the driest most terrible chicken I’ve ever tasted.  The steak was Salisbury steak and wasn’t bad.  There was some potato mush that was okay and some little glazed carrots that were good.  For dessert we had chocolate brownies that Tzvi said tasted like pesach.

After dinner we stayed in my parents room for a little while and played charades.  We played where you could act out movies, tv shows, books or people.  It was very fun.  After that we went back to our room and went to bed.

Saturday morning we woke up around 8.  I fell back asleep and Tzvi read outside on the balcony.  Tzvi saw people he thought were Jews on an adjacent balcony, which was confirmed when the man put on a tallis.  I got up around 945, we got dressed, and met my parents for breakfast at 1015 at Windows on the Sound.  We all had the breakfast buffet which was delicious as usual.  At the end, pop pop asked for the check and then said he couldn’t sign, and the man very quickly said okay and did it for him.  Usually it takes some weird conversing and explaining to get to that point.

After breakfast we went back to the room, changed into bathing suits and then went down to the pool.  It was pretty crowded today, but we managed to get two seats under an umbrella.  We laid, read, swam, and basically sat there until about 430.  My parents came down but didn’t get seats next to us.  It was the first time that happened this trip, so that’s pretty good.

At 430 we went back to the room, changed back into real clothes and then went to the Jasmine Lounge in the lobby for afternoon tea.  At first the waiter had some trouble understanding vegetarian and nut free, and the chef had to come out, but then all was good.  Except after all of that he still tried to give Tzvi and almond tea, but then after that, all was good.  I had a jasmine spice almond something tea and Tzvi had chamomile.  They brought out tea on a traditional three layer tower.  The bottom plate had two little scones and two little lemon tea cakes, all of which were good, but even better with the clotted cream and jam that came with it.  On the second layer was an open face lox sandwich (which Tzvi ate), a cucumber and sour cream sandwich (which Tzvi ate), and a tuna melt slider (I separated that one and we each had half, mine the half without cheese).  The tuna was good and Tzvi liked the other two also.  On the top layer were a bunch of pastries, all with coconuts, because August’s tea theme is coconut. 

When it came time to pay, we told the waiter we cant sign today.  He said, “Oh, you are kosher?”  We said “Sabbath observer” and he said no problem and signed for us.  Once again, very good with the Shabbos thing.  I guess they get a lot of Jews there, because the waiter told us that he’s had to do this before, and once even had to go up to someone’s room with them to press the elevator and open their door.

After tea we went back up to the room.  Tzvi packed while I read my book.  Then we sat on the balcony for a while, Tzvi just sitting and enjoying the last bits of sun and ocean view, while I finally finished my book. 

After that we showered, and then I packed, and then it was 845 and time to go to dinner.  We stopped in my parents room and made havdalah.  My parents weren’t ready, so Tzvi and I rode the shuttle down to the beach to the Ocean Club, the hotel restaurant on the beach and then sat and waited for them at the table.  They followed shortly after.  I think we were all pretty full from the week (the boys excluded – I’m sure they’re going to be going for some real food tomorrow when we get home).  Tzvi had the sushi appetizer, which he said was really fresh tasting (it was a bonito roll with cucumber and avocado).   I guess the fish should taste fresh if you’re getting it with a view of the ocean.  We also shared an appetizer platter with hummus, babaganous and taboule.  For our mains, Tzvi and pop pop had fish and chips, my mother had a tuna steak with a side of spinach, and I had tagliatelle with tomato sauce and asparagus.  There were a bunch of really good looking things on the menu, and I’m sure it would’ve been great to have a nice fresh piece of fish, but we were just so done with eating (even tho this description doesn’t really sound like it).  The restaurant was really nice though.  We could hear the waves and see the hotel lit up on the hill above us.

After dinner we took the shuttle back up to the hotel, finished packing, and now we’re getting ready to go to bed.  Our flight is at 1230 tomorrow.

It’s been a great trip.  I’m wondering if it’s possible to defect and seek asylum here.  I haven’t figured out yet for what.  I’ll let you know tomorrow if that works out.