Thursday, June 19, 2025
This morning we slept in, and then Desmond and I ate a quick breakfast near the back of the ship before going up to the Kid’s Club area where he had an activity scheduled. He brought me along as his one chaperone for the Jr. Chef at Sea cake decorating contest in the ship’s galley. (I only managed this sought after position as Cousin Dylan wanted to sleep in longer, but I am thrilled that it worked out this way.)
Up in the kid’s club, Desmond and seven other kids donned aprons and chef’s hats, and then were paraded through the passenger area on the way to the galley. It is fun to get to go through the revolving door back into an area that is usually off limits for passengers. It makes it feel like a back-stage tour!
Everyone washed hands, and then the assistant chef gave a cake decorating demonstration for the participants. It was fun to watch him put the layers of the cake together. He obviously was quite skilled at it. When he was done, all the kids were given gloves, and a cake decorating station with all the necessary tools and ingredients.
Desmond got right to work, and remembered all the steps that had been demonstrated earlier. First he used the syrup (which was very liquid and not at all what I think of as “syrup” consistency) to moisturize the first layer of sponge. Next he used a rubber spatula to place the cream on top (like a whipped topping) and spread it around. Then he selected various toppings from the ramekins nearby and sprinkled them across the top of the cream.
Then it was time to put the next layer of sponge on, press it down slightly, and repeat for the next layer. Then on top he used a metal spreader to even out the top, and apply the cream to the sides of the cake. After that, it was time to grab the pastry bag and begin piping the frosting on for decoration. He went all around the top edge of the cake, and then decorated the center. Finally, he piped frosting around the base of the cake, put a berry on top, and his creation was finished.
He was the first one to finish his cake. I had told him he could slow down and take his time, but he said “I’m excited!” and continued on at the same pace. To be fair, it was a lot of fun. It would be easy to get caught up in it and move quickly. Besides which, the demonstration the kids had been given went quickly, so it makes sense that that is the pace he would make his cake.
Meanwhile I was taking photos, video clips, and thoroughly enjoying myself. At one point Desmond said “The blog is going to love this!” When everyone had finished their cakes, the kids all got certificates of accomplishment, and pictures with their cake and the chef, taken by one of the ship’s photographers who had shown up at just the right time. The whole thing was really well done and enjoyable. Made my day.
After all that fun cake decorating, Desmond hung out at kid’s club while I blogged some. Then it was lunch time. Mom, Dad, Dylan and I ate in the dining room. We were seated by the window, and could see the water outside which was novel and fun. Bryan and Desmond went for burgers together up at the burger stand.
After lunch we decided to try again on that Tiny Epic Dungeon game we had lost twice so far. We tried a different approach this time, and ended up winning. But not before Dylan and I had time to summon drinks and fries multiple times. It is so amusing to be able to push a couple buttons in the app and have snacks and drinks show up at the game table. Worth the calories for the fun of it.
Afterward, Dylan and Desmond went swimming. Mom and Dad sat down to a card game. And Bryan and I took a nice walk on the promenade.
Next we went back to our stateroom and used ChatGPT to help organize some information into a potential itinerary for our day tomorrow in Aomori.
We talked it over at dinner and are excited to go to an aquarium tomorrow. That seems fun! We also plan to visit a temple with a huge Buddha statue. And maybe get some ramen for lunch? Dylan is particularly excited about the apples in Aomori. Apparently they are famous for them, and he had some when he was here last year and felt they were particularly delicious.
After dinner Desmond’s cake was delivered to our table and we all got to ooh and ahh over it and try a slice. (Well, almost all of us. I got lactose-free tapioca as the chef’s choice dessert.)
Desmond kindly offered slices of cake to our wait staff and they graciously accepted. Then he carried it back to our room. I have no idea when we would have any more of the cake. But there was half a cake left and he couldn’t bare to let it go to waste, so he wanted to save it.
After depositing the cake in our room, Desmond and I went to the performance in the Princess Theater with Mom and Dad. The show was called Bravo and was very enjoyable. The costumes were formal dresses and tuxedos (which was fitting as it was formal night). The lighting design was really cool. The lights made the dresses sometimes seem one color, and the next moment seem another. Then there was one point where the vocalist stood in her white dress that they used as a backdrop for animated colorful swirls that moved with the music.
When the show was finished, Desmond and I went and got our photo taken together by a backdrop we had seen and liked earlier in the evening.
Then it was time for bed. Looking forward to exploring another port tomorrow!
Want to keep Traveling with the Schmidts? Read Day 9
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