Lip Smacking Foodie Tour - Lip Smacking Boozy Brunch

Shearwater is a classic Newport-style schooner yacht, only recently recognized as a national landmark in 2009. The vessel was built by Rice Brother Corporation in East Boothbay, Maine, back in a time when yachting was a rare combination of elegance and adventure; Rice Bros. were well known for building luxury pleasure yachts and produced some 4,000 hulls over a period of 64 years. The keel was laid down on January 4, 1929 and a news clip from the Boothbay Register reflects alongside a photograph "Tyler Hodgon at the old Tide Mill is getting out timbers for the schooner to be built at Rice’s. Vessel to be built of native white oak." Traditionally built from hand-hewn native white oak, she was the last boat to be constructed at that yard - likely due to the ensuing Great Depression brought on by the Stock Market Crash that occurred later that autumn. East Boothbay was a small coastal town with shipbuilding being its only industry. About 40 workmen were employed for the construction of SHEARWATER. Her designer Theodore Donald Wells was born in Hudson Falls, N Y on October 22, 1875. He was a naval architect and marine engineer, a member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and also the Institute of Naval Architects London. His education included post-graduate work at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He began his career as a member of the firm Herreshoff and Wells, N. Y. City in 1902. Working with Herreshoff no doubt had an influence on his designs, which bear similarities to many of the famous Herreshoff designed yachts of that time. From 1903 to 1907 he worked for Wintringham and Wells and then began practicing his profession under his own name. Mr. Wells joined the Navy Department in March 1917 and became Superintending Constructor of the Baltimore District U. S. N. Notable yachts designed and constructed under his supervision are "Viking" a 272 foot steel motor yacht built for George F. Baker in 1929 by Newport News and "Karina" a three masted schooner built for Robert E. Tod in 1932 by Staten Island Shipbuilding. Mr. Tod was a well-known offshore yachtsman as was his former yacht ‘Thistle", which competed in the Emperors Cup ocean race. SHEARWATER was launched on May 4, 1929 and photographs in the Boothbay Register reflect her graceful and elegant lines. Her first Captain, Leon Esterbrook of Edgarton, MA, arrived to take charge of the fitting out. Her owner Charles E Dunlap was a member of the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, Oyster Bay, NY and this became SHEARWATER’s first homeport after her completion in late September 1929. It was there in Oyster Bay that she first started to thrill those who sailed in luxury aboard her and those who were privileged to crew her on race day. Since her launching and documentation in Lloyd’s Register of American Yachts in 1929, she has had a colorful history and has been carefully maintained and restored to standards that few contemporary vessels are able to match and is truly a piece of American Maritime History. On November 7, 1942 SHEARWATER was requisitioned by the War Shipping Administration and became a member of The United States Coast Guard’s Coastal Picket Patrol during World War Two. She was painted gray and bore the numbers CG67004. Based at Little Creek, Virginia she patrolled the waters east of the Chesapeake Bay entrance and south towards Cape Hatteras. Her skipper during that period reflected on how they used their free time while out on submarine patrol to race against other yachts and in his own words "sailed in tandem with the schooner Lord Jim, racing in and out of port, up and down the east coast and winning." She was designed and built as a gaff rigged schooner but during this period was changed to a Marconi rig. She carries over 2,550 square feet while under full sail. A true veteran world cruiser, she first transited the Panama Canal in July 1946 and in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s completed a two and a half-year global circumnavigation. In December 1971 Mrs. John B. Thayer of Rosemont, wife of a former trustee and treasurer, donated SHEARWATER to the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute of Environmental Medicine. She was used by the university as a laboratory for research on physiological responses to the stresses of living and working underwater. Captained by James Shearson, she was fitted with compressors, generators, monitoring instruments and a small decompression chamber. She has participated in many Ancient Mariner and Classic yacht races in U S waters as well as racing in the Bay of Islands in New Zealand while on her circumnavigation in the early 1980’s. It is rumored she was once dismasted in the famous Newport to Bermuda race. She was last raced by the current owners in San Diego in May 1995 in the American Schooner Cup and finished second overall. She entered the yacht charter industry in 1966 whilst on the West Coast sailing to the Channel Islands and was again used to generate income to keep her shipshape while owned by the University of Pennsylvania. During the chartering industry’s infancy in the Caribbean, SHEARWATER was known as the " Queen of the Fleet". Today she continues this tradition offering the most unique sailing experience and has passed rigid Coast Guard inspections and can carry up to 49 passengers. We welcome you to join us for an excellent opportunity to experience the ambiance of a vintage sailing vessel while delighting in the splendors of The Manhattan sky-line, the Statue of Liberty or the beauty of the oceans beyond.

Si se encuentra en Belfast no se preocupe, también puede disfrutar de los tours ambientados en Juego de Tronos visitando este enlace.

What to bring?
Driving licence (if you want to drive yourself)
Jacket
Swim suit and towel
Spare clothes
Alcoholic drinks are not allowed. Drivers (min. held full driving licence for 3 years)

Si le entra el hambre, podrá escoger entre cinco restaurantes mexicanos e internacionales. Además también podrá quedarse a presenciar el show nocturno, donde se combinan rituales mayas, demostraciones de rodeo e increíbles acrobacias, en un escenario exterior iluminado por antorchas. Con esta excursión necesitará su propio transporte hacia el lugar.  Aviso: algunas de las atracciones de Xcaret tienen un coste adicional.  Este paquete incluye entrada al parque, show nocturno, comida tipo bufet, refrescos, guía, taquilla y alquiler de equipo de snorkel. Acuérdese de traer traje de baño y toalla, crema solar biodegradable, gorro, ropa de recambio y dinero adicional.  Los niños entre 0 y 4 años entran gratis. Los niños entre 5 y 11 años pagan la mitad del precio de adulto si presentan el documento de identidad. También se deberá mostrar al subirse al tour. En caso de que los niños no tengan documento de identidad se aplicará una política de alturas. Los niños de menos de 1 metro de altura entran gratis. Entre 1 metro y 1,40 metros pagan la mitad del precio de adulto y los niños de más de 1,41 metros pagan como un adulto.

DINNER CRUISE MENU APPETIZERS OPTIONS Classic Shrimp Cocktail - $11 Six beautiful Gulf shrimp, poached to perfection and served with a tart-and-tangy Creole-style dipping sauce brightened with a kick of heat.
 Spinach & Artichoke Gratin - $8.00 Warm and rich, baked with caramelized onions and garlic, roasted artichoke quarters, and just a touch of diced pimento. Finished with a dusting of parmesan and herbed, gratin-style bread crumbs for a satisfying crunch.
Seasonal Bruschetta - $8.00 Crunchy, toasted crostini brushed with extra-virgin olive oil and a pistou of macerated fresh garlic, lemon juice, and herbs. Served with a generous topping of this season’s organic ingredients, including freshly chopped tomatoes, farmer’s cheese and mushrooms in a reduced balsamic glaze.
(Ask your server for today’s option.) SECOND COURSE OPTIONS - $14 Farm to Sea – Filet and Prawns Succulent, center-cut USDA Choice filet mignon grilled to perfection and smothered with our signature black truffle butter.  Partnered with three jumbo roasted Gulf prawns, drizzled with a fragrant Meyer-lemon and Roma-tomato cream.  Served with a medallion of red creamer potato gratin, baked with caramelized onions and four distinctive cheeses. Served with garden’s best seasonal vegetables.
DESSERT OPTIONS Sugar-Glazed Crème Brulée - $6  A classic application of a perennial favorite with a slight twist:  a complement of fresh, seasonal berries: silky, sweet, browned to perfection and graced with a spoonful of freshly whipped cream.
Chocolate Trilogy - $7 A dense, creamy flourless torte made with lusciously dark gianduja and topped with a duo of light, airy white and dark chocolate mousses.  Finished with a chocolate ganache glaze.
Seasonal Berry Parfait - $6 A beautiful confection of fresh tart-and-sweet berries tossed in simple syrup and layered with deliciously rich Chantilly cream. Your reward for reaching the bottom of the glass:  a Silky Sabayon custard flavored with Grand Marnier and crème patisserie.
*Please ask your server about wine recommendations with dinner.    

You may have seen New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art before, but you've never seen it like this.  Travel through 6,000 years and across the globe in just a few hours, to gain a greater understanding of the length and breadth of this world-class collection.  In small groups of 15 people or fewer, you’ll delve into the history and art of the Met, seeing works come to life through the stories of your expert guide. We start our tour in the ancient world, with a visit to Ancient Egyptian tomb models.  Incredibly well preserved, these pieces were a more important discovery than they seem, as they offered pictorial insight into what life in Ancient Egypt was like. This insight continues at the incredible Temple of Dendur, fully intact and surreally displayed inside a naturally lit atrium, nestled in Central Park.  Our world tour returns to New York for stained glass by Tiffany and then hops over to Britain to size up the armor of notorious King Henry VIII.  We then head east for the Antioch Chalice, believed by some to be the Holy Grail itself, the cup from which Jesus drank on the night he was betrayed.  Believe the story?  You’ll have time to debate its merits with your expert guide.  For historians our next few stops are a true delight – the Greek and Roman wing contain elegant statues, imperial Roman busts, and intact frescos buried along with those at Pompeii. Off to exotic Oceania to see boldly carved Bisj poles from Papua New Guinea, for which a Rockefeller gave his life.  We’ll then move to the second floor to admire Water Lilies by Monet, a Thinker by Rodin, and the swirling strokes of van Gogh. It’s break time inside the museum or atop the rooftop garden (May-October only, weather permitting) for verdant vistas of Central Park.  The tour continues to the Golden Age of Dutch painting, perusing portraits by Rembrandt and marveling at the virtuosity of Vermeer. After a brief passage through Italy, it’s off to Spain to see El Greco and to France for Jacques-Louis David’s famous Death of Socrates. A little scandal is in store, as your guide gives the inside story of John Singer Sargent’s infamous Madame X.   You’ll then be dwarfed by the immense iconic Washington Crossing the Delaware – one of the most recognized paintings in the United States.  Besides from what’s listed here, you’ll see little surprises and quirks of the collection as you tour.  Our small group and expert guides will allow you to ask questions, be engaged, and take the most from your Met experience! Sites Visited: Ancient Egyptian Tomb Models (original and perfectly preserved) Temple of Dendur - is occasionally rented our for private events with no advance notice provide.  While usually this occurs in the evening times, closures may impact this tour.  In such case, others works from the Egyptian collection will be substituted.   Egyptian mummies Armor of King Henry VIII Antioch Chalice a.k.a. the "Holy Grail" Greek and Roman Statuary Ancient Roman Frescoes Tiffany glass and mosaics Rodin sculptures Bisj Poles from New Guinea Claude Monet – Water Lillies Vincent van Gogh - Selected Works Auguste Rodin - Sculptures Rembrandt van Rijn - Portraits Johannes Vermeer - Selected Paintings Jacques-Louis David's Death of Socrates Madame X by John Singer Sargent Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emmanuele Leutze Rooftop Garden (May–October only, weather permitting) Please note, this tour is in English only. Inclusions: Pre-arranged Met Museum tickets, with donation included  Expert local tour guide Small groups of only 15 people or fewer   Exclusions: Gratuities for guide Hotel pick-up/drop-off Food/Beverages *On rare occasions, the Met may rent out select rooms for private events in which case other works will be substituted.   **Please note that the Met rooftop is closed during the winter from November through April and reopens early May through the end of October, weather permitting.   A coat and bag check is available in the main lobby. If you cannot climb the stairs of the central entrance there is a ground level entrance one block south, near the intersection of 81st St. and 5th Ave. Inform the desk you need to use the elevator to meet a group in the main lobby (at pharaoh statue) which will then secure your entrance ticket. They will provide you with a temporary pass and help direct you upstairs.