Sailing with Nine of Cups

Vessel Name: Nine of Cups
Vessel Make/Model: Liberty 458
Hailing Port: Denver, Colorado, USA
Crew: Marcie & David
About: We've lived aboard Nine of Cups since 2000 and have managed to accumulate 86,000+ nm under the keel since that time. We completed a circumnavigation in April 2015 and managed to sail around the five great southern capes. Come along with us for the ride!
Extra:
Visit our website at www.nineofcups.com for more photos and info about Nine of Cups and her crew. We also have a more extensive blogsite at www.justalittlefurther.com. Are some of our links broken? Links break from time to time. Please let us know which ones are broken and we'll fix them. You [...]
05 January 2017 | Chesapeake, VA
07 July 2016 | Us: East Walpole, MA / Cups: Chesapeake, VA
06 July 2016 | East Walpole, MA
04 July 2016 | East Walpole, MA
02 July 2016 | East Walpole, MA
01 July 2016 | Virginia Beach, Virginia
30 June 2016 | Chesapeake, VA
29 June 2016 | Chesapeake, VA
28 June 2016 | Intracoastal Waterway from St Augustine to Norfolk
27 June 2016 | Intracoastal Waterway from St Augustine to Norfolk
26 June 2016 | Intracoastal Waterway from St Augustine to Norfolk
25 June 2016 | Intracoastal Waterway from St Augustine to Norfolk
24 June 2016 | Intracoastal Waterway from St Augustine to Norfolk
23 June 2016 | Intracoastal Waterway from St Augustine to Norfolk
22 June 2016 | Intracoastal Waterway from St Augustine to Norfolk
21 June 2016 | Intracoastal Waterway from St Augustine to Norfolk
20 June 2016 | Charleston, South Carolina, USA
19 June 2016 | Charleston, South Carolina, USA
18 June 2016 | Intracoastal Waterway from St Augustine to Norfolk
17 June 2016 | Intracoastal Waterway from St Augustine to Norfolk
Recent Blog Posts
05 January 2017 | Chesapeake, VA

Happy 2017!

Happy New Year, Everyone!

07 July 2016 | Us: East Walpole, MA / Cups: Chesapeake, VA

Taking a breather ...

Since we'll be off the boat during July and August, we plan to post only three times per week. The Captain will continue writing a practical Blue View post each week, we'll keep you up to date on what's happening with us and then throw in some cruising nuggets as well.

06 July 2016 | East Walpole, MA

Keeping fit

We’ve written before about keeping fit on the boat. David is so much better at a regimented exercise program than I am. I have all the best intentions, but I can always think of something better to do than sit-ups, push-ups, leg lifts and running in place. It doesn’t take much to distract me. Walking, [...]

04 July 2016 | East Walpole, MA

Happy 240th Birthday, America

Growing up in New England, I took for granted just how lovely a summer’s morning can be in Massachusetts. It’s comfortably cool and everything smells clean and fresh. Spider webs glisten with morning dew and it’s just great to be alive and breathe in the new day. Being back at Lin’s house conjures up wonderful childhood memories of summer mornings past. And this is not just any morning … it’s the 4th of July, the best holiday of the summertime in the USA.

02 July 2016 | East Walpole, MA

Leaving Cups and a Road Trip

Leaving Nine of Cups is never easy. We know she’ll pout while we’re gone and so we do our best to make sure she’s as comfortable as possible before we leave. We were whirling dervishes trying to get everything ready.

01 July 2016 | Virginia Beach, Virginia

Hunting & Gathering - Virginia Beach

We had lots to do before leaving Cups. David was intent on getting as many chores done in advance of our departure as possible so that once we return in September, we can spend time sailing in the Chesapeake rather than doing repairs and maintenance. Much of what we needed in the way of parts and supplies, [...]

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

06 July 2013 | Boston, USA
Marcie
Did you know that the “I Scream” line is from an old, very un-PC song written in 1927 about college boys in the way far North? Even way back then, ice cream was a hit. Actually, it appears that the ancient Chinese enjoyed “iced cream” fruity concoctions and when the Greeks and Romans and Persians found out about it, they thought it was a grand idea. On the boat, we never have ice cream … the freezer would never keep it frozen. So, when we're on land … you guessed it …an ice cream frenzy ensues. Actually, we feel it's more our duty to try different ice cream flavors and report our conclusions. Someone's gotta do it.

It seems most every country we've visited has ice cream. Depending on the manufacturer, the vendor and his freezer, the ice cream can be very, very good or icy and crystalline with that melted, refrozen kind of taste. Sometimes there's soft-serve. It's okay in a pinch, but definitely not our favorite. There's sugar-free and fat-free, but why bother? We opt for rich, thick, velvety ice cream in flavors to die for.

Many places tout their own regional specialties in the ice cream flavors they manufacture. There's calfate berry in Ushuaia, Argentina and wine-flavored ice creams like Malbec and Syrah in Mendoza, Argentina. Throughout South America, dulce de leche (kind of like caramel) is a major favorite. New Zealand has Hokey-Pokey (vanilla with toffee bits) and Tasmania has pepperberry. Here in New England, maple walnut is a favorite. This is the home of Ben & Jerry's, don't forget. We've tried them all. David's favorite is New York Super Fudge Chunk, followed closely by chocolate almond. My favorite is maple walnut, followed closely by … maple walnut.

We recently read that there's garlic, sweet corn and green pea ice cream flavors and even horsemeat and parakeet. Oh, I think we'd probably pass on those. As much as we like ice cream, horse glacée and parakeet sorbet just lack appeal for some reason. Burger King just introduced their Bacon Sundae. I wonder how it's doing?

We usually opt for cones so we can multi-task … walk and eat ice cream at the same time. I found out that the world’s largest ice cream cone was “built” in Gloucester, U.K. A forklift carried the ice cream, which weighed 2,204 pounds (~1000kg), and placed it on top of the cone. The cone stood about 13' (2.7m) tall. Pretty impressive. I doubt we could have eaten it all in one go, but maybe in a few tries.

So … the best ice cream in the world in our humble opinions? Without a doubt … Argentina. Helado artesenal … ice cream in Argentina is an artform. It's rich, creamy and and absolutely luscious. The flavorful tastes are outstanding. Beyond all that, the folks who serve the ice cream are artisans. They have little paddles, not scoops, and they shape the cones with care and flair. They serve the cones with little spoons, so you can daintily eat your cone. (as if!) It's a pleasure to watch them … especially knowing it's YOUR cone they're working on.

Did you know the first ice cream in a walkaway cone was served at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904? I'm just full of trivia today, huh? It keeps my mind off eating ice cream.

We've got lots of fun links, trivia and pics today. Join us at Just A Little Further.
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