Wet Exits And Shaved Truffles
What a great night.
Readers of this blog already know that two of my favorite things are adventure and food. The two combined last night to form an evening I'll savor for years.
I've already written about Kayak For A Cause. Each participant must be certified to be able to launch on the 29th. No certification, no fun. My friend and I went last night for our certification. We did this through Manhattan Kayak.
We launched off Chelsea Piers, right by Basketball City. At the dock, our instructor asked us to simulate a wet exit. We did so. I hoped this would be enough to pass that portion of the exam, since performing a true wet exit meant dumping myself into the waters of the Hudson River.
Once we were in our kayaks and on the water, we went through a series of maneuvers to be sure we were confident in our kayaks. After the instructor was satisfied, he described the process of wet exits and returning to the kayak in open water. Then he asked for a volunteer. I offered my friend to go first.
On his second attempt, he successfully re-entered the kayak, emptied it of excess water and was ready to go. Next up was me. All I kept thinking about was trying not to ingest too much water.
I dumped into the 70 degree water and proceeded to follow the instructions. It was surprisingly easy to do. Perhaps I was additionally motivated to get out of the Hudson, but I did it on my first try. The instructor asked us to again do it, but without his guidance. Again, I was successful.
When it was all over, we returned to the dock and showered. We remarked that we never thought we would be taking an outdoor shower in the middle of Manhattan. I offered my friend the opportunity -- OK, I dared him -- to shower naked so the whole City could see. He declined. Then, after my shower, we dressed and we had our certifications ready. Part one of the evening was complete.
In that one lesson, I learned more about kayaking than I had in all my previous hours on the water.
We celebrated our success with dinner with some friends at Del Posto, the restaurant I had referred to in my food blog -- "The Gods Have Returned". What a meal!
We began with an antipasto for the table, which included prosciutto, stuffed olives, roasted vegetables, and sweetbreads. We chose to simply have pasta for dinner. My friend and I split our meals. We had raviolini with a rabbit ragu and a cheese-stuffed pasta (like an unrolled tortellini) in a broth with shaved truffles. Unbelievable meal.
Nights like the last one are what makes life so wonderful. I am grateful that I am able to have as many as I do.
Readers of this blog already know that two of my favorite things are adventure and food. The two combined last night to form an evening I'll savor for years.
I've already written about Kayak For A Cause. Each participant must be certified to be able to launch on the 29th. No certification, no fun. My friend and I went last night for our certification. We did this through Manhattan Kayak.
We launched off Chelsea Piers, right by Basketball City. At the dock, our instructor asked us to simulate a wet exit. We did so. I hoped this would be enough to pass that portion of the exam, since performing a true wet exit meant dumping myself into the waters of the Hudson River.
Once we were in our kayaks and on the water, we went through a series of maneuvers to be sure we were confident in our kayaks. After the instructor was satisfied, he described the process of wet exits and returning to the kayak in open water. Then he asked for a volunteer. I offered my friend to go first.
On his second attempt, he successfully re-entered the kayak, emptied it of excess water and was ready to go. Next up was me. All I kept thinking about was trying not to ingest too much water.
I dumped into the 70 degree water and proceeded to follow the instructions. It was surprisingly easy to do. Perhaps I was additionally motivated to get out of the Hudson, but I did it on my first try. The instructor asked us to again do it, but without his guidance. Again, I was successful.
When it was all over, we returned to the dock and showered. We remarked that we never thought we would be taking an outdoor shower in the middle of Manhattan. I offered my friend the opportunity -- OK, I dared him -- to shower naked so the whole City could see. He declined. Then, after my shower, we dressed and we had our certifications ready. Part one of the evening was complete.
In that one lesson, I learned more about kayaking than I had in all my previous hours on the water.
We celebrated our success with dinner with some friends at Del Posto, the restaurant I had referred to in my food blog -- "The Gods Have Returned". What a meal!
We began with an antipasto for the table, which included prosciutto, stuffed olives, roasted vegetables, and sweetbreads. We chose to simply have pasta for dinner. My friend and I split our meals. We had raviolini with a rabbit ragu and a cheese-stuffed pasta (like an unrolled tortellini) in a broth with shaved truffles. Unbelievable meal.
Nights like the last one are what makes life so wonderful. I am grateful that I am able to have as many as I do.
posted by E-Luv at 9:13 AM
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