Day two. After ten hours in bed – ten hours! – we awoke to grey and dreary skies. Not exactly a promising start. But it turned out that the gloom wasn’t a portent in any way, for this day turned out to be one of my favourite days ever.
Brunch was at Bouchon, a much-reviewed and lauded bistro, and as it is a Thomas Keller restaurant, I had high hopes for it. I wasn’t disappointed. While we waited for our table on the patio, the aroma of fresh pastry nearly drove me crazy – Bouchon is also a bakery. By the time we were seated, we agreed that we definitely needed to try the basket of assorted pastries. Alongside Doug’s superb coffee and my cappuccino, this would have been enough to feed the two of us for breakfast – and maybe a snack later. Chocolate croissants, flat pastries not resembling a crescent in any way, with SLABS of chocolate inside. Strawberry-filled beignets. Almond croissants, flat again, filled and studded with pieces of the nuts. It was way too much, and sensibly, we both tried just a taste. After all, we still needed to eat brunch!
And what a brunch. Doug ordered corned beef hash, and what arrived was a dish of succulent diced meat, topped with two perfectly poached eggs. It was a far cry from the usual mélange of mostly potatoes you find at other places. I succumbed to a signature Thomas Keller dish, a version of a BLT (the waiter’s description was just too much for me to resist – he should receive a commission for his sales pitch!). This was unlike any other BLT I’ve ever had – a slice of toasted French bread, topped with the requisite tomato and lettuce, but with an herb-seasoned mayonnise. Instead of bacon, it was covered with pork belly, diced pieces of crispy heaven…and to top it all off, two eggs, again perfectly poached. The side dish of potatoes with caramelized onions was wonderful, but it was just too much food, so I shared it with Doug. Can you believe we never even thought to take a photo?
The waiter packaged the pastries for us in a pretty box, popped that into a pretty bag, and off we went. On the way out the door, I stopped dead. An oyster bar! Row upon row of oysters, different varieties of the little beauties shining in a sea of ice. Oh, if only I had known this the night before, we could have had dinner at Bouchon instead of Dos Caminos. On the other hand, there was the tequila…
The next event of the day was something I was really looking forward to doing, but, even though Doug was humouring me by participating, I don’t think he was really looking forward to it. Good sport that he is, though, he soon found himself standing beside me gazing at a 40 foot high climbing wall.
I’m sure he was regretting ever having been roped into this. On our earlier visit to inspect the gym facilities in our hotel (part of the Canyon Ranch Spa), I was entranced by the wall, and kept returning to it again and again. This was something I had always wanted to try, and when he realized I was actually serious, Doug agreed to join me… probably because this was my birthday weekend. And because he is well-versed in “Indulgent Husband 101”:) His only remark, though, was “You do realize this is equivalent to climbing a four-story building?”
Our belayer, Sue, soon had us outfitted in climbing gear…harnesses, helmets, and shoes. What a pair of geeks… though as a cyclist, Doug is used to looking like one (ha ha, Charlie. You too!) But can you believe it? No camera or phone again. We went back later to take the photos that follow.
There were four courses on the wall, ranging from introductory to difficult. After a brief chat and some quick instruction, Sue decided we looked fit enough to bypass the first wall, and started us on the second climb instead. I went first. It was an absolute and total rush and before I knew it, I had reached the top. I tapped the bar at the top, and bounced my way back down the wall (I hesitate to describe my technique as rappelling…). That was fun, too. Then it was time for Doug. Initially he seemed reluctant about the idea of the whole ordeal, but once on the wall, he was Spiderman! Where I methodically picked and chose my hand and footholds, he just flew up the side of the rock face. And loved it, too!
The second climb was more difficult, but we both made it to the top without much trouble. It was time to consider the difficult course. Sue had told us that most beginners just don’t have enough energy or strength for more than two climbs, and that we could quit if we wanted – but we didn’t want to. I was determined I was going to make it to the top of this course, too, even though there was a large outcropping to get over very near the top. Alas, it wasn’t to be. After my third attempt to get over the ledge, my shoulders were aching and my arms were quivering. I had fallen once (good catch, Sue!), taken a break to stretch my arms, and been coached by Sue that, because I was short, I had to take a leap of faith, take both my right hand and right leg off the wall at the same time, and push myself off my left leg in order to reach the next holds. Climbing, it seems, is more about pushing off with the legs than pulling up with the arms, but it is hard to let go when you know you can’t reach the next hold without what is, essentially, a large lunge off one foot into thin air. I had to admit defeat.
Doug, with his longer arms and legs, managed the first part of the climb easily, but then he, too, got stuck at the outcrop. Because he has so much more upper body strength than I, he had been relying on his arms even more heavily than I had, and after a few attempts, it was obvious even from 30 feet below that his arms were quivering. He, too, admitted defeat, and rappelled down the rock face much more elegantly than I.
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But we really didn’t care that we hadn’t quite made it. We were both high from the experience, and thrilled with having discovered a new challenge we both enjoy. We will definitely be doing this again, and next time I’m in Las Vegas, I will make it over that ledge!
To celebrate, we headed back up to our room for a nutritious post-workout snack – Diet Coke and the box of pastries. The WHOLE box. But no beer. My trainer would be so proud of me…
(This is already a long post and I’ve only reached 3 p.m. The next ten hours of our day will have to wait until tomorrow.)
frances bowles
August 18, 2011
Wow linda…I am tired just reading this. I am sure that Glen and I would only make the beginners and that the staff would be incredulous that we made it (assuming we did). Way to go. Sounds like a fun day.
Frances