We had tickets to go to a viewing of The Princess Bride and Q&A with Cary Elwes. Before heading over to the Theater District we decided to try dinner at Pabu. 

We arrived a little early and had a few moments wait until we were seated. We ended up with a table with a view of downtown crossing. We ordered drinks from the Bar thanks to recommendations from another employee. Our server was friendly and very funny however after the initial start we hardly saw him. The restaurant has a variety of food runners and we saw them more than our server. 

We opted for the Omakase menu which meant we would be dining on only sushi. Our 9 course meal was filled with a variety of delicious and fresh seafood. I was thrilled to see that at the end of our meal the staff made a dairy free dessert for me!

While we enjoyed our meal we agreed that we prefer an Omakase that has selections for both the cold and hot selections (Morimoto Asia and Oishii have been some of our favorites). 

After dinner we raced over to the Wilbur Theater. Minus the horribly uncomfortable seats we thoroughly enjoyed watching The Princess Bride and hearing wonderful and hilarious stories from Cary Elwes!

The nigh before our flight we went online to check in for our American Airlines flight. We were beyond excited to be offered the chance to upgrade to First Class for hardly anything! I called our friends traveling with us and sure enough they received the same offer. 

We booked car service with Valley Coach of North Andover for the 4 of us to be picked up at our house at 6:45. The car service was a little late and when it showed up it wasn't the right car. Apparently something happened to the original car and we were left with an SUV that seated 3 plus luggage. Our friend Tom took a leisurely ride while resting on the floor. I wrote an email explaining the situation and asked that the return pick up would be better suited. I'll write more about our return pick up later but I did want to state that Valley Coach of North Andover got back to us appropriately and on the return trip informed us that there wouldn't be a charge for the mix up. Excellent customer service!

After checking in for our flight and headed to the nearest Starbucks for some beverages. We were the first to board our flight and the seats were roomy and the service was friendly. However, on the 757 from Boston to Miami it's an older plane, no individual tv's, and you are unable to tell them if you have a food allergy. Needless to say with my dairy allergy the only thing they were able to offer me was fruit (I'll be offered a lot of fruit all through Miami and the cruise as well...grrrr).

We landed in Miami and hopped in a cab to the South Beach Marriott. It was still pretty early so we correctly assumed that our room wouldn't be ready. The hotel held our bags for us and we headed out for some lunch. Sadly it was a cloudy, windy, and cold day in Miami so that meant the beach was out. 

The four of us decided on Joe's Stone Crab. The restaurant was extremely busy and by the time we got done the lunch service was over and so I think the service suffered a bit. We enjoyed the shrimp cocktail, stone crabs, nicoise salad, ribs, and lobster blt. The shrimp were a bit over cooked for my taste but everything else was delicious and seasoned beautifully.

After lunch we headed back to the South Beach Marriott and our room was ready. Before heading up the room the staff offered us a complimentary Mojito. That is the way to start a vacation!! We decided to share a room since it was just one night and the room was perfectly appointed. The room was bright, airy, and modern with two full size beds, a view of the ocean (no balcony but did have a sliding window), counter top, chair, coffee maker, refrigerator, shower, and large bathroom. 

My friend Robyn and I decided to go walk up Collins Ave and do some shopping while the guys hung out and got some beers. After noticing the time we hurried up and ran back to the hotel to get ready for dinner at Zuma. 

The four of us love restaurants like Nobu and Morimoto and so naturally when we heard about Zuma we had to give it a try. The four of us decided to go all out and try their top end prix fixe menu. Most of the dishes were amazing, beautifully presented, and memorable. Unfortunately, a few of the dishes were just okay. I was also displeased that one of the dishes came with butter when i specifically stated I had a dairy allergy. For my friend with a gluten allergy they were able to offer her Tamari instead of soy sauce. 

We ended up enjoying 14 courses of food sadly I got too wrapped up in the food to remember to always take pictures.  Our 1st course was sea bass sashimi - simple and unadorned making it a beautiful bite. Our 2nd course was beef carpaccio with black truffles - luxurious and tender. Our 3rd course was scallop tartare - bright and with a hint of herbs. Our 4th course was lobster tempura - piping hot and crispy but could have used a hint of brightness. Our 5th course was Kurobuta pork belly - this dish was seasoned well but the top part of the skewer was dry while the rich fat was only at the bottom. Our 6th course was King Crab with ponzu lime butter - naturally I can't speak about this dish but the others enjoyed it. Our 7th course was a sushi platter with Wagyu beef, fatty tuna, sea bass, and salmon - refreshing and had hints of heat from wasabi. Our 8th course was a rice hot pot with mushrooms - warming and comforting. Our 9th course was lobster miso soup - the lobster was rich and the broth was warm and spicy. It reminded me of lobster fra diavola. Our 10th course was baby artichoke with a truffle dressing - good but definitely not a memorable dish. Our 11th course was foie gras - what really made this dish was the accompaniment of umeboshi plums. The salty sweet plums paired beautifully. Our 12th course was Wagyu beef with a variety of sauces - the beef was tender and cooked perfectly. Our 13th course was a type of fresh corn popcorn ball - I wish I wasn't completely stuffed at this point because these were amazing. Crunch, savory, salty, and sweet from the fresh corn, an amazing bite. Our 14th course was dessert. This consists of a dessert tower if you will. It came with a banana cake, a chocolate caramel lava cake, a coconut cake, and a layered dish plus a variety of exotic fruits (Lychee and Rambutan being my favs) and finally a variety of ice creams and sorbets. 

Before we dined at Zuma we read a review that said enjoy everything and don't look at the bill. We were very prepared and with all this food, drinks, and gratuity the check was still shockingly large. We paid our bill and stumbled out to a cab and proceeded to complain how full but satisfied we were! If you are looking to completely splurge I highly recommend the prix fixe however you definitely don't need to pay the highest prices to have a terrific meal with amazing food and great service. 

After an early start to the day at The Chedi Club we headed into Ubud. Friends from Arizona were meeting up with us for a few days. Yay! We met outside of the Palace (such an easy meeting spot). It was extremely sunny and hot again this morning so we decided to head to a restaurant for some drinks. Right along the main street you will find multiple restaurants to enjoy drinks, juices, gelato, and meals throughout the day. 

After some relaxation time and people watching (such a fun past time) we decided to do some shopping. Across the street is the Ubud Market. There are multiple shops within several buildings (two levels). You will be able to find something for yourself and anyone on your gift list. 

Some of the fun items we found were a silk dress, sand sculptures, wood carvings, salt and pepper pots, elephants (cloth, wood, metal, and more), and paintings. The pricing of stuff is similar to Mexico - haggling. I hate to haggle but people were very friendly and very honest. In the end everyone was happy and we got a good price for "good luck."

Our friends headed over the Monkey Forest and we decided to head back to our hotel to get freshened up. This heat and humidity does a number on your body and hair!!

For dinner we met up at their hotel the Four Season's Sayan. The staff were very warm and welcoming. Tonight was their Romantic Couples Dinner. For a full review visit here. 

Once we were ready we headed downstairs to the breakfast room. We were greeted by Lorca who is beyond friendly, helpful, and personable. 

The breakfast staff are  also friendly and helpful! Right away my dairy allergy was recognized and I was told that the eggs in the buffet have milk but the restaurant would make me eggs any way I like. I was also told that I can have Soy milk for coffee, tea, or cereal. The buffet offered:
Rolls and bread, toast, and pastries
Scrambled eggs, sausage, potatoes, and beans
Yogurt, fruit
Cereals, pancakes
Fruit juices
Coffees and Teas
Fresh Ricotta

Refreshed and full we headed to the Colosseum. We've been here several times but can't seem to stop visiting. Luckily today was a light traffic day and perfect weather. Tip: Purchase your Colosseum / Forum tickets online at http://www.ticketclic.it/Gb/index.cfm for the same price and be able to skip the line.

Next we wandered through the Roman Forum and Palantine Hill area. It's nice to find new ruins you didn't see before, take a break and sit down and enjoy the scenery, and experience history. 

For Lunch we went back to the hotel and enjoyed drinks, and sandwiches at the Artemide Restaurant. For the full review visit http://wanderlusthearts.weebly.com/rome-italy.html

We decided to head into the Monti area and try to find Gelateria Fatamorgana. Unfortunately, it's closed on Mondays (their hours aren't posted on their website). So we made our way back to Via Nazionale and popped into Castroni for some wine and artisanal beer.

For dinner we walked through Via Nazionale, passed Piazza Barberini, and headed into the Spanish Steps area to eat at Life. For the full review visit http://wanderlusthearts.weebly.com/rome-italy.html

Considering most restaurants offer desserts with dairy we opted to skip dinner and head to Venchi Gelateria for some Aztec chocolate gelato (dairy free).