Particularly during the colder months, evening dinners are a highlight. March 17 was our anniversary of sorts, that being the date Lis and I had first met -- as I tell everyone -- in the dark, in the back of a bus, in Ecuador. (Explanation: We were both on a cruise to the Galapagos, and met our group in a minivan upon arriving at the airport in Quito.).

I began with a ‘Merrill Inn County Cider Cocktail’ – sparkling cider, Calvados, Triple Sec, cranberry pomegranate juice and apple slices.