Hello Caribbean - Puerto Rico/Anguilla Days 1 and 2

Let me start this entry by saying that Anguilla is much like Iceland in many ways and the absolute opposite in others.  They are both minimally populated islands per square mile.  The food on both is amazing.  The "attraction" is the land itself and not a bunch of man-made tourist stops.  The service is impeccable.  The stark, but good, differences are:  one island wears black clothing while the other wears white and colors.  The people are reserved in Iceland and very open in Anguilla, but both are desirable.  One had a cold outside temperature and incredible warm waters and the second had warm outside temperatures and cooler ocean waters (although still delightful, just not hot).  That is it!  Perhaps Anguilla was not as spotlessly clean as Iceland, but that was easily overlooked as one enjoyed the cultural differences.  We will be making this an annual destination for a good many years to come.

After the holidays, I was actually ready for some quiet time and so suggested a beach trip.  Normally I am not one to just hang out on the beach so this was a big step for me.  I searched for an island that would not have a ton of people or cruise ships and discovered Anguilla.  What a gem!  I searched and discovered that it would take some work, but we could get there and see if it was really all that it was said to be.  So, a week prior, we contacted Patsy's Seaside Villas and managed to find an opening for a weekend.  A few searches later and we discovered the flights would work and so decided to go for it.  Since this was a break, we didn't take many pictures either but we would like to share a few highlights with you.




We left Dallas on Friday evening and flew to Boston.  Yes, it does seem as though we were going the wrong way but we were catching a red eye to Puerto Rico.  When we arrived in Boston, we had a short time to grab a bite to eat and then leave for San Juan.  It was raining when we left and so here is our departure shot:






We arrived in San Juan at 4 in the morning and took a cab down to Old San Juan to drop our bags at the Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel where would be staying at on the following Tuesday.  They stored them for us so that we could wander around the area for a few hours during our layover.  We walked out down among the cruise ship piers and settled into the Plaza de Immigrante to wait for daylight.  After a short wait, we wandered up the blue-bricked roads into the city and found some coffee and headed out for the day.  The colors of the houses are varied and we commented that it reminded us of New Orleans with the iron balconies.  We passed the Castillo San Cristobal but it was still too early for it to be open so we continued west along the ocean passing La Perla along the way.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

The day is absolutely beautiful and looking out onto the ocean is so soothing to the eyes and ears.  What an effect it has on the soul.  As we continued on our way, we came to the Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery.  This is right up against the shoreline and has some of the most intriguing graves and tombstones.  The light is amazing at this early time and we enjoy the quiet and solitude that the place offers.

The next stop on our walk is the Castillo San Felipe del Morro.  It was built from 1579 to 1786 and was key to keeping the island safe as it had control over the harbor.  As we approach the walls, we noticed many little nooks which were areas used by the guards to watch over the island.  I walked down into one of the sentry boxes and peeked out through the small windows to see the view that was available to the guard on duty.  It is minimal at best.

We continue towards the fort and as the sun comes up, the place looks absolutely picturesque.  What fun.

A nice shot of the lighthouse:

Just before entering the fort we heard the squawks of birds overhead and looked up to see a flock of parrots landing on the lawn and the fort walls.  They are brilliant green and seem quite content to be out this morning.






We spent over an hour wandering around the fort and getting a glimpse into a life we have no full comprehension of.  To even begin to understand how it was back then is impossible for us today.  At least it is for me.  I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been and have nothing but admiration for the people that survived that time and guaranteed future generations the life they have today.  As we were wandering the fort, we came upon a staircase simply named "triangle staircase".  It led down to the Water Battery where the cannons were kept.

The walls of the fort are 18-25 feet thick, up to 60 feet tall in places, and rises 145 feet above the ocean.  It is a labyrinth of rooms, staircases, tunnels, and towers.

 Upon leaving the fort, we went cross country towards the harbor to walk along the Paseo del Morrow, a trail that follows La Muralla, the outside wall.  The only entry back into the city is at the Puerta de San Juan - a large red door built into the wall.  From there we follow the Paseo de le Princesa passing La Fortaleza (the Governors Mansion which is the blue building in the picture) and Raices (a beautiful fountain with a bronze sculpture).

The morning has ended quickly and so we hunt down a quick coffee and snack before we need to head back to the airport for our afternoon flight.  As we are walking back towards the hotel we find Cafe Cuatro Sombras, a cute little coffee shop serving authentic Puerto Rican coffee and delicious sandwiches.  We enjoy a couple of cold drinks and a chicken salad sandwich, head back to the hotel, pick up our bags, and grab a cab back to the airport.  Time to head to Saint Martin/Sint Marteen for the next segment of our trip.  It's been a nice day here in San Juan - plenty still to do on another trip here.



 Once at the airport, we have a short wait for our flight and so we settle in and people watch for awhile.  When we arrive in St. Martin, we are flying in right over the heads of people on the beach as they have a very short runway.  I have never experienced a landing quite like this one as once we are on the ground, the plane slows and then does a complete 180 degree turn right on the runway to taxi back to the terminal.  Very strange indeed.

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We quickly pass through customs, exit the airport, and grab a taxi to the ferry on the other side of the island.  Once we arrive there, we purchase our tickets and go through another immigration check as we are now leaving the country.  In and out stamps for the passports all within an hour.

The ferry crosses to Anguilla in less than 1/2 an hour and we then have just a short 10 minute walk to our villa at Patsy's.  After some confusion with our arrival, we head to our room and breathe the fresh air, open all windows to let the ocean breeze in, check out the view from our balcony, and head down to the nearly private beach.  Let the relaxation begin.

While we are walking, the sun is starting to set and the magic of the beach takes over.  We walk to the point and back sinking our feet into the powdery white sand and listening to the soft lap of the ocean.

Upon our return, we find a great little restaurant next door to us and right on the beach.  It is called the Ferry Boat Inn and has villas as well.  The t-shirts are FBI and I chuckle over this for quite awhile.  We visit with many Brits staying at the Inn and discover that it is very common for people return here annually, many for over 20 years now.  After simply a few hours here, we already can understand why.  Christian, the bartender, serves us his own recipe of rum punch and it is absolutely divine.  The entire evening is amazing and we end by walking back up the beach to our place.  Yes!  Just what we wanted.

Back to Quilting!

I spent New Years Day in a quilting class by Bonnie Hunter learning a mystery quilt that I am very excited to work on.  It has put me back at the machine and cleaning out the studio so that I have one less project going at a time.  I finished the quilt top that I have been working on irregularly for several years now.  Yay!!!  I still have two others cut out to finish piecing along with the new one.  Hopefully we will get this one on the frame soon and then I can switch between quilting and piecing.  Looking for a more productive 2013.

Annual Holiday Puzzle

Cass and Scott came over to do laundry and hang out for the day.  We had opened the annual puzzle the night before and had put the border together and a few other pieces.  They got into the spirit of things and before they went home late (much later than they thought, ha ha) all that was left was blue sky, blue on the large balloon, and the white clouds.

A week later Mister and I had struggled through the blue and finished it up.  We were so excited when we managed to get just one or two pieces in.  It doesn't look that hard, but ugh --- lots of blue and white everywhere.

2012 - Year in Review

This post wishes each of you a very Happy New Year and hopes that you look with anticipation at what lies ahead.  I know I do.

Taking a quick look at 2012 --- WOW!  We had such a fun year and just saying that does not do justice to it.  Here is a quick review and feel free to look up the blog entries to match most of these.

February took us to Wyoming to help out with grandkids while two of the girls had surgery.  We spent 4 days there with 5 grands and then went back to Dallas with 2 in tow for another 10 days.  What a treat.  I am ready for my annual time with Hyrum and Zyra again.

March delivered Cass to our house on her way to Orlando for training in her  new position with Jet Blue at DFW.  We were so excited to have them near us and have had great times together all year.

April brought us Scott for a week while he also interviewed for and started a new job.  It also found us traveling north two weekends in a row for birthday parties - one to Wyoming for Caleb and the other to Montana for Zyra.

May -- the very first weekend  (and so three in a row now) we were back in Montana for Elena's birthday and the birth of Malea.  She was my special birthday present.  Next stop was Peru and the incredible Machu Picchu.  What an amazing trip and month.

June led us to exotic Egypt where we discovered that it was not as exotic but incredibly rich with history.  While we were gone, our house emptied of guests as Cass and Scott moved out to Richland Hills to be closer to work and have their own home.

July gave me the chance to fly with my granddaughter down to Houston, put her on another flight north and return to Dallas all in the same morning.  Great one-on-one time.  This month also reminded me that I am human and I was given the choice opportunity of some time in the hospital.  Yay!!  Sad part was that I missed the flight to bring Bekah home from her trip north, giving the opportunity to her grandfather instead.

August is wedding month and so a week after surgery, we hit the skies again for my nieces wedding in Montana.  The weather was incredible and she was such a beautiful bride.  Returning from there, I collapsed, rested, and headed to Surfside Beach with all of my children and grandchildren for another week of rest and much wanted family time.  I loved every minute of it and wish I had the budget to do that annually.

September led us down to Temple and Austin for soccer time with grands and Cass time in Austin.  We do love Austin and take every opportunity to go down there that we possibly can.  Then, on a spur of the moment decision, we took off for San Francisco and the Napa Valley to watch the grape harvest and   tour SF to the hilt.  The harvest was amazing to me and I learned so much and will be looking for 2012 wines in the future.

October is our anniversary month and so we spent 10 days in New England being "leaf peepers" and had such a grand time.  We finished the month in Austin on Halloween for the Leonard Cohen concert.  It was incredible as always.

November started out with a rare treat for me.  Cass and I flew to San Francisco and the rest of her sisters soon joined us for 4 days together of bike riding, eating, touring, eating, shopping, and eating, lol.  What fun and I hope to have another chance to do this in 2013.

December marked a destination and wonder off of our bucket lists.  Our trip to Iceland with its amazing beauty and three nights of Northern Lights will be a treasured memory for both of us forever.  Prior to our flight there, we were blessed to spend 3 days in Wyoming with our grandsons and gave mom and dad a break.  We also got to play Santa while there so all in all a great time.

Whew --- what a year.  Add in our movies, dinners out, friends over, and just laxin' at home and I really can't complain even if I thought I should.  On to 2013 and all it holds for us.

Happy New Year all.

Mister and Lady

Christmas 2012 - A Week with Family

I had such a hard time finding the Christmas spirit ahead of time this year.  I finally found it in Iceland when I started shopping there and then the first week home, we had to finish shopping and get everything shipped.  Whew --- I cut back a ton this year -- not even any cookies.  What is up with that?





We did get the house decorated a few days before Christmas and we were actually ready for the day when it arrived along with our guests.  We had decided to add red to the mix on the tree this year and I love the way it turned out.



We spent the early afternoon at A Tuba Christmas at Thanksgiving Square in Downtown Dallas.  There were over 150 musicians.  The park was packed and the music was kept very spiritual.  Jingle Bells was the only secular song played.  It made for a very nice start to Christmas Eve and certainly set the tone for me.

Cass and Scott arrived in the afternoon for our Tomato Bisque ritual and I had made fresh bread for it earlier in the day.  Yummy.

They did a sleepover and so were here Christmas morning and guess what ---- It snowed again!!!  Woohoo.  That makes the second time it has snowed when they have been here. Too funny.

Christmas morning was fun and yes, Santa had arrived.  We were able to have a little fun together sharing gifts and stories.




We had our traditional Christmas dinner and Mister's prime rib was amazing as always.  Didn't the table look so pretty all in red and white?  I had great help from Cassie as you can tell.

We ended the day by the four of us going to a movie after which Cass and Mister found some time to play and then Scott and Cass headed home.








The day after Christmas Jen and family came up to spend a few fun-packed days with us.  Cass and Scott drove back over for the first day and we all had another Christmas  with  gifts, fun, and messes everywhere.  It was a great time and we made a ham dinner and relaxed for the evening.










The next day we spent the day at the new Perot Science Museum, but not without "surprising" the boys with a stop to get haircuts, what fun. I had to do a before/after of each one.

We were not sure if they were happy or sad to see the hair go.  Saw some frowns and some smiles -- best comment came from Jacob -- "My hair looks good no matter what."  LOVE IT!

We ate at Texas Land and Cattle for a late lunch/early dinner, and that evening we all went to Urban Air trampoline with the kids (and Mom) jumping until they were exhausted.



I had to work the next day and it was Mom Hayter's birthday, so we headed off and Jen and family went to freeze their little backsides off at Six Flags and then head home.  They are tough Texans!

Iceland - Day 7 and home - Blue Lagoon

It is a sad day for us because we are headed home today, but it is also a day that I have been looking forward to since we got here because we get to go to the Blue Lagoon today.  After a quick breakfast and time spent tidying up the house, we pack up early and start the drive that will complete our trip around the island by arriving back in Reykjavik.  We want to be at the Blue Lagoon shortly after it opens to spend as much time there as possible before having to go to the airport and also to hopefully avoid any crowds that may gather as the day progresses.  It is only about an hour or so down to Reykjavik and the landscape has once again changed.  It has flattened out and we are along the coast of a fjord with farms dotting the landscape on both sides of us.




We discover that the route we have taken has a toll tunnel that goes under the fjord and when we exit -- Reykjavik!  We are back on the road taken the first night to watch the Aurora.  What an incredible journey this has been.









Next stop --- the Blue Lagoon.  (Please google this and read all about it.)  I am so excited as I am definitely a hot water lover and want to just bask in it and relax my entire body before a 7 1/2 hour flight back to Boston.








Mister has read about it ahead of time and knows about the secret entrance where we don't have to run around barefoot on icy ground between the locker room and the lagoon like we are watching everyone else do.  Yay Mister!  We go through the little pool entrance and are instantly in a covered area with speakers telling the story of the lagoon.  Excellent.

We wander the whole lagoon finding the waterfalls of hot water, the silica pots for masks, direct inlets of incredibly hot water, etc.  We cover our faces with a silica mask and continue to wander for the 20 minutes it needs to set and then go back to the waterfalls to wash it all off.  Yes!  Oh so nice.  We spend a couple of hours there, just floating, walking, and visiting with others.  It is so worth the trip.  I know that Icelandair flies to Europe from the U.S. via a layover in Reykjavik --- do this!  The Lagoon is only 20 minutes from the airport and definitely a great way to kill a couple of hours.

After we are dressed, we find the platform overlooking the lagoon to take a few pictures.  What a great last day we have had.













It is now back to Keflavik to refuel and  return the car.  Mister has finally mastered their gas pumps.

Alas, we are back at the airport after being delivered by the Blue Car Rental guy.  It only takes a few minutes to get our boarding passes and clear security -- love it.









We enter the main shopping area at the airport and take the time to make sure we have not missed any little thing here.  We had heard about a donut/sweet treat called Kleina that we had not yet had and so found one, sat down, and savored it.  It reminded me of a donut type treat that my grandmother used to make called Grebel.





We still needed a meal before our flight and so as usual Iceland delivered first class.  Smoked salmon, wine, eggs, etc.  Real dishes!  Not once on this trip have we had paper products and we stumped a lady when we wanted a bottle of water.  "Why would we want that?  The water here is so pure."  Oh my.  We simply wanted it in the car.








With full tummies, we went to the gate, received our boarding passes, and left Iceland with a determination to return again.  What a magnificent country -- one that we fell in love with and would recommend absolutely everyone to go to at least once.  When we landed in Boston we were faced with and incredibly slow customs, a mad dash to a different terminal, check-in at a kiosk, security, and run to the gate.  I barely had time for a quick potty stop and we boarded Jet Blue back to Dallas.  Whew.

It is no wonder that this was number one on Mister's bucket list.  This was such a great Christmas gift!