I bought this honey directly from the bee-keeper at the market in Ponta Delgada (Azores). It is the most flavorful honey I have ever had – this particular one is clover – or so he told me! We are enjoying it on the delicious Portuguese bread with salted butter or sharp cheese – as we learned at Taberna Acor….
Yesterday we enjoyed limpets in garlic butter at Restaurante Caravela in Sao Vicente (Madeira). Local flavours abound
Once I knew we were coming to St. Maarten and I started looking up things to do …. the #1 thing on my list was to visit Maho Beach which is at the front end of the airport runway and where jets come in right over the beach! Oh yes! they do! and they come in fast and are hard to capture especially with waves lapping and people walking in front of you! We saw many smaller planes come in but two big jets which was exciting enough for me! ok! I admit it, I would have liked to see a 747!
We also visited Phillipsburg which was disappointing in that it is geared to cruise ships with duty-free shops, etc. and was hotter than h— for walking around. A few interesting buildings but a short visit.
I am obsessed with this woman at the resort who has nails that are about 12″ long!! I have to get in a conversation with her and try and find out the reason/history for this strange feature. Is she a Shaman-ess? is she going for the World Record? a big mystery!!
The morning drive was very easy, and as usual, free of other traffic. We had the choice of making a 300 km loop down to the ocean and back up to Oudtshoorn or visiting Prince Albert and crossing the Swartberg Pass – we decided on the latter!
Initially the drive was on a pencil straight road through the Karoo bushland with goats, sheep (different breeds) and cattle grazing – very similar to northern Arizona – and corner chimneyed karoo style houses dotting the landscape. We drove closer and closer to the mountains until we took a turn that took us through a gorge with the most amazing rock formations- diagonally slanted sandstone blocks. The little town of Prince Albert was on the other side and we made a well-deserved stop to peruse the main street and enjoy delicious lemonade and apple pie on the porch of the Lazy Lizard. We also got caught in a sea of Merino sheep being herded out of the field and down the road!
Leaving Prince Albert we took the dirt road that goes over the Swartberg Pass. Whoo! what a ride – switchback turns with virtually no guard and we could see the trail winding its way up the mountain and then once reaching the summit, down the other side and hour and half later!
On the other side of Oudtshoorn we arrived at our destination: Rietfontein Ostrich Palace – an ostrich farm. We had ferocious winds that turned to a rain storm (much needed) during our dinner. The farm has been in family ownership since 1846 and was first ostrich farm in the valley. The buildings date from 1906 and our little “Emma’s Cottage” was luxury personified. The lounge and restaurant are in the former stables/barn converted into very comfortable and appealing settings.
Dinner was comparable with any first class restaurant anywhere in the world and comprised:
Ostrich liver pate with fresh-baked bread and candied figs
Mushroom stuffed with baked brie and cranberry
Black Forest Ham wrapped around fresh fig
Ostrich fillet with new potatoes, julienned carrots and beans
Apple tartine with whipped cream.
We visited Winter Park, FL specifically to see the Tiffany exhibits at The Morse Museum which houses the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933), including the artist’s jewelry, pottery, paintings, art glass, leaded-glass lamps and windows. Especially magnificent is the chapel interior from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. After his Long Island estate, Laurelton Hall, burned many of the salvageable pieces and architectural objects were transported to Winter Park thanks to the initiative of his daughter who wrote to Jeannette Genius McKean, who had long appreciated Tiffany’s art. Her husband Hugh McKean, had been an art student at Tiffany’s Laurelton Hall estate in 1930.
East coast or west coast? I am fascinated by trying to determine how people figure out which they prefer. Both have pros and cons, of course.
So we drove from Fort Pierce to Port Charlotte by way of Rte 70 via Okeechobe and Arcadia. It is absolutely unnecessary to turn the steering wheel a degree, and one could possibly believe that you’d been transported to Texas or Oklahoma! It has a very strong western feel with lots of cattle and horses grazing in pastures, and cowboy hats, jeans and boots are the common attire.
I immediately fell in love with our Airbnb rented loft in Port Charlotte where we stayed for three nights.
We made a little trip up to Osprey to meet up with friends for lunch at Casey Key Fish House which was lovely – sitting outside on the deck at the water’s edge.
Viewing the sunset at Port Charlotte Beach Park.
A long walk on Punta Gorda’s Harbor Walk.
A couple of hours at the beach on the Gulf.
This morning was fresh and clear after yesterday evenings rains and the perfect day to get out on the trails. Before that, though, we made a stop at the Navy SEAL Museum which gives a very good insight into the successes and mission of the SEALS from World War II to present and how their equipment has evolved over the decades.
The coastal hammock trail in Fort Pierce Inlet State Park.
Lunch in the most beautiful of settings on such a gorgeous day – overlooking the marina – at Harbor Cove Bar & Grill.
Lucy was parked in the shade during lunch and wondered what we brought her!!
The day wrapped up with a long walk on a mostly empty beach – heavenly sand between the toes, washed away by lapping surf.
Lucy wants everyone to know how much fun she had yesterday. We call her a “beach loving surfer girl” and she lives up to the name every time she hits a beach! Running, running, running in the surf; barking with joy at little shorebirds, the water, and anything that gets in her way.
Today we spent some time at Heathcote Botanical Gardens in Fort Pierce. They have a particularly lovely display of bonsai, and otherwise it was enjoyable being in the gardens after last evening’s rainfall.
I love all the different textures…
Saturday morning was spent in Fort Pierce at the farmer’s market, which is really much more! In the lovely waterfront and downtown location it was busy, busy and Lucy did extremely well with the crowds of people and other canines.
On Sunday we took at drive down to Lake Worth to check out the Street Painting Festival which was even more spectacular than I’d imagined. 600 artists – professional and amateur – take part over the weekend creating masterpieces in a 10×10′ space on the downtown streets. This, a fundraiser, is in its 22nd year, has raised money for art scholarships.
Food vendors, crafters, and others were also there ..
We also enjoyed some of the local neighborhoods with the quaint little Florida cottages.
We are exploring this area from Sebastian to Stuart called the Treasure Coast, and were happy to find a little downtown area in Stuart with a lovely river boardwalk.
It was a quick drive down from Maine to Jacksonville in 21/2 days, and so it was especially sweet to take the time to conclude our journey to Fort Pierce with a meander through Daytona Beach. Enroute we came across the funky burger joint/lounge Daytona Brickyard. The place was non-stop with activity – people arriving, being greeted, attentive waitstaff and patron; bikers, black and white checkered floors and table covers; oh yes! And biker chicks with their braids and bandanas! The burgers were really good too!
A short trip to Waldoboro took me back down memory lane – more than 40 years! and my time spent in Germany. It’s always fun to visit Morse’s for a browse around their store stocked with european food items, and enjoy a hearty lunch in their little restaurant.
A walk around an historic district of Providence, and Brown University on a brisk late October afternoon followed by dinner at a family run Portuguese restaurant where the locals spoke both languages and local wine is served cheaply and plentifully! What we love!
Our first visit to PR was in 2009, and we vowed to return soon – six years later we did it! It is an easy hop, skip and jump from Portland to San Juan, but the atmosphere, weather, food, environment is definitely vastly different than Maine! While staying at the beach in Isla Verde (at El San Jan – ELSJ) we enjoyed having a car to explore the countryside. Having previously visited Rincon in the west coast, and the south coast, we decided to stay in the eastern third of the island. The temps (at times in mid-90’s) meant morning and late afternoon sightseeing or beach walking!
Photos from “out and about”
Food and eating!
Old San Juan
The beach..
El Yunque National Forest