Before we walked into Centro, I did some beachcombing and then we had a little visit with friends of our next door neighbours (from Saskatchewan). Their friends were from our home town of Winnipeg and because everybody knows everyone else back home-it turned out that he had done an inspection of our beach house at the lake.

We walked through Centro to meet the rest of our entourage at the old Playa Sol for sunset. Along the way I captured a couple of moments that I was particularly enthralled by, including the above. What I liked about it was that often times when you see a depiction of the madonna, she has a halo and rays streaming from her head/crown but in this, the halo is in the heavens. Pretty cool, I thought.

Even chipping plaster strikes me as pretty; especially when it is the backdrop for these dashing musicians.

Oh that I could have a retro floor like this in my home……

What came first, the restaurant or the vine?

The deep sea fishing boats.

Live lobster tank.

The palms silhouetting the firey sky.

Sailfish statue.

This too was one of my favourites. The wide flung door says “possibilities” to me. The fading sun was now pastel and that is my borther, my sister, my sister-in-law and an honourary sister waiting for us on the far dock.

This was our view as D poured us Kahlua and banana cocktails and we nibbled on snacks.

That evening we had dinner a fabulous (as always) at Fredy’s  before wandering down to watch a game of basketball near the square, a stroll home to Luna d’ Miel and lastly moon gazing by the ocean. Another perfect day.

As much as I know that all the walking that I do from the airport strip to Centro and back again is good for me, I am very much looking forward to staying in Centro for our upcoming trip. I haven’t done so in years. We will be at the Villas San Miquel, a relatively new build of apartments clustered around a walled pool. The kitchen is beautifully equipped so we anticipate making lots of good food and hosting happy hours. We will be nice and close to our favourite juice man and to fetch tortas first thing in the morning at the Supermercado. Counting down the days now…..

Kath’s quotes: “The moon is a loyal companion. It never leaves. It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human. Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections.” ― Tahereh Mafi

Love, that is all.

We spent lots of time on the back patio of Luna d’Miel on this day for a couple of reasons: 1) the sunrise was gorgeous (would you agree?) and we had new neighbours in the apartments. It is fun to write this months later as Kelly & Peggy are my Facebook friends and I hope to see them on the island in a month or so.

We waited on the airport road for Sister #3 and Dona to pick us up in a cab. We were on our way to visit Fredy and Anna’s breakfast restaurant in the Colonias. Fredy explained how Mel and Alda’s was named for their grandkids Melodie and Aldair.

In the vicinity was a home with a with this uniquely crafted wall. On one side you could see the bottle bottoms but through the curved window, you might be able to see that the entire bottle had been plastered in. Home owners on Isla are so inventive!

Our next stop was to tour Joyce and Bob’s Casitas. I mentioned in a previous post that even though we had just met, we had lots of commonalities between us. The Casitas are so beautiful, carefully decorated and equipped with every convenience you might need for a couple of weeks stay. Can you imagine this view from your bed? I love the stretch of beach, across the road-perfect for beach combing, one of my favourite Isla past times.

Joyce was also kind enough to let us have a peak at their own home-equally gorgeous with little touches that I was particularly fond of.

Our gang on their second floor terrace.

I was especially enamoured by this exquisite tree that was carefully tended in their yard.

We walked around the neighbourhood a bit before heading back to the north.

By the time the sun was lowering in the sky we were on our back into Centro. But those photos and narrative will have to wait for another day.

Kath’s quote: “The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.”  ― G.K. Chesterton

Love, that is all.

A business associate asked to meet me her for lunch so that she could get some traveling tips about Isla Mujeres. The opportunity was a perfect excuse to think about warm temperatures in the middle of winter. We decided to meet in the vicinity of her office at Peaks Restaurant at 106 Scurfield Blvd. in Whyte Ridge.

I suppose it was because we were both contemplating fitting into our bathing suits, that we ordered salads. She ordered the Greek Salad and me the Strawberry Spinach Salad. Each of us added a grilled and sliced chicken breast. Large pieces of garlic toast were perched on the rims of our salad plates. They had been saturated in butter (a good thing) and were crispy as well as delicious.

I admired my friend’s salad from across the table not knowing her quite well enough to request a taste. I noticed that her Greek salad included plenty of crumbled feta and kalamata olives. Uncharacteristic of a traditional recipe, the salad also included home-made croutons. As she asked the questions and I did all the talking, it took me longer than her to consume my huge lunch.

The delectable slices of strawberries, toasted almonds, shredded mozzarella and red onions were a summery taste as we chatted about golf carts, seafood restaurants and the best beach spots. The restaurant’s own poppy seed vinaigrette provided both acidity and sweetness and made the varied ingredients sparkle like the sea.

When a call was placed to the owner of the restaurant to check on the spelling of the unusual family name (Skrbic), he hinted that they originate from Eastern Europe so I was not surprised by the generous portions having travelled to the area in the past.

Peaks Restaurant & Catering (as stated on their website), external sign reads: Peaks & Ridges

Kath’s quote: “The West wasn’t won on salad.”-North Dakota Beef Council

Love, that is all.

When Mel & Alda’s was situated in the Colonias we had the pleasure of visiting Fredy, Anna and their daughter Jennie. Boy, oh boy, can this family cook!

The gang ordered the sopas (a thick crunchy corn tortilla) topped with a seasoned chicken and pulled pork. Everyone agreed that they were sensational!

I asked for Fredy’s recommendation and tasted a bean, pork & queso quesadilla. It was delicious but did not make for a stellar photo.

Fredy sat down at the next table to have a visit with Anna and eat his own breakfast.

Perhaps he say us ooggling his plate, so he ordered a second one for us to share. These were fried tortilla strips, a light tomato sauce, topped with two fried eggs, cremo, and a great avocado sauce. They too were fantastic!

We intend to visit Fredy’s for breakfast when we are on the island in the near future. I cannot stop thinking about those eggs!

Kath’s quote: “An egg is always an adventure; the next one may be different.”-Oscar Wilde

Love, that is all.

No trip to Isla Mujeres would be complete without a visit to Fredy’s. Read here about past visits: long ago, 2011,  2013, 2014, 

We have been friends with Fredy for so long that Sister #3’s photo of them together once adorned his restaurant wall (prior to the most recent renovations that is). One year we even ate Christmas dinner at Fredy’s!

We don’t even look at the menu any more. Almost everyone knows what they will order.

Baked Chicken Fajitas for Sister-in-law #3.

Mexican Platter for Sister #3.

Double-boned pork chops for the rest of us (4 of us on this evening). My husband D had not been to Fredy’s as often as the rest of us and was absolutely blown away by his pork chop. He went on and on about the cut, the preparation, the grilling, the tenderness and the taste.

D has owned his own restaurant and was a broiler chef for years and years and he knows his stuff. He could not say enough about Fredy’s skill in the kitchen.

When we first sat down, Fredy brought out his chips with guacamole and pico de gallo. I rarely order cocktails at dinner but Fredy’s pina cooladas are stellar!

You owe it to yourself to check Fredy’s. His food and clever/dry wit will have you coming back for more.

Kath’s quote: “I have three sets of humor. One I keep in a bag of salt, because it’s the dry one.
” ― Jarod Kintz

Love, that is all.