We were up for D’s final sunrise.

After we both did a bit of packing, we walked to Seso Loco for an amazing breakfast (see the photos and link here).

This is what friends for 30 years look like.

It was already time for good-byes for D, with the rest of the gang the previous evening and now with R & M. There is no sadness when we leave friends on the island though because we know that Isla will always be a part of our lives.

We ended up walking home because we couldn’t hail a cab. They were whizzing by full of locals heading to church and/or the beach.

D did a little bit more packing and then enjoyed a nap. When it was time for his departure we had trouble again hailing a cab but eventually managed to get one to stop for us.

I sat with the luggage while D tried to find something that he could eat for lunch/early supper. He ended up with a pina colada (which I finished) and a shrimp tostada. Then it was time for our traditional pouty faces and he was off.

When I returned home, I opened a beer and sat down by the airport strip sidewalk to wait for the sunset. it did not disappoint.

R & M made sure that I didn’t dine alone and invited me to join them. They loved our dinner at Basto Grill (see details and photos here). I went home to a drink of wine under the stars, even though it was not a sweet as when my husband is with me. Had the pleasure of reading for a long time in bed before it was lights out.

Kath’s quote: “Reading in bed can be heaven, assuming you can get just the right amount of light on the page and aren’t prone to spilling your coffee or cognac on the sheets. ”― Stephen King

Love never fails.

Up for another late sunrise and then a quick breakfast of yogurt, granola and fruit.

It was a big day for us because we had not really spent any time on the beach the previous week and we were renting chairs and an umbrella. We spent the entire day there. The gang joined us except for R & M who were spending the day with Isla friends.

It was also my last chance to get a pic with my siblings on the island. In the back is Bro #3, in the middle Sister #3 and short (and blond) me in the front. You may be able to tell that I resemble my Dad’s side and these two my Mom’s.

We headed home for showers and then came right back to spend some time on Playa Sol.

Our friend (dressmaker) Hortencia had invited us for her mole on the beach. When we are on the island we spend a lot of time with her and her wonderful extended family. They speak to us the best they can in English and we reply the best we can in Spanish. Somehow, where there is love, we are able to communicate just fine. I can share with you that Hortencia is a grandma again! We got word of the baby boy’s arrival via Facebook.

D and I snuck away just as the sun was setting so that we could enjoy our traditional progressive dinner (the details are here).

Kath’s quote: “Food tastes better by the sea”. – Authour Unknown

Love never fails.

I didn’t indicate anything about sunrise in my journal for that morning, so I guess that I either slept through it or there wasn’t one.

We had just ventured out to the street to commence our walk to Madera Food + Art when R & M came along. They had already walked to and from Playa Norte that morning. I bought these three beautiful fish there. Thy will be hung in our summer house that we are in the midst of renovating.

Our food at Madera was absolutely stupendous (see link here for details and photos).

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the hammock and lounge chairs reading our books.

And then this happened. The first rain we had on the island since our arrival.

That evening we supped at Mala Hierba which I understand is now closed. Too bad. We really enjoyed ourselves and the food was very good.

Kath’s quote: “You will never get out of pot or pan anything fundamentally better than what went into it. Cooking is not alchemy; there is no magic in the pot.”-Martha McCulloch-Williams

Love never fails.

Up for another late sunrise.

D was kind of antsy after his walk to and from Centro, so we headed back into town. Our neighbours from Alberta who were returning their golf cart stopped to pick us up.

So we went and shopped at Hortencia’s for Easter dresses for our little grandaughters back home. We stopped at Ruben’s for a delicious shrimp omelette (see link here).

We visited the gang at Play Norte and then headed home as the weather was changing.

We stopped in at X Bulau Ha and then wandered down to Da Luisa for a drink on R & M’s ocean deck. D said he froze in the north wind.

We caught a glimpse on the sunset through the trees.

From R & M’s place we walked across the island to Green Verde for supper (see this link for details and photos).

It turned out to be another lovely night. We were looking forward to drinks under the stars but new neighbours were occupying “our” chairs. Overnight the wind intensified and the wind picked up the umbrella that typically was placed outside our room and plastered it against the window of the neighbours who were in our chairs. Karma? LOL I don’t actually believe in karma.

Kath’s quote: “Retain the wind by compressing the belly.”-Desiderius Erasmus (1466? – 1536)

Love never fails.

We slept in on this morning because the night before we stupidly stayed up until 1 am. As a result, it was another lazy day for me. At some point though I decided that I had to get some exercise, so I took an extra long beach walk. The first sight I cam upon was this 2 headed iguana!

The next surprise was seeing this snake slithering to the waters edge. I must have still been sick because I was seeing things!

We love to stay on this strip of beach. There are rarely any other people and there is always something new to see.

We also love that we can enjoy both sides of the island from Luna D’ Miel.

D on the other hand was raring to go. He walked to Covi in Centro to pick up some wine and then to Chedraui for beer and ice.

We were the hosts of Happy Hour that day. Missing from the picture was Dona (the picture taker) and R & M who hadn’t arrived yet. I think Sister #3 and I have our eyes shut (that is because we are getting old and sometimes need a wee nap).

We sat up on the deck outside our room that leads to the property’s plunge pool.

While the merriment continued on the east side, Dona and I snuck away to capture the sunset in the west.

At dinner time, half the gang headed back to Centro while D, R, M and I caught a cab to Topaz where we enjoyed a wonderful evening (for details and photos, please see the link here).

The night concluded with wine under the stars with my Love.

Kath’s quote: “Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!”-Dom Perignon, supposedly said this ‘at the moment he discovered’ champagne

Love never fails.