After one of our last beautiful sunsets we headed for Centro with our neighbours’ golf cart. We dropped them off to meet their boat destined for Isla Contoy.

We grabbed coffees at Café Cito and scouted around Centro until it was time to pick up Sister #3 and Dona.

They had not yet had a chance to try Bahama Mama’s so we stopped for Breakfast.

The three ladies enjoyed three different omelettes

and D opted for the fruit pancakes.

Then it was off to Chedrui for supplies for the dinner that we were making to host our friend Hortenzia and her family. Because we still had the golf cart we then drove them home and stopped at Q Bravos to pick up lunch that we would eat later around the pool.

These enormous chicken tortas were fabulous and so affordable.

That afternoon we packed up for D’s departure and my move to Centro. I did manage to do one last little bit of beachcombing before I said good-bye to the lovely beach in front of Luna D’Miel.

Sister #3, Dona and D in the Luna d’Miel kitchen where we cooked up a fabulous feast for Hortenzia’s family.

Hortenzia insisted on helping by serving up the dinner plates.

 

We love getting together with this family each year; sometimes at their home, sometimes we host. An extended visit is always a part of our Isla vacation.

We have known the grandkids since they were babies being cared for in Hortenzia’s shop. Another was born soon after our time together last spring and we look forward to meeting them.

We packed up all the leftovers to send home with Hortenzia for her family and we still had these four desserts left to share with our Luna d’Miel neighbours.

We love this wonderful woman and are so proud of the life she has provided for her family from her talent and her enterprising spirit. We do all of our shopping at her store or when she takes us to meet her friends that run the other market stalls. She has made countless dresses for all of us sisters, our kids and even my granddaughter. if you have never been to her shop you must go. The last stall to the north when your back is facing the front door of the Poc Na Hostel. Tell her Kelly, Susan or Kathy sent you…..

In exactly one week we will be checking into Villas San Miquel! I am really looking forward to the fully equipped kitchen in each of the villas because although we love Isla’s many restaurants, we also love to cook and entertain when we are on vacation.

Kath’s quote: “The perfect woman, you see, is a working woman; not an idle, not a fine lady, but one who uses her hands and her head and her heart for the good”.-Thomas Hardy

Love never fails.

Another beautiful sunrise.

This one with a full house to savour it.

After some beachcombing I made these amazing grilled cheese sandwiches (if I do say so myself) and we enjoyed them by the pool.

We also had some left over sopa di limon that was just as good as the first day we had it at La Lomita.

It was D’s last leisurely day as we were entertaining a gang the next day. He spent the afternoon in the hammock and loved every lazy minute.

Every year on Isla, D and I have a date night where we have a progressive dinner-sharing plates and tastes of our favourite things and then making our way to another stop.

We started at Picus for shrimp ceviche and the amazing sunset.

Our blessed life is a series of these wonderful moments.

These fishermen were anxious to show off their catch to a woman that we met for our sunset treat.

Our next stop was La Lomita’s for their fabulous papas fritas.

Our main course was an “Isla Mujeres” pizza at Angelo’s.

We visited Jose in hopes of having pineapple pie for dessert but he was sold out.

We didn’t really have any shopping to do but we love wandering Hidalgo and taking in the colours, aromas and sounds.

Pistachio and coconut gelato was a delicious substitute for the pie and the bonus was a lovely visit with friends Jean and Rich.

These posts are helping me pass the last days until our 2016 visit. We are excited to be staying at Villas San Miguel for a portion of the time. We are thinking that we could enjoy every dinner as a progressive one if we wanted to!

Kath’s quote: “I’m into all that sappy stuff – a surprise picnic, nice dinner, or traveling. I’m kind of an old romantic”.– Will Estes

Love never fails.

We were reluctant to leave North Beach on such a glorious beach day, but we eventually made our meander back to Luna ‘Miel on the airport road.

We hopped into the shower and then walked the sea wall back into Centro.

Our destination was the artist’s fair in the square (update: I understand that artist fairs now take place at the Cultural Centre). We were so impressed with all of the talent an did lots of shopping for the gang back home. I especially appreciated the photography and sea glass pieces.

It was a great turn out of tourists and ex-pats.

It was a bit of a wait to get ourselves a light dinner in the square but with so many people to visit, we were content just to hang. We noshed on pizza slices, sliders, shrimp & octopus empanadas, pork tacos and Barlito’s cinnamon bread pudding with bourbon caramel sauce for dessert. A moveable feast!

Shadows were lengthening an it was time to make our way to Bally Hoo for sunset.

There are many lovely spots to witness sunset on Isla but we especially enjoy Bally Hoo to watch the fishing boats come in and enjoy the pier and the gulls.

Bally Hoo’s amazing mango margaritas were another reason to visit. Our new friends Jan and Michelle from Luna d’Miel couldn’t believe how big they were.

Friends Bob and Joyce were there as well. They were meeting new guests who were delegates of the women’s conference which takes place on Isla every year. We kept pulling tables together an in the end there were 12 of us enjoying our “Grande” margaritas. Those that hadn’t filled up on dinner in the square, enjoyedd Bally Hoo’s legendary fish tacos.

We stopped into Casa el Pio for some moon gazing on our way home.

For our next visit (soon!), we are staying at Villas San Miguel which will put us close to the cultural centre for the artist’s fair, walks to see the sunset and so much more.

Kath’s quote: “Nothing goes with a hot tan like a cool margarita.” –Unknown

Love never fails.

We enjoyed the morning’s sunrise and coffee with two new Canadian neighbours at Luna d’Miel.

I made a big ham and egg breakfast and then packed a lunch for our afternoon at north beach. It was a hot one and me being as freckled as I am, I spent the afternoon under an umbrella.

We love the beach at any time but especially early in the day before the other beach lovers arrive. At this particular time, it felt like we had the beach all to ourselves.

When there is no one else at the beach, the view is breathtaking and there is no one to disturb you as you escape into your book.

Eventually it is time to stretch and take a walk so I head east on north beach (with my camera of course).

The cool of our very own spot on the beach was waiting for me.

Eventually we are joined by Sister #3 and Brother #3 who consistently visit the island at the same time as us. We are a family that loves to hang out together. You can likely tell that with my fair skin I don’t take after the same parent as my siblings.

We were in and out of the crystalline waters all day to refresh ourselves.

We enjoyed a late lunch time of sandwiches made of manchego cheese, cucumber, cilantro and lime mayo-oh yum! We made the hot walk home and hop into the shower and then head back into town again.

On a beach day such as this one, we do a lot of walking back and forth from North Beach/centro to Luna d’Miel on the Airport Road. We are very much looking forward to staying in town at Villas San Miquel this year. With a pool right in the courtyard, we may even decide not to go to the beach at all. We expect that refreshing breezes off the open ocean will cool us.

Kath’s quote:“A real friend is someone who takes a winter vacation on a sun-drenched beach and does not send a card.”–Farmer’s Almanac

Love never fails.

 

 

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.