Fenix is a place on Isla Mujeres that I had watched with interest on message boards when it opened and then garnered its fair share of fans. Until this past spring, I had never visited. In fact, I didn’t even know where it was. When we met friends from Puerto Moreles who came over by ferry to spend an afternon with us, we walked along Playa Sol and then rounded the corner to Play Norte. When I thought that we were almost out of beach (and a place to share some lunch), there it was. We immediately ordered a round of cold ones and a couple of small plates to share. Since there were four of us and only three of these tempura shrimp with curry dip, we ordered a second plate and each had 1 1/2 skews. Delish.

The goat cheese stuffed chilies on crostini hit the spot especially with the pesto drizzle that circled the plate.

These were not the best Patata Bravas I had ever tasted (that honour goes to Segovia in Winnipeg) but they were tasty enough.

The ceviche of the day was this lovely green one; the result of tossing the veggies and seafood in pesto.

Service was fairly prompt and the banos clean and well stocked, even though they were quite a distance from where we were seated. We could have done without the afternoon’s entertainment of live music as we were trying to get to know our guests a bit better but the music did add to the atmosphere.

Overall a very pleasant experience.

Kath’s quote: “It is a curious thing, but as one travels the world getting older and older, it appears that happiness is easier to get used to than despair. The second time you have a root beer float, for instance, your happiness at sipping the delicious concoction may not be quite as enormous as when you first had a root beer float, and the twelfth time your happiness may be still less enormous, until root beer floats begin to offer you very little happiness at all, because you have become used to the taste of vanilla ice cream and root beer mixed together. However, the second time you find a thumbtack in your root beer float, your despair is much greater than the first time, when you dismissed the thumbtack as a freak accident rather than part of the scheme of a soda jerk, a phrase which here means “ice cream shop employee who is trying to injure your tongue,” and by the twelfth time you find a thumbtack, your despair is even greater still, until you can hardly utter the phrase “root beer float” without bursting into tears. It is almost as if happiness is an acquired taste, like coconut cordial or ceviche, to which you can eventually become accustomed, but despair is something surprising each time you encounter it.” ― Lemony Snicket

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

Later on day six, we dropped Victoria & Don off at North Beach, returned the golf cart, spent a little time at Luna d’Miel (see my beachcombing haul) and then a lovely late afternoon at the beach to visit the gang.

Even though I am never in the market for a straw basket while on Isla Mujeres, I do love this beach vendor when he comes by with his colourful fare.

We also have taken many photos of this gentleman over the years.

This was our spot to while away a number of hours doing nothing else but gazing at the sea.

D went to fetch supper for home while I read and took photos of the changing light as the sun went below the clouds.

We had hoped for a rotisserie chicken but no shops were open so he stopped at Pita Amore. One pita was chicken with garlic and onions and the other one a classic with curry sauce. We also enjoyed their flan.

We spent the evening at our home-away-from-home to watch “Suits” on Netflix and then sleep for 9 blissful hours.

We are so looking forward to our 2016 stay at Villas San Miquel on Isla Mujeres. We imagine ourselves heading to the beach in the morning and then again in the late afternoon-our favourite times to beach it. In the afternoons we love to read in a hammock or get some shopping done. The convenience of staying at the villas will mean that all these opportunities will be within easy reach. To think that I will have an unobstructed view of the sea and the convenience of Centro at the same time, it almost sounds too good to be true!

Kath’s quote: “I felt once more how simple and frugal a thing is happiness: a glass of wine, a roast chestnut, a wretched little brazier, the sound of the sea. Nothing else.” ― Nikos Kazantzakis

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

We have gotten to know a couple of Isla Mujeres’ restaurant owner/operators particularly well over the years. Fredy, Sergio, Ziggy and Polo all contribute to the Isla Mujeres culinary scene in their own distinctive ways.

Recently when scooting through the Colonias in a golf cart, Polo of Mango Cafe was driving by and waved us down. This is his wife and beautiful baby.

The menu at Mango Café is inventive and Polo’s dishes are exquisitely crafted. Each plate comes out of his kitchen looking like it was professionally styled. His take on traditional fare elevates each offering to the extent that none of us can stay away. We always pay Mango Café a visit during our time on Isla Mujeres, sometimes more than once.

Dinners are definitely memorable but it is Polo’s breakfasts that we particularly love.

On our most recent visit, Don had the stuffed poblano chili. When I first tasted this dish on Isla, I couldn’t believe that I had ever thought of stuffing eggs into a chili before, especially in the land of chilies relleno.

D loved the breakfast quesadillas. Look how pretty this plate was?

Victoria could not resist ordering Polo’s French Toast; a dish that our entire family loves.

In fact, last year just before they left the island, they packed in for one last feed.

I adored the Eggs Benedict with curried hollandaise, crispy bacon, mushrooms, chia (like spinach) & cheesy potatoes. “Heaven, I’m in heaven…..”

Kath’s quote: “We did not immediately come up with béarnaise, Bercy, and poivrade sauces. It took more than a single attempt to discover reduced cream, marinade, and forcemeat. We did not straightaway invent barding fat, the touch of garlic, and the thin slice of truffle under the skin…. While genius is spontaneous, its manifestations nevertheless require the passage of time before glorious perfection is achieved. This is particularly true in the area of food and drink…. Magical dishes, magical words: a great cook is, when all is said and done, a great poet. . . . For was it not a visit from the Muses that inspired the person who first had the idea of marrying rice and chicken, grape and thrush, potatoes and entrecôte, Parmesan and pasta, aubergine and tomato, Chambertin and cockerel, liqueur brandy and woodcock, onion and tripe?”-‘Cinquante Ans a Table’

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

On day 6 we were up for sunrise which took 45 minutes to come above a bank of clouds.

D went to Roca Mar to fetch Don and Victoria and then picked me up at Luna D’ Miel. The plan was that we were to drop off the guys at the tennis courts and go beachcombing while they played a couple of sets. Don remarked that there were a team of workers there to clean the courts for them. But we found out (to their dismay) that the courts were going to be pounded out, and we assumed replaced. The guys were bummed out but so grateful that they had gotten in their games the day previous.

Instead the guys dropped us off for a 1/2 hour of shelling

and then we headed to Mango’s for breakfast as Don had never been. We love Polo’s food and Mango Cafe’s funky décor.

We zoomed around while we still had the golf cart. I love the beautiful churches on Isla Mujeres and we slowed down to check out this relatively new one.

This has long been my favourite church. Can you guess why?

Can you imagine living on this street with the crystal blue ocean at the corner?

The shops of Hidalgo have their charm but I personally love these tables across from the sea.

If these walls could speak…..

Aren’t these colours magnificent?

Before we returned the cart, we dropped V & D off at North Beach and then returned later and spent a lovely late afternoon at the beach to visit my siblings and their friends.

Kath’s quote: “More varied than any landscape was the landscape in the sky, with islands of gold and silver, peninsulas of apricot and rose against a background of many shades of turquoise and azure.”-Cecil Beaton

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

My photos got scrambled when I watermarked them and as a result, I cannot find the sunrise pics from this particular morning. I do know that I started the day with some beachcombing and this was my haul.

Doug and Don (our daughter in law’s father) were determined to play tennis in spite of them both having chest colds. D anticipated Don’s arrival from Roca Mar at about 8 am. At some point D started walking into town. In the mean time, Don had walked on the incorrect airport road and could see our place across the runway but could not figure out how he was going to walk across. Luckily he hailed a cab and the guys were reunited. They had a great/sweaty time and vowed to do it again the next day. Meanwhile Don’s spouse Victoria walked to our place and then we cabbed to meet the guys at Bahama Mamas where we all chose a $5 breakfasts. D and I both had the potato omelet, Don pancakes & fruit and Victoria the mushroom omelet. After brekkie we decided that it would be fun to split a golf cart for the day.

Our first stop was at Casa de la Suenos which was an enormous hit with their gorgeous setting and what we thought were the most amazing nachos ever. We split them for a late lunch. D & V had a cheese & bean fajitas which were deemed less spectacular.

We walked out to the end of their dock for photos. This one of Don and Victoria.

We stopped for a look at La Joya as D & V had almost booked there and never seen it.

We tootled around the island including stops at Hortenzia’s to get some work done for me and North Beach for a swim. Actually only V & D swam as my D had already showered and I had a bit of a headache.

That evening after sunset on our front porch, we picked them up for supper where we had arranged with BoBo’s to watch a Jets game.

We were upstairs which was stiffling hot but we had so much fun watching a great game even though Winnipeg lost in a shoot out. We met a guy from Liverpool /Winnipeg who’s wife worked with my sister! My friend Jackie from Winnipeg came by & we visited through the 2nd period. We had tried to meet up with Brother #2 but he and his wife were meeting friends who had come over from Puerto Moreles for the evening. We enjoyed a nap cap under the stars. Another wonderful day.

We are not sure if D is going to be packing his tennis racket in 2016. We are staying at Villas San Miguel and the plan is to enjoy their lovely courtyard, walks on the malecon and the proximity to North Beach. We are also looking forward to cooking in their full kitchen. With their convenient proximity to the grocery store and market, this should be a breeze.

Kath’s quote: “We have the most beautiful planet – the Rockies, the purple fields of the United States, the Lake District, the Pyrenees, the turquoise seas of the tropics.”-Dan Aykroyd

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.