The dawn was cloudy resulting in this almost invisible sunrise. But look at what else was in store for us that morning……

As the sun crept higher, the clouds parted and made for a glorious morning of photos. Every time that I thought that I had captured the ultimate shot, there was another which awaited me. It was as if there were three, or even more sunrises all in one morning.

D was still not feeling well but was still up for his morning walk into Centro to get the newspaper. While I was beachcombing J2’s Mom and Dad found me.

When D returned, we had a lovely morning all together on the patio over coffee and yoghurt.

We stayed put that afternoon to ensure that D was better. We whiled away the lazy afternoon in the hammock and in our beach chairs.

I for one, could be content with sitting and gazing at the turquoise sea forever.

Had a delicious lunch of leftover pork and rice from Tino’s that I was able to sauté up in our Luna D’Miel kitchen.

We have been accumulating more small appliances to take to Isabel, each time we make the trip and have it pretty well appointed.

In the late afternoon, we walked into Centro to tend to some future arrangements.  At sunset we strolled over to the Fisherman’s Co-op and shared an order of garlic fish. The sunset like the sunrise was absolutely exquisite but you’ll have to head over to my Fisherman’s Co-op post to see just how beautiful it was.

After our light dinner, we were off to meet up with V & D again along with Brother #3 and his wife at El Patio. They had enjoyed their dinner together on the second floor patio. We don’t listen to much live music back home but we always make it a point to do so on Isla.

Javier and his “Band with No Name” is our favourite Isla group and we stayed for a couple of their sets. Javi (and his wife Marla) have been good friends of ours ever since we were introduced to him as Winnipeggers. Javi is very close to a number of Winnipeg families and has even visited Winnipeg on a couple of occaissions. He had hoped to return this summer but could not make the arrangements for his Canadian visitor visa. Sisters #2 & 3 were going to host one of his famous house concerts up at their beach house and property.

We ended the evening with a walk along Playa Norte before we cabbed it home and enjoyed a vino tinto together under the stars.

Kath’s quote: “Come walk with me, take off your shoes, let’s walk the beach with only the moon to light the path and waves to hear you tell me you love me.”-Unknown

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

 

The Fisherman’s Co-op has been our go-to destination when we are craving simply prepared, fresh fish and you can’t get any fresher than sitting right on the dock where the lobster traps are stacked high and the fishing boats are tied up. Over the years we have sampled most of the menu and have been absolutely delighted with everything we’ve ever tasted. The parmesan crusted and almond crusted fish and the varied kinds of ceviche are all excellent. Sometimes we order ceviche “to go” to take along to a happy hour or as a light supper.

We love the pico de gallo and crunchy tortilla chips that get placed in front of you as soon as you sit down.

We have observed over the years that as many locals as travellers frequent the café.

On this evening, we split an order of garlic fish. It was succulent, perfectly prepared and so abundant.

But the excellent food isn’t the only draw of the Fisherman’s Co-op, it is the million dollar view:

Kath’s quote: “Remember the waterfront shack with the sign FRESH FISH SOLD HERE. Of course it’s fresh, we’re on the ocean. Of course it’s for sale, we’re not giving it away. Of course it’s here, otherwise the sign would be someplace else. The final sign: FISH.”-Peggy Noonan

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

We had a wonderful sleep and set up our chairs to watch our favourite show-“Sunrise on Isla”.

As much as we love every moment of every day spent on Isla, our quiet mornings, sitting shoulder to shoulder with our coffee mugs are magical.

The reflected light on our “neighbour’s” house.

The sea was golden on this morning.

I could just sit in this place all day long but D loves to get on with his day and I know that these chairs are always waiting at home for me.

We set off to Centro via the seawall for breakfast at Alexia & Geovanny’s . At fist we met our friend Jean who walks the seawall and then airport strip daily. Passing the Roca Mar we ran into V & D (our Grandbaby’s “other” Grandparents) at the Roca Mar as well as friends Jan & Bruce, Doris &, Vince and we were introduced to John & Faith whom I had heard about for a number of years. They were dining at La Cazuela M & Js along with owner Julie. The latter is also the originator and curator of Isla Mujeres.net the very first Isla website I ever visited, chatting on the former message board and meeting many of my Isla friends. I love having breakfast at La Cazuela M & J’s and would dine there more often if we stayed in Centro.

Our first stop after breakfast was to the local market (right next door to the Loncherias) for limes and cilantro. For some reason the Super Mercado next to the square didn’t have either but we were happy to have the excuse to enjoy the beautiful produce displayed there. I am sure that you, like us has a favourite market stall. This is ours and it always has everything we need. We particularly enjoy his freshly squeezed juices.

The morning was warm and we had done a lot of walking, so we headed down to Playa Norte for a dip. No wonder this beach is ranked one of the best in the world. We can’t believe that we are blessed to continue to return to it each and every year.

We walked through Centro and along Hidalgo to see who and what had changed since our previous visit. We stopped for coconut & lime popsicles at our favourite liquado place before we hopped a cab home with our groceries.

D didn’t stay put for long. He was anxious to check out the condition of the tennis courts in Colonias as he had brought along his racquet. I was excited to check out my prized beach combing spots so I grabbed my sturdy waterproof sandals and scrambled down over the coral and rocks. Pictured above was my first day’s haul.

When I climbed back home, D was already settled into our hammock.

Later that day, we once again made the walk into town, picking up V & D en route and then to fetch Brother #3 and his wife.  Both couples have been loving their time on Isla, almost as long as D and I. Our 1st stop was the 2nd floor of Jax for sunset and a bucket of Caronas. Our 2nd stop was to Restaurant Abuelos for garlic fish and coconut shrimp. Unfortunately D was still not feeling well and needed air even before he had taken a single bite. We packaged supper up and grabbed a cab home.

Spending the rest of the evening back at Luna D’Miel was not a hardship in the least. We spent our time under the stars by the crashing ocean and I indulged in a glass of wine. We were optimistic that D would soon be feeling better.

Kath’s quote: “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” –Confucius

 

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

 

 

Restaurant Abuelos was a recent find for us, near the end of our 2014 sojourn to Isla 2014 Blog Post. We were absolutely delighted by the find and (in my humble opinion) kinda wished it would have stayed exactly like it was, with its compact space and family members taking care of us.

We remembered the fabulous fish and their street sign indicated that it was still the focus of the menu.

Our server took us on a “tour” of the fish that was available that evening. I couldn’t help but think that the custom would never get past food safety standards back home. But, when in Rome….

Dinner at the second floor open dining room commenced with mojitos and margaritas in hopes that we could cool down a bit.  The evening was humid with no breeze which is very unusual for the island.

D and I couldn’t decide between the coconut shrimp and garlic fish. In the end we ordered both to split between us. Unfortunately, before he could take a single bite, he was overwhelmed by his bad head cold and had to leave and take a walk. This was in no way a reflection on the food because I had a couple of bites and it was excellent. But I had to make our apologies and have our dinner packed up for home.

Once D was feeling better (it took a couple of days), I recreated our dinner in our kitchen at Luna D’Miel. We would have loved to have returned to Abuelos later in the trip but when you are on Isla Mujeres, there are so many excellent places to eat and not enough time.

Kath’s quote: If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and avoid the people, you might better stay home.”-James Michener

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

 

 

 

The loncherias are well known in Centro as delicious and affordable places to get breakfast and lunch. Over the years we have enjoyed exceptional and economical fare at all four of the kiosks (there are many references to them on this blog-here is just one: http://foodmusings.ca/isla-mujeres/isla-mujeres-day-10/) but we return most often to Alexia & Geovanny’s (Av. Guerrero) which is the first stall on the west end, directly across from Las Palmas Hotel.

D chose the Eggs Ranchero. He enjoys the rich yolks of Mexican eggs offset by the slightly spicy ranchero sauce. He likes to scoop up his breakfast with a freshly made tortilla.  We are always surprised to see that the eggs on Isla Mujeres do not require refrigeration. Have you encountered this in Mexico too?

I selected Geovanny’s Omelet with mushrooms and cheese. Although I am accustomed to enjoying my eggs with hash browns and toast, the taste and texture with salsa and rice was perfect and less filling than the traditional manner.

I am always impressed that so much amazing food comes out of these simple loncheria kitchens. When I asked if I could take their picture, they quickly agreed and posed with pride. I love the hard-working islanders. They have from scratch cooking down to an art.

We can also highly recommend their garlic fish, natural fried fish and breaded fish. Everything is affordably priced.

Kath’s quote: “Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.”  –Ruth Reichl

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.