The truth is, I truly can’t decide which is my favourite destination between Italy and Mexico and the food is the reason why.  How do you choose between the fresh sparkling taste of cilantro when paired with chilies, tomatoes and freshly squeezed lime and the earthy tones of rosemary, garlic and red wine which transforms a tomato into something else, indeed?  Thankfully, now a days, the world is truly our oyster, so why do I just have to have one favourite?

The first time I set foot on Isla Mujeres, I knew that the little island would always be a part of my life.  We have already booked a villa on the sea for the 2014 season, when we take the entire family including “Baby”, who will be born this summer.  Getting to Mexico can be fairly affordable, if you plan carefully and start researching airfares in advance.  On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you choose to travel at the last minute, there are often some tremendous deals.  But, we don’t roll that way.  My readers know that the anticipation of a trip for me, is often as satisfying as the trip itself.

Italy and the rest of Europe is a special treat.  We reserve overseas travel for significant birthdays and anniversaries.  With the exception of this fall, when we are taking time in October so that I can lead a blogging workshop in Tuscany.  The vacation package includes tutelage in the kitchen by Chef Enrico, whose ancient restored estate is where the participants will reside.  That is, when we are not touring the cities and towns of Tuscany or foraging for truffles in its forests.

But in the mean time, here is a more immediate reward.  If you are interested in one of four $100. Sobey’s gift cards, create and then share your own Sobeys West Pinboard.  Copy and paste your board  URL(s) in the comments section below. How the contest works: Anyone who creates a pinboard and repins 4 pins from http://pinterest.com/sobeys, using the keyword SobeysWest, is entered to win!  You have to reside in Manitoba and west to do so.

Here’s a link to my own pinboard: http://pinterest.com/foodmusings/dream-destinations-mexico-or-italy/

So, make a cuppa tea.  Sit back and let’s dream of where we want to travel next….happy pinning!

Kath’s quote: “We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There  is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes  open.” – Jawaharial  Nehru

Love-that is all.

Getting the precise timing of D’s arrival at the ferry landing on the Cancun side was crucial, since he was expecting me, but on the Isla side. I didn’t want to be heading west across the Bay of Cancun, as he was heading east towards Isla.  I have always thought that those Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan movies, where they are always mere seconds away from meeting each other, were way too tense and anxiety-provoking. I am not kidding, doesn’t the suspense drive you to the edge of your seat? No? Okay, it is just me, then.

After careful calculations, I left Luna D’Miel precisely at the moment that D’s plane would have been touching down. I had a 15 minute walk ahead of me and a wait for the ferry. I arrived at Gran Puerto just as the 11:30 am ferry was boarding. I caught D’s attention as he was charging ahead to climb on board, for the noon crossing.

We celebrated being back together with a beer on the top deck and then more beer and mixed ceviche at the Fisherman’s Co-op. Why so much celebrating? D and I have been together for over 30 years and every time we reunite after a time apart, we rejoice anew.

We walked up the Airport Road to Luna D’Miel with D’s luggage in tow and then headed back down to Centro for a quiet sit together by the water and then to buy some more provisions.

As much as we love watching the sun rise in the morning (especially from our bed), we love love gazing at its setting as well. This is one of the many reasons why we love staying at Luna D’Miel.  Where on the Island, can you enjoy both with such splendour?

We chose not to linger because we were meeting the gang for dinner.  There was much deliberation on what the nine of us had a hankering for, but in the end, the answer was tacos.  Then of course, the discussion centered upon where  the best place for tacos was.  Traveling with an entourage has its delights, but not necessarily when conclusions have to be made, especially when we are staying at four different areas of the island.  In the end, the determination was Tacqueria Media on Hidalgo, but we were too early, as they don’t open until 8ish (with the emphasis on the “ish”). So we strolled south on Hidalgo and decided upon Don Cheapo.

The food was quite tasty and we were having a very enjoyable evening, until a table of very loud patrons, drove us into the street. Has this happened to you, as well?  The group was piercingly loud and argumentative and had clearly had way too many margaritas.  The staff and management did not dare muffle them, for fear of lost of business (and I am guessing- gratuities).  But we could not focus on our own festivities, once they had arrived.  Our attention was constantly pulled to their table, until we just gave up and decided to find somewhere for a quiet ice cream.

But before their arrival, we tucked into this array of tacos. The pork chop tacos were assembled from sizzled strips of pork chop including a little round bone.

D adventurously ordered the cactus tacos as well.  We scrutinized the taste and declared that it was close to a pickled pepper (unless you have never tasted one of those).

My Sis-in-Law enjoyed the Chicken Fajitas.

Sister #2  elected to taste the chicken tostada with ham peas, tomato sauce and sauteed plantain.

My Bro-in-law opted for crispy chicken tacos.

Sister #3 determined that she need a shrimp fix but I am not totally sure if there were enough crustaceans in these to satisfy her.

I was delighted with my choice of fresh fish that was lightly sauteed in butter and garlic and served alongside broccoli shoots.

D was ready for his first night of blissful sleep with the sound of the crashing ocean waves outside our windows.  As a result, we did not linger in Centro, but strolled back out to our little piece of paradise.

Kath’s quote: “Ancient lovers believed a kiss would literally untie their souls, because the spirit was said to be carried in one’s breath.”  -Eve Glicksman

Love-that is all.

When I arrived at Chuuk Kay, I settled in to recreate the fun times that we have experienced every time we have gathered there.

The food is always first class (I have even enjoyed New Year’s Eve dinner here), the service attentive

and the beer, lovely and cold.

Add to that, the surprise of seeing Jackie and Julie, whom we asked to join our gang.  Everywhere we go turns out to be a party.  So you can understand that I was content to stay put and perhaps order a second bucket of cervezas for the table.

When I saw this beautiful lady, who is not only a talented singer in her own right but the owner of Budget Isla Rentals, she asked why I had not yet checked into Luna D’Miel.  What-I thought that I was supposed to check in the next day?  But, I was wrong!

I had been counting the hours until my move because in spite of how cozy and charming Casa el Pio is, the beach along the airport strip is my favourite place on the island.

I could have spent the entire afternoon, scouring the beach, lying in the hammock

or perched in the shade watching the world go buy with the sea

and Cancun in the background.  I am not a spontaneous person and I don’t care for surprises. I like to know exactly what I am doing on an hour to hour basis.  Once I realized my mistake, I could not relax and enjoy myself.  I had to get back to Casa el Pio to pack up, so that I could settle into my new digs at Luna d’Miel as soon as possible.

But before my brother-in-law offered to give me a lift back to Centro on the back of his scooter, I walked the gorgeous property at Chuuk Kay to see the start of the sun’s decline in the sky.

I must have been highly motivated because I made good time.  There was still light in the sky when I took this shot from the front door of my suite at Luna d’Miel.  I settled in and had an early night, certain that I would be awake with the sun.

Here’s one of the many reasons why I love Luna d’Miel: watching the sunrise without leaving my bed.

These are some of the other reasons:

D was arriving that morning so I walked into town and boarded the ferry to meet him on the Cancun side.

I am usually too excited to get off the boat when I arrive on Isla and don’t take the time to savour the surroundings of the island from the ferry.  I recorded in my journal that morning:  “I thought I was happy before, I am ecstatic now.”

Kath’s quote: “Well,” said Pooh, “what I like best,” and then he had to stop and think.  Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn’t know what it was called.”―A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Love-that is all.

Day 7 turns out to be another predominately pictorial rendition of my lovely time.  My husband was arriving the following day and I was moving to another favourite little hotel on the airport strip.  So, knowing this, I soaked up all that Centro had to offer.  I started with a wander up along the north east side of the island.

Then back past Roca Mar

and back to Casa el Pio.

Early that afternoon, I found a low palm to relax under and take some photos of the west shore of Centro.

The time came to meet our gang at Chuuk Kay to see our friends Javi and Marla (engaged since our return home) and “The Band with No Name”, always one of the highlights of our time on the island.  But I was in for a big surprise (well “big” in my world-I prefer “sure things”).

Stay tuned.

Kath’s quote: “What I love about cooking is that after a hard day, there is something comforting about the fact that if you melt butter and add flour and then hot stock, it will get thick! It’s a sure thing! It’s a sure thing in a world where nothing is sure; it has a mathematical certainty in a world where those of us who long for some kind of certainty are forced to settle for crossword puzzles.”-Nora Ephron

Love-that is all.

All of you, my lovely readers know that I am especially ga ga over two world cuisines-Italian and Mexican.  I have exciting news to share with you about Italy but unfortunately, you are going to have to wait just a wee bit longer.  As far as Mexican cuisine is concerned, when the Winnipeg entourage was recently on Isla Mujeres, Jackie, Sister #3 and I traveled to Puerto Moreles for the day to attend The Little Mexican Cooking School.  I am bursting with all the nuggets of info that we are going to share with you.  Sister #3 and I are going to collaborate on at least three posts: 1) chocolate 2) chilies and 3) beverages.  We actually learned how to make chocolate from a raw cocoa bean and “stone” soup.  The day was absolutely fascinating and delicious.

The world of taste is such an enormous place.  We learned that there are seven culinary regions of Mexico and even though we were in the region of the Maya, we studied about the foods native to Oaxaca.  There are another seven moles from different areas of the state of Oaxaca.  Omgosh-there is so much in this world to learn and see and taste!

I have been pinning my Isla Mujeres pics for the last couple of weeks but I would love to one day travel to other culinary regions of Mexico including Oaxaca and so I am creating a new pin board of my “Dream Destination”.

In the mean time, memories of the wonderful day that we spent under the guidance of handsome and talented Chef Christobal will be pinned to my new board.

In celebration of spring and Mexico and the tastes of the world, I (along with the rest of the Sobeys Love Food Ambassadors) am announcing a special contest.  Anyone who creates a pinboard, tagging their repins with #LoveSobeys, is entered to win one of 12 $100. Sobey’s gift cards.  You will be able to use the cards for delicious Mexican items like Roasted Tomato Chipolte Salsa, Black Bean and Corn Salsa, Salsa Verde and Extra Hot Cayenne Pepper Sauce.  D and I are heading to Sobey’s right now to pick up some Friday night supper because it has been to long without the taste of Mexico.

Kath’s quote: “Some people like to paint pictures, or do gardening, or build a boat in the basement. Other people get a tremendous pleasure out of the kitchen, because cooking is just as creative and imaginative an activity as drawing, or wood carving, or music.” -Julia Child

Love-that is all.