Living the Dream in Retirement
Michigan had a fairly gentle winter and early spring making me excited about the flowers already blooming in my garden. I brought some plants from my old garden when I moved in 2022 adding a few new ones in 2023. This year have added a peony, 2 iris, 5 columbine and 2 violas. Not having the garden space I once had, I’ve created an “herb garden” with a cluster of mixed pots of my favorite herbs.
I’m sharing a few photos of what’s blooming now with more to come over the summer, stay tuned….
I loved the evenings on my cruise – sunsets and after dark.
The nighttime photos were taken as we departed St Thomas and I captured its shimmering lights reflecting into the harbor. Magical!
Most mornings I woke up just before dawn, made my tea and took a seat on my balcony, waiting to capture sunrises. It was so serene, what a way to start the day!
As you can see from the following photos the Enchanted Princess does dinners that are delectable from starters and salads to entrees.
In late 2023 I saw a post on Facebook for Mural Mosaic America and was intrigued. To participate you purchase a kit with a specific color palette that includes acrylic paints, brushes and the canvas tile on which to paint. While there were options to do a single tile or multiples, I selected a three pack and was sent Light Turquoise, Dusty Rose and Light Blue palettes for my submissions.
Upon completion the tiles are uploaded with a form showing my name and location. They will size and digitize it before it’s added to the large scale installation with art created by participants of all ages, genders, ethnicities from all over the USA. The installations take 9-18 months to complete, connecting one tile at a time to create a moving mosaic legacy. When my tiles have been placed I’ll be given the location should I wish to visit the completed project. As of now mine are slated for Autumn/Winter 2024 installation. There are already installations in New York, Virginia, Texas, California, Florida and Wisconsin. With my love of painting and to participate in a project with countless others in such a positive collaboration felt like something I was meant to do.
This is not just a US project, rather these installations are already established in Canada, England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Those who’ve followed my blog won’t be surprised to see my photos of flowers. Aruba’s consistent blue sky and sun make these vibrant beauties pop! I couldn’t resist capturing a few images.
Returning to Aruba for the first time since 2019 I knew there’d be changes. When traveling to a place I’ve been many times, I like to seek out new experiences and to my surprise, I discovered Aruba has its first winery offering a vineyard tour and tasting – with charcuterie. Count me in! I booked it immediately, especially after reading glowing reviews on Trip Advisor.
Aruba is the last place I imagined finding a vineyard as the terrain and weather are the polar opposite of the many vineyards I’ve visited since falling in love with wine at age forty. I was curious.
Tours are a reasonable $39 and about 2 hours. Guests are advised to wear comfortable walking shoes as especially the first phase of the tour is rocky and in the natural terrain. Started seven years ago on inherited property, the family tried farming (they still raise a lot of chickens) and after consulting with wineries in many countries, diligently worked the vineyard until they were producing quality wines. A mere eight months ago they opened for tours, starting a 4:30 and every half hour until 6:00 p.m. every day but Sunday. I opted for the first tour along with about 16 other people from various countries who shared my curiosity and a passion for wine was our common bond.
With a lovely young man as our tour guide, we entered through the Blue Door. This was the wild, untamed part of the property which was a nice hike; we were surrounded by cactus and indigenous plants and trees. Named for the Alto Vista Chapel, which we could see in the distance with the ocean beyond, he was fun and informative giving us a background of the early failures turned successes.
Onto the next phase of the tour, we entered the vineyard. Having recently harvested there was not much on the vines. They do two harvests a year of French Colombard, Chenin Blanc, Syrah and Tempranillo. While they could do three, they learned it was better to let the vines rest. Using sustainable techniques to water, feed and care for the vines, our guide gave us an understanding of the challenges and processes of producing wine in this climate. It was fascinating.
As if they don’t have enough to do, they’ve planted sugarcane and are now distilling Red Star Rum (named for the Red Star on the Aruban flag). We toured the distillery, learning the process from harvest to aging in oak barrels from Tennessee. Upstairs we did a tasting with a shot and a refreshing cocktail.
Onto the wine tasting! The tasting room was lovely – the aesthetic was reflective of the Dutch influence in Aruba. Taking our seats, a lovely wine flight paired with charcuterie awaited us as well as the owner who guided us through each tasting with the specific charcuterie bite. He was knowledgeable, clearly passionate about his craft – and entertaining!
There’s no shortage of great dining establishments in Aruba. Quite literally – there is something for everyone, casual to fine dining and prices ranging from very reasonable to pricy.
Unusual for me, I forgot to photograph a few meals. I’m assuming with all the fresh air and sunshine I was simply too hungry!
Bucuti has the best beachfront in Aruba – and it’s not just my opinion. With an expanse of white sugar sand and the brilliant turquoise Caribbean, from dawn until twilight it’s ever-changing and there’s not a moment when it’s anything but spectacular. Every moment I spent on this beach was pure bliss.
And if it wasn’t fabulous enough, each evening on my Bucuti-provided iPad, I selected then reserved my umbrella covered lounger for the entirety of the next day. Early each morning while having tea on my balcony, I saw the staff hard at work setting up each reserved spot with thick, extra-long beach towels.
Once you arrive on the beach and are ready, you simply raise a flag on your lounger and the waiters come out to take your order, later stopping by with complementary smoothies and refreshing, cold towels.
