photos MALLORCA
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The Magnificent Mallorca
Continuing in my quest to conquer all of the gorgeous islands Spain has to offer, my friend Grace and I, along with Lola, hopped down to Mallorca for a long weekend.
After Tenerife, Mallorca appeared to be tame at first, but exploring closer led to the discovery of some fantastic off the beaten path gems.
We again wanted to steer clear of big cities, in this case Palma de Mallorca, in order to truly unwind. Palma
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After Tenerife, Mallorca appeared to be tame at first, but exploring closer led to the discovery of some fantastic off the beaten path gems.
We again wanted to steer clear of big cities, in this case Palma de Mallorca, in order to truly unwind. Palma
The Incredible Tenerife
About 1100 kilometers off the coast of Morocco is one amazing pile of volcanic rock...a little place I like to call my retirement plan.Tenerife is, for lack of any better word, an absolutely stunning island. The sheer scale of it is almost impossible to impart - it's majestic coastlines of jagged volcanic formations, sheer drops, lush greenery, dark beaches and crystal waters are even hard to grasp in person.
In many respects I have never experienced a place of such extremes. Dramatic changes happen throughout the day - not just from day to night. Thick clouds impossible to drive through give way to crisp skies with profound views. As you go from the north to the south, breezy and misty mornings blossom into arid afternoons with blistering sunshine. Winds lash on beaches in the south to the delight of kiteboards while beachgoers revel in tranquil seaside picnics in the north.
Transitions abound as you explore the island by car...As you rise to the top of Teide, the main peak at 1700 meters above sea water, vegetation is bright, low and colorful, then thick tall and green, until it becomes sparce then absolutely non existent.
We started by driving from the north airport along the northern coast, passing the major city of San Juan, then weaving along the coast in and out of picturesque little towns like Guarachico...until we reached the western most tip, the Lighthouse at Teno. Looking to the south down the coast, we reveled in Los Gigantes, sheer, steep cliffs that tumble into the sea at a most alarming incline.
Wanting to avoid the major cities, especially the touristy ones to the south, we decided to stay in a hotel rural, hotels which are old collections of stone houses converted into hotels. We found a lovely place twenty minutes from San Juan, in Realejos in the foothills of Teide. The dark and muted hillside was tranquil throughout the day and dead silent at night.
The following day we decided to drive along the western coast, passing quickly through Gigantes and Playa San Juan, overwrought with bright red Brits, and found (rather lost, then found) our way to a tiny fishing village called Puertito with one seaside restaurant and a lovely little beach. After an early evening dip, we decided to continue the loop and drove the full circle, following the southern coastline, then heading back north once we reached the island's largest city, Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
I was blown away by the size of Santa Cruz. A veritable urban city built up on a wild island in the middle of the Atlantic, its population is almost 600.000! One highlight to me is that Santa Cruz plays host to some really lovely arts and cultural centers. Most famous is Calatrava's Music Hall on the water in center downtown. A recent addition is Herzog & de Meuron's Tenerife Art Museum and one discovery I loved was El Tanque, a gutted and renovated water holding tank that is now used as a multi-use arts and performance space.
The highlight of our third day was visiting the peak of Mount Teide. The drive was incredible. Winding up the mountain, the landscape transformed again and again, alpine forsts gave way to pine forests then bushes and brush until we arrived at an area that felt practically lunar. We hopped the cable car and found our way 3700 meters above sea level, at Spain's highest point. One undoubtedly feels the elevation as a short walk left us breathless...both from altitude and the magnificent vantage point.The last day was, despite all of my reservations due to weather and time to fit everything in, my absolute favorite experience in Tenerife. Since we had covered north, west and south sides, we drove due east to get to Tenerife's easternmost point. We drove along a major highway, then a two lane road, which gave way to a one lane shared road that wound along a high ridge with sharp drops on either side down to the sea, and ultimately terminated in a little town (really more a collection of houses and one restaurant and convenience store, tucked far, far away from its nearest neighbors) whose name escapes me and is not on any map.
From there one hikes 4,5 kilometers down into the valley, past abandoned houses, wrapping around the cliffside, until you come all the way down to the sea and encounter a small collection of houses. We enjoyed a picnic on the dark black beach, in complete seclusion until early afternoon when a few more hikers made their way down. Surprisingly enough, the hike back up was half as long as the hike down! I had forgotten how much more careful one has to be when descending.
Lola was an absolute trooper, she flew down the trail, periodically peeking back around corners pleading us to 'hurry up!', she had a standoff with a goat, definitely something a four legged beast she's never encountered before, and as the sun came out on the way back to the car she continued to pick her way around rocks and up the steep hills, and made the full roundtrip with the exception of one little area, which was more due to my concern than her abilities. Call me a worrisome mother!
We rounded out the afternoon by descending yet another set of hairpin turns all the way down to San Andres, and had one more relaxing stretch on Playa Teresitas before brushing off the sand and sadly making our way to Santa Cruz and the airport for the evening flight home.Despite not having erupted for 100 years, Teide is considered to be quite unstable. It is rumored that bulge is slowly forming on the north, not due to lava, but due to an internal collapse. True extremists claim that Teide will ultimately collapse into the ocean, causing a tsunami large enough to wipe out New York City thousands of kilometers away. That said, I definitely hope that doesn't happen in my lifetime, as I will undoubtedly return to this enchanting island to unwind and lose myself once again soon.
Splash! Porto
Nearly two years living in Madrid, and having never visited my neighbor Portugal, I was extremely pleased to be invited to the Hi:Design EMEA conference in Porto this spring.
Hi:Design EMEA Conference
The conference is built around an extremely effective (while exhausting!) format. Hotel operators and architects from throughout Europe are invited and face-to-face meetings are set up with fabricators and vendors that design everything from furniture and lighting to carpets and wallcoverings.
My colleague and I met with over 30 vendors in the course of two days, something akin to professional speed dating. It's a great conference, however, and we probably made a year's worth of contacts in a mere 48 hours, not to mention a couple friendships that will probably last a lifetime! It was a well balanced weekend of work, discovery and relaxation in a very unique city.
Tour of Porto
Casa da Música
We arrived in 40 minutes, one of the shortest flights I've taken in a long while. We made it just in time to join the tour arranged by the conference and piled into a bus filled with cheery design folks and headed to our first destination, Rem Koolhaas' Casa da Música, Porto's concert hall.
In complete contrast to its surroundings, this modern building sits like a chiseled gem on Avenida da Boavista, a main thoroughfare running through Porto. We were given a guided tour through its various rooms and marveled in the painstaking attention paid to acoustic challenges. The main concert hall is surrounded by a double wall of curved glass to serve as a buffer and to absorb all noise. An effective and also aesthetically graceful solution. Though the orchestra was practicing we couldn't hear them at all while we were in the various side rooms.
Everything from the graphics of the brochure to the custom designed chairs throughout the public areas carried the continuity of the building's form. The programming is rich and varied, and various design decisions to utilize cost effective and low-maintenance materials have allowed them to keep prices to a very miniumum - citizens of Porto can enjoy shows there for as low as five or ten euros!
Old Porto
We hopped in our bus and drove through old Porto, the city's traditional center, and down towards the Duoro, the river that runs along the city and ends in the Atlantic Ocean. Old Porto boasts stunning architecture and intricately detailed buildings. Most unique to Portugal is the prevalent use of azulejos, or painted tiles, to clad the buildings. Both modern and old buildings stand out with beautifully detailed tile work, sometimes with frescos, sometimes three-dimentional and sometimes with modern geometric patterns.
Compared to the pristinely restored Madrid, Porto has a very run-down feel about it. According to our tour guide, approximately 40,000 people have left their residences in Old Porto, and one can't help but feel a true sense of an abandoned city. The government is slowly buying up empty properties and restoring them to their previous glory in the hopes to see a resurgence in the residential market at the city's center. We saw many for sale signs hanging throughout the center on truly stunning properties, even employing some great marketing tactics like a naked mannequin to draw attention. I really can't imagine this gem of a city remaining so quiet and empty!
Boat Tour and Port Tasting
For the next leg of our tour we enjoyed the views back towards the city afforded from the city´s river, the Duoro. We went under the city's six bridges, one designed by the architect of the Eiffel Tower, and watched as the tightly packed apartments with laundry hanging outside gracefully floated by.
We got off on the other side and walked up the hill towards the Calem Port Wine lodge. No longer officially in Porto, all of the Port lodges are concentrated in an area called Gaia. We were given a tour and learned about the various types of port, the vintages, mixes, pink and white...then enjoyed a tasting. Sufficiently warmed up by our port, we headed back to the hotel to kickoff the conference.
Night in Porto
Since we were left to our own devices for dinner plans on our second night, the 'cool kids' (or so we fancied ourselves!) organized a big group dinner at a nearby restaurant. A group of about 20 Americans, Londoners, Israelis, Swedes and more, we were an eclectic crew. They seated us in a side room next to another large group dinner...and before we knew it we were being shuuuushhed from across the room.
In an instant, we found ourselves engaged in a full out war - it's a sing-off! We dazzled them with everything from Grease and 80's classics to a mystefying rendition of head, shoulders, knees and toes. And yes, the night definitely ended with both tables doing the conga through the restaurant- I'm still not sure how we accomplished it, but we had successfully created a wedding reception without either a bride or groom. Or a wedding DJ for that matter.
After a long Saturday of meetings which led straight into the closing dinner on a boat in the Duoro, a local designer from Madeira gathered us up and took us out for a night on the town in center Porto. We found ourselves on a lively one-block street called Rua da Galeria de Paris. It was lined with high-ceiling spaces repurposed into retail, restaurants and bars.
At midnight the street was already packed as people waited for restaurants to close dinner service and open to the bar crowd. Each spot was lovelier than the last, with all of the original columns and millwork in tact. We ended up at what was once an old bookstore, a great bar with a lounge area in front and a dancefloor in back. Sufficiently packed with friendly and hip locals, we danced the night away to a jukebox range of music with a strong leaning towards 90s music, chatted with the locals, and eventually made our way back to the hotel to collapse after a very full and long day.
I went to bed happy and fulfilled that night. It is weekends like these where I realize how blessed I really am and all of the opportunities my job has afforded me to see new places, meet a kaleidoscopic range of personalities, make real connections, and to enjoy some of the most random and pleasing moments I'd have never imagined or been able to plan.
Wandering on Sunday
Since my colleague and I had the advantage of being so close to home, we opted to take a later flight back on Sunday and did some casual exploration of Porto's most famous landmarks...we took a long walk through winding corners of Old Porto, visited the train station and the remarkable San Francisco cathedral, and ended our afternoon with a lovely lunch on the Duoro where I enjoyed one last Splash, my new favorite cocktail. Portugal's own version of the shandy or tinto de verano, a Splash is a tasty combination of tonic and dry white port. Fresh and slightly sweet, suffice it to say I'll be enjoying a lot of these this summer!
It is said that the Portuguese play in Lisbon and work in Porto. After a weekend in Porto, I can at the very least speak to the second half of that stereotype. Not an overtly electified city, Porto has a quiet confidence and easygoing spirit that is very warm while decidedly staid. The people exude an extreme friendliness and outgoing nature that I understand to be very common to the Portuguese in general, and I felt welcomed and unjudged in every exchange I had. Thanks to this little taste, I rather look forward to expanding of my adventures in Portugal.
Next up? Lisbon and Madeira are very high on my list!
Read more »
Hi:Design EMEA Conference
My colleague and I met with over 30 vendors in the course of two days, something akin to professional speed dating. It's a great conference, however, and we probably made a year's worth of contacts in a mere 48 hours, not to mention a couple friendships that will probably last a lifetime! It was a well balanced weekend of work, discovery and relaxation in a very unique city.
Tour of Porto
Casa da Música
We arrived in 40 minutes, one of the shortest flights I've taken in a long while. We made it just in time to join the tour arranged by the conference and piled into a bus filled with cheery design folks and headed to our first destination, Rem Koolhaas' Casa da Música, Porto's concert hall.
In complete contrast to its surroundings, this modern building sits like a chiseled gem on Avenida da Boavista, a main thoroughfare running through Porto. We were given a guided tour through its various rooms and marveled in the painstaking attention paid to acoustic challenges. The main concert hall is surrounded by a double wall of curved glass to serve as a buffer and to absorb all noise. An effective and also aesthetically graceful solution. Though the orchestra was practicing we couldn't hear them at all while we were in the various side rooms.
Everything from the graphics of the brochure to the custom designed chairs throughout the public areas carried the continuity of the building's form. The programming is rich and varied, and various design decisions to utilize cost effective and low-maintenance materials have allowed them to keep prices to a very miniumum - citizens of Porto can enjoy shows there for as low as five or ten euros!Old Porto
We hopped in our bus and drove through old Porto, the city's traditional center, and down towards the Duoro, the river that runs along the city and ends in the Atlantic Ocean. Old Porto boasts stunning architecture and intricately detailed buildings. Most unique to Portugal is the prevalent use of azulejos, or painted tiles, to clad the buildings. Both modern and old buildings stand out with beautifully detailed tile work, sometimes with frescos, sometimes three-dimentional and sometimes with modern geometric patterns.
Compared to the pristinely restored Madrid, Porto has a very run-down feel about it. According to our tour guide, approximately 40,000 people have left their residences in Old Porto, and one can't help but feel a true sense of an abandoned city. The government is slowly buying up empty properties and restoring them to their previous glory in the hopes to see a resurgence in the residential market at the city's center. We saw many for sale signs hanging throughout the center on truly stunning properties, even employing some great marketing tactics like a naked mannequin to draw attention. I really can't imagine this gem of a city remaining so quiet and empty!Boat Tour and Port Tasting
For the next leg of our tour we enjoyed the views back towards the city afforded from the city´s river, the Duoro. We went under the city's six bridges, one designed by the architect of the Eiffel Tower, and watched as the tightly packed apartments with laundry hanging outside gracefully floated by.
We got off on the other side and walked up the hill towards the Calem Port Wine lodge. No longer officially in Porto, all of the Port lodges are concentrated in an area called Gaia. We were given a tour and learned about the various types of port, the vintages, mixes, pink and white...then enjoyed a tasting. Sufficiently warmed up by our port, we headed back to the hotel to kickoff the conference.Night in Porto
Since we were left to our own devices for dinner plans on our second night, the 'cool kids' (or so we fancied ourselves!) organized a big group dinner at a nearby restaurant. A group of about 20 Americans, Londoners, Israelis, Swedes and more, we were an eclectic crew. They seated us in a side room next to another large group dinner...and before we knew it we were being shuuuushhed from across the room.
In an instant, we found ourselves engaged in a full out war - it's a sing-off! We dazzled them with everything from Grease and 80's classics to a mystefying rendition of head, shoulders, knees and toes. And yes, the night definitely ended with both tables doing the conga through the restaurant- I'm still not sure how we accomplished it, but we had successfully created a wedding reception without either a bride or groom. Or a wedding DJ for that matter.
After a long Saturday of meetings which led straight into the closing dinner on a boat in the Duoro, a local designer from Madeira gathered us up and took us out for a night on the town in center Porto. We found ourselves on a lively one-block street called Rua da Galeria de Paris. It was lined with high-ceiling spaces repurposed into retail, restaurants and bars.
At midnight the street was already packed as people waited for restaurants to close dinner service and open to the bar crowd. Each spot was lovelier than the last, with all of the original columns and millwork in tact. We ended up at what was once an old bookstore, a great bar with a lounge area in front and a dancefloor in back. Sufficiently packed with friendly and hip locals, we danced the night away to a jukebox range of music with a strong leaning towards 90s music, chatted with the locals, and eventually made our way back to the hotel to collapse after a very full and long day.I went to bed happy and fulfilled that night. It is weekends like these where I realize how blessed I really am and all of the opportunities my job has afforded me to see new places, meet a kaleidoscopic range of personalities, make real connections, and to enjoy some of the most random and pleasing moments I'd have never imagined or been able to plan.
Wandering on Sunday
Since my colleague and I had the advantage of being so close to home, we opted to take a later flight back on Sunday and did some casual exploration of Porto's most famous landmarks...we took a long walk through winding corners of Old Porto, visited the train station and the remarkable San Francisco cathedral, and ended our afternoon with a lovely lunch on the Duoro where I enjoyed one last Splash, my new favorite cocktail. Portugal's own version of the shandy or tinto de verano, a Splash is a tasty combination of tonic and dry white port. Fresh and slightly sweet, suffice it to say I'll be enjoying a lot of these this summer!
It is said that the Portuguese play in Lisbon and work in Porto. After a weekend in Porto, I can at the very least speak to the second half of that stereotype. Not an overtly electified city, Porto has a quiet confidence and easygoing spirit that is very warm while decidedly staid. The people exude an extreme friendliness and outgoing nature that I understand to be very common to the Portuguese in general, and I felt welcomed and unjudged in every exchange I had. Thanks to this little taste, I rather look forward to expanding of my adventures in Portugal.
Next up? Lisbon and Madeira are very high on my list!
Pura Vida!
The countdown to a long overdue trip to Costa Rica began back in August 2008 as I eagerly tore open a gorgeous wedding invitation from two very special friends from New York.
I was finally due for some quality time with a group of some of my closest friends. Away from responsibilities, city life, and stress, I don't think any of us could have imagined a more perfect destination to revel in one another's company.
After a brief stopover in the States (hello, goodbye!) I hopped my second plane overflowing with anticipation...destination: Liberia.
I truly think that there is nothing quite as invigorating and life-affirming as that first breath of air that you take when you arrive to a new place. Whether the pollution of Mumbai or the crisp mountain air of Denver, you know immediately when you are on the precipice of something new.
Stepping off the plane, surrounded by the darkness of the Costa Rican countryside, I was hit with a breeze filled with sweet odors that had me bristling with excitement of my unknown adventures ahead.
As luck would have it, I landed at the same time as another plane carrying two couples from New York. Jetlagged and giddy, I followed them through twisting roads and the dark night down the coast towards Tamarindo.
Tamarindo
Second only to the first breath of air in a new place is the feeling of waking up to a new day in a place you arrived to in the dark of night. Despite my 24-hour day of travel, jetlag got me up in time for a beautiful sunrise walk on Tamarindo's long and sprawling beach.
Fully taking in my new surroundings, I basked in two long walks, a yoga session, a swim, and two breakfasts until I was finally reunited with our friends as people slowly made their way out of bed and down to the beach.
Affectionately known as Tamagringo by the locals, Tamarindo may have its touristy elements but I found it to be so small and quaint that it wasn't even close to the Cancun circus I had anticipated. The hotel was beautifully appointed, with lush grounds and friendly staff, and despite being filled with tourists, was surprisingly quiet and peaceful.
The wedding was set against the backdrop of the beach and a stunning sunset, one of many to come. Sprinkled with Indian overtones, the couple was married under a white canopy billowing in the breeze as we all reveled in the smoke, flower petals, sitar music and boldly colored saris around us.
As the night grew dark we were entertained by amazing fire dancers who eventually led our way to dinner - a tantalizing assortment of Costa Rica's fresh vegetables, fruits and seafood. We danced like there was no tomorrow to classics then made our way down the beach to Mama's Deli, a restaurant which turns into a nightclub.
With the waves lashing the shore far away in low tide, and the beats of our favorite New York DJ's flowing, we danced and cuddled the night away as the full moon set over the ocean...a night for the books and a most amazing beginning to our week ahead.
Playa del Coco
Fifteen of us eventually made our way up to Playa del Coco where we had arranged to stay in Sleepy Hollow, a cliffside villa overlooking the bay. From our amazing vantage point, we shared our lives, ate great meals, partied and took off on adventures throughout the Guanacaste region for the next six days...
The After After After party
Still riding the high from the ceremony and celebrations, Monday we hosted an after-after-after party at the house for those who remained in the area. The night was a resounding success, combining old friends and new, amazing music, another stunning sunset, and the peaceful feeling of freedom that comes with a true lack of agenda in a beautiful tropical setting surrounded by amazing people.
Playa de las Avellanas
After straggling out of bed early the next day, four of us headed back down the coast to drop off the sound equipment in Tamarindo, then continued south, eventually turning off onto a long gravel road with no end in sight, until we arrived at Playa de las Avellanas. Pura Vida at last.
I've heard the expression associated with Costa Rica before. But only a few relaxing days into my trip was I finally able to internalize the local credo.
*Pura Vida is a beach side cafe serving up bright dishes of the freshest fruits and vegetables you've had in ages.
*Pura Vida is lazily swinging in a hammock until the sound of the waves and the warm sun peeking through palm trees lulls you to sleep.
*Pura Vida is walking along a rugged coast, hiding in the trees from the incoming tide, and feeling nature's power surrounding you.
*Pura Vida is wishing for a coconut, whack! having one cut down for you, and savoring in its fresh water and pulp.
*Pura Vida is finding the best log in the world, smooth from waves, sitting on it with a great friend and laughing together as the waves try to pull you off into the ocean.
*Pura Vida is hunting for a pig named Lola who is either napping in the shade or cooling off in the water, depending on the time of day.
*Pura Vida is watching a one and a half year old soulfully strum a guitar and belt out made up lyrics on a sunsoaked beach.
*Pura Vida is watching quietly as the day winds down, reflecting on the sun set, surrounded by people all quietly internalizing their own Pura Vida.
Snorkeling around Papagayo Peninsula
On Thursday we rented snorkel equipment and piled into two boats for a day of sun, sea and barbecue on the Papagayo Peninsula. We jetted along the coast and stopped twice to snorkel with our guides helping us find the best fish. After chasing colorful fish and manta rays we ended up on a beach in a small nearby cove where dorado tacos and other local delicacies awaited us. We explored caves, befriended the world's largest iguana, and napped in the sun before slowly making our way back home.
Playa Conchal
On our last day together we hopped our 4x4's and made our way south towards Playa Conchal.
After a drive on the beach and a little off-roading, we pulled up to a majestic white beach made up of crushed shells. As the tide pulled in we gathered into a little round clearing in the trees, enjoyed a picnic and savored in cool refreshing dips in the ocean.
All smiles, it was a perfect way to round out the perfect week.
Shouts to the ETERNAL BLISS CREW! You warmed my heart and soul and gave me all the reason in the world to believe that no matter where my travels and life take me, I always have the love of very special people indeed...
ps...thanks to whomever took the stunning picture of our own DJ Stadenco rocking the sunset at our villa!!
Read more »
I was finally due for some quality time with a group of some of my closest friends. Away from responsibilities, city life, and stress, I don't think any of us could have imagined a more perfect destination to revel in one another's company.
After a brief stopover in the States (hello, goodbye!) I hopped my second plane overflowing with anticipation...destination: Liberia.
I truly think that there is nothing quite as invigorating and life-affirming as that first breath of air that you take when you arrive to a new place. Whether the pollution of Mumbai or the crisp mountain air of Denver, you know immediately when you are on the precipice of something new.Stepping off the plane, surrounded by the darkness of the Costa Rican countryside, I was hit with a breeze filled with sweet odors that had me bristling with excitement of my unknown adventures ahead.
As luck would have it, I landed at the same time as another plane carrying two couples from New York. Jetlagged and giddy, I followed them through twisting roads and the dark night down the coast towards Tamarindo.
Tamarindo
Second only to the first breath of air in a new place is the feeling of waking up to a new day in a place you arrived to in the dark of night. Despite my 24-hour day of travel, jetlag got me up in time for a beautiful sunrise walk on Tamarindo's long and sprawling beach.
Fully taking in my new surroundings, I basked in two long walks, a yoga session, a swim, and two breakfasts until I was finally reunited with our friends as people slowly made their way out of bed and down to the beach.
Affectionately known as Tamagringo by the locals, Tamarindo may have its touristy elements but I found it to be so small and quaint that it wasn't even close to the Cancun circus I had anticipated. The hotel was beautifully appointed, with lush grounds and friendly staff, and despite being filled with tourists, was surprisingly quiet and peaceful.
The wedding was set against the backdrop of the beach and a stunning sunset, one of many to come. Sprinkled with Indian overtones, the couple was married under a white canopy billowing in the breeze as we all reveled in the smoke, flower petals, sitar music and boldly colored saris around us.
As the night grew dark we were entertained by amazing fire dancers who eventually led our way to dinner - a tantalizing assortment of Costa Rica's fresh vegetables, fruits and seafood. We danced like there was no tomorrow to classics then made our way down the beach to Mama's Deli, a restaurant which turns into a nightclub.
With the waves lashing the shore far away in low tide, and the beats of our favorite New York DJ's flowing, we danced and cuddled the night away as the full moon set over the ocean...a night for the books and a most amazing beginning to our week ahead.
Playa del Coco
Fifteen of us eventually made our way up to Playa del Coco where we had arranged to stay in Sleepy Hollow, a cliffside villa overlooking the bay. From our amazing vantage point, we shared our lives, ate great meals, partied and took off on adventures throughout the Guanacaste region for the next six days...
The After After After party
Still riding the high from the ceremony and celebrations, Monday we hosted an after-after-after party at the house for those who remained in the area. The night was a resounding success, combining old friends and new, amazing music, another stunning sunset, and the peaceful feeling of freedom that comes with a true lack of agenda in a beautiful tropical setting surrounded by amazing people.Playa de las Avellanas
After straggling out of bed early the next day, four of us headed back down the coast to drop off the sound equipment in Tamarindo, then continued south, eventually turning off onto a long gravel road with no end in sight, until we arrived at Playa de las Avellanas. Pura Vida at last.I've heard the expression associated with Costa Rica before. But only a few relaxing days into my trip was I finally able to internalize the local credo.
*Pura Vida is a beach side cafe serving up bright dishes of the freshest fruits and vegetables you've had in ages.
*Pura Vida is lazily swinging in a hammock until the sound of the waves and the warm sun peeking through palm trees lulls you to sleep.
*Pura Vida is walking along a rugged coast, hiding in the trees from the incoming tide, and feeling nature's power surrounding you.
*Pura Vida is wishing for a coconut, whack! having one cut down for you, and savoring in its fresh water and pulp.
*Pura Vida is finding the best log in the world, smooth from waves, sitting on it with a great friend and laughing together as the waves try to pull you off into the ocean.
*Pura Vida is hunting for a pig named Lola who is either napping in the shade or cooling off in the water, depending on the time of day.
*Pura Vida is watching a one and a half year old soulfully strum a guitar and belt out made up lyrics on a sunsoaked beach.
*Pura Vida is watching quietly as the day winds down, reflecting on the sun set, surrounded by people all quietly internalizing their own Pura Vida.
Snorkeling around Papagayo Peninsula
On Thursday we rented snorkel equipment and piled into two boats for a day of sun, sea and barbecue on the Papagayo Peninsula. We jetted along the coast and stopped twice to snorkel with our guides helping us find the best fish. After chasing colorful fish and manta rays we ended up on a beach in a small nearby cove where dorado tacos and other local delicacies awaited us. We explored caves, befriended the world's largest iguana, and napped in the sun before slowly making our way back home.
Playa Conchal
On our last day together we hopped our 4x4's and made our way south towards Playa Conchal.
After a drive on the beach and a little off-roading, we pulled up to a majestic white beach made up of crushed shells. As the tide pulled in we gathered into a little round clearing in the trees, enjoyed a picnic and savored in cool refreshing dips in the ocean.All smiles, it was a perfect way to round out the perfect week.
Shouts to the ETERNAL BLISS CREW! You warmed my heart and soul and gave me all the reason in the world to believe that no matter where my travels and life take me, I always have the love of very special people indeed...
ps...thanks to whomever took the stunning picture of our own DJ Stadenco rocking the sunset at our villa!!
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