Postcards from Curaçao (Part II)

(The eerie deserted lighthouse on Klein Curaçao)

I hope that everyone had a great weekend! It finally felt like spring here in New York - everything is in bloom especially cherry blossoms (my favorite, photos to come).  I spent the weekend catching up, but I will be honest after such a relaxing vacation I am having a harder time getting back into the swing of things - I feel like I am still on island time. It is nice to be so relaxed but can oftentimes make for an unproductive weekend. Anyways...I am excited to share with you our last photos from Curaçao.  One of my favorite things about the trip (besides the engagement of course!) was our voyage to Klein Curaçao, or 'little Curaçao'.  This island is uninhabited, so I was immediately lured into the idea since I live on an island that is just the opposite.  There was nothing one the island except soft, silky sand, turquoise water, vibrant blue iguanas, an abandoned lighthouse and a ship wreck.  This little island was a two hour catamaran ride away atop a choppy Caribbean sea.  I felt at some points that I was on some sort of amusement ride - we sat in the front and lets just say at some points I thought I was underwater - we got soaked, but had a blast doing so.  We snorkeled with fish in every color of the rainbow and even saw sea turtles.  

Postcards from Curacao (Part 1)

(Grotte Knip Beach)

Curacao was my first adventure in the Caribbean and let me tell you, it was fantastic and a great place to start.  We arrived to a heavenly breeze, warm and balmy air and a sea in the most vibrant shade of turquoise that I have ever seen.  We rented a car and were able to explore the island that is heavily influenced by the Dutch (french fries with mayonnaise anyone?)but with a heavy local flare of the natives from Curacao.  We drove to both sides of the island - one of my favorite things was seeing the juxtaposition of the sea and the arid climate on the other side which consisted of cactus, flat rocky land that was filled with iguanas, lizards and herds of goats that heavily populated the island.  We spent our days totally immersed in relaxation whether we were relaxing on the beach, swimming until we were exhausted and snorkeling amid colorful parrot fish and damsel fish.  Here is the first part of our trip, just showing a few beaches that we visited.  There will be more to come tomorrow! I hope that you enjoy!  Continue for more...

(And p.s. - I do admit that I first learned about Curacao from the Bachelorette, yes, I have watched every season without shame, so don't feel guilty if you are in the same boat!) 

 (A rusted anchor)

 (A beautiful dock by our hotel that looked different as the sun rose and set)

Back from Paradise

I am back! After a glorious nine days of sand, sun and fun, we are back from tropical paradise, otherwise known as Curaçao. I took quite a few photographs of the island that I am so excited to share with you this week.  I am still catching up on my end, but I will be back tomorrow with a full post. Above is just a taste of what we saw - Klein Curaçao a desserted island just off the mainland - the beauty was unreal.  I hope that everyone had a great weekend!

Escape to Vermont

(My first trip down the mountain)

Nothing is quite like escaping from the big noisy city and disappearing into the solitude and wilderness of Vermont.  A weekend away was badly needed, so we dropped our dog off at doggy daycare in Greenpoint and headed up north to Killington Mountain. I had my first go at skiing and was shocked at how well I went down the mountain! I didn't even go down the bunny hill, we just went up the chair lift (this is where I snapped the gorgeous mountain vistas below) and I managed to make it down only falling once. I then did about seven amazing runs.  I have a new found love for this outdoor sport! 

(The chair lift)

(Warming up with a nice cup of hot cocoa)

(Our hosts gorgeous land, which was filled with white burch trees and a frozen pond)

(Sun-drench birch trees)

(A stunning view from the top)

I lived in Vermont for about six years and it wasn't until those years that I was able to taste and appreciate 'real' maple syrup, meaning not Aunt Jemima's or Log Cabin, syrups that are filled with fake ingredients and preservatives.  Authentic Vermont maple syrup is thinner than it's store bought counterpart and is not nearly as sweet. I didn't realize the labor intensive process of making syrup, but luckily our hosts had their very own sugar house and I was able to see first hand just how it is made.  I also got to taste the finished product from last years harvest and it was absolutely divine; served over pancakes was the ultimate way to end our relaxing weekend away in the Green Mountains of Vermont. 

(The Sugar House)

 (Warm pancakes drizzled with our hosts Vermont Maple Syrup)

(A bottle of our very own, which will be our new brunch staple)