Tag / journal

Awoke early this morning at 6:30am. Quickly preparing for the day, headed out for breakfast at Mitra buffet. A large open air room is setup to feed the hoards of hungry tourists. A large spread of items with many traditional dishes (omelets, bacon, and pancakes) mixed with many local favorites (rice with black beans and chicken fajitas with tortillas). The cafe con leche definitely hit the spot. Feeling well fed, we headed off to our primary activity for the day…a morning at the spa with 9am appt for deep tissue massages. With a quick check-in and welcome, we were led to the men’s locker room to change into our robe and slippers. We were met in the waiting area by two women who led us to our individual therapy rooms. After taking my place on the massage table under the sheet, the therapist commenced her routine. First one leg, the another. Wow, calf deep tissue hurts. Then back, arms, shoulders. Rollover…arms and shoulders. It was definitely working out the kinks. With the double ring of the bell. The session was over. Felt like jelly as I stood up. Very relaxing and rejuvenating. With the massage, we were invited to enjoy the facilities. First stop was the hydro-pool. Nice hot water with multiple jets felt good. Second stop was the steam shower…but how to turn it on? Third stop, the outdoor jacuzzi and cold plunge pools. This area was next to the beach with a bamboo canopy over the pool to block most of the hot sun. Taking turns going from hot to cold was quite exhilarating. An Iguana on a nearby wall provided some entertainment watching him patiently catch his breakfast of passing insects. Hummingbirds buzzed and chirped as they sucked the nectar from nearby birds of paradise. The gentle roll of waves in the distance provided just the right amount of relaxing sound. I could soak here all day…especially since we had it to ourselves…but hunger eventually provided the impetus to dry off and leave our spa sanctuary behind.

A quick stop off at the room, and we made our way to Spirula…the “Italian” restaurant with pizza and pasta. Settling down at the open air terrace, we ordered a couple of pizzas to satiate our hunger as well as a couple of mojitos. Digging into our lunch, we were soon joined by a troop of Coati eyeing our tasty plates. We were half expecting them to jump on the table and help themselves, but they kept a safe distance…though they work that “feed me” look quite well. With the temps and humidity soaring, we headed back to room to take a short rest and then swim. That idea didn’t make it past the planning stage because the dark clouds descended and the rain commenced…lots of rain and thunder. Since our afternoon plans were thrown off, we walked umbrella in hand to the lobby to get photo copies of our passports and have a drink at the lobby bar. The lobby sits at the highest point with a sweeping view down to the ocean and beyond, but today, only the gray mist of air was visible as rain continued unabated. Perfect excuse to try a few libations…melon mojito and a sexy coffee (Baileys, espresso, and something else).









Still watching for a break in the rain, we gave up waiting for it to abate and walked back to the room to rest and change for dinner. Our reservation for tonight was the Asian-fusion restaurant, Bamboo. Dinner was delightful with spring rolls, chicken satay, and chicken with green curry and rice…finishing with fried banana and vanilla ice cream. We are definitely not suffering in the food department on this trip. Full and happy, we headed back to our room to pack and get some zzzz’s before tomorrow’s big adventure…

As dusk descended upon SF, Paolo and I readied our bags, ate a simple nibble, and awaited departure to SFO. Outside, a full moon was rising casting a glow over the city. John whisked us off to SFO…flying American for the first time in many years…United airline status definitely ensures loyalty. The benefit of foregoing status was to experience the newly renovated SFO Terminal 2 at SFO. It is smaller than United’s terminal…much more cozy. The ceiling is warmed by wood wrapping down the ticket hall. A quick check-in depositing our bags and getting our seat assignments, we made our way to security. The lines were non-existent in late evening, so we whisked thru…only to be slightly delayed by an older couple that clearly have not flown in awhile. They were stymied by having to remove hats, scarfs, bots, shoes, and not being able to bring a bottle beer thru. The husband quickly chugged the bottle and went thru the scanner. Very humorous! Settled into a nice red leather mid-century Arne Jacobsen Swan chair at our gate to await boarding. Though things at the airport were definitely winding down, last flights were boarding for the east…NYC, Chicago, etc. When our seating group was called, we boarded to take our seats in 15E/F. The plane is a very new Boeing 737-800 with sweeping designs, rounded edges, and mood lighting. We settled into Exit row…thank goodness for extra legroom…and a power outlet! Smooth flight mostly, but Texas brings a few bumps…hmmm.

Landed at DFW about 5:30am. Made our way quickly on the monorail to D gates. With 5 hrs to kill before our next flight, we did the loop of the concourse checking out our options for breakfast. Most choices were still dark, so we settled down in a couple seats in front of the large departure screens to view options on exotic locales that we could depart. No European options. One to Seoul. One to Tokyo. A few Latin America options. Honolulu caught our eye, but we’ll stick with Liberia. Looking up after our dream break, the airport had started to come to life and fill up with early morning passengers. Time for breakfast. Our first choice was oddly still closed at 7am, so 2nd choice and old faithful TGIFriday’s will do. Getting our fill of two warm coffees, French toast and an omelette, we made our way to D20 to await boarding. The crowd awaiting was lite…so hopes were for no one between our aisle and window seats. That hope turned out to be true, and we were off with a flight time of 3:47hrs. Liberia here we come…

Smooth sailing leaving Texas until we reached a front of storms over Mexico that made for a bumpy 20min. Focusing on my digital magazines on my ipad while glancing at the Star Trek Enterprise movie provided the necessary distractions. About an hour to go, and the requisite immigration and custom forms were handed out. Two…one per household and one per person. The custom form is tiny print and tiny boxes. Red-eye flights make it a lot tougher to fill these out. A few confusing questions, but I think we filled them out adequately. Descending…a whole new country awaits!

Border security was a quick scan of the passport, stamp, and taking the entry form. Our bags were already awaiting. Of course, they were soaked since it was raining. Our transit service was waiting for us outside customs. Us along with 3 other couples were corralled with our bags, and we all dashed out to small van. On our way, the guide gave us welcome, tips, and answered numerous questions on the hour drive to our home for the week…The Westin Playa Conchal. I learned that over a quarter of Costa Rica is a park or reserve.

Arriving at the main lobby of our hotel, we were quickly checked-in and whisked off to our suite in a small open air vehicle. Our suite is in a small two story building nestled amongst the greenery as the land slopes down to the ocean. We are a short walk to the main pool, spa, and restaurants. After a quick change in resort wear…aka, shorts, tee, and flip-flops, we walked towards the pool to grab a late lunch at the Mitre Cafe. A nice meal of mahi-mahi hit the spot along with a cool beer. Since the rain hadn’t subsided since landing, we cozied up under a thatch-roofed open air bar next to the pool to enjoy happy hour cocktails. Most of the guests seem to be couples on their honeymoon. Definitely a good romantic spot to enjoy wedding bliss. We spotted our first wildlife near the pool when three raccoon-like creatures, Coati, emerged from bushes near the pool to dart in and out of a garbage can to see what tasty morsels might have been discarded by guests. They look cute and seem to keep a safe distance from humans. I’m sure we will see a lot of them. After a stop back at our room to freshen up into evening clothing, we headed out to our reservation at the French restaurant in the lobby building. Since this is an all inclusive resort, all food and drinks are included in the room rate. What a great deal! We both enjoyed two more fish dishes…red snapper and mushroom risotto with tilapia. Finished up with chocolate and banana mousse. Since it was still early after dinner and Saturday night, we walked over to the Abalone lounge bar and night club to listen to music and have drinks. The music was predominately local latin music, and the couples twirled on the dance floor with what looked like salsa dancing. Even one of the bartenders got in the action and offered his services to a woman who needed a dance partner. Dancing with the stars…Costa Rica edition! Though the party raged on, it was definitely dream time for us. Long day! Time for much-needed rest…

A week in the UK is so easy to pull off with direct flights from SFO, and it is one of our favorite ways to recharge our wanderlust. There is an energy and a style and a sophistication that is uniquely British that we relate to and long for.

We took one more morning walk into Mayfair. Fortune was smiling on us, as the clouds held off one last time, allowing only a light mist to moisten our walk. As we had done several times before, we passed by the American Embassy on Grovesner Square. This morning, the lines seemed particularly long. Perhaps they weren’t, but they stood as a reminder of the just-started Federal shutdown and the ups and downs of American politics. Funny to see it through the eyes of the British media. We made our way to a menswear shop (TM Lewin) in Mayfair to check out a dashing charcoal, wool coat. Third time’s a charm…fit me like a glove!

Back to the hotel to grab our bags and get to Heathrow. Terminal 1. Seamless transit through check-in and security gave us an hour to relax in the Star Alliance lounge before our flight.

We miss ye, ole London town. And we already have a list of the the things we couldn’t squeeze in this visit!!

On our flight home, we filled out the customary U.S Customs forms. Question 3: “Number of family members traveling with you.” “Zero.” This is the last year I will have to enter that lie.

What a great year.

Cheerio. Pip pip. 🙂

We arose with a keen sense that this was the final full day in another wonderful chapter in our London adventures. We just can’t get enough of this city.

Today we pointed our feet north of the hotel…to Marleybone for a bit of window shopping and serene Regent’s Park. On the way, we stumbled upon the Wallace Collection Museum. The lure of “Free Admission” drew us in for a quick peek. Fortunately we did, because what a surprise find. The house–the former home of Sir Robert Wallace–is full of wonderful paintings, furniture, miniatures, and armor. The museum’s art is displayed in the former city mansion of Wallace. There are no ropes or barriers of any kind. One gets the feeling of wandering the stylish home of a well collected aristocrat. Renoirs and Rembrants are tucked away amongst other lesser know artists of the time. The quality and quantity of the art is staggering. Only in London with a rich patrimony of former Empire would this be an off the path museum. We definitely need to return to take in more of what this museum has to offer.

Leaving the museum, we continued on our trek and were soon taking in the chic shops of Marleybone which offer pricey temptations in brick-faced boutiques. Home furnishings, art, decorative tile…mmmmm, and sumptuous apricot tarts.

The charm of Marleybone quickly gives way to the harried bustle of streets just before Regent’s. We ducked into a church where a hidden organist practiced on a hidden pipe organ, filling the quiet hall with a flurry of slightly off-key sinister-sounding notes that were still preferable to the traffic outside.

We turned onto the most famous block of Baker Street. A blue historical marker adorned the side of fictional 221B Baker Street, the fictional home of Sherlock Holmes. Kitschy as the site is, the recent (and awesome) BBC Sherlock series ensured that the “museum” and gift shop were popular. Patrons donned the famous deerstalker hat for photos.

Entered Regent’s Park through the Clarence Gate and strolled around the Boating Lake. We stopped to nibble on sandwiches from Eat. Watched kids chase pigeons and ducks and geese, all of whom clamored for bread crumbs from screaming kids. Gray skies minimized the boaters on the lake, and the waterfowl were thrilled. We paused for a peaceful spot on a romantic bridge to appreciate the quiet romance of the park. Two swans longingly mirrored each other in either side of a barrier fence, longing to be together. Ducks and gulls seemingly demonstrated how to fly over the fence, but these swans were earth-bound and their love went unfulfilled. Jeff and I grabbed each other’s hand in appreciation of what we have together.

Passing busy soccer fields, we joined the tree-lined Broad Walk. Walkers and bikers formed an orderly procession under a canopy of trees just beginning to show yellowing signs of autumn. The walk’s flower beds were in full autumn autumn, and their freshly tilled soil provided a sumptuous hiding spot for nut-burying squirrels and pecking birds.

Our return route to the hotel looped us back through Marleybone where we took a coffee break. And a bit more shopping…of course…stumbling upon Christopher Place which is a pedestrian pocket tucked between major streets lined with restaurants and shops.

After a short break at the hotel, we headed back out to meet Jeff’s dear friends from Michigan…Lynn and Jeff…in London to visit their son Ethan. We had wonderful Neapolitan pizza and stimulating conversation near Covent Gardens. Strolled for creamy gelato from Scoop afterwards. After saying our fond goodbyes, we wound our way back to The Yard in SOHO to wrap up the evening with a couple Mahou from Madrid which fondly reminded us of our trips to Spain.

Building rain clouds held their drops but trapped the day’s heat, making for a warm walk back to the hotel.

Another fantastic breakfast at the Strattons, and we hit the road. Wanting to squeeze in one final country estate before catching our train back to London, we headed straight for Burghley House.

Built originally in the 16th century by Lord Burghley, who served as chief counsellor of Elizabeth I, the house has been modified, cared for, and lived in ever since by his descendants. The care really shows, from the meticulous lawns and sculpted gardens outside to the vivid ceilings and lush tapestries inside. The house tour takes visitors in via a historic kitchen, complete with an enormous hearth with rotating spit for roasting meat. Learned that at one time, dogs on a treadmill powered the rotisserie! Up the ornate-carved stone Roman stairway to the main floor state rooms. The rooms are quite beautiful and varied. The billiard room was homey with a large green felt billiard table and oversized Turkish style divan…definitely 19th century additions. A cozy bedroom with large bed played host to Queen Victoria and Albert…apparently so well that they missed breakfast in the morning. A series of connected signature rooms (the George rooms) along one side of the house have colorful ceilings by Antonio Verrio who also painted similar ceilings at Windsor castle. The largest of the rooms is painted to impress and inspire: “Heaven” covers the ceiling and three walls with robed figures and mythological iconography. The room also holds an enormous solid silver wine cooler. Next door, in another grand staircase is “Hell,” complete with firery images of damnation surrounding you as you descend to the ground floor. The last room is a large Gothic hall with hammer-beam ceiling…famously used as the dining venue when Victoria and Albert stayed. Upon leaving the hall, a display showcased Lord Burghley’s Olympic Gold and Silver medals won in the 1930’s track events. The collection also includes a 2012 Olympic Torch from another legendary runner: Lord Coe.

Outside, we visited two gardens. One a traditional sculpture garden, albeit one with modern art scattered in clearings and alcoves in a wooded portion of the grounds. The second was the experiential Garden of Surprises, with hedge-separated rooms…each with a whimsical water feature. To finish our visit, we took a semi-loop around the house, along the sprawling manicured lawns. The afternoon sun lit up the house and reminded us how amazing Britain is in the autumn.

We returned our car in Peterborough, and grabbed a fast train to London, arriving into King’s Cross around half past five. We grabbed a taxi back to the Doubletree Marble Arch where we happily snagged an upgrade to much bigger room this time to finish the trip in style!

For our evening walk, we strolled down familiar paths and soaked up the atmosphere of a chilly night in London. We returned to Cây Tre in Soho for dinner…we had been craving their rich campfire beef and hearty Vietnamese fried rice since last week. A perfect choice for a repeat! Relaxing drinks at The Yard, followed by a late night walk full of random turns. We arrived back at the room after midnight with tired feel but rested minds.