Life Lately - In Photos

 

After our European  trip, that was followed by another trip to Michigan to babysit, June has been a catch up month.  Catching up with friends, catching up on playing golf and catching up on so much trimming.  Florida is getting a typical rainy season after a few years of drought like summers and you are reminded it is the tropics after all; where a plant grows so fast it needs weekly trimming.

This weekend I will be back in Michigan for Melissa’s baby shower.  Everything I shipped arrived safely and all I need to do is pick up flowers at Trader Joe’s.  Lots of pink flowers I hope.  I will post photos next week, but our theme is a girly pink golf par-tee at their country club.  It is a couples shower, so I had to wrap my mind around pulling that off for a bit, but it should be a lot of fun celebrating granddaughter number two.  

Lastly, we had a great 4th of July weekend, starting with my birthday at a Mexican restaurant and also fireworks on the beach.  I always pinch myself watching the fireworks burst over the gulf.  So lucky to live where I do.  Also, adding a photo of a cute 4th of July girly that I get to see very soon.

Mediterranean Spring - Portofino and Tuscany

 

The 2 days that we spent in the Italian Riviera and in Tuscany were my favorite of the trip.  We explored Portofino after docking in the harbor and taking a tender that gave a magnificent view of the colorful buildings. Our guide shared how Portofino remains quiet and controlled by its oldest families despite the glamour of Madonna and various Kardashians renting villas in the summer.  We also took a short boat trip to Santa Margarita and had time for lunch and a delicious aperol spritz sitting at a lovely umbrella table on the cobblestone street. 

Tuscany was everything I dreamed it would be and I kept reminding myself to soak in every second.  From San Gimignano to the 18th century winery where we had a wine tasting and lunch, the views, the flowers and the food were beyond amazing to this small town American girl.  A future dream would be to stay in a villa in Tuscany and just soak it all in for an extended time period.  Cook good food, drink good wine, eat gelato daily and just stop and smell the flowers as the saying goes.  

Next and final chapter in this trip series is Rome.  

Mediterranean Spring - French Riviera and Provence

 

The south of France, specifically Provence and the French Riviera, totally surprised me.  I was sure Italy would be the most beautiful part of the trip, but because I love flowers, these two regions became a favorite. So many beautiful flowers and gardens everywhere, with the blue sea as a backdrop.  

From our first stop at a 17th century castle turned winery, to the Princess Grace Garden of Monaco and the famous flower market in Nice, I was in my element.  There was also a medieval basilica high on a mountain in Marseille as well as Eze, a medieval village with hundreds of narrow stone steps to explore.  

I was amazed by the long and lovely promenade in Nice where we strolled and people watched.  I discovered that I may be a bit of a snob when it comes to beaches, since I live in Florida with our white sand beaches. But, even though the beaches were rocks, the beauty of that blue, blue Mediterranean Sea was hard to beat.

This region is on my list to visit again and spend more time amongst the flowers.

Mediterranean Spring

 

I am finally getting some time to write about the wonderful trip we took in May.  After getting back, I pretty much immediately flew to Michigan to help babysit for two consecutive weekends.  So fun of course, but it feels good to be back to normal.

We boarded the ship after flying from Tampa to Montreal to Barcelona and after lunch napped to be ready for the first night.  There was a cocktail party for the Michigan State Alumni group we were a part of and it was fun to meet some fellow Spartans.  We had our first dinner in the dining room with a view of departing the port.  The cruise line we were on was smaller and offered a bit more luxury, so the food and service were top notch.  I was a big fan of the desserts!

The first morning’s shore excursion was the small Spanish island of Menorca and it was simply beautiful.  On a sunshiny day, we wandered amongst the whitewashed buildings at our own pace.  We visited the highest point (Monte Toro) with stunning views. At this spot, as well as throughout the other places we visited, the flowers and the blue, blue water had me speechless.  My first day in Europe had me fascinated and looking forward to France next. 

Travel and Adventure Ahead

 

There is a big trip in my future and while it has been in the planning stages for quite a while, time is now getting short until we set sail.  We are going on a Mediterranean Cruise and it will be my first time to travel to Europe.  We begin in Barcelona with stops in the island of Minorca, Spain, Cote d’ Azur, and the French Riviera, Monte Carlo, Portofino and Tuscany, Italy.  Then a few days on land in Rome.  It is something we have tried to schedule for awhile and are not really cruise people, but this is a smaller ship and a little more luxury based and I think it will be a lovely way to see the most countries.  We have excursions booked, including wine tastings, lunch at a Tuscan farmhouse and I am sure many churches along the way.  It is still up in the air whether we will see The Sistine Chapel, due to the Conclave, but there is so much to see in Rome, it will be fine.  Honestly, by the end of the cruise, I am looking forward to sitting at a cafe in Rome on a cobblestone street and just people watching with a glass of wine and some wonderful food.  Adventure here we come!

April Life in Pictures

 

April in Florida is always a busy month; where snowbirds begin to fly back to their northern homes and there are a lot of last minute activities to fit in.  I enjoyed a fun golf scramble to end my Tuesday golf group’s season, a beach sunset happy hour, full moon beach yoga and a Good Friday tradition with old and new friends.  Plus some fun lunches, brunches and dinners with friends.

The alligator picture is right on my street and is a fact of life in April and May when the alligators move around at will during mating season.  It really is true though.  Don’t bother them and they won’t bother you.  It still can be a bit of a shock to see one walking down the street.

Finally, I have been busy with my volunteer group.  Writing the weekly newsletter is something I enjoy, but it does take time each week.  The feedback for me and my fellow editors has been positive since we took over and it is important to share the word of what we do to Sarasota County and City of Venice executives. Plus, Thursday mornings you will find me digging, planting and trimming all around town. Our latest project was working on removing salt damaged plants from Venice Beach.  6 months since the last hurricane and recovery is ongoing.

Happy Saturday!

Biking on Boca Grande

 

We have an annual tradition to bike on Boca Grande with a group of friends and today was the day.  It was a reschedule from a few weeks ago when we cancelled due to high winds, which would be no fun for biking.  The weather cooperated beautifully this time and it was sunny and a perfect high 70’s temperature day on the island.

Boca Grande is about 40 minutes south and is a village on Gasparilla Island.  There are bike paths and not a lot of automobile traffic.  Most residents use golf carts to get around.  The highlight is biking to the south end of the island with the gulf on your right side view the whole way.  There is a restaurant right on the beach, newly rebuilt from hurricane damage and we enjoyed the water view over a long lunch.

We headed back to the village, stopping at an old fashioned marina, the beautiful Gasparilla Inn and finally a stop at a old Florida style village bar that has been open on the island for 78 years.  It was really nice to see the continued recovery of this lovely place after being hit by several hurricanes lately.  Blue sky, blue water, white sand, gulf breezes and a day with friends.  Just another day in paradise for us.