Arriving in a city after dark is always a challenge for me. I feel so disoriented and a little anxious about finding my way. We woke early to a beautiful sunny morning. I coaxed mom up the skinny spiral stairs to our rooftop deck. We didn’t stay long as it was actually quite cool this morning, but I foresee some lazy afternoons spent reading up there this week.
We walked a few minutes around the corner and up a beautiful bougainvillea and cobblestone lined street to Buen Dia Cafe, another recommendation by our Airbnb host. We had a delicious breakfast and amazing coffee to fuel our explorations.
We spent the next several hours wandering around town popping into markets, galleries, and shops.
The destination we were ultimately headed for was a small artisan market that was listed in the local paper. One of the artists was making jewelry out of coins from around the world. The plain parts of the coins had been cut away and only the intricate flowers, silhouettes, or words were left behind. I took one look and asked him if he had done the work with a laser cutter. He just grinned and showed me his handsaw. He was working on the outline of a caribou on a Canadian coin. I purchased a lovely pair from him that were made from 50 Yen coins.
After about four miles of walking in the sun on cobblestones, we were ready for a break so we headed back for a lunch of leftovers and a siesta.
A few hours (and book chapters) later I found a cool little cocktail bar called “Tres Hojas” (Three Sheets) and we had a refreshing happy hour drink before a fantastic dinner at “The Restaurant”.
Starters: Pea and Mint Ravioli with Parmesan and Hazelnuts, Octopus with Tomatoes, Potatoes, and Celery.
Mains: Curried Shrimp and Scallops with black lentils and cauliflower puree, Chicken with polenta, tomatoes, zucchini, and olives.
Dessert: Lemon Tart with Lavender Whipped Cream.
We strolled home through the main square that was packed with people out enjoying their Sunday evening and closed things out with a beautiful sunset from the terrace on our roof.
