Apparently, old dogs can learn new tricks

Wednesday was a travel day. We checked out of our hotel, loaded up into the minibus, and took off for Chablis. There’s a running joke now about seeing wildlife after I got excited about seeing some cows and horses, so now we point out all animals. This drive was an animal bonanza as we drove through the agricultural heartland of France. We also passed some wind turbines (I can’t explain why, but I find them to be somewhat elegant) and a medieval castle complete with its fortress walls.

I had a vague sense of Chablis being related to wine, but for some reason, it was in my head as something cheap. Maybe because it’s a white wine and I always thought that I didn’t like white wines? Anyway, we tour this facility and learn more about how they grow, select, and make Chablis – the signature Chardonnay from the region.

Oh. My. Gosh. This stuff is sooooo good. I learned a wine-tasting concept that explains some of what I like in a white wine: a buttery taste balanced with acidity. Some white wines have a high acid content which makes them a bit more forward-facing and even a bit tangy (like a green apple), and others can be so buttery that there’s no acid left at all. Chablis seems to have a perfect blend. It has enough acidity to be perky, but enough buttery to be smooth and mellow. Delightful!

Chablis region is Chardonnay only. Tasting wine from one hill and comparing it to the wine from the hill that has the opposite sun exposure is wild. You really can taste the difference.

This town is tiny (like 2200 people tiny), so walking around didn’t take long. We loaded back into the bus, buckled in our wine purchases, and headed off for Vernou-en-Sologne in the Loire valley.

I’ll let the pictures describe the place since words won’t cut it.

While the gang unpacked, I had to take a work call. I then met up with them in the restaurant.

This place makes a guest feel like royalty!

As expected, the food was wonderful. Americans eat total garbage compared to the French. Here, every ingredient is pronounceable, identifiable, and traceable. There are no chemicals, preservatives, stabilizers, flavor enhancers, colors, etc. French cuisine features lots of cream and butter, but portions are modest and satisfying.

I had a Caesar salad which was presented in a very novel manner and a lemon soufflé with ice cream for dessert. It tasted absolutely amazing!

Thursday is a longer bike day, so we trucked off to bed after dinner to rest up before hitting the road!

AI content

Tuesday was going to be cold. 47 degrees (feels like temp of 42) when we were scheduled to hit the road at 8am. I apparently packed without looking at the weather forecast or double-checking what I brought. I have no long sleeves. One pair of long leggings. No full-finger gloves. And I have to admit (Luke, queue up the “I told you so”), no packable jacket. So I am not at all prepared for cold weather.

Thankfully, it was sunny and the wind from the night before died down, so it was actually quite comfortable in my t-shirt and long-sleeved windbreaker jacket. And my single pair of long leggings. 🙂

We set out for the first half of the day: 25.4 mi/991 ft gain ride to Beaune. The scenery along the way was so spectacular that it simply looked like an AI-generated landscape.

We arrived in the town of Beaune around noon. After exploring for a bit, we set off on our own for lunch and maybe some shopping and/or a beer. Some quick baguette sandwiches from a boulengerie, a stroll through town, and then a light and cold beer at an outside patio made for a perfect midday break.

I enjoyed most of the morning ride, but one segment of uphill was just too much for my lungs given their current post-Covid depleted state. I managed to complete the ride segment, but didn’t have it in me to do the afternoon ride which had the same elevation but in half the distance so I opted to ride in the van to the next stop – wine tasting. My fellow riders rolled in tired and sweaty and did nothing to convince me that I would’ve enjoyed that second ride of the day.

At this winery, we tried 3 white wines (all Chardonnay) and 3 red wines (all Pinot noir). They do what’s called a horizontal tasting in which you try wines that are the same type and year but that vary by geographical location. I never would’ve thought that wines from just down the road or just up the same hill could taste so different, but they really, really do. After trying the Grand Cru (best), the other wines suddenly are clearly inferior.

Burgundy wines have reputations for being some of the best in the world, and ai can see why. These are truly exceptional!

After enjoying our wine, we headed back to the hotel, enjoying one last dinner at the hotel restaurant. Mother Nature put on quite the farewell show for us!

Rain, rain, go away

After arriving in Lyon truly exhausted, I did my best to sleep before meeting up with my travel companions for the 2-hour ride out to our first hotel.

Château De Saulon is a 17th century “castle” turned hotel, complete with its own small forest. It’s nestled between fields and tiny (and I mean tiny!) villages for an exceptionally quaint setting.

Before dinner, we got set up with our gear. I wasn’t sure about this whole organized tour thing, but boy, it’s super nice not having to do anything at all to plan. The company provided nice bikes which were already set up according to our reported specs. They gave us helmets and water bottles, they tune the bikes up each day, and they transport the bikes (and us, if needed), so there’s never pressure to do something we do not want to do.

This morning we had breakfast, put on our purple tutus (gotta have swag!) and set off for ~20 miles of riding. Weather wasn’t totally on our side, so we did our best to time the ride during the break in the rain. We mostly (but not completely) succeeded.

The Burgundy valley is really gorgeous. Vineyards are truly everywhere, and the villages we did pass through were very small and looked as if the last 3 centuries haven’t happened.

We stopped at an 11th century abbey that used to make wine, then headed off to lunch. I’m making it my goal to have cheese at every meal because the cheese here is simply unlike anything I can get in the US. Same with the wine – it’s amazing.

I’ll learn more tomorrow when we visit a winery, but I know that Burgundy wine only comes in 3 kinds: Pinot noir for red, Chardonnay for white, and Crémant for sparkling. That’s it. The idea is that if the grapes are all the same type, it’s easier to determine the quality variations from soil, elevation, etc.

After a hearty lunch (all French meals are hearty), we went back to the hotel to shower and rest before our trip to Dijon. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to go on this optional tour because I’m not super into French history, but I’m glad I went. Dijon, it seems, has a history all its own that’s almost divorced from French history. It had Dukes and wasn’t typically under the rule of the French king, it was closely tied with (and often ruled) Belgium and the Netherlands, and it doesn’t have a medieval history.

Many street corners have these cute little decorations at the street name placard

We tried Dijon mustard and learned that, unlike Champagne or Parmesan cheese, it’s not a protected product. If you have the recipe, you can make Dijon mustard and market it as such, although I have to say, the stuff here has a much stronger kick to it, similar to horseradish.

It was freeeeezing out, so after finishing our tour, we piled into the first restaurant we saw and had dinner. I had sea bream in a light cheese sauce and a side of cauliflower gratin with emmentaler. It was very good, and very affordable!

Food here has been consistently wonderful. Portions aren’t too big, but every ingredient tastes fresh and important for the meal, and you feel satisfied. I am absolutely certain that they are not conservative with the amount of butter that they add to everything! And there’s a surprising amount of fish given that this region isn’t coastal in any way, but it’s always tasted fresh!

Shannon, accidentally posing for the camera!

If you’re going to bike, you might as well bike French wine country

Amanda asked if I’d be interested in joining her, her mom, and her sister-in-law (all people I know and have spent time with before) on a bike trip through wine country in France. I’m game for pretty much anything, so here I am in Lisbon, boarding my flight to Lyon, France.

Food in Europe is so good. Even simple things, like a sandwich. Camembert with a little fresh butter and lettuce on a delightful sesame baguette. Mmmm!

Our itinerary looks great!

Day 1: Saturday, May 09 – outward journey

Day 2: Sunday, May 10 – Lyon – Château de Saulon (hotel)

11:00 AM Meet at Lyon airport – Terminal 1

11:15 AMMini van transfer to Château de Saulon

01:45 PMLunch at Château de Saulon

03:15 PMTime to explore the surroundings

04:15 PMWelcome drinks

04:30 PMBike fitting & welcome orientation

05:30 PMFree afternoon

07:00 PMDinner at Château de Saulon

Day 3: Monday, May 11 – Château du Clos de Vougeot – La Cuverie de Vosne – Dijon

07:30 AM Breakfast

08:45 AMBike ride – Château de Saulon to La Cuverie de Vosne-Romanée via Château du Clos de Vougeot: 19.5 mi/31.4 km – 707 ft/215 m elevation gain

10:30 AMVisit Château du Clos de Vougeot (11:30 AM English guided tour)

11:30 AMBike ride (part 2) – Château du Clos de Vougeot to Cuverie de Vosne-Romanée

12:30 PMLunch & wine tasting at La Cuverie de Vosne-Romanée

02:30 PMEF van transfer back to our hotel

03:15 PMFree afternoon at the hotel

Day 4: Tuesday, May 12 – Beaune – Château Philippe le Hardi

07:00 AM Breakfast

08:15 AMBike ride (option A) – Château de Saulon to Beaune: 25.4 mi/40.9 km – 991 ft/302 m elevation gain

11:00 AMBeaune walking tour & Gougères tasting

12:00 PMLunch break

01:30 PMBike ride (option B) or transfer – Beauneto Château Philippe le Hardi: 14.2 mi/22.9 km – 816 ft/249 m elevation gain

03:30 PMWine tasting at Château Philippe le Hardi

04:30 PMTaxi transfer back to our hotel

06:00 PMFree evening at the hotel or to further explore the area on your own

Day 5: Wednesday, May 13 – Chablis – Vernou-en-Sologne

07:30 AM Breakfast

08:45 AMTransfer to Chablis

11:00 AMWinery cellar tour and wine tasting atDomaine Long-Depaquit

12:00 PMStroll through Chablis

12:30 PMLunch at restaurant Kimm & Ridge

02:00 PMTransfer to Vernou-en-Sologne

05:45 PMCheck-in and time to freshen up or to explore the surroundings

07:00 PMDinner at the hotel

Day 6: Thursday, May 14 – Château de Chambord

07:00 AM Breakfast

08:30 AMBike ride (option A) – La Borde en Sologne to Château de Chambord: 27.3 mi/43.9 km – 564 ft/170 m elevation gain

12:00 PMLunch break in Chambord

01:00 PMGuided visit of Château de Chambord

02:30 PMFree time in Chambord

03:00 PMBike ride (option B) – Château de Chambord to La Borde en Sologne: 19.6 mi/31.5 km – 351 ft/107 m elevation gain

05:15 PMFree evening to enjoy the hotel’s facilitiesor to further explore the area on your own

Day 7: Friday, May 15 – Château de Chenonceau – Amboise – Blois

07:00 AM Breakfast

09:15 AMVisit Château de Chenonceau

11:30 AMBike ride (option A) – Château de Chenonceau to Amboise: 13.3 mi/21.4 km – 354 ft/108 m elevation gain

01:00 PMLunch break in Amboise

02:30 PMBike ride (option B) – Amboise to Blois: 26.2 mi/42.2 km – 653 ft/199 m elevation gain

05:30 PM Introduction to Blois

06:15 PMFree time to explore and have dinner in Blois

08:15 PMTaxi transfer to our hotel

Day 8: Saturday, May 16 – Beaugency

07:00 AM Breakfast

08:15 AMBike ride (option A) – La Borde en Sologne to Beaugency: 27.8 mi/43.9 km – 427 ft/130 m elevation gain

11:30 AMExplore Beaugency’s Saturday market

12:00 PMMore free time for lunch and to exploreBeaugency

02:00 PMBike ride (option B) – Beaugency to La Borde en Sologne: 23.5 mi/37.8 km – 466 ft/142 m elevation gain

07:30 PMFarewell Dinner at La Margot’ine

Day 9: Sunday, May 17 – return journey

04:30 AMCheck-out

04:45 AMTaxi transfer to Paris Orly airport

09:55 AM Flight# TP 0453 to Porto (OPO)

Aurora borealis chasing

We stayed up Friday night until about midnight, but were disappointed by increasing cloud cover, although there were some great views of the stars and the Milky Way early in the evening.

Given the impending snow Saturday (8” predicted, although Alaskans are entirely unfazed by this), I did not have high hopes of seeing the aurora from where we were. If I was going to check this item off my life bucket list, I was going to have to double-down and pay for a guided aurora chasing tour. I did my research, then booked with Fairbanks Aurora Tours. I will not disclose how much I paid, but let’s just say it wasn’t cheap, so I was rather anxious about whether it would deliver or not.

Given the snow, the semi-remote location of our lodging, and the fact that the tour ends between 3:00 and 4:00 in the morning, I decided to forfeit my last night at the lodge and book a hotel in the city. There’s simply no way I could drive safely 45 minutes in the snow and the dark at 4:00am. One perk of age is knowing – and accepting – your limits (another perk is being able to afford another hotel room).

We left the lodge and headed to town, checked in to the 2nd hotel, then dawdled about until we got picked up at 9:15. Our guide, Aaron, was spectacular. He spent the first half hour of the drive talking about what the forecasts said (clearing to the north) and why he didn’t believe it and was taking us 100 miles to the southwest. He then walked us through the mechanics of the aurora and explained why aurora predictions online are so awful.

Aaron also seemed to know everything about every model of camera ever made. He walked us all through what settings we needed to have on our cameras to get the best photos. He also explained why those settings mattered and the effect the changes would have on our pictures.

Rather suddenly, he noted that there was some aurora visible from his window, and a minute later we were pulling over and being herded out of the van. Because the van windows were fogged over, I couldn’t see anything until I stepped out. Then I looked up and gasped.

iPhones capture the colors decently (although the real camera images are still significantly more vibrant). What isn’t possible to capture is the motion – colors fading in and out, almost imperceptibly, and the lights pulsing and bending. Still photos also can’t capture the awe-inspiring sensation of witnessing this phenomenon. Once in a while, the earth does something that simply feels magical or otherworldly. Volcanic eruptions, for example, or a magnificent rainbow after a rainstorm. This is another one of those moments where you realize that we simply don’t have the ability to capture some things in words.

We moved a bit further up the road to another spot, and despite just seeing the aurora only minutes before, we were again mesmerized. The aurora is never the same twice, and that’s notably evident.

At this point, we had to head back to get everybody dropped off before 5am. I’ve seen 5am many times as a wake up time, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it as a bedtime. We got back, dragged out exhausted husks into bed, and slept the best sleep.

After waking up at 11am (!) we set off for pedicures and then a tour of the Museum of the North at the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. It was a nice museum, covering culture, history, flora and fauna. There was a video about the aurora that was interesting and I learned that the aurora borealis and the aurora astralis are actually two ends of the exact same phenomenon so they look the same if photographed at the same instant. Cool!

After returning the car, we hung out at the Pike hotel until heading to the airport. Despite the snowy day, the aurora seemed to want to wish us well on our journey and it made one quick appearance over the city of Fairbanks.

This was a quick trip, and honestly, about the right amount of time unless we wanted to do longer day or overnight trips. The people are friendly, the climate is awful, and the skies are magical. This was a trip that was worth the travel, and one I’ll never forget.

Winter wonderland

A few weeks ago, the weather in Fairbanks was hovering in the -30 degree range. I can’t honestly fathom what that feels like, although I’m certainly confident that I would not like it. During our time here, it’s been a more tolerable temperature, ranging from -10 overnight to almost 10 during the day.

We collected our luggage and got the shuttle to the hotel. The lights were ever so slightly visible on the ride, but I was so exhausted I couldn’t see straight, let alone appreciate subtle light changes in the sky. After a solid night of sleep at Pike’s Waterfront Lodge, we got our car and learned when & how to plug it in so the oil doesn’t freeze.

Since the dog ate my last good pair of mittens, we went to a local outdoor gear outfitter. I figured if anyplace would have warm mittens it would be here, and I was not disappointed! Kiddo got a snood and I have to admit, it’s pretty awesome.

A stop at Walmart for groceries and we were off to Northern Sky Lodge, about 45 minutes west of town. Roads around here are not salted. In hindsight, that makes sense, but it surprised me in the moment. Salt melts snow, but at some point, it will get cold enough here that the melted snow would then freeze to solid ice which would be treacherous. Also, the snow here almost feels fake. It’s super light and fluffy and blows all over the place. So, they plow a lot of it away, but the roads still are snowy and can be icy. Taking turns is not for snow-driving novices, and more than one car skidded right through stop lights. I see now why many visitors do not rent cars. Thankfully, I grew up driving in bad weather and am comfortable driving slowly and cautiously in such conditions.

Friday we decided to make the 2-hour trek over to Chena for the hot springs. On a map, it looked close, but Alaska is so vast that everything is actually super far apart. It was thankfully a nice day and the driving was easy.

Chena hot springs had mixed reviews so I was wary of what we’d find. I have to say, some people have unreasonable expectations. Many complained that the rocks were slimy. It is a NATURAL HOT SPRING, so yes, there will be some natural algae. I found it to be perfectly nice. The water was about 102-106 and was crystal clear. The walkway to the spring was covered so we didn’t freeze to death getting in and out, and there was also an outdoor hot tub and an indoor pool and 2 more hot tubs. We enjoyed watching the steam cling to our hair and then turn to ice. A very nice $20 afternoon!

We had an exorbitantly priced lunch at the resort restaurant before heading back to the lodge to try to wait for the aurora to show up.

I should really talk to my travel agent

I was in Chicago over the weekend and flew home Monday, only to come home, unpack, repack, and then leave on Tuesday for New York and then today (Wednesday) for Fairbanks, Alaska. Then I’m away again the following weekend, then Luke is away. It’s a lot. Why I booked things this way, I cannot say.

Yet as I wrote that, I left the Delta lounge and got to the gate to then be offered an upgrade to first class. So my travel agent does some things right!

Me and kiddo, on the flight to Seattle before I ditched her for the first class upgrade

So why are we heading to Alaska in February? It’s not like we haven’t had more than our fair share of Arctic weather this winter in New England! It’s not actually the weather I’m eager to experience, but the aurora borealis. Alaska has a significant solar activity “window” and that activity is cyclical. Roughly every 25 years, activity over the Alaskan window is especially vigorous, and that was last year. So this winter is a shoulder winter and still very active.

I’ve been to Iceland half a dozen times and Svalbard inside the Arctic circle, but I’ve never seen the northern lights. I am desperately hoping that this trip will remedy that shortcoming.

Otherwise, I need to have some serious words with my travel agent.

Moving all around

Ali was leaving Friday, and kiddo and I were headed to the jungle of Pico Bonito. After our fabulous fast food dinner, we went to our rooms to pack and sleep. I was reading in bed, and shortly after midnight, I felt an earthquake. I’ve been in several earthquakes before, so I had no doubt what was happening. After a few minutes, it popped up online.

Needless to say, I had another restless night. There were half a dozen aftershocks, and while I didn’t realize that was what woke me at the time, my awake times aligned with the aftershock times. I’m very grateful it was not a major earthquake, because while I don’t typically feel in peril here, disaster response definitely feels outside the scope of what I want to experience! Thankfully, this wasn’t too severe and there didn’t appear to be any major damage.

We got picked up at 9:20 for our drive to Pico Bonito. Our taxi literally had a bungee cord holding the trunk closed. There were no seatbelts, the seat in front of me lost all of its bolts and sat on blocks of wood, and there was a notable draft on my backside. Anna-Sophia and I debated the likelihood of making it there in one piece. 🙂

By some miracle, we skidded our way in to La Ceiba (fast braking + bald tires = a whole lot of fishtailing) where we switched to another car for the final half hour up into the jungle. Our lodge, the Omega Eco Lodge, is like out of a picture book. After a small lunch, we walked around a bit and took a short hike.

It was kind of rainy and damp, so we put our feet in the pool with some fish (free pedicure!), enjoyed the hammocks, and debated what to do on Saturday.

By 8:30, I couldn’t keep my eyes open so we climbed into bed. I was asleep in about 3 minutes and I slept like a baby with the sounds of the insects and babbling water.

Nervous as I was about it, we had signed up for white-water rafting on the Rio Cangrejal in the morning so after breakfast, we got fitted with life jackets and we-mean-business-helmets before walking down to the river. We had a serious safety briefing, then got in the river and practiced what we learned (forward, backstroke, get down, get up, and how to gracefully respond if you fall out or we tip). Then we were off!

We started with a lazy river, then move into class I, II, and eventually III rapids. It’s definitely ominous when you can hear the rapids but can’t see them, but we navigated it all successfully and had a total blast!

Ruins

Thursday was Copán day. The ruins of Copán are part of the legacy left by the Mayans, along with other great sites like Chichen Itza in Mexico and smaller sites like Altun Ha in Belize. Because of the somewhat remote location in Western Honduras, just shy of the Guatemalan border, this site receives many fewer tourists than the others. Also, Honduras just gets fewer tourists across the board.

Sidebar: I fully acknowledge that Honduras has more than its fair share of murders and kidnappings. So does Chicago, New Orleans, and plenty of other cities. In my extremely limited experience here, I think it is truly manageable risk. Don’t go out alone or at night. Don’t go to areas you don’t know. Stay in reputable hotels and inns and follow the guidance of the locals. The vast majority of people here are friendly and welcoming. A few rotten ones ruin it for the rest. I’ve found Hondurans to be incredibly friendly and polite. They are welcoming and happy to share their country with us.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming. We had a 5:10 pick up scheduled, which means my sleep was very poor (I always worry I won’t wake up, so my body wakes me up in a panic every half hour). Karim, our driver/guide, was the only person I found who would do a day trip from San Pedro Sula to Copán, so my expectations were low. Our actual experience was fabulous.

We drove for 2.5 hours, then had breakfast. Baleadas are the traditional food, and I’m happy to oblige! It’s a large, fresh tortilla, filled with refried beans, scrambled egg, queso fresco, and some sour cream. Add a little hot sauce or avocado (aguacate) and it’s heavenly! Also, the coffee here is some of the best I’ve ever had. Rich without being bitter.

After paying our entrance fees and collecting our guide, we set off exploring the compound. Ancient Mayans lived all over the valley, so we concentrated our visit on the one small site in the middle of the map.

The first thing we noticed is that there’s nobody selling you anything, so it is more peaceful. There are also maybe 50 other people here in total, so you have much of the place to yourself. And, there are macaws everywhere!

Our guide was fabulous, so we were saddened to hear that she isn’t paid for her work. The national government supplies a very minuscule amount of funding for operating the site, but that’s it. Outside organizations have made deals with the national government for excavation and study, but the deal almost always include the right for the outside organization to pillage and remove artifacts from the site. One of the most important carvings from here is in the Peabody-Essex Museum in Mass thanks to Harvard.

We went underground into some excavation tunnels to see the layers buried beneath the current ground level. These sites were built in layers, with sometimes half of the monument below ground!

Like other Mayan sites, there is a ball court here. Captains of winning teams were beheaded as offerings to the gods.

The ball court is the image on the 1 lempira bill

Macaws are the national bird of Honduras, and there are many at the ruins because it is a protected site. They are stunning, striking birds.

We strolled into town after to look for souvenirs and get some lunch. Copán reminds me a lot of Salento in Colombia (but much smaller) or parts of Bogóta with a strong colonial vibe. It was very cute!

We took a tuktuk up to a chocolate and tea shop, then hit the road home.

Our drive back was also long (4.5 hours), so we were hungry but also too tired to go out to eat so we tried our hand at San Pedro Sula’s version of DoorDash, called PedidosYa. It was fast food, but I managed to order it all in Spanish and we got what we wanted, so that’s a win!

Driving hours across a country yields a very good look at local communities. There is certainly no question that this is a “third world” nation given the state of housing, cars, education, etc., yet it feels optimistic. Hondurans are proud people, and they want to strive for something better.

Enjoying our time in the sun

Tuesday was our snorkeling day. For a non-swimmer, I really enjoy snorkeling. There’s something amazing about putting your face down in the water and seeing a world that’s always there, but always hidden. Like pulling back stage curtains to see all of the frenzy behind stage.

We got picked up, sized for fins, and then we headed out.

Ali’s never been snorkeling before. Thankfully, we got to remedy this, and in one of the more spectacularly populated reefs.

We snorkeled for about half an hour, drifting along with the current. This area had a number of very steep underwater drop-offs, providing ample opportunity for us all to reflect on just how much ocean there is out there (and how many things in it can kill or sting us if we allow…looking at you, jellyfish).

We then got dropped off at Brady’s Cay, a TINY little island off the coast of Roatán. This has been set up with beach chairs facing the aqua water, a kitchen and bar, bathrooms, and a beach volleyball court.

We were supposed to stay for an hour, but after only 20 minutes, the guide said we were leaving for the next snorkel spot. He must’ve been able to tell that we weee comfortable because he said we could stay on the cay if we wanted and he could come back for us after taking the other couple to the other snorkel spots. We accepted that offer and spent another 90 minutes enjoying the beach and brilliantly sunny day.

Back at the hotel, we showered and enjoyed the sunset (as we all realized that perhaps we should’ve reapplied sunscreen after snorkeling).

We had dinner at the hotel (food was just as good as everywhere else). Anna-Sophia was marked as a good target by the kittens, and she struggled to eat as they kept trying to grab her food. She managed it well and only lost one fry in the end, but it was pretty hilarious to watch!

We had people in the room above us that night, and they were loud enough to keep me up much of the night, so I was dragging a bit on Wednesday. It was a travel day, so at least there wasn’t a heavy agenda. Breakfast at the hotel (with one of the kittens getting to clean the plate), then kid and I walked into town one last time. The beach in town is in a small cove, so the water is calm, while the beach itself is barely wide enough for one beach chair. Very different from New England beaches with the massive expanses of sand.

It was windy and the surf was pretty vigorous back at the hotel. Kiddo and I sat and watched the waves crash on the rocks and we watched the tiny snails move along the retaining wall.

Our flight back to the mainland was on CM Airlines. We checked our bags, went through security (a delightfully minimalist affair), and waited at the gate for a while. Our flight time got closer and closer, but there was no plane and no announcement. I kept checking online, but there was no information. About 20 minutes after our scheduled departure time, an agent showed up and announced that the CM Airline flight would be out of gate 5 instead of gate 6, so we moved over there and queued up. It turns out that they combined our flight and a similar small flight on Aerolineas Sosa, the other local carrier. The combined group of 20-25 passengers boarded and, since the assigned seats we had didn’t make sense, we just took whatever seats we wanted. That was a new experience for me – I’ve never been ticketed on one airline but flown another without knowingly being rebooked. I guess as long as we got where we needed to go, it’s all fine!

We found our driver, checked in at the hotel, and then went to one of the fanciest dinners I’ve ever had. I was unreasonably excited to have vegetables that were not fried. This was American priced food, but it was better than average American restaurant quality.

The hotel told us not to walk, so we took Ubers to and from dinner. It was maybe a 2 mile drive and cost about $2.50. Our 2nd driver was studying English, so he spoke to me in his fractured English and I spoke to him in my fractured Spanish. We made a good team!

Early to bed since the next day started at 5am!