C U B A

 Had an amazing week with Joel in Cuba!

Partly a sabbatical celebration for Joel, partly for our (14th) anniversary, partly a much anticipated getaway. A round of applause for Joel's parents who came & stayed with the kids for the week!

Our trip was all we were hoping for ~ a relaxing getaway to chill together on the beach with a book & a drink. We were told after picking Cuba that it has the most beautiful beach you will ever see, & also to bring your own condiments. Both of which are true. (I did pack salt & pepper, but if we were to go back I might bring a couple extra items). 

We debated about doing one of the day trips into the nearest city but ultimately were content with our daily routine ~ sleep in, brunch, beach, supper, maybe a walk. Super chill.

The weather actually reminded me of Saskatchewan as it was surprisingly windy. Just the last day there were some storm clouds & a couple rain gusts. The evenings cooled off very nicely.

The pictures don't show it, but of course there were a lot of other people there ~ a lot of French Canadians! Depending on the time we showed up at the beach we may have had a bit of a walk to claim a spot. The late afternoon was my favourite time of day ~ lot's of people cleared out & the sun dialled down to a nice warm heat.

"The sound of the surf, the big washing machine of ocean, sometimes seems to rinse out my brain, or at any rate, it expands me & it slows me down." (Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies)

evening vibes... we enjoyed a couple "a la carte" meals at the different restaurants on site which felt like a couple bonus date nights.

It was a little surreal to wake up in the morning & see "another beautiful day!"

morning coffee from the bar ~ latte for me, spanish coffee for Joel. Served with a large stick of sugarcane.

enjoying an audiobook.

The water was so beautiful ~ lovely to swim in. You could actually go pretty far out before it got too deep, (all the way to the dark line). Also lot's of pretty seashells to look for.

 

lunch from the fajita hut... bit of a lineup for these bad boys.

a family of 7 from eastern canada made the sandcastle

an evening walk... I didn't realize (as Jim pointed out later) how much quicker the sun sets closer to the equator! It was crazy to watch the sun disappear in a matter of minutes. I also noticed that the moon is upside down (like a smile).

we brought a couple books too many, but we both managed to polish some off.

when in Cuba...

a little jaunt to a few vendors down the road

we made friends with Daniel from Quebec who was there to celebrate his 70th birthday. He was quite the character.

Year 14!

Overall was a lovely getaway. Actually felt refreshed & ready to come home.

Misc. I laughed at Phil when he told me he had burnt the bottom of his feet in Mexico, but now I know what he was talking about! I also burnt my ears which was I wasn't expecting. I didn't go through as much reading as I anticipated, but I finished Rules of Civility, Beach Read & Travelling Mercies.

Cuba is a beautiful country, but we were definitely humbled being served by the people what with our western privileges. Was also nice to come back to Canada.

& now we're back to the norm over here... thankful we could take the trip & time together.