Monday, July 11

Monday was a total relaxation day. We are, after all, on vacation. It was also cloudy all day and not very inspirational. We slept in, ate in, read and updated out trip report. We went to the Pelican Manager’s party. There were vendors with island clothing and art work, guavaberry and wine tasting along with free beer and soft drinks and samples from Los Gauchos- quiche, deep fried mozzarella, stuffed eggs and French bread-yummy! We received extra eggs since we were at the end of line and they had lots left.

We decided to go for dinner somewhere where we could get an Internet connection and check the web. Our handheld does pretty well at keeping us informed of incoming mail but it not really convenient for sending longer mails or for checking TTOL, WSJ, etc. We went first to Shrimpy’s. There was Internet but the menu was limited. We looked at that and decided we wanted a more substantial dinner. It might be good for lunch, but not dinner. From there we went to Skipjack…a place on our list to try this year. They had a nice menu but no Internet. We were greeted warmly by Brad whom we knew from previous visits to Hot Tomatoes. We started with Crispy Calamari which was very good. I followed that with a bowl of Clam Chowder. The Clam Chowder was different from most. It was New England Style but less creamy than most and had a bit of a buttery taste. While the soup was thinner than most, it was loaded with lots of clams and potatoes. I’d also give it a plus. For the main course, I had the Pan Fried Grouper. It was a nice sized cut, lightly breaded and pan fried and cooked very nicely. It was served with grilled egg plant, peppers and carrots and a baked potato. Gretchen ordered the Mahi Mahi. This was a thick cut of fish which Gretchen declared should be shared by two people. She also found it a less tender than she would have liked. She was disappointed

After dinner, we went to Ric’s place and parked in the parking lot to access the Internet…too full to have dessert and not in a mood for drinks.

Tuesday, July 12, 2006

Tuesday was a wonderful beach day. We did start the day with a few stops for shopping. Gretchen wanted to pick up some beach shoes. We thought we would go to La Sucre for breakfast but found that their menu was limited to pastries and fruit. We’ve overdosed on pastries this trip and wanted a more traditional breakfast. Since we were already parked there, we went across the street to the Cappuccino Restaurant where they advertised a $4.95 Egg and Bacon breakfast. Gretchen had an Omelet for $6.95 and I had Corned Beef hash for $8.95. The omelet was very well done. The Corned Beef Hash was your basic canned corn beef hash from the grocery store shelves at home. It was served with very nice home fried potatoes, three poached eggs and toast. The same sides came with the Omelet. This restaurant also has free Internet service.

From breakfast, we went to the beach to take advantage of a beautiful sunny day combined with a light breeze and a cooler of cold drinks (Sodas and water)…what more could you ask? We hit happy hour at The Perch and a lunch of Grilled Chicken for her and Ribs for me.

Back to the beach for a dip in the bay followed by more relaxation and reading. Picture us relaxed under the shade of a yellow umbrella, dozing in the warm Caribbean breeze. The breeze seems to pick up a little and then someone shouts…”get ready for some rain!” In an instant the wind starts to really blow and the beach is suddenly filled with flying yellow umbrellas and beach boys running to collapse the remaining umbrellas before they too become deadly missiles. Gretchen yells “look out” as an umbrella flies down the beach toward me, only to stop in the sand a few feet away. In front of us, an umbrella lifts out of its stand and flies point forward toward the face of a lady in front of us but thankfully turns just in time to lightly graze her with the cloth side. After that scare she and her friend quickly grab their things and leave.. That was followed by a sudden rainstorm. Many jumped in the water to keep warm. Gretchen joined them after securing things. A few minutes later, the rain stopped, the wind died down and we enjoyed a nice afternoon on the beach.

After a nice breakfast and lunch, we felt no need for a big dinner and ate in followed by an early bedtime.