I’m marveling this Monday morn at the Colors of Summer here in Savannah.
Walking out our front door, I ran into this brilliant little fellow, lounging on one of our potted plants.
Look closer.
I asked him his name. “Verdante,” he replied, with no hesitation. “Yours?”
From Flower Farms at The Forsyth Farmers Market on Saturday …
And inside our little abode …
May you have a Cool and Colorful Week ahead.
Shame on the U.S. “Supreme” Court.
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It’s very sad, even frightening, when you realize that your federal government, along with the highest court of the land, are becoming your enemies.
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. This visually very pretty (and delicious) box of dried fruit and nuts from Turkey. (A belated Father’s Day gift).
2. Looking forward to an end-of-Pride Month gathering tomorrow here in Savannah.
3. The Amazing Ability to doze off every night for Sensational Sleep.
4. Crepe Myrtle (“Lily of the South”) blossoms all over Savannah this hot summer.
5. Clouds.
Like sleep, I find them so mysterious.
“I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down and still somehow
It’s cloud illusions I recall
I really don’t know clouds at all”
Joni Mitchell (and me!)
But I do love them.
Have a Jolly last weekend in June.
After another yummy breakfast on our little balcony …
… and saying goodbye to our Miami Fortune House Airbnb …
… we headed to the Miami Amtrak and started homeward bounding. (Why do vacations have to end? Who came up with that idea?)
Soon after we boarded the train, the rain started to come down! (Bad weather had not been a problem at all during our lovely stay.)
But actually, lying back in our reclining chairs, the rain was rather nice.
Of course, a little later, our Travel Buddies begged to go with us to the Dining Car for lunch …
Oh look, here’s our delightful new-bestie and train car attendant Jasmine …
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this train trip has been the really good quality of the food.
Dinner tonight was Flatiron Steak.
Well, our little roomette has been magically transformed into cozy berths. The travel buddies are vacation-exhausted. We’ve brushed our teeth and said our prayers, so it’s time to say “Goodnight.”
These little thingamajigs are all over downtown Miami delivering who-knows-what to who-knows-who.
Breakfast on our little balcony.
With pastries from the Bakery at Versailles (from yesterday).
Left to right: Millefeuille au Caramel, Pistachio Cannoli and Tarta Santiago.
Oops, I smudged the Tarta Santiago. Here’s what it looked like before:
“Tarta de Santiago, or St. James Cake, is an almond cake from Galicia with its origins in the Middle Ages. The cake is a simple base of almonds, sugar and eggs, usually flavored with cinnamon and lemon zest.
It’s easy to identify it as it’s almost always adorned with powdered sugar with an imprint of the Cross of St. James, also known as the Cruz de Santiago.” sundaybaker.com
Now you know.
Stuffed, we made our way over to Miami Beach, South Beach to be specific, for a little morning “swim.”
Sun-tired, we trekked across Ocean Boulevard to one of my favorite restaurants from yesteryear, News Cafe.
Goodbye News Cafe. We had a great time.
Before heading back to downtown Miami, we Ubered over to the Lincoln Road Pedestrian Mall. Why? Because in my memory (from academic conference trips to the University of Miami a couple of decades ago) Lincoln Road was filled with all these quirky shops, bars and restaurants. No more. Big name stores everywhere.
But we did see this:
A terrific day at the beach.
We started off the day with coffee in Little Havana‘s iconic La Colada Gourmet “The House of Cuban Coffee”
Interestingly, enough, there are feral chickens running around the area.
Here’s what Google told me about that …
“The presence of numerous chickens in Little Havana, Miami, is largely due to the area’s cultural ties to Cuba and the historical practice of keeping chickens in backyards. Many Cuban immigrants brought chickens with them, and over time, some were released or escaped, establishing feral populations. The rooster, in particular, holds symbolic significance in Cuban culture, representing strength, virility, and heritage.”
Next, we ventured a short distance down the coast to Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.
On to my fav Cuban restaurant, Versailles.
For me: VACA FRITA DE POLLO: Grilled Shredded Chicken with Onions Served with White Rice and Sweet Plantains
For HR: THE CLASSIC CUBAN SAMPLER: White Rice, Black Beans, “Picadillo” Ground Beef, Roast Pork, Sweet Plantains, Ham Croquette, Cuban Tamale, and Cassava with Cuban Mojo
And back to the Airbnb for some needed relax time.
Our place has a little balcony that … sorta looks out over Biscayne Bay (if you dangerously stretch your neck).
May your weekend be filled with an array of Beautiful Views. Or at least one Beautiful View.
Goodnight!
NealEnJoy 