When we arrived last night, Paul went up first to open the front door and be ready to prepare me if necessary. As I slogged up the slippery steps, bags on each shoulder and hands full, he called out, “Honey, come in here, it’s really nice.” Hmmm, he didn’t sound like he was kidding, maybe we had lucked out with this place.
I dropped the bags on the porch and stepped inside. High ceilings, big rooms, perfectly selected Pottery Barn furniture, flat screen TV, completely equipped kitchen with lovely granite counter tops – and yes, a coffee maker with automatic timer. Separate living and eating areas, 2 baths, 2 bedrooms with comfy and pretty bedding in the master and closets stocked with beach accessories. Ah yes, the trip was shaping up quite nicely. THIS is my idea of a vacation.
We settled in then accessed email by phone looking for ‘Paul’s Survival Guide’ Becky had sent earlier, coming to the rescue with the only thing we managed to leave behind – all the intel about restaurants & recommendations. We chose Dirty Al’s for dinner on this arrival night; the shrimp and atmosphere did not disappoint :)
One of the best things about being on vacation is not waking up to the alarm clock. Day 2 dawned a bit hazy but with the promise of a gorgeous sunny day, and I slowly opened my eyes to the realization that I really was on vacation and I really didn’t have to go to work and I really could sleep as late as I wanted. I made it until – what can I say, it’s my natural wake up time and as long as I’m rested it works for me.
One of the best things about ANY morning is waking to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Whoever invented the automatic timer on a coffee maker deserves a medal. After a leisurely cup we decided to make the one block walk to the beach and take a stroll, getting the lay of the land. As we walked across the sand to the peaceful sound of the ocean waves and the steady cool wind Paul quipped that he “loved long walks on the beach.” If he had a Facebook page I’d post that comment just to see the witty comebacks of his friends.
On our way back we spotted the Café on the Beach, a must on our list for breakfast. We sat at a table overlooking the water, savoring the eggs cooked to perfection, toast from a variety of breads, superb bacon, and just the right amount of fresh juicy fruit. I could feel myself starting to relax.
The one item I didn’t own to pack for the beach was The Right Hat. The Right Hat is very important: it must be a perfect fit with elastic to hold it securely against the wind; not too wide or floppy a brim or you’ll sail away in these winds like the flying nun; able to be folded without losing it’s shape; and of course pretty and stylish. To my delight Paul was quite happy to take me shopping for one, and as soon as we found it we planned to head to the beach for the afternoon. There aren’t that many shops on the island, but we hit almost every one. I found The Right Hat at Renee’s, the first store we went to, but was hoping to find a less expensive version elsewhere. I found gorgeous sundresses, fabulous swimsuits and sandals to die for, but no other hats like that one. When the shopping excursion ended, I sat happily in the car patting my big shopping bag with a new pair of sandals, a new swimsuit, new sundress, and The Right Hat. Paul’s wallet was much lighter and I was feeling extremely spoiled – just the way I like it :)
Our afternoon at the beach was so relaxing, and a reminder that married couples need to take time out just to be with each other and do things together for fun, strengthening the marital commitment in the process. Plus I got some good sun, which I really wanted to do. The people watching can’t be beat – we watched as one couple took turns burying each other in the sand, creating designs on top of the burial mound and taking pictures. The kicker was that the first one to be buried was the girl, who had apparently fallen fast asleep on the beach. We couldn’t figure out why she was so quiet and the guy kept smiling widely and laughing to himself as he arranged the sand on top of her. When his masterpiece was done he took a picture with his cell phone, partially dug her right arm out of the sand and yanked on it to wake her up, then raced out into the water. She was buried in up to her neck and it took her several minutes to dig herself out. When she did, she too raced into the water but with a different motive than his. Let’s just say that when they came back to their chairs on the sand, he submitted to her burying him in the sand, with his help, and she took her time to get him completely covered with an elaborate picture carved in the sand before she slowly got the camera, took several pictures and satisfied, smiled and sat down. To her credit, she did end up helping him to dig out, and he needed it.
Dinner at Gabriellas. Oh my, how can I describe it. A lovely old world style Italian place with the most attentive (but not too) wait staff you could wish for and food that is just out of this world. Paul had a seafood pasta dish, and I had fish with a delectable jalapeno-butter-oil-garlic sauce served on a light bed of spaghetti. A slice of Italian wedding cake to celebrate our anniversary completed the heavenly meal. Perfect end to a perfect day.
I'm glad Paul was more generous with your shopping outing than he was with lunch on the drive! :)
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