Month: April 2023

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Travel Back in Time at the Jane Austen Centre

Here’s a treat for Jane Austen fans: Come meet Mr. Knightly, Mr. Darcy, and Lydia Bennett at the Jane Austen Centre!

Bath is a great literary city, and no trip here is complete without a visit to the Jane Austen Centre. This icon of British literature lived in Bath for four or five years, writing Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. She mentioned Bath in several other works as well.

Lisa takes you on a tour of the Jane Austen Centre, which offers you a snapshot of life during Regency times and explores how living in the magnificent city of Bath affected Jane Austen and her writing.  Try your hand at writing using a quill pen and ink or have your photograph taken whilst dressed in our extensive selection of Regency dresses, bonnets and shawls. You can also visit the Regency Tea Room for a few scones and a trip into the past!

You can book your tickets online for about $18 at janeausten.co.uk/.

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Is Combate the Most Beautiful Beach in Puerto Rico?

We almost hesitate to share this video because we love El Combate Beach (pronounced Come-BAH-tay) so much. It is one of the most beautiful beaches in Puerto Rico, with golden sand, calm turquoise water that creates perfect swimming conditions, and lots of shade trees. Pelicans dive for fish and rays occasionally jump out of the water. Combate’s location at the edge of Boquerón State Forest means we also get to enjoy a nearby lagoon that attracts a lot of birds, including unique migratory birds. The hiking/biking trail that meanders through the dry forest by the lagoon stretches 7 miles south to the Salt Flats.

The nearby village of Combate has our favorite waterfront restaurant, Annie’s, where you can sip a drink, nibble queso frito or red snapper, and enjoy the best sunsets in Puerto Rico.  It’s very quiet on weekdays but can become quite lively on weekends. But the faryher away from town you walk, the quieter it gets.

The biggest drawback to Combate is parking, or the lack thereof. There’s no lot and a long woodland path to get there. ! (We usually park on the street near Combate Beach Resort, and then walk in via the woodland path along the lagoon.) But it’s worth the effort!  

There are also no facilities, either bathroom or changing, so you might pay Annie’s a visit just to use the restroom. There are other places in Combate to get pina coladas as well.

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MiniTour: Playas Clavellina and Jauca

If you’re searching for a good beach near Ponce, Puerto Rico, you might want to visit Playas Clavellina and Jauca.

In our most recent effort to find that elusive quality south-coast beach, we followed the map to the coast, east of the Ponce Airport, past the giant windmills, to these small gems in Santa Isabel. They are located in a rich agricultural area that produces an abundance of tropical fruits such as mangoes.

Playa Clavellina is good for one thing: kite surfing. It was so windy we could only stay for a couple of minutes The sand whipping against our skin actually hurt! But for kite surfers, it was likely a gift from God. And it explained the location of the nearby wind farm.

Further down the same road, on the edge of the Punta Petrona Nature Reserve, we happened upon mostly deserted Playa Jauca. It was a black-sand beach with a few shade trees and a lot of mangroves, in quiet, shallow Jauca Bay, well-protected from the wind. We spent a relaxing couple of hours and even enjoyed a visit from the piragua guy!

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Map: Playa Clavellina
Map: Playa Jauca 

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Salt Flats Interpretive Center of Cabo Rojo

We got a private tour of the Salt Flats and Wildlife Refuge on the southwestern tip of Puerto Rico. Our neighbors Padro and Dafne, who are among the volunteers who operate the facility’s interpretive center, took us on a private hike through the dry forest, and to the top of the Lookout Tour, where we learned about the salt industry. They shared Puerto Rican history regarding the salt flats and cotton, and told us about the ravages of Hurricane Fiona last year on the Salt Flats.

This is also a popular place to come birding and hiking. However, make sure you leave by 3 PM, when they lock the gate! Guided tours are free but must be arranged in advance.

The Educational Environmental Center (CAE) offers a space for educational activities and information about flora and fauna. But it depends on donations to operate. Don’t forget to make one after your tour!

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Info (in English) 
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Touring the Roman Baths in Bath, England

We visited the Roman Baths while in Bath, England, for our oldest child’s graduation, and gazed upon 2,000 years of history. We also gazed upon a few naked Romans! But Bob was upset that they wouldn’t let him soak in the medicinal water. The Roman Baths are one of the finest historic sites in Northern Europe, according to the Baths’ website, romanbaths.co.uk/.

“Once the site of one of the great religious spas of the ancient world, the people of Roman Britain came to the site to worship the goddess Sulis Minerva and bathe in the waters of the natural thermal springs, which still flow with hot water today,” says the website. “Today visitors can explore the Roman Baths complex, walk on the original Roman pavements and see the ruins of the Temple of Sulis Minerva.

“The museum collection, located next to the bathing complex, includes a gilt bronze head of the Goddess Sulis Minerva, and other Roman artifacts.”

The cost per person was about $23, and you buy your tickets in advance for a timed entry.

Enjoy Bob’s irreverent take on this ancient site!

Phots from the Roman Baths

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Coamo Hot Springs: The Fountain of Youth?

We Found the Fountain of Youth! (Why don’t we feel any younger?)

Tucked into the verdant hills on the southwestern side of Puerto Rico are the Coamo Thermal Baths (Aguas Termales de Coamo, in Spanish). Local legend says these springs are the ones that Juan Ponce de León’s declared Fountain of Youth, though I don’t feel any younger. 

The hot springs are supposed to help ease a number of physical conditions, including diabetes, gout, circulation problems, respiratory issues, and joint pain. We came for the mental health benefits, to sink into the hot water and soothe our anxiety way.

The Health Benefits

The price was unbelievably cheap – $5 a person (or $2 if you’re over 60). Bring your own bath towels; none are provided.

The facility is small, just a small store, locker rooms, a shower, and two thermal pools – one hot and the other hotter. You’ll also find lounge chairs and tables under large umbrellas around the pools, and there’s a spa offering massages. There’s supposed to be a café but we saw no signs of it, though you could buy cold drinks in the little store.

Words of Inspiration from Coamo Hot Springs

Nestled amid the shrubs and flowers are inspirational sayings to help soothe your mind.

We can only defend ourselves when we love ourselves.
Things are not always as we want them.
With great power comes great responsibility.
When you smile, everything changes.
Be the change you want for the world.

The drive up through the mountains from Ponce was lovely. Coamo is also the home of the renowned Coamo Half-Marathon, and the town itself has abundant recreational trails. It’s definitely worth a half day of your time if you’re seeking relaxation. 

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Navigating Car Registration in Puerto Rico

Once you’ve shipped your car to Puerto Rico – or bought it on the island – it’s time to register it!

The process is a lot more complicated than in the States, particularly if you don’t speak the language. But Bob will walk you through the multi-step process you need to go through – within 30 days – to make sure your car is legal. Good luck!

Info: Cesco Cesco has multiple locations across the island.

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A Private Tour of the PR Governor’s Mansion

Bob recently scored a private tour inside La Fortaleza, the Puerto Rico Governor’s Mansion, which is located in a prominent spot at the edge of Old San Juan, with dazzling views of the Bay of San Juan. The oldest Executive Mansion in continuous use in the Western Hemisphere, La Fortaleza is the main residence and the office of the Governor of Puerto Rico.

The name means “The Fortress,” an apt title because La Fortaleza, along with the later fortifications of Castillo San Felipe del Morro, Castillo San Cristóbal, and San Juan de la Cruz (El Cañuelo), along with a large portion of the original San Juan City Wall, was built to protect the city and the bay. La Fortaleza was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Read all about its history and importance here.

Enjoy the tour!

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