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No, this is not Curaçao. While continuing my recovery in Florida I had the opportunity to fly to Colorado.
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| And this is not a sandy beach. Just snow! |
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| I was lucky enough to share a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with family. It was great spending the holiday with Ian, Maggy, Jeff, Rayanne, and Sophia in Breckenridge. |
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| When I arrived back in Florida from my Colorado trip, I got to celebrate a second Thanksgiving with cruising friends, Cheryl and Will. And they cooked! |
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| My time in St. Petersburg was filled with adventure and good times. A Hoffbrauhaus recently opened downtown. Maggy's parents, Jack and Penny, joined us for a little brew in a traditional German beer garden before Ian headed out to sea. |
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| Then another opportunity presented itself, and Maggy and I headed to sea as well. This cruise was shorter and a bit more luxurious than sailing south on Toi et Moi. We boarded the Bahamas Paradise cruise ship in West Palm Beach for a 3 day cruise to Grand Bahama Island. |
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| Here I am, at, the helm again.. Not on Toi et Moi, but on Ian's ship, the Seakay Spirit. It was great getting a tour of a huge oil tanker by its chief safety officer and 3rd mate, my son! |
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| Before I knew it, Christmas arrived. By now, Jon had single handed Toi et Moi to Curacao. After 10 long days, having him and Opti safe in Curacao was the best present I could have received. Although I missed him terribly, I was able to spend the day with my dad, Maggy, and her parents. No snow in Florida but Maggy and Penny had fun building a sand man and a Florida Christmas tree at Ft. Desoto beach. |
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| After almost 3 months of healing, I felt I was ready to go back to Toi et Moi. After an exhausting trip filled with downwind runs, jibes, engine problems , sail damage, and time drifting to make repairs, Jon was anxious to welcome me 'home'. As a surprise Christmas present, Jon booked us a room in downtown Willemstad, Curacao, for 2 nights. Jon was glad to be on land and I was glad to be back with him. |
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| Jon's smile as he snuggles with a local chichi says it all! |
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| The Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge opens regularly for tankers, cruise ships, container ships, pleasure crafts and Toi et Moi. Originally built in 1888, it is possibly the only permanent wooden pontoon bridge in the world. It was an interesting process to watch from shore or from the bridge. |
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| Our beer of choice in Curacao. |
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| I'm not sure what kind of tree this is, but many of these were exquisitely carved. |
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| Hanging with the guys outside of the Kura Hulanda Museum. This museum is housed on what were the grounds of one of the principal slave markets in the Caribbean. The courtyard areas and sculpture gardens were magnificent and we look forward to exploring the actual museum soon. |
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| The scenic waterfront on the Punda side of Willemstad, as seen from the Queen Emma bridge. This unique Dutch influenced architecture dates back to the early 1700s makes this area a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This view can also be seen on the island's license plates. |
