Costa Rica

In March I had a trip to San Jose, Costa Rica.  What a beautiful country this is.  The air is fresh, the mountains visible in the clear skies, and all the plants are green and/or blooming....and it stays this way mostly year round!

We stay at the Marriott San Jose, a hacienda style hotel, where the adobe roof and the dovecotes  are part of the charm.  The review below will tell you a bit about it.

San José - Costa Rica Marriott Hotel
The first Marriott in Costa Rica was the ‘Costa Rica Marriott Hotel’, located in the country’s capital San José. This majestic hotel is set on a flourishing 30-acre coffee plantation, a beautiful hacienda that captures the elegance of the 16th century.  It’s an ideal hotel for both, business and adventurous Costa Rica vacation, where guests can enjoy a combination of luxury, comfort and natural beauty.
The Costa Rica Marriott Hotel was voted as one of the best hotels in Central America and Mexico.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sjocr-costa-rica-marriott-hotel-san-jose/

I snagged the photo above from the company website.  Click on the link for more hotel information.

Everything about the hotel is charming, including the old wooden doors to each room.  Like any Marriott,  the beds are well appointed and very comfortable.

I tried to research more history about this hotel, since it looks like it really could have been an old hacienda that was converted.  Nothing was available about it's past before the the Marriott, so I am assuming that it was built to look like this.

This is the beautiful view from the patio where breakfast is served,

and these are the tables where you can sit and enjoy.

They have the best breakfast of any hotel I have stayed at.  They have made-to-order omelettes, many other warm and cold accompaniments and side dishes, creamy yogurt, assortments of warm breads, and the best fruit anywhere.











And, of course, the Costa Rican coffee. Que Rico!




The pool area is always inviting, but we leave too early in the morning to really enjoy it.  A Costa Rican vacation is up there somewhere high on my list, and it will include a couple of nights to stay and enjoy this hotel.

The link below is a great travel blog from a family who stayed here and explored the surrounding area by car.  It contains some wonderful photos and decribes a daytrip to the La Paz Waterfall.

http://worldfamilytravellers.blogspot.com/2012/01/hotel-review-costa-rica-marriott-hotel.html

Early February

Early in February, before I went to California, we had one of our occasional ice storms, followed by a rare, heavy snowfall.  We even made the New York Times with our weather, which we usually only do with our heat wave.  Here is an excerpt below from the New York Times.

"A rare winter storm hit much of Texas
early Friday with sleet and snow, creating chaos on icy roads around the state and hampering travelers trying to get  to the Super Bowl near Dallas." 

below from the Dallas Morning News. 

Dallas bore the brunt of the storm.  Snow forced officials to close the city's in-town airport, Love Field, the corporate home of
Southwest Airlines, from 3 a.m. until noon.  The snow also forced airlines to cancel more than 300 flights at the region's main airport, Dallas/Fort Worth 
International Airport, creating headaches for people trying to get to the Super Bowl in Arlington, which is between Dallas and Fort Worth, on Sunday.

I awoke early in the morning expecting a dusting  

of snow.  Instead it continued to snow, and 

accumulate, until midday.  

As the snowfall became lighter, people began to venture out of the surrounding highrises to play in the snow.  The doggie playgroup didn't seem to mind all the white stuff at all.

I hadn't used my snowshoes in Dallas for about 9 years, but this was the day to get them out and head across the street to Lee Park, then along Turtle Creek.  I was so excited to be off that I forgot my camera, so you will have to imagine how beautiful it was. 

When I returned from my walk it was beautifully clear,  the sun had started to set, and the park and the "Grande Dames" of Turtle Creek were washed in gold.

Long after the skies turned dark, until after 10pm, people were out frollicking in the park.  We may have to wait another 10 years or so to enjoy this pleasure again.

Within a few days, I was filling my shopping cart with spring blooms and eating outside on the patio at Bread Winners.

http://www.urbanspoon.com/rph/13/161018/130920/dallas-fort-worth-bread-winners-bakery-cafe-uptown-street-view-photo

After my trip to California, I had seen enough sunshine.  I headed off to chilly London to finish the month of February.




As soon as we got to the hotel, I changed clothes and headed out.  I hopped on the #49 bus to take me to Chelsea Farmers Market.















I hadn't explored where the bus went after King's Road, and my feet were tired, so a warm bus was much more tempting today than walking.  I decided to stay on the bus and see where it went.

I often take photos from a bus or car of places that I want to return and visit.  That way I have a record of where they are and why they looked interesting.

Think I'll have to return to My Old Dutch Pancake House.

http://www.myolddutch.com/

I crossed the Thames on a bridge I haven't been over before.  Not too long after this the area became less scenic, so I got off the bus, crossed the street and took it back the other way.

I got off the bus at Chelsea Farmers Market,

walked through the market a bit, and passed  another restaurant which is a nighttime favorite.


http://www.elgaucho.co.uk/restaurants/

The Marketplace Restaurant is nice in the summertime, with these lovely tables for sitting outside.






But it is wintertime when I really love this place.  I have written about it in earlier blogs, and return here often.










The good food, the mulled wine, the warm fire in the room,
and the cozy blankets to wrap your legs if you are chilly, make this one of my favorite wintertime pleasures.
http://marketplacerest.com/

They serve breakfast, which is delicious on a cold morning, lunch and early dinner.
Early dinner is perfect for me.  I have been up for more than 24 hours now, and it dark early in London this time of year.  So I am back on the bus and headed toward my cozy bed.