{ gathering home }

Traveling the Back Roads and Memories from an Earlier Time.

(With toddler in hand, a mother discovers nearby adventures and then, the children grow up!)

Even though last April I found myself in Paris with a slew of teens on another performance tour (more later), I haven’t blogged about that yet, but keep thinking of the past when my children were so little and open to the mysteries of the natural world.  I’ve always been passionate about exploring nature and traveling the back roads to uncover secrets never before seen – at least by my eyes!  Not an easy feat with toddlers!!  So, in order to satisfy my need for adventure, I began in my own backyard, so to speak. There’s a pond at the end of my street and the hike there is doable for wee ones.  Once there, my girls and I discovered frogs and dragonflies, wild flowers and --  lying flat on our backs -- those same things and more in the clouds.

Enter to Win the Cook Islands "Eco-Wedding" Contest

Cook Islands Tourism Corporation and Pacific Resorts Rarotonga & Aitutaki are celebrating their commitment to the environment by giving away the first "carbon neutral wedding". Eco-conscience brides and grooms from the USA & Canada are eligible to win the wedding of their dreams in the Cook Islands. The lucky winning couple will also get to bring along four family members, or friends to celebrate with them!

Prizes includes roundtrip airfare on Air New Zealand from Los Angeles, CA to the Cook Islands, accommodations for the bride & groom and their four guests, and an eco-friendly wedding ceremony and reception including South Pacific traditions.

Three Singer/Songwriters To Launch THE VESPA EXPERIMENT in California

Starting April 30th, singers/ songwriters Jason Reeves, Brendan James and Amber Rubarth embark on The Vespa Experiment, a two-week tour of the California coastline during which they plan to raise awareness about global warming. The three artists will leave behind the concrete jungle of L.A. and ride Vespas up the scenic CA coast with just the basics: camping gear, musical instruments, and a vision to inspire young people to consider their impact on their environment.

"It seems like back in the late 60s and early 70s, people turned to folk singers and songwriters for inspiration and answers to difficult questions," Reeves says. "We were very motivated by that idea and hope to influence a new generation to become more environmentally aware as they grow up and take command of their future."

Puerto Rico

I’ve been back from Puerto Rico for a few days now. It was a whirlwind of beautiful beaches, concerts (the trip was a performance tour), walking and bus tours of Old San Juan and El Yunque rainforest. The kids (around 150 high school choir members) were wonderful – funny, well behaved – a pleasure to chaperone. They are very talented too and even had a mention on a local news program!

The photo below, taken in the rain forest, is representative of how I had imagined the trip at first. I knew better but convinced myself that we’d move at a snails pace: taking in the sights and breathing deeply the tropical aroma of flora and sea. Ha! But still, this little guy can remind me/us to slow down and smell the forest. Besides, don’t you like the contrast and the placement of the subject in this photo?

An old swimming pool in the rainforest is now a quiet place to reflect.

The views were awe-inspiring.

In this vista, the vermillion flowers of the Royal Poinciana (named for Phillipe de Longviliers de Poincy who is credited with introducing the plant to the Americas) or Flamboyant tree interrupt the extraordinary sea of green that is El Yunque. This striking tree is also known as Peacock Flower but a rose by any other name . . .

Old San Juan’s architecture is Spanish and one of my daughters and I had a great time photographing the colorful houses. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring my best camera so the photos may leave a bit to be desired.

Statues, fountains, gardens, and jewelry! What a combo!! No pics of the jewelry because there was no time to shop for much of anything but t-shirts, tiny plush coquis, and coconut candy. Just know: Old San Juan is a Mecca for jewelry enthusiasts! You know who you are!

The view from San Cristobal Castle

Casa Blanca -- Built by descendants of Ponce De Leon as a residence, this beautiful mansion is now a museum.

One of my favorite parts of this trip (of any trip) was getting a taste of the regional foods. I had the extreme pleasure of tasting Yucca, Puerto Rican Black Bean Soup, Stuffed Mofongo, Pickled Green Banana Salad, Rice with Pigeon Peas, Plantain and Beef Pie, Coconut Flan (out of this world), and Tres Leches Cake, to name but a few. The Puerto Rican coffee was splendid.

I found Puerto Rican Cookery and Puerto Rican Dishes, two books I had to add to my collection. Several of the recipes remind me of the fabulous lunch the congregation of San Jorge Church made for us after the Chamber Singers (a choir of 30 of some of the most talented students) wooed them with an amazing performance. I’m not sure I can replicate the dishes because I’m only one person and the love and appreciation that went into the preparation of the food that day came from the hearts and hands of many. Thank you San Jorge Church!

The Chamber Singers and their director at a mass at San Jorge Church

The absolute best part of this trip was the catamaran ride into the turquoise waters where I swam for at least 30 minutes without tiring; yellow and black striped fish were swimming gracefully below me. No photos – sorry – I don’t own a Nikon waterproof camera yet! If anyone is listening, I’d like a few lenses to go with that. ☺

One more thing…

Can’t say I didn’t have the BEST Pina Colada in the world at Barrachina -- a local restaurant that claims to have created the drink. And the mojito I had at (of all places) The Hard Rock Café (Come on people; I was there with a bunch of teens!) inspired me to find a book with the perfect recipe The Joy of Mixology to use at home.