We’ve done some traveling this month and this week so for our final photo, let’s hop back to the lovely village of Plombières-les-Bains. If you’ve been following my blog for some years, you’ve seen and read about this but just a brief review. Les Bains means “the baths”, referring to the hot water springs discovered by the Romans. We didn’t try the baths (really, really hot water just doesn’t sound exciting in the middle of a hot summer), but we returned a number of times to enjoy the various things to see and eat. This is a glimpse of a garden we saw while climbing one set of the steep steps leading from the main commercial part of the city to where our vehicle was parked on a much higher street. With great exercise comes great beauty, Grasshopper.
Becky and Jude, thanks for hostessing these two challenges once again. It’s been fun.
What happens in Costa Rica stays in Costa Rica and unfortunately, this pool stayed at our hotel when we came home. However, the memories of a wonderful adventure came back with us. The pink bricks around the pool contrasted beautifully with the blue water while the trees provided shade from the bright sun. In another pool, we stood cooling off while sipping a drink. Nice work if you can get it. We did and it was.
It was an excellent visit but like all good things, it came to an end and I’m driving home today. It’s good to get away and it’s good to go home and thankfully I have people I love at both ends of the trip. Thanks for sticking with me while I was gone. I’ll have some doors for tomorrow and be back visiting.
While exploring places to visit in Costa Rica near Manuel Antonio, I found Rainforest Spices, a sustainable spice farm that uses companion planting. The person who arrived at our hotel to drive us to the farm was the owner, Henry Karczynski. On the trip, he told us how he took the farm from devastation to productivity, from a monoculture of vanilla to one of diversity with vanilla, cocoa,cinnamon, and other spices. It’s a fascinating story and I strongly suggest you spend some time on the website reading about it.
At the farm, we took the tour, which you can see a bit online. When we arrived spices, including tumeric, were drying in the sun. We were introduced to chocolate by the tour guide showing us the inside of a cocao bean, which you can see if you go here and scroll down a bit. Look at the top right. The inside looks a lot like the inside of the sci-fi slimy pod and then…then the tour guide told us to try it. Big pause. There were only four of us and no one moved. Then I decided to bite the bullet (so to speak) and tried it. What a relief! It tasted fine.
Anyway, none of this is pink. But as we walked through the verdant farm, we saw growing pineapples. That’s something else I’d never seen and I certainly never imagined they’d look like this. Yeah, now the pink part. 🙂 However, I’m compelled to add that the chocolate bar they gave us made from their own chocolate was the best I’ve ever eaten. If you’re ever in Costa Rica, this farm comes highly recommended by us!
My time away’s coming to an end but even though I’m writing this in advance of my trip, I’m sure I’ll be having a good time. Thank goodness for books on CD that will make the drive home less boring!!
After my parents giving me a horse when I was in grade school, probably the best, most unexpected present I ever got was a week-long trip to Costa Rica with our older daughter. Besides spectacular scenery and unusual animals, there were all sorts of interesting, beautiful plants and flowers, like this one. I have no idea what it is, but it’s pretty cool AND it’s pink. However, if you ever come across something like this on another planet or somewhere in outer space, get away from it as soon as possible!! If you’ve watched enough sci-fi movies, you’ll know this but just a reminder.
Although I’m on the other side of the US from where this photo was taken, I might be seeing a beach sunset tonight. For Saturday, San Diego is on the agenda.
I’m excited not only to share a favorite subject, a bee nose diving into a flower, but my first photo duo using the slider, which I only found thanks to Dan at nofacilites. He’s been giving lessons on using the block editor and as far as the slider goes, once I knew where to look, it was simple to find. Thanks so much, Dan. This particular bee and flowers were at Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona. These cacti and flowers were very small but eye-catching.
In my continuing quest to combine challenges into one daily post, I’ve managed to come up with some doors that have some sort of pink to them. Trust me, probably won’t happen again this month, although I have lots of archives left to troll. Today we’re traveling to France, which I wish I were actually doing but there’s this little pandemic stuff going on. So tighten your virtual seatbelts and lets fly.
No actual pink doors, but plenty of pink paint or stone. Enjoy.
Have to say that as much as I enjoy a good door, I love good shutters just as much!
Yes, these roses were also in Descanso Gardens. A bright, pink square for Becky and Jude and all of you to brighten your Tuesday…or maybe Wednesday, depending on where you live. And if you look at the rose-to-be in the back left, well, this bud’s for you. 🙂
Let me add Cee’s FOTD (Flower of the Day) as well. 🙂
