February 14
Some couples celebrate Valentine's Day by taking a special trip to some exotic place. Well, lucky us - we're already there! As far as I'm concerned, every day has been Valentine's Day ever since we arrived.
We began our day with an early morning walk through the development and along the beach into town. Along the way, we encountered another couple who are in a condo neighboring ours - Bob (yes, another Bob) and Midge from Wisconsin - who were buying cantaloupe and mango from a fruit stand. That Bob mentioned that the expected high temperature for this day, and the next few days, would be 95-97 degrees F! There and then, we decided that we would get our errands done as quickly as possible and then lay low for the afternoon, enjoying both the A/C and the pool at our condo.
For breakfast, we headed for the Hotel Coco Palms in town, which has become our favorite place for breakfast. We lingered there for quite a while, eating a tasty meal, enjoying the shaded terrace overlooking the pool, and connecting to the best wifi spot we've found so far.
Garden spot at Coco Palms Hotel & Restaurant, Playas del Coco, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)
After breakfast, we walked along the main road for about half a mile to the Auto Mercado - the largest and most modern of the supermarkets in town - to do some grocery shopping. It had already become quite hot, and the A/C in the market was so refreshing that we dawdled there for quite a while. Then Bob flagged down a red cab (van) and we piled in with our groceries. Arrived home around 11 am, happy to be back before the hottest part of the day arrived.
All afternoon we lazed around the pool, blogging, reading, doing laundry, and talking with neighbors. When the sun started to go down, we dressed for our Valentine's dinner out.
We chose the Creperie (Luna de Plata) for this special dinner. Actually, the owner, Danielle, invited us to participate a few days ago. She put on this special prix fixe dinner especially for her friends in the French-Canadian community here. Danielle has been here in El Coco, and proprietor of this Creperie, for five years and she has made a lot of friends who are also her compatriots. Her bistro is small, only a few tables, and it turned out that we were probably the only Americans there. Danielle was the very first person we met when we arrived, and she was a big help to us in locating the person who had the key to our condo. We have felt an affinity for Danielle ever since, and evidently, she has felt an affinity for us as well.
Connie at the Creperie Luna de Plata, on our day of arrival in Playas del Coco. (Photo by Bob)
The meal was served outdoors in the softly lit patio. There were about six tables, with parties of two to eight - a total of about 30 people altogether. Most of the people around us were conversing in French. Nearby, at one point, a young Costa Rican woman performed French cafe style songs.
Danielle prepared all the food herself. Although we paid for our meals, the evening was quite reminiscent of an extended family holiday meal back home. The menu was the same for all. We began with a glass of white wine. Then came a cold zucchini soup and a basket of petit cheese puffs. The main course was Mahi Mahi cooked in an orange sauce and served with pineapple-watermelon salsa, rice, and black beans with avocado. And for dessert, a delicious chocolate cake layered with strawberries. It was a totally delightful evening.
Bob and I have been friends for six years, but have only been a couple for about a year. This trip to Costa Rica is our first real experience in traveling together, though we have taken a few weekend trips this past year. This trip to Costa Rica could have been a make-or-break experience. So far, we both agree that it has made our relationship stronger. Happy Valentine's Day to us!
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