Here’s a treat for Jane Austen fans: Come meet Mr. Knightly,
Mr. Darcy, and Lydia Bennett at the Jane Austen Centre!
Bath is a great literary city, and no trip here is complete
without a visit to the Jane Austen Centre. This icon of British literature
lived in Bath for four or five years, writing Persuasion and Northanger Abbey.
She mentioned Bath in several other works as well.
Lisa takes you on a tour of the Jane Austen Centre, which
offers you a snapshot of life during Regency times and explores how living in
the magnificent city of Bath affected Jane Austen and her writing. Try
your hand at writing using a quill pen and ink or have your photograph taken
whilst dressed in our extensive selection of Regency dresses, bonnets and
shawls. You can also visit the Regency Tea Room for a few scones and a trip
into the past!
We almost hesitate to share this video because we love El
Combate Beach (pronounced Come-BAH-tay) so much. It is one of the most
beautiful beaches in Puerto Rico, with golden sand, calm turquoise water that
creates perfect swimming conditions, and lots of shade trees. Pelicans dive for
fish and rays occasionally jump out of the water. Combate's location at the
edge of Boquerón State Forest means we also get to enjoy a nearby lagoon that
attracts a lot of birds, including unique migratory birds. The hiking/biking
trail that meanders through the dry forest by the lagoon stretches 7 miles
south to the Salt Flats.
The nearby village of Combate has our favorite waterfront
restaurant, Annie’s, where you can sip a drink, nibble queso frito or red
snapper, and enjoy the best sunsets in Puerto Rico. It’s very quiet on
weekdays but can become quite lively on weekends. But the faryher away from
town you walk, the quieter it gets.
The biggest drawback to Combate is parking, or the lack
thereof. There’s no lot and a long woodland path to get there. ! (We usually
park on the street near Combate Beach Resort, and then walk in via the woodland
path along the lagoon.) But it’s worth the effort!
There are also no facilities, either bathroom or changing,
so you might pay Annie’s a visit just to use the restroom. There are other
places in Combate to get pina coladas as well.
If you’re searching for a good beach near Ponce, Puerto Rico, you
might want to visit Playas Clavellina and Jauca. In our most recent effort to
find that elusive quality south-coast beach, we followed the map to the coast,
east of the Ponce Airport, past the giant windmills, to these small gems in
Santa Isabel. They are located in a rich agricultural area that produces an
abundance of tropical fruits such as mangoes.
Playa Clavellina is good for one thing: kite surfing. It was so
windy we could only stay for a couple of minutes The sand whipping against our
skin actually hurt! But for kite surfers, it was likely a gift from God. And it
explained the location of the nearby wind farm.
Further down the same road, on the edge of the Punta Petrona
Nature Reserve, we happened upon mostly deserted Playa Jauca. It was a
black-sand beach with a few shade trees and a lot of mangroves, in quiet,
shallow Jauca Bay, well-protected from the wind. We spent a relaxing couple of
hours and even enjoyed a visit from the piragua guy!
We got a private tour of the Salt Flats and Wildlife Refuge
on the southwestern tip of Puerto Rico. Our neighbors Padro and Dafne, who are
among the volunteers who operate the facility’s interpretive center, took
us on a private hike through the dry forest, and to the top of the Lookout
Tour, where we learned about the salt industry. They shared Puerto Rican
history regarding the salt flats and cotton, and told us about the ravages of
Hurricane Fiona last year on the Salt Flats.
This is also a popular place to come birding and hiking.
However, make sure you leave by 3 PM, when they lock the gate! Guided tours are
free but must be arranged in advance.
The Educational Environmental Center (CAE) offers a space
for educational activities and information about flora and fauna. But it
depends on donations to operate. Don’t forget to make one after your tour!
We visited the Roman Baths while in Bath, England, for our
oldest child’s graduation, and gazed upon 2,000 years of history. We also gazed
upon a few naked Romans! But Bob was upset that they wouldn’t let him soak in
the medicinal water. The Roman Baths are one of the finest historic sites in
Northern Europe, according to the Baths’ website,
romanbaths.co.uk/.
“Once the site of one of the great religious spas of the
ancient world, the people of Roman Britain came to the site to worship the goddess
Sulis Minerva and bathe in the waters of the natural thermal springs, which
still flow with hot water today,” says the website. “Today visitors can explore
the Roman Baths complex, walk on the original Roman pavements and see the ruins
of the Temple of Sulis Minerva.
"The museum collection, located next to the bathing complex,
includes a gilt bronze head of the Goddess Sulis Minerva, and other Roman
artifacts.”
The cost per person was about $23, and you buy your tickets
in advance for a timed entry.
Tucked into the verdant hills on the southwestern side of Puerto
Rico are the Coamo Thermal Baths (Aguas Termales de Coamo, in Spanish). Local
legend says these springs are the ones that Juan Ponce de León's declared
Fountain of Youth, though I don’t feel any younger. The hot springs are
supposed to help ease a number of physical conditions, including diabetes,
gout, circulation problems, respiratory issues, and joint pain. We came
for the mental health benefits.
The facility is small, just a small store, locker rooms, a shower
and two thermal pools – one hot and the other hotter. You’ll also find lounge
chairs and tables under large umbrellas around the pools, and there’s a spa
offering massages. There’s supposed to be a café but we saw no signs of it, though
you could buy cold drinks in the little store. Nestled amid the shrubs and
flowers are inspirational sayings to help soothe your mind. just wanted to sink
into the warm water and soothe your anxiety away.
The price was unbelievably cheap - -$5 a person (or $2 if you’re
over 60). Bring your own bath towels; none are provided.
The drive up through the mountains from Ponce was lovely. Coamo is
also the home of the renowned Coamo Half-Marathon, and the town itself has
abundant recreational trails. It’s definitely worth a half day of your time if
you’re seeking relaxation.
Once you’ve shipped your car to Puerto Rico – or bought it
on the island – it’s time to register it!
The process is a lot more complicated than in the States,
particularly if you don’t speak the language. But Bob will walk you through the
multi-step process you need to go through – within 30 days – to make sure your
car is legal. Good luck!
Bob recently scored a private tour inside La Fortaleza, the Puerto
Rico Governor’s Mansion, which is located in a prominent spot at the edge of
Old San Juan, with dazzling views of the Bay of San Juan. The oldest Executive
Mansion in continuous use in the Western Hemisphere, La Fortaleza is the main
residence and the office of the Governor of Puerto Rico.
The name means “The Fortress,” an apt title because La Fortaleza,
along with the later fortifications of Castillo San Felipe del Morro, Castillo
San Cristóbal, and San Juan de la Cruz (El Cañuelo), along with a large portion
of the original San Juan City Wall, was built to protect the city and the bay.
La Fortaleza was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960. It’s also a
UNESCO World Heritage site. Read all about its history and importance here.
If you are thinking of shipping your car to Puerto Rico,
watch this video. Bob takes you step-by-step through the whole process,
including cost, insurance, taxes, timeline, logistics, choosing a shipping
company, and picking up your car at the Port of San Juan.
I was on the Caribbean Sea kayaking this morning, and suddenly found myself bobbing up and down on a series of large swells. I wondered where they were coming from. They were too big to have been caused by the jetskis that had recently gone by.
It turns out we had an earthquake! It was magnitude 4.6, epicenter 10 miles south of Guánica. That's a common life experience when you live near the edge of a tectonic plate.
We took a ferry from Old San Juan to Cataño, across the bay,
to see what’s there besides the Bacardi Rum Factory. Turns out, lots! Including
shout-outs to autism, love, and love is love.
We strolled along the Boardwalk to Puente Rosado to the Pink
Bridge, a pier recently created to give visitors a place to lock their padlocks
and leave a piece of their love in Puerto Rico, and pledged our troth amid
crashing waves. (Please don’t throw the key in the sea.) On the way, we
discovered the Muelle del Orgullo (Pride Pier), vibrantly designed with the
colors of the rainbow to honor the LGBTQ+ community, and the Muelle Autismo
(Autism Pier), painted in bright colors and puzzle shapes to celebrate
neurodiversity and the autism community. As the parents of two queer,
neurodiverse adults, we were happy to find this level of love and respect on
our adopted island!
Across the street from the ferry, we found several bars and
restaurants with water views that specialized in cocktails from the legendary
rum maker. Of course, we had to try one!
But the best part was really the short ferry ride, offering
expansive views of Old San Juan, El Morro, the container port, the cruise port
and the mountains beyond. Lisa considers it the Staten Island Ferry of San
Juan. Find out why in this fun video!
To see photos of the piers, visit our travel blog at messysuitcase.com.
