Back to reality

We returned from our trip on Monday and went through a seemingly unnatural process of lathering ourselves with aloe gel to soothe our sunburn and peeling, and then walked out into a snowstorm on Tuesday morning. That just isn't right...what a rude awakening!

We had a wonderful, relaxing voyage through the Caribbean and enjoyed visiting many different islands. Each island has its own unique history and personality; some were lush and green while other islands we visited were more arid and brown. Overall, the beaches were fabulous, the sun was hot, the breezes were a relief, and we returned refreshed and tan.

Our favorite islands were Curacao and Aruba, both of which have a Dutch influence. Willemstad, the main city in Curacao, has a very European look and feel. There is an approved color palette, and each building in Willemstad must be painted in one of those colors. The city is also a World Heritage site. We spent our day walking around the small streets and sitting in courtyards enjoying the breeze while we did some people watching. Markus enjoyed some cold beer, too, but I decided to pass.

In Aruba, they have a wonderful shopping selection in Oranjestad, where we docked. After looking at far too much jewelry, buying some Aruba Aloe products, and eating lunch, we headed to a beautiful beach. We took the public bus there and Markus enjoyed the bath-like water that was crystal clear. I did my usual - lathered on the sunblock, got comfy in my chair under a shade hut, and fell asleep. That's relaxation! The sand was soft, the waves gentle - what could be better?

Grenada was an interesting island - we booked a tour because I was interested in visiting a spice plantation. Grenada is called the isle of spice because of all the different spices that are harvested on the island, the most popular of which is nutmeg. We learned how nutmeg is grown and then used, how cocoa is fermented and becomes the chocolate we're familiar with, and got to smell the bark of a cinnamon tree. As someone who likes to cook, this was a fascinating tour. I loved smelling everything! We saw cashew trees (I didn't know these nuts grew on trees...), eucalyptus trees, carambola (star fruit) trees, nutmeg and cocoa trees. We also saw poinsettia trees - Home Depot and Lowe's Christmas plants have nothing on the trees we saw in Grenada! Our tour also included an authentic lunch, which was delicious. Everything was homemade, including the nutmeg ice cream we had for dessert. The proprietor's mother made it that very morning, and I now have a new flavor to try here at home in my ice cream maker. Luckily, I bought some nutmeg on the island so I should be able to get the same flavor.

I won't do an island-by-island summary, but overall it was a fun, relaxing, interesting trip. I'll post some pictures in the next few days if I have time.

The day after our return, we had an ultrasound and checkup scheduled. The baby is moving around a lot these days, especially when I fly. It was moving around during the ultrasound, too, which was funny. The best move was the one the tech captured in our picture - the baby's hand is above its head like it's waving. Markus thinks it's blocking its eyes from all the sun exposure of the last week! They told us the baby now weighs 1 lb., 7 oz. I'm 24 weeks along, so we're heading out of the second trimester and into the third (already!).

That's about it from Philly - I'm watching the snow fall outside the office window and longing to see those palm trees and sunny skies again.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! And a belated 31st birthday to Markus, who celebrated while we were on our cruise (Feb. 6). Happy Birthday!