The first time I tried to learn the streets of Miami by riding my bicycle, a man in his fifties wearing a floral print shirt told me it was impossible to get lost. “Just remember, you head east, there are sharks, and if you head west, gators.”

It was solid advice. While the sharks didn’t appeal me, the idea of heading west to the Everglades and visit the king reptile’s home seemed like something every local should do at least once. And here’s why:

1. Face to face with Alligators

It is the main reason everyone decides to go to the Everglades. They are your hosts. This is their territory and to catch a glance of their eyes observing you while the rest of their body is submerged under still waters is quite a sight. 

They are used to the airboats and the people. In fact, our guide could easily recognize one alligator from the other and they would swim to him and hang close to the boat when he’d whistle to them. Just don't leave your arm hanging off the edge of the boat.

 

2. It’s actually a huge River

Contrary to popular belief, including my own, The Everglades are not a swamp but a river that runs 60 miles wide and 100 miles long. It is well known as the “River of Grass” as a way to describe its complex ecosystems that range from mangrove forests, swamps, pine rockland and marine environment. The Everglades are constantly shaped by the flow of water and the fires caused during the dry season. It’s an ever-changing wetland worth exploring.

3. Airboat Rides

I will admit, this was my deciding factor when visiting the Everglades. The idea of gliding over smooth waters onto the endless horizon of tall grass and wild life seemed something out of the Discovery Channel. And in reality, it was just as cool. Kind of. It was more of a constant zigzagging motion than a straight shot because it is an airboat- or my driver wasn’t the best. But it’s still incredibly fun to feel the wind on your face and seeing for yourself the nature of Florida. 

4. Interesting snacks

When I was waiting for my airboat to arrive, I wandered around the wooden gift shop and the graveled surroundings, and the smell of fried food wafted from an open screened window nearby that had a sign painted on top.

Gator Bites and Frog Legs. It felt strange, even borderline treasonous, to serve as bite size snacks the reptiles I am about to see alive and kicking. But it seemed to be quite a common thing, to serve creatures of the wild as delicacies and many were in line to see what they tasted like. 

If you aren’t an adventurous eater, then think of it as a triple-dog-dare type of eatery. Not everyone can say they ate alligator. I am one of those. I opted for frogs’ legs because no one I know has eaten frog legs. Lime juice squeezed over it served with a side of thin French fries. It didn’t seem so bad.

But whoever said frog legs taste like chicken has never eaten a chicken in their lives. It tastes like a chicken and a fish told society to go to hell and married each other. And I didn’t approve of this marriage.

5. The heart of South Florida

People may know Florida for the beach life, hurricane season and being declared as retirement land. But you can’t say you know Florida without getting in touch with its wild side. The Everglades cover most of the southern peninsula and are the home of thousands of species. Alligators are just one of them. Its varied environments serve as more than an airboat ride and many people have chosen to explore it via canoes, kayaks and even living in them.

It is the source of water of cities nearby and it has been transformed into farmland and urban areas. It is a source of life and water deemed as one of the three wetland areas of global importance and such attention has derived restoration plans and support from locals and visitors.

I hope you enjoy the ride.

LAZY SATURDAY | My Birthday

My birthday was in December, same day as good old Ozzy Osbourne. Instead of going crazy with a party, I simply pleased all the little whims that occurred to me at the moment. I find the more I plan my birthday, the more I'm set up for disappointment. Friends cancel, people have plans, that amazing restaurant gets booked. 

So I spent the day with my Mom, took a stroll to Old San Juan and the The Fort El Morro, shopped for a few gifts and had a birthday cupcake. It was one of my favorite birthdays.

I hope you have a lovely weekend!

M. xo

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

In the lush nature that has always set Coconut Grove apart from the rest of Miami, a man decided to build his winter estate right by the bay more than 97 years ago.  Yet when I stood in front of the mansion by the welcoming fountain, it felt much older, like something taken out of Renaissance Italy and therefore it had a sense of grandeur that took me by surprise.

From afar, the mansion is framed with an entranced lined with pines and trickling fountains. The villa is quite a sight with cream-colored walls, a terracotta roof and towers on all four corners. There’s a gate to the right that leads to the infamous gardens.

Vizcaya, the home of the businessman James Deering, was named after the Spanish province and its name is not the only European influence. It was inspired by Tuscan Italian Renaissance style so people would believe the villa had been the home of many family generations. The tour of the villa is given in the exact order Deering used to do it when he had guests over.

When stepping into the welcoming room, the first thing I saw was a spacious courtyard with a glass ceiling that was placed to protect the house from the humidity of the tropic. As much as this caught my attention, the tour started immediately to the left.

Every room is different and heavily decorated with European furniture and art dated all the way back to the 15^th century. Almost everything used to adorn came from Deering's substantial collection, acquired from his many trips to Europ. The layout of the place resembles a traditional aristocratic home would be. The first room is the library followed by the Reception Room with a tropical theme. The wall paper, even if faded in some parts, features palm trees and birds. 

One of the most important rooms in the Principal Lounge its design inspired by Italian rooms of the Renaissance. The room contains a tripod made of Roman marble that’s 2,000 years old and it was used in religious ceremonies. A painting of the 17^th century was split in two to be used as a cover of the organs’ pipes.

The decoration, though heavy and sometimes very Baroque, is balanced with bursts of natural light that come in from the loggias. The East Loggia has glass doors now but it used to be open and used to entertain guests while enjoying the view of Biscayne Bay, which included two islets on either side of a stone  boat right on the shore.

It opens into an ample terrace that covers the entire back of the house leading to the pool and orchid garden to the left and to the right, the second reason to visit this estate, and the most romantic, I think, is the gardens.

Also designed in an Italian style, the Gardens are absolutely exquisite and show a great balance between the parterre features, French and Italian garden layout and elements of the Floridian limestone stonework.

The center of the garden is a long reflective pool aligned with trees and a labyrinth design of low trim bushes expands from it. Even though there are always people strolling around and sometimes a photo shoot takes place, the gardens are quiet and peaceful. 

At the top of a hill at the far end of the garden, a stone outbuilding caught my attention. I headed towards it and saw that a fountain of multiple levels reached the top and two stone staircases curled around either side. The reveal was a stone structure with columns and the trees around cast a shade over the floor.

I couldn’t help but imagine Deering, of the McCormick-International Havester fortune, hosting private parties at this hill, maybe luring a lady away for a ‘quiet conversation’. And really, I wouldn’t blame her, not if he had promised to show her a sensational view.

It really was.

When I thought I had seen everything there was to see, the Gardens continued with additional almost hidden segments here and there. A river runs right behind it and another pool is closed to the public, the gate covered with vines. Even if you weren’t a romantic, you’d find the place magical, something that seems fascinatingly out of place and even taken out of time.

Deering was only able to visit his winter residence for nine years before he passed away. Tourists and locals have been visiting the estate for more than sixty years. The passing of the years and humid weather have taken their toll on the mansion and the grounds. Many acres were donated around the 1940's and the humidity and ocean air have deteriorated the mansion. But the character the place has, and the majestic charm Deering was searching for, has very much stayed intact over the years.

LAZY SATURDAY | Old San Juan

It's Saturday. A day to relax, say yes to carbs and to binge watch whatever series you are into at the moment.

Maybe it's your day to catch up on your blog reading. But I will make that a bit easier by not giving you 1,000 words to read. Just some pictures of a day of me strolling around without any explanation.

This time, I went for a little walk in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. The district of the city from the Spaniard's governing is quaint and fun to walk around on. 

Enjoy!