We're glad and thankful to be back after a month in warm places and blue seas. Isla Mujeres is so familiar it felt like a second home. Images from the last days there include school kids being rounded up to celebrate the 125th anniversary of their state, Quintana Roo. Rough concrete construction being done by old-fashioned manual labour. The co-existence of traditional fishing culture with more lucrative tourism. The gaviota sea birds soaring as dark tropical storm clouds form. And 4 times a day, the ancient slow ferry Isla Blanca chugging its way to the mainland. Great memories, sure to bring us back some day...
And then BAM! re-entering the mainstream. In Spanish, the airport greeting is a traditional "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year", but in English it's all about shopping and gifts. Sigh. At our connecting flight, I could actually see through my window that our one checked bag did NOT get loaded! That's it, black backpack, in the lower right of the luggage cart picture. We frantically alerted the crew but they basically said we were mistaken. We weren't, it didn't, no apology when it was retrieved next day. Also, during an earlier wind storm a largish branch of our old maple was left dangling in plain view. Welcome back, homeowners!
But it's good to be back enjoying some clean bracing fresh air. The local outdoor rinks are all open and Zamboni-ed. Then last night we streetcar-ed downtown to join the other 100,000 at city hall for the 48th annual Cavalcade of Lights. Beautiful mild night, lighting of the tree, happy live music that created thousands of real bobbleheads in the glow. On the ice multi-culture faces (many experiencing the challenges of skating for the first time in their lives!) sharing an amazing fireworks show. Toronto at its best!
And then BAM! re-entering the mainstream. In Spanish, the airport greeting is a traditional "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year", but in English it's all about shopping and gifts. Sigh. At our connecting flight, I could actually see through my window that our one checked bag did NOT get loaded! That's it, black backpack, in the lower right of the luggage cart picture. We frantically alerted the crew but they basically said we were mistaken. We weren't, it didn't, no apology when it was retrieved next day. Also, during an earlier wind storm a largish branch of our old maple was left dangling in plain view. Welcome back, homeowners!
But it's good to be back enjoying some clean bracing fresh air. The local outdoor rinks are all open and Zamboni-ed. Then last night we streetcar-ed downtown to join the other 100,000 at city hall for the 48th annual Cavalcade of Lights. Beautiful mild night, lighting of the tree, happy live music that created thousands of real bobbleheads in the glow. On the ice multi-culture faces (many experiencing the challenges of skating for the first time in their lives!) sharing an amazing fireworks show. Toronto at its best!
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