September 15th 2012 Well, the morning started out late because we went to bed late. We arrived at midnight last night and luckily for us, there was one taxi left in town. We were exhausted, but still in good spirits, and eager to get to Bella Fonte, our dwelling for next four days. Upon our arrival we had to wait for the staff to ready our apartment, so Aviva and I decided to check out the dock. We ended up running down the wooden ramp at 0030 in the morning, flinging our dresses off, and going for the most amazing swim ever! The skies were black, the little stars were out, the water was blue from the pale reflection of dock lights, and the water was ever so warm. We couldn't resist the lure of the ocean. It called to us. We heard it. And we responded. And then we slept like 12 year olds after a great day of fun. In search of coffee this a.m. we marched the streets of this little town until we found a spot that would offer us some java and a bite to eat. Breakfast included hot Dutch style apple pie and a minuscule cup of strong coffee. I have forgotten how the Europeans love their tiny cups and settled in for mini sips. I could of have four of these 'coffees' in less then a minute. However. Then onto groceries. I mean you get the gist, you need to stock up so you can enjoy yourself for the rest of the day! A few hours later after some galavanting, we made our way to our own dock and brought down our flippers, under water cameras, books, and towels and settled in for a few hours of fun and sun. Well, Aviva and I were greeted by a huge Iguana. So we named him Mr. BellaFonte. You see, part of the deal of having your Birthday is to at least crack open a cold one. But what do you do when a certain Mr. BellaFonte wants to be a part of the celebration and wants desperately to share what you're having? We snapped pictures of him and we were delighted to be able to get up close. But. We could not sit down to sip our festive drink and chat because HE wanted to get up. He kept looking at Aviva and then to me. Should you dare raise the bottle to your mouth HE was right there eyeing the prize. Well, at one point we got tired of moving around and Aviva stayed put. So, in order to get the prize he climbed up and up and up and soon enough HE was on her lap! Ah Geese! Then at the end of the afternoon we dressed up and the four of us went to a fantastic seafood restaurant. There was excellent company, good wine, great food, and a Birthday candle the size of a small rocket to remind me that it was indeed my Birthday. Well. I best get to bed. The ocean is in hearing distance and right now I'd gladly go for a late night dip...but...0600 will come quickly and Aviva and I have a power walking date to check out the Donkey Sanctuary before the heat of the day makes exercise un-bearable. So I will close with this. Sometimes life surprises you in delightful ways and you're left feeling incredibly lucky. Lucky to be blessed and blessed to be lucky. Swimming my way into my 40's was the best start I could have ever imagined. Ha! I'm going with the flow! And I go to sleep tonight with a smile on my heart and peace in my soul. Dd