One of my New Year's resolutions is to finish my honeymoon recaps before our one-year anniversary! :)
We awoke to another GORGEOUS day on our last morning in Naguabo at Casa Flamboyant.
A girl could get used to having breakfast with a view like this...
As we waited for breakfast, we sipped coffee and hot tea and made contributions to the traveler's journal we found in our room. It was so nice to read the experiences of the visitors before us and leave a note for our wonderful hostess, Shirley!
We did our best to soak in every last ounce of the absolutely stunning scenery.
We spent some quality time with the resident pups too- Soma is shown here- I don't know where Blackie was hiding!
Another perfect breakfast- chicken sausage, egg and potato scramble and multigrain toast. I wish I could take Shirley home with me! :)
On our way back to San Juan we swung by the Luquillo kioskos again for lunch and a quick swim.
I enjoyed some of this homemade hot sauce on our empanadas from kiosko 52.
The bathroom costs $0.50 if you're not a customer... In case you were curious...
This picture was taken immediately pre-meltdown ( I got a little overheated)... the frosty smoothie helped a bit!
We dropped off our rental car and promptly sniffed out the nearest cafe with wifi.
Iced coffee and internet connection... yes, I am addicted.
We arrived at the Gallery Inn to discover that we had been bumped up from the cheapest room in the hotel to the top floor Ocean Room- the nicest room in the house- at no extra charge! AMAZING!
The view from our private verandah.
The Gallery Inn is essentially the Puerto Rican Clue Mansion. I can best describe it as a well-lived in museum. It's truly unlike anything anywhere else ever. All the doors are unlocked (unless someone's occupying a room) and you're encouraged to explore.
Secret stairways!
Hidden piano rooms!
Open air passageways and dining rooms!
And then there's the birds.
Jan D'Esopo, the extraordinarily talented matriarch of the Gallery Inn and mastermind behind nearly all of it's gorgeous artwork, taught Joe the secret to keeping the birds in line.
Super soakers.
I made friends with the particularly sassy Campeche.
Joe tried, but Campeche seemed suspicious.
The canopy by the pool. I could lay here forever.
We headed out for a quick stroll before dinner and watched the sun set over the ocean.
Following TripAdvisor recommendations, we headed to Marmalade for our 'splurge dinner'. Aside from the fact that I'm a student and we're a young couple without a ton of money to spend, Joe and I generally prefer low-key budget travel, getting off the tourist track and eating where the locals eat, but we promised ourselves one fancy-pants dinner on our trip.
Marmalade did not disappoint. Literally EVERYTHING that we put in our mouths was perfection- the highlight being the White Bean Soup with Truffle Oil. Sweet. Baby. Dinosaur. Perfection.
TIPS FROM DAY 5:
-If you're on your honeymoon, TELL PEOPLE. It got us an incredible upgrade at no cost.
-Figure out what's important to you and prioritize. Like to spend big on fancy dinners? Keep your accommodations cheap. Like to stay at fancy hotels? Look for free attractions and activities to offset the cost.
In case you missed them, here are my other Puerto Rico Recaps:
Day 1: Luquillo and Naguabo
Day 2: Hiking in El Yunque and Condado
Day 3: Caving Near Lares and Arecibo
Day 4: Fajardo and Vieques
In case you missed them, here are my other Puerto Rico Recaps:
Day 1: Luquillo and Naguabo
Day 2: Hiking in El Yunque and Condado
Day 3: Caving Near Lares and Arecibo
Day 4: Fajardo and Vieques
