TRAVEL COLLAGE: 15 PICTURE-PERFECT POOLS AROUND THE WORLD

Puerto Rico: St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort

Are you a beach or a pool person?

I can answer without hesitation that the beach is my clear preference.
However, when the real-feel temperatures soar north of 100 degrees,

sometimes even the beach can be too hot. 

I don't like going into the ocean to cool off, so unless there's a breeze,

I'm much more comfortable in a pool
(emphasis on IN the pool).

Last weekend, we had a record-breaking heat wave in this part of the country.

There's no pool here, and driving to the beach on a Saturday or Sunday 
wasn't even a thought --

the traffic would be INSANE.

 The only way to stay cool was to be inside with the air-conditioning blasting,

 and doing some arm-chair pool hopping around the world.


🏊 🏊 🏊 🏊 🏊 🏊 🏊 🏊 🏊 🏊 🏊 🏊 🏊 🏊 🏊 🏊


  Okay, people, which picture-perfect pool would you pick to plunge into?


Would you.......

 1.  Take a dip at a 5-star resort on the west coast of Puerto Rico?

 2.   Plunge into an infinity pool on the cliffs of Mykonos, Greece, overlooking the Aegean Sea?

 3.  Splash around in a pool overlooking the picturesque harborside in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts?

 

 4.  Swim in circles while taking in breathtaking views of lush Stanley Park and snow-capped mountains in Vancouver, Canada?
 

 5.  Float around in breezy Aruba, aka One Happy Island, in the Dutch Caribbean?

 6.  Cool off in your own semi-private pool in the backyard of a condo rental in Deerfield Beach, Florida?

 7.  Do a lap in a luxurious pool in the tranquil British Virgin Island of St. John, known as "Love City?"

 8.  Submerge yourself in Charleston, South Carolina, gazing at boats in the harbor and magnificent sunsets?

 9.   Dive into a cliff-side pool on the swanky Island of Capri, Italy overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea?

 10. . Go for a swim in a human aquarium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida?

 11.  Dunk yourself in the half-Dutch, half-French Caribbean island of St. Maarten, with the turquoise sea as your backdrop?

 12.   Pause at the pool's edge and stare across the Red Sea (yes, the very one Moses parted) to the mountains of Jordan in Eilat, Israel?

 13.  Practice your backstroke in Grand Cayman Island, steps from Seven Mile Beach, ranked one of the "10 Best" in the world? 

 14.  Relax in a spartan pool set among whitewashed buildings in the small village of Megalochori on the island of Santorini in Greece?

 15.  Bob along a lazy-river pool adjacent to the Pacific Ocean in Maui, Hawaii, with the Island of Molokai off in the distance?

Which pretty pool is your preference?

 

CHECK OUT MY OTHER TRAVEL COLLAGES HERE.

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"SCHLEP & THE CITY" - THIS WEEK IN NEW YORK

Earlier this week, I spent a long day schlepping around New York City.......

A long, HOT day, but it was fun.
 Fortunately, it was before today's oppressive heatwave started.......
or I never would have made it gallivanting uptown, downtown, all around the town.

10:45 a.m.    
Dentist appointment in Rockefeller Center

Today Show studio

Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center, looking toward Channel Gardens and Saks Fifth Avenue

A beach (!) in the Channel Gardens, Rockefeller Center

12:30 p.m.    
Lunch with friends at Boucherie in the West Village.

(sorry, no pics of lunch!)

2:30 p.m.    
Subway downtown to World Trade Center to see The Oculus, a new, modernistic structure housing a transit hub and shopping mall. 

The Oculus at World Trade Center

Street art outside The Oculus

Freedom Tower at World Trade Center

Memorial Pool at World Trade Center

Corbin Building, built in 1888.

3:30 p.m.    
Shopping for hours at Century 21's flagship store - I bought NOTHING).

6:45 p.m.

Dinner with a girlfriend (the one I went to Iceland with) in Hell's Kitchen.

Tavola Restaurant, 9th Avenue and W. 38th Street

9:30 p.m. 
Homeward bound through Times Square.

Times Square

LINKING WITH:
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A WEEKEND IN GREENPORT, NEW YORK ON LONG ISLAND'S NORTH FORK

What would you like for your birthday this year?

Um.......I'm not getting you a gift. 

Sorry if I got your hopes up.......
I'd just like to know what's on your wish list.

Last year, the only gift I wanted was.......

An experience.

I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

Ever since I read the NY Times article, 36 Hours in Greenport (read it here),
I've been itching to go. 
The words bucolic, wineries and water views all in the same sentence 
had me packing my suitcase before I even finished the article.

  It was time to scratch that Greenport itch with a fork.......
the North Fork, to be exact.
We made plans to go for two nights over my birthday,
which fell the weekend after Labor Day 
(that's early September for those of you who are reading this outside of the US).

The drive to the North Fork-- the very northeastern end of Long Island
in New York -- is about three hours.
Once we got off the highways, and drove along Main Road,
with its farm stands, wineries, and charming homes,
I was already regretting that we weren't staying a third day,
and we hadn't even gotten there yet.
I took the village's welcome sign calling Greenport 

"the shopping hub of the North Fork" as a personal welcome just for me. 😀


It was lunch time when we arrived in Greenport, 
and I wanted those vacation vibes to start ASAP!
I'd done advance research, and selected a restaurant on the water with an outdoor deck.

However, I overlooked the fact that the restaurant
 overlooking the bay would be closed for lunch that particular day.......
Seems they were taking a bit of a breather after the summer crowds had gone,
and cut back their hours.
No worries, we'd go for a sunset dinner instead!

Since there was no "Plan B" for lunch, 
we walked into the first restaurant we came to in town.
I pretended to tie my shoe (never mind that I had on flip flops)
so I could ever-so-discreetly vet it on Tripadvisor before we asked for a table.
Mr. GS was too quick for me - he was already seated.......
there was no leaving gracefully at this point.
Fortunately, Salamanders had an excellent rating,
and we enjoyed our meal even though the view 
was of an espresso machine instead of the bay.
(A recent google search shows that the restaurant has since closed).

The afternoon was spent exploring the village.
The two main thoroughfares, Front Street and Main Street,
 together form a right angle of shopping and restaurant heaven.

Just off Front Street, we walked down to Mitchell Park and Marina,
the centerpiece of which is the 100-year old carousel.

Unfortunately, the carousel was closed that day.
Hmmmmmm....... I was beginning to see a pattern here.
Note to self: Although the week after Labor Day is a wonderful time to visit Greenport,
many shops, restaurants, etc. take a much needed break
from the constant summer crowds.
Be sure to call establishments to check hours,
as their websites may not reflect accurate hours for this week.

Greenport Harbor was picture-perfect.
There's something about marinas that always make me feel happy.

I hadn't gotten very far yet, 
but this sea-faring town was already proving itself to be a terrific birthday present.

As much as marinas float my boat, so to speak,
it was time to move on and do some shopping.

There are, blessedly, no chain stores in Greenport,
which in and of itself gives the village a unique and charming look.

In and out, out and in of the many little shops.......
selling hats, cigars, chocolates, home decor, books, clothing, pottery and more. 

My favorite shop was Sweet Indulgences, 
purveyors of home decor, candy, jewelry and more.
 Had I only gotten as far as the whimsical garden, I would have been a happy camper,
but the interior had its own therapeutic retail charms and held many temptations. 

A quick detour down a side alley off of Main Street took us to another little inlet. 
I was starting to understand what the NY Times article meant
by water views everywhere.

  It was time to head back to our room at Tapestry Inn,
a charming bed and breakfast smack in the center of town.
The house (or rather, mansion) was built in 1908
by NY State Assemblyman John Bartlett and his wife, Mary.
It went through several iterations over the years, 
before becoming a full-fledged B & B 35 years ago.

We went down to do some porch-sittin' 
before it was time to leave for that sunset dinner on the harbor.

Outdoor dining hopes were dashed when dark clouds began to roll in,
followed by a downpour so strong that Mr. GS and I had to take cover in the house.

When I called to cancel our dinner reservation, 
the hostess said, "Is this Amy?"
I guess I was the last hold-out hoping for the rain to stop.
She actually tried to talk me into coming, saying there was an awning,
but wind, lightening and the fact that it was raining sideways
was hardly the ambience I was looking for.


Instead we went to Lucherito's, a cute little Mexican restaurant,
and had a wonderful meal.  
See? When life gives you limes, make margaritas!

One thing was for sure - there was no shortage of great restaurant choices in Greenport.
It may look like a sleepy little town,
but it caters to a well-heeled clientele of New York city-slicker foodies.

The next day, after driving out to the end of the North Fork
(read about that here),
we came back to Greenport for lunch at Crazy Beans.
It's a funky little eatery on the corner of Front and Main that is especially good for brunch.
We ordered way too much........
just the avocado fries would have been enough! 

My birthday dinner was at Noah's, an upscale, trendy eatery known for its small plates 
(no pictures -- I must have been too busy celebrating 😉).

The next day, before heading home, we had brunch at Bruce and Son on Main Street, which has a uber-cool vibe.
It felt like we were doing our part for agricultural sustainability 
just by reading their menu.......
filled with grass-fed, free-range, organic, locally-sourced this and that.

Two days in Greenport was just a tease.
I was smitten with the whole North Fork scene.
It's definitely an "I want to go back" kind of place....... 
 
I want to tour the wineries.
I want to try more restaurants.
I want to see the lilac farm in full bloom.

I think I need to go get the car keys and head out there right now. 

I will admit that I felt like I was cheating on my first true "fork" love -- 
the Southern one, home to my beloved Hamptons.
But, by the end of two days, Mr. GS and I reconciled those guilt feelings.
When we want a true beach vacation, the South Fork wins, hands down.

But for a jaunt to an idyllic locale that spoons out postcard-like scenery,
the North Fork is the choice piece of getaway cutlery.  

I'm glad I got Greenport for my birthday.  

Now, what should I do this year?

RESOURCES:

Tapestry Inn

Lucherito's 

Crazy Beans

Noah's

Bruce and Son's  

Sweet Indulgences

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Long Island's North Fork: A Birthday Excursion

Vacation In The Hamptons: "Unglitzed"

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