The Bungalows

Our week at Puerto Plata's #1 resort was an exercise in luxury and decadence. The resort was located on a hilltop above the more pedestrian Sun Village.

Initially, we took frequent golf cart rides down the hill to use the beach and visit the theme restaurants, but more and more we stayed up top for the in-pool chaise lounges and the superior food and beverages at the Bungalows restaurant, the Social. It was at the pool that Boss befriended Wallace Poole, a musician who performs a Willie Nelson tribute.

The Social Restaurant: unlimited Glenfiddich, filet mignon with bordelaise sauce, and passionfruit creme brulee


We had a suite of three rooms, two large bedrooms and a central room with galley kitchen, dining area, and living room. All three rooms had plasma televisions, Jacuzzis, and full baths. The rooms had large, airy, interconnected verandas, perfect for reading with a Brugal añejo.

The Queen of Quirkiness

As usual Kathy kept the proceedings moving. She had some memorable lines that amused us all, including these:

>On tipping the golf cart drivers--"Two dollars, or one at the most."

>On setting the AC-- "I punched some buttons." (She'd set it to heat.)

>While reading City of Thieves--"How many chickens can an egg lay in a week?"

>On being able to rent purchased weeks--"Lourdes (the agent) said 60-40. That's 50%."

>On dressing for dinner, and our concierge-- "I want to talk to Davio when I change into my capris."

We also had a couple of misadventures. I was reading on the bed when Kathy decided to take a bubble bath in the jacuzzi 20 feet away. Suddenly, I got hit with a stream of soapy water worthy of a water cannon (the top jet hadn't been covered by the water when Kathy turned it on). Pages 42-3 of Suttree will never be the same.

And finally, the TSA agent who inspected Kathy's carry-on was shocked to find a quart of tapioca pudding. Her explanation, "But I just bought it," did not get it on the plane.

Ah, but it's quirks such as these--and savvy, and charm--that make Kathy the best traveling companion that I've ever known.

Hasta la Vista, Baby 2009 edition

Um, another rum runner? Sure, why not.

Tomorrow, we leave for The Bungalows resort in Puerto Plata, DR. I look forward to a daily schedule of breakfast, beach, lunch, poolside reading, workout, cocktail hour, dinner, live music. It's a grind, but I've been getting ready for weeks.

John's Visit

Brother John made his annual mid-January trek up from Silver Spring this past weekend. He looked great--about 25 pounds lighter than the last time I saw him. He arrived on Saturday, and after his Grammy visit and a nap, drove up to Beverly to see the house and sample some North Shore seafood.

We took him to The Village Restaurant in Essex. I'd given Mark Ricci, the owner, a heads-up that we'd be bringing in a true clam aficionado, and Mark was ready.

We started with the chowder, which really is startlingly flavorful. John pronounced it "spectacular" before moving on to the fried clam appetizer. The clams at The Village, like the nearby Clam Box and Woodman's, are lightly breaded and cooked in lard--hard on the arteries but wonderful on the taste buds. Another slam dunk.

John had liked the chowder so much that he returned to it for his main dish, a huge crockful this time. I had haddock, and Kathy had a dinner salad. For dessert, we had the white chocolate bread pudding. I had to nix following that with chocolate lava cake. Enough is enough.

On Sunday, despite considerable snow, the non-Florida members of the family gathered at Belmont Street. Erin hosted John, Marc, Paula, Matt, Christine, Kathy, me, and the three great-grandchildren. Evan got to hang out with his second cousins, Megan and Joseph. Cuisine was provided by Great Chow, with crab rangoon a particularly hot item.

On Monday, John and I went to Queen Anne together. John made his expectations abundantly clear to the staff. The Grammy wasn't very responsive during the visit, very much like I'd seen her during her November hospitalization.

We went back to John's hotel and worked out in the exercise club, then headed for the Alumni, where we each downed a bar pizza and a few beers. Cousin Jack (aka "Whitey" at the Alumni) was uncharacteristically not in attendance.

The Grammy Report 1/15/09

The Grammy was unaware that it was her birthday when I arrived on Thursday. I found her asleep in her wheelchair in the activities room. Back in her room, she became excited when she realized I'd brought rum cake, but I had to spoon it into her mouth for her. She did grasp the humor in the cat-themed birthday card I'd brought.

I had a lengthy conversation with the nurses at the station. They were a bit embarrassed at not knowing it was Mum's birthday. She is off of all meds except eyedrops. She had been accepted for hospice service, and I have the name of the hospice and the assigned nurse.

The main concern seems to be her eating, so I am going to see if the hospice can provide a health aide to help her eat her main meal each day.

John arrives for three days of visits today.

The Cure for Winter

It's 11 degrees out at the moment, and the high tomorrow is predicted to be 6. However, there is relief in sight--in 16 days we head for warm sand and surf in the Caribbean. Our destination is The Bungalows in the Dominican Republic, according to Tripadvisor the #1 resort in the Puerto Plata area.

Somehow Kathy has finagled a comp'd bungalow on the beach, with ocean views and two bedrooms. We'll be joined by Joan the sunworshipper and Boss, who will be reprising his "El Congrejo" persona. The resort is all-inclusive, so once again Boss and I will be trying to eat and drink our money's worth by noon.

Each year the winter getaway seems less like a luxury and more like a necessity. There was a time when I enjoyed riding a high-speed quad to the top of Wildcat, but those days are gone. Give me sand, salt, and surf.

Photograph from Tripadvisor