Dear Reader who’s enjoying  Friday (Viernes here),

Yo.  After years of doing this blog (literally), I figured out the thing to do is to put something other than food as the first picture so that the thumbnail that pops up isn’t like our breakfast (which was quite good). 

The morning’s first funny convo (after, OC EH complaining AGAIN! That her room [yes she has her own room in the 2 bedroom “suite”] has no window. “It’s a cave!!!”) was about where we were eating breakfast.  RR wanted to look for someplace “nearby,” which was code for “not uphill.”  I said the place was “about a block away.” 😂. It was a good 3 blocks (thus “about a block “) and the last two blocks were straight uphill, by which I mean like a 30% grade.  I was chastised.🥲

OTOH, the place was good.  The coffee was almost espresso and the food good.  The woman next to me (we had to sit at the bar as they were full) had avocado toast, which looked great, though I don’t partake. I think EH’s pancakes won the best looking award, so here they are, food porn 1 of the day. 

I also offer up a picture of RR’s because a) our food came with French fries, b) the brioche is actually toasted — thus “toast” (for those of you remembering yesterday). 

Our goal this morning was Castle San Cristobel. It was part of the castle/fortress complex going back to the beginnings.  There are still parts that were built to look for submarines in WW2 (I’m just repeating the signs) — as this picture shows, you can look at a lot of the Caribbean from there. 

It was quite warm. 

Our next goal was the cemetery, which sits on the coast between the two castles — in the top picture, you can recognize it because the reddish colored dome in the far distance, at the base of the green hill up to El Moro, is the chapel at the west end of the cemetery.  

On the way, we tried to stay “low” (avoiding hills) and went through “La Perla”, the Pearls, which is the not touristy part of San Juan.  The streets were so tight only one car could pass (which they demonstrated for us a couple times) and the streets were full of chickens — not dogs or cats. Another side of town.  

We then climbed the hill to the Iglesia de San Jose, which is from the 16th century, though more modern looking than the cathedral (see Wednesday) a few blocks away. 

The usual (gelato) for lunch (no pic) and back to room to rest from 4 miles of hiking from the heat.

Dinner was a block straight up the hill from the hotel.  It wasn’t really food porn worthy, but I’ll give you this of the lobster risotto. 

It was a little dark outside under an awning. Yes, we’ve eaten outside each night. It’s been nice at dinner time.

I did make one friend at dinner. 

I was not given a name.  Lola is already taken. 😂

Then, on EH’s suggestion, we trekked up hill three blocks to a chocolate cafe.  What?!?!?  Here comes the food porn. 

Some kind of chocolate alcoholic drink, obviously with whipped cream.

Puerto Rican hot chocolate (80% cocoa).

Chocolate-tini.

Some kind of hard shelled chocolate, hazelnut cake thing that’s not on the regular menu.

The classic molten lava cake. Yes, it was scrumptious. 

It’s sad to say we go home in the afternoon tomorrow.  I hear it’s not 85 there. ):  It’s been fun.  Thanks for following along.  Not sure if the next trip will be London or Croatia, but we’ll see you in May. 

Buenos noches