Even though we still had 6 days in Aruba, I woke-up on day 2 feeling a little sad to be leaving my new favorite place in the world. Since the rest of our week was scheduled at a different hotel, we wanted to enjoy our island a few more hours. We enjoyed a healthy breakfast and took a walk on the beach where we saw one of Matthew’s favorite things (really large iguanas) and one of my favorite things (old, colorful boats).
The next few hours are the moments I’ll remember forever. I sat on the quiet, gorgeous beach and watched the pink flamingos dance in front of me. Matthew swam. I sat. Matthew fed another iguana. I laid on my stomach in the sand…. convinced I was going to cry when he finally told me it was time to go.
We had just left the island when the driver, very excitedly, told me to get my camera out. Through his broken-English, he explained a Boeing 747 airplane was headed into the airport and it was going to be RIGHT above us! Aruba is one of the two places in the world where it lands just over the ocean. (Take a look at a shot of the only other place to experience this. Crazy picture!) When the driver said ‘RIGHT above us,’ he wasn’t kidding! The plane coming in above us shook our boat and water around us. (For the record, this shot was taken with my 50mm lens. No need to zoom-in when you already feel like it’s going to land on top of you!)
We arrived at the fancy-smancy Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino and was blown-away by their service. After getting settled into our room, there was a knock on our door with a plate of chocolate covered strawberries, a bottle of champagne and a hand-written note from the hotel. While checking in, they over-heard us mention it was our 10-year anniversary. It’s the little things, right?!?!
Our night ended with one of the most anticipated meals of my life! I had been told by everyone who has been to Aruba, “You HAVE to eat at Madame Janette’s!” And, if you know me, you KNOW how much I OBSESSIVE-OVER ‘enjoy‘ food. For months before our trip, between editing client’s images and placing orders in the wee hours of the morning, I’d find myself taking a break from work to re-read their menu for the hundredth time. Although I already knew what I wanted when the cab driver dropped us off at the door, I played it cool and took a few minutes to act like it was all new to me.
The food was INCREDIBLE! I got the Shrimp Casserole “Du Chef” (“a casserole with shrimps, baked in the oven with a creamy mushroom sauce, gratinated with a mix of Gorgonzola and aged Gouda cheese”). Matthew’s Almond Grouper was even better than mine! It was, quite possibly, the best food I’ve ever eaten! If you visit Aruba, Madame Janette’s is a MUST!
Can’t wait to share more pictures from our SIGHTSEEING DAY around Aruba! SUCH a beautiful place!
Christy – the Almond Crusted Grouper is my absolute favorite! I ate it five times one year! Glad to see you had such a wonderful time and fell in love the island like I have!
[…] this all started. The ocean breeze. Our toes in the sand. And just when I thought I had experienced the best food in Aruba, I tasted Passion’s ‘Local Grouper Filet in Crispy Coco Jacket Golden Fried Accompanied […]