Yankees Football

Today was a great New York summer day. Sunny but not too hot with relatively low humidity. And the subway just two blocks from where I live was actually running this Sunday. This was good, because in about half an hour it can whisk me to Yankee Stadium. My good friend Allen gave me tickets to meet him and a bunch of his buddies so up to the Bronx I went.

I always allow myself plenty of time to have a relatively decently priced beer before the game and, in my opinion, this is the place to get it.

Yankee Tavern


Of course they can't serve alcohol before noon, this being a Sunday. Who would think that in a city like New York they still have such archaic blue laws. Not too long ago they changed the law so you can at least buy beer in stores before noon on Sundays. Note, in New York you buy beer in grocery stores, not in liquor stores. I guess after about a dozen years someone figured out that everyone going to a Giants or Jets game on Sunday drove over to New Jersey to pick up their tailgating supplies. This, obviously, hit New York's pockets.

But, shortly after a meatball hero, noon arrived and I had a Sam Adams Summer Ale.

Bar Man, Noon, and Summer


Only time for one quick beer because the game started at 1:05 PM and getting to our seats wasn't any walk in the ball park.

For starters, we were in section 33. One might think that would be between sections 34 and 32. You would have thought wrong. Sections run from 34 to 2, even numbers and then from 1 to 35 odd numbers. I went into the section 34 - 32 entrance and then got to walk all the way around the tier level to section 33. But, on the way, I got a postcard perfect picture of the construction in progress of the new retro-stadium being built across the street.

Postcard Perfect


Now, finding our section was problematic, but finding our seats was downright bizarre. You would think if your ticket said Row E you would go to Row E and then find your seat. Well, following the entirely logical numbering scheme of the sections, you find that there are two Row Es. So, seeing the first row with Seat 1 on the aisle, we moved on down to find our Seats, 24 and 25. Hah, you get to Seat 12 or something and run into a railing. The seat directly above Seat 12 is Seat 13 on the second Row E. Our seats were back on the aisle one row back from the first Row E. I guess this provides work for ushers because there was mass confusion up through the third inning by which time everyone finally found their seats. New Yorkers pride themselves on their sophistication, but I bet people in Kansas City don't take this long to park their butts in a seat at a ballpark.

But, I digress. Our seats were really good.

Good Seats


And here I am enjoying a freaking $10 Heineken. I switched to the more modestly priced $8 Bud-Lites after this one though, but I still tipped the guy $2 for each beer.

$10 Beer, Outrageous


Well, if you are going to go to but one Yankees game a year, which is about my limit, this was as good a one as any. I am originally from Minnesota so, although I have switched my allegiance from the Vikings to the Jets, if you grow up hating the Yankees, you will always hate the Yankees.

Ah, I digressed again. This was one hell of a game. The fourth inning lasted longer than many games I have gone to.

21 to 4


But, everyone was a good sport about it.

No Butt Touching Though


There wasn't much of a crowd by the time the game ended (a comeback by Tampa Bay to push it into extra innings would have been exciting). Still, I used the old excuse of letting it thin out a bit before catching the subway home to pop in for one for the road.

I was going to head in here, but it was just too crowded and too loud.

Stan's, But Not For Bar Man


Instead I went to my favorite combination bar, bowling alley, and souvenir shop in the world.

Simply The Best


Oh, I forgot the part about the Cocktail Lounge. A stretch if ever I saw one.

Cocktails and Gowns (not).


Only the highest caliber Cocktail Lounge can ignore the protocols and serve their Tanqueray and Tonic in a plastic glass.

The Plastic Adds A Certain, Essence.


While I was having my drink, a guy asked me if I knew of any decent bars in the area. Hah, little did he know who he was talking to. I told him a bit of what I knew and gave him my card.

My Card



And little did I know, he had been on my website that very morning and knew who I was after he saw my card. He and his buddy and wife were here for a beach volleyball tournament out on Long Beach on Long Island. I have a friend who lives out there and we chatted a bit about bars in that area. They live in Venice Beach, California. Dennis Hopper lives there and I am a big fan of his (almost as good an actor as Steve Buscemi, and both of whom could play me in the movie of my life). Anyway, we exchanged embraces and vowed to keep in touch.

Christine, Sergio, and Denny


After finishing my drink I toddled off to the Subway for what I hoped would be a quick nap before my brother-in-law Jim showed up. No such luck. For once in his life he was early. However, you will have to wait for my next post to see what mischief we got into.

But, just to give you a teaser, here is how the normally placid Mysterious Chinese Woman reacted, ashamed and abashed. I, of course, took the moral high ground and blamed everything on her brother.

Ashamed


Abashed

Guillotine - A Correction

In yesterday's post I indicated that Joseph Ignace Guillotin invented the guillotine and subsequently was himself executed by one. As a fan of mine, Russell McBride, let me know, Bar Man was wrong on both accounts.

Joseph Ignace Guillotin did not invent the guillotine, though his name has forever been associated with the machine. Dr Guillotin did propose the use of a mechanical device to carry out the death penalty.

He did not die on the guillotine, he died from a carbuncle on his shoulder.

That is it, no more posting the historical equivalent of an urban legend. From now on I check my facts.

Belated Bastille Day

Well, today I tried again and met with some success. It wasn't exactly like the street fairs of yore, only two blocks were closed down and most of those were set up for the pentaque courts and, of course, a small guillotine. Pity poor Joseph-Ignace Guillotine who lost his own head on the device he designed.

The Courts and the Justice System


The action started right outside one of my favorite restaurants in the neighborhood, Bar Tabac. The closest you will come to an authentic French bistro right here in Brooklyn.

Bar Tabac


As you can see, I really was here for their Bastille Day celebration, 2007.

The Proof (isn't he a member of U2?)


I tucked into a typical French bistro meal of mussels, snails, and French fries (served with both catsup or ketchup and mayonnaise. Delicious, and delivered with a nice bread to sop up the sauce from the mussels.

Bar Man Tucking In


I had a Grimbergen draft which, unfortunately, came in a plastic glass. I guess that is because of the street fair. One good thing about Rudy going bye bye is that they are a lot more lenient about letting you drink at street fairs. I have nothing bad to say about Rudy; for an anal retentive, morally ambiguous (do as I say, not as I do, thrice married and adulterous) control freak he would make a good president. Ah, and he is really good at picking his close associates. I think it would have been cool to have Bernie Keric as our Secretary of Homeland Security.

But, I digress. Grimbergen is a Belgian beer that was first brewed in 1128 at the abbey that Saint Norbert of Xanten built for the Norbertine monks in Grimbergen. The beers are now brewed by Alken Maes brewery group. Not a bad beer at all. Dark and hearty.

I also had a beer outside just to celebrate my freedom to do so.

Ah, Free To Swill


I headed up the street a bit and outside of Boca Coca, a nice Peruvian restaurant and bar, they had a food stand. It looked and smelled great. And most certainly not your ordinary street food fare.

Peruvian Street Food


What caught my eye was the smoker. It was made out of an old oil drum and Martin, the fellow manning it, brought it over from Peru. He said he was cooking ribs and they would be ready in about an hour or so. He assured me that he would save some for me.

Martin Manning His Smoker


I figured I would head down to Angry Wade's for a pint or two while I waited and passed this place on the way.

A Trap


I would have passed this store by but for a Betty Boop lunch box with an alarm clock and a wristwatch inside. Pockets lighter by $24.99 I walked out with my prize.

Soon I was at Angry Wade's where I could get a reasonably priced beer. Even though I have numerous free drinks coming to me due to my wager with Wade that I could indeed have a drink in 1000 bars in a a year, I wasn't about to waste any when it was Happy Day and beers were only $2.50

Angry Wade's


I had a couple of beers, a Samuel Adams Summer Ale and a Blue Point Toasted Lager and admired my recent purchase.

Bar Man and Betty


Don't ask about the fan, but think Mysterious Chinese Woman, only $2.99, it's hot...well, you get the picture.

So, after about an hour I headed back eager to get the ribs that Martin was going to save for me. Well, guess what? Martin was nowhere to be found and this was all that was left of the ribs.

My Ribs


There were a couple of scraps left and I took those just to get a taste. They weren't bad, nice and crispy on the outside and still juicy. It would have been nice to actually have had a whole serving though. I shall return to Boca Coca and hunt Martin down and make him answer for this.

I stopped back at Brazen Head of a Chelsea Rye Stout to drown my grief over the missed ribs (and had a free bagel with salmon cream cheese and onions) and then headed on home.

All and all it was a most enjoyable day.

Bastille Day, Bah!!

Well, today is Bastille Day, or at least its anniversary. And all of the papers seemed to think that it was going to be celebrated today in my neighborhood. Well, all of the papers got it wrong. The streets were crowded, but with cars, not pentague courts. There were signs saying that the streets would be closed on Sunday though, and there was a sign inside Bar Tabac saying that the pentaque tournament would be Sunday as well. Oh well, what can you do. I live close-by so I will head back.

Luckily, I stopped into Brazen Head on my way to the street fair so my disappointment was mitigated a bit by a few beers under my belt.

Brazen Head


It was a bit of luck that got me to pop in here today. The bartender, Vicki, doesn't usually work on Saturday so meeting her was a stroke of good fortune. She was most entertaining and we had a lovely chat as I sampled some beers.

Vicki Pulling An Ale


Brazen Head usually have a couple of cask conditioned ales on hand and I always like to try them. You may remember my write-up on one of their recent Cask Ale Festivals. They usually have three or four of them every year.

The beer Vicki was pulling was a Cricket Hill Belgian Summer Ale. Well, that is what the sign on the cask said. It is actually Cricket Hill Jersey Summer Belgian Ale. But why quibble. Cricket Hill is, as you might imagine, located in New Jersey. Fairfield, to be precise. I had never heard of it until today though.

The Jersey Summer Belgian Ale is quite nice. Not as heavy as a lot of cask conditioned ales, but a lot heavier than most summer ales. It didn't have much of a head and reminded me a bit of some of my attempts to make a home brew. It had a nice malty taste to it, but not over-powering. It was nicely drinkable and at 5.5% alcohol isn't exactly a session beer, but won't put you on your back either.

They also had a cask conditioned ale labeled Butternut Stout. I am not sure who makes this or if it was properly labeled. I just has a small taste of this and I didn't particularly care for it. It tasted a bit sour to me although Vicki said the cask had just been tapped. Well, some people like a bit of sourness to their beer. I don't mind it in some Belgian ales, but it just didn't seem to go with this one.

Vicki and Bar Man Sampling Beers


I also had a Red Seal Pale Ale that I found to be quite pleasant. Red Seal is brewed by the North Coast Brewing Company located in Fort Bragg, California. This was a good quaffing beer, no overpowering flavors to it, but quite pleasant. Another 5.5% beer so you do get a bit of bang for your buck.

Vicki said her favorite beer on tap was the Chelsea Irish Rye Stout. She gave me a taste and it was so good that I ordered up a whole pint. This is brewed by the Chelsea Brewing Company located right in downtown Manhattan. This brewery, much like Brooklyn Brewery, turns out a lot of good beers and seldom turns out a clunker. I like to visit their pub and restaurant located right nest to the brewery too. It is right on the Hudson River and you can easily forget you are in one of the busiest cities in the world.

But, I digress. The Irish Rye Stout was fantastic. Light for a stout but with dynamite flavor. It poured dark and had a nice light toffee colored head to it. You definitely got hints of coffee flavor too, as well as chocolate. You also get a hint of a kind of spice and rye at the back of the throat, kind of like an afterthought. At a hefty 7.5% this goes down way too easily. Vicki said that although she really liked it she could probably only drink one. Bar Man is not so sure about himself. It is a dry stout so it doesn't have that cloying sweetness common to most. I could easily sit on the deck, if I had a deck, grilling hamburgers or something and drinking this all afternoon.

This sign caught my eye on the way out. I am not sure if those who are in Jeanne Palfrey's little black book would agree though.

Happy Hooker


Well, you can probably understand why I wasn't all bent out of shape by there not being a Bastille Day Street Fair today. Now I have something to look forward to tomorrow. I had planned to grab a bite to eat though, so I headed to the Waterfront Ale House where I had a nice crispy red snapper salad and a bottle of Brooklyn Brewery's Local 1. I have written about this beer before, but let me say again, it is a great Belgian style ale brewed right in the heart of Brooklyn.

Bar Man and Local 1


Tomorrow I shall try to Bastille Day Street Fair again so stay tuned. No stopping off on the way either. Maybe I will cash in one of my free drink chips at Angry Wade's and then stop into Bar Tabac for mussels. Yesterday Bar Tabac was packed though, so I suppose it will be even more crowded today.

Trader Joe's But No Two Buck Chuck

New York City is a study in contradictions. People can adopt a veneer of sophistication that allows them to studiously ignore a celebrity eating dinner at the next table, but bring the Brooklyn Queens Expressway to a halt as everyone slows down to watch someone changing a tire. Not too many places have a parade, albeit a very small parade, to celebrate the announcement that a grocery store will be opening sometime next year. Even if that store is a Trader Joe's. But in Brooklyn we have a Borough President, Marty Markowitz, who will celebrate everything. Bless his soul, he is Brooklyn's biggest cheerleader and almost everyone loves him.

Things kicked off with a small gathering at the door to Marty's office not far from where I live.

Marty In The Middle


A small steel drum band added to the festivities.

The Band Gathers


After a couple words to the admittedly meager crowd, the procession headed toward the site of the new Trader Joe's.

The Parade


The destination was a lovely bank building that will soon house the new grocery store. The bank is moving kitty corner to new facilities so Trader Joe's will have a landmarked building as their new home.

The New Home of Trader Joe's


I felt a bit sorry for this gentleman who was probably watching the end of his business at this location marching down upon him.

Impending Doom?


I have the vague feeling that Trader Joe's will not be as lenient as the bank has been in allowing a fruit vendor outside their doors.

Inside there were more speeches by Marty, various Trader Joe's executives, and a few local politicians.

More Speeches


Personally, I think a Trader Joe's will be a welcome addition. We have a lot of specialty stores in the neighborhood, especially of the Middle Eastern and Hispanic variety as well as a couple of excellent butcher shops and a very good fish monger. I doubt if Trader Joe's will steal much of their business, but the people who come to Trader Joe's may very well decide to stop in these other stores to see what they have to offer.

One lady, who was in the bank on business, felt otherwise and started to loudly complain about how the smaller stores would be put out of business. She was gently, but firmly, escorted out of the bank.

The liquor stores won't have to worry though. Although Trader Joe's is famous for selling low priced but decent wines, New York law does not allow the sale of wine in anything other than a liquor store. The Trader Joe's in Manhattan does have a liquor store, but it is in a separate building not quite next door to the grocery store. I have been told by my source in the liquor industry that New York law would make it impossible for Trader Joe's to open a second liquor store anywhere in the city so I don't think that alternative will be available here in Brooklyn.

Saturday I plan on attending a bigger celebration for Bastille Day.

I originally forgot to mention that the Bastille Day celebration I will be attending is the one on Smith Street, just north of Atlantic Avenue, here in beautiful Brooklyn. Any subway that will take you to Borough Hall, Court Street, or Atlantic Avenue will get you there. Even the mysterious G train will get you close.

Tooting Tout Va Bien

I have been here before and it remains my favorite, in the theater district, place to have a cocktail and a meal.

Tout Va Bien


It is a wee bit off the beaten path and right across the street from The House Of Brews, a more than decent place to pop into for a beer.

Tout Va Bien translates to "All Is Well," and once you enter and order up your first cocktail, a Bombay Martini, in my case, all is indeed well.

All Is Well


Interestingly, Tout Va Bien is also the name of a 1972 film directed by Jean-Luc Godard and Jean-Pierre Gorin that starred Jane Fonda and Yves Montand. It was about a sausage factory.

Be that as it may, this Tout Va Bien has been around for over fifty years and is, essentially, a family operation. Everyone is very friendly, from the bartender to the waiter. The atmosphere is decidedly casual which makes it a fun place for either an intimate dinner for two or a larger gathering. The food is quite good. Although I usually have the hanger steak, this time I decided to try the tripe. It was delicious, and not a dish you see on too many menus. Next time I go back I will have it again, by golly.

The Mysterious Chinese Woman's family likes going here as well and on this occasion we had most of them. Not one was disappointed and The Mysterious Chinese Woman's mother has now added Coq au Vin to her list of favorite dishes.

Everyone seems to like the desserts too. I broke with tradition, tradition being an after dinner drink, and had a creme brulee. The crust wasn't as crunchy as I like, but it was very good.

I think my brother-in-law Jim is practicing to be a paparazzi.

Smile


As a side note, they make very good Manhattans too. They didn't have Maker's Mark, my usual, so they used Jim Beam instead. Not bad at all and I will try them again. The Mysterious Chinese Woman was undecided about what she wanted so the bartender whipped her up a concoction of his own, something similar to a Cosmopolitan but different enough to notice. It met with her approval.

There is also a small outdoor seating area if you are so inclined and the weather is nice. I might sit out there and have a glass of wine or two, but I prefer the inside for serious eating and drinking.

Tout Va Bien is located on 51st Street between 8th and 9th Avenues (closer to 8th), about a block west of Broadway. This makes it convenient for those going to a play, but remote enough to avoid the huge crowds, mediocre food, and high prices that you can find if you aren't careful.

Sad News

Is This The End


Well, I guess it had to happen. What with all of the development going on in Brooklyn this was just too valuable a piece of land to remain as simply one of the best honky tonk bars anywhere, and certainly in this neck of the woods. I hear that regardless of what goes in here, Hanks will remain. Excuse me if I have my doubts. What will go in here will undoubtedly be housing of some sort because that is where the big bucks are. And it is hardly likely that you would maximize the value of said housing by setting it atop a somewhat disreputable, and certainly loud, honky tonk that draws, shall we say, an interestedly mixed crowd.

Oh sure, they may have a bar here (doubtful) and keep some of the trappings of the original Hanks (more doubtful) but it will certainly not be the same.

I strongly encourage you to visit Hanks sometime soon so you will be able to say you saw it when. Go on a Sunday when there is free music and free BBQ. It is easy to get to, just take any subway that goes to Atlantic Avenue or take the LIRR. Hanks is just a few blocks away at the corner of 3rd and Atlantic Avenues.

If you stop in, be sure to say "Hello" to Jeannie. Absolutely the best honky tonk bartender I have ever run into. And I have run into a few.

Jeannie, Absolutely The Best

Downtown Bar & Grill

Downtown Bar $ Grill


The Downtown Bar & Grill is located on the corner of Court and Amity, just a few blocks from Atlantic Avenue. I used to go here back when it was Cousin's II. Back then it was a decent enough neighborhood bar and that was good enough. It was sold and is now Downtown Bar & Grill. It still looks somewhat the same, but there has been a definite change in the ambiance. It has, like much of the neighborhood, gone a bit upscale. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing.

The biggest change is the increase in the number of beers that are now available. They currently have around 600 available and the objective is to have 1000 by the end of the year. They are also going to start a beer club that will meet once or twice a month and feature hard-to-get beers not available to the general public. Ahh, Barman loves a touch of elitism and has already put his name down on the waiting list. I am going to recommend a bouncer and velvet ropes.

I checked out their menu with an eye out for an Australian beer. I am not sure why, but I had been thinking about them lately. Maybe because Bondi Road has recently opened and gotten a lot of press. It is an Australian themed bar and affiliated with The Sunburnt Cow, another Australian place that I have visited and enjoyed. I will have to make a point of hitting Bondi Road soon.

But, a digress. The beer menu is arranged by country so I selected a James Boag's Lager. The brewery is actually located in Tasmania, which is an island state of Australia. You learn so much about geography when you drink beer.

I had been chatting with Jessica, the pretty and friendly bartender and she served me up my beer and then agreed, somewhat reluctantly, to let me take her picture. I gave her final approval and she said it was acceptable. You be the judge.

Jessica Peeking Out


The beer was okay, but nothing special. It had a nice crisp taste to it with a bit of a bite, due to some hops and its 5% alcohol content. A nice enough beer to quaff on a hot summer day though.

You can see that the bar is serious about accumulating a good supply of beers, many of which they have on display.

Beer On Display


They have a nice little lounge area tucked away in the front corner of the bar, and that is the most noticeable change in the decor from the old Cousin's II.

The Lounge


It is a pleasant enough place to pop into for a beer and if variety is your game, you should be very happy here.

UPDATE and CORRECTION

Matt from Downtown Bar & Grill sent me an email saying that I had gotten some of the facts about the beer club wrong. The beers featured are not hard to get and are available to the general public. The concept is to expose people to quality beers that they might not otherwise try because, usually, they cost more than the casual beer drinker is willing to pay. The idea is to show that a good quality beer can be as complex and flavorful as a good wine. And, while costing more than your average beer, will still cost less than a bottle of wine for which people don't think twice about spending $30 or more. He said the objective would be to remove concepts of elitism, rather than to reinforce them.

Well, there you have it. I am still hoping for velvet ropes and a bouncer though.

Happy Homecoming

Although the food in Costa Rica was delicious, I had built up a hankering for some good old ribs. Luckily, my old favorite, Pete's Waterfront Ale House, has some of the best in town.

Well, I never got the ribs. It wasn't because they didn't have any though, they are always on the menu. It was simply that I was too intrigued with the evening's specials.

The Specials


As I said, they always have ribs, but how could you pass up something like Grilled Caribbean Pork Loin with a Ginger and Guava Glaze? Well, I couldn't.

Bar Man Tucking In


And, as you might expect, it was absolutely delicious. They also have some of the best coleslaw I have ever had. I think it has a touch of horseradish in it to give it a nice bite. And they serve you a decent sized portion too, not one of those little paper cups like you usually get.

The Mysterious Chinese Woman, who also likes ribs, couldn't pass on the BBQ Duckling with a Cajun Bacon Pecan BBQ Sauce.

Mysterious Chinese Woman Ducking In


She said it might have been the best duck she has ever had. Now that is saying something, especially because I pride myself on my own smoked duck. Even I couldn't really argue though.

Of course we washed everything down with a selection of beers, something else Pete's is good for.

I started out with a Southern Tier Hop Sun Wheat Beer. If you have ever had any preconceptions of what a wheat beer tastes like, this one will forever change them. If you didn't know it was a wheat beer you would probably think was an IPA. It is very flavorful. It has just a hint of wheat to it and a bit of citrus. What really comes through is the hops though. And not just the bitterness, the aroma and taste is very distinctly that of fresh hops. This is a beer I could easily drink all night long. Hell, I could drink it all morning long too.

But, inveterate seeker after the new that I am, I moved along to a Chelsea N.Y. Rye IPA. The Chelsea brewery is a great favorite of mine. They are located on the west side of downtown Manhattan and have a nice bar and restaurant right next door. It is on the Hudson River so you have a nice view and can daydream about owning one of the yachts parked outside.

Back to the beer though. It had a nice orangish color and the white head made it a very pretty drink indeed. After the Hop Sun it tasted a bit washed out, but that was probably only in comparison. The Mysterious Chinese Woman said it was a bit too hoppy for her. A bit of sweetness comes through and just a hint, perhaps, of rye. Another nice session beer.

I decided I wanted something with a bit heavier to go with my meal though so I ordered an Avery Ellie's Brown Ale. Not much hops in this one. In fact it was a bit on the sweet side with a hint of smoke. Perfect accompaniment to the meal. I wouldn't sit around and drink this all night, but it did hit the spot. Bring a six-pack to your next barbecue.

Good Bye Costa Rica

Well, all good things must come to an end and so did our Costa Rica adventure. Actually, the Costa Rica adventure was a good thing.

Started out the day by visiting others in our group that were staying at a hotel right in downtown Tamarindo. To get there we walked into town and passed under an overpass made of matting that crossed the dirt road. This was put this up to let the howler monkeys who lived on one side get to a hotel on the other that put food out for them.

Heading To The Monkey Bar


The hotel was quite nice but had a name with an unfortunate connotation. I felt like I should be reaching for my Imodium.

Hotel Diarrhea


They did have a nice bar area built like a large palapa, and that was where I was headed to meet my friends.

Palapa Bar


I decided to have a rum and coke and sit for the obligatory bar shot.

Bar Man At The Bar


One of our group had slipped on a rock while climbing to the top of a small waterfall. She sustained quite a nasty bruise and seemed to delight in showing it off to everyone. She was a nurse and they seem to have a thing for injuries. I am a guy, so I have a thing for nurse's thighs.

A Beautiful Bruise


We were going to have a group dinner to celebrate our last night in Tamarindo so I decided to stop for a beer before meeting everyone later. This was a neat looking place, but it was just opening up. The bartender said it is more of a late night joint, and it looked like it. I don't mind drinking alone though, so I had a beer.

La Barra


Bar Man And Beer


After finishing my beer I headed to Zully Mar for dinner.

Zully Mar


I got there a bit early so I decided to have a drink at the bar while I waited for everyone to show up.

Bar Man At His Usual Spot


Eventually the rest of the group arrived and people were so happy to see us that we got a serenade. What a treat.

Being Serenaded


The following day was pretty much a bus trip back to San Juan with a quick stop for lunch and a visit to a souvenir shop. Barely time to get cleaned up and head to a steak house for a final farewell get together before we all called it a night and then caught our planes home the next day.

Our Final Farewell Dinner


All and all it was a very nice trip with a good group of people. One day I might go back just to spend a bit more time in Tamarindo. So many places to go though, and so little time.