More Snapshots of Mustique

There are these tortoises all over the island. They seem to come out at around 4:30pm and walk about the island until around 5:30pm, when they seem to go away again... interesting. One must look out for these tortoises while driving on "mules."

David found this baby tortoise on the main road and saved it from being squashed by any human vehicles.

And this is our "mule" -- we have named him "Vin Diesel" and he runs very well, climbs hills and drives through dirt roads like a champ.

David on Vin Diesel on an amazing look-out just above Obsidian Bay.

We have tried to visit a new beach every day, while making sure to log in plenty of snorkeling time. Our favorite beaches to snorkel off of are Endeavor Bay (right off our hotel grounds) and Gelliceaux. Macaroni Beach is great for splashing around -- it has fabulously blue and turquoise surf.

Here, David looks into a rock pool by Gelliceaux Bay.

With all the swimming, I have turned quite brown. I have also discovered that the limes here are wonderful -- more potent and lime-like than limes back in New York. The hotel makes marvelous margaritas, and the bar staff have come to know exactly how I like my margaritas (on the rocks, and lots of it).

Vamping at the entrance to the Coutinot House, in which we are staying. (There are 5 units in the house.)

One of the more exciting events since yesterday is that I HAVE LEARNED TO DRIVE. Well, okay, not exactly. I still have no drivers' license and I certainly do not know how to drive a car. But I HAVE learned to drive Vin Diesel. I have a great deal of go-cart experience, which I think has facilitated my learning process. My favorite roads to drive are EMPTY ones... empty dirt roads are great!

David has been the most patient teacher and I think he finds it all very amusing, my learning to drive for the first time.

Fun, fun.

Mustique FUN!

A few choice photos to visually chronicle our Mustique experience thus far:

A "welcome" towel bird and flowers on our bed upon our arrival.

David jumps to express his joy and delight at our own private deck with plunge pool over-looking the Caribbean...

...while Tomoko plays amongst flowers...


View from the Beach Cafe at the Cotton House.

A margarita on the beach...

...and a rum punch on the beach.

In search of a good snorkeling spot (we saw lobsters that time)... finding a secluded beach is simple here.

Postcard perfect beach (Lagoon Bay).

Jump for joy! at Macaroni Beach.

So far in Amsterdam...

(Artsy "mirror-effect" photo of David at the Mansion)

Our fourth night in Amsterdam -- so far, we've had a fantastic time and have found some good people for our Dutch production. The weather has been beautiful, and we are enjoying a sunny, warm spring here.

David and I are in love with Amsterdam. The city is gorgeous and laid-back, very tranquil, yet it has an urban buzz that keeps us engaged. The people here are lovely and open, too, and that most of them speak fabulous English (in addition to about 4 other languages) and are attractive don't hurt.

As we always seem to do in Amsterdam, we have eaten very well on this trip. On the first night, we had a gorgeous meal at a Moroccan restaurant, where we ate wonderful seafood tagine. The ingredients were fresh and, while simple, spiced perfectly, not overwhelmingly as some tagines we've had have leaned toward. On Monday night - our second night - David and I went to Blue Pepper, which is supposedly one of the best and most original restaurants in Amsterdam. The restaurant serves a contemporary Indonesian cuisine. It was my first experience with Indonesian food. Apparently, there is a large Indonesian population in the Netherlands and so there are many Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam. David and I had never tried Indonesian food here, however, as I am not very tolerant of spicy food and David was concerned that there would be little for me to eat from an Indonesian menu. We were pleasantly surprised at Blue Pepper -- the dishes all had heat to them, but I could eat them just fine. The spiciness was one that enhanced the flavors within the dish and added a physical sensation, as opposed to one that killed all palate sensations and thus rendered the dish un-tastable for a spiciness-intolerant like myself. Last night, we went to Mansion, which was a terrific experience. The Mansion is a restaurant/lounge club space in the form of, of course, a "mansion." We had beautiful "modern yet authentic" Chinese cuisine. Delicious, delicious food! All our dishes were wonderful, and the intimate, glamorous atmosphere made us feel great after a long day of casting. We ate well and drank margaritas (in martini glasses) and took some silly photos.

(Below...David and Tomoko lick margarita surfaces as a acting exercise for "committing to silliness.")

In the Windy City

We arrived safely and easily into Chicago last night. We are staying at the W City Centre -- so far very nice, our room is spacious and with a nice view onto the city (we see a sliver of what we believe is the Sears Tower). The lobby is rather swanky and the elevator is like a club in itself... which is amusing and slightly odd at the same time. About to rush off to Ballet Chicago now for a day of seeing some serious dancers. For the time being, we wanted to share that we have already discovered that the the Whiskey Bar at the W City Centre Chicago has one of the best margaritas we have ever drank, outside of Mesa Grill in New York.