It’s been an interesting first couple of weeks in 2020 in Delray Beach.  As opposed to last year, this year has been quite chilly in the 70s with a constant breeze sometimes bordering on tropical storm.  So pool time has been sporadic and due to rain we haven’t been riding our bikes as much as we would like.  I also started the Keto diet so no bike rides over to grandma’s for coffee and cake.

Let me tell you how the Keto diet is going.  My other amigos are snacking on pound cakes and raspberry filled cookies while I snack on a carrot or some pork rinds.

I’ve lost about 9lbs in the first week but it has been slow going since then.  In fact, I gained 6 ounces one day for unexplainable reasons which almost derailed me.  But I am committed so here I go staying away from the marvelous pastries at Grandmas.

AutoNation IMAX 3D Fort Lauderdale

The four amigos made there yearly visit to the AutoNation IMAX in Fort Lauderdale to see the new Star Wars movie.  We saw it in 3-D and it felt like we were inside the movie.  The AutoNation IMAX in Fort Lauderdale is a must do if you like theatres that feel like an amusement ride.

We ate dinner at Tacocraft, an outside restaurant near the theatre.  I definitely would not recommend this place.  Burritos were bland with no sauce and the fajitas were the worst I ever had.  Their idea of veggies was only onions with three little pieces of pepper.

Coconut Creek Casino

The four amigos made there trips to Coconut Creek Casino and The Isle Casino and tried our luck which wasn’t on our side.  We all decided to give the casinos a rest.  It’s not much fun if you don’t get much play at the slots.

Lunch in Tequesta

Bruce and I drove up to Tequesta to have lunch with his former business partner, Barry and his wife, Sue.   We ate at a lovely little waterside restaurant called the Dive Bar which served a tuna ceviche.  It was great seeing them and catching up.  I was remiss in not taking any photos.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is a little oasis in the heart of Delray.  Generally you can feel the peace and tranquillity as you wander along the paths taking in the beauty of the reflective pools and lush foliage.  We,  however, went during their New Years celebration.  We arrived at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens before they opened and had front row parking.  Unfortunately there was a little rain show here and there but we were all thinking ahead and brought our rain jackets.  But we did see a rainbow.

Our first stop was the cafe where we had a little light fare.  Bruce and I shared a bento box where he ate all the carbs and I ate the salmon and veggies.

The crowds were heavy but not too bad and we were able to get seats for a performance by Fushu Daiko, a performing group that uses taiko drums.

 

During Fushu Daiko’s performance, the rains started coming again but it added to the intimacy of the performance.

 

The rest of the time at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens was spent dodging the crowds as the rains dissipated and more and more people arrived.

We finally called it a day and headed to the Poppies, a Jewish deli and bakery.  I had the best omelet ever there.

Visit with some New Friends

On our world trip we met some friends in Vietnam who live in South Florida.  We had such a great time with them on the trip we really looked forward to seeing them again.  Ina and Jim took us to their favorite sushi restaurants, Kevin’s Sushi.  I know it sounds so Japanese but the food was phenomenal.  We had a boatload of sushi and sashimi.

We had a lot of laughs and really hope that we can get together again.  Maybe get the group from the Mekong together on another ship.

Green Owl

The Green Owl is a great little breakfast restaurant right off Atlantic in Delray.  It’s open until 2 every day and has seating inside and out.  We had a great breakfast after going to church at Unity of Delray where we heard a great singer who did a wonderful rendition of Imagine by John Lennon.

Delray Beach had a craft fare on Atlantic so we checked that out but it was so crowded we finally ditched it and walked along the intercoastal.  There was a lovely breeze, cooling us off after the laborious walk on the avenue.

DaDa Restaurant

For dinner, we ate at Da Da’s.  What a lovely little restaurant in an old house with twinkling lights throughout the garden outside.  I had salmon and asparagus which were great and Bruce had something with ricotta cheese and a pasta.  I have to say half the things on the menu we were googling.  The ambiance and food were delightful.

Cold weather is coming across the country so I’m not sure what to expect in the next week or so.  Maybe a little more bike riding and definitely sticking to my diet.