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Happy Earth Day

4/22/2024

Earth Day is a yearly celebration of Earth's natural resources and a call to action to reduce pollution. Protests, conferences, outdoor events, and volunteer work are some of the ways people throughout the world celebrate this day on April 22.

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I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links which help to keep this blog running.**

On this Earth Day, take a moment to consider the effect that you have on the earth. People celebrate this day by planning strategies to enhance water quality and lessen their impact on the environment. Every year on April 22, people throughout the world take a moment out of their hectic schedules to celebrate Earth Day and reflect on the ways in which humans harm the planet. Consequently, we can all have more harmonious and healthy lives by embracing nature.

Free Earth Day E-Cards to use to send to friends and family here!

It would be great if Earth Day were an everyday occurrence, but in the meanwhile, let us take this opportunity to appreciate Mother Nature and do our part to keep her planet habitable.

Need an Earth Day t-shirt? Check out my designs.

Shirts are available on a variety of styles and colors. Just click on the photo to be taken to Amazon to purchase. I made a small royalty with each purchase and for that I thank you!

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City Tour Excursion - One Day in St. Lucia

4/17/2024

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St. Lucia, amagnificent volcanic island, is located in the West Indies between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Saint Vincent, Barbados and Martinique are St. Lucia’s closest neighbors.

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links which help to keep this blog running.**

The island's official language is English, even if many of the municipalities have a somewhat French accent. Reason being, the French and the British took turns ruling over St. Lucia. After much struggle, the island was finally ceded to the British in 1814. Although English is spoken by everyone, French Patios or Creole is also spoken by most people.

The East Caribbean Dollar is the national currency, just like in many other countries, including St. Kitts and Nevis. Don't stress too much about the currency exchange because I was able to pay for my souvenirs in US dollars.

There are plenty of excursions and tours you can choose from for your day trip. Normally your cruise will offer many, but you can always decide on the day and see what offer you can get once docked. I decided to take a ship's sponsored tour of the city. I'm not keen on being left behind if our tour doesn't make it back to the ship before sailing time.

Our first stop was Morne Fortune, which is 900 feet above sea level, where we could see captivating view of Castries & surrounding areas.

Then we were able to relive history at Sir Arthur Lewis Community College where we saw old military barracks, war cemetery, and gun powder battery.

I even got to see the Pitons off in the distance. These unique, cone-shaped volcanic peaks have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are St. Lucia’s most famous landmark.

The Piton Mountains are situated between Choiseul and Soufrière.The second-highest peak on St. Lucia, Gros Piton, stands at slightly over 798 meters. Although it is somewhat smaller, the second peak, Petit Piton, stands at 743 meters. Both summits are climbable, although the government restricts climbing to Gros Piton and requires a guide if you want to do it alone.

Our next stop was Caribelle Batik. We got to see an artist demonstration of how they do batik.

Then we were welcomed into a private residence, Stony Hill, a well manicured property edged by a tropical garden and breathtaking views of the Rodney Bay area.

We also go to see what fruits and vegetables they grew on the property and enjoy a complimentary fruit juice and local snacks.

One of the snacks was a fried fish and they had banana ketchup to dip it in. Banana ketchup, YUM!

It was so good! I wanted to buy a bottle to take home but we flew from Florida (where we live) to San Juan with only carry-on luggage I couldn’t bring it back because the bottle is larger than the allowable 3 oz. So I did the next best thing. I looked at the ingredients and made a mental note and vowing to make it when I got home.

UPDATE: I actually made a recreation of the banana ketchup. Here's my recipe.

Back on board the ship, it was business as usual: sitting on the deck watching the sun and the island disappear in the horizon. It’s a lovely way to end the daylight hours.

It was hard to pull away from the beach–I could have spent another few days there, easily. But my disappointment at having to leave was at least dimmed by having with a clear view of the Pitons.

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Earth Day eCards Free to Use

4/17/2024

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Earth Day is a yearly celebration on April 22 of Earth's natural resources and a call to action to reduce pollution.

Here are several eCards you can download and use to send to family and friends or put on your social media. These are for personal use only - cannot be sold

To download, just right click image and click save to your computer.

**This post may contain affiliate links.
I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links which help to keep this blog running.**

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Shirts come in a variety of styles and colors. Just click on the photo to be taken to Amazon to order. I make a small royalty on each purchase. Thank you in advance!

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5 Reasons You'll Love Cruising

4/16/2024

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Want to see the world without compromise? Nowadays, cruise ships provide passengers with transportation, adventure, and breathtaking views, making cruising convenient and affordable.

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links which help to keep this blog running.**

1. Visiting New Destinations

If you love exploring new places while traveling, then cruising is the way to go! Taking a cruise will me to see multiple destinations in a single journey.

One day, you're in Aruba. After you turn in for the night, the ship has sailed to an entirely different nation. There is nothing more fulfilling than experiencing the culture and mingling with the locals while you savor the local cuisine, peruse the local markets, and observe the locals.

2. Unpack Just Once

Skip the hassle of constantly repacking your belongings—just unpack once when you board your cruise ship. For the whole journey, you'll be staying in the same cabin and dressing from your closet not your bag.

3. Activities of Everyone

On board, you can choose from a wide variety of activities! Each ship offers its own unique array of activities.

Enjoy everything from on-board casinos and sports courts to poolside activities and live entertainment including theater and comedians. Some cruises even offer cooking classes/demonstrations and health seminars.

4. Food to Please Every Palate

Cruise ships usually have lots of dining options, offering a wide range of choices from fast food to room service to specialty restaurants to formal dining.

5. Cost Effective

Booking a vacation can be somewhat stressful. Even once you know where you would like to go (see: the impossible question, deciding where to go), there are accommodations, flights, day excursions and activities, meals, transportation and many more variables that must be thought of as you plan a vacation.

When planning a vacation, it's best to consider all of these factors at once to avoid spending more than necessary. This is particularly true when traveling with a large group or a family.

Cruises are unique and particularly appealing in this area. When you board a cruise, you only have to unpack once (no more packing and unpacking!). Also, meals and entertainment are included in your cruise fare.

Options for shore excursions and the ability to have reliable transportation to and from various ports is a huge advantage of cruises. Considering each of these variables separately when traveling can end up costing much more than an all inclusive cruise package — especially if traveling with a family and multiple people.

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Monstera Deliciosa Fruit

4/15/2024

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Monstera fruit, also known as Swiss cheese plant fruit, is a tropical delicacy that is gaining popularity for its unique flavor.

This is another potentially poisonous fruit. If you eat it unripe, it will feel like a thousand tiny needles stabbed your tongue, and then you’ll get pains along your digestive tract (I don't know this first hand, because we waited until the fruit was ripe. But this is what the man who sold the fruit to us told us). These ill effects are due to it containing calcium oxalate crystals when the fruit is unripe.

This fruit has a way of telling you when it’s ripe. First, ripe fruits have a strong, sweet smell. Second, when the scales easily flake off with just your fingernail, that part of the fruit is ripe. The whole thing doesn’t ripen at once, either, so you can only take a few bites at a time.

The plant the fruit comes from is actually a beautiful philodendron—and is the only type of philodendron that gives edible fruit. Some people call it the Swiss cheese plant. The holes in the leaves do remind you of Swiss cheese!

It tasted as we expected once we had read about it on the Internet - a cross between pineapple (flavor) and banana (flavor and texture). Not something I'd rush out to buy again (because it was expensive - we bought two for €21), but definitely interesting and quite pleasant.

Have you ever tried this fruit? What did you think?

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Happy Earth Day

City Tour Excursion - One Day in St. Lucia

Earth Day eCards Free to Use

5 Reasons You'll Love Cruising

Monstera Deliciosa Fruit

Monstera fruit, also known as Swiss cheese plant fruit, is a tropical delicacy that is gaining popularity for its unique flavor.

Linda Roisum

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