Aruba - January 2024

Left the Carolinas in 30° F weather and arrived in Aruba to weather in the 80's.  Long pants were ill-advised.  A desert island with no history of industry or agriculture to speak of, the south coast has been irrigated into a tropical paradise of international resorts.  We stayed at the Hilton resort at Palm Beach, the first of the big hotels on the island.  The original structure was designed by American architect Morris Lapidus, famed for his extravagant midcentury style and plethora of "cheese holes" in stucco ceilings.  "Too much is never enough," he was fond of saying.  

Many varieties of iguana joined us whenever we sat down, whether at breakfast in the chic Laguna restaurant or on the rocky Tres Trapi beach where we snorkeled in clear water.

Spaghetti al formaggio at Gianni's Restaurant.  Stirring hot pasta inside a wheel of parmesan cheese is always a hit!