Puerto Rico Day #1

Buenos Dias, Friends and Family. Our first day it Puerto Rico was a blast! We arrived in Luis Munoz Marin Intl airport at approximately 2:00 pm. We received our bags quickly (what a relief - they didn't get lost!) and made our way via taxi to Hotel el convento. The hotel is a historic hotel of America (thank you Margaret!!) and is small and charming. The taxi cab driver was very informative and gave us a quick tour of Old San Juan on our way here. Our hotel room is obviously an old nun's room, quaint but cute. There are no king beds in the 58 room hotel so we are in a queen bed which feels tiny since we're used to our king. Mom, Dad, Leah, and Erin came in on later flights so we spent our first few hours walking around the hotel and going down to the town square to buy groceries for breakfast and snacks. Old San Juan is kind of a mix between San Francisco and Miami. Sam and I both really like the area we are in.
When everyone else arrived we had an early dinner at Cafe Avant which is located in the Plaza de Armas. When Sam and I got groceries we checked it out (and watched the hundreds of pigeons flock to the people who had food! - more pictures later...) Dinner was a small cafe with outdoor seating and offered inexpensive french fare (I know, I know, we're in Puerto Rico!) But it was recommended by one of our guide books and was worth the quick walk. Some people had Caprese Sandwiches with plump fresh mozzarella and tomatoes with a pesto dressing, others had freshly made savory crepes with ingredients including such things as cranberries. The sun was shining and the breeze was cool so it was perfect weather.
After a quick walk home and eyeing the many shops we will have to check out a different day, we were back to the hotel with enough time to enjoy the hotel's free wine and cheese gathering. With a glass of wine in everyone's hand (except me, I went swimming) they walked on the terrace and enjoyed the slowed down, puerto rican environment (at dinner someone told mom to "just relax!" ha ha!) It was a great ending to a long day filled with travel. After a quick dip in the hot tub and soaking pool we went off to bed and smiled because after all - we are in paradise! Until tomorrow...