Last July I stayed in the house where I am starting my Mexican adventure.
The house was painted white. Everything was white. With the exception of a few blue accents. I woke up several mornings thinking I was on Mykonos again.
I wasn't. I was in Melaque. But color has strong memory links.
The owner told me that she was going to add some color. She did.
The photograph at the top of the post was my introduction to The New House when we arrived in April. And those colors certainly help set the tone for the house.
Let me give you an overview. A realtor would describe the house as a three bedroom, two bath, with living room, dining room, and kitchen. But that hardly catches the spirit of the house.
There are three distinct living areas -- the ground floor, the living area on the second floor, and the roof. For convenience, let's look at the ground floor first and then tackle the other two in subsequent posts.
If you will step through the dark blue garage gate at the left in the top photograph, this is what will greet you. Palm trees. The beach. The ocean.
I remember the first time I saw how close the ocean came to the back of the house. I was transfixed.
I have always enjoyed the motion of the sea. But this house gives me an opportunity to experience it in true tropical fashion.
And what would true tropical fashion be without a hammock? Better yet, what would retirement be without a hammock?
During the past two weeks, I have spent hours reading at the table or napping in the hammock. This 100 square foot area has been my "activity" center.
Jiggs sleeps most of the afternoon next to the hammock. He is feeling much better. But our weather has been climbing into the upper 80s -- with matching humidity.
Neither one of us needs to exert too much energy with those temperatures. I honestly expect Gilligan to show up at any moment. (You young people can ask your parents about that reference.)
This food bar is just behind the hammock. The tile work and paint scheme gives you an idea of the detail in the living area.
The house was painted white. Everything was white. With the exception of a few blue accents. I woke up several mornings thinking I was on Mykonos again.
I wasn't. I was in Melaque. But color has strong memory links.
The owner told me that she was going to add some color. She did.
The photograph at the top of the post was my introduction to The New House when we arrived in April. And those colors certainly help set the tone for the house.
Let me give you an overview. A realtor would describe the house as a three bedroom, two bath, with living room, dining room, and kitchen. But that hardly catches the spirit of the house.
There are three distinct living areas -- the ground floor, the living area on the second floor, and the roof. For convenience, let's look at the ground floor first and then tackle the other two in subsequent posts.
If you will step through the dark blue garage gate at the left in the top photograph, this is what will greet you. Palm trees. The beach. The ocean.
I remember the first time I saw how close the ocean came to the back of the house. I was transfixed.
I have always enjoyed the motion of the sea. But this house gives me an opportunity to experience it in true tropical fashion.
And what would true tropical fashion be without a hammock? Better yet, what would retirement be without a hammock?
During the past two weeks, I have spent hours reading at the table or napping in the hammock. This 100 square foot area has been my "activity" center.
Jiggs sleeps most of the afternoon next to the hammock. He is feeling much better. But our weather has been climbing into the upper 80s -- with matching humidity.
Neither one of us needs to exert too much energy with those temperatures. I honestly expect Gilligan to show up at any moment. (You young people can ask your parents about that reference.)
This food bar is just behind the hammock. The tile work and paint scheme gives you an idea of the detail in the living area.
But the living area is upstairs. Just follow Jiggs up the stairs, and we will walk through those rooms -- tomorrow.
