{Our Curaçao Vacation II}

Our Curaçao dream vacation at the then Hyatt Regency and now: Santa Barbara Plantation ←(click it) in the Caribbean, gave us great joy for the 8 nights spent. Curaçao is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Let me show you today something more from the island Curaçao, from the day that we went to the capital city of Willemstad. Bon Bini (Welcome) to Punda, the fascinating and picturesque oldest part of Willemstad, with its tall Old-Dutch style warehouses along the Handelskade, is often called the 'Amsterdam of the tropics'. 

The Penha Building ←(click it) on Heerenstraat 1, Punda, is a typical baroque architecture with its characteristic 18th century gables.

In particular, the Breedestraat is worth mentioning. In common with New Amsterdam, now New York, the so-called 'breede straat' (Broadway) originally formed the boundary between the fort, built in 1635, and the town behind it. See this informative video about the Caribbean paradise island Curaçao ←click it.

Pieter, left, is on the Queen Emma Bridge that connects Otrobanda and Punda over the St. Anna Bay. This characteristic bridge is the only floating pontoon bridge in the world! We were lucky enough for seeing it open up and videotaped it. Impressive. During that time, pedestrians can use the ferry till the large sea vessels have passed by and the bridge closes again.

Pieter on the Queen Emma pontoon bridge facing now the Otrobanda city part.

This gives you a good idea of the pontoon bridge with Otrobanda in the back.

Now we're on the other side and looking from Otrobanda towards Punda, which is the oldest part of Willemstad.

What a colorful buildings...

View more to the right at Punda with the Governor's Palace ←click it.

Governor's Palace again.

Full view of the Governor's Palace.

Behind Pieter you see the tall Juliana bridge where sea vessels can pass through, to the deep water harbor where also the Shell Oil Refinery is located.

Looking at Otrobanda...

No, it's not the taxi... you will not travel on a cannon ball to the moon like Jules Verne...!

That's me in front of a special  19th century architectural building at the Molenplein z/n Otrobanda ←click it.

Again, the same 19th century building at Molenplein z/n Otrobanda.

The police station at Molenplein z/n Otrobanda. 

Hendrikplein z/n De Tempel in Punda. I loved this building with its warm oker yellow and cream color!

A statue of a lady holding a ROSE!

To the left you can see part of the Governor's Palace.

I don't know its meaning, wish some local from Curaçao would fill me in here...

Time for having a cappuccino with some Dutch apple tart. It was not too sweet and with cinnamon, a healthy spice.

Hope you enjoyed this impression of Curaçao!

We will be back, for me a third time and for Pieter a fifth time. 

Pieter's daughter Liz went with him twice before and it would be great if she and Hans could join us...

So many fond memories.

Related articles
{Back Home from Curaçao} | previous post by me
{Hyatt Regency - Santa Barbara Plantation Curaçao} | previous post by me
{Trupial or Orange Breasted Oriole - National Bird of Curaçao} | previous post by me
{Our Curaçao Vacation} | previous post by me

{TIP: How to enter Blog from Google Account on Comments Page}

Some readers did not find the entrance to my blog from my Google Account identity on their comment page. Let me show you how quick and easy it is:

This is my comment identity, since I've joined http://plus.google.com/+MarietteVandenMunckhofVedder all my accounts are now merged. This is very convenient and also VERY easy for you to get to my blog.

Since I joined all my accounts under Google+ this is how I choose my identity when I comment on your blogs.

This is how my comment looks like.

By clicking on my name, highlighted, you get to my Google Account... and land on the Posts page, see below↓

Now you click to the right of Posts, on About and you land here, see below... ↓

Most important: scroll down see (highlighted) where it shows Contributor to (Blogspot... where you click on and voilà! see the yellow marked line below.

FAST - CONVENIENT AND ALL IN ONE!

My Email is listed there as well.

I can only highly recommend using Google+ like this as well. 

Any questions are welcome!

{Challenge Accepted + Easter Photos}

On March 19, I already did receive a challenge request from Alessandra, in Italy, for listing 10 things that make me feel good. She is writing the blog: Shabby but ohh so chic!! ←click for getting to her blog.

Okay, now it is my turn for listing those 10 things, after having waited till first several other challenges got taken care of. 

After our trip to Curaçao we first got our tax papers done. Will write about our Curaçao vacation soon; promise! 

Our garden was also begging for weeding and still needs lots more done. 

On Saturday we finally hung the long crocheted peacock curtain at our friends' home. That was a gift from us and after I designed them, a sweet elderly lady in The Netherlands did crochet them for me. My task was for sewing on numerous brass rings for hanging. My husband Pieter, did hammer in the brass nails for the rings... Mission accomplished and even before Easter!

Happy Mom in the USA...

Okay: 10 things that make me feel good...

1. Looking at Mom's photo, taken while here in the USA, still makes me smile when thinking about all the great times when we had Mom & Dad over to visit us in the USA. Seeing Mom so relaxed and happy in this photo, being on vacation and enjoying it. She worked hard all her life, gave birth to 8 children and had her health issues.

She looks like an angel with her pink feather boa. A nice transition for when she really will become an angel...

2. Calling each Sunday after Church with my Mom & Dad and hearing their voices. Feeling blessed for having Mom still around after 4 years of kidney dialysis.

3. Happy times when video calling with Liz or Anita, our daughters.

4. Having my soul mate Pieter still with me and healthy and strong again after his open heart surgery in September 2010. Enjoying the trips we make together, while talking for hours on end in the car or when walking.

5. Enjoying a cup of coffee, or our version of Chocof (Chocolate from Dutch Cacao + Coffee) with some dark chocolates with pomegranate (from Costco).

6. Getting into a fresh made bed with clean linens, it makes me sleep like an angel under the down duvet and on the down pillows.

7. Having breakfast in our bay window in the sunshine and having fresh flowers from our garden.

8. Having friends around the table for dinner and enjoying a home cooked meal together.

9. Gardening together at our great property that we can claim all as our own. Such a treasure compared to what you can own in the Old World.

10. Watching our seven felines frolicking in our garden and being purrfectly happy - just like we!
~~0~~

Ten things is by far not enough for listing it all... 

It is a joy for reading your blogs and for visiting you around the world!

Now I would like to pass on this 10 point challenge to:

1. Kerri from Artisanbella

2. Claudia from NuNu's Garn-und Stofflabor a multi-talented lady that is also great in English.

3. Véronica from Los Mundos de Nika Vintage who is also very artistic.

4. Michiko from Michiko who needs ALL our help and support after her severe accident on December 15. We need to give her lots of BLOG-LOVE. 

5. Ginger from Savannah Granny who has been having health issues and today is her Birthday so she needs some BLOG-LOVE too.

Okay, mission accomplished in about three weeks...

Don't feel pressed for taking this on. But it is my aim always for helping some others by sending visitors and hopefully followers, their way. A friendly word goes a long way!

Hope we soon will have flowers again like here, from our own garden. 

We lost most roses last year due to the heat and drought but we do have the first ones blooming already.

Happy Easter setting from previous years...

• The book from which I  made the organdy ribbons for the eggs...

High Tea/Coffee for friends...

The bay window is a favorite breakfast area and for all settings.

Have a nice week!