Summer Pt. 3

Summer 2013 I got to do something I only dreamed about. Ecuador is not visited by many bands, so every time we go to Florida we try to go to a concert. So far we've been to Sade (John Legend opened for her), Taylor Swift, Maroon 5, and Train. This summer, Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z were finishing their summer tour in Miami. We simply HAD to get the tickets. My whole family not only enjoys his music, but we know every song and every beat by heart. His album 'Justified' was the soundtrack to many road trips for many years. When his new album came out we were all thrilled! I marked down August 16th in my calendar, as it was going to be a day where a life-long dream came true. 

Sadly, I only have videos from the concert. And to try to explain my joy to see JT perform live is impossible. It really was amazing. The venue was completely packed, with fans that shared the same love for his music (and dance moves). Guys and girls alike sang their hearts out when Cry Me a River and What Goes Around Comes Around came on. He also performed Pusher Love, Suit $ Tie, and Mirrors. 

"Aren't you something to admire, 'cause your shine is something like a mirror

                               And I can't help but notice, you reflect in this heart of mine

If you ever feel alone and the glare makes me hard to find

Just know that I'm always parallel on the other side"... 

As I think of the concert, and the lyrics of the song, and the fact I always feel like crying when i hear it, I realize just now I feel this way about my sisters. They are both my shiny, reflecting mirrors! 

I became a Jay-Z fan recently, about 2 years ago, while i lived in Boston. To watch him rap live only caused me to respect his talent even more...

I got to spend the last few days of summer with this guy:

How lucky am I?!?

We ate & shopped like crazies. But most importantly, we met up with one of the coolest couple we know: Garles & Chachi (those are nicknames, not real names!). He's ecuadorian and she's american. They met in Ecuador and fell in love, and now their happily married. We got together in Melbourne Beach. We got there at about 5, after a long day of driving, but Mr.J wanted to swim in the ocean. He dragged us to the beach, and then a miracle happened!!! Turtles were hatching! Another incredible experience which i documented on video but not pictures... We followed the fastest one all the way from beginning to end.

Thats him right there:

And there is us. We took the first picture before heading out for dinner. The second, right after we ate lunch. Good food and great company!

We said goodbye, hoping to see each other soon. 

And with that, one of the greatest summers ever was over.  

Instagram: LISELOTTEBG

Vine: Liselotte Ballesteros

Summer Pt. 2

This post is long overdue. 

My sister is one lucky girl. Her birthday is right in the middle summer, so she gets to celebrate it in a different location each time. We sang happy birthday and gave her presents in the morning, with the song "22" by Taylor Swift playing in the background

After breakfast and some shopping we came back to the hotel and relaxed...

 She's fab. 

 For dinner, we had her favorite: Italian. 

 So precious!

My parents' anniversary is a day after her birthday. We sent champagne and chocolate covered strawberry's to celebrate!

The next day we headed back to Miami, after deciding we are definetly coming back to Marco Island next year :). 

For the last two years or so, my parents make it a point to go to the theatre while we are in Miami. We've seen amazing plays, but this year we went to Slava's Snow Show and it blew our socks off! It was an amazing experience. The show ended, but huge balls were thrown to the audience, causing us all to become children again. Everyone played for quite a while. 

It was so fun! I'll never forget it.

And there we are, after the show, acting like grown ups again :) My youngest sister (yet the tallest) is the one the left. I love them both so so so much. Summer Pt. 3 is soon coming up! 

Restaurante Patria, Cumbaya

A new Restaurant has opened its doors in Cumbaya. How exciting! Its located in Cumbaya's Park. The park is not really a park, its more like a small plaza. It is surrounded by great places to eat though... And Patria is a great addition. Last Sunday my family and I had lunch there. 

It's huge, baby-blue doors welcomed us in, to what seems to have been a great big house

The decor is amazing. Not only does it have trees on the inside, but huge windows let the sunlight in. 

I was delighted to find this little table with beautiful, ecuadorian roses and hand cream in the bathroom 

My parents chose a table on the outside, so we were surrounded by trees, plants, and flowers while we ate 

The menu wittily resembles an old newspaper. See? The first page lets you in on the concept behind the  place: ecuadorian food with a creative twist to it. 

To start, we ordered a plate which offers typical types of food common to the mountain region of Ecuador. Im pretty sure I can't translate the names of these things in english, so ill just say it was all yummy. 

I ordered another starter as a main dish. It was octopus with cheery tomatoes and potatoes. I had been craving octopus for a while, so I ate it with delight! 

For dessert, I had "arroz brulé", the french version of "arroz con leche", which is rice with milk. Soooo gooood! 

My mom asked for an all-chocolate dessert. 

Yum! 

Ok. So while i loved having lunch there... the ambiance at night transforms, offering a totally different (but still amazing) experience. 

J and I decided we needed some dessert. So on a cold Friday night, we took a walk around the "park" and then went into Patria. The doors were shut right behind us, as the night got real cold

Once we were inside, we couldn't help but notice the huge tree in front of us, 

and also a room that is just at the right of the entrance. It has glass doors, which separates it from the rest of the seating area. It only has one table, which you have to book for in advance. The person who does will be surrounded by lit trees and all kinds of flowers. 

Here's a close-up of the table:

And the beauties that surround it...

One lucky person at that table will have this heart-warming view:

We sat in another area, lit by candle-light 

I had a glass of red wine to warm myself

He had dark beer 

We ordered the same kind of starter as the one I had with the family, except this time we wanted types of food typical of the coast of Ecuador. I liked this one better. Again, i wish i could explain what "it" all is. But...again, ill just say its delicious. 

And as the saying goes... "barriga llena, corazon contento". It translates: full stomach, happy heart. Is there a saying for that in english? Anyways... the music is a GREAT plus. While we ate songs from Sting, The Cardigans, and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros played in the background.