TravelswithCharie

The Jewish Bride, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1665-1669 

Reynisfjara Beach

Little Free Library

It's a beauteous evening, calm and free The holy time is quiet as a nun Breathless with adoration, the broad sun Is sinking down in its tranquility The gentleness of heaven broods o'er sea Excerpt from It's a beauteous evening by William Wordsworth

Mantalinga Island or Good Luck Island beckons from across the sea. Just under 20 minutes from Baybay beach in Roxas City, it's rocky shores, tidal pools and sweeping view of Baybay are enough reasons to make the short crossing.     Mantalinga Island

Pack your bags and travel now while the U. S. dollar is soaring in value against foreign currencies. This Frommers' article discusses the strength of the USD vs. the euro, the English pound, the Japanese yen, the Mexican peso and the Chinese yuan. http://www.frommers.com/tips/money-and-currency/the-us-dollar-continue-to-soar-against-virtually-every-foreign-currency-cutting-the-cost-of-rooms-and-meals-abroad In this article from Mashable, it seems the U.S. dollar is the preferred currency even in the afterlife. http://mashable.com/2017/03/30/usd-hellnotes-malaysia/?utm_cid=mash-com-Tw-main-link#km0F8n1Nmaqf

There has been a lot of buzz lately about Mararison Island. For good reasons. How can one not rave about the crystal clear waters around the island and the long stretch of beach with nary a soul? Or the opportunity to take a hike up the hills for a panoramic view of the "land where the mountains meet the sea"?  We docked by the pile of ginormous jackstones which serve as breakwater for the island. Someday these will be properly redistributed so the beach will be well protected and halt the sea's reclamation of the beachfront.  The sea was calm in February when we visited Mararison. It didn't rain though the sky was heavy. And as it was low tide, the curving sandbar, Kawit, was visible from our open cottage on the beach. The hut rental was P300. After leaving our things in our cottage, we went in search for grub. We found fish and vegetables for sale just a short distance from the beach. And we were pointed to a