Miami is huge and spread out... I had no clue just how big. Thankfully, we rented a car during our stay or we would have spend a million on Uber or Lyft. We stayed in an area, or village called El Portal which is located in North Miami. The whole village is a bird sanctuary, primarily for peacocks. Those birds have the right of way- to wander and strut and holler from the rooftops of residential homes.
I decided I was going to try out fasted cardio this week, by going for a morning 20 minute jog. First thing is, I hate jogging and most forms of what we call cardio. Unless I am running from a burning building, I don't particulary want to run anywhere, for any reason. However, this winter is dragging on and I seemed to have developed a sugar addiction over the last six weeks, so I thought maybe a morning jog first thing would kick start my body... So, C and I got our arses out of bed whilst on holiday, and I did my best at dragging my body around for 20 minutes. During the morning torture, the peacocks made their presence known. We crossed paths with several different males, bright gorgeous tail feathers fanned out in all their splendor, shouting to attract a mate. Female peacocks wandered more quietly in groups of three or four. In the evening, as I wandered ready to snap photos, I spotted more than one male peacock on a rooftop, shouting and making noise. The palm trees, humidity and sunshine added to the romance and I felt as if I could have been on a tropical island. (Side note: I have not jogged since my return.) The food scene has blown up in Miami, there are so many restaurants to choose from I am not sure how they all stay in business. There are super fancy restaurants and small cafes as well as tiny mom and pop places and no shortage of desserts either. We ate well during our stay and one of my favorites was the Pinch Kitchen in El Portal where they know how to make a damned good beet salad and delish salmon. While sitting at a tiny place in South Beach and savouring the best pistachio gelato I have ever eaten, we watched somebody's car get towed. Parking is more expensive in Miami than it is in NYC, we were constantly feeding the meters, thankfully from an app on our phones. Also, a fun gourmet grilled cheese joint called Ms Cheesious is worth a stop if you are in El Portal. The summed up version of Miami: We hit the beautiful beaches on Key Biscayne which had plenty of trees and thus much shade to offer. Another day, we drove down to the Everglades so C could experience an airboat and alligators. We wandered up and down South Beach, which is just as cheesy as the Jersey Shore, but throw a lot more money into the mix. I met up with a former Jersey AA pal and we hit a fantastic women's meeting in Brickel. Since I am the queen of meeting up with old friends on vacay, on our last night, we enjoyed our second dessert with an old NYC friend, Andrea. Sunshine and 80 degree weather warmed my heart just enough to send me back North. Today I heard rumors of snow, again. Say it ain't so. |
AuthorHi, I'm Reverend J, a queer+ sober wanderer, activist, writer and ordained minister. Archives
November 2020
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