An early morning exit meant seeing the three small towns as they woke from sleep,

No matter what happened that day. No matter what was planned. Every day, I managed to make it to the beach.

The day after the wedding, both myself and the other Bridesmaid were treated to a half-hour back massage by the Bride and Groom.

The wedding proper was wonderful. Vic was the most beautiful bride ever. The day was perfect. I cried several times. I sweated and worked my butt off in the heat. Ate a delicious meal. Saw a phenomenal aquatic show. Drank delicious port. And danced for hours.

The night before the wedding, we all went on a lovely Catamaran sunset cruise. Because we were a large group, we got a private boat. And because tourism is really just picking up right now, we got this stunning massive luxury Catamaran just for us! Isn’t that wonderful?

The place we were at is part of a larger series of resorts, and quite a few of them were shut down – again, I mentioned earlier the Cuban economy right now.

Eddie’s – the Grooms – family was the best.

Those quiet mornings on the beach are priceless.

The sea is immensely calming but also such a draw for deep thoughts.