Beach Getaway…

It was time for a short getaway. I have been so busy for the past two years that I couldn’t really say or feel that I was “retired” and “dabbling in food” anymore. My previous (several) trips a year to provincial destinations, their markets and often unusual produce or recipe discoveries had all but disappeared. I had been putting off a trip to Bohol to take care of some family business, and decided that last weekend was the right time to visit for mostly business, but snuck in a bit of R&R…

I stayed at the Bellevue Hotel in Doljo, near the tip of Panglao island, and the views from their beach and pool area in the photos above did a lot to bring calm and balance back for a period of two days. The Bellevue wasn’t really my type of hotel, and I had a crappy view from my (lowest-priced) room, and it seemed a bit contrived in its location, with poor to mediocre food at best, so I wouldn’t recommend it. But I will say that many other folks might find it a pleasant place to base themselves from — large rooms (perhaps half with sea views at a hefty price), good bathrooms, desalinated water in the big bathrooms with strong pressure, a nice beach and a decent pool.

Morning strolls on the beach, at low tide and mostly deserted except for a few locals, were exactly the kind of non-activity I craved.

A dip in the pool with a pretty nice view…

…and the view while laying on a chaise by the pool — crystal clear blue skies, occasionally punctuated by swiftly moving clouds. They say you need to “stop and smell the roses” every once in a while. I would change that to “lie down and watch the clouds (or stars)” instead…