In the above photo I'm pretending to climb one of the large ruins.  I don't think I would have made it to the top no matter how hard I tried !

When I was in Cancun last week I really wasn't looking forward to seeing any ruins.  I had seen some before that took a long time two travel To and just didn't impress me.  I'm not saying that they aren't interesting they just weren't my thing.  Our visit to El Ray was really fun as I got to see many iguanas as well as some pretty impressive ruins.  One of the best things about visiting El Ray is the price which was only $3 in American money and it's also right on the hotel strip so it wasn't a very long drive to get there! 

As always you can visit my profile at Pixabay and download and use my photos for free and not worry about getting in trouble here

Here is one of the residents.  They are not too afraid of people.  I think a lot of people are scared of them but the fact is they will run away if you try to get near them.  It amazed me how they really do blend in with the scenery.

I enjoyed the hour or so that we spent there.  The grounds are kept very nicely and it's very different than being on the busy beach and host hotel zone which is just down the road. 

Here I am laying on some different ruins in Mexico on a table which was used for sacrifice a few years ago.



I thought this liked look a mother and baby iguana relaxing together:

Thank you very much for your visit.  I would love to hear your comments and questions.  Have you ever visited any ruins that you were very impressed with or thought we're very interesting?  If so,  I'd love to hear about them.  Have a wonderful week!

~Michelle

I really want to give a nice review to a wonderful hotel I stayed at in Lake Garda.  this hotel is in the area of Sirmione and is called the Hotel Olivi Thermae and Natural Spa.  The views from the rooms were spectacular of the lake and I could see the Scaliger Castle  as well. 

Some of the best things about this hotel where the people who worked.  The employee who worked at the reception desk helped me book my trip to Isola del Garda.  The employees went out of their way to make sure I  was having a good time and was comfortable.  They brought me champagne on my first day as a welcoming gift.  I regret that I didn't take a photo of their presentation on a silver platter.  I decided to not accept as I rarely drink and wanted someone else to enjoy the nice gift. 

The breakfast buffet was spectacular and on Sunday morning they had a piano player who played so beautifully that it brought tears to my eyes.  I would recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Lake Garda.  I will share some photos of this beautiful hotel.  As you can tell from the name there is a spa which I did not use but many other customers said it was spectacular. 

Thank you Hotel Olivi Thermae and Natural Spa for a wonderful stay and vacation!

Here is a view from my balcony at dusk:

There were many beautiful and healthy looking fruit trees growing on the hotel grounds
There were mature grapes all over the premises!

There was a gorgeous outdoor dining area:

The view of the sunsets over the lake were spectacular:

Here are a couple of photos of yours truly.  I'm standing on my personal balcony.  As you can see the pool area is very spacious and attractive.  There is a restaurant that serves a full menu and drinks all day.
You could easily see Scaliger Castle from my balcony:

Here area few photos of the lovely town of Sirmione which is a just a few minutes walk from the hotel:

The spectacular Scaliger Castle was only a 10 minute walk away as well:

One night when I was eating at this hotel's restaurant I told the waiter I was thinking about ordering dessert.  I didn't have to order anything as they surprised me with this lovely array of delicious confections!

I will leave you with my personal favorite view from my balcony.  It is a photo of the ferry (that runs throughout the day) returning to Sirmione at sunset.

Thank you for visiting my blog.  Please feel free to leave any comments or questions.  Have a great week everyone!

~Michelle

 Above is the Azure Window in Gozo - MUCH bigger than I imagined it would be!

Let me start this post by saying that in the future I am going to make an effort to write shorter and more frequent posts.  This is another post that I am writing from memory of my trip to Malta last summer.  I spent seven days on this beautiful Mediterranean island.  I visited a small nearby island named Gozo.   I also got a fish pedicure for the first time. I really enjoyed my time there.              

One of the things that inspired me to visit Malta was the architecture.  It has a very old European look to it.  The beaches are rocky, but beautiful and known for great snorkeling.  The island is known to  be very safe and the people are very friendly.  It is not a terribly expensive place to visit in comparison to some of the places I have visited in Europe, but I had just spent a week in Paris before my visit to Malta so that might have affected my perception!               

The nightlife in Malta looked to be very good!  It definitely is a place I would've enjoyed visiting when I was younger.  On my last day there I had to get up at 5 AM.  I walked across the street to get a cup of coffee and people were still out dancing and partying at the bars and restaurants.

Below is a photo of St. Julian's Bay on Malta:

Popay Village was stunning and I would love to see it again!

The roof top pool at the Intercontinental hotel where I stayed:
The following are photos of Valetta which I found especially beautiful!

Malta is part of anarchipelago that consists of three islands which are Malta, Gozo, and Comino.  The three islands have a total population of over 400,000 people. Malta is the largest island. 
Gozo is the second largest island and is more rural and is known for and subsists on fishing, tourism, crafts and agriculture.

Here are some typical beach scenes on Malta:

 My first "fish pedicure".  It doesn't hurt.  It just tickles and is not harmful to the fish.  You must wash your feet first.
The following are photos of my trip to Gozo.  It's only about an hour long ferry ride to get there:

Here I am with a girl named Nicole from Switzerland.  She was traveling alone as well.  We seemed to have a lot in common being really independent people.
Thank you so much for stopping by!  Have you ever visited Malta?  Please leave me any comments or questions.  Take care my friends!

~Michelle